Welcome West Branch High School Alumni Association West Branch, Michigan

Photographs & Clippings of Interest

Home
My Recipes
West Branch High School Alumni Scholarship Donations 2018
Poetry and Prose By Alumni
TEACHERS
County History
Ogemaw County Historical Society
Military Memories...
Curtis Family Pictures...
Sports Memories
Photographs & Clippings of Interest
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PICTURES
Ed Gould His Life And Times..West Branch Pharmacist and Drug Store Owner...
Teacher Salaries 41-42-43-44-45-46
Ogemaw Hills Ski Park
STUDENTS STRIKE AT WEST BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL..1947
Ogemaw Hills Royalty
Snow Queen Candidates 1948
1946-1947 Kindergarten
Relatives ETC
Baby Pics
PHOTOS
2008 Alumni Banquet Pictures '50-'51'52-'53-'54-'55-'56-'57-'59
2008 Alumni Banquet Pictures '33-'38-'47-'62-'63
2001 Banquet Pictures
2002 Banquet Pictures
Janet Allen LaFond Paintings -Class of 1954
1890 With Picture
1891 With Picture
1892
1893 With Picture
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
(1905)
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
Helpful Hints
1930
1931
1932
1933
Administration/Sponsor 1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1942 Cousins
Class of 1942 25th Anniversary 1967
Class of 1942-40th Anniversary
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
Class of 1948 Biographies A-C
Class of 1948 Biographies D-E-F
1948 Admin/Advisors
1949
Jack Thompson Bio Class of 1949 New Pictures Feb 25th 2011
1950
1951
1952
1952 Alumni Bio A-B
1952 Alumni Bio C-D
1952 Alumni Bio E-H
1952 Alumni Bio L-M
1952 Admin/Sponsors
1953
Alumni Bio Class of 1953-A-B
Alumni Bio Class of 1953 C-D
1953 Admin/Sponsors
1954
Alumni Bio Class of 1954..A-B
1954 Admin/Sponsors
1955
1956
Alumni Bio Class of 1956-A-B
Alumni Bio Class of 1956 C-G
1956 Admin/Sponsors
1957
1958
Class of 58..50th Celebration..May 24, 2008
1959
1960
1961
1962
Obituary Links
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
2010 Scholarship Contributions
2009 Scholarships Awarded With Pictures
2008 Scholarship Fund Contributions
2008 Scholarships Awarded
2007 Scholarship Winners
2012 BANQUET MINUTES
2011 Business Meeting Minutes
2010 Business Meeting Minutes
2009 Business Meeting Minutes
2008 Business Meeting Minutes
2007 Business Meeting Minutes
2006 Business Meeting Minutes
2005 Business Meeting Minutes
2004 Business Meeting Minutes
2003 Business Meeting Minutes
2002 Business Meeting Minutes
2001 Business Meeting Minutes
2000 Business Meeting
1999 Business Meeting
1998 Business Meeting Minutes
1997 Business Meeting Minutes
1996 Business Meeting Minutes
1995 Business Meeting Minutes
1994 Business Meeting Minutes
1993-Business Meeting Minutes
1992 Business Meeting Minutes
1991 Business Meeting Minutes
1990 Business Meeting Minutes
1989 Business Meeting Minutes
1988 Business Meeting Minutes
1987 Business Meeting Minutes
1986 Business Meeting Minutes
1985 Business Meeting Minutes
1984 Business Meeting Minutes
1983 Business Meeting Minutes
1982 Business Meeting Minutes
1981 Business Meeting Minutes
2012 Scholarship Contribution
2012 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED-PAGE 1
2012 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED-PAGE 2
2012 Contributions To Picture Refurbishing Fund
2011 Scholarships Awarded
Refurbishing Class Pictures Fund 2011
LINKS OF INTEREST
2014 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
2014 SCHOLARSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS

Photographs and Newspaper Clippings...Anniversaries and Weddings...Old and New...

whitchuchandreilly.jpg

Left to Right
Pat Reilly LaFountain (1952) Annamae Reilly Illig (1949) Thelma Whitchurch Tuck (1948) Mary Anne Whitchurch Tuck (1953)
Front Bonnie Reilly Wiltse (1956)

Bob Davis, Class of 1944, and Grandsons
bobdavisandgrandsons.jpg

Bob Davis, class of 1944, and grandsons.
********

* * * * * *

Mr. & Mrs. Barry Wilkinson
janetandbarry.jpg
Janet Zettel Tobin (Class 56)Barry Wilkinson(Class 53)

GAYLORD — After 53 years apart, former high school sweethearts Jan Tobin of Gaylord and Barry Wilkinson of Boston were reunited when their paths fortuitously crossed again last year. Once the sparks of love were rekindled, and following a brief courtship, the couple were united in marriage last month at St. Mary Cathedral during an intimate wedding ceremony — proving love, sometimes, conquers all.

