Manlius High School - Mirror Devil Yearbook (Manlius, IL)

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“WE HAVE SHARED MORE THAN THE ORDINARY AND HAVE MUCH TO OFFER THE WORLD” 22

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CLASS OF 1981 PROPHECY June 10, 1991 Dear Don, I was so sorry that you couldn’t make it to our class’s ten-year reunion. I realize that being a forest ranger in Wyoming is a very important job, but, you should have seen some of the looks I got when I explained that “National Fire Prevention Week” had kept you from coming. Almost all of our class was able to come. I though that you might be interested in Finding out what the rest of our classmates were doing. I think that the classmate who suprised me most was Eddy Notschaele. He’s become an activist. It seems that Ed is now leading a national movement to include Rolle Bolle in the Olympics. If he succeeds, Ed plans to coach the US team himself. Our exchange student from high school, Katrin Dahl, came back to the US for a visit and to come to our reunion. She has become sole owner of the only Baskin Robins in Sweden and plans to open three more stores soon. Linda Kelly and Dan Sleaford, our favorite high school sweethearts, got married and settled down near Manlius. Linda went on to beauty school and I understand that she is doing pretty good at it — or at least better than her first attempt on Dan. On the other hand, I doubt if Dan gave her a second chance. After going to Blackhawk, Dan took up farming with his dad. He also is the drivers’ education teacher at the high school. I guess patience really is a virtue. Linda Hartz went on to college after high school and then got married. She really gets into family traditions — she has two sets of twins plus one. Steve Morman also went to work at the high school after attending Blackhawk. He became the new Ag. teacher after his father-in-law, Mr. Lane, retired. Dee Dee Hartz couldn’t make it to our reunion. She sent a letter explaining that the farm and business in Iowa just kept her too busy and that she couldn’t get away. Quite a few of our classmates settled down right in Manlius. Kathy Miller and Theresa Sugars joined up in partnership and started their own restaurant franchise. Some things never change, though, the townspeople still refer to the restaurant as “the greasy spoon”. Rodney Hard became the head accountant for Hard’s Village Shop. He must have really mastered the art of bookkeeping since high school. He still has a few problems with those chocolate-marshmallow sundaes though. Of all the people in our class to get filthy rich, we should have known it would be Shelly Carpenter. She won $1 million in the Illinois State Lottery. I asked her what she could possibly do with all that money. She told me that she had tried to buy Cinderella’s Castle but Walt just wouldn’t sell. Marcie DeBrock is now the Vice President of Citizens First National Bank of Princeton. I wonder what her boss would say if he knew she used to do her bookkeeping by counting on her fingers. Mark Hansen went on to have a very successful basketball career after high school. He made enough money to retire by age 28 and then he became co-owner of the golf course just outside of Princeton. I’m sure that no marriage was involved in the deal. Chris Miller got married right after high school. She told me that she spends all of her time clipping coupons, being a professional soap-opera watcher, and taking care of her two children. Roger Figurin couldn’t make it to the reunion. He was busy with rehearsels for the Broadway production of “Bye Bye Birdie” in New York City. His career is going straight up hill. He’ll probably be the first one of our class to win an Oscar. Sarah Christensen went to Bradley and became the first woman athletic trainer for the Chicago Cubs. She must have learned something in college because, surprisingly, they’ve started winning after a ten-year losing streak. Bill Chesser must have really liked all of that stand-working in high school. It seems that Bill opened up his own concession stand near the high school and runs it during all the athletic events. I guess that all of that noonball experience really paid off for Raymond DeBrock. He got a contract with a professional baseball team. Ray’s career was shortlived though. The first time he skipped spring training to help A1 in the field, he was fired. Rod Jaggers’ athletic career was a little more successful. He won a gold medal in the Olympics and then became head track coach at ISU. The only other class member who couldn’t make it to the reunion was Mark Powers. It seems that he got a call from a talent scout shortly after we got back from our class trip to California. He said he was sorry but that he was too busy making movies to come. He sent us all T-shirts from the Mark Powers’ line of clothing. Vic Morgan just finished his hitch with the Army a few years ago. Now he’s working on the grand opening of Vic’s Body Shop — which is, of course, an exercise club for women only. Still the same old Vic. By the way, if you think I got some funny looks when I told everyone why you couldn’t be there, you should have seen their faces when I told them I had 25 kids. Don’t worry. I explained that I had become a teacher and the 25 kids were my fourth grade class. Well, I guess that covers all of the graduates from the class of ‘81’. It sure was fund to see the old gang and talk about old memories. Keep in touch and say hello to Val for me. I never could understand how you got her to live in that ranger’s station. Love ya, Joni 24