A class that's still close after 67 years

The Baker High School class of 1943 had its 67-year reunion last weekend, with 18 attending, along with spouses and children. Seated in the front row, from left to right, are: Clarene Powell Rohner, Marion Whisman Gudgel, Juanita Boyce VanCleave, William Tebeau, Norma Randall Cartwright, Colleen Clough Anderson. Middle row, left to right: Colleen Howell DeGrofft, Freida Wood George, Betty Schuck Balch, Jean Howard Massie, Betty Cook Allen. Back row, left to right: Dwight Riggs, Leilah Leasy Bishop, Paul Thomason, Eugene Wolfe, George Balch, Murl Anderson, Sid Johnson.

By LISA BRITTON
Baker City Herald

The class of 1943 had quite the childhood — surviving the Great Depression and then going straight into World War II.

But those aren’t the main stories Baker High classmates told during their 67-year reunion Saturday in Baker City.

A certain algebra teacher named Carl Kligel was the main topic.

“Remember how he could land the book?” Freida (Wood) George said to her tablemates.

“He could stand at the front of the room and throw a book at you no matter where you sat,” Clarene (Powell) Rohner said.

Then Colleen (Howell) DeGrofft added: “He used to throw everything.”

Of the 40 classmates on the mailing list, 18 gathered last weekend to visit and reminisce.

This reunion almost didn’t happen.

“They were going to stop having reunions because it was too much work, so we volunteered,” said Sue Schwee, the daughter of Paul Thomason.

After the 65-year reunion in 2008, Schwee, Sandi Jacobs, Cheri and Janine Tebeau and Susan Neff formed a committee and started planning.

This class first met every 10 years, then shortened to five-year reunions. Recently it’s been every three years.

This was probably their last organized reunion.

But they made sure it was a good one.

Each classmate received a gift bag with a reunion DVD, a mug inscribed with everyone’s name, a print out of “The Baker Hi Log” from May 19, 1943, and a box of vintage Crayola crayons brought by George Balch. Also, Janine Tebeau-Jemerson (daughter of Bill Tebeau) made fleece blankets embroidered with “BHS Class of 1943.”

As she looked out over the crowd, Schwee couldn’t help but brag a little about the accomplishments — a published author, the first African-American to graduate from Oregon State University, winners of raquetball and handball tournaments, and the many who served in World War II.

“We have freedom today because of the people in this room,” Schwee said.

A few young men dropped out before graduation to join the Navy — later their officers wrote to Baker High to say that each deserved a diploma.

Most of the men in the class joined the military.

“We just went to work — and waited and waited,” Freida George said with a laugh.

Jeannie (Howard) Massie went to San Francisco and worked in the office of warm information as a radio technician.

“We broadcast in 27 different languages to the South Pacific,” she said.

Their mission was the counteract the anti-American propaganda being dispensed by the Tokyo Rose.

“We were hush-hush, top secret,” she said.