Spruce View School Class of '65

40th Year Reunion

August 26-28, 2005
The 40th Year Reunion at the
Craig Community Hall, Spruce View,
was an outstanding success.

A big THANK YOU to Gwen, Bev,
Linda and Irene (A) for an outstanding
job of finding & contacting everyone,
organizing the reunion and doing
everything required to make it such
a memorable event.

No one will forget this great weekend
and the wonderful time reminiscing,
renewing friendships & meeting spouses
under clear blue Alberta skies.

Everyone agreed that we must
do this again in 5 years.

Bev (Craig) & Barry Budvarson – Wonderful! So good to see everyone.

Marlene Smith Falls – Bravo! Excellent memories.

Garry Schaber – My heart is so warm with renewal of classmate “friends”

Kjeld Nielsen – Thanks for organizing this reunion.

Marlene Brownlee Powell – Wonderful. Keep in touch.

Irene Andersen Wyllie – Great to see everyone!

Robert Ericksen – Thanks for organizing this.

Richard Brown – Great pancakes!

Jackie Hendricksen Goodeye – Great weekend.

Ken Stephanson – Very nice.

Ken Farr – What a Joy to see everyone! Great reminiscing & memories. Do it again in 2015!!

Barry Sloan – Great time seeing everyone again.

Allan Johannson – Excellent. Great to see everyone and visit in an informal manner.

Irene Morison McLerie – Great time – 10 years to our 50th.

Linda Johannson Rehn – Excellent time!! Great to see everyone.

Connie Ball Kosik – Wouldn’t of missed it.

Gwen Fleischman Budvarson – Seems just like yesterday, we just started talking
where we left off. I feel blessed to be here!!

It was interesting to discover how time had changed our memories. There was discussion, at the reunion, about how the yearbook grade 10 & 11 pages included everyone, regardless if they had passed or failed, and how unfair it was that the graduating class page only included those that graduated. I was on the yearbook staff and could not recall any discussion or decision to not include everyone in our class or a battle that certainly would have erupted if the decision had been forced on us by school staff. But 40 years had changed memories and we soon discovered that our class was smaller then remembered and previous classmates, thought to have been in our class, had actually left school before our grad year. Most of us had been together since grade 7, some since grade 1, and it was hard to believe some were not still in school and with us our last year or even several of our last years..

Three of our teachers - Daryl Trenholm, Jean Weltz & Roy Hoven - attended the reunion.

Ken demonstrated his musical talent while some danced and while others sat and listened.

After being back together for only a few minutes it was just like we had not been apart for 40 years. Like Gwen said, "we just started talking where we left off".

Everyone had fun meeting old classmates, but few were easy to recognize at first. Mannerisms, however, had changed little over the years which made it easy to see past weight & hair color changes and to update old classmate images in our minds.

After a short time it was hard to believe that everyone had not been immediately recognized and I wonder how many later checked year book pictures, as I did, to see why most of us were so hard to recognize at first.

	Robert was not the only one that noticed Gary had not changed one bit and was continuing his high jinks from where he left off 40 years before.
	Did anyone notice that Jean Weltz was taking notes? Old habits are hard to break but Jean must have had a hard time trying to keep up with Gary and noting everything that he was up to. (Thanks for the email Robert and for explaining why leaves were sprouting from behind Connie's head.)

The weather and the reunion site could not have been better. Clear blue Alberta skies and lots of room to camp, play games and socialize.

I do not remember the name of Irene's home made game, but many enjoyed playing it.

Bocci -

"A game of Italian origin similar to lawn bowling played on a long narrow usually dirt court."

This was another popular game at the reunion but some teams disappeared from sight at times as they pitched and followed the balls using the entire huge area available rather then restricting play to a long narrow court. It would be interesting to know just how far some teams ended up travelling.

Linda demonstrates the more typical way to toss Bocci balls, but Barry B seems to have a different idea of how they should be pitched - or - does Barry perhaps have Bacci confused with Baseball?

The above collage of pictures were provided by Robert.

Check back as there are many more photos and items that will be added as there is time.

Last update: March 27, 2009 — 11:36:55 AM