Kenneth Boggs (Class of 1962) passed away on Thursday March 8, 2018 at his residence. Ken was the son of Ralph and Helen (Norris) Boggs. He graduated from Pierceton high school with the class of 1962. After serving in the US Army, he married Freda Minnix on April 26, 1975. Ken worked at Medtronic Orthopedics for many years, retiring in 2008 as a supervisor.
Sandra Salman Frush (Class of 1957) passed away Friday, February 16, 2018 at Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne. Sandra was born June 1, 1939 and married Earl Burkett Frush on June 1, 1958. She was very active in the community and was former Clerk Treasurer of the Town of Pierceton and former deputy Clerk Treasurer for the City of Warsaw. She was the director of the Kosciusko County Mental Health Association for 17 years and was very active in the Jail Ministry.
Steve Likens (Class of 1967) passed away Friday, February 2, 2018. Funeral services were held on February 16 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Artesia, California. Steve was graduated with a degree in Music Education from Manchester College in 1971 before studying trumpet performance at Indiana University. Steve was General Manger at Fields Pianos in California at the time of his passing.
Delbert (Class of 1953) and Rhoda Ross Caudill (Class of 1954) were married for 64 years and passed away within days of each other in January 2018. They were long-time residents of Pierceton, Indiana and San Antonio, Florida. Delbert was an avid golfer and Rhoda was an artist. They traveled around the world and to all 50 states. Delbert worked at Clausing Manufacturing and DePuy in Warsaw and Rhoda held various positions at the Pierceton Newspaper, Post Office and Library.
George ‘Dude’ Paul Wiegand, III, (Class of 1967) died October 15, 2017, in his home near Warsaw, Indiana. He was born on January 15, 1949 to the late George P. Wiegand, II and Joan Marceille Cary in Warsaw, Indiana. Paul graduated from Pierceton High School in 1967, and served 2 years in the U.S. Army during the Viet Nam war.
The 128th Pierceton School Annual Alumni Banquet will be held on June 26, 2021 at the Pierceton Elementary School. Doors open at 4:30pm; dinner will be served at 6:00pm.
Yes, FINALLY! We will be able to celebrate with our friends and classmates from long ago at the Annual Alumni Banquet. This year’s Banquet is unique in a couple of respects: First, we’ve changed the number sequence after discovering the Pierceton School Alumni Secretary Report, 1899-1927 reported the first Alumni Banquet was held in 1893. That makes the 2021 event our 128th banquet. Second, as far as we can determine, this is the first banquet that will honor two graduating classes, because government mandates prevented our holding the event in 2020 and the Class of 1970 had to wait an extra year to celebrate their 50th graduation reunion.
The Classes of 1970 and 1971 have worked closely together to make the evening special and it is well past the time we should be together to celebrate the heritage of the Pierceton Schools…both the one most of us attended and the one that stood on the same site from 1870 to 1921. Now the Pierceton community has embraced and supported the new Pierceton Elementary School that occupies those grounds. As a community, we are fortunate to be a part of the continuing legacy of the Pierceton School.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as finding friends from long ago at the annual banquet. It’s like walking into a room of strangers only to discover none of them is a stranger. While they’re usually impossible to recognize at first, after a few minutes talking those old classmates suddenly start to look and sound just like they did decades earlier. See you at the banquet!!
On November 20, half a dozen alumni met with about 50 students at the elementary school to make their pitches for the jobs they wanted at the Northern Indiana Biztown project. The students filled out job applications and offered the reasons they should be selected for the job they were seeking. Then they set down with alumni who conducted face-to-face interviews, asking them to explain why they would be the best choice for the positions they sought.
The school leaders made the final decisions, but all the alumni were thrilled to be a part of the process, encouraging students to come up with compelling rationale for their selection. The Association congratulates the faculty of Pierceton Elementary School for providing this opportunity to their 5th-grade students.
The Pierceton students will participate in the Biztown project at the JA facility on Coldwater Road in Fort Wayne on December 6.
There is very little in life that is as touching and beautiful as the relationship between a child and a grandparent. Over a dozen Pierceton School Alumni had the chance to witness that at Grandparent’s Day on November 5. We had front-row seats as we welcomed grandparents and students, served hot dogs, beans, and chips, and roamed around the tables as students and grandparents shared some precious time together.
The Alumni Association was honored to participate in this event, and we thank Principal Michele Smith and her staff for making us feel welcomed and needed at the event.
We have two classes who have pages on our website. That let’s them communicate with a lot of people in a short time. If your class meets every month or twice a month, or every two months…whatever…let us know what’s happening and we’ll make sure the entire alumni group knows about it.
Unless you’re not proud to be doing it………
Don’t let the self-glossing, arrogant Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER! get all the coverage! Make sure your class gets the credit they deserve.
During a brief break from the school schedule in February, school staff completed the presentation of all the Senior Class Pictures at the elementary school. The Senior Class Picture Project was conceived in 2015 as the historic pictures were rescued from destruction before the old school building was demolished. PSAA determined that these pictures were integral to our mission to preserve the heritage and legacy of the old Pierceton School. Pierceton Elementary School principal Mike McClain supported our request to the Whitko school board members to display the photos at the new school.
This past year, the pictures of classes from 1960 – 1971 were hung in the school in they commons area at the east end of the gymnasium and in the hallway on the south side of the gym. These have been available for viewing since the 2018 Alumni Banquet was held in June 2018. Now all of the pictures from 1913 – 1959 have been mounted on the walls within the office spaces at the school.
If you’d like to see the pictures, you can visit the school any day classes are in session. Visiting hours for viewing are from 9:30 – 11:30am or 1:30 – 2:30pm. No need for an appointment; just show up and stroll down memory lane!