The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
SHS class of 1958 celebrates 50 years
Classmates gather at Patricia Visel Aungst's home in Saline
By Sheila Pursglove, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: July 17, 2008
The year was 1958. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president; chess maestro Bobby Fischer won the U.S. Chess Championship; rock star Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army -- and 43 members of the senior class at Saline High School graduated from Union School.
Advertisement
Many of those alumni gathered July 12 at the home of Patricia Visel Aungst and her husband, Vern, to celebrate a 50-year reunion. The Aungst home on McKay Street in Saline is just a stone's throw from the group's alma mater.
Classmates enjoyed a meal under an awning in Aungst's back yard, and an auction to raise money for the alumni fund.
The revelers enjoyed seven hours reminiscing about their youthful days at Union -- the bus ride to the roller rink in Ypsilanti; dancing after football and basketball games, and in the street all summer long; the senior trip to Washington, D.C., and New York City; the "Deep Purple" prom of their senior year; and their own graduation in the Union School gymnasium.
They also raised more than $700 in an auction for the Saline Alumni Scholarship Fund.
"It's so great for us all to get together," Aungst said. "It's so exciting. Even though we haven't seen each other for five years, the years just melt away."
Aungst is one of three "Pats" from the class, along with Pat McDougall Jensen and Pat Teachout Niethammer.
All three were winners in the Miss Saline pageant, with Niethammer named queen, Aungst first runner-up and Jensen second runner-up.
As a schoolgirl, Aungst enjoyed public speaking, acting, directing plays and working for the Saline Hornet newspaper. She and her husband, an Ypsilanti High School graduate, married shortly after graduation and will soon celebrate their golden anniversary.
Niethammer, who often drove a 1934 Packard to school from her home on Moon Road, said she still has all her books of Saline High School plays, and prom dresses, in her Texas home.
"I loved every minute of high school," she said. "My grandkids are always hearing my high school stories.
"I've been to every reunion except one. These are my friends, I love to see them all again."
Jensen remembers Principal Elmer Houghton as a "big, towering figure, always trying to scare us, but in reality he was a big teddy bear," she said.
A cheerleader in high school, and also involved in choir and voice, Jensen fondly remembers Friday night fun after football games.
Jensen, who still lives in Saline, often gets together with former classmates for lunch.
"We have great camaraderie," she said. "It's a group like no other. We've really bonded."
Beulah Robison Weisenreder, a member of that lunch group, has fond memories of Future Homemakers of America, playing drums in band and riding the school bus.
"We also had fun at slumber parties at Mary Lou Weber's place. Her mom canned dill pickles and we loved to eat them," she said.
Bob Vedder played football, baseball and basketball throughout high school.
"I remember in 1955, playing in the Huron League. It was the first year of a football championship in Saline," he said.
Vedder, who played trumpet in the band, went into the U.S. Navy after graduation, and later worked at R & B Tool in Saline for 37 years. He and his wife, Karen, now live in Mancelona.
"I've been to just about every five-year reunion and the alumni banquet," he said. "Sometimes it's hard to recognize people, but it means a lot for us all to get together."
Like Vedder and Roy McCormick joined the armed forces after graduation and served in the Marine Corps. A retired teamster, McCormick was in band and football.
"It's nice to see everybody again," he said.
Chelsea resident Jean Begole Satterthwaite graduated with her twin, Joan, who now lives in Florida.
"As twins, we shared the same role in the school play -- the part of the mother," Satterthwaite said. "So we each only had to learn half the lines.
"One of our teachers also remembered that we teased and confused him by switching seats in class."
The twins lived on a farm between Saline and Milan, and earned pocket money by playing the accordion to entertain local farmers, Satterthwaite said.
The Class of '58 chose a variety of careers. Their ranks include a doctor, lawyer, nurse, hair stylist, stock broker, banker, accountant, real estate broker, vocal teacher, manicurist, clergy, teacher, farmer, piano teacher, artist, librarian, manager, dance studio owner, plumber, electrician, machinist, cross country truck driver and several business owners. Six served in the armed forces, and at least 20 attended college.
Classmates also were committed to voluntarism and to giving back to their communities.
"We've served on boards of The United Fund, Miss Washtenaw Scholarship program, Miss Saline, Meals on Wheels, senior citizens, church boards and Washtenaw Community Education," Aungst said.
More than half still live within 30 miles of the Saline area, while 11 live in Michigan, and six call Florida home. California, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas each hold at least one alumnus.
Collectively, the class of '58 hase 103 children, more than 118 grandchildren and at least two great-grandchildren.
"We've tried to stay in touch by having a reunion every five years," said Aungst, who also hosted the 45-year reunion.
"We had a special song for graduation, 'You'll Never Walk Alone.' Pat McDougall Jensen, Kathy Raus Hoey and Joan Austin Starkey performed it for us," Aungst said.
"This was sung at our graduation and this year, 50 years later, was sung at graduation 2008."
Sheila Pursglove is a freelance writer. She can be reached at bingley51@yahoo.com.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
