Memories are highly personal, and individuals often recall the same event with considerably different details. Ask siblings who grew up in the same household with the same parents and based on their childhood memories, it’s as though some of them lived with a different family. Their sentiments are dissimilar, recollections don’t match, and questions surface about who remembers the most accurately. The same phenomenon occurs with family reunions or class reunions. Unless you went to St. Bernard’s Grade School in the ‘60’s, and then great memories from many students blend nicely together with much commonality in the details.

Most recently some 30 plus graduates of the school gathered over a weekend in May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1962 graduating class. Attendees engaged in lively conversation recalling childhood memories. No awkward silences or disinterest in the subject marred the celebration. The group was engaged in nostalgia and milestones as they recalled their grade school days.

St. Bernard’s Catholic Church is located at 509 E. Kansas in Peoria. The school, which closed in 2004, after 100 years of educating children, is located across the street. “It was our safe haven,” says Richard Kelch, 1962 graduate. “Life has changed so. We didn’t have bullying back then. On the playground we had fun and a good time. And what a great education we received. The discipline was a good thing.”

Kathy (Maloney) Johnston concurs. “St. Bernard’s was such a special place and a wonderful place to grow up in. I’m so glad I grew up in the era I did.”

In 2010, Claudia (Foster) Kane and Mary Ann Muller, both 1962 graduates, reconnected through Facebook. The two decided to arrange a class reunion.  After considerable “investigative” efforts, and reaching out to others to locate former students, the reunion evening concluded with some 225 alums of various classes gathered to reminisce and remember.

Claudia says, “It has been a blessing to re-connect with our classmates. When you get together like that it always goes back to our younger days and how much fun we all had hanging out, because we did. Plus someone mentions something that others have forgotten and we reminisce about that. This has been so important in our lives.”

No class reunion is ever complete without comments about teachers and staff. In seventh grade, one nun taught them square dancing. Kitchen staff passed out extra peanut butter (specially blended with honey and butter) sandwiches at the back door after lunch. One teacher served popcorn on Fridays. “Unlike most Catholic schools now,” says Claudia, “we had mostly Dominican nuns and few lay teachers. Field trips were to the sisters’ motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, which the girls very much enjoyed, because we all thought we’d go into the convent.” (Interestingly, the class of 1962 produced no nuns or priests.) One of the teachers, Sister Bede, who is no longer a sister, is remembered fondly and with great respect. “She had such energy. She made such an impact on my life. She was so inspiring. She was wonderful!” And the accolades continue, even including her skills in kickball and baseball. Some students have made contact with her and she was invited but unable to attend the 2010 reunion.

Education at a Catholic school always included both religious and academic studies. Religion was something lived, not just something studied in a textbook. There were important celebrations within the church including First Communion and Confirmation. “I can still remember what I wore to Confirmation,” says Barb (Hubert) Streitmatter. She also explains there were two classes for each grade, at least for the graduating class of ’62.’ Laughingly she says there was the class she was in, and then there was the “other” class. And some remembered there wasn’t always a lot of socializing between the two classes.

Mary Ann Muller is the group-appointed historian for the reunion groups. She has assorted newspaper clippings including one from 1948 which lists birth notices, and there are four St. Bernard’s students all born in the same hospital within a 48-hour period. “We were all in the hospital at the same time, then went to school together, and still together after 50 years,” she says. “We still want to be together, and we have such good memories. It meant a lot to be here,” she says fondly, referring to the latest reunion.

Their class had 75 graduates, 43 boys and 32 girls. 14 students have died. Sometimes the realization that former classmates and friends, peers of the same age, are no longer present to reminisce with or share stories with makes the next get-together seem all the more important. While the school has closed, and many familiar families are no longer living in the neighborhood, the legacy of St. Bernard’s Grade School lives on in its students.

Claudia and Mary Ann will be working on a reunion for 2013. For additional information on any upcoming events, please call Claudia 314-651-4135 or Mary Ann at 309-682-7127.

