Sparta High School - Spartan Yearbook (Sparta, MI)

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enior flax! froplzecy It is now six years hence, the year of 1956, since the class of 1950 graduated. Coming back to visit Sparta, for a day, our first thought is of the old red brick school house. As we drive up we are amazed to see a new addition to the high school and a larger gymnasium. Looking into this spacious gym as we enter, we see none other than Carol Fahling coaching the girls' basketball team and practicing hard for the game Friday night. Paul Schaefer is the coach of the boys team. Starting in the elementary school who should we meet but Almeta Powell with her 25 kindergarteners. Going on down the hall we pass a room and hear someone say, K, L, M, N, are written on the line. Stopping to investigate further we find that was the voice of Gail Brooks, in charge of the large commercial department. Passing the language department we see Delores Thorson busy teaching a large Spanish class. This week is the Art Exhibition in the high school and joan Nequist is very busy helping her students prepare their exhibitions. Today in class we hear that Joan Austin is going to speak on interior decorating and Delores Vanderwoud is to speak on sculptoring. Looking in the science room, Sanford Deyo is explaining an experiment to his physics class. Leaving school we decide to drive around town and see if we can find any of our former classmates. On M37 we are surprised to see a large bowling alley called The Bowl-in-Alley run by Kenneth Jourden and his assistants Ray Romeyn and Greydon Held. Across from the bowling alley is a new garage, Town Service with Walter Towns the sole owner and proprietor, his head mechanic is jerry Topping, who is an expert. Under jerry we find Charles Kasper as an apprentice. Driving through town we pass a beauty shop that is run by Kathryn Rider, a very able beautician. Another shop is run by Alden Line who is a radio technician. Across the street is a grocery store owned and operated by Frank Bueche. Driving past the Muskegon Piston Ring Company, we decide to pay some old acquaintances a visit. As receptionist we see Lenore Sterkenburg at the Switchboard. In the accounting room, Leona Straus, Mildred Straus, and Doris Kober are busy running calculating machines. Jackie Bradford is working in the l.B.M. room. As we leave the company we see Gordon Welch and Carl Mosher leaving the first shift. Stopping in at Bob's Lunch, we see Bob Norton busy keeping all his patrons satisfied, and he has many. Stopping for something to eat we start talking to Karl Anderson, who is a milk hauler for the Carnation Company. He informs us that Bob Trudell jack Dufort, and Kenneth Swanson are in the navy. Bob is playing cornet in the 15

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Raymond Romeyn Lenore Sterkenberg Mildred Straus Leona Straus Kenneth Swanson Dolores Thorson Gerald Topping Wfalter Townes an 'lv' Robert Trudell Delores Vanderwoud Gorden Wfelch Delores Woolworth Wfayne Younquist

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navy band, while jack is working as a mechanic. Inquiring further Karl tells us Betty Lonnee is a private secretary for one of the largest law firms in New York and that john Scholten is studying the organ in the Conservatory of Music in Boston. Glancing at a newspaper we find Gordon Badgerow's name in the headlines. Badgerow and staff of nurses, consisting of Jane Fraleigh, Eunice Ritz, Loeta Baughan, and Delores Wwlworth have just performed one of the most delicate operations of these times. Audrey Axford is the head dietitian at the hospital. Passing a church we see a bride and groom leaving which makes us think of Lois Empie and Dorothy Reyburn who are happily married. Reading a poster in one of our stores, we see that Conservation Officer, Gene Brooks is speaking at the high school about the preservation of natural resources. Calvin College held it's graduation exercises last night with Edwin Bristol named as one of the top ten graduates. Ann Nicholson also graduated with high honors from Junior College. Driving through the country we glance at the mail boxes of several of the nice farm homes on Fruit Ridge Avenue. The first box who's name we recognize is none other than Alvin Hill who is running a large fruit farm and is doing very well this year. Curtis Heft and Bill Nelton are in partnership on a 150-acre dairy farm. The next mail box has the words Ralph Fitzner' printed clearly on it. On this farm we see a beautiful, spacious farm home set back from the road and surrounded by an orchard of peach trees. Up ahead of us we see a sign that says Warren Guiles' Apiaries . Later we learn that he is running one of the largest apiaries in the country. The next farm belongs to Carl Fahling who after high school took an agriculture course in college and is now managing this large farm with the able assistance of Robert Bradford, who is his most dependable farmhand. Suddenly we notice three tractors coming down the road and as they pass, we notice that they are being driven by Gordon Baehre, Roger Irish and Carlton Youngquist, each working on farms in this area. Thus we end our day in Sparta. Many of the occupations that our former classmates are now holding are a surprise to us, but many are not. Whether these prophecies come true or not, we want to wish the best of luck to everyone in the class of 1950. Class glawer Yellow Roret Cfau Motto Excelrior 1 6