60-Year Reunion Happenings 

Event: The 60th Reunion was held on Friday, August 14, 2015.

The 60th REUNION was held on Friday, August 14, 2015 at the Villa Macri Restorante, 225 Toscana Blvd., Granger, Indiana.  Check-In and Social hour started at 5:30 PM.   Attendees were greeted by Sharon (Wiekamp) Showalter at the Registration table who checked them in and assisted attendees in finding their name tags and the classmate was given a Reunion Pass-out that included the List of Attendees.  After checking in - people moved to find a table, to the bar for refreshments, and over  to the Hor D'Oeuvres table for "goodies". 

At 6:30, Sally (Roelandts) Rieff, Co-Chairperson, opened the Reunion with a welcome to all attending and our thanks for attending.  Sally introduced Sharon who acknowledged classmates who have passed away since the 55th Reunion by reading their names.  We've lost thirty-two (32) classmates in the interim five (5) years, including two (2) from  our standing Reunion Committee, Mary K. (Smith) Kase-Bissell and Andy Mast.  

Sharon then gave the following Invocation: 
        Loving God,
            Look upon us as we come together as the Class of 1955 to renew old friendships
                and memories, some of those friendships lasting through the years.
            Bless us as we reunite for a time, reliving our shared past.
            We remember old friends - those with us now, those who couldn't be here,
                and those who are no longer with us.
            This may be our last official reunion, but we pray that these friendships will continue.
            And now, bless this food and fellowship.
            In Your name we pray, amen.

    Sharon Showalter for 60th reunion from MHS, 2015.

Thank you Sharon.

Then the buffet was ON ...  Villa Macri Restorante personnel released tables to go to the buffet.   The dinner buffet featured Hand Carved Beef Terderloin, Chicken Marsala, Butternut Squash Ravioli and Chef's Seasonal Vegetables, Villa House Salad, & Bread.   Chocolate or White Cake (from West End Bakery) for Dessert with Coffee. 
The served buffet service was excellent and the food outstanding and enjoyed by all.  

After dinner & dessert - Sharon (Wiekamp) Showalter organized what has become a traditional Reunion photo event of classmates by their MHS feeder school.  It was a beautiful evening here in Michiana especially for our Reunion and we could enjoy the Villa Macri outside facilities over looking the beautiful fountain (which was out of service & therefore NOT fountaining). 
She called for classmates by individual school to muster around the outside fountain to have their class "informal" pictures taken.  No professional photography here .... just me and assistant photographers taking pictures as best we could.  It's always a challenge getting more than two people to look in the same direction at the same object while a picture is being taken .... so you can imagine how it is with 10-20 people in the same picture - all talking to each other.  Good fun getting organized.  Might I personally add these were all good looking groups - of course I have to also say that I was viewing the groups through my camera's small viewing port!  The temperature was so fine, that many just stayed outside to enjoy the evening cool-down.    The break in the evening temperatures was well planned by our co-chairpersons!  Thank You for that!  

After pictures, people were free to continue visitation with other classmates (from other feeder schools - not yet called or finished).  It should be noted - that we didn't have any inter-feeder school conflicts.  Everyone behaved.  There being no other formal program events, people were free to move around and socialize the rest of the evening.

Everyone I talked with (both of them)  had a great time and all enjoyed the reunion including the beautiful facilities, easy parking, excellent dinner, good service & organization and best of all visiting with each other.

Several who traveled here from other states voiced that this would be their last reunion due to the difficulties of travel and driving.  We had received similar comments from respondents to our Invitation/Questionnaire - that they would like to attend this reunion but just are no longer capable of the travel or have health issues precluding travel.  

From this Committees' members back in the initial planning stages, it was concluded that this would be this Committee's last organized Reunion.  So as the saying goes ... all good things come to an end sometime.  That time has come!

Comments by: Dale Bauer

OTHER REUNION ACTIVITY:

eBooklet: There is a 60th eBooklet available on this website.  All connected Classmates for this Reunion who received the Announcement/Questionnaire mailing were given the necessary User Name and Password to access the eBooklet.  Reason for User Name / Password is to facilitate sharing the eBooklet with MHS '55 classmates via the Internet as opposed to leaving it public where the whole Internet world would have access.       

REUNION STATISTICS:

Returned questionnaire responses:   (The reunion eBooklet content is based upon the returned questionnaires).   
Final statistics at the conclusion of August 14, 2015 Reunion.

Responding Classmates Representation By States

Last Update: September 18, 2015