Banquet brings Bronco alumni home for reunions

Ritzville High School and Lind-Ritzville High School Alumni will gather for the 111th annual banquet and meeting this Saturday, May 28, 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 331 alumni will spend the evening at the event, which is catered by Classy Country Catering of Ritzville. The banquet begins at 6 p.m.

Toastmaster for the evening is Michael Howell from the Class of 1960.

Visitors are welcome to check out the display of alumni memorabilia at the Railroad Depot Museum.

The 6 p.m. banquet will feature the traditional roll call of classes, induction of the incoming class of 2016 and special recognition of the class of 1916, 1941, 1966 and 1991.

This will also be the fourth graduating class of the Lind-Ritzville High School and the first class to spend all four years of high school in the cooperative.

The association will induct this year’s Lind-Ritzville High School graduates: Joel Anderson, Samantha Asmussen, Abbigail Barnett, Dylan Becker, Angel Beliz, Joseph Benedict, Elora Birkholz, Michael Carruth, Brittany Connors, Caroline Eriksson, Matthias Ferderer, Alan Field, Nickolas Fleming, Ryan Frederick, Dinah Gadberry, Hallie Jo Galbreath, Jacob Saetre, Bryson Gering, Alexis Guizar Diaz, Madison Harder, Karl Hawks, Raeann Hoeft, Peyton Kiel, Dallas Killian, Taylor Kulm, Vallant Kultgen, Selena Lamar-Paslay, Brandon McClure, Holly Nygren, Michael Oestreich, Skyler Oestreich, Tobias Pence, Aaron Ritz, Wyatt Roettger, Rylie Sackmann, Kristen Shaw, Travis Ste. Marie, Nora Stolan, Roberto Valdovinos, Ebba Vik, Carlos Vuilleumier, Dane Wahl, Andrew Witt and Jezreal Worrell.

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, Michele Kagele Kiesz and Thomas Pulliam directors. Thomas Pulliam is the incoming webmaster and Howard Bourne is outgoing webmaster of the alumni website.

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

The 25-year Class of 1991 will meet at Kathy Schaefer McCrady’s house on Friday evening for an adult only party. They will meet again Saturday at 10 a.m. and attend the alumni banquet before returning to Kathy’s for a slideshow and going to the Eagles. On Sunday they will meet again at Kathy’s for a family picnic.

The 45-year Class of 1971 will be meeting at Memories Diner on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The 50-year Class of 1966 will meet at the Wheat Growers building on Saturday at 2 p.m., with the class photo taken by The Journal scheduled at 4 p.m. They will reassemble back at the Wheat Growers after the banquet.

The 60-year Class of 1956 will meet at the Best Western at 3 p.m. and again after the banquet.

Members of the 25-year Class of 1991 with tickets to the banquet as of Monday, May 23, are Kim Bauer Katovich, Becky Brown Spangle, Karla Danekas Rimmer, Wade Galbreath, Brenda Hilzer, Emilee Moeller, Kim Murrell Enarson, Mistee Pitman Verhulp, Sheri Roberg Nowlan, Kathy Schaefer McCrady, Mitch Sielaff, Dan Townsend, Christian Vogt and Trent Wise.

Golden Grad members from the Class of 1966 planning to attend the banquet are Wally Allert, Larry Anderson, Margaret Baumann, Brian Benzel, Val Dehnel Wiitala, Helga Graf Grunerud, Ron Greenwalt, Kaye Halwas Baumgartner, Gary Hanson, Harold Hennings, Dennis Kagele, Nona Keison Thompson, Elva Koch Allen, Lorna Kutschkau Moffett, Lynn Langford Griffiths, John Maier, Barbara McGarry Greenwalt, Gretchen Meyer Snyder, Mike Pearson, Peggy Oestreich Crossler, Diane Roloff Bajema, Gary Schell, Lynn Schoessler, Paul Schwisow, Jerry Talley, Greg Taylor, Nyla Telecky Hennings, Tony Vostral, Frederick Weber, Jim Werner, Tom Werth and invited guest Judi Janzen.

Only one Diamond Grad, Amanda Sielaff Niederkleine, from the 75-year Class of 1941 is planning to attend the banquet.

