GILBERT, Ariz - Graduation season is in full bloom around the Phoenix-area. Grads will celebrate with brightly decorated mortar boards, wild cheering from family and friends, and a lot of memorable selfies. And after all is said and done, the caps will fly, followed by the obligatory, "See you at the reunion!"
For a group of Mesa High School graduates, those words clearly took on whole other meaning and significance. The members of the Mesa High School Class of 1938 have been saying, "See you at the reunion!" for the past 79 years.
This year marked the 80th Class Reunion for the Class of '38, and for three grads, they wouldn't have missed it for the world.
"We use to have nearly every seat filled here," Molliemae Hatch, 98, recalled as she looked out over the banquet room at the Golden Corral in Gilbert.
Naturally time has taken its toll on the graduating class of 153 back in 1938.
"It was the largest class to graduate at that time," Senior Class President, Oakley Ray, 98, said.
Ray along with Cecile Bradshaw, 98, and Hatch, were the only classmates who could attend this year's celebration.
Two of their close friends--Margaret Lesueur and Joe Davis, have known the '38 grads for nearly eight decades and helped toast these Iron-men and Iron-women of class reunions.
After an afternoon of flipping through yearbooks and reminiscing about things like the big snowstorm of '37, football and basketball games against their cross valley rivals in Phoenix, it was time to say what they've said for the past 80 springs: "See you next year!"
Congrats Class of '38!
