Manawa alumni hold reunion
By Jane Myhra
It has been 65 years since the Little Wolf High School Class of 1951 graduated. They recently reunited at Cedar Springs, in Manawa.
“My classmates have been very near and dear to me. We have nice relationships,” said Jane Ott, who traveled from Arizona for the reunion.
Ott’s twin sister Joan Jeske coordinated the get-together. During their high school years, Jane and Joan were known as ‘The Ferg Twins.’
“There weren’t any other twins in the school,” Jeske said.
During the reunion, the classmates enjoyed a meal, sang Frank Sinatra’s “Young at Heart,” plus shared photos and memories of their high school days.
“I remember our bus driver let the boys off first,” said Rose Young. “They all grabbed snowballs to wipe the girls’ faces.”
“I’m happy to see all of my classmates,” said Philip Amador, who worked as a computer operator for 50 years in Milwaukee.
“In the early days, computers took up an entire room,” he said. “Now they are small and it’s completely different.”
Bill Levezow, of Manawa, recalled being sent to the principal’s office.
“I got caught in the assembly hall with a paper airplane,” he said. “It glided oh so nice across the hall.”
The principal, George Edelbeck, asked what he was doing in his office.
“I got caught flying an airplane,” Levezow answered.
“Do you have a license to fly an airplane?” Edelbeck asked.
“No, I don’t,” Levezow said. “Do I need one?”
“Well, if you don’t have a license, get back to class and don’t fly anymore airplanes,” the principal said.
The classmates also recalled their past teachers, including Mary Ellen Gmeiner Hutterli, who died in early June.
Hutterli taught American and world history, civics, forensics and served as adviser for the junior prom. She also assisted with the all-school one-act play and chaperoned the FFA members at the Wisconsin State Fair.
The 23 classmates in attendance included: Annette (Tohm) Jepson, Manawa; Rose (Dain) Young, Clintonville; Loretta (Schneiderwendt) Postel, Appleton; Jeanette (Martin) Porrey, Waupaca; Eloyious (Schoen) Bonikowske, Manawa; Joan (Ferg) Rosnow Jeske, Clintonville; Philip Amador, New London; Theresa (Loughrin) White, Appleton; Arla (Splitt) Kreklow Forrest, New London; Kenneth Lange, Appleton; Gene Starcheska, Manawa; John Paters, New London; Jane (Ferg) Ott, Mesa, Arizona; Harlan Riste, De Pere; and Bill Levezow, Manawa.
The classmates are already planning for their 70th reunion.