By: Maria Allard | Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider | Published September 19, 2022
ROSEVILLE — In 1946, a group of graduates who went through the Roseville Community Schools system got together for a class reunion.
And every year after that, the former classmates, mainly Roseville High School graduates, continued the annual reunion. Last year was supposed to be the final reunion, as the organizers decided to stop the tradition.
But several volunteers stepped up to keep the reunion going, not only for Roseville graduates, but also for anyone who graduated from Brablec, Sacred Heart, Eastland and Burton.
On Sept. 11, about 170 graduates gathered at the Eastpointe Manor for the Roseville All Classes 76th Annual Reunion. They were able to catch up with each other, reminisce and enjoy lunch and live music from New Beginning.
Dave Bommarito, a 1971 Roseville High School graduate, was one of the planning committee members. While he admitted that he “didn’t like going to school very much,” he is grateful for the friends he made. In 1969, he got a job working at the grocery store Great Scott at Frazho Road and Gratiot Avenue, and he was in the Spanish Club and on the homecoming committee at school.
During the event, Vicky Motson and Debbie Nowicki, Roseville High School Class of ’72; Evelyn “Lynn” Lindsey (Smith), Roseville High, Class of ’71; and Pam Petrowski, Roseville High Class of ’72, led everyone in a pep rally cheer.
Pastor Randy Vinson, Roseville High School Class of ’71, led the invocation. Since the reunion was held on the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, Bommarito held a moment of remembrance.
“We want to honor these people that perished and all the classmates that have passed,” he said just before “Amazing Grace” played.
Gloria (Gaynor) Florin attended the reunion with her sisters Judy (Gaynor) Jackson and Peggy Gaynor.
“I am so glad to be here,” Florin said.
Florin graduated from Roseville High in 1967. One person she distinctively remembered from her school days was classmate Susan Miller, who was a grade younger.
“She had polio and walked on crutches,” Florin said. “She did milestones (that) handicapped people didn’t achieve. Her parents were wonderful and encouraging of her.”
Florin attended Holy Innocents Catholic Grade School and also Kaiser Elementary School.
“‘Kaiser, Kaiser,’ I can still sing their song,” said Florin, who also did not forget many of her early teachers, including Mrs. Garacey, second grade; Mrs. Miller, first grade; and Mrs. Champney, kindergarten.
“I remember the Christmas tree in kindergarten. It was huge inside the classroom,” Florin said. “Mrs. Miller, I loved her teaching us phonics. Mrs. Garacey, I remember she had very, very dark hair and a very big smile.”
Dorothy (Oke) Romano, a 1946 graduate, was recognized for being the longest living graduate at the reunion. She even brought her graduation photo with her. The one-time Burton High student attended the reunion with her daughter, Susan Disano. Something Romano remembered about her school days was collecting cans and paper for the war efforts during World War II.
“I remember when the war started. I was in the eighth grade at Sacred Heart,” said Romano, recalling students and teachers saying prayers when the U.S. declared war. “We were terrified. Some of our classmates went off to war in 11th grade. They didn’t graduate with our class. They came back. They didn’t get killed. Thank God.”
There were seven children in the Oke family.
“My sister Marion and I were in the same grade. I skipped a grade when I went to Sacred Heart,” Romano explained. “School was a good experience. I could talk for hours about what we did. It was very important to have girlfriends and family.”
Delores (Bowman) Lindroth got into the spirit of the reunion by wearing her class sweater with a large “E” on it for Eastland, with a matching ribbon in her hair. The 1954 graduate was a cheerleader. Lindroth had to try out to be a cheerleader, and there were many practice sessions for the team members to perfect their moves for the basketball and football games.
“I loved it. We had so much fun,” said Lindroth, who was one of eight children in the family — four boys and four girls. Lindroth, who still lives in Roseville, tries to get to each reunion.
“I enjoy it. I want to see people. I want to see our friends,” she said. “School was a big part of my life. We really had wonderful kids at our school. Our teachers were very good, too. I had a wonderful mom and dad.”
At the reunion, several tables were set up with old photographs along with yearbooks, school newspapers and a memorial poster to remember the classmates who have died.