The 200th Anniversary Celebration of Lowville Academy during the 2008 4th of July weekend was a huge success. While my participation was largely just greeting class members who came to Room 1103 to see classmates, I also had the chance to march in the Saturday afternoon parade.
Everyone I talked to seemed to be having the time of their life, including those who found it very difficult to get around.
We were fortunate enough to have Franz Simbeck fly in from Bavaria to spend the weekend at the Celebration. We even met his "State-side Sister" from the family he stayed with while a student at LFA. Other class members who signed in at Room 1103 were Joyce Lehman Moser,, Alice Roes Roggie, Bill Kilburn, Dick Doody, Jesse Schantz, Bob Cassie, Barb Corbine, Alma Kirch Lyng, Larry Myers, Dave Lyng, Ronnie Walter, JoAnne Mowers Evans, Lloyd Liscum, Bill VerSchneider, Andy Schantz, and Jean Schantz. Although they didn't make it to the sign-in room, we also saw Susan Shumway and Tom & Ida Wahl Bates.
Our classroom accommodated the classes from 1951 through 1955, so we had a chance to see others we knew from adjacent years. We had great visits with Roy Kaufmann and with Marie McOmber. Marie brought pictures of her 3 brothers.
My wife, Mary, brought along her camera and took more than 100 pictures. Several people said that they would make photos they took at the Celebration available to me. I'm planning to put the photos on another DVD disk as I had done with the "Class of '52 Scrapbook." Incidentally, I have sent the "Scrapbook DVD" to every class member for which I have an address.
Alvin Roggie and Alice Roes Roggie
Francis Hanno
Dick and Joanne Doody and Georgia
Smith Ringlehan
Joyce Lehman Moser, Eddie
& Lois Lyndaker Clark, and Charlette Reape Bennett
Lloyd Liscum and Ron Walter
Leon Hall and Bill Kilburn
Paul Jantzi
Ralph Virkler, Frieda Bragg Hunziker
& husband Dick
Mary and Larry Myers
Delores Schmidt Raymond (in corner),
Susan Shumway Roy, Joanne Mowers Evans, & Franz Simbeck
Frank and Joanne Hill Murphy
Doug and Nancy Logan
Ida Wahl Bates and Betty Burns Bush
Tom and Ida Wahl Bates
Barb Corbine and Bob & Alma
Kirch Lyng
Dave Lyng
Barb Corbine
Bob Bohall and Ken Sullivan
Shirley and Jack Flynn
Jessie Schantz with a relative from
NYC
Bob and Janice Edick Bohall
Bob and Beverly Hills
Kiernan, and Wilbur Moser's wife Sharon
Mary Reed VanZandt
On the evening of the reunion, Dick Doody
noted that his camera was not
working right. Nevertheless, he shot several pictures with the
hopes
that some of them would turn out okay. We're glad that he did,
because
now we've got some nice additional photos of the reunion, courtesy of
Dick Doody.
Alma Kirch Lyng at the
microphone
Donald and Delores
Schmidt Raymond, & Susan Shumway Roy
Ida Wahl Bates, Tom
Bates, and Dick Doody's wife Joanne
Janet Edick Bohall,
Alvin Roggie, Larry Myers, & Shirley & Jack Flynn
Joanne Mowers Evans &
Franz Simbeck
Joyce Lehman Moser, Ed
& Lois Lyndaker Clark, and Charlette Reape Bennett
The Story of the
"Mystery Students"
Thanks to Bill Kilburn for submitting the story and the 3 images about the "mystery students." In 1952, when our Lowville yearbook was published, there was a picture of two students, facing away from the camera and toward the front entrance to the school. The picture was a two-page image near the front of the "Lowacadian." Here's a copy of that image:
Then, some 53 or 54 years
later, Bill got together with the same
two
students on Labor Day of 2005, and took their picture in the same place
and in the same way. They were facing away from the camera and
toward the front door of the school. Here is how they appeared in
2005:
To
solve the "mystery" for us, Bill had them turn around and face the
camera. Here are our "mystery students!"
Franz Simbeck and Charlotte Lynch
Stewart in 2005
Some Class-y Images
Franz Simbeck displays the "J&R" in his home country.
The Simbeck picture in the J&R prompted Don Szoke to send them this photo from '52
Now here's a mystery photo. Obviously Mr. Kilpatrick has the "Ag" boys
on a field trip somewhere. Do I see Franz, Homer, Frank, Paul, and Ron?
I'm not sure! Who else might be in this shot?
This one is easy!
Charles Bush, Andy Schantz, Bill Raymond, Franz Simbeck
and Charlotte Lynch!
Apparently some friends got together and threw a farewell party for
Franz in '52. Pictured below are Hank Putz, Fred Tabolt, Franz Simbeck, & John McCue
Still at the party, I think I recognize Hank & Franz. Somebody tell me who else
is there and what in the world they are doing!
A mini-reunion when Franz came state-side a few years ago.
The list of names is below the picture.
Middle row: Merritt Reed, Ida Wahl Bates, Joanne Mowers Evans, & Frank Hanno
Front:Lloyd Liscum, Betty Burns Bush, Charlotte Lynch Stewart, Franz Simbeck, Bill Raymond, & Ron Walter
Shortly after the 55th
reunion I
contacted Ida Wahl Bates who had displayed a few items on the bulletin
board at the Reunion. I asked her if I might borrow a couple of
the items to put here on the website. She got together a few
other items and gave them to me to scan. Several of the
items she obviously had received from Franz Simbeck. This first
one was an image taken from the Journal & Republican, showing a
photo of 3 classmates on a grade school trip.
The next one shows
classmates Pat Barker and Ida Wahl posing for the camera in 1952.
Franz Simbeck displays the "J&R" in his home country.
