Polson Class of 1974 gathers for reunion
BERL TISKUS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years AGO
The Polson High School Class of 1974 held their 50th reunion in Polson last weekend. They were the first class tograduate from the "new" high school. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Reporter Berl Tiskus joined the Lake County Leader team in early March 2023, and covers Ronan City Council, schools, ag and business. Berl grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and earned a degree in English education from MSU-Billings and a degree in elementary education from the University of Montana. Since moving to Polson three decades ago, she’s worked as a substitute teacher, a reporter for the Valley Journal and a secretary for Lake County Extension. | August 15, 2024 12:00 AM
Polson High School's Class of 1974 celebrated their 50-year anniversary of graduating from high school last weekend. The Polson school board presented 101 students with diplomas in 1974, according to class members. For this reunion, 40 people attended, according to Una Rose Graham who spearheaded the reunion.
The class of 1974 was the first class to graduate in the "new" high school, which still serves as the high school, according to Lauren Johnson and Graham. The students moved in and got to spend the second half of their senior year at the new school.
For this reunion, the group met at Riverside Recreation's Tiki Bar on Friday evening for visiting and libations. Then on Saturday night, everyone brought potluck dishes to the Lake County Fairgrounds in Polson for a casual dinner. Copies of Polson High School annuals, The Salishian (the school's newspaper), and other memorabilia was spread out on tables so attendees could chuckle or groan over high school photos and antics.
On a more sober note, Amy Nelson Knudsen compiled an In Memoriam board with photos of the 30 classmates who had passed away.
Sunday morning the plan was to meet at the Sports Page for breakfast and then go their different directions home. They left with new memories of old friends, thinking about their younger selves.
On a beautiful summer night, the 1974 grads moved from group to group, catching up with each other's lives and enjoying the moment.
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