The Shadow
Seventy-two graduates from Covington High School and 56 guests met in Covington July 30-31 for the Class of 1965’s 45th reunion celebration. This was the eighth reunion for the Class of 1965 and members of the Class of 1964 were also invited.
On Friday night, 80 graduates and guests went to Cucci’s for pizza and salads. It was an enjoyable evening with everyone visiting and taking pictures.
Saturday was a social, dinner and dance at the Covington Moose Lodge.
Durwin Waddell was master of ceremonies for the evening and welcomed everyone. Richard Crowder from the Class of 1964 also made a welcome and thanked the Class of 1965 for including them in the evening.
Durwin reported that the donations to the Class Memorial Fund and planned scholarship were most generous.
Wayne Ogden from the Class of 1964 gave the invocation.
The Moose catered the social and buffet meal.
Following the meal the memorial service was held. Richard Crowder read the memorials for the Class of 1964 while Patsy Linkenhoker Tucker lit the memorial candles.
Deceased members of the Class of 1964 are: Judy Marie Rhodes Craft, Pete Dimick, Flo Carpenter Coffman, Danny Boone, Bill Lipscomb, Buddy Hobbs, Wanna May Massie Jones, C. W. Clarkson, Pat Wade Muir, Bo Delaney, Mike Worrell, Bill Andrews and Linda Kelly Lugar.
Attending for the first time in several years were the surviving class officers of the Class of 1965. Class president was the late Mike Hambric. William Henning read the memorial names and Patsy Sutherland and Betty Jo Wyatt Sylvest lit the candles. Dolly Moon lit the candle for her friend, Mike Thacker and Jean Smith Wilson lit the candle for her brother, Jeter Smith.
Deceased members of the Class of 1965 are: Gary Burks, Clifford Pauley, Tommy Cooke, Gary Miller, Mike Hambric, Irene Lugar Gray, Jesse O’Conner, Dottie Hancock Persinger, Mary Lynn Cottrell Bush, Randoph Taylor, Christy Long Gibson, Pam Johnston, Barbara Briscoe King, Donnie Mundy, Anita Turner, Ricky Griffith, Wanda Dressler Crawford, Eugene Lightner, Mike Thacker, Jeter Smith, Dale King Hicks, Bonnie Dodd Rice and Dale Sams.
Get well cards were signed for Bo Fridley (1964) and Barry Tingler (1965).
Following the memorial, the band Altamont played for the dance. Buzzy Eggleston, a member of the class of 1965, is in the band.
Those in attendance were: Class of 1964: Richard Crowder and Evelyn Bostic Crowder, Bill Dawson, Richard Downer, Brenda Ervine Linkenhoker, Becky Forbes Nichols, Betsy Lewis Caul, Patsy Linkenhoker Tucker, Don Lugar, Wayne Ogden, Nadine Shue Judy, Carol Vance, all of Covington; Sue Burkholder Persinger of Charles City; Johnny Carter, Ridgeway; Kaye Laughorne Edmonds, Burlington, N.C. Donnie Patton, Roanoke; Larry Smith, Summerfield, N.C., and Carolyn Wheeler Lipes, Roanoke.
Class of 1965: David Arritt, Carol Baker Andrews, Sandra Biggs Nuckols, Phil Burks, Dale Comer, Carolyn Droke Young, Buzzy Eggleston, Jane Ellis, Linda Faudree Fox, William Fleming, Pat Fleming Amos, Joyce Gillespie Emerson, Delbert Kern, Linda Lipes Black, Earl McClung, Bill Phillips, Cathi Quinn, Becky Leitch Smith and Rick Smith, Carolyn Tyree Ross, Donna Spencer Waddell and Durwin Waddell, Mary Sue Webb Vest, Benny Williams, Shirley Wolfe Mundy, all of Covington; Barbara Bryant McDaniel, Lexington, N.C.; Linda Burks Plunkett, Salem; Barbara Claytor Trail, Roanoke; Bill Craft, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Carole Crawford Stroud, Raleigh, N.C.; Darlene Crawford Shelton, Clemmons, N.C.; Saundra Farmer Persinger, Prince George; Steve Fisher, Gainesville, Ga.; Kay Fridley Hicklin, Millboro; Anita Goff Sharp, Ronceverte, W.Va.; Mike Hanna, Anniston, Ala.; William Henning, Sarasota, Fla.; Wayne Lowen, Salinas, Ks.; Mike Mayo, Staunton; Dolly Moon, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Linda Payton Wolfe, Charlotte, N.C.; Peggy Payne Hale, Gordonsville; Enneke Purkey Moser, Roanoke; Butch Reid, Clifton Forge; Eddie Richardson, Shawnee, Okla.; Betty Semones Kendall, New Castle; Carol Sites Rapp, Crosby, Tx.; Jean Smith Wilson, Knoxvilie, Tn.; Patsy Sutherland, Charlotte, N.C.; Barry Taylor, Staunton; Danny Vess, Eagle Rock; Judy Winebriner Mayo, Fairfax Station; Polly Worsham Huffman, Colonial Heights and Betty Jo Wyatt Sylvest, Newport News.
Other former Covington students attending were Velma Brooks Craft of Covington; Vivian Brooks Pendleton, Clifton Forge; Gary McNeely, Richmond; Jedy Sartain, Durham, N.C.; Susan Reynolds Sponaugle and Frank Sponaugle, Covington, and Susan Meeks Hammond, Carson.
Class members continued to visit for the remainder of the evening and the evening went all too fast those attending said. At the close, there were again smiles, handshakes, hugs, promises of attending the next reunion and a few tears.
