The coolest. Don Lockery and Glenn Hokenson, road trip to California, 1971. Photo courtesy of Keith and Jorie Miller.

August 31, 2023
REMINISCENCES ON ONE YEAR SINCE THE 50TH REUNION. AND, THE LOSS OF A CLASSMATE THIS WEEK

It’s been a year since our August 20, 2022 reunion, a good time to reflect and reminisce, and that’s what the (last year's) reunion committee did last week. Here’s some news and thoughts, and news of a loss we just now heard about:

---Since the reunion, we have lost two classmates, Tim Ryan on April 5, 2023, and just recently, Don Lockery on August 29, 2023, the result of a tragic accident while kayaking near his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Don’s passing is likely news to many of you. Our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of both Tim and Don. We are all their family.

Here is a link, sadly, with some details about Don:
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/08/ann-arbor-man-dies-after-kayak-overturns-on-washtenaw-county-lake.html

SEPT. 2 UPDATE: Don Lockery obituary
https://everloved.com/life-of/donald-lockery/obituary/

---We are going to continue to fund and maintain our website – www.northstpaul1972,com. We encourage you to continue to use it to keep in contact with classmates. Share messages and photos, visit classmates’ pages. If you receive NSP emails, but have not yet signed up, go the website above, then to “Start” in the upper right corner, find your name and activate your account. Become a member and begin connecting with classmates. 

---When we met last week, we shared stories and memories of our 50th reunion, about how classmates seemed hungry for the interactions and the joy of seeing friends and classmates – some for the first time in 50 years.  A year ago, we reported attendance of about 130. Reflecting recently, Karyn and Marian, who helmed the check-in table, had their attempts at book-keeping foiled, and were overrun by arrivals that they abandoned their post, said they believe it was close to 200.  It’s possible we had nearly 40 percent in attendance throughout the five hours.

---Prior to learnring the news about Don, we had talked last week about those we have lost, which now numbers 70, those who have dealt with major medical issues and, of course, “how did this happen, becoming old in the blink of an eye.” While none of us is envisioning a major, formal reunion anytime soon, we know that connections are meaningful and precious, and providing the opportunity for these to take place can be simple and worthwhile at the same time.

---We generally liked the idea – you can let us know your thoughts via “Contact Us” on the website – of “every two years, picking a date and time, perhaps reserving a space at the NSP Legion, and calling it a success no matter how many are able to attend. So, visit the website from time to time and watch your emails. It’s possible there could be a casual reunion, a coalition of the willing, in late summer/early fall of 2024.

Cherish and love your friends, loved ones, and classmates, too.

Jim Elert, Karyn Christiansen Proulx, Marian Coyne Mottaz, Candy Norgard Petersen

Scroll down for previous messages

S E P T E M B E R  1 7  R E U N I O N  R E C A P

We were young again for a few glorious hours
THANK YOU ALL FOR A VERY FINE, VERY FUN 50TH REUNION

THANK YOU to the 130 classmates and guests who attended the 50-year reunion of the Class of 1972 on August 20, 2022. The number is an educated guess as we ran out of name tags and eventually abandoned the sign-in table. There were over twice as many in attendance as who’d indicated prior to the reunion that they were planning or likely to attend. And, there were three times as many as had attended the 45th reunion.

THANK YOU to classmate Mike Lenz who took many wonderful photos and forwarded 100 to the committee!  They are now in a “gallery” on the website under “50th Reunion Photos.” There are another 40-plus photos contributed by Jim Elert who, as a planning committee member, thought he should do someting useful at the reunion. If you have a collection of photos for us to consider sharing in another gallery, let us know via “Contact us.”  We encourage attendees to post reunion photos to their personal profile pages as they will be fun for others to see.

THANK YOU to classmates who made an exceptional effort to attend the reunion, traveling from states including California, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Missouri, Florida, South Carolina, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

THANK YOU to the City of North St. Paul for its fabulous Casey Lake Park & Pavilion, to Fusion Events for the beverages and great service, to Darn Good Food for the darn good food, and a big shoutout to the perfect weather.

THANK YOU to the classmates who’s first-ever attendance at a reunion was the 50th.

THANK YOU to all the classmates who planned NSP reunions from our 5-year to our 50tth.  It’s good to get together, but it requires work and dedication sprinkled with a lot of school pride.

