Grand Valley Community High School's Class of 1961 met in Kellerton at the Community Center on Saturday, July 30, for a class reunion. They reportedly had a grand time.

Class members in attendance, and pictured above, are:

The men, from left: Don Allen, Jim Bone, Steve Padgitt, Wayne Brown, Dick Jackson, Don Hewlett, Jim Fugate, Phill Fetters, Lester Barton (seated). The women, from left: Linda (Newton) Smith and Sharon (Priest) Case (seated), Phyllis (Hall) Sickels, Bonnie (Baker) Pearson, Janna (Van Laar) Priest and Anne (Burchett) Barton (in back).

Submission by Dick Jackson, August of 2016

Mount Ayr Record-News
Thursday, August 11, 2016

Fifteen of the surviving 18 members of the Class of 1961 enjoyed their 55th Class Reunion on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at the Kellerton Community Center.

We enjoyed a hardy lunch of pizza, fresh fruit, and dessert brownies. The afternoon was spent visiting and sharing memories. Pictures were taken - with much posing, shifting and posturing!!

Class members in attendance included Sharon Priest Case, Tingley; Bonnie Baker Pierson (husband Mel), Des Moines; Jana Van Laar Priest (husband Bill), Decatur; Ann Burchett Barton (husband Lester), Chandler, AZ; Linda Newton Smith (husband Bill), Kellerton; Phyllis Hall Sickels (husband Mack), Mount Ayr; Dick Jackson (wife Camille), Kellerton; Don Allen (wife Ann), Grand Mount; Steve Padgitt (wife Janet), Ames; Jim Bone (wife Cathy), Sherrard, IL; Don Hewlett (wife Marge), Grand River; Jim Fugate (wife Jean), Fonda du Lac, WI; Lester Barton (wife Ann), Chandler, AZ; Wayne Brown (wife Suzanne), Pleasant Hill; and Phil Fetters (wife Ruth), Platte City, MO.

Those unable to attend were Gene Brown, Leann (Kirkpatrick) Duff and Keith Andrew.

In recent years, we have lost 4 class members: Betty Jo Bear Long, Jack Briner, Jack Jones, and Carol Ann Hewlett Jimmerson.

The Class of '61 has met every 5 years since graduation, and will look forward to our next get together in 2021.