The 1925 graduating class of Fredericksburg Community High School held their 50th year class reunion on Sunday, 1 June 1975, at a dinner at Roger's Famous Foods in New Hampton. 13 of the 17 class members were present.

The tables were beautiful with centerpieces of white roses with small sprays of purple, also purple napkins. After dinner the classmates reminisced of high school days. They looked at old pictures and scrapbooks.

The class graduated on 28 May 1925, and was the first class to graduate from the new building, which is the main part of the existing high school building. The names of the class members along with other memoribilia of the time were placed in a "time capsule" in the cornerstone of the building, where it will remain until the building is destroyed.

There were 17 members of the 1925 graduating class.  Four are now deceased. [1975]  All 13 of the surviving graduates were present for the 50th reunion.

Those present were:

• Mrs Jack ABSHIRE (Viola BITTNER) of New Plymouth, Idaho
• Mrs Mildred DAYTON BARNES of Phoenix, Arizona
• Mrs Carl GITCH (Myra LAABS) of Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Mrs Charles MORGAN (Ruth LEACH) of Fredericksburg
• Mrs Albert BORCHERDING (Ruth McCONKEY) of Waverly
• Mrs William SMITH (Charlotte REYNOLDS) of Madison, Indiana
• Mrs Charles PETT (Doris TREWIN) of Fredericksburg
• Mrs Roy ROGERS (Carlotta ZOLLER) of Ft Myers, Florida
• Mr William MARCH of Fredericksburg
• Mr Jerome MURPHY of Clinton, Iowa
• Mr John MURPHY of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Mr Russell SANDERCOCK of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Mr Paul TESSMER of Fredericksburg

Those class members who are now deceased are:
• Mr Cecil BENNER
• Mr Earl BROWN
• Mrs Violet BURMASTER FORDICE
• Mr Lindon UPHAM

Other guests were John Blessington of Charles City, Mr and Mrs Ed vonDoehren, Mrs Lindon Upham, Donald Pett and Marilyn, all of Fredericksburg; and James R. Borcherding of Des Moines.

Mrs Borcherding has been responsible in main part for keeping in touch with the class members and made the arrangements for the reunion.

When asked about things they remembered about their high school graduation 50 years ago, members of the 1925 class came up with the following facts:

• The class flower was a white rose
• Class colors were purple and white
• Senior Class President in 1925 was Russell SANDERCOCK
• The Class' "Prof" (as the Superintendent was called) was
  Louis H. HUNGERFORD, who was at the school for the same four years
  as the 1925 Class
• There were no caps and gowns at the graduation 50 years ago

Fredericksburg High School Class of 1925

Top Row L-R:  Jerome MURPHY, Myra LAABS GITCH, Professor HUNGERFORD, Lindon UPHAM, Viola BITTNER ABSHIRE

Middle Row L-R:  Mildred DAYTON, Earl BROWN, Ruth LEACH MORGAN, John MURPHY, Carlotta ZOLLER RODGERS, Paul TESSMER, Violet BURMASTER FORDYCE

Bottom Row L-R:  Charlotte REYNOLDS SMITH, William MARCH, Ruth McCONKEY BORCHERDING, Russell SANDERCOCK, Cecil BENNER, Doris TREWIN PETT; Ed McBRIDE not pictured



We thank Mr Gordon Abshire (of Washington State) for contributing this interesting piece regarding the Fredericksburg High School Class of 1925. The newspaper account of the 50th Reunion of the FHS Class of 1925 (Fredericksburg Review, 6 Jun 1975) and the class composite picture are from his mother's mementos. Gordon's mother was Viola M. BITTNER ABSHIRE; her picture is in the oval, top row, far right.