Cleo Steele Koerber and her brother Ben Steele hosted the picnic at her home, located in what we used to know as the Henkens Heights area of Chadron.

Former Chadron Ward 2 baseball catcher turned real estate guy in Scottsdale, Arizona -- Benny Steele. After graduation from Chadron High, Benny went to Chadron State College and earned his degree in 1966. He has lived in Arizona most of his professional life.

Hostess Cleo Steele Koerber chats with Linda Bach Wollesen. Aside from short periods in Denver and Hastings, Cleo has always lived in Chadron. She was a nurse at the Chadron Clinic for many years -- and still works as a nurse for the Chadron Schools. Linda is a grad of the Class of 1959 and married to Doug Wollesen from the Class of 1958. They farm near Gering, Nebraska.

Judy Blundell Dau (center) poses with Judy Thompson Hoevet, while Con snaps a photo. Judy was among the handful of hometown folks who put in a lot of time and effort to make the reunion a success. A lifelong resident of Chadron, she's married to CHS alum Orville Dau (Class of 1953) with whom she owned and operated Dau Plumbing for many years. Judy Thompson Hoevet graduated from CHS in 1963 and is married to 1959 alum Bill Hoevet. They live in Worthington, Minnesota, and Bill is a retired ophthalmologist.

Cleo Knapp Ferris shares a laugh with Charlie Childerston and Alice Sager Denton. Cleo lives in Chestertown, Maryland, and is a retired secretary and optician. Charlie retired as a teacher in Sioux Falls Public Schools after 36 years, but he continues to serve as the public address announcer for Lincoln High basketball games in Sioux Falls. Alice Sager Denton ranches with her husband, Gerald, northeast of Chadron, where they've been for more than 25 years. She is also an accomplished artist.

Cash DeFlon (left) chats with Con Marshall. Cash lives in Detroit, Michigan, where he practices psychiatry. He says he "loved playing the cornet with Betty Jean Tangeman and Guyla Harrison in the band and getting to play with Rafael Mendez during his concert in Chadron." Con and his wife, Peggy, continue to live in Chadron. In their earlier years, they also lived briefly in Scottsbluff and Sidney. He notes that Peggy will retire next summer (2000) after having taught education courses at CSC for nearly 25 years.

Karen Rice Conner, Linetha Miller Davis, and Janice Stout pose for a photo before climbing aboard the reunion float. Karen and her husband, Kenny Conner, celebrate 50 years of marriage this month (7/09). Kenny is a Chadron Prep grad. They live in Ashville, Ohio, but travel and volunteer extensively. Linetha is a late-blooming artist and has won several awards in southern Oklahoma. She and her husband, Bruce, ranch near Madill, Oklahoma. Janice Stout Johnston is retired -- having worked for Safeway and Landstrom's Black Hills Gold. She lives in Sturgis, South Dakota.

As the rain -- and later hail -- moved into east Chadron, attendees ducked under the patio at Cleo Koerber's home. In the center of this photo in a red shirt is Gary Ritterbush. Bill Hoevet is in the center visiting with Donna Harrison Brown. You may be able to identify several other folks in this shot.

Back patio scene at Cleo Koerber's gathering

The two young ladies at left are unidentified. They're visiting with Carol Seaholm Martin and Bill Hoevet. While that gent in the upper right corner certainly does resemble coach/teacher Verne Lewellen, it is not. That's Donna Harrison Brown's hubby, Jim Brown. They live in Plano, Texas. The Lewellens were unable to attend the reunion.