TheInternet can be a very helpful tool!Over the last year or so a significant number of DeVeaux School’s Classof 1961 have ‘found’ each other. These renewedcontacts led to discussions of a reunion…54 plus years after graduating!
The topphoto shows the main classroom buildings which also included the chapel, diningarea, kitchen and library. The firstpart of this structure was completed in 1857 with the last part being completedin 1894. The second photo shows thedormitory where many of us boarders lived… The 51 acre property, with most ofthe buildings gone, is now owned by the New York State Office of ParksRecreation and Historic Preservation and it has been renamed as “DeVeaux WoodsState Park”.
Alittle history… The property near Niagara River’s whirlpool was originally deededin the mid-1850s as “The DeVeaux College for Orphans and Destitute Children” byJudge Samuel DeVeaux and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York.
DeVeaux’svision was to create a preeminent institution of learning which would trainyoung men in academics, trade professions and to give them an education thatdid not neglect religious training. Fornearly 80 years course work included mandatory military training with cadetsdressed in uniforms in the tradition of the U.S. Military Academy at WestPoint, New York. Happily (for me atleast), the last day of military influence on campus came on Founder’s Dayin 1950 when the uniforms were replaced by coats and ties. I joined DeVeaux in the fall of 1957 as afreshman.
This isthe Junior Class photo for DeVeaux School’s Class of 1961. Only individual photos were taken in oursenior year so this is the only group photo showing all of the 1961 grads whoattended our reunion. There were 31 ofus in the Junior Class photo but our Senior Class totaled 27 graduates.
Can youspot these 9 members of DeVeaux School’s Class of 1961 in their Junior Classphoto above? ‘Only’ 55+ years have flownby since the group photo was taken… Some of us are recognizable but for others(like me) too much time has passed. Idon’t even recognize me!
Fromthe left: Jere Krieg, Ed Fairchild, Tim Southwick, Bill Dunn, Jon Woolverton,Don Alderman, Dave (Thomson) Myers, Gary Scott and Tom Reid…
Nineout of 27 represents a pretty significant level of attendance given those whohave passed on, those with family/health issues and grads that we couldn’tlocate. In addition to the 2 members ofthe group who live in East Tennessee, attendees came to this gathering fromArizona, California Delaware, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas and Ontario Canada.
A keyfactor in the success of those of us attending this soiree are the women thatput up with us and keep us on the straight and narrow path! The ladies mingled and got along extremelywell… The only thing that they had in common was the fact that their miscreanthusbands had gone to the same school together. (Of course, they also have hadto train us…and with some of us, that project is ongoing!)
Bottomrow: Cheryl and Bill; Sue and Jon; Don and Rhonda; Linda and Ed. Second row: Laurie and me; Julie and Jere;Nancy and Tim; Belinda and Gary; Margie and Tom.Julie, Jere, Laurie and I sponsored theopening night’s event.
Ouropening night event on a Thursday night in mid-October was a reception andbuffet at Julie and Jere’s home. Theguys spent a lot of time catching up and telling ‘war stories’ from ourshenanigans back at DeVeaux and the ladies just got acquainted with each other…
The firstnight’s main event other than eating some good food, drinking and telling stories was wheneach of the classmates took the stage and told their personal stories…postDeVeaux until the present. This was Tomtelling us about his life over the previous 54 years.
One ofthe highlights the next day was a pontoon boat ride on Tellico Lake. Jere recruited a couple of his long timebuddies from the area to make this event happen…on a beautiful sunshine filledfall day! This boat had 9 passengersincluding the captain…
Ourpontoon boat had 11 passengers including our captain…and that is part of the reasonthat our boat ride was a bit different than the one experienced by ourcompatriots in the other boat.
Yikes! With Bill blocking the vision of our captainon the right side of the boat and me blocking his view on the left…and 11 of uson board…the captain couldn’t see an oncoming wake and we nosed right down intoit! Nancy and Margie took the brunt ofthe wave! Troopers that they are and wetthough they were they took the semi-disaster in good humor. We continued on!
Almostall 6 passengers in the front got wet to some degree. In addition to Nancy and Margie, Cheryl gotquite wet. All 3 ladies purses took a‘bath’! I thought that they’d never getall of the water out! Nothing like alittle excitement for us to remember for future gatherings… (Sorry ladies!)
Much ofour time was spent socializing over drinks and food. We frequented local establishments for lunchand dinner on Friday and Saturday. Thisis the Tanasi Golf Clubhouse and Grill in Loudon Tennessee where we had dinneron Friday.
At onepoint or another, everyone stopped by our home to sit back and relax. Linda, Laurie and Belinda spent some qualitytime together getting to know each other…
Whilethe ladies were downstairs chatting, Ed, Gary, Bill, Cheryl and I were upstairsin the bonus room watching an American League championship game in support ofJon and Sue who are from Canada. (It was the Toronto Blue Jays vs. the KansasCity Royals. Don was the lone Royals fanin the room and he picked the winner… (Sorry Jon and Sue!)
Note: I was rooting for the Blue Jays in theAmerican League and the Chicago Cubs in the National League. Never bet on my choices for any championshipevent!
OnSaturday, the group drove on over to Oak Ridge Tennessee to visit a AmericanAutomobile Club “Gem” attraction, the American Museum of Science and Energy. This museum was designed to teach bothchildren and adults about energy, especially nuclear power. The major focus of this facility is to documentthe role Oak Ridge played in the Manhattan Project with the development of thenuclear bomb and the role it played in ending WWII. Everyone learned something new and this visitwas well received by our visitors from out of town.
TheAmerican Museum of Science and Energy is located at 300 South Tulane in OakRidge. Phone: 865-576-3200. The museum’s website can be found at http://amse.org.
Followingour edification and exploration at the museum, we headed over to the Riverside Grillin Oak Ridge for more food and conversation.No…we hadn’t run out of things to talk about! As a matter of fact, we probably solved aworld crisis or two…
Ourfinal event for our reunion was a dinner in the Blue Heron Restaurant atTellico Village’s Yacht Club in Loudon Tennessee. Unfortunately dinner was at 7 PM so it wastoo dark to enjoy the normally beautiful view of Tellico Lake from therestaurant.
And soour 54th Class Reunion came to an end… Everyone had caught up ontheir classmates lives and several of us probably gained a couple of poundsafter all the food we consumed. Thegroup’s consensus was that this had been a great event…a very satisfying renewalof friendships…and that we should do it again in about 2 years!
Justclick on any of the photos to enlarge them…
Thanksfor stopping by for a visit with DeVeaux School’s Class of 1961!
TakeCare, Big Daddy Dave
