Medina’s Class of 1956 won’t let Covid stop reunion
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Class of 1956 at Medina High School has met regularly since graduation. On Tuesday, 10 classmates met for a picnic lunch at State Street Park, where they spent most of the afternoon sharing memories. Seated from left are Barbara Boyle Schreiber of Clarence, Irene Siwirski Dunn of Medina and Mary Hood Sheeder of Williamsville. At rear are Larry Boyle of Medina, Jack Wasnock and his wife Carol of Medina, Dennis Seekins of Lyndonville, Bill Allport and his wife Nancy of Hilton and Fred Cavers and his wife Sherrill of Medina. Absent from the photo are Teresa Mondo Poler of Lyndonville and Carol Gotts O’Brien and her husband Tom of Medina.
MEDINA – Medina High School’s Class of 1956 has been keeping in touch regularly since they graduated 64 years ago. Even with the pandemic, this year has been no exception.
On Tuesday, 10 members of the class, several with their spouses, met at State Street Park for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of reminiscing.
Those who attended were Larry Boyle, Jack Wasnock and his wife Carol, Fred Cavers and his wife Sherrill, Carol Gotts O’Brien and her husband Tom and Irene Siwirski Dunn, all of Medina; Barbara Boyle Schreiber of Clarence; Mary Hood Sheeder of Williamsville; Bill Allport and his wife Nancy of Hilton; and Teresa Mondo Poler and Dennis Seekins of Lyndonville.
For the first few years after graduation, the class had a reunion every five years, then they started losing classmates and realized the importance of keeping in touch. They began getting together twice a year, once at Sacred Heart Club and usually at Shelby Fire Hall’s pancake breakfast in the spring.
Now that Sacred Heart Club is closed due to the pandemic, they decided to meet outside at State Street Park. Schreiber said many of them don’t like to drive at night any more, so getting together in the daytime is preferable.
The class graduated 100 in 1956, and classmate Loretta Crane Tomasino of Albion estimates they have lost 37. She and another classmate Donna Stahl Laubacher of Albion were unable to attend Tuesday. Tomasino tries to keep classmates informed by computer, while Laubacher calls those who don’t have a computer.
It has become a tradition for the class to donate a book to Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in memory of a classmate who dies.
Schreiber said after lunch most of them stuck around and chatted until 4 p.m.
“We talked about everything and anything, including our old teachers,” said Larry Boyle.
“We just had such a good time,” he said.