By Sandra Post

Memories are highly personal, and individuals often recall the same event with considerably different details. Ask siblings who grew up in the same household with the same parents and based on their childhood memories, it’s as though some of them lived with a different family. Their sentiments are dissimilar, recollections don’t match, and questions surface about who remembers the most accurately. The same phenomenon occurs with family reunions or class reunions. Unless you went to St. Bernard’s Grade School in the ‘60’s, and then great memories from many students blend nicely together with much commonality in the details.

Most recently some 30 plus graduates of the school gathered over a weekend in May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1962 graduating class. Attendees engaged in lively conversation recalling childhood memories. No awkward silences or disinterest in the subject marred the celebration. The group was engaged in nostalgia and milestones as they recalled their grade school days.

St. Bernard’s Catholic Church is located at 509 E. Kansas in Peoria. The school, which closed in 2004, after 100 years of educating children, is located across the street. “It was our safe haven,” says Richard Kelch, 1962 graduate. “Life has changed so. We didn’t have bullying back then. On the playground we had fun and a good time. And what a great education we received. The discipline was a good thing.”

Kathy (Maloney) Johnston concurs. “St. Bernard’s was such a special place and a wonderful place to grow up in. I’m so glad I grew up in the era I did.”

In 2010, Claudia (Foster) Kane and Mary Ann Muller, both 1962 graduates, reconnected through Facebook. The two decided to arrange a class reunion.  After considerable “investigative” efforts, and reaching out to others to locate former students, the reunion evening concluded with some 225 alums of various classes gathered to reminisce and remember.

Claudia says, “It has been a blessing to re-connect with our classmates. When you get together like that it always goes back to our younger days and how much fun we all had hanging out, because we did. Plus someone mentions something that others have forgotten and we reminisce about that. This has been so important in our lives.”

No class reunion is ever complete without comments about teachers and staff. In seventh grade, one nun taught them square dancing. Kitchen staff passed out extra peanut butter (specially blended with honey and butter) sandwiches at the back door after lunch. One teacher served popcorn on Fridays. “Unlike most Catholic schools now,” says Claudia, “we had mostly Dominican nuns and few lay teachers. Field trips were to the sisters’ motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, which the girls very much enjoyed, because we all thought we’d go into the convent.” (Interestingly, the class of 1962 produced no nuns or priests.) One of the teachers, Sister Bede, who is no longer a sister, is remembered fondly and with great respect. “She had such energy. She made such an impact on my life. She was so inspiring. She was wonderful!” And the accolades continue, even including her skills in kickball and baseball. Some students have made contact with her and she was invited but unable to attend the 2010 reunion.

Education at a Catholic school always included both religious and academic studies. Religion was something lived, not just something studied in a textbook. There were important celebrations within the church including First Communion and Confirmation. “I can still remember what I wore to Confirmation,” says Barb (Hubert) Streitmatter. She also explains there were two classes for each grade, at least for the graduating class of ’62.’ Laughingly she says there was the class she was in, and then there was the “other” class. And some remembered there wasn’t always a lot of socializing between the two classes.

Mary Ann Muller is the group-appointed historian for the reunion groups. She has assorted newspaper clippings including one from 1948 which lists birth notices, and there are four St. Bernard’s students all born in the same hospital within a 48-hour period. “We were all in the hospital at the same time, then went to school together, and still together after 50 years,” she says. “We still want to be together, and we have such good memories. It meant a lot to be here,” she says fondly, referring to the latest reunion.

Their class had 75 graduates, 43 boys and 32 girls. 14 students have died. Sometimes the realization that former classmates and friends, peers of the same age, are no longer present to reminisce with or share stories with makes the next get-together seem all the more important. While the school has closed, and many familiar families are no longer living in the neighborhood, the legacy of St. Bernard’s Grade School lives on in its students.

Claudia and Mary Ann will be working on a reunion for 2013. For additional information on any upcoming events, please call Claudia 314-651-4135 or Mary Ann at 309-682-7127.