Florida Mini 2015

On February 15, 2015, members of the MHS class of ’53, who are either Florida residents or "Snow Birds", met for a Mini Class Reunion at the Pier 22 restaurant in Bradenton. It was perfect…located on the water with inside-outside views and a private room for us. Many thanks to Don Duck for making the arrangements.

Some classmates arrived early…all the better to spend more time with each other. As others arrived, there were happy greetings and lots of hugging. We do that a lot now. We were so happy to see Carolyn (McSparin) Martensen, who drove across Florida with Barb (Calmer) Blaise to be there. Donna Riley also joined us because she’s an honorary member of the class. Classmates who were unable to join us were mentioned and certainly missed.

We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch followed by lots of table hopping. We strolled down memory lane, re-living stories of growing up in Moline, coming from Maple Grove, other elementary schools, Coolidge and John Deere to become the best class to ever graduate from MHS. Most of the stories were begun, followed by various renditions because we couldn’t quite remember all the names and places…now, isn’t that a surprise?

We were reluctant to leave, so we adjourned to an outdoor seating area for more nostalgia. We spoke of how lucky we are to have been a member of this very special class and to maintain these friendships through the years.

“Memories…light the corners of my mind…misty water-colored memories…of the way we were”

Thanks to Pat (Minteer) Clopton for providing photos and the reunion description.

Slideshow