Newark Class of 1928 holds 70th Reunion

The six members of the 59 graduates Newark High School Class of 1928 who met for a 70th Reunion luncheon on Saturday, September 26 at Burnham's Canalside, Quality Inn are pictured. Of the twenty-one surviving classmates several sent their regrets and personal news to share. Adelaide Clark, Richard Menke and Helen Walker were guests.

Chairman Theresa Colacino, Margaret Fortmiller. Standing: Bruce Clark, Lillian Barnmaker Strong, all from Newark, Gertrude Webb of Marion and Gertrude Vanderbrook Menke of Cheektowaga.

My records show that our first reunion was our 50th in 1978 and a yearly reunion has been held since. Lillian Barnmaker Strong and I have never missed a class reunion. Lillian passed around school photos and presented her hand-crafted NHS 1928-1998 notepads to each in attendance. Although we are octogenarians, we discussed current happenings as well as school memories.

At our 50th reunion, Rodman Robinson suggested we start a "class action'' to give financial support to the project of getting the old NHS Washington School tower clock bell out of storage and into a place of honor in the community. The clock did not survive storage.

This project was successffilly completed in 1981. The "Allerton'' bell that had first rung out in 1928 was installed near the flag pole at the entrance to the athletic field at the present NHS off Peirson Avenue. The project was dedicated to the memory of E. R. Woelfel who was principal of the Junior Senior High School 1921-1936. Upon the death of predecessor F. Neff Stroup in 1936 "Prof'' Woelfel was superintendent of schools untill his retirement in 1947.

Those who attend events at the NHS athletic field pass by this memorial with its fitting plaque as they go to the bleachers. It has become a tradition that the toll of "our Class 1928'' bell mark the beginning of the processional when senior graduation is held outside.

A second District 8 village school at the corner of Church Street and East Avenue was opened in 1891 as the Union School and Academy for grades 1- 12. Grade alignments changed (see below). The building was abandoned when Newark Junior Senior High School on West Mller Street (presently the Middle School) opened in September 1940.

The unused building was a WWII Prisoner of War (POW) Camp from 1944-46. Once again the vacant building was demolished in 1948 and the space became parking lots. Our school gym built in 1916 is now Alex Eligh Community Center. A roadside marker was placed at the Washington School site by the NHS Class of 1940 in June 1990.

In 1911 Lincoln School, once called the Central School (because of its nearness to the New York Central Railroad) and later called the North Ward School, opened for grades 1-6. The following year a comparable school was opened in East Newark for children in the east end of Newark. "Lincoln'' and "Roosevelt'' students entered seventh grade at Union School.

Kindergartens started at each of the three existing village schools (Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt) in 1923. We were 8th graders when Grades K-6 at Washington School were transferred to the new Charles H. Perkins School (January 1926) for children in the south and west sectors of Newark. Thus, Washington School became a Junior Senior High School (grades 7-12).

In 1919 DAR member Edith VanTassel suggested that the existing three village schools be named for a U.S. president. I remember that as a third grader I voted for the name of my Union School to become Washington School. North Ward became Lincoln School and the East Newark School became (Theodore) Roosevelt School.

When we entered school in 1916 and when we left in 1928, there were no school buses, cafeteria, electric typewriters, calculators, and computers. We had to go to local stores (Wildhack's Drug and/ or Babcock's Stationery) to buy our books and supplies. Textbooks were used year after year and buying used books in good condition was being thrifty. Students traveled by trolley from east and from west, by train (the Toonerville) from Sodus on the north and Stanley on the south. The trolley enabled more fans to attend sporting events out-of-town.

Children living in the country attended one-room neighborhood schoolhouses for grades 1-8. If they continued school they joined us in 9th grade. At age 16 years and/ or end of eighth grade many "dropped out'' of school. Some rural students came by horse and buggy to high school in the village.

Most of our teachers were unmarried women. The tradition was that the male be the sole provider, with the wife's place in the home. Wives could substitute. Teachers lived in the community, most within walking distance of their school. We saw our, always serious, female mentors progress from long dark skirts, high-top shoes and long hair caught in a bun to less restrictive garb and short hair. All teachers and administrators were strict disciplinarians backed by the parents at home.

MY HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED!

Other than the bell project the Class of 1928 donated $1000 for a gurney for the Newark-Arcadia Ambulance in 1980. In 1992, our class donated $275 to preserve the original 13 -star flag at the Colonel William Prescott Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter House on High Street. An appropriate plaque made by Owen Hughes honors our involvement. In 1994, we donated $640 to the Newark Public Library and this year $150 is being donated to the Arcadia Historical Society.

At the close of the enjoyable camaraderie, a 71st reunion was not ruled out.

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