2025 event for the RIHS Classes of 1959 and 1960

There's another RIHS Class of' 59 wiener roast in the works! Planning is underway by Jack Hansen, Larry Tschappat, and Jim Ludwig for this year's event, scheduled for Thursday, September 25th.

Here are the potluck details... Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 1 PM, the combined classes of '59 and '60 will hold their annual wiener roast. The place will be as last year at Blackhawk Park's large shelter and fireplace on the North side of Blackhawk Road. Wieners and buns will be provided. Please bring a dish to pass, your own drinks, dinnerware, and chairs. If you have any questions, contact Jack Hansen, Larry Tschappat, or Jim Ludwig.

Please help us spread the word!

Our ANNUAL WIENER ROAST took place on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, with a small, but fun crowd!
 See the photos at the bottom of this 65th Reunion album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ekxW5ckKjVJSVWf38

PLACE: Blackhawk State Park (Large shelter North side of Blackhawk Road) TIME: 1:00 PM WIENERS AND BUNS PROVIDED PLEASE BRING A DISH TO SHARE, YOUR OWN DRINKS, DINNERWARE AND CHAIRS.

The Classes of RIHS 1959 and 1960 are joining ranks at this activity.

Call Jack Hansen for answers to any questions about the event: 309.786-4607

 Here's a quick link to most of my photos taken at our RIHS '59 65th reunion. More will be added as they are processed from our "official photographer" Anne Holtan. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ekxW5ckKjVJSVWf38

Here is the link to our current Memorial Page:

https://rihs59.blogspot.com/p/memorial-listing.html

Sunday, September 1, 2024

From your website host Vicki Swanson Wassenhove:

Sad, sad news... We just learned we lost our wonderful reunion chairperson, Kathy Gartelos Siokos, last Friday. This was a sudden shock to all of us, especially to our 65th reunion committee. Kathy has been our capable leader for many years, and was busy almost single-handedly organizing and planning our October 5th event. She was looking forward to the reunion and reuniting with classmates, but unfortunately, Kathy and her great smile will not be there to greet us. Our heartfelt condolences are extended to her family. RIP, dear Kathy!

Her name and a link to her obituary have been added to our RIHS Class of '59 Memorial Page on our Blogspot website. (https://rihs59.blogspot.com/p/memorial-listing.html)

I am confident that Kathy's extensive preparation for the party will help the reunion go on without a hitch. The committee will try our best to follow through with the plans. Classmates are stepping up to help keep the October event progressing. Marilyn Raymond is organizing an extra reunion committee meeting, and Kathy's daughter has arranged for the class directory to be published for us.

July 23, 2024:  A note from Kathy Gartelos Siokos, our reunion committee chairperson: 

Subject: 65th Reunion Reminder

I hope this email finds you well.  Our 65th reunion date is drawing near.  We will gather on Saturday, October 5th at Pinnacle Country Club to celebrate and reminisce.  So far, we have 43 classmates who have committed to attend.  We would love to add to that number. 

IT IS NOT TOO LATE!!!  Send your registration and check in as soon as possible. I will have a new address as of August 7, 2024.  Please send any correspondence to 420 Celeste Circle,  Blue Grass, IA  52726.  If you have any questions, please contact me.   

If you cannot attend and would like to order a directory to be mailed to you, you can send a check for $7.00 to Kathy Gartelos Siokos at 420 Celeste Circle. Blue Grass, IA after August 7th.  

To be realistic, this may be our last formal reunion, so do try to take advantage of the opportunity to attend.

Kathy Gartelos Siokos

For any questions by email, contact   Stan Brown <rockyhighclass59@gmail.com>

Note from Vicki Swanson Wassenhove, RIHS'59 Blogspot website host: 

This Blogspot site of ours is very out-of-date, but I'm at least trying to post a few details about our 65th reunion. However, many of the links on the right side at top are still available. The memorial listing is the only one that I keep current.  See: https://rihs59.blogspot.com/p/memorial-listing.html

Our 60th Reunion TRIVIA QUIZ is now posted on this site... Check it out.  Answers follow if you need them!

