Waukon High School graduates gather for 75-year reunion

Graduates of Waukon High School’s Class of 1940 held their 75-year reunion Saturday, June 20. They met for a noon luncheon at Gus and Tony’s restaurant in Waukon, followed by reminiscing and storytelling of their early years and remembering their teachers like Cora Riggemeier, David Flage, Mary Johnson and Marie Olson. They talked about how in order to continue their education past eighth grade, rural students had to rent a room in town for five school days for a dollar a week before school buses were available, bringing most of their food from home for the week. Many also worked in local stores during holidays for 15 to 17 cents per hour. There were 93 graduates in the class and 17 are still living. Eight class members attended the reunion, including: left to right (back row): Betty (Byrnes) Brandt, Lorraine (Welch) Adam, Norma (Wurtzel) Svendson, Ella Mae (Stock) Dvorak, Lois (Bulman) Wiedenmann; (front row): Lucille (Kerndt) Halverson, Dorothy (Barr) Gelo and Irene (Folsom) Steele. Classmates who could not attend sent letters, including Vernon Geuder of Jacksonville, FL, June (Jacobson) Holm of Decorah, Esther (Hanson) Peters of Cedar Falls, Lorna (Phipps) Skicki of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, Marie (Klees) McKee of Waukon, Mabel (McCabe) Batteen of St. Louis Park, MN, June (Olander) Pearce of Baton Rouge, LA, Viola (Smith) Kaufman of Hastings, MN and Stella (Tepesch) Huinker of Waukon. Submitted photo.