1939 Fairfield High School 70th reunion

RINGLSPACH, JOHNSON, MCCORMICK, HECKENBERG, WATSON, MITCHELL, PUMPHREY, ANDERSON, BROWN, MYERS, DICKEY, HOLMES, HOLLANDER, MARTIN, BERKSHIRE, LAWSON

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 6/18/2009 at 17:52:24

"The Fairfield Ledger", Monday, June 15, 2009, front page

FHS 'square' graduates celebrate 70th
By Sarah Rhum
Ledger Lifestlyes editor

Members of the Fairfield High School graduating class of 1939 gathered for their 70th class reunion May 29 to talk and reminisce about old times.

"I think it's because our class is the only one to graduate from around the square is the reason we've held together," said Caroline MYERS DICKEY, Packwood resident and one of the reunion attendees.

The students attended classes at Parsons College for six weeks during their junior year; assemblies were either in Central Park or the Orpheum Theater, which is now the Co-Ed Theater; physical education was in the old armory; graduation and theater productions took place at the First United Methodist Church. Bible classes and several other classes were conducted in the upstairs rooms around the square. Several classes, including government, were in the Carnegie Library.

The students got plenty of practical education from the experience as well. For home economics class, they were put to work painting and wallpapering rooms where they attended class.

With all the activity for classes around town, some students pounced on opportunities to find their own fun.

"Supposedly for study hall, we went to the library, but I saw very little studying at the library," said DICKEY. "I feel sorry for the people who worked there. They didn't enjoy our rowdiness I'm sure."

Study halls were more often than not considered to be playtime rather than study time.

"If you were missing a boy, quite often you'd find him upstairs around the square in a pool hall," DICKEY explained.

Of the original 126 students in the class, 36 are still living. Careful records have been kept throughout the years to keep track of the classmates.

The main person responsible for the records is Ferne LAWSON, who gives out booklets at each reunion consisting of updated addresses and lists of classmates who have passed away. The booklets even have markings for World War II veterans.

"She should be given a lot of credit for all the work she's done," DICKEY said. "When we first started this, we knew where everyone was except for one person. We later found out the FBI was looking for this person. We figured if the FBI couldn't find him, it wasn't too bad that we couldn't either."

The group didn't begin having class reunions until the end of World War II, and numerous classmates regularly attend the reunions.

"I think it's something that we look forward to," DICKEY said. "Warren HOLMES has never missed a reunion since the war."

After their 65th class reunion, the classmates began meeting every month for coffee or lunch. The group shows no signs of passing up future opportunities for meetings or reunions.

"We'll keep on doing it until the last dog is dead, because there's no sense in quitting till we have to," DICKEY said.

~Caption for the picture below~
Nine members of the Fairfield High School graduating class of 1939 met for a reunion luncheon May 29 at Kokomo's Kafe. Those present were, from left, front: Doris RINGLSPACH JOHNSON, Leonora McCORMICK JOHNSON, Doris HECKENBERG WATSON and Phyllis MITCHELL PUMPHREY; back: Carol ANDERSON BROWN, Caroline MYERS DICKEY, Max HOLLANDER, Donald MARTIN and Ferne BERKSHIRE LAWSON.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

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