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Sunday, June 07, 2009 3:28 PM Fike class of 1959 celebrates 50th By Janelle Clevinger | Times Staff Writer The Ralph L. Fike High School class of 1959 didn't spend a full school year in the shiny, new building on Harrison Drive, but they are still the official first graduating class from the school. And they want those who were juniors at the school at the time to remember that. "The class of 1960 claims they were the first graduating class of Fike, but they weren't," said Dee Ann Arens, a reunion organizer, half jokingly. "We are." Fike's class of 1959 held their 50th class reunion this weekend, and with it came a flood of memories for those in attendance. This particular class actually started its school year in the Charles L. Coon building, moving to the newly-completed Fike in October of 1959. "We literally helped pack up the school and move it," said Joan Lytle, one of the reunion organizers. "I remember helping pack up the entire library and taking it to Fike." "We took it all in stride because we had a really tight group of classmates with a lot of loyalty to our school," said classmate Linda Pope. "But I do think we were sad to leave Coon." "We did what we were told to do," said Arens. "We were a very obedient group." Some classmates from the 1959 class had senior class rings that were inscribed "Charles L. Coon" since rings were ordered during their junior year. Some students ordered rings from local jewelers during their senior year so that they would read "Ralph L. Fike." But they all consider their class to be the first to graduate from Fike. Classmates who are now scattered all across the country came into Wilson for a weekend full of activities. Several of the attendees hadn't seen their classmates in 50 years. One classmate, John Trueblood, drove cross-country from California to attend the weekend's festivities. According to organizers' totals, 101 members of the Class of 1959 attended events this weekend, which included a casual dinner Friday night, a "Coca-Cola" party for the women Saturday morning, a tour of Fike High School Saturday afternoon and a dinner and dance that night. The class has 26 deceased members. In addition to getting together for various functions this weekend, the class decided to do something meaningful for the school itself. Several years ago, as organizers began formulating plans for this weekend, the call went out for contributions to assist the class in providing scholarships to some deserving Fike High School seniors this year. "About 150 letters went out asking our classmates to donate whatever they wanted to for this cause," said Lytle. "We kept a record of what came in but nobody else knew what anyone sent in. It was all confidential." "We had thought that maybe we would get about $1500, but the money just kept rolling in," said Arens. "And what we heard from our classmates was that they wanted some of the money to go toward something that would stay at the school - a permanent memorial." The total collected, almost $8200, did fund $500 scholarships for two 2009 Fike graduates who will attend Barton College in the fall. The money also allowed the class to purchase two concrete benches that now line the walkway to the school's main entrance, some benches located inside the school near the auditorium and gymnasium, and a fountain, more benches and some landscaping in the courtyard of the school. "We hope that in the future, prom pictures will be taken inside this now-beautiful courtyard," said Harriet Page, who hosted the Coca-Cola party. "I'm very proud of how hard my classmates worked to make this happen." Page's Coca-Cola party on Saturday morning was a women-only event, and harkened back to the days when the girls in the class would get together on Saturdays to discuss the previous week's "issues," those issues mainly being boys. "If we didn't have a slumber party on a Friday night, we would host these Coca-Cola parties at various girls' homes on Saturdays to talk," said Page. "Mostly, we would trash the boys that went to school with us," she added with a smile. jclevinger@wilsontimes | 265-7811 |
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Fike Grad, Linda said...
I think the benches at the entrance are granite not concrete. Joyner's donated the engraving on the two benches. The fountain benches are concrete. Thanks for the coverage. We had a really great time!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Fike Grad said...I think the benches at the entrance are granite not concrete. Joyner's donated the engraving on the two benches. The fountain benches are concrete. Thanks for the coverage. We had a really great time!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 10:36 AM
I would like to thank the Wilson Times for their coverage of our school's 50th Reunion. It was a modern school when it was built and it is still in good shape 50 years later. It will never be the building that Coon was/is, but it has served the students well. The auditorium is used for many community things and so it goes to show that good planning went into building Fike. Thanks again WDT for the picture and coverage and thanks for the memories.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 12:38 AM
We moved from Coon High to Fike High when Fike was completed in October 1958--not 1959. We marched across the platform to receive our diplomas on June 5, 1959.
Monday, June 08, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Thanks Flower, I thought that's what it meant but the article had the year wrong.
Monday, June 08, 2009 at 6:43 PM
Let the semantics continue. One thing is factual: my high school diploma reads that I graduated from Ralph L. Fike High School in the year 1959. My academic records on file at Fike will show the same. The paper misquoted the move-in year. It should have read 1958, not 1959. You can color it any color you want to, but what is fact is fact.
Monday, June 08, 2009 at 5:59 PM
