Photo by Karl Nagle

It's Here! - CAHS 50th-Year Reunion

Clearfield Area High School

Class of 1959

50th-Year Class Reunion Activities

Clearfield Area High School

St. Francis High School

Friday - July 31 - 5:30 p.m.

Gathering at Sam and Sandy Lansberry's Home

958 Egypt Road, Woodland, PA

Saturday - Aug. 1 - 1:00 p.m.

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Munchies

Provided by Herb and JoAnn Maney

St. Mary's Church Picnic Grounds, Frenchville, PA

Reunion Gathering and Dinner - 4:30 p.m.

St. Mary's Church Social Hall

Frenchville, PA

Sunday - 8 to 10 a.m.

Breakfast at Elk's Club in Clearfield

Sponsored by Wil and Karen Shirey

For a full schedule of activities click here:

http://www.clearfieldreunions.com/1959-A.html

For information and reservations contact:

Joyce Moody Fletcher

P.O. Box 366

Hyde, PA 16843

814-765-0142

Reservations as of July 29:

101 classmates - CAHS
8 classmates - ST. FRANCIS
81 spouses and/or guests
Total: 190 reservations

What a swell party it will be!

Some Photo Gems from Judi Rolley

Mr. Bloom with Eighth Graders - Click on this May 1955 photo and see how many classmates you can identify. Believe I see, among others, Jerry Koval, Glenn Myers, Bill Lee, Lew Marrara, Bill Fuhrer, Art Weiss, Wes Shimmel, Geraldine Mellott, Bette Lou Welsh, Barbara Fullerton, Margaret Long, Sarah Lyons, Martin Elbell


Bette Lou Welsh, Mary Kay Garman, Wilbur Shirey, Chuck Nelson and Joanne Shimel at Black Moshannon State Park

Judi Rolley, Bette Lou Welsh and Joanne Shimel - at the same time at Black Mo

Judi at Grandma's house in Olanta in 1959

Mary Kay Garman

Sonia Borst - December 1956

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Thank you, Judi, for these wonderful photos and memories.

Flying Through Time with Bev Caldwell Law

Bev - Graduation

April 1947

It's Going To Be Great To See Barb Ondo Again!

One of the joys of our 50th Year Reunion will be visiting and reuniting with classmates whom many of us have not seen since graduation.

One such classmate is Barbara Ondo. Barb graduated from the Philipsburg State Hospital School of Nursing and served as a nurse at Philipsburg Hospital and other medical facilities in the area.

She and her husband, Ed Skripek, have lived and raised their family in Moshannon all these years.

Hello, Barb. It's going to be great to see you again.

Line of the Day...Errr, O'Day

Was discussing plans for our 50th-Year Reunion with Pauline Maloni the other day when the conversation turned to Tom O'Day, who has done yeoman's work for the event.

"Oh, Tom," said Pauline. "He was our Cary Grant."

Indeed.

- Dennis Mollura

A Story Worth Repeating

"Little Herbie" Maney with brother Homer's '39 Mercury convertible

How I got the name "Herb". When my brother Homer, Jr. returned from the service in 1946, he had not seen me since I was two years old. "Little Herbie" was a very popular comic strip at the time and was made available to the soldiers in their newspaper.

Little Herbie had a blond tuft of hair on the top of his head, not unlike the hair I was sporting at the time. When Homer Jr. first saw me, upon his return, he said, "there's Little Herbie"! Hence, I still retain that moniker to this day, and have even passed it on to our eldest son, as "Herbie".

- Herb Maney

More Photos From Planning Meeting

Chairman HerbManey sporting hand-stitched "Clearfield 59" cap sent in by Patsy McCoy Livelsberger

Tom O'Day and Rudy Schrot (St. Francis)

Proposed Chippendales entertainment sent in by Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson. See if you can spot two new members of the group.

