Commencement means beginning

Silhouetted against the fading sunlight, two Pike graduates (John Overman and Christy Morris) pause for a brief moment of reflection of the past few years at Pike High School and what the future may hold for them. The time flies by all too quickly, as we now realize, so when we get a second chance to recreate amd reminisce, it often seems even more crucial than the first time. Pike High School was never the same without the Class of '69 -- just as it will never be the same again without the recently graduated Class of '09. So hold on to your memories, create some new ones, pretty one last time that you are pulling into the lane at Pike High School...


This is my final blog entry before flying to Indy for the 40th Reunion Party. It has been my genuine pleasure to share these precious keepsakes from the past with all who have followed this website. Who knows; if you keep sending me old photos and mementoes, maybe I can keep the website going in the future. If you missed the Reunion for some reason, make sure to return to this blog page next week, when we will begin posting photos from the party.

Best wishes,

Randy Moser

AH, GRADUATION...FINALLY

With Graduation finally here, class members exhibited a variety of emotions to the end of one era and the beginning of the next. Susie Roetter and Gary Wright lead the Class of '69 into the gym as class Salutatorian and Valedictorian.


Mile Wilfley nervously makes a last-minute adjustment to that tricky cap and tassel.


Sandy Enmeier, Mary Lou Sigman and Carolyn Cartwright celebrate finally making it through commencement.

In a rare but wonderfully rewarding moment, Nanette Pritchard accepts her diploma from her father, who served as a long-time member of the School Board.

And finally, Myra McCammon and Norma Buckwalter suddenly realize that their high school experience at Pike is now officially over.

What Have You Been Doing?

Lucinda (Burrows) Veeck Gosden

(Editor's Note: Though technically a member of the Class of '68, many of you have asked about Lucinda, and she has helped us a great deal with the video presentations for our 40th Reunion on Saturday.)

I am married to Roger Gosden, with two sons (Alan and Jay), seven grandchildren (Emily, Charlie, Henry, Joseph, Alayna, Adrian and Cameron). I have two stepsons (Matt and Tom), who live and work in the UK. All have visited us during the past month.

I work in New York, with primary homes in Williamsburg, Va. and the mountains of West Virginia. I have a Doctorate of Science from Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk), and I serve as Director of Embryology at Cornell University Medical School in Manhattan, NY. I am taking piano lessons (exceedingly bad student) and I am healthy and happy. And, I plan to retire next year!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS?

CATHY (GREELEY) JENSEN

Cathy (Greeley) Jensen, Psy.D. resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Paul. They have lived throughout the United States and Europe for the past 25 years. Cathy earned her Masters Degree of Pastoral Counseling, and subsequently, her Doctor Degree of Psychology from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Ind. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Pastoral Life and Administration from Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana. She studied Theology at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

In her quest to find deeper meaning and spiritual understanding, Cathy embraced the writings of Viktor E. Frankl. In 2009 she earned her Diplomate credential from the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy. For numerous years, she worked with the Dept. of Defense serving soldiers and their families as both educator and pastoral coordinator. While completing her Clinical Pastoral Education, she was an interdisciplinary team member for trauma and palliative care, in addition to serving as chaplain for cardiac and heart failure units. You can contact her by email at catherinejense@aol.com

WE HAD PLENTY OF SPIRIT !

No matter what the sport, the obstacle or activity, one thing you could always count on at Pike was the spirit and the support of your fellow classmates. And, after all was said and done, we were ALWAYS proud of the effort from our Red Devils. We may have been small back then, but we were united in spirit and pride.

OUR MUSIC WAS...SPECTACULAR!!

The Music Department at our school was... well, pretty spectacular during our tenure at Pike.

Led by Mr.Meyer and Mr. Ricks (Band) and Miss Bowman and Mrs. Marshall (Choir),

the student body was constantly being entertained by student musicians from the Class of '69.

Whether it was the Talent Show, a Veteran's Day Parade, The Band Spectacular,

a concert from one of the school's three different choirs, or

the Hi-Tones serenading the community or the student body during convocations,
the Class of '69 was an extremely talented group, musically speaking.

DRAMA? DID WE EVER HAVE DRAMA !

Bev Caesar, as Marian the Librarian, lays a big kiss on a fast-talking but surprised salesman (Steve Hise) in "The Music Man." Ginger Soper (below), as mayor Shinn's wife, leads the people of River City in a traditional July 4th celebration in "The Music Man."

Kathy Smith had the role of a lifetime when she portrayed the innimitable Anne Frank in the fall drama, "The Diary of Anne Frank."

Phil Snyder had a lead role in Edgar Lee Master's "Spoon River Anthology," the winter play during 1968-69.




















Jerri Thomas had the lead role of Nellie Forbush in "South Pacific" during our junior year 1968. Officers Randy Moser and Phil Snyder listen to Nellie's problems.






















