60th Reunion Recap

Please excuse the recap posting delay. First, health issues had to be resolved. Then, family matters needed attention. Finally, the website’s server developed a “mind of its own.” Some days it was on duty, and sometimes it was AOL…. without warning. The current calm is most welcome.

The Committee:
After the 50^th reunion in 2015, a class survey was conducted. A majority response requested a 55^th reunion. Seven committee members kept reunion planning alive. In 2020 three more classmates joined the committee. Work began on the class-requested 55^th event. An agenda was put in place and then postponed. Twice. Covid-19 was the culprit. In early 2024 the ten-member committee created a framework for the 60^th and final reunion. The Last Hurrah finally took on substance and form by early fall of last year. A planning meeting schedule was created, countless agendas and to-do lists were outlined, events were researched, facilities were booked, caterers were selected, and detailed money management became an ongoing responsibility. Fixed prices and per-person costs were identified. Activities and associated costs were linked. Plans were modified to add a joint event with the LHS Class of ’65. Committee members attended meetings, weighed ideas, approved planning and spending recommendations, volunteered for duties and accepted assignments. Bob, Joyce, Betsy Jo, Walt (Bird), Bill, Mary, John, Tedda & Tom. Thanks to each and every member.

The Events:
The Last Hurrah celebrated the Class of 1965 - a remarkable group of people. It honored those who served this country, those we’ve lost but still remember, and a few who represent the class in the school’s distinguished graduate gallery.

The Robber’s Cave tour sparked memories of sneak adventures in the ‘60s. [This event was covered by the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper.]

The Museum of American Speed was a Friday attraction. Museum owners Bill and Joyce Smith are passionate about the 1950-60s. The museum is really a testament to that era. 

A joint LSE & LHS event on Friday evening created memories of Runza Restaurants, Lee’s Chicken, yummy little Tastee sandwiches, and Valentino’s pizza and salad. A class picture was taken of six LSE classmates who were Friday-only registrants. [Note: One of the six decided to return for more fun on Saturday night. See if you can spot who it was when you review the 60^th Reunion class pictures.]

Wyuka Cemetery Stables hosted classmates and guests on Saturday morning. We heard arts advocate Liz Shea-McCoy and Nebraska’s former Adjutant General Roger Lempke describe their efforts to save, restore and repurpose the Pershing Mural. The mural’s 763,000 ceramic tiles were removed, one-by-one, from Pershing Auditorium before the building was demolished. The tiles have each been cleaned. When reassembled, the tiles will, again, depict 38 figures that represent the events that took place in the Auditorium over nearly half a century. The base of a new 350,000-pound concrete wall was on display at Wyuka. The wall took two months to erect and will, eventually, support the refurbished mural at ground level. The mural will serve as a backdrop to a new pond and bridge, and amphitheater seating for public events. Academic curricula for art, art history, language arts, history and historic preservation have been developed to focus on the mural. A 3-D tactile model of the ceramic tile mural is now on display at the Nebraska History Museum. The 3×10′ model gives dimension to the forms and figures depicted in the original. An audio guide can be triggered by touch-sensitive sensors and buttons embedded in the display, that describe the history, imagery, and preservation of the mural. The tactile model of the Pershing mural allows each visitor to engage the senses while interpreting the iconic piece of art that has been called, “Nebraska’s Picasso.”

Lincoln Southeast High School was the Saturday afternoon attraction. Tanner Penrod, LSE principal since 2020, led classmates on a tour of the school. They saw familiar sites and new additions that included a commercial kitchen, and a welding and machine tool program room. These areas support the skilled and technical science (STS) courses that offer hands-on, project-based curricula. They also visited the Jennifer-Dorsey-Howley Performing Arts Center. The Center refurbished and replaced the auditorium. Its namesake was an LSE grad who was lost on Sept. 11, 2001. [See story page about this project.]

Saturday Evening featured a buffet, courtesy of Valentino’s traditional menu catering services. Lincoln Historian Jim McKee gave classmates a “look-back” journey that included little-known details about the hometown of our youth and the early years of LSE. Jim McKee has always had a passion for history. He grew up in Lincoln. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1963. He worked for Cliffs Notes for 15 years and married the boss’s daughter --- our classmate Linda Hillegass.

A cash/merchandise raffle generated $800-900 Conducted by Bill Roux and Tedda Watts, this activity put Lincoln and Nebraska memorabilia in the hands of raffle winners. Support for the class coffers gifted classmates with cash prizes; gift certificates; books, books and more books; and Coachmen merchandise (courtesy of Bruce Watson).

!DESSERT!

The Friday-Only-Attendance picture is posted under the 60^th Reunion tab on the left sidebar. A class picture was taken on Saturday night and is posted, as well. Identification keys have been provided.

Thanks to John Tidball, Bob Danley, Linda Danley, Tedda Watts, Carol Wallace (Kleppinger), Chris & Linda (Danielson) Slaughter, and Dick & Mary Lynn (Durrie) Reiser for providing reunion pictures.

The Money: In the past, reunion registrations and individual donations paid for class events, supported website subscription fees and covered donations to Lincoln Southeast. We no longer need reunion support, and website fees are covered through the spring of 2027. After leaving a small balance in the class bank account for miscellaneous expenses, we directed the balance of class funds quickly to support projects that are relevant to the class.

The Committee knew a local nonprofit had a donation-match project every year in May. Reunion bills were paid promptly. The class account balance was healthy enough to cover donations that triggered matching funds. The LSE Class of 1965 donated $1827.50 to the Lincoln Community Foundation to be used by students and faculty at LSE. Our donation was doubled, so LSE received $3655.00. We also donated $1827.50 to the Pershing Mural Project. This sum was doubled, so the Pershing Project also received $3655.00

The Website: Subscription fees for this website have been paid through May 2027. When our domain name and security subscriptions end, the site will still be available. However, the website host (i.e. Class Creator) will assume responsibility.

As stated elsewhere on the Homepage, if classmate contact information is updated in a timely manner, a class roster can be printed for anyone who requests it.

As time allows items of interest, like Hometown News, can be placed on the home page or sidebar pages. We’ve paid for the site. We might as well use it until it expires.

Sherrie Gilliland (Geier)
For the Committee