Banquet brings RHS alums home for reunion

Ritzville High School Alumni will gather for the 107th annual banquet and meeting this Saturday, May 26 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.

The Ritzville Adams County Journal is scheduled to be at the banquet at 5 p.m. to take honored class photos. At the time of publication, the following honored classes have scheduled their appointment time: the class of 1962 is at 5:15 p.m .; the class of 1987 at 5:30 p.m.

Other honored classes that would like to make an appointment time should contact Katelin Davidson at The Journal office by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 25, by calling 659-1020, or plan to arrive at the banquet with adequate time to have their photo taken.

Approximately 350 alumni will spend the evening at the event, which begins at 6 and is catered by Longhorn Barbecue of Airway Heights.

Toastmaster for the evening is Walter Moeller, from the class of 1962. While in town, alumni visitors are invited to tour the area and check out the display of alumni memorabilia at the railroad depot.

The 6 p.m. banquet features the traditional roll call of all classes in attendance, induction of the outgoing class of 2012 and recognizing the honored classes of 1912, 1937, 1962 and 1987.

The association inducts the 2012 Ritzville High School seniors: Bridget Banner, Brandon Becker, Lyndsey Bolin, Crystal Brooks, Ashley Carruth, P.J. Carter, Brandon Chapman, Zachary Crombie-Deboer, Jake Dewald, Corin Eckley, Emma Gamble, Harry Harder, Andrew Hartz, Davis Killian, Jesse Miller, Taylor Murphy, Palmer Phillips, David Ruse, Brittany Ste. Marie, Christopher Steinmetz, Brent Stromberger, Taylor Templin, Kerry Tyler, Dezarae West, Drew Wilke, Quincie Wiltse and Kailey York.

Officers for the RHS Alumni Association are Donna Koch, president; Marsha Reimers Smith, vice president/recording secretary; Del Schwisow, treasurer; Marilyn Sielaff, membership secretary; Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Darci Oestreich Kennedy and Michele Kagele Kiesz, directors. Alissa Moeller is Web master of the alumni website.

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

• Class of 2002 - Will gather at the Club House for a prepaid dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

• Class of 1992 – Will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Pastime. There is a scheduled break for the banquet or dinner at 6 p.m. and back to the Pastime afterwards. On Sunday, there is a family barbecue at the City Park beginning at 11 a.m.

• 25-year class of 1987 – Will meet Friday, May 25, at the Eagles lodge starting at 6 p.m. for a social hour. At 7 p.m. a welcome and video will be presented and dancing begins at 8 p.m. On Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. there is golfing to benefit Project 56. At 6 p.m. the class is honored at the Alumni Banquet as the Silver Grads. After the banquet the group will join at the Eagles for a class gathering and more dancing. On Sunday, there is a family barbecue at the home of Scott and Kimberly (Miller) Yaeger.

• 30-year class of 1982 – Will meet Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Golf Course for dinner.

• 35-year class of 1977 –

Will join in the Project 56 golf tournament on Saturday morning. Then meet at 2 p.m. at the Wooden Nickel Pub and Eatery until the 6 p.m. banquet. After the banquet they will return to the Wooden Nickel.

• 40-year class of 1972 – Will have a no-host dinner at Casuela’s (formerly the Circle T) on Saturday, May 26 beginning at 4 p.m.

• 45-year class of 1967 – Will meet at the home of Dave and Carla Braun, 403 North Low Street in Ritzville on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. and return there after the banquet. On Sunday morning, there is a breakfast brunch at Cow Creek Mercantile/Spikes Deli beginning at 9:30 a.m.

• 50-year class of 1962 – Will meet at the Wheat Growers building on Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Sunday there is a breakfast at the Club House beginning at 9 a.m.

• 55-year class of 1957 - Will meet at the Railroad Depot at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

• 60-year class of 1952 – Will meet at Best Western Bronco Inn at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Members of the 25-year class of 1987 with tickets to the banquet at press time are Lori Armstrong Olson, Roni Erdman Craddock, Elizabeth Gardner Bosio, Jolie Gross Sorensen, Melanie Gust Gering, Matthew Koch, Donna Kramer Kessler, Rodney Melcher, Michele Miller Larson, Todd Schwisow, Annette Virg-In Cox, Thomas Volz, Todd O’Brien and Gisela Von Olnhausen Caballero.

Golden Grad members from the class of 1962 planning to attend the banquet are Bill Anderson, Geneva Athey Shroll, Ronald Danekas, Marcia Devine Van Vleet, Kathy Eckhardt Calvin, Dennis Franz, Dale Galbreath, Dennis Greenwalt, Rick Hanson, Marlene Hilzer Mosier, Linda Kirkendall Mattheis, Beverly Kison Parkhurst, Gerry Klettke, Diane Koeplin Cowen, Leland Lightbody, Walter Moeller, Brenda Nissen Clark, Terry Olson, Shirley Pflugrath Michealson, Ione Ragsdale Wright, Marjorie Sanger Schoessler, Timothy Schrag, Kent Smith, Sharon Templin Loeffler, Dusty Van Vleet, Dale Van Vleet and Janice Weber Wright.

