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Class of 1969
Fifty years ago, in May of 1969, the last class to be known as Newfolden High School graduates received their diplomas as they walked across the stage in what is now known as Newfolden Elementary. The next graduating class would walk the stage in the new high school across the road under the new name as Marshall County Central graduates. CORRECTION: We printed an incorrect statement. The Class of 1969 was the last class to walk across the Newfolden Elementary gym as Newfolden High School graduates but they were not the last class walk across that stage. The class of 1970 used that stage also but were known as Marshall County Central graduates. The Class of 1971 were the first to walk as graduates in the "new" gym.
This summer the Class of 1969 had their 50th year reunion. Twenty-nine classmates attended throughout the weekend. The following are memories they shared with us.
Rebecca (Engen) Olson
I grew up in Holt. I attended Holt School grades 1-8. Holt school had 4 classrooms, with two grades in each room. One great advantage of double classrooms was if you didn’t understand something the first year, you could hear it again the next year. The small class sizes were also great for more individual help. We not only knew our own classmates and their families well, the grade ahead of us and behind us. In a small community, we knew grandparents and aunts and uncles also!
Ninth grade was a big transition. The Newfolden, Viking and Holt 8th graders would now all be Newfolden High School 9th graders. The Holt and Viking students knew each other somewhat through our game days in the spring (softball and relays in Holt) and Basketball games in the winter (in Viking, since they had a gym). Holt’s “gym” was a former classroom downstairs with a higher ceiling with a basketball hoop, but was no way high enough or big enough for a “court”. Winter activity at Holt was skating - everyday! As a seventh grader our teacher was Glen Espe. He had a Polaris snowmobile that he brought to school. We took turns driving on a track that was on the school grounds and off the school grounds. We even had timed races. I still can visualize 8th grader Christie Inman tipping the snowmobile over and seeing the track underneath going around and around!
The Newfolden gym and school seemed so big. Going from room to room for classes and having several different teachers was an adjustment to make. Our class of 1969 was very close knit. We all got along very well. There were many activities to keep us busy besides classwork.
The only sports back then were football, basketball and baseball...all boys sports. The girls were cheerleaders and there was pep club! There was a homecoming parade each year and working on the floats were so much fun. The chicken wire with tissues spray painted were used to make the floats. Our homecoming queen was Cindy Gree Tikusis and her attendants were Mona Borg Olson and Diane Johnson Wiesner. Each grade also had an attendant.
There was Boys Chorus, Girls Chorus, Mixed Chorus and small groups. The choirs wore gray gowns with purple dickies. The NHS band wore gray wool uniforms. Other activities to keep us busy were Spotlight staff (school newspaper), Librarians, Saga staff (school annual), Student Council, FHA made up of all girls (Future Homemakers of America), and Class Officers.
As juniors and seniors, our class presented a class play each year. Both featured teenagers Wilber (Keith Hanson) and Hercules (Brad Olson). They were situation comedies and so much fun to work on as a class. Our director was Gordon Collin.
When we were juniors, NHS had their first prom. It was held at the American Legion building, since dancing was not allowed on school property. It was held following the annual Junior-Senior banquet. As Seniors, the first prom was held in the school gym. The FHA also hosted a Christmas dance that year.
Each year the school had a carnival held in the gym. Games were set up and one of the highlights was a cake walk! Each class had candidates for king and queen. Our class won in 1969 - Queen Carol Liedberg Weaver and KIng Steve Johnson.
The school lunch program was headed up by Ella Nelson. Great lunches - nothing from a can, everything was made from scratch. For the thanksgiving meal she would be up at dawn to put the turkeys in the ovens!
The class of 1969 was the last graduating class of Newfolden High School. There after it was Marshall County Central. The graduates all sat on the stage. Milt McCauley was calling the students names and the diplomas were handed out. The diplomas were all gone from the table and more graduates were waiting for theirs. Why? Because there was a stack of diplomas still upstairs sitting in the office! The remaining graduates had their names called, but no diplomas handed out!
The class of 1961 had 41 graduates. We have had several class reunions and always had great turnouts and a special time with friends that we have had for 50+ years. We always invite classmates that for one reason or another did not graduate with us, but were part of our school years. Some of us were classmates for all 18 years! Smalls schools offer a special bond with your classmates, they become lifelong friends.
Burdell Engen
The mundane, mostly
* Ella Nelson placing your food on your plate and saying “Like that”, everyday.
*Pizza burgers were “great”
*Custodians Clarence Gustafson,Vernon Swan and Ben Nelson silently doing their job. - The place was always immaculate.
*Valborg Huglen teaching us all to “write”
*The milk machine with its two chrome weighted handles
*Mr. Gunderson cutting off David Gillie’s tie with a scissors in a hit and run attack.
*Helmer Lind’s Holt bus was always the last to arrive each morning. Merle Bjornrud’s bus was the first one in.
