July 8, 2024 - This is a  reminder to send in your money in as soon as possible for the dinner reservation on Wednesday evening, September 18th.  $45.00 for one person - $90.00 for a couple.  Thank you.......

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 May 10, 2024

1959 Wa-Hi 65th Class Reunion
September 17, 18 and 19, 2024

It is very hard to believe it has been 65 years since we graduated from Walla Walla High
School! Because there is so much involved in the mailing process, this will be the only letter we
will be sending to let you know about our upcoming 65th Wa-Hi Class of 1959 Reunion. Hopefully
all of you who are interested in attending will let us know soon by making your reservation with
us and sending in payment for the dinner we have planned. It is a considerably more difficult
task finding classmates this time and telephone numbers, addresses and email addresses as a
large number of our friends and classmates have moved to other living facilities and also have
given up their landlines. We are hopeful we will hear from all of you soon. If you know of any
classmate who would like to attend but is unable to pay the fee, please let us know as we have
other classmates who would like to help in that way. We want everyone to be able to attend no
matter their financial situation. It will all be kept in confidence.

This year we have voted to invite classmates from other classes. Some of us attended the
reunion last year for the class of 1958 and found it very enjoyable. Feel free to pass this on to
other friends you know from the class before or after us. The cost will be the same for them.
Please have them get in touch with Ann, Bud or myself if they have any questions.

As in the past, we will meet informally on Tuesday, September 17th 2024 from 5:30 to 10:00 for
a no host gathering/get re-acquainted party at the Big House Pub & Restaurant, 11 S. Palouse
(Corner of E. Main/Boyer & Palouse) They have a large menu of both food and beverages. We
are hopeful the weather will permit us to be on the patio where it is easier to move around from
table to table to allow more visiting.

On Wednesday, September 18th at 11:00 there is a no host luncheon for both guys and gals at El
Sombrero Restaurant – North Second Street. This is another chance to get in more visiting and
also enjoy a good lunch.

Later Wednesday, September 18th we will meet at the Walla Walla Country Club at 5:00 for our
meet and greet social prior to a lovely buffet dinner. We will definitely have some gluten free
items on our menu, along with a complete meal followed by dessert. The price per person for
this is $45.00. This will be the only charge we are asking our classmates to pay.

Thursday, September 19th we have a picnic planned at the home of Gayle Sanders (Class of ’58)
and his wife Jeanne Ruecker, 3165 Wild Rose Lane. They have a beautiful yard with large shade
trees and lots of parking space. All food will be provided by the Class of ’59, so please come and
enjoy a very casual lunch and more visiting. We plan to begin around 11:00 a.m. and end around
3:00 p.m.

Directions: Drive south past Prospect Point School to Baker Langdon Road. Turn Right on
Langdon Road and go a short distance to Wild Rose Lane. Turn right and head back to where
you can see others have already parked.

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Planned Itinerary

Date: Tuesday, Sept.17, 2024
Time: 5:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Place: The Big House, formerly Mill Creek Brew Pub & Restaurant
 11 S. Palouse Street - (Corner of E. Main/Boyer & Palouse)
Food and Drink: No-host – they have a large menu (available to view on line) of both food and
beverages.
Attire: Casual – there is an outdoor area we plan to use if the weather is favorable.
The restaurant is quite large inside, so seating should not be a problem.
This is a very informal & fun gathering.


Date: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 - Ladies & Gents
Time: 11:00 a.m. - ?
Place: El Sombrero Restaurant – North Second Street (4 W. Oak Street)
Food and Drink: No-host – Luncheon
Attire: Casual

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024

Time: 5:00 p.m. – No-host cocktails
6:15 p.m. – Buffet Dinner & Music
Place: Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road
Food: Complete buffet – Antipasto, Classic Caesar Salad, Rolls & Vegetable, Wild
Rice Pilaf, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Salmon and Steak, Ice Cream Sundae Bar
for Dessert
Drinks: There will be a no-host bar set up for cocktails, wine, or soft drinks for
purchase. If you choose to bring wine with you, there is a corkage fee per
bottle.
Entertainment: Roger Muller will provide background music for the evening.
Charge: $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple
Attire: Business casual (khaki pants, nice jeans, golf acceptable shorts, collared
shirts)

Date: Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Place: Gayle Sanders & Jeanne Ruecker’s, 3165 Wild Rose Ln
Food and Drink: Hosted by the Class of ‘59 – Luncheon
Attire: Casual

There are many activities we could plan in addition to the events we have listed; however, if
anyone would like to volunteer to put a plan together for a tour of Walla Walla, tour of Walla
Walla High School, tour of the wineries, tour of Fort Walla Walla Museum, Whitman Mission, or
any other tour you might be interested in, we ask that you contact us soon and we can give you
names and numbers of a bus company or limousine service that specializes in that sort of thing.
We are happy to assist, but we ask that others come forward to help. With the internet so
available, it is much easier now than ever to be a helper from a distance, and it is very
appreciated by those of us who have been doing most of it here. New ideas are always welcome!


