by Neoma Foreman

Bob and Jane Hutchison met his three sisters and brother, cousin, and niece in Nevada for lunch Wednesday. They were Emily Reynolds, Warsaw, Wanda Hewlett and granddaughter, Katie, of North Kansas City, Marveline and Johnny Troyer, Shawnee, KS, Don Hutchison, Nevada, Roberta Wagner,Nevada, and David and Jody Cauthon, El Dorado Springs.

Members of the Coal Creek Helping Hand Club met at my home last Tuesday. Lucille Horn won the quiz and each won a door prize. The group will meet with Marjorie Glynn on June 12. Kathryn Phillips received a secret pal gift.

A Memorial Day Cookout was held at the home of Tina and James Keightley. Attending were Daurell and Kaye Reasoner, Trisha and T. J. Pike and Taten, Barbara, Larry, Justin, Josh and Ethan Underwood, Rick and Angie, Nicole and Amber Reasoner, Kale Burchell and friend, Tucker, Quincy Anderson, Vincent Keightley, Jessica and Dustin Terry and Aiden, Junior Luther, Scott Morris and Cameron Anderson.

Saturday, Brad and LouAnn Majors, Madyson and Mason encouraged Linda Majors at the Durathon at the YMCA in Nevada as she completed the race. Thirty people participated. Chad and Jenny Majors had supper with Linda and Bob Majors Saturday and attended a movie afterwards.

Norman and Betty Radde went to Ft. Scott Friday night to Good Old Days and Norman rode in the parade with the Shrine Club. They went to the Senior Citizens dinner in Liberal Friday noon.

Dorothy Jokel Eaves of Dederick called told of three of her family members which are buried in Mound Cemetery, but don’t know of stones. They are Theodore Jokel-died 1880, Johann Jokel died 1890 and Maria Hoffman died 1890.

The Walker High School Alumni Reunion was held in Walker at the gymnasium Saturday evening. Attending: Class of 1936 – Helen Newland Kennedy-Walker; Class of 1939 – Harlan and Dorothy Hovey-Nevada; Class of 1942 – Minnie Radde Spencer and daughter and husband-Charles and Madeline Spencer Post, and son, Jim D. Spencer-Belton, Barnett Ellis-Raymore, Viola Mae Winters Pritchard and son, Daniel of Tempe, AZ; Class of 1943 – Mr. and Mrs. George Lee-Williamette, Oregon, Norman and Betty Bishop Radde-Walker; Class of 1946 – Leslie Wallace-Walker, Darrell Conway-Springfield, Jean Sharp Haner and daughter, Barbara Bobbett-Nevada; Class of 1947 – Fred C. Haynes-Nevada, Nancy and Clarence Schoneweather-Richards, Donald Robinson-Blythedale; Class of 1948 – Bob and Carol Hacker-Nevada; Class of 1949 – Mary Oyler Wallace-Walker, Bill and Margie Hacker-El Dorado Springs, Ronald and Pearl L. Shaffer Hoffman-Springfield; Class of 1950 – Charles Foreman, Walker, Don and Marguarette Kittsmiller-Nevada, Anna Lee Steincross Walker and daughter, Jody Wright-Tulsa, OK, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Culbertson-Blue Springs; Class of 1951 – Frank Haynes-El Dorado Springs, Betty Ogle Trower-Nevada, Jeannie Wilbanks Conway-Springfield, Clifford and Bonnie Hacker McDaniel-El Dorado Springs, Jay “Larry” and Mercedes Skidmore-Port Hueneme, CA; Class of 1952 – Tom and Leta Bloesser-Walker, Woodrow Stark-Peculiar, Hoyt and Barbara Winters Duty-Camdenton; Class of 1953 – Richard McCrery-Nevada, Cora May Stark-Peculiar; Class of 1954 – Phyllis Lee Sumner-Metz, Clark Ayers; Class of 1955 – Mildred Leonard Hines-Harwood, George and Wilma Vandenburg, Richards, Deral and Nelva Leonard Mays-El Dorado Springs; Class of 1956: Janie Miller Fairbanks-Surprise, AZ, Dale and Nancy Scism-Nevada, Norma Gundy-El Dorado Springs, Patti Vandenburg Loughlin, Defiance, Kate Cherry Carroll-Bartlesville, OK, Linda Walker Dorsey-Nevada; Class of 1957 – Neoma Alexander Foreman, Walker, Mary Jane Bertencin-Independence, Dub and Joy Steincross-Kansas City, Donald and Janet Gundy-Goodyear, AZ., Jim and Kay Phillips-Nevada, Rex Williams-Nevada, Cecil and Beverly Shouse-Rich Hill, Annette Balk-Scottsdale, AZ, Wanda Mosher Huggins, Springfield;WHS Class of 1958 – Willis and Brenda Leonard- Nevada, Earline Hallam Stoddard-Bryant, AR., Bob and Betty Longfield Eador-Nevada, Jerry Stark-Nevada; Class of 1959 – Henry “Hank” Leonard-El Dorado Springs, Ron and Linda Centers-Ft. Scott, KS., Bid Cherry Conway-Carthage, Ralph and Marcine Benham-Stockton; Class of 1960 – Tom and Virginia Reedy-Kidder, Phillip Martin-Walker, Nettie Gould Atkinson, Martinsburg, WV, Norma Campaneris and daughter, Carmen-Overland, Park, KS; Class of 1961 – Linda Haines Coonrod; Class of 1962 – Donald and Vernille Balk Cubbage-Nevada, Ronald Berry-Lee’s Summit, Tom and Grace Swopes Harold; Class of 1963 – Ray and Bettie Gould Forsythe-Scott City, Larry Buckles-Nevada, Jim and Martha Reedy Waltrip; Class of 1964 – Nancy Buckles McCrery, Jerry and Jenise Kennedy Burch; Class of 1966 – Larry Selby-Moundville; Class of 1971 – Glen and Alberta Foreman Hays-Walker; Class of 1972 – Deb Scotten Metcalf; Class of 1976 – Mike Newman; Class of 1977 – Kathy Prough Richardson- Moweagleia, IL., Kathy Nikodim Newman-Walker, Chet Foreman- Walker, Roy Foreman-Walker, Bruce Hensley-Nevada, Deanna Anders Erb-Albert, OK; Class of 1978 – Christine Foreman Graham and son, Corey-Walker; Class of 1980 – Karen Prugh Doolin-Shell Knob; Class of 1984 – Lisa Wilkins Koehn; Class of 1990 – Jered and Crystal Burch-Walker; Class of 1992 – Nadine Poe Mahan and her mother, Cecelia Underwood-Nevada.

