From the desk of: HHS multi-generational reunion continues

The pleasures of the Holtville High School multi-generational reunion continue to swirl around in my head. Everywhere a person looked at the reunion there were smiling faces. People were relaxed. It was a beautiful evening.

Joann Fonger Singh of the class of 1955 was interested in seeing the kids her children were in school with. “That was one of the highlights for me,” she said. “I had contact with kids, kindergarten through eighth grades, whether I was their teacher or their principal, for 30 years.”

Dorothy Blinka Kelly, class of 1943, was there with her husband, Jack, who taught band and chorus in the Holtville Unified district for 24 years. “I was astounded by the number of former students who came to see Jack,” she said.

Dorothy and Jack’s daughter, Mary Lynn Kelly Massoud, was also “moved” by the many former students who came by to see her dad.


“Just seeing all the people was wonderful. It was very well done … I would have liked to see more people. I had a very good time. At the next reunion I won’t go home so early,” she said.

Lenora Yanez Garcia, 96, graduated from HHS in 1935. She was the first Mexican girl to graduate from the school. While at HHS she enjoyed playing basketball and baseball. A mother of eight, she worked in stores around the Valley for years. Most would remember her from the time she worked at JC Penney, and Singer Sewing.

“I really enjoyed the reunion because I hadn’t seen or talked to some of the people in many years. Since I don’t get around that well, it was nice so many came to my table to say hello,” she said.

While gathered upstairs at the museum in the Imperial Valley College gallery, my children and I had a few pictures taken by the portrait of my late husband, John A. “Buck” DePaoli, a 30-year IVC administrator. A petite woman was sitting nearby watching us, and looking at the gallery. It turns out she was the former Helen Dungan, a HHS student in the ’50s, and now living in the Phoenix area.

Helen had worked in the concession stand at the Alamo Theatre, which had been owned by my father-in-law.

Helen was a lovely picture in red: red shoes, slacks, jacket and nails. She told us about the time things got busy at the Alamo concession stand, and she put the cup of Coke she was drinking in the freezer. When she remembered it, it was frozen, and she poured more Coke on it.

The rest as they say is history: the Frozen Coke was born. It was the most popular drink at the Alamo Theatre from then on. Half frozen Coke, and half liquid Coke.

Most at the reunion expressed their hope that the committee would have the time and energy to host another affair in five years. Until then I will have my green and gold lanyard hanging on my office door to remind me of a most lovely event.

Since I love stories about the not-so-young, and I saw many at the reunion, I’ll share one I recently received.

While on a road trip an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant, and resumed their trip.

When leaving the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn’t miss them until they had been driving for about 40 minutes.

By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around in order to return to the restaurant.

All the way back the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained, and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn’t let up for a single minute.

To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car, and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her “While you’re in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card.”