Joyce Shugarts Undercofler, Tom O'Day, Orvis Kline, Judi Rolley White and Wilbur Shirey

Judi Rolley White and Sue Weisshaus Speicher

Joanne Shimel Magnuson and Penny Hile McCracken

- Photos by Karl Nagle

Final Planning Meeting A Great Success

PLANNING GROUP - Attending and contributing at the final planning meeting for our 50th-Year CAHS Class Reunion were: Front Row - Joyce Moody Fletcher, Joyce Amon Michaels, Chairman Herb Maney, Joyce Shugarts Undercofler and Suzanne Sherkel Nagle. Standing - Wilbur Shirey, Linda Smith Dale, Penny Hile McCracken, Joanne Shimel Magnuson, Dennis Mollura, Orvis Kline, Tom O'Day, Judi Rolley White and Rudy Schrot (St. Francis High Class of '59). Missing from photo is Susan Weisshaus Speicher, who had to leave early to catch a plane.

- Photo by Chief Photographer Karl Nagle

Highlights of the Meeting:

It's been a great several years of reuniting, planning and joviality, and now we enter the final weeks heading into our 50th-Year CAHS/St. Francis Class Reunion. The meeting on June 6 at the Shaw Library in Clearfield was well attended by 14 classmates and Rudy Schrot, representing the St. Francis High Class of 1959.

Reunion Attendance - As of the meeting date, we had 156 class members and guests signed up for the reunion, with a number of confirmed (but as yet unpaid) classmates known to be attending.

Sue Speicher's Class Booklet - One of the major highlights was a preview of our Class of '59 Information Booklet spearheaded and directed by Sue Weisshaus Speicher. It's a knockout! You won't believe how professional and creative it is. Sue flew in from Florida to attend the meeting and deliver the preview in person. We owe her a huge debt of gratitude for all her planning, designing and rounding up the photos and materials from a sometimes reluctant group of classmates.

Judi Rolley White gave a preview of the decorations to be placed around the St. Mary's Church Hall in Frenchville. Not content with mere rosebuds in a vase, Judy has rounded up a multitude of memorabilia from our high school years. Our thanks to Judi! She's a dynamo that won't stop until the last curtain falls on a great time for everyone.

Merlyn "Little Herbie" Maney guided the meeting with his usual balance of patience and no-nonsense precision. Our thanks to Herb for a fine job over these years of keeping the planning group focused on the tasks at hand. Herb somehow always manages to keep the meeting on course when everyone else seems intent on kibitzing.

Joyce Amon Michaels reviewed the food planning and also took on the task of honcho-ing the dessert contributions, which are to be donated by class members. Many thanks, Joyce! Lots of yummy treats on the way.

Karl Nagle, spouse of Suzi Sherkel Nagle, promised to deliver four wet-bottom shoo-fly pies. We are keeping score, Karl.

Wil and Karen Shirey presented a beautiful, wood-framed Memoriam to our "Class of '59 Deceased Class Members," which will be displayed at the reunion. Thanks, Wil and Karen. Great job, as always.

Patsy Livelsberger McCoy sent in a beautifully hand-stitched "Clearfield 59" baseball cap for Herb Maney in recognition of his fine job of leading the planning group. Photos of Herb in cap on the way.

Penny Hile McCracken reviewed plans for the bus tour of Clearfield. While the meeting was progressing, the ever-versatile Karl Nagle wrote a suggested tour guide script. Karl, as you may know, knows about buses and bus trips. All strictly professional, of course. Karl's spent some time with Fullington Auto Bus Company of Clearfield

Peggy Jo Knepp mailed in, via Joyce Moody Fletcher, a slightly altered photo of the Chippendales, who are lobbying hard to provide the entertainment at the reunion. Don't believe we'll take them up on this one. Watch for more on this one in future postings on this blog.

CAHS Class of '59 Blog - Tom O'Day suggested that the group consider providing printed copies of the blog as a memento and as information for classmates who don't have access to a computer. The blog came in for its share of kudos from those attending.

Joyce Moody Fletcher - Everyone agrees that the MVP of our entire effort is our own relentless, untiring, and unstoppable Joyce Moody Fletcher. While Herb keeps the meetings on course, Joyce keeps the entire effort on track. As we've said before, Joyce has worked tirelessly (and mostly alone) for many years to keep the knowledge, the records and the spirit of Clearfield Area High School alive - not only for the Class of 1959 but also the Golden Bison Alumni Association.

