Reunion of Rod's High School Class of 1957

September 29, 2017

We gathered outside the Newport Country Club for a group picture of all the 1957 Graduates who were present. We had a 50th Anniversary gathering in 2007 and a 20th Anniversary gathering in 1977.

Front: Imogene Fisher Falwell, Sue Carter Tiffany, Mereda May Hale, Joy Foll Beard, Julia Holt-Foll, Cynthia Evans Young, Peggy Gardner Watson, Back: Raymond Massey, Maurice Knopp, James Petit, John Clark, Bill McMillan, Grant Brinsfield, Henry Burge.

Front: Peggy Gardner Watson, Julia Dobbs Tomlinson, Mary Ann Compton Frizzell, Dorothy Jarvis Moseley, Joann Rigg Simmons, Back: Henry Burge, Charles Burrows, Carl Lindsey, John Allen Burgin, Bobby Joe Hutchinson, Ralph Ponder.

Having driven from Nashville, we reached the Newport Country Club about 3pm and were greeted by Mereda May Hale who helped with registration for our gathering. Thanks to Mereda for a major amount of work in preparation for this reunion.

Brenda Nave speaks with Mary Ann Frizzell and John Clark, both of whom had played major parts in putting together this event.

James Dean Walton, Ann Walton and Dorothy Jarvis Moseley.

Phil McDonald and Joann Rigg Simmons sort envelopes of information for the class members. Major credit goes to Phil for making all this happen. Mary Ann Frizzell and Bill McMillan in background.

We had gathered from 3pm onward for registration and some of us hung around for conversations. After 60 years you have a lot of catching up to do.

Philip "Bootie" Alvis and Joyce Shaw

Mary Ann Frizzel, Carroll Shoffner, Farrell Falwell, Ralph Ponder

Ralph Ponder, Sue Carter Tiffany, Peggy Gardner Watson

Judi Halbert Bedell, Imogene Fisher Falwell, Mary Ann Frizzell, Genindle Pulliam Lewis, Bill Lewis,

Genindle Pulliam Lewis, Peggy Gardner Watson, Judi Halbert Bedell, Mary Ann Frizzell

John Clark and James Dean Walton work with the nametags. Behind, Maurice Knopp, Brenda Nave, and Maurice's daughter Tammy Bowen.

Judi Halbert Bedell, Mary Ann Frizzell, Bill McMillan, Rodney Nave, Chester Hale

Peggy Gardner Watson, Mary Winston Freeman, Cynthia Evans Young, Raymond Massey.

Phil McDonald and Bobby Joe Hutchinson.

Mary Winston Freeman, Dorothy Jarvis Moseley, Cynthia Evans Young, Mary Parsley Hohn.

Dorothy Jarvis Moseley, Sue Carter Tiffany, Phil McDonald, Cynthia Evans Young, Mary Ann Compton Frizzel, Mary Winston Freeman, Peggy Gardner Watson.

Phil McDonald and Carl Lindsey

Wanda Wagster Anthony, Catherine Burrow, Charles Burrow, Carl Anthony, Ann Walton.

Catherine Burrow, Julia Dobbs Tomlinson, Charles Burrow.

James Dean Walton, Wanda Wagster Anthony, Blondie Hutchinson, Catherine Burrow, Charles Burrow

Wanda Wagster Anthony, Julia Holt Foll, Blondie Hutchinson, Henry Burge, Julia Dobbs Tomlinson, Charles Burrow, Catherine Burrow, Charlene Burge, Carolyn Petit.

Julia Dobbs Tomlinson, Catherine Burrow, Phil McDonald, Charles Burrow, Mereda May Hale.

After the afternoon of visiting we moved into the larger ballroom area and then went outside for a group picture as shown at the top of this document. When we came back in we gathered at tables for the buffet dinner and program.

After dinner we listened to funny stories from our NHS days.

We enjoyed reminiscing, with some tales going all the way back to elementary school.

John Clark led us in a time of sharing funny stories. Certainly we have a lot of memories of our Newport High School days. Mary Ann Compton Frizzell and Imogene Fisher Falwell contributed stories and reflections. We had a time of remembrance for classmates who had died, particularly those who had passed on since our last reunion.

Carl Lindsey led us in a time of appreciation for service to the alumni group of the NHS Class of 1957. A lot of work has gone into keeping us in contact.

A plaque of special appreciation is presented to Peggy Gardner Watson who led the efforts to keep us in contact by email and other modes of communication.

Phil McDonald has led the effort to keep us in contact and informed about classmates, so it was very appropriate that he was "plaqued" in appreciation for that work. Phil himself introduced the term "plaqued" into our vocabulary.

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Breakfast at Newport Country Club

Manuel Ford at left and his daughter across the table from him. The Saturday morning breakfast gave us the opportunity to see some who couldn't come on Friday. Genindle Pulliam Lewis and Bill Lewis.

Marlow Hogue, Henry Burge, Charlene Burge, Judi Halbert Bedell

Carolyn Petit, Gail Clark, John Clark, James Petit.

Bennie Sue Massey, Mary Jean Parsley Hohn, Ann Walton, Dottie Lindsey, Carl Lindsey, Bill McMillan.

Dorothy Jarvis Moseley, Bennie Sue Massey, Mary Jean Parsley Hohn

Charles Burrow, Catherine Burrow, Grant Brinsfield.

Imogene Fisher Falwell, Ray Moseley, Philip Bootie Alvis, Farrell Falwell

Joy Foll Beard, Marcus Beard.

Mary Ann Compton Frizzell, Otha Frizzell, Peggy Gardner Watson, Charles Watson

Joann Rigg Simmons, Tammy Bowen, Maurice Knopp, Julia Dobbs Tomlinson.

After breakfast, Phil gives us some pointers and directions for Depot Days.

Depot Days in Newport

The Depot Days celebration centers around the Railway Depot of Newport, which has been restored to a very attractive state. There is a large collection of vendors of food and a variety of other items. Brenda investigates the vendors' wares as shown in the inset view above, which looks in the opposite direction down Front Street to the huge Riceland complex on the east end of town.

Vendors tents are shown at right above, stretching along this street perpendicular to Front Street. They were along Front Street as well, and some positioned in the parking lots adjacent to this park. The park has been made by removing about a block of the old downtown Newport. The tents at left above were set up for the Class of 1957 Reunion. Behind them on the extreme left is the stage area for concerts.

The Newport team that had prepared for the reunion had made up a poster celebrating the Class of '57. It included photos from our last reunion in 2007.

Our tent location allowed us to hear the music from the stage, or provided access to the grassy park if we wanted to get closer.

This is another view of the vendors along Front Street and their proximity to the Depot. Over the vendors tents you can see the open framework of the stage across the park. Our tent was to the left of this view.

It was good to see the attractive park and Depot and the use it has made of the historic downtown Newport location. It was quite different from the Front Street we showed our boys in 1972.