Locating Classmates

Did you ever wonder "What happened to...?" or "Where is he/she now?" Our GHS Reunion Database can help save you time . Send your request for information to ghsclassof1960@gmail.com . All inquiries will be confidential. Some restrictions apply.

Faded Photographs

This picture was sent to us by Elizabeth O'Regan Adkins. Elizabeth was our exchange student from Ireland. The photo was taken in the summer of 1960. To protect the privacy of classmates in this photo we are not identifying individuals in this post. To request a list of classmates in this photograph, please send an e-mail to ghsclassof1960@gmail.com .

Do you have photographs from your GHS days that you can share with us? Group photos are especially welcome.

Help Wanted

Please help make this blog active and interesting to classmates and friends. Here are some ways you can make a contribution to our GHS web log.

1. Reply to a post by entering a comment or sending an e-mail to the web log moderator.
2. Draft a message you would like posted (a story, greeting or memory) and e-mail it to the web log moderator.
3. Have experience creating web pages? Send us a link to your personal site or send us a web page template we can use on our GHS web site.
4. Know how to create photo album pages? That would let us post images from our 50th reunion online.
5. Got photo or newspaper clippings from our high school years? We’d like to feature some group photos on our web log.

Please send a message to ghsclassof1960@gmail.com if you think you can help.

Reuniting with Eugene Andes

There are 247 classmates pictured in the 1960 Argus. Some of the people we may remember best are not in it. They transferred to different schools, or their families moved to other communities, or a medical condition prevented them from graduating with us. For those of you who attended the School Street Elementary School, Waterford Street Junior High School, as well as Gardner High School, here is the story of Eugene Andes, who left our class and the end of our Sophomore year, in 1958.

Click on the link http://mysite.verizon.net/vzep7fvn/reunited.htm to read about Gene and his family.

If this feature is interesting to you, or you would like to suggest the name of another person to feature in our "reunited" posts, please send an e-mail message to ghsclassof1960@gmail.com .

Gardner, Then and Now: Part Three

Judy (Heino) Collette lists familiar places to visit in the Gardner area, with some notations:

Dunn State Park (State run) - Much improved since our high school days, with visitor's building, swimming, and walking/hiking paths
Gardner Public Library on corner of Pine and Lynde St. (Beautiful new building. This is a must-see.)
Gardner Museum, Pearl St. (a Gardner library in our high school days)

Furniture Outlets: Rome's, Main St., once Hartshorn's Furniture LaChance, Kraft St. and LaChance, West Broadway

Henry Heywood Hospital (worth a look) currently under new expansion

M.W.C.C. - Mount Wachusett Community College (lovely grounds)
Gardner Municipal Golf Course (well kept grounds)
Greenwood Memorial Swimming Pool (changed, but still here). The outside pool has been reduced to a fenced-in, grass-around cement pool. No more large slide and diving area. The inside pool is pretty much the same, looking a bit old and worn, but happy to announce the greatest swim team in the state and producing Olympic swimmers.

Social/Fraternal Clubs still active in Gardner: Knights of Columbus, Eagle's, Acadien Club, Gardner Fish & Gun Club, Elks Club, Gardner Rabbit Club, American Legion, Napoleon Club, West End Beagle Club, Deer Club, Polish American Country Club. (new lovely location at the beach) and a great location for weddings, parties, and class reunions, etc.

Gardner, Then and Now: Part Two

Thanks to classmate Judy (Heino) Collette, who has listed stores and manufacturing organizations that are still doing business in the Chair City today.

Gardner and local area businesses or stores still here:

Candlepin Bowling Alley (currently owned by Judy's nephew, Brian Favreau)
Valley Florist, Parker St. ..................................Weelen Supply, Main St.
Blue Moon Diner, Main St. ..............................Paramount Cafe, Main St.
John's Sport Shop, Main St. ............................Lynde Hardware, now on Main St.
Bonk's Market, Pine St. ...................................Gardner News, Central St.
Gardner Travel Agency, Central St. ...............Chair City Paint & Wallpaper
Priscilla's Candy, new location corner Main and Lynde St.
Chairtown Lumber ...........................................Gardner Screw Corp.,Union St.
Dow's Shoe Store, West St.
GFA Credit Union (I believe we called it Gardner Franco-American in the old days) with 2 branches in Gardner, 1 each in Hubbardston, Rutland, Fitchburg, Winchendon, Rindge, NH, and soon, Ashburnham.
Chairtown Lumber.......................................... Royal Steam Heater
Gardner Cinema (once the Orpheum) now located at Timpany Plaza with 8 theaters
Heywood Wakefield buildings - no longer a furniture business but most of the buildings have been converted into multi-room apartments.

Gardner Then and Now, Part One

We thought you might like to join us in reflecting on some of the changes to Gardner, Massachusetts over the years.

Do you have a then and now question or another contribution to make to the list? We hope you will join in the conversation about our hometown. Post your own comment (sign-in required) or send an e-mail to ghsclassof1960@gmail.com .

The following list was compiled by classmate Judy (Heino) Collette. Judy looked at the sponsoring ads in our 1960 Argus to determine who is still there and who is not.

Gardner and local area businesses or stores no longer here:
Student Bros. ............ Family Shoe Store ..................... Rousseau's
Cohen's ..................... J.A. LeBlanc ........................... Leslie's Music
Garbose Bros. .......... Savard & Noyes ........... Goodnow Pearsons
Weeds ....................... Sandrof's ................................ Teresa Roark
Rose's (Now Temptation's Boutique) ................... Eino's Pharmacy
McKeogh's Pharmacy ...... City Market ............................. Foodliner
Atter's SuperMarket ...... Hager & Houghton Meat & Grocery Store
Trifilo's (now a Hannaford Supermarket) ................. Woodland Spa
Betty's Flower Shop ........... Westminster Dairy Bar

Only a memory:
Heywood Wakefield (now apartments) ......................... Conant Ball
Denny Mfg. ......................... Lilly Varnish Co. ...... Kuniholm Mfg. Co.
O.W. Siebert Co. .............. S. Bent Bros. ........................Thayer Mfg.
C.H. Hartsorn ............. Gardner Mfg. Co., Inc. ....Gem Crib & Cradle
Collier Keyworth .............. Kelly Bros. .................... O'Hearn Mfg. Co.
Nichols & Stone (currently selling inventory)