If you ever attended Clearfield Area High School, she has a record of it. If you've ever been "lost"or "gone missing," she'll track you down. And if you've ever died, well, she has a record of that, too. Thanks, Joyce, for all you do.

- Dennis Mollura

Reunion Planning Meeting 1 p.m. Today (June 6) at the Shaw Library in Clearfield

If you are anywhere in the neighborhood today, please plan to attend perhaps the final planning meeting for the 50th-Year Clearfield Area High School-St. Francis Class Reunion scheduled for Friday, July 31, through Sunday morning, August 2 .

Today’s planning meeting will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Shaw Library in Clearfield.

A strong gathering of classmates from CAHS and St. Francis will come together to put the final touches on the many activities scheduled for the fun-filled weekend.

Special note: A group of classmates is planning to get together for dinner this evening at the Moena Restaurant in the former McCrory’s building in downtown Clearfield. We’d love to have you join this mini-reunion of friends and classmates.

- The Reunion Planning Group

A Mother's Dream Realized

MANEY GRADUATES - Front row: Claire I. Potter (1957), Marjorie M. McCullough, (1954), G.Lamarr Roussey (1949). Back row: Merlyn L. Maney (1959), Richard L. Maney (1951), C. Dennis Maney (1945), and William Homer Maney, Jr. (1943).

The story behind the photo:

When I graduated from Clearfield Area High School in 1959, my Mother, Edith Imo (Mease) Maney expressed her joy and satisfaction in how extremely proud she, and my Father, William Homer Maney, Sr., were that all seven children had successfully completed their schooling by graduating from Clearfield High.

With seven children, and World War II in the midst of their schooling, this was apparently a rare event of that time. To commerate the occasion, she contacted CHS Principal Howard (Speedy) Mead and arranged for the loan of mortarboards and graduation gowns to permit all we children to be adorned in the ceremonial graduation dress for a group photo taken by Ward Smith at his studio in Clearfield.

Mother and Father were also included in another photo. William Homer, Jr., was fatally injured by a careless driver on Dec. 16, 1965. He was drafted in his senior year, three days after his March 26, 1945 birthday; therefore, he was in the Army at graduation time and received his diploma in absentia, never having the opportunity of the pomp and circumstance of graduation.

I believe this was a contributing factor in why Mother wanted the photo of us all in the graduation attire. C. Dennis passed away suddenly this year, on May 9, 2009.

An additional bit of info: How I got the name "Herb". When Homer, Jr. returned from the service in 1946, he had not seen me since I was two years old. "Little Herbie" was a very popular comic strip at the time and was made available to the soldiers in their newspaper.

Little Herbie had a blond tuft of hair on the top of his head, not unlike the hair I was sporting at the time. When Homer Jr. first saw me, upon his return, he said, "there's Little Herbie"! Hence, I still retain that moniker to this day, and have even passed it on to our eldest son, as "Herbie".

- Merlyn L. ("Little Herbie") Maney

Guy Graham Takes Us Through Time

Guy and Bud with Billy Shaw

Guy and Giles Lanager

Christmas 1958

Ash Woolridge, Guy and Kenny Rishel

Thanks, Guy, for sharing these terrific photos!

Through the Years with Rose McCracken Billotte

Rose McCracken Billotte sent these great through-the-years photos of her and her family. The 40th wedding anniversary cruise photo is one of several taken during fantastic family vacations on the water and on the beach. We look forward to seeing the Billottes at our 50th-Year Reunion July 31 - August 2.

Rose and husband Bill Billotte, military ball, Fort Stewart, GA - 1984

Rose and family, 40th wedding anniversary cruise

Rose in her kitchen - May 2009

Beautiful, Beautiful Biaggina

Biaggina- Age 10

Of all our classmates, I believe the one with the most beautiful name is beautiful Biaggina Accordino - now Biaggina Accordino Haas. Believe there's a song with that title but I can't seem to locate it at the moment.

