Colonel White High School Class of 1965

Reunions / Class Acts

Remember: For each page, hit the refresh button or F5 on your keyboard for new content.

Click on the Class Acts button above to view the home room photos.

We have some gems here from previous reunions, and some high school and grade school class pictures that are sure to bring back memories of the really awkward years. If you have any CWHS or grade school class pictures from the good old days, please scan and send them to tfink3@woh.rr.com with the school name, years, grade, and teacher's name, if you remember.

Class of '65 Turns 65 Birthday Bash, October 12, 2012

November 22, 1963: Where were you when you heard?

Dear Classmates,

Recently throughout the country, we marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. There was much television coverage of the anniversary, as one might expect. On November 24th, CBS Sunday Morning spent its entire 1 and 1/2 hours reliving and analyzing those events of 50 years ago. They did an amazing job of it by assigning a different reporter to each of the many aspects of the assassination and the funeral. I, for one, really didn't want to relive that day - again, for the umpteenth time - but couldn't not watch. I sat for the entire hour-and-a-half glued to the TV. Fifty years later, I am still stunned and numbed by it, and wonder if we will EVER really know what happened.

Because it was such a pivotal moment in our young lives, I thought it might be interesting to see what we remember about it as high school juniors at Colonel White. I asked the reunion committee members who wished to, to share their thoughts and feelings about that fateful day in Dallas, Texas, starting with where they were when they heard the news over the school's P.A. system.

If you'd like to share your experience from that day and the days that followed, please contact me at tfink3@woh.rr.com, and I will add your story to those below. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.

Kathy Keefer Fink

____________________________________________

November 22, 1963. I remember that day much more vividly than yesterday, or virtually any other day since. I remember it was a Friday. At 1:35 P.M., I was taking an algebra test in Miss Kramer's class, when Mr. Whitworth made the announcement over the intercom that there had been a report that President Kennedy had been shot. After algebra, I had a 6th period study hall. I went to the CW library, as was our option, and got kicked out by Mrs. Rank. (Can't remember why.) I was sent back to study hall, and I noticed that all the girls were crying. I remember so vividly that a sobbing Susie Demus looked at me and said, "He's dead." Until then, I didn't even know how serious the shooting was.

Then came the weekend. The Ohio State-Michigan game was cancelled, among other things. My family and I were glued to our black and white television like the rest of America. It was horribly depressing, but you would have felt guilty if you didn't watch the aftermath of the assassination.. There was no other TV option back then. It was a long time before cable. On Sunday of that weekend, my parents took me to Kuntz's Cafeteria for my 17th birthday. After we returned to the car, we turned on the radio to learn that Jack Ruby had shot Oswald in the Dallas police station. One thing did happen the following week that was more like the American "Graffiti-esque" existence we lived in the early 60s. Tom Schneider and I cut Mrs. Jerrell's English class. When she asked us to explain ourselves, we told her we went to Kennedy's funeral. She believed us.

I'll let the historians determine how good of a president JFK was, or how good he would have been. However, I do believe the world, especially America, changed forever; and not in a good way. Afterwards came the Beatles, Dylan, race riots, other forms of civil disobedience, and, of course, two more horrible assassinations. And there was Vietnam, the war that would never end. It changed our generation's opinion of our country forever, and again, not in a good way. Would the tragedy of Vietnam have happened if JFK had lived to finish his first term, and undoubtedly, a second? We'll never know for sure, but in my opinion, it would not have. If nothing else, we loved JFK. Remember how we felt about his successor?

We have another 50th anniversary coming up pretty soon. That will be a celebration of much happier recollections.

Dave Finnell, '65

_________________________________________

I recall being in gym class - or in the hall right after - when Marlene Lansman told us that something horrible had happened. And there was a feeling of panic spreading. When it was finally officially announced on the P.A. - I was in Miss Kennedy's history class - she was devastated - as was everyone in the class. She immediately told us that we would not continue with class. I can still see the sad and horrified look on her face . . . and the tears. After we were dismissed early from school, I walked that very long and lonely walk home alone - crying most of the way. And watched the TV for most of the next few days . . . feeling numb and in some weird sense of shock and disbelief. Yes - we watched the funeral - I still can hear the cadence of that funeral march . . . I'm actually tearing up now as I write this, and have many times through the years, every time it's been replayed.

Kay Branson Hamilton, '65

________________________________________________

It's hard to believe, and a little bit scary, to think it has been 50 years since the assassination of John F. Kennedy. On November 22, 1963, most, if not all of us were in the same building . . . Colonel White High School. I was in biology class when the news came over the intercom that our president had been shot. Not long after that we listened to "live" radio over the intercom where we heard of his tragic death. Like everyone, my feelings were of shock, sadness, and disbelief that this heinous action had taken place in our country, especially to such a revered leader as President Kennedy.
After being dismissed from school, I went home to find both my parents glued to the television with the same sadness I was feeling. Many tears were shed and many questions unanswered as to How? Why? and Who? could do such a terrible thing. We soon learned the name of that person, Lee Harvey Oswald, who in a matter of days we would watch, live, being assassinated himself. That live TV broadcast of his murder is something forever ingrained in my mind!

As heartbreaking as it was, JFK's funeral was somehow breathtaking, as well. The silence was deafening as all we heard was the constant beat of the drum and the clop, clop, clop of the riderless horse's hooves following behind the flag-draped caisson. What a sight to behold! And who can forget how adorable "John-John" was saluting his daddy's casket? That picture still brings tears to my eyes to this day. So, it seems these memories are indelible for each of us. And thankfully so, as we each have the opportunity to relate to our children and grandchildren the events of that fateful day, as we recall them in our own way.

Soon we will celebrate another milestone in our lives . . . that of our 50th class reunion! Hope to see all of you there in good spirits and good health!

Suzy Demus Baker, '65

________________________________________________

I remember being in study hall when the announcement was made over the P.A. . . . and remember hearing "clapping" from the study hall across the way! Couldn't believe it. My mother, who NEVER picked me up from school, was waiting outside in the car to take me home. Other than that, we stayed glued to the television for the weekend. I was a Kennedy and Jackie "freak" back then. I remember when he was elected, my neighborhood friends who picked me up were all in tears because they were very Republican!

Those are the only details I can pull up in my horrible memory.

Kathy Iman Potter, '65