Golden Grad members from the classes of 1936-1965 are Helen Plager Pierce (1936), Adolph Grams, Chester Templin (1938), Deloris Borgens Allert (1944), Doris Dewald Marshall (1946), Evelyn Arnst Reeve, Patricia Cooke Schaefer, Martin Gering, Dorothy Geschke Maier, Vivienne Hallett Schultz (1947), Clarence Ed Glenn, Richard Kagele, Roy Klein (1948), Charles Buch, Jack Fix, Ronald Grams, Violet Janssen Hott (1951), Wesley Bentz, Shirley Benzel Klein, Barbara Freese Jolly, Roberta Roberts Buch, Mildren Van Buren Olden, JoAnn Werner Thaut (1952), Peggy Arlt Simmonds, Patty Arlt Fode, Joan Borgens Dicus, Gayle Gering, JoAnn Kiehn Sauer (1953), John Dewald, Vince Evans, Wilmer Grams, Jean Hirning Weise, Larry Kison, Gary Liming, Gerald Schoesler, Jacob Weber, Michael Weber (1954), Maren Holden Kuest, Jean Kinzel Liming (1955), Vivian Allert Grams, Walter “Spike” Arlt, Joan Artz Kison, Gordon Gering, Carol Koeplin Lund, Sharon Nauditt Erickson, Kay Presto Stelzer, Patti Smith Wilkinson, Donna Thoe Stenerson, Gaynel Wellsandt Gering (1956), Arnold Moeller, Delroy Schwisow, David Weber (1957), Dena Freese Roberts, Gary Galbreath, Ronna Lesser Galbreath, Jerry Schell, Dennis Wellsandt (1958), Curtis Gering, Janice Jaeger Cathey, Yvonne Knuth, Harvey Koeplin, Charlene Miller Clark, Patricia Rummer Schoesler, Sherryl Sielaff Evans, Linda Wellsandt Howell (1959), Judy Blankenship Cogswell, Dallas Haag, Nancy Hebard Schell, Michael Howell, Gary Jantz, Jeanette McRae Harris, Sharon Pflugrath Speas, Marsha Reimers Smith, Dennis Schafer, Bruce Telecky, Gary Templin, Dona Rae Werner Haag (1960), James Baumann, Kae Braun Koch, Judy Jaeger Gross, Dale Knuth, Tom Thomas, Elaine Vostral Fracchia (1961), Diane Koeplin Cowen (1962), Larry Schafer (1963), Gwen Benzel Schaefer, Kirk Danekas, Jim Thomas (1964), Michael Bauer, Howard Bourne, Sherie Eichner Schafer, Nancy Evans Pulham, Ken Ferderer, Douglas McRae, Kristin Kayler Moeller, Joyce Klein Preston, Ron MacDonald and Shary Steinmetz Wellsandt.

The list of alumni attendees also includes Anita Benzel Walli, Bruce Benzel, Jeanne Benzel Englund, Judy Crossler, Steve Heimbigner, Vicki Kautz Ferderer, Allan Little, Patty Mitchell, Michael Schrag (1967), Laurel Walenta Taylor (1968), Gary Anderson, Vicki Kramer Benzel, Vicky Rehn Lucas-Hogeweide (1969), Dale Anderson, Barbra Geiss Fox, Hattie Gunsch Werner, Barbara Heimbigner, Marilyn Sielaff (1970), Dave Kavanagh (1971), Scott Fitch, Colleen Geschke Coon, Theresa Holman Fitch, Diane Kagele Borth, Diane Kavanagh Stocks, Denise Manke Vickerman, Bill Markum, Dave McCormick (1976), Susan Gering Webley (1977), Kim Oestreich Cameron, Stacey Schell Schoessler (1978), Brad Gering (1979), Debbie Grams Gering (1981), Dan Geschke, Donna Koch, Connie Sauer Field, Connie Snider Waldher (1982), Lisa Yvonne Oestreich-Berg (1983), Todd Oestreich (1984), Michele Caldwell Oestreich (1986), Kurtis Harder (1987), Michelle Gardner Asmussen, Kari Oestreich Frederick (1989) and Casey Sackmann (2013).