In an old episode of the Andy Griffith Show, Andy and Barney find their High School annual while moving an old trunk. As they look through it they reminisce about their former classmates and their high school “flames.” Inspired by the discovery they organize a class reunion.
The evening of the reunion Barney waits to be reunited with Ramona, his high school sweetheart. When they finally meet she mistakes him for the bartender and orders two glasses of punch for her and her husband. Barney exclaims, “Come off it Ramona, it’s me, Barney.” She apologizes and says, “I’m sorry I don’t remember you.”
The Forks High School class of 1974 would never experience Barney and Ramona’s scene. Although this past weekend as the class got together for a 50-year reunion there were many, “Who are you?” questions …I think we might look a bit different …but we all remembered each other!
It really is amazing to get together with people that you went to school with fifty years ago. As far as we could figure, in talking at the reunion, we had about 80 graduates in our class and sadly we have lost about 20. One of the first who left us was our very own Barney …Barney Engel.
Barney died on April 23, 1980, in a woods accident in Mason County …He left his wife of just five years, Vicky, and three small sons who never got to know him. A few months ago Vicky made two beautiful handmade quilts in memory of Barney and donated them to the FHS class of 1974. We have since sold raffle tickets and those sales paid for our food etc. at the reunion, which was graciously hosted at the Spoelstra Farm by classmate Rita Klahn Spoelstra and her husband John Spoelstra.
On Saturday Vicky and one of her and Barney’s sons attended the reunion with us. He wanted to get to know the people who knew his dad.
Raffle ticket sales have been brisk and the reunion costs have been covered. I am going to confer with my classmates about donating the balance of the funds raised to the Quillayute Valley Scholarship Fund/Auction in Barney’s memory. Each year the QVSA has a class challenge for donations.
In the final scene of the Andy Griffith “Reunion” episode, as Barney and Andy clean up after the party, they sing their high school fight song. Andy says, “It kind of gets to you doesn’t it?” Barney says, “Yeah, seeing all those people, you knew as kids growing older, kind of makes you sad.”
While getting older is sad it is great that we are all still here… We really are the same people…just in older bodies!
I think at every graduation people should hold up signs that say …”It goes by fast!”
Christi Baron, Editor
