MOUNTAIN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS 2010 REUNION - July 2-3, 2010 - Photo at the Denney/Young house First row: Donna (Duey) Hazlett, Vonna (Duey) Douglass, Rita (Davis) Sax, Freddie Kay Hopkins, Carole (Coats) Barnhart. Second row: Kay Rentschler Gradwell, Fyrel (Sullivant ) Rentschler, Evelyn (Byrd) Struble, Judy (Eastin) Kjelburg, Mary Helen (Catlett) Allen, Sharon (Shannon) Mackey, Dixie (Isenburg) Gaddis, Janet (Young) MIranda. Third row: Sondra (Isenburg) Mahoney, Judy Keller and Peggy Hancock. Last row: Mary Ruth (Hedley) Peebles, Barbara Jo (Findley) McCaslin, Susie (Jones) Blevins, and Judy Cantrell Stigall. - Picture by Carol Ellis -

2010 Drum Corps and Music Reunion Plans    The Mtn. Grove Reunion group will be meeting at the Young/Denney House at 605 E State Street on Friday afternoon, July 2nd, 2010. Janet Young Miranda will be hosting the event starting at 4:00 P.M. Many will be heading later to other reunion events for the dinner hour, so this will be a pre-dinner activity, featuring appetizers and soft drinks. All former members and their guests are welcome. Feel free to bring your favorite h’orderves recipe and drinks will be provided. The drum corps will plan to be in the parade on Saturday morning, July 3rd again this year. A truck will be provided to ride in or all who wish to walk along with the banner are welcome. No instruments will be provided, as they will be featured in a display at the museum at the old jail this year. Drum Corps T-shirts, caps and visors will be on sale at the jail. Proceeds from the sales will go toward the support of the Mountain Grove Central Arts Council and the progress of the old jail building. by: Mary Helen Catlett Allen

MOUNTAIN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS 10th REUNION - July 2-3, 2009 - Photo at the Denney/Young house. FRONT ROW: L to R: Fyrel Sullivant Rentschler, Dixie Isenburg Gaddis, Doris Sullivant Smith and Carole Coats Barnhart. SECOND ROW: (seated on left) Edna Hilt Jones and Donna Duey Hazlett, Rita Davis Sax, Elaine Shorter Caskey, Kay Rentschler Gradwell and Mary Helen Catlett Allen. THIRD ROW: Vonna Duey Douglass, Ann Sluder Thompson, Janet Young Miranda and Lou Donna Barrett Relyea. FOURTH ROW: Peggy Hancock, Jean Spinabella, Judy Housley Richardson, Lacretta Allcorn Wells and Sondra Isenburg Mahoney.

Doris Sullivant Smith and Sondra Isenburg Mahoney carrying the banner, with Carol Watson Green leading as majorette.

Judy Housley Richardson and Mary Helen Catlett Allen, Marching drummers.

Doris Sullivant Smith and Sondra Isenburg Mahoney, leading with the banner, Carol Watson Green, majorette and Judy Housley Richardson and Mary Helen Allen, drummers.

- WRITE-UP - 2009 - The group met on Friday evening, July 3rd for a potluck dinner at the beautiful Young/Denney house on State Street. Our gracious hostess again was Janet Young Miranda. The guest attending, having graduated from Mountain Grove High School 64 years ago was Fyrel Sullivant Rentschler from Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Her daughter Kay Rentscher Gladwell from the class of 1960 accompanied her mother. Our corps members, Dixie Isenburg Gaddis and Sondra Isenburg Mahoney have attended all of our 10 reunions. Mention must be made of the faithful “Jacks” who usually attend. Jack Allen from Columbia, MO and Jack Gaddis and Jack Richardson, both from Mountain Grove. They are three of our very supportive husbands who are ready to lend a hand when needed. Those attending were: Janet Young Miranda, Lee Young, Jack and Mary Helen Catlett Allen, Carole Coats Barnhart, Vonna Duey Douglass, Dixie and Jack Gaddis, Sondra Isenburg Mahoney, Donna Duey Hazlett, Judy Housley Richardson, Edna Hilt Jones, Peggy Hancock, Elaine Shorter Caskey, Ann Sluder Thompson, Doris Sullivant Smith, Lou Donna Barrett Relyea, Rita Davis Sax, Jean Spinabella, Kay Rentschler Gradwell, Fyrel Rentschler Sullivant, Lacreta Allcorn Wells, Emma Jean Archer Barker, L. June Brixey Shannon, Bette Duvall Bock, Judy Cantrell Stigall, Sally Wagner Prock, Ruth Hedley Peebles, Jewell Hicks Spurgeon, and Linda Mitchem Middleton and Mary Ann Barker Frazee. Saturday morning attending to march or ride in the parade were: Doris Sullivant Smith, Sondra Isenburg Mahoney, Dixie Isenburg Gaddis, Mary Helen Catlett Allen, Judy Housley Richardson, Carol Watson Green, Judy Cantrell Stigall, Peggy Hancock, Carole Coats Barnhart, Kay Rentschler Gradwell and Donna Duey Hazlett. We have just received word of the death of Ann Gatchell Nessing, a former member of our drum corps. Our next reunion will be held on July 3rd and 4th of 2010. Submitted by Mary Helen Catlett Allen January 29, 2010

