50th Class Reunion

Good morning folks!  

Your faithful blogger was hard at work again last week compiling this latest slide show/video presentation of my former high school class.

This slide show is of our 50th class reunion which was held October 17th, 2009 at the Whitford Country Club in Exton, Pennsylvania. 

Per the suggestion of my former classmate I tried to intersperse old photos with current photos of my classmates.  I've also added names to identify those classmates for those who haven't seen their classmates since that balmy June graduation day in 1959.

I hope to complete more of these slide shows with the photos I have left of the various reunion committee meetings I've attended. I also have photos and videos of the reunions I've attended.  Unfortunately I don't have photos of all the reunions. The first reunion I attended was my twentieth reunion.  I didn't take any pictures then. My memory of it is just a blur. 

I also attended our 25th reunion. The first reunion I demoralized was my 35th reunion. That was a long almost two hour tape with my old VHS shoulder held recorder.  I will post that video to this blog, but a warning, it is long.

Enjoy the slide show folks and have a great day!

Downingtown High School Class of 1959 - Then and Now

Good morning folks! This is my latest labor of love, a video compilation of photos from my high school year book of all of my classmates. I have listed the date of death beneath the photos of classmates who have passed on. I have also included photos and videos of us since that glorious day in June in 1959 when we received our graduation diploma on the football field behind the old joint junior-senior high school.  

Putting together this video compilation brought back a lot of fond memories.  My only regret is not knowing what happened to those classmates we have never heard from again since we graduated in 1959. Maybe some of them have survived and will find this blog during an Internet search and contact me.  If any of you are reading this blog you can contact me at the following e-mail address:

ronaldtipton@gmail.com

Hope to hear from you!

By the way, not the generous use of Butch Wax on may of the guys' hairdos and all the perm created curly hair on the girls. Times have changed!

53rd Class Reunion

Good morning folks!  

Yesterday I labored all day to put together this video compilation of over five hundred photos taken at our 53rd class reunion. 

The reunion was held at the Uno Pizzeria restaurant in Lionville, Pennsylvania on September 23, 2012.  Hard to believe six years have already gone by.  

First I have to thank Carole Davis Turner for again putting together this reunion. Carole has been tireless over the years in putting together our reunions. Thanks Carole!

The classmates attending this reunion (some with their spouses) are:

Jakie Ax
Bill Brookover
Al Bucci
Patty Daller Beaton
Iva Darlington Siever
Carole Davis Turner
Dave Fidler
Lynn Hershey
Nanci Jefferis Smedley
Harry McMinimee
Frank Marcocci
Margaret Miller
Ralph Milliron
Jane Moore Hershey*
Ross Mowery
Glenn Mull
Denny Myers*
Bruce Nixdorf*
Henry Roth
Mary Jane Sabellico Esworthy
Cookie Seibert Pannebaker
Su Serafino Myers
Olin Siever
Duer Smedley
Charlie Stimson
Elsie Stock Kocher
Jack Swarner
Ron Tipton
Pat West Ensor
Patty Zittle Peterson*

My friend Mark Himes of Harrisburg, PA made the long trip to take all these candid photos. Thank you Mark!

We had another fabulous reunion of old friends and a good meal at Uno Pizzeria. 

Sad to say though, since that reunion Denny Myers, Bruce Nixdorf, Janie Moore Hershey and Patty Zittle have passed on.  Also, Sandy Zynn and Elsie Strock's husband have passed. Rest in peace dear friends. 

Enjoy the video folks!

Downingtown High School Class of 1959 53rd Class Reunion
September 23, 2018
Lionville, Pennsylvania

Downingtown High School Class of 1959 35th Class Reunion

Good morning folks!  Been away from this blog too long for which I apologize. 

Today's posting is of the videotape I made of our 35th Class reunion which was held at the Italian Social Club in West Chester, November 26, 1994.

