DHS Class of '48 meets for lunch

Class members around a table for lunch

This post updated to include class statistics

Eight members of the Dennison High School Class of 1948 met for lunch Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at the Pro's Table restaurant, 878 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia, OH.

Attending the get-together 60 years after graduation were Frank Angelo of New Philadelphia, Tony Caputo of Knoxville, TN, Carme (Cirincione) Welz of Uhrichsville, Patty (Foutz) Bente of Dennison, Dick Fisher and wife Judi of Uhrichsville, Harry Liggett of Akron, Mabel (Mathias) Wesson of Dennison and John Russo of Uhrichsviille.

Click on the headline above to go to a photo album of the lunch.

Report on the class:

Here’s a report by Harry Liggett who is trying to update information on the class to include birthdates, wedding dates, full names (first and last) of spouses and death dates of the 11 deceased. If you know any of this information, please email it to hliggett@sbcglobal.net

There were 40 members in the graduating class. We know of 11 who are deceased. Thirteen still live around the hometown area and 16 live out of the area. We have had contact with all but eight and are trying to contact them. Some could be deceased.

Here’s what we know:

40 Members in original class

11 Class members are deceased:: Dorothy (Arnold) Marty, Earl Finn, Gene Heddleston, Lois Jean (Hickey) Kail, Don Hodkinson, Miriam Jones, Jack Kiste, Ralph Kopp, Charles McCray, Ed Richardson and Rose Ruggeri. The death of Miriam Jones is not confirmed. The recent deaths include Charles McCray, March 9, 2001; Dorothy (Arnold) Marty September 21, 2007; and Lois Jean (Hickey) Kail, December 25, 2007. Dick Bente, wife of Patty Foutz, died February 6, 2006. Albert Nelson's wife, Pamalee, died June 21, 2008.

13 Still live in the hometown area Dick Fisher has email

16 Live out of the area. Caputo, Liggett, Nelson, Pershing, Phinney and Zeimer have email.

10 Live out of area and have no email. We have contact with Lucille (Dudgeon) Gilcher and Mary (Menapace) Maniscalco, but we are trying to make contact with the eight others. They are Gloria Aldergate, Westerville, OH; Walter Chambers, Westerville, OH,. Juanita (Garner) Barnett, Detroit, MI; James Gold, Alexandria, VA; Clifford Hill, Coshocton, OH; Mary Lou (Hunter) Santrock, Homestread, FL, Sybil (Patterson) Wilbarber, Almoro Springs, FL; ;and Shirley (Staneart) Robinson, Concord, CA..

DHS Class '48 to meet for lunch September 30

The Dennison High School Class of 1948 will have a reunion lunch at noon on Tuesday, September 30, at The Pro's Table, 878 E High Ave., New Philadelphia, OH 44663 Tel. 330-339-4212. The restaurant is in the old Bassetti restaurant location.

Click here for restaurant information and directions.


Harry Liggett in Akron, OH
330.724.5808

Update from Dick Zeimer, DHS Class of 1948

Here's an update from DHS classmate Dick Zeimer. He and wife, Ferrell, moved to Vancouver, WA, in May.

For 31 years we lived in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California . I worked for Rocketdyne where I did structural analysis and tests of rocket engine components and for Atomics International where I did the same for nuclear reactor components. At Rocketdyne we built the rocket engines for the Atlas missiles, the engines for Apollo that put men on the moon, and for the Space Shuttle main engines.

In 1990 we moved to Deersville and ran the Mulberry Lane Bed and Breakfast for 13 years. During those years, and up to May of 2008, we were involved with many community projects. With the help of Bill Dudgeon and others, we started the Deersville Library. It had to be closed when the village sold the old church building where it was located. I got the Tappan-Moravian Trail Scenic Byway designated as a state Scenic Byway and arranged to have 1500 flowering trees planted along Route 250 at Tappan Lake . We were both active in the Deersville Community Players and the Deersville Improvement and Historic Preservation Society (DIHPS). We helped DIHPS get Deersville’s Main Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an Historic District. With the DCP I helped build sets for the live performances at the Community Hall and was their official photographer. I also served on the village council for several years.