NEVC Class of 2012: Spencer Hoagland and her mother, Jeanne Hoagland-Schell City, guest-Vicky Brandell.

Former teachers: Cindy Graves, Barnett Ellis, Bill Hacker and Jenise Burch.

Oldest Student present: Helen Kennedy Class of 1936. Youngest-Nadine Poe Mahan-Class of 1992. Traveling furtherest were Jay Skidmore, Port Hueneme, CA. George Lee, Williamette, OR, and Nettie Gould Atkinson-Martinsburg, WV.

A Memorial Service was led by Susan Nikodim Thompson for students, graduates and teachers that have died since the last meeting in 2010.

They were Bernice Leedy Martin-Class of 1931, Bonnie Jones Prewitt-1937, Vivian Newland Burris-1937, Doris Alumbaugh Jackson-1939, Clara Carlson-1938, Raymond Shirley-1940, Kenneth Steve Broughton-1940, Laverna Covington McHenry-1943, Bessie B. Spencer Butterfield-1944, Walter Gammon-1947, Jeannine Steincross Fisher-1948, Dorcas Clark Noble-1948, Jim Hacker-1950, Keith Ayers-1951, Harold (Hank) Eugene Winters-1952, Rosemary Harden Brundridge-1953, Joan True Johnson-1953, R. A. True-1954, Dovie Pryor-1957, Lanny Phelps-1968, Teresa Lynn Kerns Garren-1984, Marion Harden, Jerial Covington, Dorris Salmons, Teacher: George Ewing and Jason Lee Thomas-NEVC 2002.

A Veterans Recognition was led by Larry Buckles revealing WHS graduates had served in almost every branch of the military.

Scholarship recipient Spencer Hoagland was present and thanked the alumni.

The 2012 Walker Alumni Officers were President: Kathy Newman, Vice-president-Debbie Metcalf, Secretary-Linda Dorsey, Treasurer-Linda Coonrod, and Historian-Neoma Foreman. The committees were decoration: Grace Harold, registration-Mildred Hines, scholarship-Linda Dorsey, Phillip Martin, Jenise Burch, and Kathy Newman.

A thank you was given to Cavener’s Office Supply and Dana (Thompson) Class of 1981 and Greg Cavener for paper and copying letters for mailing.

The group voted to continue framing the WHS pictures.

Elected for 2014 were: President-Debbie Metcalf, Vice-president-Larry Buckles, Secretary-Linda Dorsey, Treasurer-Linda Coonrod, and Historian-Neoma Foreman.

The almost perfect evening was concluded by former pep club members and cheerleaders leading in the school song. The group will meet again on the first Saturday in June in 2014.

WALKER CLASS OF 1957 – Several members of the Walker High School Class of 1957 met in Nevada for lunch Saturday to celebrate their 55 year reunion. They are (front row from left) Barbara Kennedy Pearse, M. Annette Balk, Doris Brundridge Quackenbush, Mary Jane “Mert” Walker Bertocin, Wanda Mosher Huggins and Neoma Alexander Foreman; (back row from left) Donald Gundy, Rex Williams, Eugene Story, Donald Harden, Cecil Shouse and Jim Phillips. George “Dub” Steincross met them later at the All-School Reunion in Walker that evening. Photo and cutline courtesy of Neoma Foreman

WALKER SCHOOL REUNION – Former Walker High School Cheerleaders lead in the school song at the Walker Alumni Reunion Saturday evening, June 2. They are Lisa Wilkins Koehn, Deb Scotten Metcalf, Karen Prough Doolan, Deanna Anders Erb and Kathy Prough Richardson. Photo by Neoma Foreman.