Laredo High School Alumni Banquet Held

The 76th annual Laredo High School Alumni Banquet was held on Saturday, May 11 in the school gymnasium with 95 alumni and guests in attendance.
Additional guests and classmates attended the hospitality time held prior to the banquet. The theme was “Memories” and special honors were given to the 50-year class of 1969, which was the last class graduating from Laredo.
The evening began with a welcome by Marlene Broyles Engleman, who gave a brief history of the school. The first graduate was in 1902 and a class reunion was held in 1921.
The Busy Bee 4-H Club prepared the meal.
Roll call was conducted by Milton Harrington (Class of 1969). The oldest registered graduate was Marge Mallet Olson from the 80-year honor class of 1939. The oldest graduate present was Mary Jackson Freeman from the 75-year honor class of 1944.
Others attending were Marjorie Molly Cox, 70-year honor class of 1949; Delores Davis Cummings, class of 1950; Betty Peterie and Bill Thorne, class of 1951; Bonnie Peterie, class of 1952; Lorea Todd Ingraham, class of 1953; Bill Meeker, honor class of 1954; Joe Bethards, class of 1956; Ron Funk and Barbara Burtch Williams, class of 1957; Phyllis Triplett Bethards, Roy Walker and W.R. Urton, class of 1958; Charlene Broyles Warren, Margaret Marrs Warren, James R. (Dick) McMillen, J.W. Smith and Katie Bethards May, honor class of 1959; Linda Tolson Urich, class of 1960; Tom Faubion, class of 1961; Jerry Sowder, Charles Bowe, Janet Broyles Heirs, Evelyn Molloy Faubion and Frances Sheppard Engleman, class of 1963; Sharon Spencer Marnin, Shila Williams Childs, Kenny Bowe and Kay Holden Thomas, honor class of 1964; Alan Tolson and Wayne Holden, class of 1965; Kathy Cunningham Waits, class of 1966; Dale Freeman, Billy Waits, Jerry Engleman and Bill Koetting, class of 1967; and Betty Bowe Freeman, Milton Harrington, Dean Holloway, Dollie Lynch Boyd, Randy Foster, Gary Tate, Dennis Thorne and Beverly Emmons, honor class of 1969. Other years were also honored even though they graduated from other high schools.
H. K. Myers was recognized as a former teacher being present. Travelling the farthest distance was Lorea Todd Ingraham from Arizona. Married couples who both graduated from Laredo were Joe and Phyllis Bethards, Bill and Kathy Waits and Tom and Evelyn Faubion. The graduate attending the most banquets was Betty Peterie, who has never missed a banquet. She also had the largest family in attendance with five. Recognized as a first-time attendee was Roy Walker.
A memorial ceremony was held for Dorotha Berry, class of 1942; Payton Woods, class of 1947; Betty Bethards Routh, class of 1947; Velda Molloy O’Dell, class of 1954; Sharon Litttle Allen, class of 1958; and Ronnie McLaughlin, class of 1966.
The Murphy scholarship was presented to Mayce Axtell.
Entertainment was by Kerry Peterie who asked many trivia questions.
Bill and Kathy Waits were re-elected to the board while Kay Holden Thomas was newly-elected. Donna Pat Triplett is retiring from the board. The benediction was given by Kathy Waits.