CULVER CLASS OF 1960 NEWSLETTER
2005 45TH REUNION WRAP-UP
We ended up with 27 classmates returning for our 45th reunion. Those who attended were Bob Altman, Jim Buresh and wife Carol, Judy (Gollnick) Council, Dick Culbertson and wife Marty, Bob Glaze and wife Gail and Bob’s mother (for the Saturday afternoon crew event and class picture), Al Goodrich, Bill and Gerry Gram, Tom Jackson and wife Pat, Pete Johnson, Norm Kempler and wife Carol, Dan Manion (Friday evening Gala and dinner), Cal Peck, Jim Pylkas and wife Laird, Rags Raggio and wife Barb, Don Richter, John Schoo and wife Cynthia, Charley Smithgall, Murphy Thomas and wife Barb, Forrest Van Schwartz and Mary (Lynn), Charley Van Tuyl and wife Kim, Bill Walaitis and wife Marleen, Henry Weaks, Bud Wellmon and Terry Whitley and wife Nancy. I had hoped for 35 and possibly 41, but alas nearly all the probables and possibles didn’t make it. Mark your calendar’s for the 3rd weekend in May, 2010 for our 50th. It usually starts the Wednesday before.
As of this letter, now into August, I do not have the results of our class’s annual fund contributions for 2004/2005. However, thanks to those who were generous and for those that gave what they could and for the last minute donations. The push is on now for our 50th reunion Gift. Henry Weaks, Jim Buresh, Bill Bushnell, Jim Pylkas, Murphy Thomas, Dick Culbertson and others (sorry if I forgot some) have offered to help in this regard. Any and all help is always appreciated, both in fundraising and in getting folks to come back. We could organize by unit and/or area of the country, or whatever works. I know that personal contact is the best means of getting folks interested. Five years will come quite quickly, as you all are well aware of. Time seems to gather speed the older we get.
By the way, the picture in the last letter was of Dr. Jack Steele out of Albany, Georgia, a retired teacher. The most often guessed was Tom Douglas, including Tom Douglas himself who said, “If I knew it wasn’t me I would have guessed me.” Hope you had some fun with it. Although I didn’t receive any more pictures perhaps this would be something for our 50th. However, I would prefer everyone would attend and we won’t need pictures.
Marleen and I arrived in Culver on Wednesday. Dick Culbertson and wife Marty had left a note that they were in town and would be eating at “The Corndance.” We joined them for desert and a drink to toast Dick’s birthday. The desert was Dick’s, but was big enough to share with the four of us. Turns out we had the same desert, albeit a smaller version, at our dinner Saturday evening.
Thursday evening we started at Don Nixon’s cottage on the east side (Don was unable to attend due to his daughter’s wedding in North Carolina). We are grateful for his generosity in providing a place to gather and a place to stay for classmates. I want to thank Dick Moncrief, again, for his donation for the weekend. I used some of the money to buy beverages for use at Nixon’s during the weekend and turned the rest over to Culver for our class gift. Culver was generous and provided wraps and beverages along with cheese, meats and veggies, which were also used during the weekend. It was quite foggy that evening, but we were comfortable inside and enjoyed a lot of conversation. It was nice beginning. One highlight was Peggy Bushnell arrived wearing Bill’s dress uniform. Now it fit her quite nicely, but Bill would have had no chance. However, Al Goodrich was able to don the uniform for the parade Saturday evening and carried the guidon. Forrest Van Schwartz was going to carry the banner, but with Al in uniform he was gracious enough to relinquish the job so Al would be up front for all to see. How many of you out there could still fit in your uniform? I was 139 when I left Culver and am now 194. I just get into my Navy blues.
Friday morningJim Pylkas, Pete Johnson, joined myself and my brother-in-law Bill Johnson for a round of golf at Mystic Hills, a Pete Dye and son designed 18 hole course on the southeast side of the lake. It was a real challenge and we had a good time playing a very nice golf course. It was a great day to play, although it started out cool and cloudy, it quickly turned warmer and the sun came out. The wind, however, didn’t help our scores. Jim discovered after we finished he was wearing the wrong glasses which put him just enough off his game to exasperate him. We all still had a nice morning.
Many of the class spent Friday morning and afternoon “inspecting” the campus and finding out all the changes that had occurred since they left. A lot has been done over the last 45 years. Unfortunately “The Shack” and “The Culver Inn” are gone, along with the “Superintendant’s Home” and the “Alumni House” to make way for the new library. By the way, Jan Saunders, a friend of ours who worked many years at the Inn and who still helps out at the Infirmary and assists at parties around the lake, has the original “The Culver Inn” sign for sale at “The Collectors” store next to the hardware store across the street from The Corndance (the former Corner Tavern).
Friday evenings “Gala” at the multi-purpose building turned out to be a lot of fun. Not only did we get to visit within our class but were able to see folks from other classes, friends, teachers and staff from the past, including Bob Hartman. Dan Manion, who had planned on coming Saturday, showed up for the evening instead and looked fit. Must be all the exercise he gets in the park behind his house running and cross-country skiing. Hopefully I’ll get some pictures with this letter that were taken during the weekend.
