Pillager celebrates school's centennial
PILLAGER - They greeted each other inside the doors of Pillager High School Friday.
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Old friends. Schoolmates. Family members.
Overhead a screen flashed photos of cheerleaders and sports heroes and students of generations past as students, some who won't join them as alumni until 2019, passed by. Youthful energy and voices among retirees who returned home from far-flung spots - California, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida.
Friday at an all-school rally, old and young combined to celebrate the Pillager school's centennial.
Douglas Ahrens came from Colorado Springs. He graduated from Pillager in 1950. He met his wife, Marlys, when they were both Pillager students. It was a romance that grew on them from freshman year. They raised eight children together. He played football and basketball, greeting former teammates with solid handshakes as he picked up a commemorative T-shirt.
A 1952 Pillager High School graduate, Elzie Gerrels, spoke to the all-school rally group Friday at Pillager High School. Gerrels was an engineer in the space program and worked on the Apollo 11 team. For more photos, go online to the Spotted gallery at brainerddispatch.
com. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls» Purchase reprints of this photo.
"I love it," Ahrens said of the centennial celebration and his time at Pillager school. "I love it. The best years of my life."
Marlys Ahrens said her graduating class has 32 students. They were close knit. "We had a good time in school," she said.
The three-story wooden school building they knew was torn down in 1990 and replaced with a single level of offices, classrooms and media center. Students come from Cass and Morrison counties. Last year, Pillager High School graduated about 70 students. There are about 800 students in the school district. Friday, those students packed the gymnasium bleachers.
They chanted P-H-S.
"We're the oldest school in Cass County," said Sue Van Hal, community education coordinator and centennial coordinator. Friday's rally marked the beginning of a weekend of activities with music, football and tailgate party, a 5K run, motorcycle ride, school tours, memorabilia room and a family festival meal among others.
Friday the emphasis was on the link between young and old, between dreams for the future and a life well spent. Students were asked what they wanted to do when they grew up and the school administration then picked a dozen and matched them to PHS graduates who had done just that.
Van Hal said it "shows you really can go anywhere from Pillager."
The selected graduates created businesses, followed their dreams, defied gender restrictions, reinvented themselves multiple times, went on to Harvard and helped put men on the moon with the Apollo space program.
Audrey Weber (left), 1950 Pillager High School graduate, watched while classmate Marlys Ahrens hugged Weber's husband Robert, Little Falls graduate. In the background was Douglas Ahrens. The classmates met Friday at the Pillager High School All-School Rally. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Careers students were interested in included - robot designer, economist, movie director, business owner, computer technician, law enforcement, missionary, pediatrician, welder, engineer.
Alumni advised students to be active in school and join extra-curricular activities and find mentors. Graduates told them to follow their own dreams and not to be afraid of change and new careers along the way. They told students to be proud of being from Pillager and a school size that allows them to be involved in many things.
Elzie Gerrels, class of 1952, went on to be a rocket scientist working with NASA. He was designing cars in high school and thought he'd explore a career as a automotive designer before the space program came calling.
"You don't always know what you'll be," Gerrels said, growing emotional as he acknowledged classmates and memories.
Neal Gaalswyk, class of 1973, said celebrate accomplishments but quickly look to the future. Roy Booth, class of 1983, started his career in high school, selling his first short story when he was a student. Now the playwright and screenwriter works on $90 million projects.
"Don't be satisfied with being average," said Dean Haley, class of 1974, now a technology consultant who works with IBM. Haley said people skills will help students in whatever career they chose and he advised them not to be afraid to fail. His class had a motto, Haley said. "If there's no wind - row."
As a 17-year-old Nikki Shoutz, class of 1976, wanted to be a game warden. She was told that wasn't a career where women were accepted. Years later, she went back to her dream. Now she works with the DNR.
"Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something you want to no matter how long it takes you," Shoutz said. Brothers Earl Edeburn, class of 1982, and Patrick Edeburn, class of 1985, told students to be proud of where they come from. Earl received a masters of business administration from the University of Minnesota. Patrick went on to Harvard University.
"You can go anywhere from here," Earl Edeburn said.
Other alumni who shared stories with students were Eric Fornshell, Tara Jo (Buckinham) Petrali, Kathy Johnson, Juan Corey and Thomas Buckingham.
"Go out and do good things in the world," said Tom Kavanaugh, class of 1984. He told them it's "not so much the money you'll make, but the person you become."
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.