Biaggina (I shall not stoop to calling her Bea) was canning strawberry preserves and drinking champagne with friends today when I called to persuade her to allow these photos to be posted on our website. It sounded like a swell party and a happy bunch of friends.

Biaggina was a key member of a very classy group of East End girls, whose charter members in our early school years were Sandi Howland, Sandra Unch, Mary Kay Garman, Rose Marie Centra, Nicoletta Mendolia, Judy Stevens, Sara Jane Brown, Jeani Lanich, Betty Jean Royer, and Barbara Marino. It was a great time to be a boy in East End but we didn't know it. We do now.



Biaggina - as a member of the CAHS Marching Band

- Posted by Dennis Mollura

Friends, and Still Together After 68 Years

Linda Smith Dale tells the story:

The friendship between Penny Hile McCracken and me goes back 68 years!!! Here is a picture taken of us with our moms on 8th Street in East End in front of Penny's aunt's home. From left are Dorothy Hastings Hile and Penny and Dorothy Spencer Smith and me. Penny and I are still the best of friends and we talk weekly.

Betsy Kephart Kruckenberg Captures Junior High Memories

Betsy Kephart Kruckenberg captured some memorable photos of faculty, students and and administration in Junior High School. Thanks to Betsy and her omnipresent camera, we now can enjoy some of those memories as we approach our 50th-year reunion. Great work, Betsy!

Mr. Elwood L. Rohrbaugh, Principal of the Junior High School, who later became Superintendent of Schools, in front of the "Old Junior High School." Great architecture, huh? Herb Maney and the blogmeister made a pact at the end of our Ninth Grade year to meet 25 years later on the steps of the school. The school didn't make it, and neither did we.

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- Dennis Mollura

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Miss Stephenson. I recall she was one of our class' all-time favorite Jr. High teachers. Perhaps someone has a story or two to share.

Miss McCune - girl's phys ed teacher shares the spotlight with a 1955 Ford Victoria and 1953 Chevy convertible. Those were the days.

Mr. Bednar - 9th grade teacher who helped inspire some of the better science projects. He could be tough on rowdy boys, too.

Last Call To Send Photo and Blurb for Our CAHS Information Booklet

Don't be left out!

This is the last call to submit a photo of yourself (any age, anywhere, preferably doing something you love) to Sue Weisshaus Speicher for inclusion in the Information Booklet she is preparing for our 50th-year reunion.

The Information Booklet Response Form should be sent by the end of the week to Sue Weisshaus Speicher, 2262 King James Court, Winter Park, FL 32792. Her e-mail address is sspeicher@ix.netcom.com.

You can send a digital photo to her e-mail address along with a short blurb on where you are, what you've been doing, and where you've been. If sending a printed photo, it should be no larger than 3 by 5 or 4 by 6 inches. Your blurb should be no longer than four typewritten lines so she can fit it in just as you've prepared it.

- The Reunion Committee

Photos from Our Younger Years

Linda Wright and Kay Skinner

- Photo by Betsy Kruckenberg


Peggy Borst, Sonia Borst, Sheila Learish and Jane Winslow.

- Photo by Judi Rolley

John Kruse, Beverly Caldwell and Penny Hile

- Photo by Peggy Jo Knepp

Anne Bartley - Love these childhood photos

Reunion Planning Meeting Scheduled for June 6

The next planning meeting for our CAHS 50th-Year Class Reunion will be held Saturday, June 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Shaw Library in Clearfield.

We'd love to have 1959 class members from CAHS and St. Francis present to offer ideas and suggestions as we head into the final planning phase for all the activities and fun scheduled for July 31-August 2.

Anna Unch Shares Photos of Classmates

Lillian Rowles - 1958


Jessie Stewart - Summer of 1958, at the "Old High School"


Anna - Summer of 1958

Anna - Maybe 1955

Thanks, Anna, for sharing these moments in front of a school that we often saw, sometimes visited, but never had the pleasure of attending. We were the first class to attend the "New High School" on Mill Road in Clearfield.