WW High School - Class of 1959

September 27, 2023

Wa-Hi Class of 1959 - 65th Reunion
September 17, 18, & 19, 2024

On September 18, 2023 fifteen members of our Wa-Hi Class of 1959 met in the boardroom of the Walla Walla Public Schools to discuss our upcoming 65th class reunion. Above are the dates we have decided to come together once again and celebrate life and our long friendships with classmates. We have chosen mid week like our last reunion as hotels/motels are less expensive than on weekends, less traffic, and we presume we all are retired from our working jobs.

Our agenda will be very similar to our last reunion with a casual evening on Tuesday at the Big House, formerly the Brew Pub; Wednesday we will have a cocktail hour at the Walla Walla Country Club with dinner, visiting, etc. to follow. We have added one more day - Thursday - to gather at the VFW Building on Rose street from 10 - 2 for a few more hours of visiting and a nice catered luncheon. We will be sending out a letter to everyone when we finalize more details, costs, etc., along with information of hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.

As time gets closer, if there is interest in other activities such as golf, wine touring, touring Wa-Hi which has recently been updated, or any other ideas you might have, we are open for suggestions.

Presently we have a committee working on updating our master address, telephone, e-mail, etc. list, along with updating - sadly - our deceased class members list. Please be helpful if you are called by our ladies, as we really try to reach as many of our classmates as we can.

We plan to send a letter by e-mail to everyone as soon as possible, and mail to those who do not have e-mail addresses.

Take care,
The Reunion Committee

July 23, 2019

1959 Wa-Hi 60th Class Reunion – Sept. 10 & 11, 2019

This is a reminder for those of who have not already done so, to please send us a check for your reservation to attend our upcoming 60th class reunion. Many of you have responded already and we thank you for that. Also, many of you have contacted us and asked questions, etc. but we don’t have your confirmed reservation. Remember, the cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple. This is for the Wednesday night buffet dinner and dance at the Walla Walla Country Club. There is no charge in advance for the Tuesday evening gathering at the Big House Pub & Restaurant.

Dick and Mary Ann Gray have invited everyone to their home, 1225 Lancer Drive, at 4:30 PM Wednesday prior to our event at the Country Club. If you need directions, please call Dick or Mary Ann at 509-525-0337.

Planned Itinerary

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019 5:30 – 10:00

Place: The Big House Pub & Restaurant, 11 S. Palouse

(Corner of E. Main/Boyer & Palouse)

Food and Drink: No host – they have a large menu of both food and beverages.

Attire: Casual – there is an outdoor area we plan to use if the weather is cooperative. The restaurant is quite large in size inside, so seating should not be a problem

This is a very informal & fun gathering.

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Casual – Ladies, No-host luncheon

Place: El Sombrero Restaurant – North Second Street

Time: 11:30 AM - ?

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Golf outing being arranged by Bud Kinzer and Dick Gray– Please contact Bud at 509-301-0600 or Dick at 509-525-0337 for times, etc.

Place: Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – 4:30PM – 5:45PM

Place: Dick & Mary Ann Gray’s Home – 1225 Lancer Drive - informal gathering prior to the evening event.

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 6:00 PM – No host cocktails

7:00 PM – BBQ Dinner & Music

Place: Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road

Food & Drink: Buffet BBQ Dinner & drinks (no host bar)

There will be a bar set up for cocktails, wine, or soft drinks for

purchase. If you choose to bring wine with you, there is a $13.00

corking fee per bottle.

Music by the Gems (Jim Reid from our Wa-Hi Class of ‘59 is a member of this group!)

Charge: $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple

Attire: Business casual (Khaki pants, nice jeans, golf acceptable shorts, collared shirts)

We are planning to have a group picture taken at 6:55 PM (just before dinner begins), so please be there in plenty of time so you are not missed in the photo. You can sign up at the door, and there will be a small charge (cash, please) for a print of this photo to be mailed to you.

