Banquet brings Ritzville alumni home for reunion

Ritzville High School and Lind-Ritzville High School Alumni will gather for the 112th annual banquet and meeting this Saturday, May 27, at Gilson Gymnasium. Alumni who have not yet received their tickets and name badges need to contact Marilyn Sielaff as soon as possible at 509-347-6188 or email at [email protected].

A total of 275 alumni will spend the evening at the event, which is catered by Classy County Catering of Ritzville. The banquet begins at 6 p.m.

Toastmaster for the evening is Margaret (Margie) Montague Gannon from the Class of 1967.

Visitors are welcome to check out the display of alumni memorabilia at the railroad depot on Saturday.

The RHS/LRHS Alumni Association will be dedicating the large roll-down flag the alumni association purchased for Gilson Gymnasium at the banquet.

The 6 p.m. banquet will feature the traditional roll call of classes, induction of the incoming Class of 2017 and special recognition of the Class of 1917, 1942, 1967 and 1992. This will also be the fifth graduating class of the Lind-Ritzville High School.

The association will induct this year’s Lind-Ritzville High School graduates: Patrick Bartz, Samuele Bortolato, Hawk Busayok, Erica Chavez, Margorie Dahill, Hannah Deckard, Kennea Estler, Gilberto Garcia, Kyle Gimmaka, Kiley Griffin, Kallie Harder, Wesley Hoisington, Tessa Jantz, Emily Kinney, Mathilde Knudsen, Dustin Kulm, Erica Leffel, Kerra Ridgeway, Damien Rouleau, Miguel Saez Gomez, Michael Shields, Morgan Shields, Pake Taylor, TyAnn Tellefson, Alex Whitman, Chandler Widman, Trinity Wyma and Felicia Ziemer.

Any class wanting a picture to appear in the Ritzville Adams County Journal needs to be sure the photo is taken at the highest quality/resolution possible to guarantee good reproduction in the newspaper.

The newspaper will need those photos by noon on Tuesday, May 31, with all people identified and with names spelled correctly, for publication in the June 2 issue.

Emailing of photos is encouraged to [email protected]. Honored class pictures will be taken at Gilson Gym by The Journal prior to the banquet starting at 5:30 p.m.

Officers for the RHS Alumni Association are Donna Koch, president; Marsha Reimers Smith, vice president/recording secretary; Stacey Schell Schoessler, treasurer, Marilyn Sielaff, membership secretary; Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Darci Oestreich Kennedy, Del Schwisow, Michele Kagele Kiesz and Thomas Pulliam directors. Thomas Pulliam is also the webmaster for the web page.

Reunions for several classes will take place during Friday and Saturday. Party plans at press time are as follows:

The Class of 2002 will have an informal get together at the Pastime on Friday night at 7:30.

The Class of 1992 will meet Friday evening at the Pastime and then go to Larry Swift’s shop. On Saturday they will gather at Swift’s for brunch, pre-banquet they will gather at Swift’s for appetizers, go to the banquet and after the banquet will gather at Swift’s for music and dancing.

All Ritzville Alumni and community members are welcome to join the Class of 1992. On Sunday they will have a family fun day and barbecue at Swifts.

Parents, past/current teachers, school staff and alumni are welcome to attend and asked to bring a salad to share.

The Class of 1997 will be meeting at the Ritzville Golf Course on Saturday evening.

The Class of 1987 will have a social time Friday night at Todd O’Brien’s from 6-8 and then go to the Eagles Lodge. They will also be at the Eagles Saturday, starting at 6 p.m.

The Class of 1982 will gather at the home of Connie Miller Galbreath beginning at 1 p.m. It is a potluck and all teachers, parents and other alumni are welcome to stop by throughout the day.

The Class of 1977 will meet at the golf course at 10 a.m. on Saturday for those who want to golf. They will meet at 4 p.m. at Craig and Marva Ulleland’s until the banquet and then will return to the Ulleland’s after the banquet.

The 50-year class of 1967 will have an open house at the Wheat Grower’s Annex (109 East First) from 1-4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The class will then gather at the Annex after the banquet for more reminiscing, looking through various scrapbooks, photo albums and photo displays. All are welcome to stop by.

The 60-year class of 1957 will have a social reception at the Bronco Inn social room starting at 3 p.m. Saturday until the banquet starts and then return to the Bronco Inn after the banquet concludes.

One Silver Diamond Grad from the class of 1938, Chester Templin, is planning to attend.

There are no Diamond Grads from the 75-year class scheduled to attend.

