Class of 1971 - 54 Year School Reunion

It all started with an idea to get the 1971 graduates together. Many phone calls, emails, and texts later, it had snowballed into a weekend of visiting and reminiscing. Put out the call and they will come. No matter that it wasn’t the 50th or the 55th year since graduating. The Class of 1971 has always been a little unique, so why not have a 54 year reunion instead of a 50 or 55 year reunion?

The Class of 1971 reunion centred around River Grove Campground in Drumheller. Trucks and trailers, motor homes and SUVs started gathering together Thursday afternoon August 7. Camping spots, cabins and nearby hotel rooms were soon filled with excited people waiting to touch base with others, some that we had not seen for 50+ years.

Friday brought more people. Hugs and more hugs, laughter and reminiscing filled the campground along with shouts of victory while playing silly games. All through the weekend, people came and went, some staying for a few hours, some staying for a day and some staying for the whole weekend. In total, 20 students from the Class of 1971 joined the crowd along with their spouses or partners.

Most meals were shared together potluck style. Food was bountiful as it always is and grazing took place all day and all weekend long besides the potluck meals.

Evenings were spent around the campfire with music, laughter, storytelling, and hearing the most repeated phrase of all, “Do you remember?” It was a totally laid-back, relaxed atmosphere that even the brief rain showers that appeared out of nowhere could not dampen.

Twenty of the students that were in the 1971 class traveled to Drumheller to attend the reunion. They came from Sibbald, Oyen, Medicine Hat, Chinook, Calgary, Edmonton, Kindersley, Forestburg, Sedalia, Lacombe, Yellowhead County, Victoria, Alsask, Olds, and Lethbridge. Everyone enjoyed it so much that plans have already been made to do it again … this time much sooner.

Class Photo

Back Row: Jim Mansfield, Tony Bakowy.

Middle Row: David Booker, Barb (Bull) Proudfoot, Wayne Pratt, Betty Anne (Soldan) Rostrup, Stan Volk, Roxie (Lee) Mulder, Linda (Schroeder) Astell, Linda (Corcoran) Tanigami, Marcel Bourassa, Larry Dzuiba, Andy McCracken, Irvine Jorgenson, Coral Yake.

Front Row: Audrey (Volk) Gross, Donna (Frisch) McLay, Sharon (Helm) Dahl, Linda (Hein) Heckbert, Dianne (Shantz) Ball.

Spouses

Back Row: Barb (Bull) Proudfoot, Patsy Jorgenson, Audrey (Volk) Gross

Second Row: David Booker, Ken McLay, Jim Mansfield, Lyle Gross, Harry Mulder, Diane Goldie, Coral Yake, Helen Volk, Linda (Schroeder) Astell, Sharon Mansfield, Peter Dahl, Andy McCracken, Judy Bourassa, Tony Bakowy, Wayne Pratt, Larry Dzuiba

Front Row: Maureen Booker, Irvine Jorgenson, Donna (Frisch) McLay, Linda (Hein) Heckbert, Roxie (Lee) Mulder, Stan Volk, Sharon (Helm) Dahl, Dianne (Shantz) Ball, Anne McCracken, Linda (Corcoran) Tanigami, Betty Anne (Soldan) Rostrup, Dave Rostrup, Marcel Bourassa, Bernice Pratt, Kim Blakeway.

Grad Photo

Front Row: Joyce Joa, Sonia (Dumanowski) Badger, Donna (Frisch) McLay, Barbara (Bull) Proudfoot, Sharon (Helm) Dahl, Eileen (Berg) Cartwright, Betty Anne (Soldan) Rostrup, Audrey Melnyk, Linda (Hein) Heckbert, Marilyn Weselowsi.

Second Row: Larry Dzuiba, Calvin Berg, Audrey (Volk) Gross, Sharon Carter, Roxie (Lee) Mulder, Linda (Schroeder) Astell, Dianne (Shantz) Ball, Linda (Corcoran) Tanigami, Wayne Benson, Allen Code.

Third Row: Randy Regan, Irvine Jorgenson, Tony Bakowy, John Anders McCracken, Dennis Arneson, Gordon Ferguson, Wayne Brausse, John Crawford, Wayne Pratt, Pat Skappak, Kenny Hauck.

Fourth Row: Lloyd Rafa, Alan Heatherington, Richard Fischbuch, Stan Volk, Laughn Johnson, Coral Yake, Gary Stouffer, Jim Mansfield. Don Thompson. David Booker, Les Volk, Terry Hanewich