Lining Up is Hard To Do

Here's another picture from Brenda Nyman Clausen, taken on Saturday July 24, just as we were all lining up for our 50th Class Reunion photo. As you can see, the front row (to be seated on the grass) had not been called in yet, and the folks in the back row have not climbed on the staging sety for them . There's a lot of visiting, greeting, and hugging going on. Our sympathies go to the photo crew, who must have felt like they were herding squirrels. Still, it all happened on time, and the complete and finished photos were delivered before dessert.

Greeting Former Classmates

Brenda Nyman Clausen took this photo showing Karen Heywood Greenlaw and William Farnsworth greeting Peter Larson and Carrie Cunningham Larson at the Saturday Reunion Dinner on July 24, 2010. If you have photo from the reunion, we'd like to see them. Reunions go by so quickly - it is hard to get photos of everyone who attended. You can help us tell the whole story.

Listening to Language

Your reunion plannning committee continues to receive hand-written notes, e-mail messages, and telephone calls from classmates commenting on our 50th Class Reunion. Here are some of the things people have said. They can teach us about what mattered most to those who attended.

"The best reunion ever."
"Fabulous job"

"Thank you for all your hard work."

"Thank you all for your hard work."

"Everyone I spoke to said everything was great."

"A wonderful weekend filled with memories."

"Outstanding planning, organization, and execution."

"Everyone was so nice"

"My table made it especially fun."

"Was planned out to the T's"

"The hospitality suite was a great idea."

"I can't imagine the hours you spent getting ready for this."

"Excellent job of set-up."

"Was fun to get ready via Facebook and the GHS Web Log.

"You really went above and beyond."

"Each event was fun."

"I wasn't going to go but the e-mails made me feel wanted"

"I haven't been to a reunion before and I am glad I went."

"I got ideas for my own class reunion . (guest)"

"What a blessing to see so many classmates after all these years."

News from Roger Kinnear

Roger and Nan Kinnear are regular attendees at GHS reunions.

Roger Kinnear now lives in Collierville, Tennessee. He is retired from a career as plant manager of food plants, and is enjoying visiting with grandchildren in the area and traveling to see others. Roger and Nancy have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. In high school, Roger was a member of the GHS Ski Club and served on the Stage Crew for four years.

After the Ball is Over...

Following our 50th Class Reunion in July, most people returned to their homes and daily routines. Some stayed in the area and visited with friends and family. Others completed other planned trips or extended vacations in New England. Classmate Louis Paul Migliozzi had other pressing business, as shown.

If anyone remembers who won the wine basket that Lou donated for our Reunion Raffle, please let us know. We didn't keep a record of who won what at our 50th Reuinion, but we promise to do better next time.

Remembering Pamela Prime

Pamela Prime Miller died on July 25, 2006. This picture, taken in 2001, was provided by Nancy Ball Griffin of Columbus, Ohio. Nancy writes that Pam and her husband, Cledith, were the parents of two sons. After living for a while in Germany, Pam and Clete lived in central Pennysylvania from the early 1970's until she died. Pam worked as an occupational therapist throughout her career. She enjoyed hiking, camping, swimming and the company of their dog, Peach.

News from Jeanne Charest Mallet

Jeanne Charest spent only two years at Gardner High School, but made friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

Jeanne was born in Gardner but spent her early school years in South Royalston. She feels that she was underexposed to the larger world -- she never experienced a library before going to high school. Going to high school in the "city" (of Gardner) was a big deal, but it meant getting up early to get on the train every day to go to school. She writes, "At first I was overwhelmed and felt awkward. I found out that there were uptowners, downtowners and "us"-- out-of- towners. That's hard to figure out when you are a kid with so little experience socially."

Soon Jeanne made new friends and that made a big difference. She lists Ginny Blake, Connie Lesneski, Sue Skamarycz, Joanne Bogdanski, Jackie Tousignant, Donna Blake, and Judy Bishop as her social circle. She felt academically overwhelmed but her goal was to play on the girls softball team in her freshman year. Earning her letter was a special reward.

By the time sophomore year arrived, Jeanne was more comfortable in Gardner but then discovered that Royalston was going into a regional high school with Athol. "The prospect of change was distressing but after every effort to find the money to stay in Gardner, I realized I'd have to go with the flow. " There, Jeanne lettered in thre sports and found total acceptance."

Jeanne married her boyfriend from Gardner, Barry Glinski. "We have three very successful daughters and five grandchildren. Our marriage didn't last and after a divorce, I married Phil Mallet from Athol. We have been together for the better part of 30 years and continue to be happy. We are both presently retired and live in a condo in West Boylston."

Although she only went to GHS for two years, Jeanne acknowledges that "Ginny Blake and I have been friends for 54 years, which means that my short stop at Gardner High School had an everlasting effect on my life."