Congratulations to all the recent graduates.
High School graduation ceremonies always tend to stir the memory pot.
I graduated from Raymond Central High School in 1977.
My wife, Cynthia, from Hemingford in 1985.
My daughters, Kacey and Christa, from Alliance High School in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Here are some of my 1977 recollections.
At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, 1977, I walked down a long aisle and made my way to the stage of the Raymond Central High Gymnasium. The gym was very hot, and the long blue gown I was wearing only added to the thermal misery. The ceremony lasted about an hour, and afterwards a few family members came over to the house.
Mom and Dad didn’t want a lot of people over, so I only invited a few friends and relatives. Since I didn’t invite many people, I didn’t receive many gifts. More importantly, I didn’t receive much money. My total take was $42, and most of that was from Mom and Dad.
The Raymond Central Class of 1977 consisted of 61 students. I finished the year with a “B” average. That was somewhere in the middle-of-the-pack, which says a lot about my class. Academically, we accomplished a lot. Athletically, we didn’t. My final group of public school teachers presented me with the following grades: Vocational Agriculture Instructor Jim Crandall gave me an “A” in both of my agriculture classes; Mrs. Corrine Forbes awarded me a “B-“ in American Government; Mrs. Carol Schmucker gave me an “A” in Human Development, and she presented me with an “A” in Adult Living; and Mr. Bill Hellerich offered a “B+” in P.E. My downfall was my senior English class. Mrs. Sandie Bernt gave me the low mark of “D+.”
Despite my English grade, I managed to make the honor roll all four quarters of my senior year.
I feel obliged to list the young men and women with whom I graduated from high school. The Raymond Central Class of 1977 consisted of: (* indicates classmates I had gone to school with since moving to Valparaiso while in the third-grade) Mark Basel, Cindy Basler, Sharon Benes, Martin Belohlavy, Phyllis Bouc, Robert Bowker, Steve Brey, Rosie Brhel, Terry Brown, Cheryl Buresh*, Debbie Cass, Terry Christensen*, Dale Collins, Lisa Crosby, Pat Crumb, Rick Downs, Rob Edstrom, Diane Elliott*, Debbie Fisher, Judy Glendy, Allen Graham, Cheri Graham, Peggy Grant, Kent Hansen, Jill Hardesty, Lynne Hermance, Larry Heyen, Randy Kirchoff, Lonny Kliment, Sandy Kliment, Dianne Kobza, Brook Kreitman, Ron Kubalek*, Debbie Lawton*, Kelly Lorchick, Gary Masek, Mark Masek*, Cindy Maxson, Cindy Miller, Cindy Nichelson*, Laury Noble, Susan Olson, Karen Peterson, Kenny Potter*, Sheri Rezac, Carol Riddle, Kevin Rittenburg, Jo Ann Sercl*, Liz Schweitzer, Marcia Sklenar, Rusty Smith, Ann Sorhus, Kim Streeter, Linda Swanson, Judy Tvrdy, Paul VanArsdall, James Vaughan, Clifton Weir, Becky Weir, and Danny Wilson.
I attended a graduation party in Ceresco and then drove to Valparaiso to Cheryl Buresh’s home, where several people were also partying. We whooped it up until 5 a.m.
Cheryl’s mother, Norma, who ran the J & N Diner in Valparaiso, was providing us with shots of whiskey, which was out of character for Norma. I got home around 5:15 a.m., lay down for an hour, and then drove to my new job at a sod farm in Mead.
What a way to start a new career. No sleep; and a hangover the size of Memorial Stadium.
That was 46 years ago.
Again, congratulations to the graduates of 2023.