by Sandy Brunke Whalen
Coupled with the 50th Anniversary reunion of Gen. H. H. Arnold High School, we held our own in numbers. An exciting time for all, the grand reunion brought in about 350 alumni from all but eight of the fifty years of the history of our school. Representation from some 35 states and 2 countries! In grand style they sold WHS T-shirts, sweatshirts, had many of the class yearbooks and lots of pictures, beer steins and memories for all to share. There was never any doubt that WHS was in Denver to renew old friendships and share that special time in our lives.
Our class came together with about 43 people, including husbands, wives, children, parents and significant others! During the 3 days, many friends from other classes drifted in and out from the grand reunion to visit and share this special time with us. As always, Dale and Kay Rhoney (Lake Oswego, OR) played hosts to our group and made us all welcome in grand style! They still have a never-ending smile to greet each person, a big bear hug for all and they put so much of themselves into our reunions, just as they did when they were class officers. Some things never change, and I hope it never does! Thanks to Dale and Kay for a wonderful reunion!
From Hampton, Virginia came Penny Green Johnson and her "man toy", Alan Hissem (also a Wiesbaden alumni), Mary Gaskins Hundley from Sterling, Virginia met up with her sister Ann (from Denver) and joined us, as well as were part of the grand reunion. Tom Muldoon and his wife Kathy came from Tallahassee, Florida, Mike and Nancy Richardson come from Hawthorn, Florida. Madeline McIntoch flew up from Miami, while Nancy Parameter Namm and her hubby Stuart came in from Hampsted, SC. From the north east was Donna Pollen DeSando from Southington, CT., Eileen Mason Steinfeldt from Chester, CT and Diana Dinsmore Cowles and her mom, from Newport RI. Diana and her mom were staying in Steamboat Springs and drove in from there to join us on Saturday night. Dave Hewitt who lives in Doylestown, PA. also joined in. From the soaring heat of the deep south came Nancy Bunting Gedney and husband Curt, also Mike Sinclair (Tucson, AZ), Susan Lawler Jacquet (Austin, TX), Tom Yarbough and wife Marrelyn (Spring, TX) Mike Dodd ( Austin, TX), Gene Hinkel ( Spring, TX), Jane Breightner Blackmon (Bedford, TX). From the mountains came Doug Sweetland and wife Bobbi (Corvallis, OR) along with their daughter and son-in-law (Boulder, CO) Greg Palmer ( Lake Tahoe, NV), Kay's mom, Mrs. Katy Moffat (Colorado Springs, CO) Newlyweds Paul and Kathy (Bunzell) Burton (Issaguah, WA), Vicky (French) and Brian Carroll, Ft.Collins, CO., Bonnie Halliday Pintaric, Aurora, CO. Mike and Lois Kimball ( Littleton, CO.) Joy Levy Erickson from Bountiful, UT and yours truly, from the flat lands of Streamwood, Il., Sandy Brunke Whalen and daughter Traci.
Much time was spent in the hospitality suite renewing old friendships and getting aquatinted with our lives as we live them today. So many people with just as many vocations. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, a very diverse group from all walks of life. Most of us still working, but a few lucky enough to be retired and starting that second childhood. Various side trips were taken to see the sites, but we all met for dinner and more great conversation. Doug and Bobbi Sweetland just returned from Germany 3 weeks ago and brought back a wonderful video of our hallowed halls, grounds and the sparkling city of Wiesbaden. It was a wonderful treat to go back in time and become 16 again and visit a place so dear to us all. Of course things change, just as we have, the school was taken over by the Army, the housing areas are mostly vacant and have been sold to the Germans. The trees around the school are as old as we all are, and a lot taller, but the town really hasn't changed much and we all took a walk down memory lane as Doug scanned the Bon Hauf, Kur Haus, Rhine River and one "infamous" street downtown!
Since Denver seems to be a central hub for many, and 2 of the 3 reunions have been held there, it was decided to return there in five years, and hope that many more will join us for our 40th reunion. Those who were unable to come, missed a great chance to renew old friendships, and we hope that as we age with dignity, that we will cross paths with more lost classmates in 2003!
We want to update the class list, so please forward any changes to Dale and Kay, (Rhoney@aol.com) Susan Lawler Jacquet (sjacquet@mail.utexas.edu) or Sandy Brunke Whalen. (Sandy705@aol.com) If you have an e-mail address, please include that also, as it is a lot easier to communicate rather than rely solely on snail mail. And a lot more fun! With the changes of area codes across the nation with people moving and some retiring, it is important to keep the list current so we don't lose anyone.
The Alumni Association is trying to plan a trip to Wiesbaden in the year 2000 for all school alumni. If you are interested please contact Marcee Swarmey and President of the WHS association at PO Box 90208 Gainsville, FL 352-395-6205 or you can e-mail her at marcee.swarmey@worldnet.att.net.
We may only meet every 5 years or so, but there could never be a warmer, friendlier group of people to share our lives with. With a diverse group like ours, there is never a lack of interest in each other's lives, a warm hug, and a few tears of joy to share. As we each updated our lives since 1963, it was very clear that from coast to coast, our hearts are still high on top of that hill, like a gem so rare, looking down at the sparkling city, remembering the friends we hold so dear.
Sandy Brunke Whalen
705 Rambler Ct.
Streamwood, IL 60107
630-837-8606