Milestone reunions bring BFHS classmates back together

BONNERS FERRY — From classmates celebrating 50 years since graduation to those marking an extraordinary 70 years, Bonners Ferry High School alumni gathered this month to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate friendships that have endured for decades. 

While every reunion is unique, this year's celebrations showcased two very different but equally meaningful ways of honoring the past, one by creating a lasting gift for the community, and the other by simply gathering together once again after a lifetime of shared memories. 

Bonners Ferry High School Class of 1976 hosted a four-day 50th reunion July 16-19, welcoming classmates home for bowling, social gatherings, a pancake breakfast, a silent auction, contests, speeches and a community concert that featured the Fleetwood Mac tribute band Paper Flowers. 

The weekend also celebrated the completion of the class's legacy project, the new Dave Wenk Memorial Pavilion at the Boundary County Fairgrounds. The timber-frame pavilion was built through a partnership between the Class of 1976 Legacy Team and the Boundary County Fair Board but quickly grew into a true community effort. Local businesses, organizations and volunteers donated materials, labor, equipment and professional services to help bring the project to life, creating a permanent covered venue that will serve concerts, fairs and community events for years to come. 

The idea grew out of plans to host the reunion concert. Rather than renting a temporary stage or canopy, organizers decided to build something that would continue benefiting the community long after the reunion had ended. What began as a reunion project ultimately became a lasting investment in the future of the Boundary County Fairgrounds and the community it serves. 

According to reunion organizer Dennis Dinning, the effort was embraced by the community from the very beginning, and the reunion itself exceeded expectations. 

"It went fantastic," Dinning said. "We had over half of our classmates there, and we had 11 classmates that had never come to a reunion before." 

For Dinning, the pavilion represented much more than a building. 

"We called it our legacy project," he said. "We wanted to leave a legacy for the community, and we think we did. The pavilion worked out fantastic for the concert, and now it will be there for generations to come." 

Despite smoke and evacuations caused by area wildfires, which led to the cancellation of several community events that weekend, reunion organizers were grateful they were still able to move forward with the festivities. 

"We were really grateful that we were able to go on with the concert," Dinning said. "Paper Flowers was outstanding. You could just see the pure joy on people's faces. People were having so much fun." 

Just one week later, another BFHS class gathered for a much quieter, but no less meaningful, celebration. 

The Class of 1956 met at Chic-N-Chop for their 70th class reunion, where eight classmates spent the afternoon catching up, sharing stories and reflecting on a lifetime of friendships. 

For those in attendance, the reunion carried special significance. 

"We all enjoyed visiting with one another and were thankful that we were able to have a 70th class reunion," class member Marilee Norris Wales said. "So many of us are already gone, so we're blessed in that way." 

Wales said much of the credit for keeping the tradition alive belongs to classmate Dolores Sweet, who has organized the annual gathering for years. 

"She deserves a special thank you," Wales said. "Every year she sets it up for us to meet." 

In appreciation of Sweet's dedication, classmates surprised her during the reunion with flowers and a thank-you card signed by the group, recognizing the time and effort she has devoted to keeping the class connected through the years. 

Although attendance has naturally become smaller over the decades, the annual reunion continues to provide an opportunity for lifelong friends to reconnect, share memories and celebrate the bonds they formed as students at Bonners Ferry High School more than 70 years ago. 

Though the celebrations were separated by 20 graduating classes, they shared a common purpose: remembering old friends, making new memories, and honoring the relationships that continue to define each class. 

Together, the two reunions served as a reminder that while years may pass and class sizes may grow smaller, the connections formed in high school often remain among life's most enduring. Whether through a pavilion that will welcome generations to come or an annual lunch that keeps lifelong classmates together, both reunions demonstrated that the bonds formed in Bonners Ferry continue to endure long after graduation. 

    BFHS class of 1976 50th class reunion