The 60^th Reunion photos are posted!  This first album includes just a few shots from the Sunday  breakfast, in addition to photos taken at the Saturday night banquet.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WPnUartWfjYAJtK9A

You can view the photos individually or full-screen by clicking the "Slideshow" option in a drop-down list at the top right of the first page showing all photos.

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Group photos taken by Steve Sullivan are also posted in a separate album.  I've also just added three enlargements for easier identification of classmates.   See them here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pXUsQ4N7GuGwodJg8

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Anne Holtan's photos from our 60th reunion (10/4 & 10/5/19)  Thanks Anne!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NHhrZDMLf1XyJ1Hg6  

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Dear Classmates,  

Well, it is official.  The 60th Class Reunion invitations are in the mail.  You should be receiving yours shortly.  The weekend of October 4-6 should be a memorable one, especially if you join us in celebrating the 60th anniversary of our high school graduation.  The Reunion committee is hard at work planning activities including the Friday night mixer, the Saturday night buffet, and the Sunday morning breakfast.   Please, seriously consider joining us.  Send your registration form in as soon as you can.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. My email address is siokosk@gmail.com and my phone number is 563-386-6124.  

Your classmate,

Kathy (Gartelos) Siokos

Two RIHS Class of 1959 websites!!

In addition to this site on Blogspot.com, we also have a Facebook page.  It is a private group, so you must request to become a member at the top of that page.  This will allow you to view the pages, comment, and even post photos or news you want to share.  Follow this link:  

 Rock Island High School Class of 1959  (https://www.facebook.com/groups/255971431806046/)

Vicki Swanson Wassenhove 

Our senior photos are already posted in this blog. Access them from the link on the right side of this page, However, if you want to see our complete 1959 yearbook, go to this site:  https://archive.org/details/1959_20191023

January 1st, 2019

Dear Classmates,

Happy New Year to all of you.  I promised I would wait until after Christmas to send this reminder out.  This way it will be fresh in everyone's mind.

We will meet on Tuesday, January 15th at 1:00 PM at the First Lutheran Church at 1600 - 20th Street.  We will be assembling the reunion invitations at this meeting, so it would be great if you could join us.  We need all the help we can get.  Hopefully, we can make short work of our task and have them in the mail by day's end.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on January 15th!

Your Classmate,
Kathy (Gartelos) Siokos

We need your help!

Dear Classmate,

As you should already know, we are planning for the 60th Reunion in October 2019.  The planned events will occur in Rock Island on the first weekend of the month (4-6 Oct 2019).  Invitations are being printed with a planned mailing date of mid-January 2019.

If you have a current email address in our data base, you will receive your invitation at that address.  The invitation will be in a "pdf" format suitable for printing.

Classmates without email capability will receive their invitation in the mail. 

We need your assistance in the following:

1. Please provide a current address if you have moved in the last five years.

2. If you have changed your telephone (like you no longer have a home phone and rely upon you cell phone, etc)  please provide your current telephone number.

3. If you change your "active" email address please provide the "new" address torockyhighclass59@gmail.com.

In closing we wish you all the best for this Holiday Season and the best New Year 2019!

For the Class of 1959

SLB

Reunion Committee Notification

Dear Committee Members,

I hope this email finds you well and in a festive holiday mood.  

Stan Brown is working hard to update the class mailing list.   He sent a class email to everyone asking for any address changes.  Let's hope he gets a good response.  

Larry Stone will print our mailing labels in early January.  

We are still planning to meet on January 15th at 1:00 at First Lutheran Church in Rock Island.  Please mark you calendars accordingly.  This will be the meeting dedicated to preparing the Reunion invitations for mailing.  We will need lots of help.  Please try to come if at all possible.

I will send out another reminder in early January.  You know how easy it is for us to forget at our age.  Oops, did I say that???

Happy Holidays,

Kathy (Gartelos) Siokos