School: Granton H. S. Alumni Reunion '29 - '57 (30 Aug. 2006)
Contact:  Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

----Sources: Clark County Press (Neillsville, WI) August 30, 2006, Page 7

Granton High School alumni reunion held

Granton Alumni dating from 1929 to 1957 held a reunion at Fannie’s Supper Club near Neillsville August 5th.

Ninety-seven grads and former attendees were in attendance; plus spouses and guests, being about 140 were seated.

Two former teachers; Ray Urban, who taught and coached two years during the late ‘30’s, and Marcia Crothers, who taught four years in the late ‘50’s, were in attendance.

James "Lucky" Kirk entertained with his guitar and songs during the social hour. He also sang the table prayer. For the first time, the banquet was held over the noon hour. This new format seemed to meet with approval from most of the attendees.

Louis Rosandick opened the program by welcoming the group. Master of ceremony duties fell to Al Spaete, who gave an update of the status of the school, lauding the agricultural and music departments.

Cliff Riedel and Shirley (Kayser) Freeburg claimed to be the ones who thought up the Bulldog as a mascot for the school athletics department.

The oldest graduate attending was Oliver Happe, class of 1929. The next oldest was Ella (Haines) Gardner, class of 1932; followed by Adeline (Foemmel) Lee, class of 1933.

The following families had two or more Granton grads in attendance: The Rosandick family with Louis, Anton, Helen Schultz and Paul; the Pigott family with Ella, Anna and Ella’s son Russell Gardner; the Elmhorst family with Evelyn Montgomery, Vera Lemke and Laura Mae Wegner; the Erickson family with Evelyn Porter, Tilman, Richard and Alice Schlinsog; The Nowack family with Dorothy Reisner and Darlene Hurtis; the Helm family with Walter and Eldon; the Moeller family with Theresa Mallory and Susan Troemner; the Foemmel family with Adeline Lee and Violet Korth; the Bartsch family with Merle and Donald; the Happe family with Oliver and Orville.

Former teacher, Ray Urban, gave an interesting account of his teaching career and subsequent employment with AT&T.

Merle Bartsch, who volunteers at The Highground, spoke of its history and development of various areas there-in. At the conclusion of the gathering some thirty members toured The Highground with Merle.

In attendance: from class of 1929, Oliver Happe; class of 1932, Ella (Haines) Gardner; class of 1933, Adeline (Foemmel) Lee; class of 1937, Orville Evanson; class of 1938, Art Happe; class of 1939, Harold Behnke, Evelyn (Elmhorst) Montgomery, Lorraine (Garbisch) Wenck, Leolene (Grassman) Winn, Leona (Garbisch) Tucker; class of 1940, Warren Cattanach, Anna (Haines) Lebzeit, Evelyn (Hales) Dudei and Earl Chubb; class of 1941, Neva (Bartz) Larson, Romelda (Marschner) Luce, Dorothy (Nowack) Reisner, Theresa (Moeller) Mallory, George Matas, Garfield Freeberg, Irene (Brinkmeier) James; class of 1942 Vera ((Elmhorst) Lemke, Lydia (Hillert) Hemmersbach, Gladys (Pigott) Karl, Elaine (Helm) Seefelt, Louis Rasandick, Violet (Foemmel) Korth, Walter Korth, Adelma (Riedel) Gilpin; class of 1943, Verna (Hillert) Newsome, Anton Rosandick, Helen (Rosandick) Schultz, and Vernon Wegner; class of 1944, Bernard Winn, Gene Haines, Cliff Riedel, Shirley (Kayser) Freeburg and Fay (Quicker) Opelt; class of 1945, Marie (Daniels) Ratsch, Laura Mae (Elmhorst) Wegner and Claire Schlinsog; class of 1946, Delores (Storm) Gaier; class of 1947, Duane Anding, Evelyn (Smith) Nimmer, Edythe (Schumacher) Winn, Beverly (Turner) Eggleston, Doris (Pigott) Gardner, Paul Rosandick and Stanley Madler; class of 1948, Susan (Moeller) Troemner, Donna (Pigott) Galligan, Wendell Storm, Merle and Jane Crothers) Bartsch, Shirley (Nowack) Barth and Harlan Bartsch; class of 1949, Walter Helm, Frank Paun, Darlene (Nowack) Hurti8s, Emily (McHone) Winstead, Erlin Dahl and Wallace Erickson; class of 1950, Earl Ziegler and Evelyn (Erickson) Porter, class of 1951, Jacqueline (Garbisch) Gannon and Irene (Keuer) Dahl; class of 1952, Tilman Erickson, Joe and Alice (Jennings) Kirk, Norman Wesenberg and Lila (Sternitzky) Schmitz; class of 1953, Al Spaete, Everett Roehl, Jerry Schmitz, Don and Lavon (Garbisch) Bartsch and Jim "Lucky" Kirk; class of 1954, Janet (Winter) Landwehr, Alice (Erickson) Schlinsog, Richard Erickson, Carol Jean (Garbisch) Wesenberg, Zelda (Pigott) Janke and Eleanor (Marek) Arneson; class of 1955, Russell Gardner, Bonnie (Garbisch) Shakel, Gary Kuechenmeister, Lee Krause and Roger Winch; Class of 1956, Jeanette (Perusheck) Gruetzmacher, Velda (Levenduski) Greeler, Betty (Sternitzky) Baxter, Jeanette (Canfield) Kurth, Allen Sternitzky and Joe Paun; Class of 1957, Eldon Helm, Eldon Handke and Joan (Thiemke) Elmhorst.

The reunion committee members were: Theresa Mallory, Helen Schultz, Jane Bartsch, Carol Jean Wesenberg and Emily Winstead. The next reunion will be held in 2008.