"Spring Fling," the 90th annual banquet for the Freedom Township Alumni Association and James A. Garfield School District, recently was held at Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna.

The 90 in attendance represented alumni of the classes of 1931 through 1979. Students from 1952 through 1979 were a part of the consolidation of the James A. Garfield School District, but had attended the old school building in Freedom during their grade school years.

The attendees shared dinner and a social hour, renewed old friendships and honored the classes of 1918, 1928, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1968 and 1978. Eisele Catering of Mantua served the dinner.

Barbara Bailey, '73, welcomed classmates and guests. Retired teacher Gene Brunn, '52, gave the invocation. He and his wife, Sarah, decorated the tables with vases of daffodils that were later taken home by classmates.

Many letters, notes and photos from graduates and former teachers who were unable to attend were shared, along with Speedometer and Jaguar yearbooks.

The classes of 1918 and 1928 completed three years of high school and then went on to other schools for their fourth year. Freedom was the last of the Portage County schools to be accredited as a four-year high school in 1935. Robert "Bob" Miner, '38, said he remembers his class of 18 members watching the construction of the gym and additional classrooms. The five remaining classmates sent letters.

Attending from the class of 1948 were 16 members: Harold Cain, Auren Evans of Freedom, Colleen (McCort) Rokus of Youngstown, Eugene Spade of Warren, and Joan (Sandridge) Colaluca of Lancaster, Texas. They shared memories of teacher Ruth (West) Sivon, Principal G. Emory Tarr, and deceased classmates Ethel (Crowe) Barton, Larry Edwards, Vera (Fear) Clark and Frederick Lansinger. Letters were read from Esie (Marris) Schuler of Farwell, Mich., and Irene (Crew) Kesling of Garrettsville. They shared memories of classmates John Garrett of Florida, Leonard Janka of Flagstaff, Ariz., Mary Jane (Kerecman) Brett of Ravenna, Norma (Kreps) Dutter of Kent, and Robert Crew of Youngstown, who were unable to attend.

The class of 1958 attended the old Freedom school building, and in 1952 the high school students attended the consolidated James A. Garfield School District. The 16 classmates experienced the sale of farms that were turned into housing developments. Attending were Rosemary (Vasko) Lansky of Ravenna, Patricia (Strawman) Mihailov of Guy Mills, Pa., and Carolyn (Lange) Unaitis of Medina, who shared letters from Robert Magos of McKinney, Texas, and other classmates unable to attend. Orson Ott of Florida, teacher-principal, sent personal greetings.

The class of 1968 had 38 members graduating as the township continued to build new homes, and few farms were left. Dennie Pochedly recalled kindergarten years in the old school building and being grateful for the expanded curriculum of the Garfield system. His father, Charles, was in the Class of 1938, and many other family members still live in the Freedom area. His aunt Charlotte Jewel, '40, was present.

The family of Howard Moore, '42, had a special table for aunt Thelma Marsh, '39, Candace, '65, Howard Moore (Kathleen), '67, and Susan, '71. The Vasko sisters present were Rosemary, '58, Alice, '64, Kay (Vasko) Fisher and Irene, '61. The Evans brothers of Freedom, Auren, '48, Robert, '51, Ralph, '56, and Charles, '66, attended with their wives. Donald McCort (Sherry), '45, came from Arizona for the first time since graduating.

Vice president Barbara Bailey thanked past residents Nancy (McGinnis) Szanto, '70, and Althea (Bailey) Tittle, '75, for their help with the program. The business meeting proceeded with the reading into the minutes of alumni deceased since the last meeting in April 2007: Gladys (Farley) Long, '34, Moneta (Loomis) Etling, '39, George Ineman, '39, Mary (McCort) McCourt, '40, Robert "Bob" Wilson, '41, Paul E. Miller, '41, Grace (Fuller) Maynard, '42, Shirley (Smith) Mirande, '43, Eleanor (Bujalski) McConnell, '49, Arlene (Adams) Hagelberger, '55, Bradley D. Taylor, '69, and Janet Metz, '72.

The group unanimously elected the slate of officers for 2009: Barbara Bailey, '73, president; Althea (Bailey) Tittle, '75, vice president; and Jeannette (Wilson) Marvin-Hall, '47, secretary-treasurer.

The group was reminded that the Freedom Community Picnic and Veterans of Foreign Wars salute to the military monument at the Freedom Center will be held the third Saturday of August. It is open to current and former families of the township.

(photos)
Timothy St. Hilaire/Record-Courier

In front row are Auren Evans, left, and Joan (Sandridge) Colaluca, both members of the class of 1948 at Freedom School. In back row, from left, are Robert Miner, '38, Harold Cain, '48, and Eugene "Jim" Spade, '48.

In attendance at the Freedom/Garfield Alumni Banquet are members of some of the honored classes, from left, Dennie Pochedly, '68, Rosemary (Vasko) Lansky, '58, Carolyn (Lange) Unaitis, '58, Patricia (Strawman) Mihailov, '58, and Colleen (McCort) Rokus, '48.