The cast from "The Teahouse of the August Moon," performed during Fall 1967, included Class of '69 members (from left) Mark Norris, Kathy Smith, Ben Lagadon and Randy Moser.













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Ginger Soper (above right) tries to explain how it feels to be so "plain" during "110 in the Shade," the Spring musical during our sophomore year.













Mark Pengilly had leading roles in both "Harvey" (Elwood P. Dowd) and "Teahouse of the August Moon" (Sgt. Gregovich).




















For three years, we were always led by the irrepressible Mr. Lee Horn

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS?

JAY ANDERSON
After graduating from Pike, I spent an enjoyable but semi-lost year playing euchre with Emil Goeke and Greg Shugart at Purdue. I moved back to Maryland in the summer of '70 and graduated from the University of MD with a degree in economics. All of that outstanding knowledge about economics resulted in a career as a data processing systems analyst, which I performed for about 20 years. I switched over to Manufacturing Management and worked for a defense-oriented business that produced high-tech and high-security countertops. After working in a union shop for about 10 years and just absolutely loving grievance meetings, I made a semi-retirement career change to the world of sports museums. I currently serve as Facilities Manager for two museums in Baltimore -- The Babe Ruth Birthplace and also Sports Legends at Camden Yards. I'm responsible for making sure that the lights come on, the place is clean, and that the Orioles, Terps, Ravens, and the real Colts gallery are spotless.

I was married for 10 years, and my "second go-around" is currently 20+ years. I have two step-daughters and three step-grand kids. I played lots of sports until my early 40s, and had some success with my devastating low-70's "heater," until I discovered what a rotator cuff tear was. Since then, I've mostly just coached Little League baseball and football, and also adult synchronized swimming. We live midway between Baltimore, Annapolis, and DC.

I have nothing but great memories of my time as a Hoosier/Red Devil/Boilermaker. I rooted hard for the home teams while I was there, thought the school (Pike) was outstanding, made some fine friends, and I'll always remember the gorgeous women.

I hope everybody is doing well.


Editor's Note: Jay was senior class vice president and an outstanding pitcher on the 1968 varsity baseball team that advanced all the way to the state semi-finals -- a record for Pike teams at that time.

THE STORY BEGINS IN 1942...

The photo above, taken from the first known Pike yearbook (1942), is apparently a dramatic presentation.

The 1942 Pike football squad.

In 1944, this class collected scrap metal for World War II ammunition.

The 1942 Pike Red Devil basketball team.
There were 27 years of yearbook history before members of the Class of '69 began writing their own story.

PIKE HIGH 25-YEAR SEAL

This seal of Pike High School was designed and adopted in 1966 and first published in the 1967 Pike's Peek yearbook to commemorate the new building and 25 years of yearbooks at our school. Isn't it ironic that the seal's dominant visual element -- the awning-covered bus zone -- is no longer visible or even still there at the "new" Pike High School?

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GRADUATION REHEARSAL

Junior class officers Jay Anderson and Bev Caesar got to lead in the graduating seniors of the Class of '68 during May of our Junior year. Seniors John Patten and Vicki Dearholt follow.

AERIAL VIEW OF PIKE TODAY

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MR. KERR'S 6th GRADE CLASS

(Top Row L to R) David Lewis, Becky Gormley, John Steinhart, Lana Meyers, David Marlin, Anita Taylor, Scott Sommer, Mary Monninger, David Knowles; (Row 2) Cindy Glidewell, Steve Emry, Susan Roetter, Tommy Hayes, Marica Callahan, Gary Wright, Karen Westerberg, Carl Gulliver; (Row 3) Robert VanArsdall, Mary Ann Mertz, Jim Hayes, Ruth Ann Parish, Larry Taylor, Toni Good, Doug Clark, Lynne Reed; (Row 4) Mr. J.R. Kerr, Randy Moser, Debra Streets, Bill Todd, Connier Daupert, Jeff Overdorf, Patti Flanigan, Beverly Caesar (names are listed exactly as signed on the back).
Please send any additional classroom composites to rmoser1@cfl.rr.com and I will post them for everybody to enjoy. These are courtesy of Debbie (Streets) Meyer.

The Way It Was...

Adapting a line from the late Walter Cronkite, this is the way we looked 42 years ago on the Pike "campus." At barely two years old, the new high school sits alone at the upper right in the picture. Central Elementary sits in front of the high school, and to the left is the football and track stadium. The varsity baseball diamond sits behind and to the left of the high school facility. The old high school, then Lincoln Middle School, is pictured at the far left. Notice the extra ball diamonds in front of the stadium; the old football field between the schools; the lack of mature trees in the subdivision; and the abundance of open land behind the school buildings.