’51 has dwindling numbers
Staff writer
Marion High’s Class of 1951, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary reunion Saturday, is meeting Friday at Country Dreams Bed and Breakfast before participating with a truck in the Old Settlers Day parade.
Marjory Talbott, who keeps contact with the 11 other living members of the class, said only three or four would be coming to Country Dreams.
“Some live too far away and some have health problems,” she said. “I’ve sort of been the class secretary to keep in touch with everybody, and I always let everybody know when our classmates pass away. We’ve lost something like 13 or 14 people in the last five years.”
After high school, Talbott took a three-year nursing course at Halstead and worked at Halstead Hospital for 30 years.
When she was a senior in high school, she was among the first class of girls allowed to take a shop class at Marion High.
“Our first project was refinishing a piece of furniture, so that was exciting for us,” she said.
She also spoke about a lack of exchange students and sports for female students when she was in high school.
“We were all kind of naïve,” Talbott said. “We didn’t get very far from home, and now the kids go all over.”