MOUNTAIN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS REUNION - DECEMBER 2006 - < > Seventh Reunion Held at Young/Denney House The 2006 Drum Corps Reunion weekend was attended by more or less, forty people. This was the seventh reunion we have held. We started all of this in the year 2000. This year the dinner and the parade list include: Mary Helen Catlett Allen, Jack Allen, Evelyn Byrd Struble, J.A. Reece, Donna Archer White, Faye Hilt Courtney, Edna Hilt Jones, Marilyn Doublin Conklin, Virginia Frances Coats, Wayne Coats, Rita Davis Sax, Donna Duey Hazlett, Vonna Duey Douglass, Elaine Shorter Caskey, Doris L. Moore, Beverly Moore Smith, Carol Hutchinson Scott, Betty Middleton Dale, Sondra Isenbury Mahoney, Judy Cantrell Stigall, Peggy Hancock Rogers, Janet Young Miranda, June Brixey Shannon, Dixie Isenburg Gaddis, Beverly Turner Thomas, Wanda Jane Gourley Rippee, Dixie Forbes Hutchinson, Carol Ann Coats Barnhart, Treva Robertson Collins, Larry Collins, Bette Bock Duvall, Louise Hughley (guest of Bette Duvall), Mary Ruth Headley Peebles, Jewel Hicks Spurgeon, Connie Hutchinson Bell, Nancy Austin Brocket, Judy Housley Richardson, Carol Watson Green and Paulette Mooney Reese. Dixie Gaddis and Sondra Mahoney Faye Hilt Courtney L-R: Faye Courtney's back, Donna White. Paulette Reese, Kay Rogers. Drum major Virginia Coats leads Mary Helen Allen, Carol Green, Judy Richardson and Carol Scott.

University of Missouri's "Golden Girl" The focus of our 2006 Reunion was on our hostess, at the Young/Denney House, Janet Young Maranda. As we have learned from many of our alums, music has played a big role in many of our lives, both professionally and for enjoyment. Janet attended the University of Missouri 1966-70 and was a Golden Girl 1966-1968. Mr. Charles Emmons was the band director. When Janet played in a high school conference select band with him she knew she wanted to study under him. During his tenure, the band and orchestra were invited to appear at many national and regional music association meetings. Marching Mizzou also received national re­cognition performing on television and at bowl games. In Janet's words: “I loved Drum Corps and Marching Band so much I wasn't ready to give it up. On to Mizzou...then I thought, why not try out for Golden Girl? After all, there was the Faurot Field connection to Mountain Grove! Don Faurot, hometown boy and my father's football coach, was a long time football coach at Mizzou and the stadium name was changed to honor Coach Faurot. My first day marching on Faurot Field, Don Faurot was honored at the halftime and Mother and Daddy were so happy to greet him and honor him as well as see a great half-time performance. I had a wonderful time marching at the games....nothing quite like a sunny October afternoon at a Missouri U football game. Practice was intense but that's what made Marching Mizzou so wonderful. 100 degrees or rain and cold, it didn't matter, we were on the field practicing every day for two to three hours a day. But the moment the band started down the field on Saturday afternoon playing the Missouri Waltz, it was worth every minute! So really, my life all goes back to Mountain Grove, Drum Corps and Miss Byrd. I grew up wanting to be Miss Byrd! Served as a Band Director for 15 years, then moved to Counseling...today, I'm a college counselor at Prestonwood Christian Academy, a Baptist K-12 school. Married to John and have two boys, John and Hans, both graduates of Texas A & M University. What a thrill it was for me to watch my son, Hans, perform with the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band for the first time on Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri. I walked the sideline with him from end zone to end zone - in step, of course! So I've always felt connected to Mountain Grove at each stage of my life. I love those Dear Hearts and Gentle People who live in my hometown! Hmmm, I think they wrote a song about that!”

Margaret Worman, Wanda Jane Rippee, Sue Leighton and Marion Reeder pose in a circa 1952-53 photo provided by Wanda Jane. Next Time! The next event will be held on Friday, June 29th and Saturday, June 30th, 2007. Every year we have had people attend that haven't come before. Janet Miranda informs me that her brother, Dick Young will be hosting his Class of 1957 on Saturday night, but we can definitely continue with our group meeting on Friday night. '57 is Faye Hilt Courtney's class, too, so we will understand if she can't be totally involved with us at the parade on Saturday. I'll try to get post cards out to you before the first of July, the good Lord willing. Submitted by Mary Helen Catlett Allen January 29, 2010

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