Graduates and guests return to school for GHS reunion

More than 300 people, including 265 graduates and guests, attended last Saturday’s every-five-year Gainesville High School reunion. Committee member Barbara Rackley Luna said the reunion committee, which also included Susan Amyx Ault, Janet Ebrite Taber and Paula Herd Rose, was very pleased with the turnout at the reunion, estimated at about 325. “Everyone who attended seemed to have a good time,” she said. Having organized the last three reunions, Luna, Ault and Taber had said they would be stepping down from the committee, and for a while it seemed the 2015 reunion might be the last one. Then other volunteers stepped forward, and Luna said the outgoing committee members “were pleased that this won’t be the last reunion since graduates volunteered to be the planning committee for 2020.” Those volunteering included Paula Rose, Karla Eslinger, Rhonda Newton and Debby Miller.
Luna said the committee was “a little depressed while working on the reunion because of having so many flyers returned” due to incorrect or out-of-date addresses. Of the 1,050 reunion flyers that were mailed using addresses provided at the last reunion or through other sources, more than 150 were returned as undeliverable. “We apologize for not getting notifications to all graduates, but it was impossible with a lack of funds and addresses that weren’t updated,” Luna said. “We encourage all graduates to go to the school’s website gainesville.mo.schoolwebpages.com and update their contact information every time that information changes, even if they haven’t physically moved. It would also be helpful to have email addresses since those messages cost nothing to send.”
The morning hours of the reunion were spent with visiting among classmates and friends. Lunch was served to the 228 participants who had pre-purchased meal tickets. After lunch, a program was conducted in the school library, with Linnie Ingram, 93, a member of the class of 1939, receiving the award for oldest graduate attending; Cody Swearengin, class of 2007, received the award for youngest graduate attending. Sam Exline, a 1960 graduate who has lived in Singapore for 19 years, received the award for traveling the farthest.
During the program the three latest graduates named as Distinguished Alumni were announced – the late John Ault and Paul Herd, as well as Hardenville resident Ida Mae Huse – and they were recognized, along with their families. (The Times will publish their award citations in upcoming issues.)
Luna announced that the GHS Alumni Scholarship fund has been combined with the Rex Ebrite Memorial Scholarship fund and now will be presented as a $500 award each spring to a graduating senior as the GHS Alumni Scholarship in Memory of Rex Ebrite.  
Musical entertainment was provided at the beginning of the program by Ronnie Parsons of Austin, Texas, GHS class of 1969. A musical group consisting of Terry Howerton and his son, Montana Howerton (class of 2014), with other band members, closed out the program.
With Linnie Ingram attending from the earliest class, 1939, represented at the reunion; these classes had these numbers of graduates sign in (however, some may not have registered on the sign-in sheets, and some who signed in didn’t indicate the year they graduated): no one from 1940, one from 1941; four from 1944; five each from 1945 and 1946; seven from 1947; two from 48; seven from 1949.
Three from 1950; five from 1951; seven from 1952; five from 1953; 15 from 1954; five from 1955; nine from 1956; 14 from 1957; eight from 1958; four from 1959.
Thirteen from 1960; 15 from 1961; eight from 1962; eight from 1963; five from 1964; 12 from 1965; nine from 1966; eight from 1967; three from 1968; eight from 1969.
Three from 1970; two each from 1971, 1972 and 1973; four from 1974; 13 from 1975; two each from 1976 and 1977; one from 1978; six from 1979.
Eight from 1980; four from 1981; one from 1982; three from 1983, two each from 1985 and 1989.
One each from 1990, 1997, 2004, 2007 and 2011.

<p>Hardenville resident Ida Mae Huse, center, was presented with the Distinguished Alumni award at Saturday’s reunion at Gainesville High School. The award was presented by reunion committee member Janet Taber, right. With Huse are family members, from left, Betty Rackley Bowsher, Joan Rackley Young, Angela King MacLaughlin, Carol Huse King, Mike Huse, Delbert Rackley and Judy Rackley VanGilder.</p>

<p>The family of the late John Ault accepted his posthumous Distinguished Alumni award at Saturday’s Gainesville High School reunion. Ault’s widow, Susan Amyx Ault, accepted the award from reunion committee member Janet Taber, right. Other family members present were, from left, Lucas Phillips, Sydney Phillips, Cody Swearengin, Jana Ault Phillips and Mark Ault.</p>

<p>Linnie Crawford Ingram, 93, class of 1939, received an award for being the oldest graduate attending Saturday’s Gainesville High school  reunion. She is shown here with great-granddaughter Alexus Owens and  daughter Kristin Luebbert, class of 1979.</p>

<p>Several graduates attending the recent reunion at Gainesville High School brought along family members. Opal Fay Allen Luna, seated, class of 1945, brought all three of her daughters, who are also GHS graduates: from left Sandra Amyx, 1963; Sonja Grisham, 1964; and Mary Lee Adamson, 1967.</p>

<p>The family of the late Paul Herd accepted his posthumous award as Distinguished Alumni at Saturday’s Gainesville High School reunion. Herd’s daughter, Paula Rose, second from left, accepted the award from reunion committee member Janet Taber. Other family members present were Herd’s widow, Janice Herd, left, and his brother, Ray Herd, class of 1944.</p>

<p>Gainesville High School Reunion committee member Barbara Rackley Luna presented Sam Exline, class of 1960, the award for traveling the farthest to attend Saturday’s reunion. Exline and his wife, Laura, have lived in Singapore for 19 years.</p>

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