In addition, students who attended school with the Class of 1962 but did not graduate from RHS planning to be at the banquet are Tana Dugan.

Diamond Grads, from the 75-year class of 1937, planning to attend the banquet are Herbert Burghard, Pearl Telecky Soularie and Leslie Warren Ratcliff.

The class of 1931 will be represented by Alma Scott Galbreath.

Golden R members are Adolph Grams, Chester Templin (1938), Mary Ann Schafer Burghard (1940), Normadine King Kulm, Laverne Schutz Kautz, Barney Streeter, Alfred Wiest (1941) Orville Moeller, Celia Ann Streeter Replogle, Robert Templin (1942), Kenneth Heimbigner (1943), Evangeline Ahrendt Moeller, Allison Marti Heimbigner (1944), Olive Grams (1945), Martin Gering, Dorothy Geschke Maier, Willard Hennings, Joan Vehrs Gering, LaWanna Wellsandt Ahrendt (1947), Roy Klein (1948), Barbara Heimbigner Niendam, Marjorie Oestreich Lefevre (1949), Richard “Duke” Heimbigner, Velda Klein Miller, John R. Miller (1950), Charles Buch, Darrell Evans, Jack Fix, Ronald Grams, Violet Janssen Hott, Calvin Kirschenmann, Patricia Hennings (1951), Marguerite Bauer Heimbigner, Ruth Becker Gust, Wesley Bentz, Shirley Benzel Klein, Joeleen Blankenship Swain, Norma Borgens Myers, Barbara Freese Jolly, Thomas Kadlec, Jim Logan, Joan Oestreich Schwisow, Roberta Roberts Buch, Patricia Thiel Evans, Patricia Thompson Owens, Mildred Van Buren Olden (1952), Peggy Arlt Simmonds, Patty Arlt Fode, Joan Borgens Dicus, Gayle Gering, JoAnn Kiehn Sauer (1953), Vince Evans, Wilmer Grams, Allan Koch, Gary Liming, Gerald Schoesler, Trevor Thompson, Glen Tompkins, Donald Van Buren, Michael Weber (1954), Jean Kinzel Liming (1955), Carol Koeplin Lund, Gaynel Wellsandt Gering (1956), Karen Arlt Thiel, Gerald Benzel, Dennis Koch, Marilyn Miller McDowall, Sally Newland Powers, Del Schwisow, David Weber (1957), Dena Freese Roberts, Gary Galbreath, Ronna Lesser Galbreath, Jerry Schell (1958), Curtis Gering, Yvonne Knuth, Harvey Koeplin, Alice Melcher Kanzler, Shirley Miller Markum, Patricia Rummer Johnson, Sherryl Sielaff Evans (1959), Judy Blankenship Cogswell, Dallas Haag, Nancy Hebard Schell, Gary Jantz, Jeanette McRae Harris, Sharon Pflugrath Speas, Dennis Schafer, Bruce Telecky, Dona Rae Werner Haag (1960), Kae Braun Koch, Larry Koch, Robert Schoessler, David Steinmetz and Leslie Van Vleet Adams (1961).

The list of attendees also includes Janice Schroeder Sullivan (1955), Tom Baumann, Warren “Butch” Gering and Richard Miller (1963), Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Kirk Danekas, Dennis Heimbigner (1964), Kristin Kayler Moeller, Joyce Klein Preston, Doug McRae, Cheryl Ragsdale Eng, Myra Rowe Walter, Dan Packard and Mike Bauer (1965), Brian Miller (1966), Les Allert, Pam Bauer Van Winkle, Kathy Beale Ream, Jeanne Benzel Englund, Anita Benzel Walli, Bruce Benzel, David Braun, Russell Burroughs, Carmen Davis Schumann, Carl Eckhardt, Jr., Hugh Gannon, Hannalore Graf Hoffman, Kevin Heimbigner, Steve Heimbigner, Madeline Kagele Erickson, Vicki Kautz Ferderer, Rennie Kubik, Alton Leisle, Allan Little, Dennis McGarry, Patricia Mitchell, Margaret Montague Gannon, Michael Schrag, Mike Schwisow, Hazelynne Telecky Floyd, Pamm Tuffield Horbit, Terry Tufts, Kathy Werth Katz (1967) Gary Anderson, Vicki Kramer Benzel (1969), Barbara Heimbigner, Mary Rowe Arlt, Marilyn Sielaff, Barbara Snider Steinmetz and Dale Anderson (1970), Carla Steinmetz Braun (1971), Sue Benzel Westergard, Randy Hanson, Andrew Lefevre (1972), Jeffrey Lenhart (1974), Randy Kiesz (1975), Karma Arlt Goodwin, Jill Babbitt Lowe, Brian Gering, Susan Gering Webley, Pam Hodgson Maier, Eric Maier, Keri Markum Gassett, Gail Schoesler Gering, Brian Webley (1977), Michele Kagele Kiesz (1979), Suzanne Lefevre (1980), Robert Dewald, Susan Gust Dewald, Kim Kanzler Holt, Donna Koch, Connie Snider Waldher (1982), Valerie Buch Eckley (1983), Chris Gering (1988), Allison Hille Nichols (1989), Jennifer Schafer Lux and Matt Hille (1992).