How fast time goes by.  That was twenty-four years ago. Next year the survivors of our class will hold our 60th class reunion at St. Anthony's Lodge in Johnsontown, Downingtown, PA.  I'll be there again videotaping that reunion but with my iPhone.  A big difference from the VHS video recorder I made at our 35th class reunion. I had to hold that recorder on my shoulder. My iPhone I carry in my pocket.

I haven't had a chance to edit the video that I'm posting today.  I'm still learning the in's and out's of editing on You Tube. Old brain here struggling to keep up. But I did want to post this old VHS video which I had digitized for our surviving class members to see again and relive fond memories.

Have a great day!

Sandy Zynn

Sandy Zynn October 1999 Hoss's Restaurant Lionville, PA 40th Class Reunion Committee Meeting

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Sandy Zynn. 

Sandy was the wife of Bob Zynn who passed away a few years ago. 

Sandy always accompanied Bob to our class reunions.  

Sandy (far left) with Jean Timmerman Swisher, Pat West Ensor, Pat Daller Beaton and Carole Davis Turner (Iva Darlington Siever and Mary Jane Sabellico in back at Mary Jane's home in Corner Ketch, East Brandywine Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania) - 35th Class Reunion Committee Meeting - photo taken 1994

Sandy was like one of our classmates.

She will be greatly missed.

This is the e-mail I received today from Carole Davis Turner who reported her passing.

Hi Classmates,

It is with a great deal of sorrow that I inform you of the passing today of our honorary Classmate, Sandy Zynn.  Sandy has been fighting a courageous battlle against a chronic lung disease for almost 5 years. She was the widow of our Classmate, Robert Zynn.

Details for her services are not yet determined. However, the funeral home has been designated as James J. Terry Funeral Home in Downingtown. Her service will be held at Tel Hai in Honey Brook where Sandy has resided for the last few years. 

I will notify you in the next few days, the address to send a card to the family if you wish. But, you can always send anything to the funeral home and they will forward it to the family. They are:

James J. Terry Funeral Home

736 East Lancaster Ave. 

Downingtown, PA 19335

610-269-6567

Carole Davis Turner

Class of '59

Sandy Zynn at 44th Class Reunion 2003 at the Brookover's

43rd Class Reunion at Dave Fidler Farm

Steve Pope

Today I had a call from Bill Brookover. He was looking for ALL the pictures and videos of our class reunions.  I told him that I hadn't posted ALL the pictures and videos yet. 

Folks, for those of you who don't know how a blog works, I will explain now. A "blog" is an Internet diary. Entries are made daily, semi-daily, weekly or monthly or any other time period. In this blog I hope to make at least one entry a week until I post all the pictures and videos that I have accumulated of our class from the past fifty-eight years since we graduated on that June day on the football field behind our school in 1959.

How am I going to post these pictures and videos? At first I was going to do it chronologically but the volume of my collection is just too great. Thus I will post by event. 

Bill (Brookover) had suggested that I post our 3rd class reunion that was held at Dave Fidler's home in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He said that was the first and only reunion that Steve Pope attended. Great idea Bill!

I don't know if you know the story of how I found Steve. That summer, prior to our reunion I embarked on one of my Internet searches for missing classmates. I happened to find Steve. I still remember his first response when I talked to him on the phone. He said "I was looking for my class but I didn't know who to contact. I am so glad you called."  He then proceeded to tell me that he had terminal brain cancer and didn't expect to live much longer and would like to see his classmates one more time. Steve had already lost one eye to his disease but was in good spirits. My response to him when he told me of this news was awkward as it often is when someone tells you they're dying.  I responded to Steve by saying "I don't know what to say."  He said "Oh, I'm fine. I'm curious to find out what is on the other side." 

Steve then proceeded to tell me his very interesting history since we last saw him at graduation. He said he went to college (I don't remember which college). He joined the Coast Guard and served during the Viet Nam war in the waters off of Viet Nam. He also told me that brought a hut in Bali and for a time was a Bhuddist monk! He also said he was for a time a cab driver in Chicago. What an eclectic work history Steve had.

