Debi-Ellen signin' in folks, and sellin' 'em Raffle Tickets
And, then Christine Labbe arrived!!!
Diana Staubs Madonio, Lori George Frost, and Jeff Boggs
Ellie Fotion and Kevin Breth
Eric Pirogowicz and Dennis Wolfe
Gil Stadler, Kevin Woods, Bill McGurk, and Roger Chaplin
Sue Greening and her boyfriend, Dave
Paul McElroy, Laurie Gipson McElroy, and Terri McGurk
Randy Hatfield, chatting with (L-R) Ron Graham, Chuck Pangburn, and Susan Beth Boyts Pangburn
Linda Harp Engle, Leanne Cox Sprouse, Gary Engle, Jeff Boggs
Susan Beth Boyts Pangburn, Kathy Kocher, Jackie Tucker Taylor, Jay Gurnish
Luanne Pirogowicz and Garry Moneypenny
Linda Harp, Ron Graham, and Diana Staubs Madonio
Mark Manning, Karl Krausse, and Jerry Feeman
Eric Pirogowicz and Eddie Latchaw
Roger and Betsy Chaplin
Genevieve Reynolds Growden, Robin Smith Pelton, Randy Pelton
Ellie Fotion, Cynthia Pirogowicz Sheeks, and Eric Pirogowicz
Gladys and Greg Westmeyer
Candy Manning and Mary Slade Summers (John's wife)
Christine Labbe Fox and Dennis Denham
Cindy Calli Schuyler
Demetria Bischoff Davis (center), her daughter, Sabrina, and Demetria's friend, David
Joe Marsh (Kevin's brother), Mike Lee, Vicky Cutlip Lee,
Jackie Tucker Taylor, Jeff Bennetts, and Connie Lute Miller
Ellie Fotion, Deb Grable Laferty, Terri McGurk, Greg Westmeyer
Karl Krausse
Debi-Ellen Beckett and Randy Dickey
Dennis Wolfe and Mike Madonio
Oh, the food!!
No one could have POSSIBLY gone away hungry, today!!
Kent Taylor, Sue Pascu Midcap, Ellie Fotion, Kevin Breth
Jerry Feeman, Jeff Bennetts, and Kevin Marsh
Mike Madonio, Eric Pirogowicz, and Jeff Bennetts
Mark Manning and Gil Stadler
Garry Moneypenny, Mark Manning, and Mark Manning, Jr.
Jackie Tucker Taylor, Deb Grable Laferty, and Robin Smith Pelton
This isn't 'Lemonade Joe', from the LAST party, is it?
Well, Joe wasn't available. So, meet 'Lemonade Jennie'!
She is Debi-Ellen's niece, and she offered to pitch in, so we could still have the great lemonade
we'd become used to at our gatherings at The Manning's.
Jennie is seen here, chatting with Gil Stadler.
As the day wore on, it was time to break out the blender!
Here, Mark Manning makes a strawberry dacquiri for John Summers
Joyce Van Hook Pierce, Cindy Calli Schuyler, Connie Lute Miller, and Eddie Latchaw
Kevin Marsh and his brother, Joe, Ellet Class of '77
Mark Manning, Jeff Bennetts, and Candy Manning
Greg Westmeyer and Mike Madonio
Now, let's get a little serious stuff over with, right here.
We have lost a large number of Classmates, over the years. Each loss made us sad, and they all touched our hearts.
But, being loved by virtually EVERYONE in the Class of '74, we were doubly shocked, hurt, and filled with sorrow
when news reached Akron that we had suddenly lost Craig Somerville, barely 4 months before our Reunion.
Craig NEVER missed a chance to come up from Georgia and be with us, and not too long after that last party, June 17, 2013
(which was a 'Welcome Home' party for Craig, as well as Greg Nicodemus, who just happened to have reason to come to Akron that same weekend),
Craig told Mark Manning that he had a neon sign that would be PERFECT for him to hang in his garage....for when next the Class of '74 arrived there for a party.
Well, Craig left us before he could bring it to Mark.
However.....Justin Christopher, Craig's son-in-law, made sure it got here, just in time. Read the note he sent Mark....the note which is posted beneath this
Budweiser Motorcycle, which truly WAS Craig....motorcycle, Craig, motorcycle, Craig......
That was 'our' Craig!
Don't you just LOVE it?!?!
Now, when the class took a moment to honor our lost Classmates, and a list of all their names was read, it became a very SAD moment all around.
But, leave it Jeff Boggs!
He saw it coming, and was READY!
He cheered us all right up, D-E especially, when he modeled his version of:
'Captain Underpants and his Redneck Bikini'!!!
Thank you, Jeffy.
We all needed that!
A BIG Thank You goes out to Candy Manning, who went 'above and beyond',
making sure that the Ellet High School Class of 1974 had the opportunity to see themselves thru the years.
I hope you get the chance at the NEXT Reunion to see all of your friends, captured in days gone by. Happy Memories!
We would be remiss if, in the midst of our joy and laughter, we did not take a moment to pause and reflect on those, with whom we shared our dreams, who left us WAY too soon.
You can also see their photos on the "In Memoriam" page. Find the link on the Home Page.
(Once again, Candy, Thank You)
THERE WERE RAFFLES!!!!
All day long, people were buying Raffle Tickets.
We were able to raise several hundred dollars to add to the Class Fund.
And, thanks to a number of classmates, we had some GREAT prizes to give away.
Whew!!
It was FINALLY time to begin the drawings!!
The first ticket was pulled!!!!
And, here are pics of most of the winners:
Debi-Ellen Beckett---------------------------------------------------Diana Staubs Madonio
Ellie Fotion---------------------------------------------------Jeff Boggs
Linda Harp Engle (winner) w/Eric Pirogowicz
Laurie Gipson McElroy-------------------Jeff Boggs
Mike Madonio---------------------------------------------------Debi-Ellen Beckett
Linda Harp Engle-----------------------------------Pam Stephens Decker
Rick Dickey-----------------------------------Sue Greening
Terri McGurk
And, the LAST Raffle Prize to be won................
Kevin Marsh was the Lucky Winner of the 50/50 Raffle Prize of $200!!!
Way to Go, Kevin!!!
At this time, Classmates wanted to say Thank You to Mark and Candy Manning for opening their home and property to us, once again.
At the end of this wonderful day...as all was being packed up, and everyone was heading to their cars,
I was presented with these Gladiolas from The Kocher Twins, as their way of saying Thank You.
Oh, my....HOW did they know how I love flowers???? Aren't they beautiful??
It was MY Pleasure, Girls........ALL my pleasure......Truly.
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