Class of ’54 reunites in El Dorado
EL DORADO – El Dorado High School’s class of ’54 always prided itself on its togetherness. Members showed off that closeness – and likely surprised a few folks in the process – when they stole the show at the high school’s Homecoming parade this year.
While celebrating their 65th reunion, members rode a float through downtown as part of the Homecoming parade, leading one onlooker to point and say: “Class of ’54? No way!”
Class member David Stackley supplied a truck, flatbed trailer and hay bales (with help from his son, Arlan). Retired band director Bob Stutterheim periodically played the school song on his trumpet. And the rest cheered, “El Dorado Wildcats, rah, rah rah! El Dorado Wildcats, sis boom bah!”
Members watched that night’s football from stadium skyboxes, then toured their old school building, which has been transformed into the
Performing Arts Center, the next day.
The fun was all captured by class member Barbara Nelson, a New York-based photographer, and whose photographs appear here by permission. Nelson called the group “most unusual in that we supported each other and kept in touch through the years – never any of the infighting, jealousy or such. It was a great experience. Didn’t realize at the time, of course, as we hadn’t experienced the rest of the world yet.”
