Class of 1973 celebrates 50 years

Alumni and guests gathered at Wahama High School on May 27 for the 61^st annual alumni banquet.   The Class of 1973 was the honored guests celebrating 50 years.  

Alumni were greeted and registered by Judy Duncan McWhorter, Judy Finnicum Eblin, Diane Finnicum, Mary Foster Hendricks and Beverly Carson Knapp. 

Rex Howard, president of the alumni association, welcomed everyone to the banquet.  The invocation was given by Donald Dye from the Class of 1973.  The meal was prepared by Broken Bread Catering.

Corsages and boutonnieres were presented to the graduates from the Class of 1946 through the Class of 1959.  Sonya Yonker Roush recognized veterans by announcing the name and branch of the military.  

Bill Gibbs from the Class of 1973 recognized the deceased classmates.  Michael Wolfe also from the class of 1973 told about the naming of Wahama by Bertha Filson, whose granddaughter, Julia Flatery, attended the banquet.  During the distribution of door prizes Ms. Flatery offered a $1,000 scholarship next year in exchange for a Christmas ornament with a picture of the old school.

The WHS Scholarship Committee, consisting of Beverly Carson Knapp, Judy Finnicum Eblin, Diane Finnicum and Rex Howard awarded $10,500 in scholarships.  Beverly Carson Knap announced the recipients of the scholarships and Jim Stewart presented them to the following members of the Class of 2023:   $1,000 AFS Individual award from a Wahama Alumnus to Rhyan Kase Stewart of Letart, son of Rocky (1993) and Jessica (1999) Ord Stewart. Judy Duncan McWhorter presented a $500 scholarship in memory of her brother, Raymond Duncan (1970) who passed away this year to Amber Wolfe.  She is the daughter of Mike (1986) and Ann (1983) Lewis Wolfe.  Amber also received an Alumni scholarship of $500.  The other $500 Alumni scholarship went to Austin Nicholson of Mason. Chloris Machir Gaul presented a special $1,000 scholarship given by Christine Hoffman Mays (1973) for a student going into the nursing profession to Logan Roach of Letart.  He is the son of Krista (2003) and Chris (1996) Roach.     

The Alumni Association’s special fund for scholarships enabled the Association to award seven $1,000 scholarships to the following seniors:  Selene Aguirre of Mason, daughter of Martha Ayala and Rafael Aguirre; Jace Ervin of Mason, son of Jason and Jodi Roush (1998) Ervin; Quinel Jones of Letart, daughter of Melissa Tyree (1992); Alivia Layne of New Haven, daughter of Brad (1983) and Amy Layne; Mikie Lieving of New Haven, daughter of Wes and Amanda Broadwater Lieving (both 1996); Josiah Lloyd of New Haven, son of Jeremy (1987) and Heather Lockhart (1993) Lloyd; and Emma Young of New Haven,  daughter of Josh (1999) and Mary Riffle (1998) Young.  Alumni who are unable to attend the banquet are encouraged to pay dues and make donations to the scholarship fund. 

A special scholarship was presented by Alan Hart (Class of 1968).  This $1,000 scholarship was in memory of Reggie Hart (Class of 1965) who passed away in 2021, and was given by the Hart family to Andrew Roush, son of Jodie and Teresa Roush.

A short business meeting was conducted and officers were elected for 2023.  New officers are:  President Rex Howard; Co-President Jim Stewart; Vice President Chloris Machir Gaul; Co-Vice President Sonya Yonker Roush; Treasurer Diane Finnicum; Secretary Beverly Carson Knapp; Historian Susan Zuspan Winebrenner; and Committee Members Judy Duncan McWhorter, Mary Foster Hendricks and Judy Finnicum Eblin.  Rex announced that more people are needed on the committee and they should contact one of the officers if they are willing to help.

Kent Sayre (Class of 1973) from Livingston, Texas received a gift for traveling the farthest to the banquet.  Door prizes were given from the following sponsors:  Broken Bread Catering, City National Bank, Crowning Glory, Farmers Bank, HA Café food truck, Hogg & Zuspan, Mountaineer Financial Service-Ken Bass Insurance, AEP Mountaineer Plant, Bob Evans Restaurant, Foglesong-Casto Funeral Home, Ohio Valley Bank, Oopsa Daisy, Rio Bravo Mexican Restaurant, Advance Auto Parts, Auto Options, Cornerstone Barber Outfitters, Tenant Lawn Care, Bob’s Market & Greenhouses and Walmart.  

