Members of Monroe-Woodbury's Class of 1964 come together for 50th reunion

MONROE — The Monroe-Woodbury High School's Class of 1964 recently held its 50th reunion at Lemoncello in Goshen, attended by 50 people, including 30 classmates.

George Carney provided the music and the alumni danced to the songs that each had selected in the year book as their favorites.

On Friday evening prior to the reunion, an informal get together was held at The Captain’s Table in Monroe.

And on Sunday following the reunion, a wrap up afternoon was held at the home of Ed and Sandy Leonard.

The reunion was organized by Dorothy Kogan Newman and Wanda Abrams Herr. They are to be congratulated on a superb job.

Anyone having information on any of the classmates is asked to contact Dottie, Wanda or Ed and Sandy for future get-togethers (eleonard@frontiernet.net).

It was the best of times
The Graduating Class of 1964 was the first class to go through the Monroe-Woodbury School System under centralization from kindergarten to 12th grade.

When they graduated, this class of 152 young men and women was the largest group to ever graduate and its members garnered more scholarship money than anyone before them - $78,000.

They received their diplomas from Marilyn Stahl, president of the Board of Education.

They were a class of leaders and achievers. It was the best of times. They represented the leading edge of the “Baby Boomers” (most being born in 1946) and were coming of age.

They were always expected to achieve their personal best.

Lorraine Kroposki was the valedictorian and Richard Coppola was the salutatorian.

Eight students graduated with Honors: Lellani Green, Ruth Kirk, Katherine Esnes, William Coughlin, Ann Stevens, Nancy Olsen, Katherine Miller and Beth Ann Lowey.

Class officers were Ed Leonard, president; Marsh Merrill, vice-president; Kate Miller, secretary; and Fran Betola, treasurer.

Baccalaureate Services were held in a variety of houses of worship. Their commencement speaker was Rev. Winslow D. Shaw. He had been the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Monroe for many years and was the father of one of the classmates, Barbara Shaw.

An an old teacher
The 50th reunion was also attended by Ed Stoddard, former supervising principal in Chester, who started his career at Monroe-Woodbury.

He had this class as his first class of eighth grade American History students and then again a majority of them passed as his first Regents class in high school in their junior and senior year.

They all passed together they managed to achieve a 100 All were welcome guests and have maintained friendships with class members over the years.

In the inimitable words of the old Monroe Gazette: “And a good time was had by all.”