29 from Medina’s Class of 1957 attend reunion 65 years after graduation

Photo courtesy of Ron Felstead: Twenty-nine of the original 100 members of the Class of 1957 at Medina High School attended the 65th class reunion Friday at Shirt Factory Café. Seventeen posed here for a picture. The class has had a reunion every five years since graduation.

MEDINA – The Class of 1957 at Medina High School may have dwindled in number, but not in school spirit.

The class has met every five years since graduation, said Barbara Clark, who organized this year’s 65th reunion Friday at Shirt Factory Cafe. Many of them in the area had been getting together for lunch every year at Darrell’s in Middleport until the pandemic, she said.

They enjoy the camaraderie and catching up on old times.

“Mostly, we talk about our ailments,” Clark said. “We’re just happy to be together.”

Of 100 original class members 56 are deceased. Twenty-nine attended Friday’s 65th reunion.

The only surviving class officer is president Lee Schrader of Lockport, who has attended most of the reunions.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Class of 1957 at Medina High School had its 65th class reunion Friday at Shirt Factory Café. Clockwise from life are Barbara Clark, who organized the reunion; Dorothy Dutcher, Elaine Renouf, Janet Meier and Ron Felstead.

Among the classmates are lawyers, ministers and pilots. Ron Felstead of Medina learned to fly the year he graduated and got his pilot’s license the following year. He went on to a successful teaching career, while advancing his flying ambitions. He became a certified FAA instructor, and a few years ago he received the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot’s Award from the government for 50 years of safe flying with no accidents or incidents.

He took advantage of Friday’s reunion to catch up with classmates, including Rich Manley of Rochester and Edgar Wilkins of Albion.

Clark received correspondence from classmates in several other states, including Florida and Texas, but none were able to attend.

Clark presented each classmate who attended with a magnet on which there was a picture of the old high school and the words, “65th class reunion 1957.”