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Reunion Events
Updated: June 3, 2004 |
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2004 Marvell High Reunion a Full Day of Fun, Nostalgia
and Old Friendship Renewals
From the overcast skies in the morning through the welcomed shade of the
Catawba trees in the afternoon to the last dance Saturday night, the Marvell
High School Reunion brought warm memories and lots of alumni back to dear,
sweet Marvell. By 10:00 when the Reunion officially began, a large crowd had
already formed at the registration tent manned by Ruth Helen Remley, Floye
Dean Hollowell, The Mummel Girls and other volunteers. Free orange and grape
Nehis and moonpies reminded us all of a simpler time. Mayor Clark Hall
addressed the early crowd under the purple and gold "Welcome Home" banner.
It was good to hear a public prayer and to pledge allegiance with old
friends led by Tommy Guthrie. Coach Corkran, Coach Crone and Principal Jerry
Haley recalled fun times and winning seasons from their days at Marvell
High. Also spotted in the crowd were former teachers Mrs. Rachel Rogers,
Mrs. Elizabeth Washburn, Mrs. Carrie Davison, Mrs. Ginny Cowsert, Mrs. Betty
Jo Hall, Mrs. Grace Henderson, Mrs. Rosemary Collins, Mrs. Vivian Word, and
Mr. Jesse Collins.
Thanks to The Gospel Express and The Cypress Creek Band for a daylong
sentimental journey through our musical roots. "Gloria," "Stand By Me," and
of course "Shout!" highlighted three sets by Cypress Creek. Mixon Van Meter
sang "The House of the Rising Sun" and other favorites with the band. What a
voice! Shannon Ford (or was it Patsy Cline herself?) belted out "Crazy." But
nothing thrilled the crowd more than Frances Hindsley Story "shakin’ a tail
feather," backside to the audience.
What cherished memories came flooding back to everyone of junior plays,
assemblies and pep rallies as we sat in The Auditorium for the Womanless
Beauty Pageant. Grace Henderson quipped innuendoes and clever ad-libs to
keep the pageant moving along as Master of Ceremonies. Alan Hirsch, Jr.,
David Henderson, Bruce Hayes and others made up into "beautiful women,"
which was more than a little scary. Marvell memorabilia from Alan and Mary
Anne Hirsch’s football and basketball jackets to old photos of Main Street
and Senior play programs drew bidders to the silent auction. Hamburgers,
fried fish, boiled crawfish and jambalaya were all available. Each class gathered individually for class pictures beside Mrs. Lazenby’s
Home Ec Building.
The highlight of the day was The Superior Seniors of ’66 pulling off the
Tug O’ War against the Juniors (Class of ’67) in less than a New York
minute. No real challenge there! That settles that forever!
It was good to renew friendships with alumni who moved away and returned
for the day. Among others were Mary Frances Orme, Paul and Doris Foree, Anna
Lee Williams, Molly Molitor, Charles Clark, DeVaney and Barbara Pope, Jack
Cooke, Bill Clariana and Rosa Lee Whitson and Pat George. It was especially
good to see senior alumni present, including Howard and Clarice Holtzclaw
Willis, Earl Norton, Irene Bonner Foree, Suzanne McElroy Bratcher, Boy
Fielder, Jane Pope Glass and Dorothy Tschabold Watkins.
Several of the classes had dinners together that evening and the rest
joined together for a delicious barbecue. Gloria Higginbotham and Cindy
Tschabold had transformed Betty Davidson’s store into a Marvell Mustangs’
Senior Prom. Then Alex Ward cranked up the jukebox for an evening of bopping
and twisting and rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ the night away. Spotted on the dance
floor cutting a rug were Rosemary Reed and Jesse Collins, Pam and Allen
Culp, Linda and Ben Story and Jo and Bill Turner. Many of us had forgotten
that the best dancers in Marvell are The Bartletts. That family can move!
