Medina’s Class of 1962 gets together and celebrates their 80th birthdays

Provided photos: Members of the Class of 1962 at Medina High School who have 80th birthdays this year recently met at East Shelby Fire Hall to celebrate. Class members are, seated from left, Carolyn Phinney Rankin, Fannie Stewart Isham, Anna Marie Pope Rozek, Gerry Scott Zinkievich, Ann Rumble Gilbert, Pat Kozoloski Grimes, Karen Elsom Gonzales, Lois Hobbs Kenyon and Sandee Falk Franklin. Standing from left are Harold Southcott, Jerry Johnson, Dick Bensley, Bob Heminway, Dan Malte, Gary Suzanne, Mike Kelly, Bill Koneski, Don Fernberg, Nancy Caleb Harrod, Clara Satkowski Lockwood, Carol Martin Hunting and Zona Navelle Shreves. Absent are Ron Klawitter and Jack Kiebala, who left before the picture was taken.

EAST SHELBY – Members of Medina High School’s Class of 1962 who have 80th birthdays this year met recently at East Shelby Fire Hall to reminisce and celebrate.

“We decided not to wait until our 65th reunion to gather again because at our age, you never know,” said Gerry Scott Zinkievich, a member of the class. “We enjoyed good food and good conversation and look forward to doing it again in 2027 for our 65th reunion.”

Gerry Zinkievich made this banner for the class of 1962. The date in the middle is interchangeable, so it can be used again and again.

Officers of the class were Dick Miller, president; Jack Kiebala, vice president; Anna Marie Pope, secretary; and Ann Rumble, treasurer. Miller is deceased, and the others all attended the reunion.

The Class of 1962 has the distinction of being the first sixth grade class to go into the new Oak Orchard Elementary School. Likewise, they were the first seventh grade class to attend Wise Middle School.

“We had to walk from the Middle School to the Elementary School for lunch because the Middle School did not yet have a cafeteria,” Zinkievich said.

They have met every five years since their 20th reunion, in addition to meeting in between for their 70th and 75th birthday years.

The class took up a donation for the Medina Scholarship Fund and hope to continue doing a scholarship every year from their Class of 1962.

A group of female classmates try to meet for lunch during the summer months so as to stay in touch. They recently got together at Alex’s in Batavia, where they discussed plans for the 80th birthday part and recalled that it was a much simpler time back when they were in school.