World War II veterans, graduates of Rutland High School, were given special recognition at the 83th annual alumni reunion. They were from the left, James Thomas, class of 1942, Samuel Russell, class of 1937, and Robert Smith, class of 1938.

slideshow

RUTLAND — More than 300 alumni and guests attended the 83rd annual Rutland High School alumni banquet held recently at the Civic Center in Rutland.

Sue Clonch, president, extended the welcome, Daniel Wiseman gave the invocation, and a color guard composed of Bruce May and Mick Williams of Pomeroy Post 39 presented the colors. Hiram Slawter led in the pledge to the flag, and Tammy Black Matson sang the National Anthem accompanied by Norman and Fred Matson.

The Center gymnasium was decorated in red, white and blue and veterans attending were recognized. Among those honored were three graduates of Rutland High School who served in World War II. They were Samuel Russell, class of 1937, Robert Smith, class of 1939 and James Thomas, class of 1942. They were each presented with an American flag which had flown over the U. S. Capitol.

American flag pins were presented to the widows of veterans and flags were presented to all veterans attending.

Following the dinner served by Star Grange, officers reports were given, and the this year’s officers were elected for another year. They are Due Clonch Larkin, president; Debbie Turner Pool, secretary; and Kathy Thomas Schultz, treasurer. Janet Turner Bolin presented five scholarships of $500 each to graduates whose family affiliation went back to a Rutland High School graduate. Reading of the alumni memorial roll and singing of the school song concluded the alumni reunion.

Attending the Rutland reunion were

1937: Samuel Russell; 1939: Robert Smith; 1941: Maxine Ogdin Griffith; 1942: James Thomas; 1943: Jean Amos Redden, Beatrice Spaulding Stephenson; 1944: Eleanor Taylor Thomas; 1945: Delma Riggs Nelson, Goldie Knotts Nelson; 1946: William Larkin; 1947: Catherine Colwell Shenefield; 1948: Bill Buck, Leroy Kessinger; 1949: Charles Amos, Helen Taylor Atkeson, Mildred Thomas

Donahue, John Dyke, Carol Dawson Pack, Elsie Kessinger Smith, Raymond

Thomas; 1950: Bill Brown, Avanell Jordan George, Janet Ogdin Jones, Bruce May, Mickey Williams; 1951: Jack Barton, Marie Little Birchfield, Joan Snowden May, Virginia Moore Michael, Rose Slawter Patterson, Shirley Cremeans Simmons, Lowell Vance; 1952: Bob Denison, Carolyn Miller Gardner, Darlene Wolfe Kreuzer, Janet McKinney Mowery, Helen Rife Reinhard, Wanda Foster Williams; 1953: Joan Montgomery Corder, Nell Rice Dicken, Joan Lambert Snowden; 1954: Virginia Long Denison, Donald King, Don Swisher; 1955: Nancy Spaulding Glassburn, Alberta Snowden Montgomery, John Montgomery, Paul Shoemaker; 1956: Lynn Bartrum Benschoter, Janet Turner Bolin, Joe Bolin, Harold Carson, Rose Kessinger Cleland, Jim Dyer, Donna Will Higgins, Leo Morris; 1957: Phyllis Rice Crandall, Bill Edwards, John Jeffers, Kenneth Longstreth, Jerry Schoonover, Judy Hatfield Simon, Dorothy Nelson Taylor, Wanda Graham Vining, Raymond Wilcox; 1958: Duane Barr, Danny Holliday, Thomas Jeffers, John Priddy,

1959: Thelma Shaffer Bliss, David Carson, Elaine Steele Dyer, Louise Parsons Eads, Dee Thomas Easter, Jimmy Graham, Shirley Ballengee Head, Keith Kennedy, Betty Jeffers Longstreth, Richard Nelson, Ronnie Rife; 1960: John Brogan, Eloise Musser Carson, Patty Young Clark, Herb Grate, Linda Haley Hoffman, Clara Mae Hysell, Irene Searles Kennedy, Mary Lee, Judith Slawter Marinacci, Carlos McKnight, Tom Moore, Wayne Nelson, Marjorie Priddy Rife,Bonnie Rathburn Skidmore; 1961: Frank Ballengee, Beverly Bowen Gabriel, David Martin; 1962: Lee Combs, Richard Dugan, Louise Higginbotham Dulany, Roberta Grate, Billy Hayes, Clarence Lambert, Karen Edwards Moore, Larry Parsons, Paul Pierce, Helena Moore Riggs, Viola McKnight Shoemaker, Wesley Sisson, Hiram “Sonny” Slawter, Thomas Spaulding, Myrta “Dot” Smith Stewart, David Wiseman.

1963: Joe Chapman, Darlene Goff Dill, Jim Ferrell, Paul Higginbotham, Charles Hoffman, Harry Shaffer, John “Butch” Tillis, Don Ward; 1964: Patsy Welch Artrip, Warren Jerry Black, Ancil Cross, Robert Harless, Larry Haynes, Roberta Smith Meyer, Ellis Myers, Sonja Turner Parsons, Rosemary Harless Pope, Gary Saxton, Connie Rice Siemer, Benny Slawter, Brenda Grate Tillis, Danny Tillis, Jerry Tillis, Sharon Quillen Wise; 1965: Melvin Brown, Carolyn McKnight Dailey, Keever Grate, Cary Wells Harless, Bill Lambert, Sally Williams Lambert, Judy Cremeans McDonald, William Porter, Larry Rupe, Ronnie Taylor; 1966: Barbara Cotterill Cremeans, Joetta Erlewine Eskew, Latischia Gates Graham, Sam Hicks, Evelyn Ward Hobbs, Rosanna Goff Kitchen, Linda Lathey, Loretta Harless McQuaid, John Moore, Mike Nicholson, Sandy Tucker Phillips, Beverly Forbes Rupe, Barbara Carter Welsh, James White.

1967: Roger Alkire, Roger Barrett, Roger Davis, Martha “Rae” Brown Farley, Karen Tucker Floyd, Sabra Canaday Gibson, Joe Hawkins, Gary Haynes, Chester King, Lilly Imboden Kloes, Sue Clonch Larkin, Dixie Wamsley Leonard, Joyce Might McDaniel, Pat Malone Moore, June Jarvis Mowery, Chris Napper, Bonnie Grate Nicholson, Debbie Turner Pool, Tim Priddy, Dixie Carson Sayre, Kathy Thomas Schultz, Gilford “Gil” Turley, Darlene Smith Vanaman, Jim Vanaman, Betty Clark VanMatre, Barbara Williams; 1968: Rev Alan Blackwood, Larry Montgomery, Mike Porter, Mary McKinney Wells, B Allen Wilson; 1969: Joe Myers, Brenda “Sis” Johnson Vickers, Dean Weber; 1970: Lynn Black, Karen Griffith; 1971: Betty Smith Lambert, Linda Midkiff Montgomery, Gloria Goff Oiler; 1972: Charles Jones; Jim Birchfield, Sherry Michael Robinson; 1974: Robert Birchfield, Debra Pierce Jones; 1977: Melanie Simmons Dudding; and 1980: Kevin Ferrell.