As most of us remember, Jim Reid, one of our classmates, is a member of a band that continues to perform together, and we are able to hire them to play for us at the Wednesday evening affair. These fellows have been friends and fellow musicians for the last 60 years and have returned from time to time to Walla Walla and entertained at the Elks Lodge, as well as other locations. Their group is called The Gems and they play the 50’s songs and rock and roll music we all love so much. We all enjoyed their music at our 55th reunion!

There are many activities that could be planned in addition to the Tuesday evening gathering and the Wednesday night dinner. In our earlier letters we suggested individuals are welcome to plan a wine tour or other tour of Walla Walla, etc. during the reunion.

We are trying to make this gathering a fun and easy time to get together and just catch up with good friends. We are sad to say that many more of our good friends and classmates have passed away, and it reminds us how important it is to enjoy one another while we are able.

We ask that you pay in advance for the Wednesday event so we have a firm number for reservations. We have to guarantee our numbers to the Country Club by Monday, September 2, 2019 . If there are special circumstances, please call one of us and we will work out something that will suit everyone. We have classmates who have offered to donate extra money to pay for anyone who is unable to attend for that reason, so please let us know if that would help you to be able to join us. Send your money to Wa-Hi Class of ’59 – 752 Blalock Drive – Walla Walla, WA 99362. Again, the cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple, which includes a little extra to help pay for the band, cost of room rental, paper, ink, & postage. We will talk more at the Wednesday night party about whether we want to keep the website – www.bluedevils59.com - up for another five years.

Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to hear from you and would love other ideas and suggestions on how to make this a fun gathering.

We will try to keep any additional information on the website, so please check there for updates on any changes or additions. We will also try to keep current with the number of reservations we have received. Again, the website is www.bluedevils59.com.

Contacts:

Pat Herring Lucarelli

752 Blalock Drive

Walla Walla, WA 99362

(509) 525-2821 or

(509) 520-7310

Email: jplucarelli@charter.net

Dick Gray

1225 Lancer Drive

Walla Walla, WA 99362

(509) 525-0337

Email:

rgray1899@charter.net

Bud Kinzer

218 Cougar Creek Dr.

Walla Walla, WA 99362

(509) 301-0600

Email:

bbkinzer620@gmail.com

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESERVATIONS & MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

May 28, 2019

1959 Wa-Hi 60^th Class Reunion
Sept. 10 and 11, 2019

It has been nearly four months since we sent our first letter telling you about our plans for a gathering to celebrate our 60^th year since graduating from Wa-Hi. Final plans are being done for the above dates, and we hope to hear from you soon with your reservations.

Date:                   Tuesday, Sept.10, 2019       5:30 – 10:00
Place:                   The Big House, formerly Mill Creek Brew Pub & Restaurant, 11 S. Palouse - (Corner of E. in/Boyer & Palouse)
Food and Drink: No host – they have a large menu (available to view on line) of both food and beverages.

Attire:                 Casual – there is an outdoor area we plan to use if the weather is favorable. The restaurant is quite large inside, so seating should not be a problem.
This is a very informal & fun gathering.

Date:                   Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Casual                    – Ladies, No-host luncheon
Place:                   El Sombrero Restaurant – North Second Street
Time:                   11:30 AM - ?

Date:                   Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Golf outing being arranged by Bud Kinzer and Roger Muller – Please contact Bud at 509-301-0600 or Roger at 509-525-9339 for times, etc.
Place:                   Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road.

Date:                   Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – 4:30PM – 5:45PM
Place:                   Dick & Mary Ann Gray’s Home – 1225 Lancer Drive - informal gathering prior to the evening event.

Date:                   Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019   6:00 PM – No host cocktails
                                                                                7:00 PM –Buffet Dinner & Music
Place:                   Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road
Food:                   Italian Pasta Bar, Marsala Chicken, assorted salads, and an Ice Cream Bar.
Drinks:                There will be a bar set up for cocktails, wine, or soft drinks for purchase. If you choose to bring wine with you, there is a $13.00 corkage fee per bottle.

