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Community Corner

Masuk Class of '61 Celebrates 50th Reunion

Classmates are still reaping the benefits of small town living and a small graduating class.

Masuk High School in the late ‘50’s  wasn’t the “little red school house” that so often exudes images of close ties, nor was it Rydell High, the nostalgic 50's high school musically portrayed in the 1978 movie Grease. It existed somewhere in between, weaving the ties that bind and sustain friendships through time, distance and myriad life journeys. 

The Class of 1961 returned to Monroe this past weekend, five decades after receiving graduation diplomas and hugs of congratulations, for its 50th Reunion party at the Stone Barn. Flying in from Oregon, Florida and as far away as Germany, they came home. And everything was the same, yet different.

Comments like 'I remember you!' and 'Is it really you?' were few and far between. A hug, handshake, or "How are you?" was the usual greeting, because the class of 1961 has stuck together. 

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"We've had parties for our fifth, 10th, 20th, 25th, 35th, 45th and now our 50th anniversary," said Reunion Committee member Cora "Cookie" Beers of Bethel, counting off on her fingers.

"Yeah, and hopefully we'll all be around for the next one," one of her tablemates piped up, laughing. 

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Cookie is among the 12% of the class that married classmates. Cookie, whose maiden name is Graham, and Rudy Beers were high school sweethearts. Before graduation they broke up and went their separate ways. Forty-five years later after Cookie had gone through a divorce and Rudy was widowed, they reunited at the 45th reunion.

"We just sort of picked up where we left off," she said smiling at Rudy. They’ve been married a little over four years.

Then there's Ron Baker and Carol, maiden name Donohue, now living in Newport, VA, who returned for the party. They also were high school sweethearts who went their separate ways. They were reunited at their 25th reunion and subsequently married. They’ve been together 23 years. 

Jim and Mary Anne Matey, now of Ft. Meyers, Fla., knew a good thing when they had it. They were high school sweethearts and married each other. 

"I'm the lucky one," said Jim without hesitancy. They've been together ever since.

Their teachers speak out

"The class was always tight knit," said Diane Dober, their former English teacher who flew in from Oregon for the event. "This was a small town. Everyone knew everybody. And, the family dynamic was different. Mothers were home. Daycare centers weren't bringing up the children."

Dober was only four years older than her students when she started teaching at Masuk. "Back then that was a big age difference. Now it's not," she said. Still, she and her husband were seated at the "Adults Table" with the class' former math teacher Donald Hastings and his wife from Milford.

“They were a good group of students,” he said looking around the crowded room. “And you know, it’s funny but I can remember every one of them. If I met them on the street now, I’d recognize them and know their names.” 

Masuk, though a new school, didn’t have the opportunities today’s students have. According to Hastings there were only three sports for boys- cross country, basketball and baseball- and nothing for girls.

“We were only the second graduating class to go through Masuk,” explained Dave Bridgeman, now of Ft. Meyers, Fla. He was class vice president and played basketball for Masuk. "There was no money to pay for the insurance for a football team. So we played basketball." Another former player, Bob Hurd, nodded.

Baker, who was class president in their senior year, and Matey, who was dubbed Best Dancer and Friendliest, were their team co-captains. At the reunion, they all sat together and reminisced over, among other milestones, the year they went up against the powerful and favored Avon team as the underdogs ... and won.

Classmates Made There Own Fun 

There wasn't much to do in rural Monroe back in the '60's according to several classmates. They made their own fun. Monroe only needed three police officers. It was the mothers who stayed at home and kept track of the kids.

"They knew everything before you could even get home with an excuse," said Rudy laughing. "They were on the phones talking to the other mothers."

"Mary's General Store stood where the Goodwill store is today. There was Monroe Market where Dunkin Donuts is, and a garage and gas station," he said. "That's it."

"And where we are sitting was a horse farm," said Cookie. "The Stone Barn and golf course was part of the old Whitney farm. We used to clean out the stalls just to ride the horses.

"We didn't get drunk or do drugs. The girls dressed like girls instead of hookers and the boys were gentlemen on dates." Her tablemates nodded in agreement.

With all the closeness of their class of some 40 students, in their senior year they still opened their hearts to a foreign student from Germany. Bernd Nehrkonn, tall, blond, with a foreign accent became one of them. A mechanical engineer now, in Berlin, he returns every year or so to renew friendships. He and his wife, Barbara, have attended most of the reunions.

"When my friends come to Germany," he said, "then I am a tour guide."

Karen Bozogan, class treasurer, dubbed both Most Talkative and Most Likely to Succeed is a nurse in Boston, and she admits to still talking a lot.

Best Personality Judith Clifford became a chemistry teacher and is now retired, herself.

"We had an amazing chemistry teacher at Masuk," she said. "Ralph DeGruttola inspired five of us to seek careers in chemistry. That's 10% of the class." She said DeGruttola moved on into school administration by necessity. "Back then teachers weren't paid a lot and he had a family to support."

Mary Periera, known by her friends as "Perry" because they couldn't pronounce her last name, became a Carmelite Sister for the Aged and Infirmed in Boston. She graciously offered the blessing before dinner.

George Stockwell, a retired teacher, is a columnist for Monroe Patch.

In spite of close ties, there have still been a few classmates who have dropped off the radar. They are being actively sought by the Reunion Committee. The next reunion is only five years away.

Anyone with information about Mary Jane Brainard Boland, Dorothy Couch, Arthur DuBois, Richard Girgasky, Stephen Hummel, Bruce Johnson, E. Richard Kennedy, Andra (Jo-Linda) Kukk, Stewart McKinney, Ronald J. Murphy, Bernice Paglinco or Sue Kohut is asked to contact Cookie at cora43@att.net.

The Masuk High School Reunion Committee includes Class of '61 graduates Rudy and Cora "Cookie"  Beers, Bethel; Andrea Oros Paddock and Bill Thomas of Monroe; David Bridgeman of Fort Myers, Fla., Carol and Ron Baker of Newport, VA, and Kenny Waite, with his wife Barbara of Monroe.

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