Thank you Thermopolis

First and most important is to thank Dolores Loughlin for starting reunion weekend some 50 years ago. I hope it continues for a long time.

Thank you Thermopolis for hosting the class reunion weekend. It was our 60th reunion and as Cleveland Wright said I can’t come this year “but my heart is still there.” It was like that for all of us.

Thank you to the classmates 1956 for attending and participating in the 60th. Your presence helped make it a most successful reunion. We still think of the class mates that have passed and didn’t get to enjoy all of this. As a starter the Friday evening picnic along the Big Horn River was great and even saw the lights on the swinging bridge. Nice touch Hot Springs State Park.

There are many stories but the two most interesting were the commemoration given to the museum by Bette, wife of the late Don Sailors. She wanted it to go to the museum. It traveled to the Grass Creek picnic, class banquet and finally to the museum where it is on display in the petroleum area for all to see. It is a piece of chrome plated pipeline pipe from Grass Creek in a rack with all the names of folks at Marathon Oil in Casper. Don was a pipeline engineer.

The other was the visit of Ron and Sue Vannelli from Birmingham, England. After a stop at the University of Wyoming (library has a book written by him) and a trip through the Black Hills they arrived in Thermopolis.

He spoke of his world travels and Sue spoke of life with Ron. Ron was a disc jockey during his high school days at radio station owned by the Ernst’s in Thermopolis.

A story about Mrs. Ernst’s and the football team was remembered. It involved the rescue of Mrs. Ernst in the Owl Creek Mountains in the fall of 1955. Team leaders were Sheriff Eddie Todorovich and Coach John Melton. With a driver and a 6x6 truck from the National Guard, we were able to go to the trail head, hike up the trail, carry Mrs. Ernst on an improvised stretcher that took five guys to carry down the trail. The 6x6 transported us to an awaiting ambulance for Mrs. Ernst driven by Clark Mortimore. Food was involved and provided by Earl Myers of the Sideboard Café. Mrs.Ernst fully recovered from the high altitude sickness.

JoAnn Bakker read the class prophecies from the yearbook . . . lots of laughs.

Leroy Shumway delivered the blessing like he has done for all the reunions.

Highlights at the dance at the VFW were songs sung by Patty Vannoy Highland, class of 1961 and Larry Elliott, class of 1971. Thanks to the lively band that played some of our 1950s dance tunes.

Thanks to Jeb Schenk for taking the class pictures, getting us to smile and making us look good.

Thanks to the Thermopolis Independent Record for putting all the reunion pictures in the paper.

Park facilities, motels and hotels, restaurants and other hosts are to be commended and thank you for all that you did.

Thank you Thermopolis.