Music by the Gems (Jim Reid from our Wa-Hi Class of ‘59 is a member of this group!)

Charge:               $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple

Attire:                 Business casual (Khaki pants, nice jeans, golf acceptable shorts, collared shirts)

As mentioned above, Jim Reid, one of our classmates, is a member of a band that continues to perform together, and we are able to hire them to play for us at the Wednesday evening affair. These fellows have been friends and fellow musicians for the last 60 years and have returned from time to time to Walla Walla and entertained at the Elks Lodge, as well as other locations. Their group is called The Gems and they play the 50’s songs and rock and roll music we all love so much. More information on their group is on the last page of this letter.

There are many activities we could plan in addition to the events we have listed; however, if anyone would like to volunteer to put a plan together for a tour of Walla Walla, tour of the wineries, tour of Fort Walla Walla Museum, Whitman Mission, or any other tour you might be interested in, we ask that you contact us soon and we can give you names and numbers of a bus company or limousine service that specializes in that sort of thing. We are happy to assist, but we ask that others come forward to help. With the internet so available it is much easier now than ever to be a helper from a distance, and it is very appreciated by those of us who have been doing most of it here. New ideas are always welcome!

Golf is being organized for Wednesday morning at the Country Club. Please contact Bud Kinzer or Roger Muller to make golf arrangements.

In the past we have found the next morning event – usually a brunch – to be very enjoyable. We have decided not to do a planned brunch on Thursday morning, but we would certainly suggest many of our wonderful restaurants where groups or couples could plan to enjoy a nice breakfast before heading back home.

The Maple Counter           209 E. Alder          (509) 876-2527
Bacon & Eggs                    57 E. Main St.        (509) 876-4553
Clarette’s                         15 S. Touchet         (509) 529-3430
Shari’s                              814 W. Chestnut    (509) 522-1975
Tommys Dutch Lunch       1203 W. Pine St.    (509) 527-0600
Smiths Family Rest.         1425 W. Pine          (509) 529-3800

Walla Walla has numerous motels available, but they have a tendency to become filled early due to the colleges and wineries and many other events in our area. We would suggest making your reservations early to avoid any disappointment of being unable to stay where you desire.

Elaine and Steve Knapp have been in contact with the Walla Walla Suites and have reserved a block of fifteen rooms for the Wa-Hi Class of 1959 classmates at a discounted rate of $118.15 per night for King room (regular rate is $139) and $109.65 per night for one queen bed (regular rate is $129). If classmates are interested, they should call soon to make a reservation, specifying they are with the Class of 1959 and Steve Knapp has them spoken for and put that room in their own name.    We do have to use these fifteen rooms or the rate will not be discounted. Steve will need to take his name off the reservation probably a month prior to our reunion date, so we encourage everyone to make their reservations early.
                               Walla Walla Suites       (509) 525-4700

Here are a few more lodging suggestions:

LaQuinta Inn                    (509) 394-8815
Hampton Inn                    (509) 525-1398
Holiday Inn Express         (509) 525-6200
The Marcus Whitman       (509) 525-2200
Comfort Inn & Suites      888-775-4252
Mariott Courtyard           888-780-7925

We would also like to remind you our website is still up and available. We have tried to keep things updated on it but it’s difficult when we aren’t always aware of news or other information that should be entered. You are all still welcome to go in and update anything on your profile or add pictures, comments, guest book, etc. The website is: http://bluedevils59.com/. Go into the Classmates section and search for your name and picture. Click on Edit and a box will come up asking for username and password. If you have forgotten, just click on the box provided and another box comes up asking for your email address. Fill that in and send it. The company who owns the website will then email you your information. If you are still unable to access it, give me a call and I will attempt to help you. (Pat Herring Lucarelli, 509-525-2821)

We are trying to make this gathering a fun and easy time to get together and just catch up with good friends. We are sad to say that many more of our good friends and classmates have passed away, and it reminds us how important it is to enjoy one another while we are able.