The Simbeck picture in the J&R prompted Don Szoke to send them this photo from '52
Now here's a mystery photo. Obviously Mr. Kilpatrick has the "Ag" boys
on a field trip somewhere. Do I see Franz, Homer, Frank, Paul, and Ron?
I'm not sure! Who else might be in this shot?
This one is easy!
Charles Bush, Andy Schantz, Bill Raymond, Franz Simbeck
and Charlotte Lynch!
Apparently some friends got together and threw a farewell party for
Franz in '52. Pictured below are Hank Putz, Fred Tabolt, Franz Simbeck, & John McCue
Still at the party, I think I recognize Hank & Franz. Somebody tell me who else
is there and what in the world they are doing!
A mini-reunion when Franz came state-side a few years ago.
The list of names is below the picture.
Middle row: Merritt Reed, Ida Wahl Bates, Joanne Mowers Evans, & Frank Hanno
Front:Lloyd Liscum, Betty Burns Bush, Charlotte Lynch Stewart, Franz Simbeck, Bill Raymond, & Ron Walter
After seeing Ida's and
Franz's pictures of classmates, it occurred to me that it would be nice
if anyone had a photo of two or more classmates, it would be
interesting to see them on this website. So here's my invitation
to submit any photos you might have that show 2 or more
classmates. I'll start with a couple of photos I have.
Don Boshart, Marie McOmber, Harold
McOmber & his brothers Roger & Ralph
September of 1952
Larry Myers, Bill Doney, Gordon Klock, Claude Linck, & Allan Markey
Here's a nice addition to our
"Class-y" photos. The 08/24/07 edition of the Lowville
Journal and Republican contained an article about classmate Jim Duffy,
who lives in Manhattan. Apparently Jim had realized that a lot
of Lowville alumni were in the NYC area, and started having
mini-reunions at his apartment. Here is one of the pictures from
the J&R article:
Jim Duffy, friend Sofia, Lowville alumnus Anthony
Johndrow & friend, Elizabeth
In answer to our call for more
"class-y" pictures, Dick Doody supplied us with a J&R newspaper
clipping of the 1949-1950 Track Team at "LFA."
The "unknown" fellow in the back row
is Ralph McOmber.
Thanks, Dick, for a great picture
from 1949 with nine of our "class of '52" included.
There was a wonderful picture of our class while in the second grade in 1942. The picture was reproduced in our "50th Reunion Booklet." Bill Kilburn still had a copy of the photograph which he has kindly loaned to me so I could scan it. Here's how our class looked then.
There was a wonderful picture of our class while in the second grade in 1942. The picture was reproduced in our "50th Reunion Booklet." Bill Kilburn still had a copy of the photograph which he has kindly loaned to me so I could scan it. Here's how our class looked then.
Teacher:
Miss Griffith
Back Row: Don Boshart, Carolyn Schermerhorn, Sally Carlston, Mary Reed, Alice Gazin, Margaret Hulbert, Joan Hulbert, Barb Corbine, Lois Lyndaker, Alma Kirch, Grace Roy
Middle Row: Bill Kilburn, Al Loson, James Duffy, Shirley Strader, Richard Ward, Carol Millard, Phyllis Kloster, Diane Giroux, Marion Garnsey, Betty Ide, Delores Schmitt
Front Row: Red McPhilmy, Harold McOmber, Bob Cassie, Dan Greenfield, David Day, Gerald Brown, Barb Hurd, Georgia Smith, Catherine Jones
Back Row: Don Boshart, Carolyn Schermerhorn, Sally Carlston, Mary Reed, Alice Gazin, Margaret Hulbert, Joan Hulbert, Barb Corbine, Lois Lyndaker, Alma Kirch, Grace Roy
Middle Row: Bill Kilburn, Al Loson, James Duffy, Shirley Strader, Richard Ward, Carol Millard, Phyllis Kloster, Diane Giroux, Marion Garnsey, Betty Ide, Delores Schmitt
Front Row: Red McPhilmy, Harold McOmber, Bob Cassie, Dan Greenfield, David Day, Gerald Brown, Barb Hurd, Georgia Smith, Catherine Jones
Bill Kilburn also came up with several photos he has saved over the
years. We think they are from a couple of different class
reunions, and the last two are likely portraits that were taken during
the Junior year.
I see Bill VerSchneider, Jessie
Schantz, Barb Corbine, Al Loson, & Franz Simbeck. Others,
unknown.
Franz & Al
That masked man is Merritt Reed
Buddies! Betty Ide & Barb
Hurd
Pat Barker, Joanne Mowers (sorry we
caught you in mid-blink), and Grace Roy
I think that's Charlie O'Brien's
wife on the left, then Howard Britton and Charlie
Larry Myers & Howard Britton
Bill & Mary Kilburn, and Jessie
& Betty Schantz
Mr & Mrs Andy Schantz
Mr & Mrs Wilbur Moser and Paul
Jantzi. We think that's Joyce Lehman & her husband on this
side of the table.
Joanne & Dick Doody in the back,
and Joan Hulbert & Georgia Smith in the foreground.
David Day, probably his Junior year
portrait.
Claude Linck, probably his Junior
year portrait
Anyone else have a Junior year portrait they'd like to share with us?
If so, email me!
Anyone else have a Junior year portrait they'd like to share with us?
If so, email me!
On August 10, 2002, the "Class of '52" held its 50th reunion at the Steak'N'Brew in Turin, N.Y. It was a wonderful time discovering old friends behind strange faces. Patty Minotti had her youngest son, Greg McCrea, with her. He took quite a few pictures, and Patty was kind enough to share the photos with me electronically. My skills at reproducing the pictures to be on this website, leave something to be desired, but I think you can enjoy the images anyway. Here are some of the pictures:
