Superior Class of 1959 celebrates Homecoming
MEMBERS OF the Superior High School Class of 1959 honored their first state basketball championship at Friday’s parade. On the back side is Denny Cannon, Russ Brazill, Carol Brazill, Ray Bryant, Rick Jasper Facing are Susie Bailey Moss, Paula Jasper, Toots Frey Bricker, Del Heimbigner (class of ‘57). Pike Branning is in the pickup with driver, Ken Jasper. (Photo courtesy Micki Tourteloutte)
MEMBERS OF the Superior High School Class of 1959 were honored at Friday's football game. Superior, which has a co-op in football with Alberton, won the game, 60-22. (Photo courtesy Frankie Kelly)
Sixty years ago this past spring saw 29 students graduate from Superior High School at which point they all went their separate ways.
This past weekend nine of them, with their spouses, returned to Superior to celebrate their 60th class reunion.
Although many of the old friends have gathered at numerous places around the country over the past years – Las Vegas and cruises to Alaska and Mexico - to name a few, this was a special event as they had never returned to their home town as alumni to celebrate.
This year they decided to do just this and to participate in the parade and attend the football game while encouraging other classes to do the same.
The weekend started with a kickoff party at Rick and Paula Jasper’s home where the old friends talked about the good old days – reliving past successes - the year they graduated.
Superior not only took the State “C” state basketball championship but the football team placed 2nd in state – and laughing about the crazy things they did together. Thursday afternoon found them together again, this time at the home of Kenton (1958) and Deborah Lewis’s, enjoying more of each other’s company and visiting with old friends and new, including Pat Bailey Freer who graduated from Alberton that same year.
Friday was the big day for the Class of ’59. After working on their float for the SHS homecoming parade, Toots and Rick took the classmates on a tour around town to see what had changed over the past 60 years and then up to the Superior cemetery where five of their old school friends are laid to rest.
At 4 p.m. the group hopped on their float, “First State Basketball Champs - 1959“ and joined the rest of the current SHS students and staff, other alumni groups, and local businesses as they paraded through town yelling old cheers and greeting the many on-lookers along the route.
The last event of their reunion, the football game between the Clark Fork Mountain Cats and the Twin Bridges Falcons, found them together again cheering for their old alma mater.
Halftime activities included the honoring of the Class of ’59 down on the field with the entire crowd singing “On Superior”, the song that many of the older generation remember as the school song back when the team played as the Superior Bobcats (and Alberton was a cross-county rival).
And, of course, seeing the now-combined Mountain Cats win their fourth game this season, 60-22, over Twin Bridges provided an extra special ending to the night!
Those attending this memorable reunion were Russell Brazill, Dennis Cannon, Jim Freer, Ray Bryant, Rick Jasper, Win Pike Branning, Susie Bailey Moss, Ralph Belden and Toots Frey Bricker along with their spouses, old school mate, Gaylord Green (1958), and many friends. Unable to attend this year’s festivities was Donna McAlear Feldbrugge, due to illness.
— Submitted by Diane Magone and Toots Bricker