Ellendale Class of 1966 reunion

A class reunion for the Ellendale High School Class of 1966 was held at the Blooming Prairie Cue Company & Pizza Cellar on Wednesday afternoon, September 17, 2025.

 

Kaye Grunwald and Gerald Ellis organized the reunion this year and greeted their former classmates for an afternoon of Food and Fellowship.

 

The Ellendale Class of 1966 numbered 48 students when they graduated, and this year 16 members of the class were in attendance for their reunion:

 

Carla (Aronson) & Burt Scripture of Motley; Tom (Sybil) Brostoff, of Albert Lea; Bob (Carol) Cook of Harris, MN; Gerald Ellis, Inver Grove Heights, MN; Mark (Carol) Foster, Ellendale; Dave (Marta) Friestad, Mesa, AZ; Kaye (Grunwald) Allen, Otsego; MN; Pauline (Kaspe) & Richard Fetterly, of Faribault; MN; Chuck (Linda) Lund, of Ironton; MN; David & (Jody) Nechanicky, of Albert Lea; Butch Ottesen, of Delavan; Daryl (Kathy) Paulsen, of Geneva; Larry Reese; of Owatonna; Mike (Renita) Rossing, of Minnetonka; MN; Renee (Swearingen) (Tony) Holmes, of Ellendale; and Jim (Jeanne) Worrell, of New Richland - (Beaver Lake) enjoyed a dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, green beans, dinner rolls, and a cherry cheesecake dessert with their classmates.

 

Following dinner, Gerald Ellis shared with his former classmates a booklet that he had created.  The booklet, included a picture of the Ellendale High School RAIDER on the front, and listed each of the class members that area still with us, as well as the date of their birthday, address, telephone number and e-mail address and hoped that the classmates would use the information to keep in touch with each other.

 

As Gerry addressed the classmates on Wednesday afternoon, he asked each of them to share a little bit about themselves, where they were currently living, as well as a little bit about their families.

He also updated information about the classmates who were no

t in attendance for the reunion this year, including: Garlyn (Rose) Bergdale of Tempe, AZ; Phyllis (Bryant) Loe of Minneapolis; Carol (Burs hem) Putra of Good Thunder, MN; Helen (Crabtree) & Lyle Swearingen of Blaine, MN; Beverly (David) & Henry Barron, of Minneapolis, Floyd (Judy) Davidson of Tower, MN; Steve Gothman of Longville, MN; Jenelle Haberman of Hastings, MN; Sally (Halverson) & Greg Trytten of Albert Lea;  John Hanson, of Maple Grove; MN; Lynn (Hanson) & John Suess of Loveland, CO; Larry (Elaine) Howell of New Prague, MN; Kathy (Jensen) & Steve Roth of Lake Crystal, MN; Lynda (Jensen) & John Oldenburg, of La Mesa, CA; Jeff (Sharon) Lageson of Geneva; Roger (Joyce) Larson of Ellendale; Eileen (Lindsay) & John Langford, Waseca; Charles Montayne, Clarks Grove; Teresa (Nechanicky) & Peter VonRuden, of Algona, IA; Duane (Diane) Nelson, New Hampton, IA; Gail (Sorenson) Ottesen; of Delavan, MN; Merlyn Paulson, Fort Collins, CO; Barry Ribbe of McKinney, TX; Tom Roberts of Austin; Dennis Vogelsang, Albert Lea; Diane (Weseman) & David Leeds, Reading, PA; Peggy (Whalen) Whales, Motley, MN; and Sharon (Wittmer) Hemenway, Albert Lea.

 

The class members in attendance for the reunion remembered class members no longer with them, including Bob Crabtree, Alice Johnson and Earl Cleven who had passed away this past year, as well as Tom Goodnature, Brian Langlie, Alvin Olson, Pat Phillips, Brent Ingvaldson, Tom Misgen, Bob Burshem, Roger Knutson and Ellen Berg Hanson.

 

Kaye & Gerry informed their classmates that they had brought along greeting cards that they planned to pass along to Sally Trytten, whose son, Thomas, had recently passed away, as well as to Gail Ottesen, who had recently undergone surgery. 

 

Kaye and Gerry encouraged the class members to share a short greeting and their names to the cards for Sally and Gail.

 

Before the afternoon came to a close, the EHS Class of 1966 decided to gather once again next year, which would be the 60th Anniversary of when they graduated. They plan to meet on Wednesday, September 16 at the Blooming Prairie Cue Company and hoped that the class members would put it on their calendars and make plans to attend next year.