The Sturgis Composite High School Class of ‘95 gathered on July 12 to mark its 20th high school reunion! It started at the SCHS with a school tour hosted by Kristen Peterson, one of the teachers at the school. She shared some changes that have happened at the school and some things that have remained the same.
Participants commented that it was great to be able to walk the halls again and some of the out-of-town classmates got to share their school with their children. After the tour and a photo, it was off to Rawhides for supper and a mini fundraiser for one of their fellow classmates who is unable to join them.
The organizer for the reunion, Heather Gawrelitza, started off the evening by saying, “Ten years ago we only had 14 come out, so to get 20 at our 20th is pretty good. Our 10year event was about where we have been and what we have done. For this 20year reunion all I could think about was how precious life is and how one of our classmates, Melanie Dolton, had her life changed forever.
Melanie Dolton grew up at Endeavour and after graduating from high school she went on to receive two degrees in English and Native Studies and also graduated from journalism school. She interviewed many famous people like Natalie McMaster, John McDermott, and our former teacher Dean Kush from Hyas who is in the band Faster Gun.
While working for the Melfort Journal she received an award for best special selection and went on to work in the Legislative Building. She suddenly became very ill in 2008 with a form of fast acting multiple sclerosis which left her unable to care for herself and she is in permanent care in Saskatoon. I wanted to let Melanie know that at our 20year reunion she is in our thoughts and we are reaching out.
“I would like to thank everyone who brought prizes and made donations. All proceeds will be donated to Melanie’s family so they can purchase something she may need. Melanie’s brother Wade asked us to have a good time tonight and to not focus on the sadness but to focus on the amazing accomplishments his sister had done. I will get you all to sign a ‘Thinking of You’ card for Melanie and I will move on to our 20year awards which will lighten the mood.
“The 20year awards were for each one who attended here tonight and some are for fun, others for real, and some just what I can gather about you or already know.”
Throughout the evening, Carrie Olson had each former classmate write yearbook captions to these four questions: name one thing you have done that you might have been voted most likely to never do; like so many things that improve with age, what is your most improved quality; what words of wisdom would you give to your younger self, and what was the most memorable experience in 2015?
“Everyone had a lot fun and much visiting was done,” said Gawrelitza. “It is amazing to see how many of us still remain in this area or have come back to raise our families. We left school 20 years ago but when we all get together it is just like old times and we pick up right where we left.”
