BIG PIKE Combined Reunion

I remember it well!

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Every big event requires the help of many people, and the BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION was only possible through the assistance of several alums that I wanted to recognize and thank.
First of all, this reunion literally would not have happened without the vital contributions from Nancy Stahl Flowers '72. She secured our fantastic venue, the Plainfield Eagles Lodge, as well as the delicious buffet meal, and coordinated many other aspects of the event.
I also need to recognize Buddy Bernhardt for arranging our faculty speakers, Marv Eggleston as our talented MC for the night, Barb Turner (name tags) Gary Weidman (photography), Hope Pottenger, Jan Clark Miller, Bev Moser, Susan Melvin, Robert Chastain, Patti Medvescek and Marcia Chastain for promoting and volunteering at the event. This was a big challenge since we literally live 1,100 miles away from Indy, and we appreciate everyone who contributed to the success of this event. And if I left out anybody, I apologize, but please add names in the comments section below.

Here are a few more images from the BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION.
Those who managed to attend the first ever all-school reunion seemed to have an enjoyable experience that rivaled our school days at Pike. Once again, apologies for any repeat pics that I may have posted. I honestly hope that someone will take over this project and improve on our initial effort to make this an annual event.

As promised, here are some of the pics taken at the BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION on Saturday evening. If you have additional pics that you took, please share them with me at [email protected] or via text message at 321-745-7040. Apologies for any repeat photos.

I know. Where are the pictures from the BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION? I PROMISE to share more of them later today.
But for all those who experienced this fantastic event, I wanted to re-share the opening comments from our MC, Marvin Eggleston -- partly because we had a few initial issues with the sound levels of the microphone, as well as ongoing conversations in the hall. But mostly because Marvin's comments were SO creative and catered to our Pike family. His use of metaphors and analogies were absolutely beautiful and appropriate. Since I personally couldn't hear/understand all of this creative prose, I am sharing it with everybody on this forum.
And please share any photos that you may have taken on the comments section below or by emailing them to [email protected].
And that's off to Marv for his outstanding opening story:

"It's been a quiet week in Pike Township, my hometown.

There's a family of eagles that sometimes roost about 75 yards south of the Ornithology Center at Eagle Creek Park.

While we were little kids, J.K. Lilly, grandson of Eli Lilly was buying up 3,600 acres that would become the 2nd largest city park in the United States.

Eagle Creek Park and the Trader's Point Historic District is the crown jewel of Pike.

A lot of people sacrificed a lot to preserve a part of Pike.

The mother eagle in the pine tree speaks softly but firmly, the father goes and gets dinner. The sister is bigger and squawks constantly, she is entering 6th grade, sits in the front row and raises her hand all the time.

She, like many of the girls, picks a small instrument to play in the band. Sort of like Debbie Morrow, Susie Roetter, Patti Flanigan, Ann Burke and Amanda Ehrenford.

The smaller brother is a better flyer and hunter. He sits in the back of the class and hopes he doesn't get called on. He plays the tuba and watches Weldon Morgan go around to each section of the band and show them how to play their instruments. (Just amazing)

The little brother is good at math thanks to Marge Morgan. The squawking big sister is good at English and is bound to become a lawyer.

Water fills the reservoir partially supplied by a thousand sump pumps installed by Metzler plumbing. Run off from Ma**ca Callahan's, Susan Bridgewater's and Bonnie Flick's houses help fill it. Trees planted by Bill and David Todd's nursery serve as perches for a myriad of birds.

6 swans parade in the lake reminding one of the football home coming court, or majorette's in the band, or cheer leaders. (Swans indeed)

A group of 11 pelicans pass through. They came after the reservoir was filled. They were mostly attracted by the smell of Mrs. Caesar's chocolate chip cookies.
When they go out to fish they swim in a half circle, like a fishing net encircling a school of fish.

The center pelican reminds you of Denny Almas with Gary Taylor and Glenn Ozols on his left and Doug Boyer and Steve Regal on his right. None of them puts their beaks in the water till the quarterback pelican in the middle gives the signal, then they all feed at once.

In February, the Sandhill Cranes pass over Bud and Ann Bernhardt's house on their way to the Wasatch Mountains north of Salt Lake City, where Ginger Soper hiked with her family. They, like her, took a little piece of Pike with them on their migration. For Ginger it's the memorial organ in the Salt Lake City Methodist Church.

An uncle eagle soared to the fishing ground near Lafayette taking a piece of Pike with David Woods.

For the pelican's their migration takes a little piece of Pike to the intercoastal waterways near Melbourne, Florida where Bev and Randy share that little piece of Pike with the students they mentored there.

As I end my hike, I hear the little tea cup of a bird, a pair of Carolina wren's singing "We are loyal to you Pike High" and in reprise I hear a mating pair of Pileated Wood Peckers sing "We're the red and the white Pike High".

Well, that's all the news from Pike this week. Where all the Grandmother's are strong, all the Grandfather's are good looking and all the Grandchildren are above average."

Any guests who took pictures at the BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION on Saturday, can you PLEASE send me copies of them to my email or Whatsapp account, so I can repost them on the REUNION webpage. [email protected] or 3217457040. I look forward to seeing all your photos from Saturday!

First pic from our BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION on Saturday night. There will be many more to come. We had a fabulous time!

