30-Year Reunion

            Graham High School Class of 1981

Thirty-Year Class Reunion:

 It’s hard to believe 30 years have past since we walked the halls of Graham High School. In some ways it seems like yesterday and others not so much. It sure was good to see everyone once again. I believe everyone had a great time renewing old friendships. Once again, Terri Nash Cole put together a fantastic lineup of events for all of us to enjoy. Thank you again, Terri!

We kicked off the weekend on Friday night with a tailgate party in front of Mitchell Stadium. We gathered around our Class of 1981 canopy and enjoyed great conversation and excellent food. We had barbecue pork and chicken along with several great side dishes. After some time of socializing and eating, several of us attended the annual Graham/Beaver football game. The game was out of hand by halftime, so most of us made our way back to our canopy for more conversation. We wrapped up the evening around midnight. 

On Saturday morning, several of our classmates gathered in front of Graham High School for a tour of the school and the new athletic facility. The tour was great and we shared stories from our days in school as we made our way through the halls of Graham High. We then made our way to the City Park for a picnic. The highlight was gathering around the picnic tables and looking at old Junior High and High School yearbooks. We had some good laughs looking at some of the Junior High pictures. Thanks to Karen Williamson for bringing the yearbooks. 

Once again the highlight of the weekend was a cocktail social, dinner, and dance at Fincastle Country Club. One highlight was a slideshow that included our lives today as well as High School photos and past reunions. We enjoyed music from our day as we mingled. Later in the evening, several of our classmates hit the dance floor. All of you who danced should know that all eyes were on you. My wife noted that Roger Waddell had the most rhythm. I was impressed with all of you out there. 

For dinner we enjoyed Lemon-Crusted Tilapia, Beef Tenderloin, Stuffed Potato, Green Beans, Tossed Salad, Rolls, & Dessert Bar. The food was outstanding! After dinner we lined up for a class picture. The class photo revealed that we had 35 classmates in attendance.

Later in the evening we had a short program where we recognized some of our classmates:  

Traveled Farthest: Lynn Owensby

Married Longest: Wanda Wallace

Youngest Child: Michael Simpson

Most Grandchildren: Roger Waddell (I think)

We joked about some other things…grayest hair, most wives, etc…, but I’m not going to mention any names.

We also acknowledged that we are blessed to live in a free country, where we are secure in our individual rights and liberties. We all agreed that gift of freedom does not come free. We gave tribute to our classmates who have sacrificially served our country:

Mike Nash

Kevin Puckett

Thomas French

Kyle Wiley

Vance Barskile

Melanie Bailey

John Walker

Richard Carbaugh

Donald Lockhart

Janice Ledbetter

Before we knew it the evening had run its course and we departed our separate ways around midnight.

May God bless all of you until we meet again!