Buggy ride at Dave Fidler "ranch"

Well, enough with my chatter. Here are the photos from our 43rd class reunion that was held June 22, 2002 at Dave and Naomi Fidler's home in Pennsylvania Dutch country of Mainheim, Pennsylvania.

Picnic under the shade tree on a beautiful June day at the Fidler home

Sandy Zynn, Jack Swarner, Bob Zynn, Jeanne Emery Veltro, Jean Timmerman sister, Carole Marcocci, Carole Davis Turner, Pat Swarner, and Frank Marcocci

Frank Marcocci, Jeanne Emery Veltro, Carole Marcocci, Mary Jane Esworthy, Cookie Seibert Pannebaker

Iva Darlington Siever, Mary Jane Esworthy, Cookie Seibert Pannebaker, Jeanne Emery Veltro

Iva Darlington Siever, Mary Jane Esworthy, Jeanne Emery Veltro, Wes Pannebaker, Cookie Seibert Pannebaker, Jean Timmerman Swisher

Ted Miller, Jeanne Emery Veltro, Larry Meredith, Iva Darlington Siever

Alex Veltro, Steve Pope, Jeanne Emery Veltro, Olin Siever, Iva Darlington Siever, and Ted Miller

Jack Swarner, Bruce Nixdorf, Larry Meredith, Frank Marcocci, Carole Marcocci

Larry Meredith, Frank Marcocci, Carole Marcocci, Sany Zynn

Jack Swarner, Larry Meredith, Ron Tipton

Sandy Zynn

Carole Davis Turner

Lois Meredith, Olin Siever

Carole Davis Turner, Sandy Zynn, Bob Zynn, Pat Swarner, Jack Swarner

Charlie Stimson and his wife, Bill Brookover, Dave Fidler and Gary Kinzey

Naomi Fidler, Jean Timmerman's sister, Jean Timmerman Swisher

Folks enjoying picnic food next to Fidler corn field

Bob Zynn, Sandy Zynn, and Carole Davis Turner

Fidler buggy horses

Fidler barn

Neighboring farm to Fidlers

Beautiful rolling farm land near Fidler farm

Jeanne Emery and Alex Veltro

Alex Veltro, Ralph Milliron and Larry Meredith

Cookie, Mary Jane, Mrs. Gary Kinzey, West Pannebaker and Olin Siever

Jean Timmerman Swisher and her sister

Jack Swarner, Ted Miller, Dave Fidler, Bob Zynn, Ralph Milliron and Larry Meredith looking at old class pictures

Mr and Mrs. Steve Pope and Jean Timmerman Swisher

Jean Timmerman Swisher and Steve Pope

Bruce Nixdorf, Steve Pope and Jean Timmerman Swisher

Janet Brookover, Lois Meredith, Ted Miller, Jean Emery Veltro, Alex Veltro, Steve Pope, Carole Davis Turner, Mary Jane Sabellico, and Judy Baldwin Nixdorf

Steve Pope and Bill Brookover

Steve Pope, Frank Marcocci and Ralph Milliron

Larry and Lois Meredith with Elizabeth Brookover

Naomi and Dave Fidler, and Alex Veltro

Ted Miller, Bob Zynn, Bill Brookover, Mrs. Ted Miller, Jeanne Emery Veltro, Dave Fidler and Elizabeth Brookover

Steve Pope, Jean Timmer Swisher, Gary Kinzey and Ron Tipton

Now that I have identified everyone, the video!

Memories of Downingtown PA Class of 1959

Me at graduation June 1959

Good day folks! 

This blog is a long delayed dream of mine, posting a permanent blog of my high school class of 1959.

During the past fifty-eight years I have amassed a wonderful collection of photos of my classmates at class reunions.  Photos of both reunion committee meetings and class reunions that I want to make permanent record. 

As I age (now 76 years old) I realize I will not be around for too many more years. One of my fears is that my thousands of photos of my classmates will be lost forever to history.  My goal in creating this blog is to post all those photos before I depart for the big class photo in the sky.

Please feel free to enjoy and comment on this blog, even if you're not a member of my Downingtown High School Class of 1959.  One of the last classes of the Fifties!