The two dated for about a year when Tobin — then Jan Zettel — was a high school sophomore in West Branch and Wilkinson was just out of high school. The couple drifted apart, like young love sometimes is wont to do — following Wilkinson’s enlistment into the Navy.

Tobin, now 70, married John Tobin in 1959, raised five children and in 2000 retired from the Mitten Bay Girl Scouts after 22 years as a membership specialist. Wilkinson, 72, married in 1957 and raised two children in the Boston area, where he worked as a research scientist until retiring in 2000.


Tobin’s husband died three and a half years ago. Wilkinson’s wife died almost a year and a half ago.

“I never thought I would remarry,” Tobin said, a sentiment Wilkinson shared after the loss of his wife.

The couple said they had thought about each other now and then over the years but their paths never crossed even though each had family who continued to live in the West Branch area.

“We almost saw each other once,” Wilkinson recalled from Tobin’s home in Gaylord where he was snuggled in on the couch holding hands with his new bride, a big smile on his face as he told his story. “I came to Detroit back in 1988 for my job and drove up to West Branch to see my mom and found out later that Jan had happened to be in town and we missed seeing each other by about 15 minutes. We were just never in the same place at the same time.” “I never would have thought it would get revived again,” Tobin said of the chain of events which set the stage for a reunion more than 50 years later.

The couple had no idea what the other’s life had been like through all those years. Tobin was unaware Wilkinson had settled in Boston after leaving the Navy. Wilkinson was in the dark to the fact Tobin was in Gaylord, a grandmother to 10 and great-grandmother to two.

According to Wilkinson, he had heard from his mother about year ago that Tobin’s brother, with whom he had been friends during high school, was seriously ill. Wilkinson was trying to find an address to send him a card. He didn’t find the address but found something which turned out to be even better — Tobin’s e-mail address through his high school reunion committee.

The two started e-mailing back and forth and began making lengthy long distance phone calls to each other before meeting face to face last May when Wilkinson returned to West Branch for a high school reunion.

“We knew we were meant for each other right away,” Tobin said of the sparks which flew after they met in West Branch.

“It was like I never went away,” Wilkinson said of the 10 days the couple spent catching up on each other’s lives. “There was no question about recognizing each other.”

One thing Wilkinson wasn’t aware of until later was that Tobin had read a couple of years earlier an online biography entry about Wilkinson at his class reunion Web site. Jerry David, a former athletic director at St. Mary Cathedral School and a classmate of Wilkinson’s and friend of Tobin’s, alerted her to the bio information. “I was quite impressed,” Tobin said of her new husband’s distinguished career as a scientist.

The two also were impressed with the number of things they had in common. “We liked the same kinds of music, concerts, travel, and we were both active volunteers,” Tobin said. “We’re open to travel but we have a house to sell first.”

The couple will spend the next month working on Wilkinson’s colonial home prior to selling and plan on eventually moving to West Branch so Wilkinson can help care for his 93-year-old mother.

Tobin reflected on the loss of her spouse several years ago. “It’s very difficult to be alone. Life is made up of couples. I’ve kept busy by being involved with the St. Mary’s drama group. I think you have to be deliberate when you’re older about staying active. We really don’t think of ourselves as old people yet.”

“After my wife died I expected to sit and watch the grass grow, but then I kept up with my volunteering to put a Navy destroyer back together, something I’ve done for the past 22 years,” said Wilkinson who also began volunteering with a nature conservancy group.

“We’re fortunate we both seem to be really healthy,” Wilkinson said, prompting Tobin to add mirthfully — “although, his blood pressure went up a little after we met and mine went down.”

“We still think of this as a fairy tale. We’ve been very lucky,” Wilkinson added.

The couple have set aside April 12 for family and friends to celebrate their marriage and the chapter of their new life together.

Ron (1961)& Jeanie Robinson (1966) Keith
ronjeaniekeithanniv.jpg
Celebrate 40th Anniversary April 20, 2008

picfrommaryminer.jpg

 
Back Row-left to right
 
1.  2. Gary Cooper 3.  4.  5.  6.  7.  8.Whitey Valley9.  10.  11.  12.Irv Killinger 13. Dick Hewson  14.Gerry Drabek  15.Jim Orr
 
Middle Row-left to right
1.  2.  3.  4. 
 
Front Row-left to right
1.Ronny Decker  2.Bill Lebzelter  3.Bob Smith 4.Don Power 5. Don Miner 6.  7.  8.  9.  10.Chuck Lail  11.  12.Denny Orr 13. Hollis Miner
14.  15.Gene Hutchins
16.Doug Cooper 17. Larry Nadeau
***************************