A gregarious group of 80 Martinsville High School graduates and spouses and friends gathered mid-afternoon Saturday, June 10 at the AgingUp Senior Center for their annual meeting and banquet. An active hour and a half social time preceded the 4:30 p.m. business meeting.

Fred Ertel ’67 was the emcee and conducted the meeting. Ertel was a freshman when the county high schools were consolidated and thus graduated from Wilmington. After the invocation, veterans present led the Pledge of Allegiance. Minutes were then read by secretary Jean Powell Singleton ’73. Treasurer Jane Powell Walker ’73 followed with her report. Executive director Janet Williams Stanforth introduced this year’s King and Queen of the evening: Harold Oberlin ’49 and Frances Sewell Oberlin ’51.

Then, Stanforth led the memorial service remembering the 16 alumni who had passed during the last 12 months with a poster of their photographs and tributes to them. Former high school science and mathematics teacher Donald Fitzsimmons, a faithful and favorite attendee of Martinsville’s alumni events, passed Oct. 17 of last year and was also remembered.

Ertel next introduced the honored classes: 75 year class of 1949 with Harold Oberlin present; the 70 year class of 1954 with Phyllis Crothers Austin, Gerald Conley, Russell Lyons, Clifford Parker, and Roberta Cleland Shingler present; the 65 year class of 1959 with Sondra Clark Nordyke present; and the 60 year class of 1964-“not.” The 1964 class included the students who spent 11 years at Martinsville or at least were there for their junior year, but then spent their last school year integrated into the Wilmington High School senior class. Present from ’64-not were Cheri West Cleaver, Judy Evans Davis, Anita Hale Grisham, Bill McCandless, Walter (Butch) Peelle, and Carolyn Edgington Storer. Roses were given to each member of the honored classes and class photos were taken.

Stanforth then read correspondence from members who were not able to attend, including one from Sue Patton Haycock ’57 stating that she was now widowed and that she no longer was physically able to travel from her home in Virginia. Stanforth then passed the microphone and each alumnus present stated their name, year of graduation, and whatever else that they wished to divulge about their days attending Martinsville School.

Historian Gene Snyder ’57 presented about the Janney brothers, Will and George, who lived in Martinsville and made their living in construction. They received the contract to build the first Martinsville School which they completed in 1859. It was a two-story framed structure that stood at the northeast corner of the schoolyard and housed all eight grades. And then in 1881, when a high school was begun, it too was contained in that same building. When the use of the newly-completed brick building was initiated in 1914, the white frame building became the site for programs, plays, and basketball. It continued being used as such until it was razed in the mid 1930s.

George Janney joined the Union Army commissioned as a first lieutenant to lead a regiment of U.S.C.T., that is United States Colored Troops, a company of Ohio Volunteers. They saw action in Florida and then were stationed in Key West where many of the soldiers and officers contracted yellow fever, and about one-third of them died. George survived his bout of yellow fever, but died in 1867, two years after the war, probably from the effects of it. Brother Will married Paulena Stevens a few months after completing the school construction and built a house for them that is still a dwelling on West Main Street in Martinsville. Paulena kept a journal during the Civil War that was transcribed into a book, “The Civil War Period Journals of Paulena Stevens Janney.” Gene Snyder concluded by presenting copies of the book to Stanforth and Ertel for their efforts to ensure a successful alumni gathering.

The meeting closed with the group singing the school song and the benediction.

The activities concluded by enjoying a delicious meal prepared by Catering Connections and more social time.