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Golf can be organized for Wednesday morning at the Country Club. Please contact Bud Kinzer
or Dick Gray (509-520-1513) to make golf arrangements.

Walla Walla has numerous motels available, but they have a tendency to become filled early due
to the colleges and wineries and many other events in our area. We would suggest making your
reservations early to avoid any disappointment of being unable to stay where you desire.

Best Western Plus Walla Walla Suites Inn ....... (509) 525-4700
LaQuinta Inn .............................................................. (509) 394-8815
Hampton Inn............................................................... (509) 525-1398
Holiday Inn Express ................................................ (509) 525-6200
The Marcus Whitman .............................................. (509) 525-2200
Comfort Inn & Suites ............................................. (888) 775-4252
Marriott Courtyard ................................................. (888) 780-7925

We would also like to remind you our website is still up and available. We have tried to keep
things updated on it but it’s difficult when we aren’t always aware of news or other information
that should be entered. You are all still welcome to go in and update anything on your profile or
add pictures, comments, guest book, etc. The website is: http://bluedevils59.com/. Go into
the Classmates section and search for your name and picture. Click on Edit and a box will come
up asking for username and password. If you have forgotten, just click on the box provided and
another box comes up asking for your email address. Fill that in and send it. The company who
owns the website will then email you your information. If you are still unable to access it, give
me a call and I will attempt to help you. (Pat Herring Lucarelli, 509-520-7310)

We are trying to make this gathering a fun and easy time to get together and just catch up with
good friends. We are sad to say that many more of our good friends and classmates have
passed away, and it reminds us how important it is to enjoy one another while we are able.

We have already had some notes from classmates saying they will not be able to attend because
they have various “issues”. Believe me, you are not alone – remember, we are all the same age
and most of us have various “issues” as well – from hearing loss, mobility, health, medical, etc……
Growing up in Walla Walla was pretty special to most of us, and our friendships continue to be
very important. We have offers from people who will assist if needed, so please don’t hesitate
to call one of us to ask questions.

We have tried to keep our costs as low as possible. We ask that you pay in advance for the
Wednesday night event so we have a firm number for reservations. We have to guarantee our
numbers to the Country Club by September 3, 2024.

Again, the cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple.

Send your money to:

Wa-Hi Class of ’59
 752 Blalock Drive
 Walla Walla, WA 99362



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We will talk more at the Wednesday night party about whether or not we want to keep the
website up for another five years.

Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to hear from
you and would love other ideas and suggestions on how to make this a fun reunion. Our mailings
are costly and a lot of work, so please watch our website, (www.bluedevils59.com) and we will
try and keep changes posted there.

Contacts: Pat (Herring) Lucarelli
 (509) 520-7310
jplucarelli@charter.net

Ann Ray
(509) 522-2187

 Bud Kinzer
 (509) 301-0060
 bbkinzer620@gmail.com

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESERVATIONS
& MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! 

September 27, 2023
 

On September 18, 2023 fifteen members of our Wa-Hi Class of 1959 met in the boardroom of the Walla Walla Public Schools to discuss our upcoming 65th class reunion.  Above are the dates we have decided to come together once again and celebrate life and our long friendships with classmates.  We have chosen mid week like our last reunion as hotels/motels are less expensive than on weekends, less traffic, and we presume we all are retired from our working jobs.  

Our agenda will be very similar to our last reunion with a casual evening on Tuesday at the Big House, formerly the Brew Pub; Wednesday we will have a cocktail hour at the Walla Walla Country Club with dinner, visiting, etc.  to follow.  We have added one more day - Thursday - to gather at the VFW Building on Rose street from 10 - 2 for a few more hours of visiting and a nice catered luncheon. We will be sending out a letter to everyone when we finalize more details, costs, etc., along with information of hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.   

As time gets closer, if there is interest in other activities such as golf, wine touring, touring Wa-Hi which has recently been updated, or any other ideas you might have, we are open for suggestions.  

Presently we have a committee working on updating our master address, telephone, e-mail, etc. list, along with updating - sadly - our deceased class members list.  Please be helpful if you are called by our ladies, as we really try to reach as many of our classmates as we can. 

We plan to send a letter by e-mail to everyone as soon as possible, and mail to those who do not have e-mail addresses.


