Barbara J. Hamby

sign-up for our email list

Life Goes On For Some of Us

Sixty years ago this coming June, I graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle. Yesterday I received the Golden Grads newsletter for all those who graduated fifty or more years ago. I’m disappointed to note that no 60th reunion seems to be planned for the class of 1946. I attended the 50th reunion ten years ago, but missed the 55th.

There is a luncheon in June of all Golden Grads, so I guess I’ll try to get to that and, maybe, to the picnic in August.

It’s apparent that our ranks are thinning. I hope there will be enough of us left for a 65th and/or 70th reunion. If I’m still around, I may have to volunteer to help with that, even though I don’t live in Seattle.

Since I only made it through one year of college, my high school is where most of my memories are. Because my high school years coincided with World War II years, there were few boys around by the time I was an upper classman. As a result of that and the fact that I worked part time all the way through high school, my experience was much different than that of my younger sisters. No proms, few dances, few dates.

A group of us who lived in the same suburban neighborhood and were bused to school ran around together. Most of us attended the one Protestant church in that area and were active in Christian Endeavor, also. For many years, a group of a dozen or more of us had annual reunions, but attrition has reduced our ranks to the point that we seldom get together any more. Sad to say, our activities these days are mostly funerals or memorial services. I guess that’s the way it will be from now on.