The following classmates attended the banquet: 

Class of 1948 – Kathleen  Grinstead Roush, New Haven; 

Class of 1953 – Wilford Scarberry, Point Pleasant;

Class of 1954 – Phyllis Williams Gilkey, Clifton; John Pete Roush, Gallipolis;  Jim Stewart, Chester; Ruth Lieving Roush, Letart;

Class of 1956 – Carolyn Bennett Allensworth, Mason; Betty Jones Rawlings & Todd Rawlings, Mason; James (Roberta) Roush, Gallipolis;

Class of 1958 – Edna Crump Scarberry, Pont Pleasant; Agnes Young Roush, Mason; Linda Brinker Meadows, Letart; Sharon Berry Hoffman, Letart;

Class of 1959 – Larry Edwards; 

Class of 1961 – Susan Zuspan Winebrenner, Syracuse; Agnes Young Roush, Mason; Linda Brinker Meadows, Letart, Sharon Berry Hoffman;

Class of 1962 – Jimmy Bennett, Mason; Sharon Parsons Fox, Cottageville, WV; Alice Snyder (John) Hunter, Pataskala, OH; Kenneth Vickers, New Haven;

Class of 1963 – Chloris Machir Gaul, Pomeroy; Dewey (Nicolyn) Smith, Bidwell; Charles Yonker, New Haven; Paul & Carolyn Hesson, Letart; Dannie Harbour, New Haven; Kenny (Linda) Reynolds, New Haven; Dewey (Nicolyn) Smith, Bidwell; Judy (Curtis) Ball Hunt; 

Class of 1965 – Judy Duncan McWhorter, Point Pleasant; Judy Finnicum Eblin, Rutland OH; Mary Foster Hendricks, Mason; Roy Dale Grimm, New Haven;

Class of 1966 – Bonnie Blake (Gary) Crabtree, Parkersburg; Nancy Proffitt, Mason; 

Class of 1967 – Jennifer Zerkle (Allison Curtioff) Hart, Hurricane; 

Class of 1968 – Gary (Penny) Green, Wellston OH; Sandra Greer (James) Shell, New Haven; Sonya Yonker Roush, Letart; Syracuse OH; Sandra Gibbs (Archie) Morris, Huntington; Kathy Roush Rickard, New Haven;, Ravenswood; James Alan (Millie) Hart, Cool Ridge, WV;

Class of 1969 – Phyllis Grimm Hoffman, New Haven;

Class of 1970 – Beverly Carson Knapp, West Columbia; Nora Friend Orndorff, Pomeroy, Terry (Elizabeth Jane) Foreman, Colonial Beach, VA;

Class of 1972 –  Linda Roush Fields, Hartford; Debra Gilland Roush, Mason; Ray Fields, Racine.

Celebrating their 50-year reunion, the following attended from the  Class of 1973 – Pam Weaver Elias, Letart;  Donnie Dye, Letart; William Gibbs, Parkersburg; Charlotte Grimm Gilley, Point Pleasant; Michael Ohlinger, Randallstown, MD; Jayne Hart (Michael) Purich, Sharon, PA; Gary Russell, Mascoutal IL; Michael (Julia Flatery) Wolfe, Lake Mills, WI; Judy Lieving, Ripley;  William (Lisa) Brinker, Letart; Jean Harrah Grimm, Letart; Kent Sayre, Livingston TX; Vernon (Gayle) Roush Jr., Gallipolis; Johnny Roush, Reedsville; Rob & Frances Wristen Lambert, Beverly OH;  Mike (Karen Foreman); 

Class of 1975 – Diane Finnicum & Rex Howard, New Haven;

Class of 1981 – Larry (Dottie) Gibbs, Lesage;

Class of 1998 – Megan Harrah and Jodi Roush Ervin; 

Class of 2022 — Riley Hankinson;

Class of 2023 – Selene Agjirre, Austin Nicholson, Jace Ervin, Kase Stewart.

Submitted by Beverly Knapp.

(Editor’s note: Community news items can be emailed to Mason County Extra Edition at masoncountyextraedition@gmail.com for publication consideration.)