Take care,
The Reunion Committee

July 23, 2019

1959 Wa-Hi 60th Class Reunion – Sept. 10 & 11, 2019

This is a reminder for those of who have not already done so, to please send us a check for your reservation to attend our upcoming 60th class reunion. Many of you have responded already and we thank you for that. Also, many of you have contacted us and asked questions, etc. but we don’t have your confirmed reservation. Remember, the cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple. This is for the Wednesday night buffet dinner and dance at the Walla Walla Country Club. There is no charge in advance for the Tuesday evening gathering at the Big House Pub & Restaurant.

Dick and Mary Ann Gray have invited everyone to their home, 1225 Lancer Drive, at 4:30 PM Wednesday prior to our event at the Country Club. If you need directions, please call Dick or Mary Ann at 509-525-0337.

Planned Itinerary

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019 5:30 – 10:00

Place: The Big House Pub & Restaurant, 11 S. Palouse

(Corner of E. Main/Boyer & Palouse)

Food and Drink: No host – they have a large menu of both food and beverages.

Attire: Casual – there is an outdoor area we plan to use if the weather is cooperative. The restaurant is quite large in size inside, so seating should not be a problem 

This is a very informal & fun gathering.

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Casual – Ladies, No-host luncheon

Place: El Sombrero Restaurant – North Second Street

Time: 11:30 AM - ?

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – Golf outing being arranged by Bud Kinzer and Dick Gray– Please contact Bud at 509-301-0600 or Dick at 509-525-0337 for times, etc.

Place: Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – 4:30PM – 5:45PM

Place: Dick & Mary Ann Gray’s Home – 1225 Lancer Drive - informal gathering prior to the evening event.

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 6:00 PM – No host cocktails

7:00 PM – BBQ Dinner & Music

Place: Walla Walla Country Club, 1390 Country Club Road

Food & Drink: Buffet BBQ Dinner & drinks (no host bar)

There will be a bar set up for cocktails, wine, or soft drinks for

purchase. If you choose to bring wine with you, there is a $13.00

corking fee per bottle.

Music by the Gems (Jim Reid from our Wa-Hi Class of ‘59 is a member of this group!)

Charge: $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple

Attire: Business casual (Khaki pants, nice jeans, golf acceptable shorts, collared shirts)

We are planning to have a group picture taken at 6:55 PM (just before dinner begins), so please be there in plenty of time so you are not missed in the photo. You can sign up at the door, and there will be a small charge (cash, please) for a print of this photo to be mailed to you.

As most of us remember, Jim Reid, one of our classmates, is a member of a band that continues to perform together, and we are able to hire them to play for us at the Wednesday evening affair. These fellows have been friends and fellow musicians for the last 60 years and have returned from time to time to Walla Walla and entertained at the Elks Lodge, as well as other locations. Their group is called The Gems and they play the 50’s songs and rock and roll music we all love so much. We all enjoyed their music at our 55th reunion!

There are many activities that could be planned in addition to the Tuesday evening gathering and the Wednesday night dinner. In our earlier letters we suggested individuals are welcome to plan a wine tour or other tour of Walla Walla, etc. during the reunion.

We are trying to make this gathering a fun and easy time to get together and just catch up with good friends. We are sad to say that many more of our good friends and classmates have passed away, and it reminds us how important it is to enjoy one another while we are able.

We ask that you pay in advance for the Wednesday event so we have a firm number for reservations. We have to guarantee our numbers to the Country Club by Monday, September 2, 2019 . If there are special circumstances, please call one of us and we will work out something that will suit everyone. We have classmates who have offered to donate extra money to pay for anyone who is unable to attend for that reason, so please let us know if that would help you to be able to join us. Send your money to Wa-Hi Class of ’59 – 752 Blalock Drive – Walla Walla, WA 99362. Again, the cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 per couple, which includes a little extra to help pay for the band, cost of room rental, paper, ink, & postage. We will talk more at the Wednesday night party about whether we want to keep the website – www.bluedevils59.com - up for another five years.

Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to hear from you and would love other ideas and suggestions on how to make this a fun gathering.

We will try to keep any additional information on the website, so please check there for updates on any changes or additions. We will also try to keep current with the number of reservations we have received. Again, the website is www.bluedevils59.com.

Contacts:

Pat Herring Lucarelli

752 Blalock Drive

Walla Walla, WA 99362

(509) 525-2821 or

(509) 520-7310

Email: jplucarelli@charter.net

Dick Gray

1225 Lancer Drive

Walla Walla, WA 99362

(509) 525-0337

Email:

rgray1899@charter.net

Bud Kinzer

218 Cougar Creek Dr.

Walla Walla, WA 99362

(509) 301-0600

Email:

bbkinzer620@gmail.com

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESERVATIONS & MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!