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This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Karsten Boerger

Picnic report:

After a drenching deluge, skies cleared and the day was perfect. The committee had planned everything down to the last detail, and everyone enjoyed the benefits of their efforts. The setting was gorgeous, food delicious, door prizes very generous, and the white elephants were a gas (Gordie - did you ever find those poker chips?). We had a great time gossiping about all of you who didn't show up (of course we didn't !). What a great class.

(I'm still a little sad about the blue chicken, however)

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Okay, I'll bite. Blue chicken?????

Jim Cejka

Terri,

It's September in WI. The chicken is probably feeling the cold already.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Terri - The blue wooden chicken was, to my mind, the most attractive of the white elephant offerings. Apparently I was not the only one who found him irresistible.

Nancy

Coleen Kober (Marshall)

Thanks to all who attended the picnic. We had a huge downpour for the first hour--but since we had a pavilion we stayed dry.  We even had 2 classmates attend who were listed as not found for the 50th!  We had a great time!!  I had lots of requests  for the committee to plan another one next year.  I am willing to get over the the Waukesha County Courthouse at 6 am -on Jan 2 , 2014 to reserve the park for next Sept.  Hopefully, I can talk the rest of the committee into planning another one. 

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Ah -- I would have been also drawn to a blue wooden chicken, to peck around in my garden! I am sorry to have missed the picnic; just couldn't make it back to WI this year! But I definitely will try for next year, if you have it. I would have even enjoyed a good ol' Wisconsin downpour; we have those rarely in CA - although one managed to appear last week. I think climate change is starting to shift Wisconsin weather out here to CA. We even had HUMIDITY along with the downpour!

Carol Albers (Pederson)

Whew!!  Glad to hear that the picnic was a hit.  A number of people said that they loved the location and had a great time catching up with old friends.  Many thanks again to Colleen for being an  early riser in the dead of a WI winter to get the park permit.  As to the report of "some" rain, we prefer to call it liquid sunshine here in the midwest.  At least we didn't have to contend with any forest fires.  (Sorry about that Calfornia people.  You are in our thoughts)

Thanks to those classmates who stayed and helped the committee with the clean up. 

Bill Koepp was our winner for the classmate that came the furthest. (Torrence CA)   Sorry Bill, we forgot to have a prize for that,   Hope our company and your white elephant prize was sufficient.  We enjoyed visiting with you.

It is a pleasure to be a member of this hard-working committee.

Thanks to everyone who came!

Jim Cejka

To the Northern CA part of the California Custer Contingent - 

Do you have room for another up there? My wife and I just bought a house in Lincoln and am wondering if you can squeeze us in?

Lauren Dieterich

Picnic was a blast. Although, it was sad to see what has happened to Custer Senior High School; RIP. If there is a picnic next year; you can count on Judi and I coming. And, Mitch; thanks again for the Grand Door prize. Although, it will be the end of next May before we can take advantage of it. We leave for Arizonz in 2 weeks and won't be back in Michigan until about May 14th.  BTW, that is a beautiful dog that you have.

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim, speaking for myself, you and your wife are very welcome here, I'll find room for you!  Lincoln is not very far from Woodland.

Hey Garry!  How about we do a Custer reunion up here in NorCal?  We have enough people living around here for a picnic!

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Jim - welcome to NorCal! Looks like you're in the wilds of the foothills of the Sierras. Maybe you'l find gold! It is beautiful country there, and judging from a little virtual trip down the Main Street of Lincoln, you'll get a good dose of small town living!

Christopher Marx

Jim, The big Dell Web seniors living center is there.  ?!???

Jim Cejka

Hey Chris,

Yep, the Dell Webb thing spreads all over hill and dale on one side of the town. A little above my class though. 

I noticed before you lived up in that general direction and when we get up there was going to call and pull your leg about tossing the old football around on a Sunday afternoon. 'Course now it might be more handing it from my lounge chair to yours. Also, don't have a car with a ding-dong bell anymore.

Good to hear from you.

Christopher Marx

I was going to ask what ever happened to the red candy Pontiac with the cool bell/horn. I have lived in Chico since 75. My old company's claim to fame is building Sierra Nevada Brewing. We are building his new plant in North Carolina. When they are brewing it takes me back to Milwaukee. Come on up, l will buy you a cold one.

Jim Cejka

My dad wore the bell out after I left for the Navy.

I'll take you up on that beer, and then you can tell me how many pairs of boots you got out of that croc.

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

Just wanted to take a moment to say that the Planning Committee did a GREAT job for our picnic!  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Hope we do it again next year.

Garry Sellers

So snail mail actually brought me a whole bunch of photos of the picnic from Sandy!  I'd get them up on the website but I'm leaving for ... of all places ... Milwaukee in the morning!  And then up to Eagle River.  I am hoping there's no snow!  At least the Packers won so I won't have to hear grumblings about the 49'ers from my siblings  .... who at the moment look sleepless in Seattle.

Jim Cejka

NEW - Wine for Seniors 

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Lauren Dieterich

Hey, where'd everyone go.

Leave for Arizona ( Bullhead City ) next Monday; with a stop in Dallas and El paso. Expect to be there on that Saturday. Will be coming back in the middle of next May.

Mitch, I'll give you a call sometime in April; about our 2 night stay at your Quarry House; looking forward to that.

And for all you Northerner's; stay warm. The wooly caterpillars say that it's going to be a cold winter.

Jim Cejka

Lauren,

You're right, that must have been some picnic. No one's been heard from since. Think we need to call Elmbrook Hospital and find out how many they took care of?

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Aha! That explains it. . . .the picnic! Heading down to SoCal tomorrow to get away from the rain that's predicted here. I'll get to wear my summer clothes a little longer. I do get a kick out of the realization that the same big harvest moon I'm looking at out the window is shining on all the Custer '62 grads, in all the far-flung places weve moved to!

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

And, Terri, it was a beauty last night. We had friends for dinner, and took a "goodbye to summer" pontoon ride before eating. This weekend it joins the sailboat on land. Taking down the mast and hauling that boat out was pretty sad this year - we'd been so busy that it never got away from the dock. It's a lot of work just to look at it from the deck (or the sandbox, where I spent a lot of time this summer). As most of you know, having a 2 year old grandchild around cuts heavily into gardening and sailing time. We came pretty late to this stage, as I know many of you have grandchildren much older, with even a few great-grandchildren here and there! How lucky for you who have been able to see them grow, and even graduate and go to college. I've not yet met anyone who hasn't found being a grandparent one of life's greatest joys.

(A heavy dose of nostalgia with my morning coffee, as I look at the turning leaves across the lake.........) 

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Terri--

Unfortunately, for us, this month's full moon was blotted out by clouds and rain. But I, too, have experienced that realization of the "same moon" shining on people, but not just a shining in the present tense, but in a combination of the past and present. Many years ago, we were in Egypt, sitting in the desert watching a sound and light show in front of the pyramids on the Fourth of July. On that evening there was a full moon adding its special ambience. I remember pondering how that same moon shining for us shone on the builders of those magnificent structures over 3.000 years ago, but with one difference...the American flag which was now "planted" on the moon's surface! This was an evening never to forget.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Jeanne, I remember so clearly the night that flag was "planted", and the window through which our older daughter (then just four) watched and marveled, "I can't see them".

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Did anyone who DIDN'T attend the picnic order the CUSTER CHRONICLE packet? If so, did you receive it?