Recently, I suggested to the Dennison Alumni Association that our High School building should be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With the help of Marilyn (McCarroll) Wilson and others, this was done and a plaque was installed on the building and an Historical Marker placed in front of the building.

With another couple from Deersville we updated “The History of the Village of Deersville , 1815-1952” which was written by Homer Poulson. We added the village activities and people since 1952 and included the story of Homer Poulson’s trip across the country in a Model T Ford in 1911 with his wife and two young daughters. He kept a good diary and took many photographs which are included. This was reprinted in 2007 and is available at the Deersville General Store or from Mary Jane Engler, PO Box 2 , Deersville , OH 44693 .

In May we finally retired again and moved to Vancouver , WA near our daughter Cheri and family. We live in Fairway Village and our back yard is the 8th fairway. I get to play golf with Cheri, her husband Rick, and grandson Grant. We are not volunteering for anything for the time being.

This is a late update from the front page of the Sept. 8 Harrison News Herald. Sen. Obama passed along Tappan Lake on his way to a gathering in Jefferson Co. and said …”and driving through here I saw that this is as pretty a piece of real estate as there is anywhere in the world.” If you would like to refresh your memory of how nice this area is, go to the Ohio Byways website and click on Tappan-Moravian Trail Scenic Byway and then on Other Points of Interest.

Click on the headline to visit the byway. Be sure to look at Dick's photos.

Erin Liggett's speech wins Council presidency

Erin Liggett, daughter of Tom and Susan Liggett and granddaughter of Helen and Harry Liggett, was elected president of the Student Council at St. Paul School in Akron on Friday, September 5, 2008.

Erin, an eighth grader in her last year at St. Paul School, also was a member of the Student Council last year and starred in productions of the Saint Paul Drama Club. She was Gertrude McFuzz in Suessical the Musical last year and was Annie the year before. She consistently wins honors in Academic Achievement awards at the school and is a regular altar server.

Click on the headline to read the winning speech she gave to win election.

The Necklace: A nice touch for 90th birthday party

Wanda Liggett with daughter, Donna, and sons Ronald, Gary, David and Thomas

It was a nice touch to the 90th birthday party of Wanda Kathryn Liggett.

In one display of photographs was one of Wanda as a young girl being held by her mother, Lucy O. (Sauers) Riley. Showing quite nicely in the mother-daughter portrait was a beautiful necklace she was wearing.

Some attending the party on Sunday afternoon may not have known, but that same necklace was being worn--nearly nine decades later--by Lucy's granddaughter and Wanda's youngest child and only daughter Donna Kay (Liggett) Prulhiere.

The party for Wanda was at the home of Donna and her husband, Richard, in Tallmadge. Also there were Wanda's four sons, Ronald Lee, Gary Ray, David Lawrence and Thomas Allen. Wanda also has 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Wanda Kathryn Liggett was born September 2, 1918 in Tuscarawas County, the daughter of Clarence and Lucy (Sauers) Riley and was a 1937 graduate of Midvale High School.

Wanda was married October 5, 1940 in Greenup, Kentucky, to Lawrence Liggett, son of Percy and Grace (Parker) Liggett and grandson of Frank and Nora (Penn) Liggett. Wanda still lives in their home on Greenfield Circle in Tallmadge. Her husband died 21 years ago on October 25, 1987.

Dorothy Huston, a sister of Lawrence, sent an album of photos from the early days. There was a huge cake which said " Happy 90th Birthday Wanda, Mini, Grandma, Great Grandma" and the greeting "Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!" was written with pink chalk on a blackboard.

Wanda's first avocation has always been art. She described for us how she recently used a new medium to capture in paint a photograph she noticed and liked in the newspaper. She still has one grandchild art student and her older graduates were among grandchildren gathered for the big day.

Happy Birthday, Wanda.

CLICK ON HEADLINE ABOVE TO SEE OTHER PHOTOS