*The two IBM typewriters with the “ball”.
*Things were not “politically correct” and we somehow seemed to survive just fine.
Barbara (Roppe) Farbo
I attended Newfolden Elementary School for six years and Newfolden High School for six years, graduating with the wonderful class of 1969. I have so many good memories of the teachers, cooks, custodians, bus drivers and my classmates throughout the years. I am so thankful for the quality education received, preparing us for the next 50 years and beyond.
Dianna (Gast) Woodard
I joined the class of “69” in the 5th grade when we came from the Riverside Country School.
*Field trip to the tv studio in Grand Forks.
*I played in the band and was part of the pep band and the marching band. Every Memorial Day, the band would play for Memorial service and then march from the school to the cemetery. My Dad always was with the Newfolden Legion.
*Our junior year I was in the school play.
Sue (Stokke) Bendickson
My early memories revolve around our farm, church, school and 4-H. Most of our time was spent on the farm. We had chores to do but we also had plenty of time to explore the outdoors, play and just be kids. Trips to town mainly involved church or school. Going into town on a Saturday night was always a treat. There were benches outside most stores where the adults would sit and visit or they played Bingo at the Legion. The kids would meet up with friends and run around town. Everyone, young and old, watched out for everyone else. We knew we were safe in Newfolden.
Bob Hodny
My family came from North Dakota in May of 1965. That fall I started my freshman year in Newfolden with a lot of anxiety….so many new classmates and would I fit in?
I was immediately welcomed in (as were many other new freshmen) and could not have been happier with every one of my new classmates! They were genuine, caring, unconditionally accepting individuals who have remained so the past 50 years.
Brenda (my wife) and I always look forward to my class reunions as she has also experienced the warmth of “The Class of ‘69”.
Marcene Ness
Coming to Newfolden from Holt was an experience, quite intimidating. So many students, so many classmates you did not know, moving from classroom to classroom, different teachers for each class. How lucky I was to be with the graduating class of 1969! Couldn’t have been more blessed.
John Nelson
Married 49 years to Susan Lindemoen, we met working together in the school cafeteria.
Rod Hagnebeck
Growing up in Newfolden was a great memory. You knew just about everyone and all the activity in the area. You did things with your friends and family.
Mona (Borg) Olson and Brad Olson
Brad and I have just awesome memories of our high school life. We had great teachers, loved the high school with the beautiful wood “creaking” floors! Our class was the first class to have a high school prom and banquet in the high school. I remember hanging a banner in the lunchroom with the new name "Marshall County Central" for the new school building being built across the street. Little did I know at the time that I would come back and work at the high school for 37 years. I worked with wonderful faculty, administrators and school board members. I loved my job and wish MCC many more years of great excellence. So many great memories!
This summer the Class of 1969 had their 50th year reunion. Twenty-nine classmates attended throughout the weekend. The following are memories they shared with us.
Rebecca (Engen) Olson
I grew up in Holt. I attended Holt School grades 1-8. Holt school had 4 classrooms, with two grades in each room. One great advantage of double classrooms was if you didn’t understand something the first year, you could hear it again the next year. The small class sizes were also great for more individual help. We not only knew our own classmates and their families well, the grade ahead of us and behind us. In a small community, we knew grandparents and aunts and uncles also!
Ninth grade was a big transition. The Newfolden, Viking and Holt 8th graders would now all be Newfolden High School 9th graders. The Holt and Viking students knew each other somewhat through our game days in the spring (softball and relays in Holt) and Basketball games in the winter (in Viking, since they had a gym). Holt’s “gym” was a former classroom downstairs with a higher ceiling with a basketball hoop, but was no way high enough or big enough for a “court”. Winter activity at Holt was skating - everyday! As a seventh grader our teacher was Glen Espe. He had a Polaris snowmobile that he brought to school. We took turns driving on a track that was on the school grounds and off the school grounds. We even had timed races. I still can visualize 8th grader Christie Inman tipping the snowmobile over and seeing the track underneath going around and around!
The Newfolden gym and school seemed so big. Going from room to room for classes and having several different teachers was an adjustment to make. Our class of 1969 was very close knit. We all got along very well. There were many activities to keep us busy besides classwork.
The only sports back then were football, basketball and baseball...all boys sports. The girls were cheerleaders and there was pep club! There was a homecoming parade each year and working on the floats were so much fun. The chicken wire with tissues spray painted were used to make the floats. Our homecoming queen was Cindy Gree Tikusis and her attendants were Mona Borg Olson and Diane Johnson Wiesner. Each grade also had an attendant.
There was Boys Chorus, Girls Chorus, Mixed Chorus and small groups. The choirs wore gray gowns with purple dickies. The NHS band wore gray wool uniforms. Other activities to keep us busy were Spotlight staff (school newspaper), Librarians, Saga staff (school annual), Student Council, FHA made up of all girls (Future Homemakers of America), and Class Officers.
