The Shadow
Members of the Covington High School Class of 1960 celebrated their 50th class reunion in August. Eighty-eight class members, guests and spouses participated in the three-day event highlighted with a banquet Aug. 15.
On Friday, Aug. 13, a pizza and salad reception was held at Harvey’s in Covington. The event was catered by Michael’s New York Style Pizza Restaurant. This get-together enabled classmates to meet with each other, many for the first time since 1960.
On Saturday morning, members of the class toured Covington High School. The school’s vice principal, Shannon Fuhrman, conducted the tour.
Many classmates had not been in the school since graduation. Things that were of special interest included the former gymnasium which is now the cafeteria and the old cafeteria which is now a teacher’s lounge.
The group was impressed with all of the new classrooms and the current gym which were all built after 1960.
After the tour, class members traveled to Western Sizzlin for lunch.
This gave the group another opportunity to get together to socialize and reminisce about old times.
Saturday night the banquet was held at the Clifton Forge Shrine Club located on Douthat Road. During the social hour, the room was alive with classmates talking about old time experiences with class members that they hadn’t seen for decades.
Of special interest, all of the officers of the Class of 1960 were present and were recognized: Thomas Hudson, president; Rick Beirne, vice president; Eugene Hinton, treasurer and Joyce Waddell Coverston, secretary.
Bill Zimmerman welcomed the class members, guests and spouses. He called on Eugene Hinton for the invocation and to bless the meal.
Fifteen Clifton Forge Shriners prepared and served a buffet style dinner.
During the program, classmates paid tribute to the memory of the 37 members who have died over the past 50 years. A table was set up which contained the names of each departed member.
Joyce Waddell Coverston and Shirley Brooks Keith wrote poems commemorating events and happenings during the class’s years at Covington High School.
Portions of a 1960 school newspaper, “The Announcer,” were read. One article included a prophecy of where classmates would be in the future.
Another story reported the class of 1960’s Last Will and Testament. In this article, each senior classmate left a talent, behavior, or article to a junior class member. This part of the program met with roaring laughter.
Sue Brown provided photography services during the banquet.
Sunday morning many members of the Class of 1960 met at Mountain View Restaurant at the Best Western for breakfast. It was a bittersweet event as this brought to a close the 50th reunion activities.
Members of the Reunion Committee include: Sue Floyd Brinkley, Henry Brinkley, June Henning Pullin, Gerald Pullin, Eugene and Sue Ellen Hinton, John and Mary Snyder, Barbara Conner Morgan, Walter “Red” Knick, Barbara Sites Warlitner, Pat Crawford Martin, Charles Lee Hanna, Bill and Libby Keyser, Lewis “Butch” Kemper and Bill Zimmerman.
Attending the reunion Saturday night were: Richard Love, Shirley Brooks Keith, Bill Ervin, Bonnie Laughorne Patterson, Alan Thompson, Loyd Milstead, Carol Hilton Burks, Sandra Mays Watson, Linda Fridley Betof, Libby Patrick Dardis, Barbara Sites Warlitner, Sue Floyd Brinkley, Wanda Carter Warlitner, Joyce Kersey Hazen, Sue Ann Blankenship Milstead, Pat Garten Johnson, Debbie Bayne Russell.
Frank Dawson, Wanda Kennedy Bearden, Pat Crawford Martin, Virginia Watson Ousley, Judy Keaton Mills, Mary Dell Basham Mullins, Barbara Conner Morgan, Doris Reed Balzer, Brenda Snead Brinkley, Alice Smith Tucker, Joyce Waddell Coverston, Becky Woods Woodson, Virginia Charles Felty, Mickey Caviness, Tommy Burks, Butch Kemper, Garnett Arrington, Rick Beirne, Thomas Hudson, June Henning Pullin, Gearald Pullin, Carol Ohl Hudson, Harry Casey, Randall Dilly, Judy Barnhart Parr, Mae Ailstock Persinger, Doc Altizer, Eugene Hinton, Bobby Childs, Buckshot Forbes, Bill Zimmerman and John Snyder.
