50th Reunion Draws Classmates

From As Far Away As Israel

By Kendra Bobowick

June Hanna led her guests past a crowded buffet table and through her kitchen for a glass of wine on the back porch. Eventually she would call her visitors — former high school classmates and friends — to sit for a catered dinner inside on Saturday, September 12, as Ms Hanna and company celebrated Newtown High School’s Class of 1959, 50th reunion. From Israel, California, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan, and many still in town, guests filled her house in Sandy Hook this weekend.

 “This is our big one,” announced a notice for the celebration. Propped on tables were posters filled with clipped newspaper articles and photos taped to the background in a collage. Visitors could reminisce. Fifty years added up to marriages, careers, children, and grandchildren that filled many celebrants’ thoughts. Dinner party conversation quickly scrolled back to the days and years following graduation. Jean Sands of Harwinton pondered what she has learned since she left school. “How long have you got!” she laughed.

From inside the dining room doorway came another reply: “She would have married me first,” joked her husband Jack Sheedy. Most recently Ms Sands has just completed a book of poetry drawing on her experiences. Turning toward another guest who stepped into the room, Ms Hanna introduced Ronnie Greenman who drove in from Florida. His father Harry ran Lovell’s Garage that had once been located along Main Street in Newtown. In the kitchen behind them, enjoying conversation was attorney Robert Hall — Class of 1957 — who knew well the students to graduate two years later. Standing beside the kitchen’s center isle he spoke with friends Helene (Rockwell) Williams and Bob Schipul. Soon spotting some of her former students in the room was retired teacher Eileen Willig who found conversation with Rhoda (Steinfeld) Schiff. Possibly coming from the farthest away this year, Ms Schiff at last made the trip to the United States from Israel. She told Ms Willig, “I moved in the 1970s to Israel, and really haven’t had contact with anyone since high school.” As a gift, her husband Menachen bought tickets to come home.

“I kept looking at [reunion] invitations each year saying, ‘I’ll go, I’ll go,’ So this time, I came,” she said, smiling. Across the kitchen also basking the familiar faces, memories, and the years past was Cheryl (Smith) Gruenewald. Shortly after college she married and began her first teaching job.

Other guests had extra reason to celebrate. Always close together and at times sharing a hug were Joyce and Robert Staudinger who announced, “It’s also our 50th wedding anniversary,” Joyce said. Remembering years ago she recalled, “He was already out [of school], we had dated since I was 15 years old.” Today they live in Sandy Hook.

Among the guests were Margaret (Carroll) Jensen and Susan (Parker) Fellman, recently retired Judge of Probate Margot Hall, Marge Byrne, and perusing the buffet was Dan Amaral of Amaral Motors and member of Newtown’s Legislative Council. Thinking back to his high school class of roughly 60 students, which attended what is now the Newtown Middle School, he said he “sees the changes” in the town, the budget, the school system, and more. Although his family now operates a garage, he didn’t regularly drive in high school, and often had to walk up Queen Street, or catch a ride to school with a friend, he said. If friends weren’t available he would get on the bus. Minutes later he sat with his wife Carol as Ms Hanna called her guests in for dinner. Already seated were Gerri (Joberg) and Kent Cornell from Virginia, who still receive The Newtown Bee in the mail. Looking forward to their 50th wedding anniversary next year, the Cornells remember when they met. They had worked together in Bethel, Ms Cornell said. “I was 17. We went to a Christmas party and I thought, ‘OK, I am going to marry him.’” Ms Cornell said.

A horn pulled their attention to the center of the room. Ms Hanna was alerting her guests that dinner would momentarily be on the table adding, “We have a good time.”