We have already had some notes from classmates saying they will not be able to attend because they have various “issues”. Believe me, you are not alone – remember, we are all the same age and most of us have various “issues” as well – from hearing loss, mobility, health, medical, etc…… Growing up in Walla Walla was pretty special to most of us, and our friendships continue to be very important. We have offers from people who will assist if needed, so please don’t hesitate to call one of us to ask questions.

We have tried to keep our costs as low as possible. We ask that you pay in advance for the Wednesday night event so we have a firm number for reservations. We have to guarantee our numbers to the Country Club by Saturday, August 31, 2019. Send your money to Wa-Hi Class of ’59 – 752 Blalock Drive – Walla Walla, WA 99362. Again, the cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple, which includes a little extra to help pay for the band, cost of room rental, paper, ink, & postage. We will talk more at the Wednesday night party about whether or not we want to keep the website up for another five years.

Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to hear from you and would love other ideas and suggestions on how to make this a fun reunion. Our mailings are costly and a lot of work, so please watch our website, (www.bluedevils59.com) and we will try and keep changes posted there.

Contacts:               Pat (Herring) Lucarelli
                                    (509) 525-2821
                                    e-mail: plucarelli@charter.net

                                    Bud Kinzer
                                    (509) 301-0060
                                    e-mail: bbkinzer620@gmail.com

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESERVATIONS & MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

December 11, 2018 - Wa-Hi Class of 1959 - 60th Reunion Plans

The Reunion Committee met on November 30th in the Board Room of the Walla Walla School District. Decisions were made as follows:

Tuesday, September 10, 2019 -The Big House, formerly Mill Creek Brew Pub, located on the corner of Palouse and Main Street. Casual gathering - No Host - (outside, weather permitting) - Time to be determined.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - Casual Ladies No-host luncheon at the El Sombrero Restaurant located on North Second Street - 11:30 AM.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - Bud Kinzer and Roger Muller will be planning a golf outing for anyone interested in playing golf that day. More info to follow.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - 5:00 ish - Dick and Mary Ann Gray will host an informal gathering at their home prior to the evening event at the Walla Walla Country Club. Details to follow.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - 6:00 - Walla Walla Country Club - social time, dinner, program, dancing, visiting, etc. Jim Reid, member of our class and his Band, The Gems, will entertain us with their wonderful music from 7:30 to 10:30.

Elaine and Steve Knapp have been in contact with the Walla Walla Suites and have reserved a block of fifteen rooms for the Wa-Hi Class of 1959 classmates at a discounted rate of $118.15 per night for King room (regular rate is $139) and $109.65 per night for one queen bed (regular rate is $129). If classmates are interested, they should call soon to make a reservation, specifying they are with the Class of 1959 and Steve Knapp has them spoken for and put that room in their own name. We do have to use these fifteen rooms or the rate will not be discounted. Steve will need to take his name off of the reservation probably a month prior to our reunion date, so we encourage everyone to make their reservations early.

We will be emailing this information soon to those who have email addresses. For those who do not, but have a physical address, we will be mailing to you as well. If you have had cnanges in your profile, or know someone from our class who has, please notify us and we will update our master list.

We hope you will share this website with others so we can keep in touch with one another.

October 29, 2018

I know it is hard to believe, but time has passed quickly and we are once again planning another fun reunion. This time it is our 60th. We had a meeting last Monday and actually set the date. I'm hoping we can get a letter out to everyone within the next month with more details. Until then, here are the dates we have reserved.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019 - casual event - visiting, etc.....
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - casual event with dinner and possibly music by Jim Reid and his band.....and lots more visiting!

You are probably wondering why we would choose to do a midweek party. Other classes who have done this recently have shared very positive comments with us. So we decided to try it too.

Please mark your calendars and save these dates so we can gather once again and share friendships, stories, and updates about our lives. If you have any news and would like to share it, please feel free to add something to our website. Any questions, please give me a call or send an email. Also any updated email addresses, phone numbers, or physical address changes.

Patty Herring Lucarelli
jplucarelli@charter.net
(509) 525-2821