60th Reunion was held September 9, 2023 at McNary Golf Club
North Salem High School Class of 1963
The following letter is from Penny Barker Holstad regarding the recent reunion
Hello 1963 NSHS Vikings.
I have had several people inquire as to how the 60th Reunion turned out. Personally. I think it was a success!!! We had one big hiccup because of some unwanted guests….bees. They decided to stop off on the patio at McNary Golf Course as everything was being set up. Four people were stung. Got a call inquiring if it would be OK if they moved us inside to the banquet room. Without hesitation it was agreed to move NSHS class of 1963 inside. No one wanted to be stung!!!!
We had a VERY casual reunion. September 9, 2023, at McNary Golf Course in the banquet area. The hours were from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The weather was very good and so were the food and drinks. If you missed the reunion, you missed a good time and YOU were missed!
We had approximately 130 people attend. Thanks to Jack Holstad class of 1961 and Russ Elliott class of 1963 for doing the registration. Thanks to Jim McCandlish and Phil White for saying a few words. Thanks to Susy Carl Riches for being the keeper of the checkbook and funds. Thanks to Al Lightner for doing the arrangements at McNary, getting a listing copied, making a fantastic Memorial board of our deceased classmates, maintaining the wonderful website, playing MC and more, I’ll take responsibility for the emails & mailings, and maintaining the records of our classmates with the help of my in-house IT hubby. This was a joint effort of a few but enjoyed by many.
Everyone sure looked good. The men’s hair turned white or disappeared and the ladies mostly became blondes! There was lots of RED & BLACK. Saw one walker, a couple canes and the rest were pretty spry! I got a chance to chat with several but missed a few. Darn! Next time!!!! There were pictures being taken all afternoon and evening. I didn’t get any so….please send me a copy either by email or carrier pigeon or text and I’ll try to post them…plus I’d love to see them. Thanks.
I recently saw the Salem High School Class of 1944 had their 79th reunion. I don’t know how many they had in the graduating class but at the reunion they had eight ladies and one gentleman. Now in Guiness World Record Certification book this is the longest running class reunion. Most everyone came up to me expressing a desire to have another reunion to celebrate 65 years. Sounds like a good idea to me….how about you??? After all I think we must show Class of 1944 that Class of 1963 is a strong bunch of Vikings!!!
News of the passing of classmates has been received recently:
Michel Gene Starck March 15, 2024
Terrie Ray Johnston September 2, 2023
Carolyn Henrietta Dokken Bagley February 11, 2023
Delbert Lemoin Barber 2023
Patricia Sue Allison Egesdahl 2022
David Paul McDonald November 21, 2022
Bonnie Burkhart Boles November 9, 2022
Lauren Henry (Hank) Gale 2022
Audrey Lee Krueger Manning October 5, 2022
Donald William Duffus 2022
Donna Lee McCool Scism 2022
William Dale Haffner July 19, 2022
Jeryl Lynn Strickfaden Lund May 22, 2022
Judith Kay Lakie Sailor April 29, 2022
Danny Paul Rickard February 5, 2022
Curtis Allen Smith December 2021
Diane Lidette Fisher Reinwald August 4, 2021
Janelle Kathleen Jones Shelley January 2021
Charles Howard Dunn July 30, 2020
Douglas William Fejes June 26, 2020
Carolyn Marie Veer McClaughry July 1, 2020
Cheryl E. Merrell Melendy June 2020
Diane Marie Gourley December 28, 2019
Kenneth Burt Bushnell November 13, 2019
Virginia Ann Wallace Salter July 18, 2019
Robert Arthur Willmschen June 17, 2019
Joan Sharrel Mischke Hilfiker May 21, 2019
Michael Leon Smith March 16, 2019
Steven Edward Wagner February 1, 2019
Gene Leslie Salter September 15 2018
Margaret Louise Torok Gaffrey June 30, 2018
Roger M. Roth January 25, 2018
Gary Lynn Thorson January 15, 2018
David Steele Shuford December 22, 2017
James Stanley Bush (Kerne) September of 2017
Gary B. Read (Alkire) July 31, 2017
Kenneth Paul Jacobsen May 26, 2017
Neal Alan Bentley February 11, 2017
Michael Eugene Malone September 25, 2016
Thomas Reno Brantner June 22, 2016
Garry Dean Lienhard May 23, 2016
Nanci Anne Anderegg Gogle April 9, 2016
Karyl Kay Luman February 13, 2016
Judy Gay Stone Stanley August 9, 2015
Lester Lloyd Perry August 5, 2015
Lewis Franklin Skurlock Jr 2015
John Allen Anderson May 26, 2015
Brady Leonard Adams April 13, 2015
Leonard Robert Anderson April 10, 2015
Darlene Marie Holland Storm February 4, 2015
We are always saddened with such news and recall them from memory with fondness. They are missed.
This website will remain open and updated until the next reunion. Please be mindful several of the pages you may encounter on this website have now become obsolete, but will remain as place holders, in order to make it easier to revise them eventually for the 65th reunion. It seems much easier to edit them in place, rather than recreate them from scratch, as my skills are limited.
Ongoing work is being done on our data base of addresses, phone numbers and emails. If anyone has made a change please contact Penny Holstad (jholstad42@gmail.com). You can find her mailing address, phone and email address on the Registration Form you may still have, or which is a link on the bottom of the Registration Instructions page on this website. Go to the menu above, hit Registration Instructions and Forms, then on the page it presents, go to the very bottom of it and hit the blue colored link for Registration Form, and on the form you will find her about half way down the page. Let her know so we can stay in touch over the years ahead.
If you have changes or new information concerning the In Memoriam page, you can let Penny know.
If you have changes or new information concerning the Missing Alumni page, you can let Penny know.
Again, check back here from time to time, as new information is being posted as it becomes available.
Thank you.
Last update: April 15, 2024