Speaking of pictures, Jim Buresh set up a web site with pictures from the weekend. The site is located at
as did Forrest VanSchwartz at If anyone has other pictures contact Forrest at and send them to be added to his web site. Or, I’ll take 35mm’s and send them to Culver to be included. The question is where to send them. Marleen and I have not been at home too much lately. We left Culver the following Thrusday after the reunion, after closing up mom’s house and drove to Orlando, FL, after 12 hours at home, to see her dad. Unfortunately he passed away shortly before we arrived. However, we had been with him quite a bit before the reunion. After taking care of her folks property we arrived back in Georgia June 20th and have finally gotten some much needed rest. We’ve been sorting out all “the stuff” we brought from mom’s and her dad’s. My advice folks, get rid of “your stuff” early and save your kids the trouble.
Saturday was left to walking, or biking (Terry and Nancy Whitley) around the campus. I was checking for late arrivals at the multi-purpose building when this “cowboy” walked in wearing a tan western suit, boots, large cowboy hat and ski slope glasses? It could only have been Bud Wellmon who kept his promise to call Charley Smithgall and have Charley fly him out from Tyler, Texas. Thanks Charley for joining the reunion and diverting from Atlanta to Tyler to bring Bud. It was great having you both, it really livened up the party.
Along with Saturday’s lunch and the class picture Bob Glaze and wife Gail, Terry Whitley and myself joined Bob Evans from the class of 55, and Rollie Cole and others from the Culver Club of Indianapolis Rowing Team (CCIRT) to row against two other classes, from the 80’s. Personally, unlike the weekly rowing crowd from CCIRT, I was up for a nice slow row out to the 500 meter start, a 500 meter race, and back to the dock. It turned out to be a 1000meter row out to meet up with the other two crews, a turnaround and what was to be a slow row to the start. Through some miscommunication it turned out to be a fast row to the start and continued on for a 1000meter row back down the course, sort of since we got a bit off course. So now we are at 2000 meters. Well maybe 2500 since the course ended well before the dock. Then it was decided, since the start was not quite fair, to turn around and race back up the 500 meter course. We still got whooped! And remember my desire for about 1000 meters. Now we are at 3000, plus 1000 to get back, and I’m grousing, even more than during the first and second races, when someone decides (I think it was Bob at stroke) to do a slow loop, make that another 500 meters, to wait for the dock to clear. The other two crews, having beaten us, had returned to the dock ahead of us. So folks, by now my butts sore, my legs, arms and gut muscles are screaming (got to workout more for next years race), and I’ve rubbed my thigh a bit (but not nearly as bad as Terry Whitley, a real trooper (pun), and not only am I still crabbing I caught a small crab during the race, and my shoes were about 12’s and I’m about an 8 1/2. Poor Rollie “Crab King” Cole behind me must have been watching my every move to keep from smaking me in the back. So I’m at 3500 meters, or there abouts, and I am pooped. And all the while Gail Glaze, bad back and all, wearing jeans, rowing in front of me, wasn’t even winded from what I could tell. BUT IT WAS REALLY FUN!
Among the week-end highlights was signing a water color of the troop at parade in front of the Riding Hall for Scott Bergman. Bill and Gerry Gram provided the picture (thanks a bunch) which everyone at the Saturday evening class dinner signed. I received a note from Scott’s wife Barb who said he was really pleased with the picture, and the comments, and that the names brought back many fond memories. We also called Scott and passed the phone around both Saturday evening and after chapel on Sunday. Folks, you made his day (evening), thanks for your concern and thoughtful comments. Father Tom Jackson help officiate at the chapel service and along with his wife Pat served communion on Sunday. The weekend was an emotional time for many of us. I talked with Scott recently and he was in great spirits and doing quite well. Although still confined to bed, he intends to exercise more and get about and also hope to get his laptop set up for wireless transmission so he can communicate via the internet.
Folks, I can’t tell you enough how good it was to see those that made it back. But I also had the pleasure to talk to everyone in the class I could get a call through to. I’ve received mail, Rob Goodwin and Ed Wilhite, in response to my snail mail. Rob had hoped to make it out, but last minute conflicts prevented it. Ed, in Cape Coral, Florida wrote a short note indicating things just didn’t work out. I found that the vast majority of our classmates, in reflection, valued their time at Culver for what they learned and the friendships they made. I have found over the years, through jobs, organizations, neighbors, travels, etc, that friendships are the longest lasting memories. Many expressed their desire and plan to make the 50th. I would hope over the next few years you all would consider making the trip, at least one more time, to Culver for our 50th reunion. It was great seeing you all, and it was great talking and writing to those that I was able to get in touch with. Thanks for making the time I spent well worth the effort.
I apologize to the lateness in getting this letter out. I hope your summer has been enjoyable. Until next time take care of yourselves and Marleen and I might just give you a call and ask to stop by.
Cheers.
Bill