The class of 1963 reunited to reminisce on old memories and catch up Friday afternoon.
The graduating class had about 40 people – many of whom went to school together up until graduation. Classmates traveled from all over for the meet-up.
They all agreed that Eudora schools were a great place to grow up, and gave them the opportunity to get involved with anything they wanted.
Many shared memories from the senior trip at Rockaway Beach in Missouri, recounting sneaking into other cabins, falling out of boats and trying to grab ducks in the lake.
Jerry Kazmaier said it was especially cold on the trip, but they went swimming in the “pool,” which was just a floating rectangle in the middle of the lake.
Others remembered students getting sick on the bus ride home and having to stop to steam clean the bus in Springfield.
Most shared memories of the horrors of typing class. Sharon Gabriel said there was a time she was told to not look at the letters as she typed on the typewriter, but got her finger stuck in the keys.
Gabriel also remembered when she was accompanist for the girls glee club, but was cut because she gave attitude to the teacher. After that, she went to the boys club and played piano for them instead.
Geraldine Thomas recalled making a large number of fruitcakes in their home ec classes and selling them to the community.
Thomas also shared about their religious instruction class each week in high school. They had a preacher and had fond memories of the lessons learned there.
Sharon Musick remembers being scolded in home ec when she didn’t show each step of her sewing projects to the teacher before moving on.
“I knew how to sew so I’d just go ahead and make it,” she said.
LaVerna Burkhardt Simons, who traveled from Memphis, was a cheerleader and said there was an especially embarrassing homecoming game where she spelled Eudora incorrectly in a cheer.
“We want to spell out Eudora, and I jumped the gun,” she said. “Anyway, it didn’t come out to be Eudora. I left a letter out.”
Charlie Watts graduated from Eudora then went to college out of state before returning to be principal during the ‘70s and ‘80s.
He said he thought this would be the “last place in the world he would live” after high school graduation, but to this day he’s been in town and has no regrets about it.
Gabriel said as the group nears 80 years old, it’s important to keep up with each other, and they’re glad to have stayed in touch over the years.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
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