Gardner High School Murals

Patty (Wolcott) Berger is shown standing beneath a mural painted by her father.  Patty posed as the girl shown in the white dress who is taking a picture of a graduating student.

The murals on the wall of our "old" Gardner High School building on Elm Street were completed on October 9, 1940.  In an article published in the Gardner News on Thursday, December 22, 2011, author Mike Richard describes how the murals were painted on canvas by John Gilmore Wolcott of Lowell, Massachusetts.  These murals depict life-sized figures showing both the curricular and extra-curricular activities of the high school.

Were you inspired by a particular image from these murals?  Could you identify with the young artist working on a painting?  The students with diplomas, graduation caps, and gowns?  Or the football player, chemistry lab, or shop machines?  The scenes were filled with meaningful activity.

One of the remarkable things about Mike Richard's article, "Life meets art for woman depicted in decades-old mural" is that Mike interviews the daughter of the artist, who was amazed that the vibrant colors of the murals are as alive today as when her father first painted them more than 70 years ago.

These murals offered to each of us "images of potential" that we may not have been aware of at the time, but which have profoundly influenced our lives.  If you have a special memory of these murals, I hope you will try the comment feature on this blog and tell us about it.

A Message from Russell Hoag

The following message from classmate Russell Hoag was sent via e-mail recently:

This is the time of year that I would like to urge our former classmates to consider supporting the Stone Fund with a monetary contribution. My own family, as with many other families in Gardner at the time, would have had a difficult time funding my college education without scholarships from the Stone Fund.  During each of the first three years of college, the Stone Fund provided me with a scholarship that amounted to about 40% of my annual tuition.

Starting last year, Phyllis and I have begun to repay those awards to the Stone Fund, hoping to complete the effort in four annual installments.  To compensate for the time value of the money we are doing so at a rate of about ten to one (Ten dollars for every one dollar awarded in the 1960 period).  Rather than as a donation, we view this as a repayment.  As a former recipient, I am confident that such a contribution will be used to support needy students from th Gardner area.  Unlike many other well-known charities, you truly know where your donation goes.

The address for the Albert H. and Reuben S. Stone Fund is P.O. Box 1008, Gardner, MA 01440

Many thanks for forwarding this idea. We are in our third full year of retirement and are now living in Roanoke, Virginia.  As we have seen from comments made by other retirees on the GHS Web log, the years are literally flying by.  We enjoy reading the postings and appreciate the way the blog keeps us connected.

Russ and Phyllis Hoag

Editor's note: Russ is both sincere and generous in expressing his reflections on the Stone Fund.  The folks at the Stone Fund are very approachable and would accept donations in any amount, from both Gardner men and women (scholarships are now awarded to female applicants).  I hope that you find Russell's appeal to be timely, relevant, and in keeping with the season.

Boys State Representatives 1960

The American Legion sponsored program, Boys State, emphasizes the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of franchised citizens.  The GHS Class of 1960 classmates shown above represented Gardner High School: Timothy Swanson, Stanley Gemborys, Richard Donovan, John Awdycki, and Walter Dubzinski, Jr.  Alice (Winter) Empie represented Gardner High School at Girls State. Students were selected on the basis of demonstrated leadership, character,scholarship, loyalty, and service to school and community.

Remembering Coach Priscilla Power

Priscilla F. Power, 90, of York Harbor, ME, died on Saturday December 3, 2011 at the Edgewood Center in Portsmouth, NH.  She was born November 30, 1921, and was a graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Coach Power was a physical education teacher and coach at Gardner High School for 34 years.  In the photo above, she is shown with GHS Class of 1960 classmates Rachel (Hebert) Reilly, Marcia (Shepard) Wilk, Mary (Phelan) Nordman, and Donna Rae (Blake) Beise.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cocheco Valley Humane Society, 262 County Farm Road, Dover, NH 03820-6043.  The Lucas and Eaton Funeral Home of 91 Long Sands Road, York, ME is directing arrangements.  Visit http://www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com/