Packing for our long flight from Orlando to Indianapolis on Thursday. I can't wait to see all of you again!

Weve had numerous requests for the list of registered guests for the BIG PIKE COMBINED REUNION, so here is our current list. If your name is not on this list and you thought you were registered, please contact us ASAP! Also, if your name is spelled incorrectly, please let me know so we can correct your name tag. Without further adieu, here is the list:

79 SHARI ALBERT LYONS
69 DENNIS ALMAS
70 BILL ALSMAN
69 JAY ANDERSON
72 BRUCE BAKER
69 KATHY BANKS YORK
G RANDY YORK
68 CINDY BASS EWING
71 BUDDY BERNHARDT
70 ANN BURKE BERNHARDT
74 JOHN BIELAWSKI
74 DONNA BLACKWELL LONG
71 RUTH BLACKWELL HANNA
FAC MA BOOTH
72 DAN BOWDEN
G JUNE BOWDEN
68 BILL BOYER
64 PHIL BRANDT
67 GARY BRIDGEWATER
66 SUSAN BRIDGEWATER TUEL
69 GARY BROWN
69 NORMA BUCKWALTER DUCKETT
68 JOE BUMGARNER
69 BEVERLY CAESAR MOSER
71 BRENT CALLAHAN
69 MA**CA CALLAHAN SELL SCHWARTZ
G MENNO SCHWARTZ
71 ROBERT CHASTAIN
G SUANNE CHASTAIN
66 MARCIA CHASTAIN
66 CJ CLUMB
69 DOUG CLARK
68 JAN CLARK MILLER
G STEVE MILLER
71 BECKY CLARK
72 BARB COCHRAN SCHAFFER
71 MARK CRAIG
72 MARC CRAWFORD
70 JIM CUNNING
66 NITA CUNNINGHAM
72 BECKY DAUPERT CRAWFORD
69 CONSTANCE DAUPERT CLARK
82 MARIA DICK ALLGEIER
72 KATHY EDWARDS HERITIER
72 DENNIS HERITIER
69 MARVIN EGGLESTON
71 NANCY FLANIGAN
69 PATTI FLANIGAN MEDVESCEK
71 DAVE GREEN
79 RENA GERSTLE PUTNAM
72 STEVEN ROBERT GREEN
G KIM GREEN
69 ROSANNE GREEN BRANSFORD
72 BARB GUTHRIE TURNER
74 DEBBIE GUTHRIE SMITH
74 MARK GUEST
72 GINNY HAGERMAN BAYSDEN
79 CINDI HARRIMAN GELMAN
70 RICH HARDIN
70 DEBBI HARDWICK KIELBASA
71 CAROL HELTON ALSMAN
72 DOROTHY HUBERTY HAWHEE
FAC RON IWEMA
G BARB IWEMA

79 BRENDA JACKSON
72 RUTH JACKSON PLANT
79 MARISA JOHNSON BURKHART
71 LOIS JONES CRAIG
70 STEVE KENT
72 GARY KENT
G BILL KOSSMAN
69 EVE MCGINNISS KUHN
69 BEN LAGADON
G ANNETTE LAGADON
71 ELAINE (HOPE) LAYSON POTTENGER
53 LOIS LAYSON
71 DAVID LEE
G VALERIE LEE
69 SUSAN LEAR BUSCEMI
G JOE BUSCEMI
83 SANDIE MACK GREENWAY
66 KEN MAHLKE
69 MYRA MCCAMMON TSCHIEGG
66 PAM MCCANN MCEWEN
G JOE MCEWEN
73 HARRY METZLER
G MARIE BARR
73 LARRY METZLER
68 CHRISTIE MEYERS HUFF
67 CHERYL MOORE MEYERS
73 MARK MONTIETH
70 RICK MONTIETH
69 CAROL MOORE BARCLAY
73 VICTOR MOORE
73 ANGELIA MOORE
69 CHRISTY MORRIS BERRY
70 DEB MORROW EGGLESTON
69 RANDY MOSER
72 GARY NAJMON
69 SUSAN ROETTER MELVIN
G JOHN MELVIN
83 BASIL "CHIP"ROMANOVICH
83 KRISTEN MCCORMICK ROMANOVICH
72 MARK ROWE
FAC LARRY SALSMAN
G GINNY SALSMAN
72 NANCY STAHL FLOWERS
70 PATTI SCHMID
73 TOBIE SMITH
71 KATHY SWAYNE GREEN
72 EDDIE TAYLOR
69 LARRY TAYLOR
73 WALT THACKER
G KRISTI THACKER
71 TEENA THEARD AUSTIN
82 CHARLL THICKSTEN OBEAR
69 BILL TODD
72 DAVE TODD
68 MONTE TROUTMAN
79 CAROLYN TURNER NIERMAN
G TODD NIERMAN
93 JESSICA WAGONER BONNER
G KEVIN ROBERTS
71 JERRY WAGONER
G DAVID CHRISTIANSEN
73 GARY WALTON
69 PAM WARREN
FAC BOB WAYMAN
69 GARY WEIDMANN
G LINDA WEIDMANN
72 GREGG WEIDMANN
71 MICHELE WHITE CALLAHAN
69 TOM WILEY
G KATHY YOUNG
72 DAVID WOOD
G BETH WOOD
68 MIRIAM (MIMI) YOHLER WELLS
72 JACKIE MARLER FINNEY