Thanks to Reunion Chairman Ben Story, Mary Hall Bloesch, Pam Culp, Gloria
Higginbotham, Cindy Tschabold, Beverly Davison Helmke, Richard Wooten and
Nickie and Carolyn Criddle Alexander and the entire Reunion Committee for
all the hours of planning, meeting, creating, decorating and physically
WORKING to pull The Reunion off. A job well done! From all of us who moved
away to all of you who stayed to make Marvell the quaint, little town that
it is, we appreciate all your efforts. It was a day we’ll always remember!
(Posted with permission of author, Mike Garner, Class of 1966)
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The reunion is over. We hope you had a great time. We will do it
again in a few years. If you have any suggestions on how we can
improve the next reunion, please email us. The only way we will know
what you would like to see and enjoy is for you to tell us. We are glad you attended.
The unofficial total on MHS
students attending is 308. We will post the names on the "attendee"
page when we have time. We will post pictures when we have time.
If you have any comments about the reunion, please post them on the
guestbook so that all may enjoy them.
We will post more information later on items which may be on interest to
you.
Thank you for attending.
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Old Marvell High School needs
your help to survive!
The Marvell Civic Club has
leased the old MHS building on College Street where we all went to school --
some of you even went all twelve years there. The lease is nominal,
but the upkeep is tremendous! Here is what you can do to help keep up
this wonderful old building that holds so many memories for so many of us:
Send in a donation.
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THE
REUNION
April 29, 2006
RAIN OR SHINE --
IF IT RAINS, ALL EVENTS WILL BE IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING
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10:30
a.m. |
Registration
begins at the old MHS building (If anyone wants to come early to help with
set-up, please do so. We can use the help.)
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10:30
a.m. |
Music on stage -- Gospel Express
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11:30
a.m. |
Official
Welcome -- Alma Mater, Pledge of Allegiance, Prayer, Words from our
teachers, coaches, principals, and others
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12:00
noon |
Lunch of
hamburger, chips, and drink/water will be provided free to each registrant
and his/her guest. The caterer will offer additional burgers,
chips, drinks, and water for a reasonable price throughout the afternoon.
Bo Lumpkin Parker and her husband were scheduled to cook & sell jambalaya with all
proceeds going to the MHS building fund, but Bo's husband will not be able
to make the trip. If you read earlier that they were cooking, this is
to let you know that this has changed.
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12:00 noon |
Music on stage -- Cypress Creek Band |
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1:00
p.m. |
Entertainment
in the auditorium -- M.C. Johnny McGill (Class of 1966) will introduce Elvis and Patsy Cline
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2:00
p.m. |
Music on stage -- Shannon Ford and her band (jazz & blues). She sang
with Cypress Creek at the last reunion and was a great hit. Now, she
has her own band.
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3:00
p.m. |
Field Events:
Lawn
mower races -- We need smart drives with spouses or companions who are
smarter than the drivers and love to give directions (ones who excel as
backseat drives, usually females).
Tug-of-war
between classes -- The Class of 1967, reigning champions, has agreed to accept the challenge of
the
class of '66. Other classes are invited to join the challenge, if
brave enough.
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4:00
p.m. |
Music on stage -- Cypress Creek, featuring Marvell's own Delta Darlings,
with a couple of male backup singers to help the Darlings out.
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5:00
p.m. |
Close
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6:00
p.m. |
Methodist
Youth group will offer a spaghetti dinner at the Methodist Church for
$6.00 per plate. If you have a group planning to eat there, please
call 870-829-3178 to let them know the approximate number in your group.
It helps them for planning purposes.
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8:00
p.m. |
Dance -- Alex
Ward (known as Bobby Ward to all of us when he was with WMPS in the 1960's)
will spin his records (now CD's, of course) from the 1950's, 1960's and
1970's at
Randy Gibbons' AG airstrip hanger (4.4 miles south of town just off Highway 1, South).
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NOTE: |
The more
you put into the reunion, the more you and your classmates
will get out of it. We need volunteers to help with several details,
including set-up, registration, clean-up, cheerleaders, singers, event
coordinators, event participants, et cetera. Please consider this
request to help the make this reunion a memorable event for all of us.
If you are willing to help, please contact us at
committee@marvellreunion.com.
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