Members of the Denison High Class of 1958 honored by the Lunch Bunch are: front, Elayne Tignor Vick, Nelda Phillips Perdue, Judy Hoover Gohlke; middle row, Horace Groff, Jim Brown, Jackie Woodward White and Curt Stogsdill; and back row, Martin Wineinger, Bill Carr, Rex Taylor, Dave Maddux and Joe Clapp.





                                    

Classmates from 1948 honored by the Lunch Bunch are: front, Edwina Leuty Bates and Genevieve Denton Hoover; second row, Dorothy Bryant Wyskup, Nilene Munn Rogers, Patsy Shelton Swain and Martha Bartee Cottrell and back row, Roy Thomas, Jack Hicks, Jay L. Bates, Britt Swain, Jim Sammons, Bill McClure and George Odom.



I thought my 1953 graduating class at Denison High School had about the best record of staying together of any class I had ever seen. Wednesday I found that there seems to be a “mutual admiration society” among just about every other DHS class too. At least that’s true for those up to about 1958.
           
The DHS Lunch Bunch that meets monthly at a restaurant in Denton usually includes about 25 guys who have kept in touch through the years. Occasionally they open the lunch up to women – their spouses or other women interested in attending.            
Wednesday they tried something new. They recognized the class of 1948 that is marking its 60th anniversary of graduation and the class of 1958 that is observing its 50th anniversary.
            
The restaurant overflowed with a record 76 people, mostly Denison High graduates from the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex area and North Texas. It took on the flavor of a giant reunion. Friends came who hadn’t attended a previous gathering and some had not seen classmates since graduation.  Clifton Weaver, class of 1949, took the lead in getting all the ex-students together and even provided name tags so that old friends could recognize each other after all these years.            

Marvin Vincent, class of 1949, gave a little history of the Lunch Bunch that began in 1999 when his class held its 50th reunion. Clifton and Marvin their heads together and decided that seeing each other only every five years wasn’t often enough. Clifton and Bill Moore already were getting together once a month in the Metroplex for lunch.            

They invited Marvin to join them and the three decided that Denton was kind of equal-distance for each of them to travel for lunch. Marvin invited Ralph Covington to go with him and the Lunch Bunch was off to a start. Now the group has been meeting for 102 consecutive months and the crowd keeps getting bigger.            

Marvin explained that they never thought it would last this long, but it’s great to see so many friends every month. There are no officers, no dues, just a meeting for pleasure. “We’re all proud of our little town and proud that we attended Denison High School,” Marvin said, adding, “I couldn’t wait to retire to return to Denison.”            

Fourteen members of the class of 1948 and 12 members of the class of 1958 were transported back to high school days to recall some of the happy times that they had together. Clifton quizzed the 1948 group on the last year they were at Denison High School and surprisingly they answered every question.            

In 1948 B. McDaniel was superintendent; J.L. Dickson, high school principal; J.S. Kimble, vice principal; Anita Doyle, girl’s basketball coach’ Les Cranfill, head football coach and Rex Shelton, band director.            

Teachers included Johny Beck, O.W. Cline, Jock Malone, Elizabeth Bledsoe, Maggie Sommerville, Coach Dixie White, M.M. Marshall, Mrs. Fred Parker, Coach Durwood Green and Mrs. B.A. Willis.            

Dorothy Brown was valedictorian; Charles Epperson, salutatorian; Carl Wilson, senior class president; Corky Bowling, vice president; Norma Jean Essary, secretary-treasurer; Lindell Hicks, Neewollah king; Janet English, Neewollah queen; Kathleen Gary and J.L. Bates, senior favorites.            

Other seniors were recognized and many of them were present for the day; Joanie Abrahamson, cheerleader, best smile; Dorothy Bryant, cheerleader, most pleasing personality; Word Burtis, cheerleader; Delbert Dawson, most pleasing personality; Orbie Fudge, cheerleader, leadership; Cotton Hill, all district fullback; Roy Jackson, outstanding quarterback; Brit Swain, all district tackle; Roy Thomas, the best friend anyone could have; and Carl Wilson, leadership.            

Others mentioned were Raymond Beine, James Bodkin, Jackie Cockburn, Dub Fisher, Jo Ellen Fitzgerald, Robert Hendrick, Dorothy Hopkins, Jack Ingram, Jack Kelly, Margaret Linsteadt, Bill McClure, Nilene Munn, George Odom, Nils “Sandy” Rutherford, Patsy Shelton, Rose; Marie Weaver, Albert Wineinger, Dick Wood and Alton “Slim” Wolverton.            

Senior Day for the class of 1948 was May 6, 1948, and graduation was on May 28.            

Clifton pointed out that five members of the class, Edwina Leuty Bates, Roy Jackson, Glen Land, Jack Lilley and Dr. Bobby Noe are Denison High School Distinguished Alumni.            

David Maddox, a member of the 1958 class, then posed questions to his classmates – and anyone else who could answer them.            

In 1958 H.W. Goodgion was superintendent; Jack Ballard, principal; Marie Trout, principal’s secretary and he added “and we did truly love her”; Lois Blount, girls basketball coach; Larry Thomas, band director; Olga McDaniel, school nurse; Ruth West taught English; Jake Blankenship, chemistry and physics; Mildred Walker, Spanish and Latin; Lois Jenkins, English; Edward Wilds, English; M.C. Woodard, driver education and algebra; Harold Gentry, biology; Coach Charlie Jackson; Stella Byers Algebra; and Edwardine McCoy, English and speech.            

David Markham was class president; Richard Harvey, vice president; Nelda Phillips, treasurer; Elayne Tignor, secretary; Don Ashburn and Judy Hoover, Mr. and Miss DHS; Jim Brown, student body president; David Markham and Charlotte Sanders, senior favorites; Diana Laughlin, football queen; Audrey Foster and Lewis Campbell, Neewollah queen and king; Kenneth Arthur and Janet Burks, most humorous; Hazel Campbell, valedictorian and Patrick Shaw, salutatorian.            

Ed Wilds was athletic director; Carl Linsteadt was voted best athlete; Martin Wineinger, center on the basketball team along with Bill Carr, Doug Bilderback and David Maddux who are Lunch Bunch regulars. Jim Brown and Horace Groff were basketball team managers and Judy Hoover Gohlke pointed out that Elayne Tignor Vick was manager of the Girls Basketball team for which Phyllis Wright, Sarah Lawrence and Marilyn Gilliam were team members.            

David said that his class was remembered as good kids, but something did happen during their senior year that was a little shaky. The class staged a “protest walkout”. Judy Gohlke said that as she was walking out one of the teachers walked up to her and said “you’re not doing this, are you?” Judy replied, “No mam” and turned around and went back to class.

Senior day was at Lake Murray and graduation was on May 26, 1958, in the auditorium at the old Denison High School, the school that no longer exists.            

Two members of the class, Dr. C.J. Ransom and Dr. Phyllis Wright Shaw, are among the Denison High Distinguished Alumni.            

Many names – especially the female class members – have changed, but the faces still look very much the same.             To conclude the program all 76 graduates and guests stood and sang the school song that incidentally was written by the 1948 cheerleaders. One of them was present. Dorothy Bryant Wyskup was recognized as co-author.            

As the last words to the song, “Hail to thee old Denison High School, we are all for you” died down, I swear that I saw a few tears through my own clouded eyes.            

The Lunch bunch meets the third Wednesday of every month except November when they meet on the second Wednesday at Evergreen Super Buffet in Denton. Former Denison High students are welcomed.              

Donna Hunt is former editor of The Denison High School. She lives in Denison and can be contacted at d.hunt_903@yahoo.com.