Golden Grad 50-year Class of 1967 planning to attend the banquet are Leslie “Les” Allert, Raelene Allert Long, Pam Bauer Van Winkle, Kathy Beale Ream, Anita Benzel Walli, Bonita Benzel Dixon, Bruce Benzel, Jeanne Benzel Englund, Russell Burroughs, Judy Crossler, Carmen Davis Schuman, Jerry Dyck, Carl Eckhardt, Jr., Rose Foss Gallagher, Hugh Gannon, Hannalore Graf Hoffman, Kevin Heimbigner, Steve Heimbigner, Susan Holmes Gohlke, Madeline Kagele Erickson, Vicki Kautz Ferderer, Rennie Kubik, Alton Leisle, Vicki Lenhart Stopherd, Allan Little, Steve Maier, Dennis McGarry, Patricia Mitchell, Margaret Montague Gannon, Pat Reimers Wilson, Michael Schrag, Dawn Schwisow Jones, Mike Schwisow, Jeff Snider, Hazelynne Telecky Floyd, Pamm Tuffield Horbit, Steve Wellsandt.

Members of the 25-year class of 1992 with tickets to the banquet as of Monday, May 22, are Matt Boness, Carlan Cutler, Mark Kison, Bo Pitman, Christy Hille LaBlanc, Shannon Reilly Kraus, Jennifer Schafer Lux, David Mickelsen, Cassandra Smith Stockwell, Jeff Stockwell and Chris Wellsandt.

Golden Grad members from the class of 1939-1966 are Patricia Cooke Schaefer, Martin Gering, Dorothy Geschke Maier, Willard Hennings (1947), Clarence Ed Glenn, Richard Kagele, Roy Klein (1948), Richard “Duke” Heimbigner (1950), Charles Buch, Jack Fix, Ronald Grams, Violet Janssen Hott, Patricia Ott Hennings (1951), Shirley Benzel Klein, Barbara Freese Jolly, Jim Logan, Joan Oestreich Schwisow, Roberta Roberts Buch, Patricia Thompson Owens, Mildred Van Buren Olden, JoAnn Werner Thaut (1952), Thomas E. Edwards, Dorothy Logan Klingeman (1953), Vincent Evans, Jean Hirning Weise, Larry Kison, Trevor Thompson, Donald Van Buren, Michael Weber (1954), Alan Bentz (1955), Janice Schroeder Sullivan (1977), Joan Artz Kison, Carol Koeplin Lund, Kay Presto Stelzer (1956), Patricia Bentz, Marilyn Miller McDowall, Sally Newland Powers, Ellen Reimann Robey, Terry Schmidt, Delroy Schwisow, Barbara Schwisow, Gary Thomas (1957), Dena Freese Roberts, Ron Kison, Jerry Schell (1958), Curtis Gering, Ronald Knight, Yvonne Knuth, Harvey Koeplin, Alice Melcher Kanzler, Sherryl Sielaff Evans (1959), Judy Blankenship Cogswell, Dallas Haag, Nancy Hebard Schell, Jeanette McRae Harris, Sharon Pflugrath Speas, Marsha Reimers Smith, Dennis Schafer, Bruce Telecky, Dona Rae Werner Haag (1960), Katherine “Kae” Braun Koch, Douglas Hille, Dale Knuth, Larry Koch (1961), Rick Hanson, Diane Koeplin Cowen (1962), Richard W. Miller, Carrie Reimers Knight, Larry Schafer (1963), Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Kirk Danekas (1964), Michael Bauer, Sherie Eichner Schafer, Nancy Evans Pulham, Joyce Klein Preston, Ron MacDonald, Doug McRae, Cheryl Ragsdale Eng, Kathy Schutz Staley (1965) and Rick Seim (1966).

The list of alumni attendees from 1968-2016 also includes Mikki Sanger Kison, Hal Whitman (1968), Vicki Kramer Benzel (1969), Dale Anderson, Barbara Geiss Fox, Hattie Gunsch Werner, Barbara Heimbigner, Marilyn Sielaff (1970), Sue Benzel Westergard (1972), Nancy Jane Sackmann Schwisow (1973), Colleen Ahern Jacobsen, Jeffrey Lenhart (1974), Randy Kiesz (1975), Beverly Kagele Kulm (1976), Brian Gering, Susan Gering Webley, Don Roberson (1977), Gail Schoesler Gering, Scott Sprenger, Brian Webley (1977), Stacey Schell Schoessler (1978), Michele Kagele Kiesz, Janet Miller Sprenger (1979), Donna Koch, Connie Snider Waldher (1982), John Harder (1986), Matthew Koch, Michele Miller Larson (1987), Karin Schaefer McFadden (1990), Neva Staley Malby (1999), Jimmy Bartz, Kira Preston, Rebecca Schofstoll (2007) and Dylan Stoneking (2011).