Huron High School Class of 1966

                                                                                                                                    
    Merry Christmas 2007 to Everyone in the Class of '66!

    The year has spun on down towards the end and I do believe they go faster the older you get.  Most of us
    are  "in the boat" of celebrating one of those big,  momentous birthdays----------the big 6-0!  Be sure to
    celebrate and make good memories of this time in your life, too.  All of our years are gifts.  
       
    There are updates on some of our classmates lives on the website.  If you have any news or interesting
    anecdotes or pictures you would like to pass along, be sure to use the contact page on this site.  Hey!
    Pictures of that Big 6-0 birthday would be great!  Remember that you can enlarge the pictures on
    the site by clicking on the picture.  
  
    I know that the booklet is on many of your minds; is it done; is it lost in the mail; what's the matter
    with that woman, she doesn't "get the job done"?  I don't have an excuse; it just isn't finished.  It's
    here on my computer, but not in finished form.  I know that some of you have different addresses, phone
    numbers, email's by now.  If you will inform me of your changes, I can get them in the booklet for you.  One
    of these days when you least expect it.................
   
    The next reunion -the 45th- is 3 1/2 years away; ideas and suggestions and helping hands are always
    welcome.  

    Blessings to all of you as we enter 2008!

    Margaret Hawley Lehr


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                                                                                  NEWS ITEMS
                                                                    (update December 27, 2007)

  • Please keep Diane Hofer Kleinsasser in your thoughts and prayers.  She is undergoing breast cancer
    treatment again, this is the third time and it has spread.  Diane has worked as the activities director at the
    Huron Nursing Home for a long time, and worked through her treatments until this time.  She finally
    decided that she needed to take a leave of absence and concentrate on herself.  Several of us had lunch
    and visited with her in September at the Woman's Day Expo in Huron.  Diane is a wonderful upbeat
    person who keeps everyone wondering how she keeps so positive in her outlook.  You don't hear "poor
    me" or any of that kind of talk from her.  She has great faith in her doctor and staff, her friends and family
    and her God; that is her key....great faith.  If you would like to let her know you are thinking of her, this is her
    mailing address and phone number:
    Diane Kleinsasser
    36 Pennington SW
    Huron, SD  57350
    (605) 352-5533

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  • Mr. James Solon, Principal at HHS passed away on December 2, 2007 in Spearfish, SD.  The  following
    is an editorial written by Roger Kasa of the Plainsman

    ....Jim loved the students who attended during his 20-year reign at Huron High School. And his recent
    passing probably touched the lives of hundreds of students he came in contract with.  "He was the best
    school man I ever worked with," Turnwall said in a recent telephone interview . "I tell you he controlled the
    atmosphere in the school."

    In 1986, Jim became an important part of my life. He had undergone heart surgery and rode a bicycle all
    over town for exercise purposes.  When I returned home from having bypass heart surgery, I slumped into
    a long depression.
    Solon picked this up almost immediately and camped outside our house on a daily basis, calling my
    name; trying to get me to come out and walk or ride with him. I didn't immediately respond to his requests,
    but eventually he got through to me and I am eternally grateful.   His never-give-up attitude was what I
    needed at that time in my life. And Turnwall said Solon was the kind of administrator "who made the
    superintendent look good."
  
    When Solon lived in Rapid City he played on the American Legion baseball team that has dominated the
    South Dakota scene for years. He also was an all-state basketball player in high school.  In addition,
    Turnwall told me something else about the man I didn't know. "He was an accomplished singer," he said.
    Turnwall said Solon's wife, Eileen "did a marvelous job of taking care of him" in recent years as he
    suffered from Parkinson's disease.

    I can remember being in the school when Solon unloaded on a couple of misbehaving students. He didn't
    hold anything back; letting the students know they had done something wrong and had better shape up, or
    else.  I admired him for that as I felt students sometimes are treated with a soft glove and don't understand
    what discipline is all about.

    As a member of the Huron High School Hall of Fame Committee I played a role in inducting this man into
    the Hall of Fame. He was an avid sports fan who loved "his Tigers."
    I was disappointed when Solon moved back to the Rapid City area in 1988, but grateful for having met
    and known the man. Like Turnwall said: "He was a super guy."

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  • Georgiana (Pinky) Clifton Ferry passed away on November 23, 2007 in Japan.  Pinky had been living
    and teaching elementary school for the Department of Defense for 21 years.  Her husband Chuck, retired
    from the Navy many years ago and they remained in Japan so Pinky could continue teaching.  Pinky is
    survived by 2 sons; David, an architect in St. Louis and Brian who works for Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.  
    Pinky  had a condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension.  Pinky's younger sister Lesa, can be
    reached at 605-226-2767

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  • Connie Peterson Thomas (Bob) of Huron passed away on April 5, 2007.  Connie suffered a stroke but
    she had been ill for many years.  Many years ago she donated a kidney to an older brother, Dennis, who  
    had diabetes.

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    Our thoughts and prayers are extended to these classmates whom we know have had deaths in
    their families since our last email:

  • Sympathy is sent out to Carolyn Clemetson Schroeder of Omaha, NE on the death of her father, Virgil
    of Pine Bluff, AR on November 25, 2007
  • Rosanne Rasmussen Schroder's mom, Ruth passed away on November 25, 2007
  • Cathy Morse Carlson's sister, Marilyn Shafer (HHS '68) of Brookings passed away October 27
  • Frank Martin's son, First LT. Thomas M. Martin a graduate of West Point, died in Iraq on October 14th
  • Dennis Lyftogt's mom, Geraldine Speirs of Mill, on August 31
  • Sandi Williams Peddinghaus's dad, Donald of Huron, on August 16.  Sandi wasn't able to be at the
    reunion last summer because her daughter was making her a grandma for the 1st time.  Some of us had
    supper with her one night when she was home earlier in the summer.
  • Regie Rae Wintle Brandford's dad, John of Huron on July 26
  • Beth Olson Duerre's mom, Maxine
  • Gail Hodges's mom Joyce of Winston, OR, on June 1st.  Joyce was the best pie baker I knew!!
  • Jim Treadway's mom, Henrietta of Rapid City, on May 8th
  • William Thompson's mom, Florence of Key West, FL, on April 23rd.  She and her husband, Warren
    owned Northwest College of Commerce from 1960-1975.  
  • Ted Groves's mom, Marietta of Scramento, CA, on April 2nd.  She and her husband owned Groves
    Construction for many years.
  • Larry Miller's 49 year old brother Mike, of Huron passed away January 13



    You can visit the Plainsman or any of Huron's Funeral Homes for the full Obituaries