Tampa Rural High School classes hold reunions
Tampa Rural High School classes of 1943, 1944, and 1945, met Aug. 8 to celebrate 61st, 60th, and 59th reunions.
Activities began with a fried chicken dinner at Butch's Diner, followed by a gathering at the Tampa Senior Center.
The group enjoyed meeting and reminiscing about high school days.
A meeting began at 3 p.m. Clarence Stegeman, the only male left in the class of 1944, was chosen to lead the meeting.
Everyone told stories and jokes about classmates and several interesting stories were shared.
John Plieser, who moved to California before the 1944 class graduated, was unable to attend due to health reasons. He still considers himself a member of the class.
Committee member Leona Kleiber told the group about the monument that is in the beginning phases of development. The monument will be placed on the grounds where Tampa Rural High School once stood.
She shared a drawing of the monument, which will be built from original bricks and stone from the former high school. She told that a picture of the high school will be placed on bricks taken from the site and sold for $10 to help with construction costs.
Mugs with a covered wagon and "Travel the Santa Fe Trail to The Other Tampa" engraved on them and supplied by Tampa City Council also were available for sale. A book, "Tampa, A History of Tampa, Kansas, and It's Environs," also was on display and available for purchase.
Other items on display were memorabilia from the 1943 Tampa Tigers basketball team which went to the state Class B basketball tournament. It was a hot team. The town shut down to follow the team to almost all the games played that year.
Norman Mueller was the only one present from the starting five of that 1943 team. Other members of the team were Art Mueller, Roy Ottensmeier, and Clarence Stegeman. Norman was presented an enlarged framed picture of the 1943 team and hung it for display on the wall of the Tampa Senior Center.
Also on display were trophies from the 1944 Tampa Tiger team which made it to the semi-state basketball tournament. Tom "Stub" Costello was a 1945 graduate and member of the 1944 team. He made considerable contributions to the team.
Agnes Steinert discussed the 1943 Tampa Tigers basketball team. Her late husband, Woody, was a member of this great team.
She explained how she promoted the idea of donating a child's four-wheeled wagon as a fund-raiser for the monument. The wagon was on display at Tampa State Bank and people bought chances to win the wagon, which was given away at the bank's hog roast late in August.
Agnes also was in charge of decorating tables, providing cups and plates, and black and gold balloons for the reunion.
She offered a thoughtful moment of silence for classmates who were deceased.
It was decided during the first committee meeting that a "welcome" banner was needed for classes attending the reunion.
Durham High School graduate Margie Stegeman, wife of Clarence, offered to design the banner. The gold banner with black lettering said "Welcome to the Classes of 1943-1944-1945." A picture of the Tampa Rural High School was in the lower left corner and a basketball and head of a tiger in the other. She received many compliments and a round of applause for her work.
Everyone had a wonderful time and it was decided to have another reunion in two or three years.
