Banquet welcomes alums home for reunion

Ritzville High School Alumni will gather for the 108th annual banquet and meeting this Saturday, May 25, at Gilson Gymnasium. Ticket sales for this year’s banquet have closed. Alumni who have not yet received their tickets and name badges need to contact Marilyn Sielaff as soon as possible at 509-347-6188.

The banquet begins at 6 p.m. and the association welcomes 270 alumni at this year’s event, which is catered by Nancy Meise Catering of Washtucna.

The Ritzville Adams County Journal will be at the gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. to take honored class photos. All honored classes need to arrive prior to the banquet to be included in the photograph.

The 6 p.m. banquet features the traditional roll call of classes, induction of the Class of 2013 and special recognition of the honored classes of 1913, 1938, 1963 and 1988. Toastmaster for the evening is Richard W. Miller, from the class of 1963.

Officers for the RHS Alumni Association are Donna Koch, president; Marsha Reimers Smith, vice president/recording secretary; Del Schwisow, treasurer; Marilyn Sielaff, membership secretary; and Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Darci Oestreich Kennedy, Michele Kagele Kiesz and Thomas Pulliam serve as directors. Howard Bourne serves as the webmaster of the alumni website.

This Memorial weekend serves as the perfect gathering time for many alumni classes. Reunion locations available at press time are as follows:

Class of 2003 – Will gather at the Grange Building at the Fairgrounds on Saturday from 6-9 p.m. The public is welcome to come visit after 8 p.m.

Class of 1993 – Will have a social on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Memories Diner on Main Avenue, and on Sunday at 10 a.m. for family bowling at the bowling alley.

25-year, Class of 1988 – Will meet Friday, May 24 from 7-9 p.m. at Big Bend Bowl for a RHS Class of ’88 Fun Night. There will be bowling and socializing for alumni and their families. On Saturday, May 25 from 2-5 p.m. they will host a Meet-and-Greet at the Pastime. From 6-8 p.m. the 25-year class will be honored at the RHS Alumni Banquet. Following the banquet the class returns to the Pastime.

30-year class of 1983 – Will meet Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Big Bend Bowl. After 8 p.m. they will mingle downtown with other alumni. Saturday the class meets at the Eagles Lodge before and after, the Alumni Banquet at 6 p.m.

40-year, Class of 1973 – The 40 year class meets Saturday from 12-5 p.m. at the Clubhouse.

50-year, Class of 1963 – Will gather at the Wheat Growers Building on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. for an evening and dinner for the class alumni. On Saturday, they meet again at the Wheat Growers Building at 2 p.m. until the start of the banquet, and then return to the same location following the banquet. On Sunday, remaining members will meet for breakfast at the Clubhouse beginning at 10 a.m.

60-year, Class of 1953 – Will meet at the Best Western Plus Bronco Inn from 3-5 p.m., and return after the banquet.

The association will induct this year’s Lind-Ritzville High School graduates. This is the first graduating class of the consolidated Lind-Ritzville High School. The 2013 graduating class includes Ashley Ambers, Jacob Anderson, Lindy Brown, Dustin Burcham, Emily Buriak, Haley Campbell, Johnathon Carson, Catherine Coon, Brittany Dew, Scott Diefenbach, Reyna Ellis, Christina Field, Matthew Fryberger, Cory Goble, Tyler Greenwalt, Ricardo Guizar Mendez, Chelsey Heidenreich, Satchel Henneman, Heather Hennings, Juan (Johnny) Hernandez, Lee Hubbard, Mariah Kiel, Dustin Kommes, Kristine Lamping, Aristeo Lino Mireles, Diana Longoria, Joseph Malby, Larissa Miller, Haley Neisinger, Keanu Niezwaag, Haley Oestreich, Gabriela Oliva, Amalia Perez, Brooke Pichette, Eduardo Reyes, Kyle Ritz, Casey Sackmann, Ariana Salazar, Jordan Schultz, Madelynn Simons, Brandon Smith, Seth Snelling, Colby Starring, Taylor White and Amanda Yockey.

Members of the 25-year class of 1988 with tickets to the banquet as of Monday, May 20, are Jill Turner Teeney, Valerie Undeberg Davis and Ellen Weber Hein.

Golden grad members from the class of 1963 planning to attend the banquet are Danette Allert Leisle, Gerry Allert, Marlene Anderson Huhtanen, Tom Baumann, Janis Deking Wood, Warren “Butch” Gering, Karen Johansen Silfies, Mike Leisle, Richard W. Miller, Janice Olson Kunz, Carrie Reimers Knight, Jim Roloff, Larry Schafer, Harold “Hal” Seim, Beth Stromberger Insko, Joe Talley, Steve Taylor, Fay Telecky Lybecker, Karen Thom Kilian, Sharon Tschritter Johnson, Byron Wagner, Sue Webb Herdrich and John Wellsandt.