As juniors and seniors, our class presented a class play each year. Both featured teenagers Wilber (Keith Hanson) and Hercules (Brad Olson). They were situation comedies and so much fun to work on as a class. Our director was Gordon Collin.
When we were juniors, NHS had their first prom. It was held at the American Legion building, since dancing was not allowed on school property. It was held following the annual Junior-Senior banquet. As Seniors, the first prom was held in the school gym. The FHA also hosted a Christmas dance that year.
Each year the school had a carnival held in the gym. Games were set up and one of the highlights was a cake walk! Each class had candidates for king and queen. Our class won in 1969 - Queen Carol Liedberg Weaver and KIng Steve Johnson.
The school lunch program was headed up by Ella Nelson. Great lunches - nothing from a can, everything was made from scratch. For the thanksgiving meal she would be up at dawn to put the turkeys in the ovens!
The class of 1969 was the last graduating class of Newfolden High School. There after it was Marshall County Central. The graduates all sat on the stage. Milt McCauley was calling the students names and the diplomas were handed out. The diplomas were all gone from the table and more graduates were waiting for theirs. Why? Because there was a stack of diplomas still upstairs sitting in the office! The remaining graduates had their names called, but no diplomas handed out!
The class of 1961 had 41 graduates. We have had several class reunions and always had great turnouts and a special time with friends that we have had for 50+ years. We always invite classmates that for one reason or another did not graduate with us, but were part of our school years. Some of us were classmates for all 18 years! Smalls schools offer a special bond with your classmates, they become lifelong friends.
Burdell Engen
The mundane, mostly
* Ella Nelson placing your food on your plate and saying “Like that”, everyday.
*Pizza burgers were “great”
*Custodians Clarence Gustafson,Vernon Swan and Ben Nelson silently doing their job. - The place was always immaculate.
*Valborg Huglen teaching us all to “write”
*The milk machine with its two chrome weighted handles
*Mr. Gunderson cutting off David Gillie’s tie with a scissors in a hit and run attack.
*Helmer Lind’s Holt bus was always the last to arrive each morning. Merle Bjornrud’s bus was the first one in.
*The two IBM typewriters with the “ball”.
*Things were not “politically correct” and we somehow seemed to survive just fine.
Barbara (Roppe) Farbo
I attended Newfolden Elementary School for six years and Newfolden High School for six years, graduating with the wonderful class of 1969. I have so many good memories of the teachers, cooks, custodians, bus drivers and my classmates throughout the years. I am so thankful for the quality education received, preparing us for the next 50 years and beyond.
Dianna (Gast) Woodard
I joined the class of “69” in the 5th grade when we came from the Riverside Country School.
*Field trip to the tv studio in Grand Forks.
*I played in the band and was part of the pep band and the marching band. Every Memorial Day, the band would play for Memorial service and then march from the school to the cemetery. My Dad always was with the Newfolden Legion.
*Our junior year I was in the school play.
Sue (Stokke) Bendickson
My early memories revolve around our farm, church, school and 4-H. Most of our time was spent on the farm. We had chores to do but we also had plenty of time to explore the outdoors, play and just be kids. Trips to town mainly involved church or school. Going into town on a Saturday night was always a treat. There were benches outside most stores where the adults would sit and visit or they played Bingo at the Legion. The kids would meet up with friends and run around town. Everyone, young and old, watched out for everyone else. We knew we were safe in Newfolden.
Bob Hodny
My family came from North Dakota in May of 1965. That fall I started my freshman year in Newfolden with a lot of anxiety….so many new classmates and would I fit in?
I was immediately welcomed in (as were many other new freshmen) and could not have been happier with every one of my new classmates! They were genuine, caring, unconditionally accepting individuals who have remained so the past 50 years.
Brenda (my wife) and I always look forward to my class reunions as she has also experienced the warmth of “The Class of ‘69”.
Marcene Ness
Coming to Newfolden from Holt was an experience, quite intimidating. So many students, so many classmates you did not know, moving from classroom to classroom, different teachers for each class. How lucky I was to be with the graduating class of 1969! Couldn’t have been more blessed.
John Nelson
Married 49 years to Susan Lindemoen, we met working together in the school cafeteria.
Rod Hagnebeck
Growing up in Newfolden was a great memory. You knew just about everyone and all the activity in the area. You did things with your friends and family.
Mona (Borg) Olson and Brad Olson
Brad and I have just awesome memories of our high school life. We had great teachers, loved the high school with the beautiful wood “creaking” floors! Our class was the first class to have a high school prom and banquet in the high school. I remember hanging a banner in the lunchroom with the new name "Marshall County Central" for the new school building being built across the street. Little did I know at the time that I would come back and work at the high school for 37 years. I worked with wonderful faculty, administrators and school board members. I loved my job and wish MCC many more years of great excellence. So many great memories!
