To: '59 Classmates ~ Re-Cap of the 1959 - 50th Reunion.
Originally sent October 11

As was stated in LHS News......A great turn-out of over 200 (both nights) produced a lot of reminiscing with old friends/classmates; visiting and picture taking! Wolverines from 19 states - PLUS Oklahoma - and one classmate from Germany (Charles Brooks) came home to join the party! 29 grads from Texas, 38 from Oklahoma (not Lawton) and 35 from Lawton! If YOU weren't there .....kick yourself! REAL hard!

Currently working on pictures for a slide show on the WolverNet blog - Coming soon! (done).
The lighting at both events was not very good (as far as taking pixs) but think still managed to get some good ones. The independent contractor who was there on Saturday night video-ing and talking w/classmates....will be in touch with you to see if you want to purchase a video? You are under NO obligation to do so. I was hoping they would send one we could watch to see how it is...?

Those who could not attend but did order a Memory Book, including those who had ordered one and at last minute couldn't make it.....Memory Books will go in mail, hopefully this week. Will let people know when they go out!
Beverly (Spradlin) did a super job on the books! About 50-60 went on the tour of the old High School/Central on Friday! Minette Page was very happy to have so many interested. And, about 50+ toured the 50's car museum on Saturday morning and Billy Beville enjoyed talking about his super vintage cars. Great turnout for both events and we appreciate Minette and Billy for their time and gracious 'tours'.

Don't have numbers but I know several attended the Pep Rally and assembly and the game Friday night.The Museum facility on Friday night was lovely! Weather perfect, made it most enjoyable to be outside on the patio area as well as inside. We appreciate classmate Rex Givens help with the Museum. Music Hall at Medicine Park proved equally great place for the Saturday night event! 'We' feel, couldn't have gone any better! Special thanks to classmate John Hammond for the great picture name tags! Also, very special thanks to another Wolverine (class '83), Chris Rabon, for his help - technical, musical, and otherwise - in producing the DVD! The DVD played through the evening at Medicine Park.

Door prize for coming the longest distance went to Charles Brooks. Door prizes also won by Maurice LaFonte; Tink (Belland);

Prizes? - We had books about 'Craterville Park'; '1959:Year Everything Changed'; and Waynes T-Shirts!

Comments from some who attended the reunion......

Just got home from having more fun that I can remember in a long, long time! It was such a great weekend and I still can't get over what a wonderful turnout we had from '59!
Carlana (Fitch) Murray

I can't thank you enough for making our reunion such a success. It was such a joy to reconnect with my past and find my roots again.... And then, to make it possible to stay connected through all the contact information.Let's keep the ball rolling for as long as we can.
David Eugene 'Gene' Morris

note: It was great of Gene to organize those who wanted to attend the Pep assembly and Pep Rally + homecoming game. I know that it was mentioned on the radio broadcast of the Friday night game...that members of the 1959 class were here for reunion and in attendance at the game.

I really enjoyed meeting a lot of people on Friday night, and thanks to all who put in so many hours of hard work!
Wiley Leonard
btw.....Wiley asked if anyone had any information/specifics on what happened to classmate Jimmy Best? All we know is that Jimmy passed in March of 2002.

Thanks for all the work you guys did on throwing a super reunion. We really enjoyed the car museum and I made good use of the gift shop at the Museum of the Great Plains. It's always fun to get back to Lawton and Charles is always happy to see his old friends and classmates (I didn't mean "old" "old"....)
Beverly (Askegreen) Jennings

..... many thanks for all the work you and your team did to make the 50th truly a golden experience! It was great fun to see folks I rarely get to see and those I hadn't seen since graduation that I had a chance to re-meet. Please extend my thanks to all of your team members. Had a good trip home - uneventful (thank you very much), a little rain until I got close to Kansas and then just cloudy. It has begun raining here (followed me I think) and is very cold already.Many thanks again.
Tink (Belland) Glenn (Tink lives in KS)

I have heard nothing but raves about the reunion since I got back. I know I missed something really special. You and your committee did a super job!
Linda (Hawkins) Moon

Georgia, Thanks for all the work you and the rest of the committee did for our 50th reunion. It was all wonderful, the place you chose to have it, the decorations and that great meal. I know it was a lot of work but it was greatly appreciated. Geraldine (Greenlee) Bay

The reunion was great. Good to see everyone and yuck it up about the "good ole days", though I guess that's all relative. At any rate I've attached a few pics from the dinner/dance I thought you might consider including in the follow up.
Joel Boyd
note: Joel sent 5 really good pixs...will be posting along with others on the blog. And, if anyone else has pics...send them to me, will post.

...... A GREAT JOB BOTH NIGHTS. GREAT FUN WAS HAD BY ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KNOW I DIDN'T GET TO VISIT WITH EVERYONE. THANKS AGAIN.
JACK [Atkins]

I enjoyed the reunion although I didn't remember names from the past. I only attended Lawton High two years and left for Germany in February 1960 and didn't return until 1966. I guess I really lost touch with anyone I knew in high school. However, everyone was so friendly that I just enjoyed the two-day reunion! You and the committee did a great job with the planning and execution of the reunion. Hats off to all of you!
Ellouise (Haulcy) Love

Kay (Thomas) Tillman and hubby John were already in Lawton for the reunion and a close friend of Johns passed in Arkansas. They had to leave on Friday morning to go home. Kay emailed how sorry she was to miss the reunion but asked that any who would want to 'visit'...please email her at: jktillman@yahoo.com

You do such a wonderful job of getting all the news out to those everywhere, I so love to receive you messages. I was unable to make the reunion even after having plans made to come, so enjoy hearing all the details. Thank you so much for doing all you do for us away from Lawton. I would really have liked to see and visit all our classmates thought of you all both nights..
God Bless, Ann (Knowles) Saunders

OK....bad news/good news dept.......we searched for classmates as diligently as possible.....but, 'we' most emphatically apologize to classmate James York who we had on the deceased list! Have NO idea where these rumors get started or why 'we' thought him deceased...but the GOOD news is...James is ALIVE and well and please remove his name from any list of deceased you may have. So very sorry for this goof-up! I hope 'we' have not inadvertently 'killed-off' anyone else!

The committee appreciates all those who could be here and made the effort to do so. It was great to see so many classmates and friends and so wonderful that all had a good time.

Joe Osborne, class '60, reminded me of this and it's SO true.....

'We're magnificent, we're divine, we're the class of '59!'

For the committee.......gjw