Congratulations to the MHS 2023 graduating class! With high school days behind them some are quite sure of where they are headed, and others are uncertain of what the future holds. Some will further their education and attend college, others for a place in the workforce, and some will join the military. Regardless of their choices, the grown-up world welcomes them.
For now however, this new life is novel. Their fellow students just finished the school year and those distant, adult plans still seem far away. These are the salad days for the Class of 2023.
Probably most of us can recall those brief days of transition from student to perceived ‘grown-up’. We might not remember all of the details, but that moment of “Good grief, IT is here!” is hidden within all of us. After all, we waited a long time for that diploma. It was magical and scary all at the same time.
My class, the MHS Class of 1968, graduated on the evening of June 7, a Sunday. Contrary to popular belief MHS did not always graduate its seniors in association with Memorial Day, which was then May 30, no matter what day it fell. There were 43 members in our class and likely half of us had been together through all, or most, of our school years.
We began our academic careers in Ruth Downing’s Kindergarten. There was no pre-school and we attended all day. Like many before us, Zella Hotchkiss presided over Second Grade. Some had Violet Moody for Third Grade, others Normalee Allen. The highly regarded Louise Corner taught Fifth Grade. Those who came to Marion from the great school consolidations of 1964 still knew almost everyone at Marion, be it through mutual friends, family association or church attendance. There are few strangers in small towns.
In high school we all well remember Ava Johnson, the typing teacher with somewhat of a reputation for being a tyrant. We had the much beloved Sonya Titus for English, the fear-provoking Dorald Giddings for Algebra, and a serious, no fooling around allowed Homer Filley for US History and Government. We were among Wayne Rippee’s first driver’s education students and the last to receive diplomas from Maurice Allen, Principal.
We were the second class to graduate from the new Marion High School, the first to have attended school in that building for our entire senior year. We risked the wrath of Mr. Allen and Harold Kelly with our Senior Skip Day, which we thought was our right (today it is a senior tradition). We debated the highly political and controversial Vietnam War in Jim Lithen’s Senior English class. Baccalaureate was held the Sunday before graduation, and blessings were bestowed upon us from all of the local churches.
Graduation ceremonies the following week were memorable, not because of the speeches given by the honor students or the guest speaker, but because of an unexpected guest in the form of a horrific storm. The weather was unseasonably warm that early June. We sweltered in our maroon gowns at Baccalaureate and the heat wave continued all week. As proud parents and family gathered for the ceremony, so did the dark storm clouds on the western horizon.
As the first two members of our class set foot through the gym doors a bright flash of lightning and a mighty clap of thunder plunged the school into darkness. Hurricane force winds blew torrential rain fifteen feet into the gym through the west doors. Half the town sat together in the darkness while the storm raged and torrents of rain fell. As quickly as it came the storm blew off to the southeast.
Harold Hall was on the school board at that time, president I believe. He was also a Consumers Power employee. He assessed the damage to the transformer behind the school, made a couple of calls and before an hour passed repair trucks had arrived and power was restored. The Class of 1968 finally received their diplomas, an hour later than planned.
It’s been 55 years since our celebrated graduation. Members of the Class of ’68 are spread about the country from Marion to Hawaii, or so we’ve heard. Some went off to college in search of a higher education. Some went to Vietnam. We lost no one to was, but have since lost several of our friends to the many and lasting ravages of Agent Orange.
There have been a few reunions through the years, most notably our 24th when we got together with the classes of 1966 and 1967 and had a good time at McGuire’s in Cadillac. We have not been together since and I’ve heard of no upcoming plans. As more than one class Alum has been heard to say, “Ah, but you know how we were…..” And yes, I do.
I remain in touch with several of my life-long friends. These days Facebook makes it easy to keep up. On those rare occasions when we do see each other, it is as though all those years and miles have not separated us. For a few minutes we are school kids again.