ALUM & I
You can go home
M
embers of the Waukegan (Illinois) Township High School (WTHS) Class of 1947 celebrated their 60 year reunion. At ages 76 to 79 and by their own admission, they are indeed, seniors once again. Because their numbers are dwindling, they invited members of classes before and after theirs whom they knew and were friends with in school. They sent a press release, and local media was generous with coverage. In fact, a story in the Waukegan News Sun prompted a number of hometown folks to attend. Friday featured a tour of the city, and participants who have lived in distant places were impressed. The hometown tour included the city’s Lake Front and the new City Hall, where the city engineer conducted a review of where the city has been, where it is now and where it is going. The greatest treat was visiting the recently renovated historical Genesee Theater, where many classmates held hands while watching movies of the day. Class member Pat Booth-Lynch, an author, wrote a reunion mystery story, A Touch of Gold, distributed to attendees upon their arrival to develop a solution before departing. The final gathering was at a farewell brunch on Sunday, also attended by the lone surviving faculty member, Ms. Elenore Moore. A candid camera video (reproduced on DVD) was distributed to those attending; copies were also sent to classmates who were unable to attend, with a letter expressing regret that they had not been able to come to the reunion. It has been the class’s practice to hold a reunion every five years. In consideration of the age of class members, they will hold a reunion – in Las Vegas – when most of them will be 80. Reported by Joe Zelenz, Cedar Hill, Texas. Editor’s note: After we prepared the above, we learned from one of Joe Zelenz’s classmates, Pat Booth-Lynch, that Zelenz was honored at the 60th reunion because “he kept the class united as a cohesive unit” all these years. He was presented with a plaque and a 55-page “Memory Book” that included stories, pictures and poems submitted by classmates lauding him and praising his efforts. BoothLynch, who designed the book, added that Zelenz “is truly Waukegan High’s hero.” She noted that Zelenz was too humble to have ever told us that!
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R E U N I O N S ❖ reunionsmag.com
Waukegan News Sun