Lamar High School Class of 1974 celebrates 50th reunion with a weekend of events

The Class of 1974

The Lamar High School Class of 1974 celebrated a milestone during the weekend of September 13-15, gathering for our 50^th reunion.  Classmates from near and far met in Lamar to spend time reminiscing with old friends and sharing memories and stories about life since high school.  We had a great turnout with approximately 40 of us, plus spouses and significant others attending. For some classmates, it was the first reunion they’d ever attended while others haven’t missed one.  On this night, however, we were all rediscovering old friends and enjoyed hearing what has transpired in the years since graduation while marveling at how 50 years could have flown by so quickly.

A trip down memory lane occurred on Friday with a walkthrough of the high school.  Most said the school looked much like it did when we attended but that they were amazed at how good it still looks. Following a casual dinner that evening at Las Brisas restaurant, several classmates attended the first Lamar football game held in the new Thunder Stadium, cheering as Lamar won the game.  Those attending commented on how impressive the field, scoreboard and facilities were and that it was a great idea to build it near the high school.  Current students are very fortunate to have a new, state-of-the-art facility and undoubtedly will form their own wonderful memories at this new stadium.

Early Saturday morning, a few brave but “spirited” classmates gathered at Spreading Antlers as the sun came up for 18 holes of golf and comradery.  That night, the Historic Cow Palace Inn hosted our more formal event.  Even the Cow Palace is a part of our history, as it was built while we were in high school and several of us worked there during that time.  Walking into the ballroom, we were greeted by tunes provided by DJ Ty Harmon who, along with his wife Becky, took us all back in time with a great selection of music from our high school days.  The room visually was a treat as well. Classmate Linda Schneider headed the decoration team and did an incredible job.  Gold, black and white balloons floated in the air, tethered to each chair with ribbons. Twinkling lights in glass vases decorated the tables.  On the walls were balloons and “Cheers to 50” signs, as well as throwback Lamar jerseys and a photo booth with props. A large banner stating “Back in 1974” reminded us which movies, music and other things were popular, as well as the price of gas and a new home at that time (yikes!). There were multiple items in the silent auction, including two sets of custom “Lamar Savages” cornhole boards, orange Stanley tumblers decorated with “Lamar Savages Class of 1974”, Lamar Savages hats and more.  Money raised will help fund future reunions.  Two beautifully decorated cakes adorned a table holding memorabilia including old yearbooks, photos and custom black souvenir t-shirts for all of us.

After we chatted over drinks we were served a delicious meal of perfectly-cooked prime rib, salad, vegetables and potatoes.  Classmate (and class clown) Joe Harbert was the emcee of the entertainment, and delighted everyone with his humor as he asked trivia questions and did his best to embarrass individual classmates.  He used his best teacher skills to admonish those who were conversing while he was trying to talk.  Joe and classmate Darrell Pool, have always organized our reunions and they outdid themselves with this one, making it truly special. Thank you both for all your hard work!

We paused for a bit during our revelry to remember and honor the classmates we’ve lost.  A large posterboard displayed the photos of the 44 classmates who have passed away since high school.  Many of them left us long ago, while some of the more recent ones are still painful to talk about.  Out of our class of 142, those 44 souls are still a part of our class and our memories. They were a large part of who we were, both individually and as a class.  Every one of us saw at least one photo on that board who was someone we loved and were close to in our formative years.  Their spirits were all with us this night and were woven throughout the stories and memories we shared with one another.

Having a new stadium and the recent name change to the Lamar Thunder triggered a lot of memories for us.  We still remember the excitement we felt walking through the gates at the old sandstone stadium behind the Community Building. We looked forward to Fridays during football season all week at school, spurred on by pep rallies and posters in the school and we couldn’t wait until dinner was over that night when we could head to the stadium for the game. It seemed like those Friday nights were always cold and dark but yet somehow magical.  We remember standing in line at the concession stand waiting for hot baked potatoes wrapped in foil to keep our hands warm (especially those of us in the marching band!) in addition to all the other goodies. But times have changed and although it is no longer politically correct to say, we were (and to us still are) the Lamar Savages.  We never felt it was an insult to indigenous people.  We used the term “Savages” proudly.  To us, a savage represented something fierce and strong and we embraced that. We loved the cheerleaders, their hair in braids, wearing their moccasins and fringed costumes with warpaint on their cheeks, leading us in loud chants of “We are the Savages, the Mighty Mighty Savages” as we watched the game from the bleachers. We miss the long homecoming parade down Main Street and the snake dance.  We miss bonfires and the energy we felt as a student body.  We dragged Main for fun and as a way to see and be seen.  We built floats for the parades.  We gathered in the Commons Area at school to talk, to flirt, to plan what we were doing on the weekend.  We walked the halls before school so that we could see and talk to each other and maybe show off those new bellbottom jeans or miniskirts.  Without social media, cell phones or texting, we interacted face to face or by the family landline if we were lucky enough to have a long enough phone cord to allow some privacy.  No, we didn’t have the internet or computers but we also didn’t have to worry about social media being a potential threat.  We were a tribe.  Life was simple then and we loved it and miss that simplicity even now as we somehow wish today’s students could experience that, if even for a day or two.  We can’t help but feel that we lived in the best of times.

After the dinner and the entertainment, we lingered.  Most of us were reluctant to let the evening end, as we so rarely get to see each other and none of us know if we will be blessed to be here for the next reunion.  We talked, we laughed, we hugged.  We had that “one last drink” that lasted for another hour or more. We didn’t want to say goodbye.  We exchanged contact information and made promises to get together again soon.  We walked down the stairs to the parking lot and lingered some more. We eventually had to pull ourselves away with a final goodbye, knowing full well that time is fleeting and getting older is a privilege denied to many.  Here’s to the Class of 1974!

By Barbara Crimond – Class of 1974