Jun 17

Written by: ngreditor
6/17/2008 5:33 PM 

Class of 1938 Reunion remembers the ‘old days’

Jen (Froistad) O’Reilly

Class of 1938 gathered at the Newman Grove Library. (LR) Back row:Bill Hastings, Ruth (Eckstrom) Hanson, Alden Nygren, and Harold Congram. Front row: Jen (Froistad) O’Reilly, Gerald Larson, and Myrtle (Anderson) Overby.  Photo by Myrtle Overby & Sally McGuire

May was a time for graduation and class reunions. That was true on May 24, when hundreds of alumni were gathered at the banquet tables in the gym to reminisce, unaware that tornado spotters were searching the skies at the three-mile corner south of town because of an unsettled weather pattern.

One group had pondered how classmates could erase the miles from Colorado, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota to be warmly greeted by their Nebraska peers.

The group gathered at the local library in the afternoon and were shocked to recall, as classmates in 1938, that prices were as follows: 3 bedroom house $3,900; average income $1,996; new Ford car $660; gallon of gas 20¢; bread, 1 lb 9¢; gallon milk 50¢; lb. bacon 37¢; the best movie, “You Can’t Take It With You”; best actor, Spencer Tracey; and best actress, Bette Davis.

Classmates with a good memory reminded others that Franklin Roosevelt was President. A bit of trivia revealed Jefferson replaced the Indian head on the nickel.

At the afternoon gathering interesting letters were displayed from Vernelle Busteed Christensen and Carl Schmadeke. One member, Eleanor Anderson, was unable to attend because of decreased mobility and would appreciate cards to her at 9220 Western Avenue, Omaha, NE 68114. Merle Hanson would like cards at the Mid-Nebraska Lutheran Home in Newman Grove.

Some members recalled that as students their homework was prepared with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling or a smelly kerosene lamp on the table. Others recalled, with the absence of indoor plumbing, trips to the outhouse where the Sears catalog was placed for reading only. Nevertheless, tributes were given to excellent teachers such as Ernie Davis, Math; Irene Wedell, Typing; Velma Burgess, English; and Clara Koenig, Latin.

The consensus of several in the group was that we lived in the worst of time (the Great Depression Era) and the best of time (life seemed to be uphill as the years progressed).

Those attending the 70th class reunion were Ruth (Eckstrom) Hanson, Nevada, Iowa, with her daughter and son-in-law; Bill Hastings, wife, Julie and daughter, Lincoln; Alden Nygren, wife Agnes, Newman Grove; Myrtle (Anderson) Overby and daughter, Carthage, MO; Harold Congram and his three daughters, Aurora, CO; Gerald Larson, wife Marian, Tekama, NE; and Jen (Froistad) O’Reilly and husband, Donald, Red Wing, MN. Thelma (Kittelson) Stejskal came to the banquet.

Classmates were proud to be members of the Class of 1938 and want to thank the Alumni Committees for bringing us together year after year.

Congratulations to the Class of 2008! If you experience as many lifestyle improvements as we did in 70 years, you are destined for a fantastic journey. Go for it!!