Diamond grads from the 75-year class of 1938, planning to attend the banquet are Edna Faure Maguire, Adolph Grams and Chester Templin.

The class of 1931 is to be represented by Alma Scott Galbreath.

Golden R members from the classes of 1939 through 1962 are Herschel Heimbigner (1940); Marian Hoefel Munroe, Barney Streeter, Alfred Wiest (1941); Celia Ann Streeter Replogle, Robert Templin (1942); Kenneth Heimbigner, Lavina Kusler Baumann (1943); Allison Marti Heimbigner (1944); Olive Grams (1945); Patricia Cooke Schaefer, Martin Gering, Dorothy Geschke Maier, Edna Stehr Anderson, Joan Vehrs Gering (1947); Larence Kiesz, Roy Klein, Tom McMurray (1948); Robert Oestreich (1949); Richard “Duke” Heimbigner, Velda Klein Miller, Della Laib Kiesz, John R. Miller (1950); Jack Fix, Ronald Grams, Violet Janssen Hott, Joanne Kessler McCrady, Esther Wilhelm Oestreich (1951); Ruth Becker Gust, Shirley Benzel Klein, Barbara Freese Jolly, Mildred Van Buren Olden (1952); Patty Arlt Fode, Peggy Arlt Simmonds, Joan Borgens Dicus, Thomas E. Edwards, Gayle Gering, Bruce D. Hille, JoAnn Ils Richardson, JoAnn Kiehn Sauer, Dorothy Logan Klingeman, Geraldine “Gerri” Schumaker Manke, Joanne Shoemaker Cosgrove, Brian Stehr, Dale Stockman (1953); William O, Bauer, Vincent Evans, Wilmer Grams, Larry Kison, Allan Koch, Gary Liming, Gerald Schoesler, Donald Van Buren, Michael G. Weber (1954); Sidney Gering, Jean Kinzel Liming (1955); Joan Artz Kison, Gordon Gering, Gaynel Wellsandt Gering (1956); Karen Arlt Thiel, Sally Newland Powers (1957); Dena Freese Roberts, Carroll Hayden, David Nauditt, Jerry Schell, Marva Schoessler, Dennis Wellsandt (1958); Curtis Gering, Ronald Knight, Yvonne Knuth, Harvey Koeplin, Alice Melcher Kanzler, Shirley Miller Markum, Patricia Rummer Johnson, Sherryl Sielaff Evans, Linda Wellsandt Howell (1959); Judy Blankenship Cogsell, Dallas Haag, Nancy Hebard Schell, Michael Howell, Gary Jantz, Jeanette McRae Harris, Sharon Pflugrath Speas, Marsha Reimers Smith, Dennis Schafer, Bruce Telecky, Gary Templin, Stephen Thiel, Dona Rae Werner Haag (1960); Katherine “Kae” Braun Koch, Thomas Thomas, (1961); and Diane Koeplin Cowen (1962).

The list of attendees also includes Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Kirk Danekas, Dennis Heimbigner, Steve Phillips, Glenn Shelman, James Thomas (1964); Michael Bauer, Sherie Eichner Schafer, Joyce Klein Preston, Doug McRae, Myra Rowe Walter, Kathy Schutz Staley, Shary Steinmetz Wellsandt, Edlu Thom Harper (1965); Larry Anderson, Brian Miller, Rick Seim (1966); Bruce Benzel, Steve Heimbigner, Allan Little, Michael Schrag, Jeff Snider (1967); Gary Anderson, Garrett Templin (1969); Dale Anderson, Lyle Heimbigner, Mary Rowe Arlt, Marilyn Sielaff (1970); Carolyn Baumann Donnelly, Thomas Benzel, Richard Buscher, Debra Danekas, Cathy Heinemann Tucker, Paulette Teske Allwardt (1973); Colleen Ahern Jacobsen, Ronald Hennings, Jeffrey Lenhart (1974); Deborah Cogswell Buscher, Colleen Geschke Coon, Pat Kennedy, Darci Oestreich Kennedy (1976); Michele Kagele Kiesz (1979); Donna Koch, Connie Sauer Field, Connie Snider Waldher (1982); Yvette Armstrong, Leone Goodwater Moreau, Dianne Lang Patton, Kiera McCrady Buriak, Lisa Oestreich-Berg, Christine Powers (1983); Todd Oestreich (1984); Stephanie Schell White (1985); Michele Caldwell Oestreich (1986); Derek Schafer (1994); Neva Staley Malby (1999); David Meise-Niezwaag (2003); Kayla Katsel Meise-Niezwaag (2005); and Chelsea Coon (2008).