HUMBOLDT — A call this week to the Chris and Connie Bauer home: “I’ll be coming,” announced Lawrence Scheer, a 94-year-old resident of Phoenix, Ariz., and a 1942 graduate of Humboldt High.
Unless someone else popped up overnight, Scheer will be the oldest of graduates attending the biennial all-classes reunion here today.
Better than 350 graduates have registered and with more than 150 spouses and friends, well over 500 seats will be filled for the signature event, a banquet at the Humboldt Community Fieldhouse.
A rush of responses came to the Bauer home in north Humboldt after invitations were posted in early August — 1,400 in all — and in the past two weeks “we’ve gotten about 40,” Connie recalled.
“We always have a few show up the night of the banquet,” Chris said. “That’s OK. We can handle them. We have a cushion.”
The Bauers and eight others on the reunion committee will emit a collective sigh of relief when the banquet is history and Sunday morning breakfast, which means to raise scholarship funds, is over.
The respite will be short-lived. Planning for the next reunion begins shortly thereafter.
Judy Middendorf, as alumni historian, is on constant lookout for names and addresses of graduates, including the unpleasant task of tracking those who have died. Those who have died since the previous reunion are named in a special listing and recognized. This year’s list covered 86 years of commencement exercises.
The reunion is for anyone who graduated from HHS 40 or more years ago, meaning two classes are added each year. Carol said she was baffled by just two members of the class of 1976 having signed on, but “we have 24 coming from the class of 1977.”
When all sit down to eat, they will represent 25 states and one Canadian province.
She and Chris graduated together in 1907 and have been married 45 years. Both 65, they are retired, he from 25 years as a rural mail carrier, she from office work of 44 years at Monarch Cement Co.
HOW DOES one become so entangled in such a major undertaking?
“I was just asked to be on the committee,” Chris said. “I said yes.” No surprise; he is well accustomed to community service.
He has been Chamber of Commerce president “for years,” spent 18 years as a school board member and is a Lion Club member.
Connie joined in as well, moving up from class representative in charge of finding addresses to recording secretary.
Their tenures won’t end soon. He will become immediate past president; “I’m sure I’ll keep helping,” Connie said.
