School: NHS Class of 1946 (Reunion - 1976)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Winter, Berger, Musil, Rowe, Crockett, Gergen, Pamperin, Ayers, Radke, Elmhorst, Van Gorden, Dierauer, Middleton, Hemp, Lauscher, Nieder, Dahnert, Prindle, Stabnow, Church, Stucki, Bremer, Seif, Hiles, Davidson, Mott, Barratte, Harder, Schmidt, Dux, Scherer, Pierce, Stanley, Hansen, Pepper, Kissling, Spencer, Boyer, Cook, Henchen, Wasserberger, Graves, Kranz, Karnitz, Hagedorn, Shaw, Kessler, Schwellenbach, Stevens, Urban, Johnson, Opelt, Hovey, Perkins, Sturtz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/08/1976

NHS Class of 1946 (30 Year Reunion – 3 July 1976)

Members of the Neillsville High School Class of 1946 met Saturday evening, July 3, at the Neillsville Country Club for a 30-year reunion. The evening began with a social hour at 7 p.m., followed by a banquet at 8. The balance of the evening was spent in dancing and renewing old friendships.

Among those present were three teachers and their wives, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hovey, Mr. and Mrs. John Perkins and Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Lauscher.

The welcome was given by Ben Harder, class president. Charles (Bitsey) Wasserberger served as master of ceremonies and Cyrena Van Gorden Dierauer gave the invocation.

Special awards went to the following: Harris Dux, least hair; Dorothy Cook Henchen, married the shortest time; Thane Gergen Pamperin, first reservation returned, Dixie Graves Kranz, youngest child; Larry Stabnow, traveling the greatest distance; Ronald Elmhorst, only bachelor.

Special “Honorary Diplomas,” designed by Howie Sturtz, were presented by Ivan Lauscher to four classmates, who started school with the class in 1942 but did not graduate with it. The diplomas went to Harris Dux, Eugene Church, Larry Stabnow and Everett (Bud) Hansen.

Three members of the class, which originally numbered 52, are now deceased. They are Art Winter, Robert Berger and Marjorie Musil.

An interesting coincidence regarding two ’46 classmates whose mothers and sons also graduated together from Neillsville High School involves the Opelt and Kissling (Pepper) families. Mrs. Erma Rowe Pepper and Mrs. Irene Crockett Opelt graduated with the class of 1923. Their children Jane Pepper Kissling and Jerry Opelt, graduated in 1946, and Mrs. Kissling’s son, Mike, and Jerry’s son, Larry, Graduated in 1969. Each twosome spent all four high school years together and graduated 23 years apart.

The 33 classmates present for the reunion were as follows; Mrs. Donald (Thane Gergen) Pamperin, Oak Creek; Mrs. Marvin (Lois Ayers) Radke and Ronald Elmhorst, Loyal; Mrs. Robert (Cyrena Van Gorden) Dierauer, Minneapolis, Mn.; Mrs. Robert (Jean Middleton) Hemp, Woodring AFB, Ca.; Mrs. ed (Nora Lee Lauscher) Neidner, Mequon; Mrs. Lyle (Nelva Dahnert) Prindle, Humbird; Larry Stabnow, Seattle, Wa.; Eugene Church, West Allis; Esther Stucki Bremer, Marshfield; William Seif, Rockford, Il.; Mrs. Al (Ramona Hiles) Davidson, Adams; Mrs. James (Alice Mott) Barratte, Wisconsin Rapids; Benjamin Harder, South Beloit, Il.; Louis Schmidt, Eau Claire; Harris Dux, Hudson; Charles Scherer, Windsor;

Mrs. Allen (Lorraine Pierce) Stanley, Everett Hansen and Mrs. Ernest (Jane Pepper) Kissling, Granton; Mrs. Arvid (Dona Spencer) Boyer, Robert Scholtz, Jerry Opelt, Mrs. Wilbert (Dorothy Cook) Henchen, Charles Wasserberger, Mrs. Jerry (Dixie Graves) Kranz, Kenneth Karnitz, Mrs. Kenneth (Virginia Dux) Karnitz, Mrs. Robert (Lorraine Hagedorn) Shaw, Mrs. Ernie (Mildred Kessler) Schwellenbach, Leo Kessler, Mrs. Jack (Ione Stevens) Urban and Gerald Johnson, Neillsville.

Arrangements committee members were Jane Kissling, Dorothy Henchen, Charles Wasserberger, Virginia and Kenneth Karnitz and Jerry Opelt.