Central Elementary is no longer an elementary school. It is being converted into a children's museum, which will be the first one in the state of South Dakota. The opening date is ony a few weeks away. Funding for this renovation is being provided by Larson Manufacturing (Vern Olson's employer). Some of the people on staff there are colleagues or former students. They asked me this summer if I had any memorabilia of the old school. I gave them what I could find. If any of you have items of interest, you may contact
Jill Hungerford
Director of Marketing
Children's Museum
521 4th St.
Brookings, SD 57006
In my search, I came across these two photos from the late 50's, early 60's. The first photo is First Communion at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. The year may have been 1959. I think the fourth row, from the left, consists of Arnie deBlonk, Jerry Martinson, Dan Holm, unknown, Tim Serlet, unknown, John Martinson, Greg Graff, Doug Biggar, and Jim Wakeman. The third row is Rick Thompson, Steve Braley, Mike McClemans, Pat Durland (?), John Iverson, Alan Leibel, Stan Skubic, Jim Herrig (?), unknown, Rocky Watson, and Kevin O'Connell. The boy on the left in the second row looks like Jim Antonides. The only girls I recognize in that row are Cecilia Kellogg in the middle, and perhaps Kathy Howell (from Volga) on the end. In the front row, the second and third girls from the left look like Patsy Bates and Kathy Funk respectively. The two middle girls appear to be Debi Shirley and Robyn Connelly, while the girl on the end seems to be Margaret Pearson. We were not all in the same class; I don't know the reason for that.
The second one is the Cub Scout pack (den?) some of us were in. From the left is Greg Graff (anybody know whatever happened to him? Didn't he move when we were in Jr. Hi?), Jim Egeberg, Jim Wakeman, Arnie deBlonk, Mike McClemans, Lynn Roberts, and John Iverson.
Johnny,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog while doing a search of Central School (I went to school there from K to 7th). I was just trying to find out what was happening with my old school. What a surprise to find out that it is now a children's museum. I hope to get back to Brookings one day to see it.
At any rate, I do know another person in the 1st Communion picture. My cousin is Celi Kellogg. If you look to the right in that row, the girl who is 2nd to the right is Peggy Kellogg, another cousin. Peggy moved from Brookings in the early 60's. I am not sure of the exact year.
Your site brings back lots of memories of growing up in Brookings.
Lori Berg Pumphrey
SC