Reunited!

Twelve classmates from Owego Free Academy’s Class of 1951 gathered on Oct. 9 at the Parkview Hotel and Restaurant in Owego, N.Y. to celebrate their 70th Class reunion. Also attending the noon luncheon were about ten other guests of the classmates. Amazingly, seven decades later, the close bond between the classmates has endured.

Most of the classmates who attended still live within Tioga County, including two from area nursing homes. One classmate traveled from Webster, N.Y., near Rochester. The award for “furthest traveled” could potentially be a tie, with one classmate flying in from Minnesota and another driving up from Florida.

Mary Jo (Williams) Jenkins, Richard “Dick” Taylor and Joyce (O’Brien) Bystricky organized the reunion. The class has gathered together every five years since their 30th reunion.

And not just getting together at reunions, there are many who have met up every month through the years to have coffee or lunch. However, Joyce remarked, that subset group is slowly dwindling.

Ninety-five names of graduates are listed in the annual commencement booklet, dated June 26, 1951. Many have since passed away, and within the past five years eight more classmates are gone.

Students during that time period attended the old high school, which today serves as the Tioga County Office Building. Interestingly, both Mary Jo and Joyce remembered that there were two entrances, one for girls and a separate door for the boys. However, they could not recall why it was set up that way.

Joyce remarked about the reunion attendance, “It was just so good to see everyone that was there.”

Mary Jo agreed, exclaiming, “I just love reunions,” and added that she also looks forward to the monthly get-togethers.

The reunion featured a copy of the 1951 OFA yearbook, or “Tom Tom,” along with handwritten and typed letters from classmates who were unable to attend.  Cookies decorated with a graduation cap in red and blue, and inspired by class colors, were the creation of Kathy Cakes of Owego.

The classmates reminisced about what life was like back in their high school days. Many fall days were busy with football and basketball games, and where Joyce was a cheerleader for both sports and Mary Jo was a football cheerleader.

One popular after school activity was walking to a beloved local hang-out called the Owego Sweet Shop, a restaurant and soda bar, which was located on Main Street (between what is now O’Hara’s Restaurant and the Chemung Canal Trust bank).

Mary Jo chuckled, “I was considered a ‘Townie’ because I lived near St. Paul’s Church,” and further explained that many classmates would walk together to the Sweet Shop where they gathered nearly every afternoon after school.

Joyce added, “And many of our classmates, even the ‘Flat Rats,’ walked to and from school and later met up at the Sweet Shop,” and where, she said, chatting away while sipping on soda was a favorite pastime.

For those who chose to remain in the area, it was Joyce who said, “I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else.”

And then, how did the friendships remain strong after 70 years?

Joyce believes the classmates formed a special bond because they were always together, and, “Making our own fun.”

Mary Jo concurred and remarked, “We didn’t have television in those days. We spent a lot of time together at each other’s homes, and we had a good time.”

Both agreed that today, youth often have their own vehicles and multiple activities or other distractions that might separate them more from their classmates.

As for more formal reunions in the future, Mary Jo commented that this might indeed be the last one, although she would welcome other occasions for classmates to get together. The group also hopes that their 70th inspires subsequent OFA classes to plan or continue to hold their own reunions.