Letters to the editor from this week's Chronicle:

No. 22 9/28/15
It is time for a little break! While we are waiting to see if the FED actually begins raising interest rates, (We are told it will happen before the end of this month...but I doubt it!), we might think for a minute about the new school year that has started!
The matter of new school years and what happens there, came waltzing into my mind a couple of Saturdays ago! The event was the class reunion of the last senior class to attend St. Gertrude's Academy, the Class of 1970. So I stopped for a couple of hours to visit the three or four dozen who attended the event.
SGA, which had been in existence over 50 years came to an end that spring, causing a major disruption in the lives of not only the underclass students attending that year, but even of the seniors who were graduating. The '70 yearbook notes 45 seniors graduated that year, with another 170 underclassmen gracing the pages of that book!
Local records show that most of those underclass students returned to the same rooms the following fall, as the Prairie school district bought the school and gym, and moved the district high school to those buildings. Even some of the teachers, including myself, who had been at SGA, were hired by the district, and came back to the same rooms!
The class of 70 was always a memorable one for me. First, because it was the last senior class I had the good fortune to teach at SGA. I had those seniors in Economics, Government, and Math IV, and was the senior class advisor. The school put on THE SOUND OF MUSIC that year, and our oldest daughter, Annette, five years old at the time, played the role of the little VonTrapp girl Gretl.
The SGA basketball team was a good one that year, finishing 15 - 5 during the season, placing 2nd at district, and 4th at state with two wins after a narrow 1st round loss. Many boys on that team are prominent members of our area today, including Lindy Hinkelman, who was named to the state all-star team in his jr. and sr. years. Look for that picture in the Chronicle, (page 3) and in a future Tribune "BLAST FROM THE PAST!"
Finally, I was the debate coach again in '69/'70, and my star teams, Ron Hoene/Gary Frei, and Lorelie Seubert/Debbie Frei, won several tournaments that year, with the girls first in the regional at Coeur d' Alene, thus qualifying for the state tourney in Pocatello. The closing of the school put a damper on things however, and the girls chose not to go!
But enough of the memories! Two of the '70 grads I choose to single out a bit. The first boy and the one who invited me is wheel chair bound the last several decades, the result of an automobile wreck that forever changed his life. He has made the best of it, though, and has been an inspiration for me over the years. My point here, young grads, is that no one can know what the future holds, so enjoy life now, and take good care of it!
The second lad, now a successful doctor, was one of the hardest workers I ever had in my 50+ teaching years. He finished class valedictorian, and simply refused to accept 2nd best in anything ventured! I hold him in my memory still today as an example of the value of hard work and the results it brings! Again, young grads, a lesson to be learned!
The visit with the "70's" was a most pleasant one, and will be returned to next week, with more to be said about the opportunity provided for our current school kids!!
Jake Wren


The 1970 St. Gertrude’s Academy Panthers. Kneeling from left are Ron Rehder, Dwight Uhlenkott, Tim Forsmann, Ted Schumacher, Paul Hattrup, Ron Kuther and manager Keith Schaeffer. Standing from left are Lindy Hinkelman, Gary Rehder, Alan Felgenhauer, Coach Chuck Mader, John Kaschmitter, Ron Uhlenkott and Jim Poxleitner. Jake Wren talks about this group in his Redneck Review above. Photo from 1970 SGA yearbook.


Above are two more SGA Yearbook photos Jake Wren refers to in his column. The top photo shows Debbie Frei and Lorelie Seubert. 
The lower photo shows Gary Frei and Ron Hoene during debate class.

Cottonwood, Idaho 83522
 

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