Remember when?

Members of the Class of 1959 recall years at Leonardtown High School and the five decades since

Friday, June 26, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by REID SILVERMAN Jane (Hoftiezer) Redifer videotapes some of the antics of her former classmates. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN From left, Patsy (Reedy) Ervin listens to a speaker as she sits next to Jeanette Thompson, who attended with her husband, Rodney Thompson, at right. Click here to enlarge this photo Suzy Blake reacts to a comment from one of the night's speakers. Click here to enlarge this photo Pat (Clarke) Abell enjoys a comment during Saturday's reunion. Click here to enlarge this photo The Class of 1959 included, front row from left, Sara Ball, Elaine Ellis, Betsy Smith, Kelly Knott, Dora Thompson, Delores Insley, Patsy Reedy, and middle row, Tony Marshall, Billy Miedzinski, Rodney Thompson, Douglas Bowles, Donald Morse, Danny Brubacher and Sheldon Sutphin, and back row, Suzy Blake, Pat Clarke, Marie Pilkerton, Fleda Thompson, Phyllis Tippett, Jane Hoftiezer and Myrna Joy. Click here to enlarge this photo Participants in Saturday's 50th class reunion for Leonardtown High School's Class of 1959 were, front row from left, Sara (Ball) Woodburn, Dora (Thompson) Kirby, Kelly (Knott) Martin, Delores (Insley) Green and, back row from left, Phyllis (Tippett) Abell, Suzy Blake, Patsy (Reedy) Ervin, Marie (Pilkerton) Garner, Pat (Clarke) Abell, Jane (Hoftiezer) Redifer, Rodney Thompson, Douglas Bowles, retired teacher Marvin Joy and Danny Brubacher.

They've spent the last 50 years pursuing a variety of vocations – county commissioner, auctioneer, teacher, business manager, wife, husband, parent.

But once they were all high school students at Leonardtown High School.

On Saturday evening, the members of Leonardtown High School Class of 1959 celebrated five decades of accomplishments at their 50-year class reunion at Fitzie's restaurant in Leonardtown and remembered how they all started out together.

"It was absolutely the most fun time," said Delores Green, one of the class members and the event organizer, Wednesday after the reunion.

Of the 21 original members of the class, 14 showed up to celebrate and reminisce.

Whether it's running a marathon, drag racing, nursing or teaching, the classmates swapped information about what they've been doing over the past 50 years.

"I was a preschool teacher for 10 years, a secretary, I managed a video store, and I have enjoyed all of it thoroughly," Green said.

"We all had great work ethics," said Dora Kirby, another of the graduates.

The 1959 Leonardtown graduates pursued a variety of professions.

"Marie [Pilkerton Garner] and I raced go-carts for a number of years and won a good number of trophies. Rodney [Thompson] is an auctioneer for Homestead Auctions and was county commissioner for four years," Kirby said.

Sara (Ball) Woodburn is now an antique collector and "official gardener," but she also was part of a law firm for 19 years and chief deputy of the circuit court.

Douglas Bowles worked in the grocery retail business. Susan Blake married a Navy man and travelled as far as the Philippines where she lived for two years. She came from North Carolina to be at the reunion on Saturday. Jane Redifer was a nurse, Kelly Martin worked for the Maryland state health department. Pat Abell was a teacher and did day care and Dora Kirby was in sales and worked as a florist.

"I worked my butt off. I was in auto body from the time I graduated till present," said Danny Brubacher.

"I was a bank teller from the time I graduated till I retired. Now I am a cashier at Chaptico Market part time," said Phyllis Abell, another 1959 graduate.

Three of the 1959 graduates could not make it due to distance and illness. Four are deceased — Fleda Thompson, Elaine Perry, William Miedzinski and Anthony Marshall.

Even with all of their careers and families the 1959 graduates have managed to keep in touch.

"We've been getting ready for this event for the past three years. A few of us met together to communicate and prepare for this event," Green said.

The group hopes to continue seeing each other. "We hope to keep doing this; especially since we are getting older," said Kirby.

During their time in high school all the students stayed together. "We've always done everything … [with] camaraderie, [as] a group, and we have always been really close," said Kirby.

"Five of us actually went to school together all 12 years — Myrna Beal, Sheldon Sutphin, Jane Redifer, Delores Green and myself," Kirby said.

"We were all very attached to each other in high school. It's the best thing because we are all obviously very close. I love the fact that we are all very close, it's unique," Blake said.

The former students have found ways to stay in touch with each other, no matter the distance. "I've stayed mostly in touch with Pat, from the time I was 10. We always stayed in touch … always," Kirby said.

The reunion evening Saturday started with everyone mingling over appetizers, then dinner and later that evening each student was given a golden diploma.

"Most of them don't know about the gold diploma we are giving them this evening; we planned it as a surprise," Green said.

The master of ceremonies for the evening was one of the 1959 graduates, Rodney Thompson. Marvin Joy, the graduates' history teacher, was one of the speakers and spoke of his high school memories. Sen. Roy Dyson (D-St. Mary's, Calvert, Charles) also attended and spoke to the 1959 graduates.

The LHS Class of 1959 was one of the first graduating classes from that school. A new Leonardtown Elementary School opened Feb. 12, 1954, on the corner of what is now Seymour Street and Lawrence Avenue, that covered grades one through 10. Beyond that, students went to Great Mills or Margaret Brent. 

The first graduating class from Leonardtown with 12 grades was in 1957, the last in 1965 as students then went to Chopticon High School.

The current Leonardtown High School was built in 1978.