THANK YOU to reunion queen Karyn Christiansen Proulx for doing much of the non-glamorous, maintaining-data-base-type work, and “In Memory” list and display, for most of our class reunions and the years between them. Her efforts on the 50th were accomplished despite dealing with (and prevailing over!) a significant medical challenge.

SPONTANEOUS GET-TOGETHERS  There may or may not be another formal, large-scale effort to plan another reunion. Who knows. However, any classmate can initiate a get-together one or two years down the road - or whenever - by using our class website.  You can announce a gathering of any kind, of your choosing, in the future. A dozen classmates showing up at the NSP Legion on short notice or 30 choosing to meet at Casey Lake Park would be great. 

KEEP IN TOUCH  The 50-year reunion committee will use residual reunion dollars to continue to fund our website, domain name, and a certificate to enhance its security, for years to come.  Keep visiting and sharing on the website. Keeping in touch does not have to be in five-year intervals. Follow-up on connections recently made!

It was great to see so many of you enjoying yourselves on August 20 – it truly made time stand still; we were young again for a few glorious hours. See ya around town!

There are a few more photos below and lots located (to the left) in "50th Reunion Photos."

Karyn Christiansen Proulx
Marian Coyne Mottaz
Jim Elert
Candy Norgard Petersen

SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS REUNION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Y O U R  A U G U S T  12  U P D A T E:

There’s not much new to report, so this will serve as one last reminder.  Our 50-Year Reunion of the North High Class of 1972 is Saturday, August 20, 2:00 – 7:00 pm, at Casey Lake Park & Pavilion, 2089 17th Ave. N, No. St. Paul.  

MONEY PREPARATION
Admission is $20 (cash only) upon check-in, the food truck and beverage vendor will take credit/debit cards, ice cream truck (yum) is cash only. Bottled water will be available at no charge.

WHAT HAVE CLASSMATES BEEN DOING?
Continue to check out Classmate Profiles in the menu on the left to see what classmates have been up to (sheriff, locomotive engineer, horse farm owner, and everything else). There are 155 profiles of classmates hailing from 21 states, and the number of profiles keeps rising each week. Lots of fun photos as well. Consider adding your own profile if you've not yet done so.

Take the time to visit the "In Memory" section in the menu which lists 65 classmates (that's about 12% of the class) who have passed.

It may help you prepare for the event if you can visualize the venue. We added a gallery of photos, titled "Casey Lake Park and Pavilion" in the menu section for that reason.

This website will remain active long after the reunion (years) for classmate-to-classmate communication, more photos and memories, perhaps news of future mini-reunions initiated by classmates.

NO PRESSURE REUNION ATTENDANCE
We’ve become less concerned with counting heads as the venue is set and the food trruck, ice cream truck, and beverage vendor are ready. If you’re still undecided about attending, there’s no pressure, Stop by at the last minute with a $20 bill in your pocket, stay for a while, and stay longer if you have a good time.

Mix, mingle, relax, reacquaint. You're not going to immediately recognize or remember everyone; that will be the same for us all.  Enjoy a low-key get-together with the only goal being that of making connections and having conversations 50 years after we last walked the hallways of NSP together.

if you DO know you'll be attending the reunion, and haven't yet let us know, we'd appreciate knowing for preparation of name tags, etc. To RSVP, go to "Reunion RSVP" in the left-hand menu of this website. Thank you!

OUR TARTAN FRIENDS
Many of us began our educational careers, and continuing into the first part of high school, with good friends who split off and became the Tartan High School Class of 1972. (This trimmed our class size from about 775 to 525.)

We haven’t said much about this previously, but these plaid brethren are very welcome to attend NSP's Saturday, August 20 reunion. Many of then are nice.  If you have Tartan friends who would have an interest in the NSP reunion, please pass the word that they are welcome. (The same “no need to RSVP, just put a $20 bill in your pocket and stop by” would apply to them)

COMFORT
Someone told us, a Florida gal in fact, that she was bringing her own comfy lawn chair to the event, and that's maybe not a bad idea. Inside the pavilion will be lots of tables and chairs; outside are a number of picnic tables. If hours of lounging and visiting in your own comfy lawn chair would improve your experience, bring one or two along.

QUESTIONS?
The website has a “Contact Us” section in the menu to the left. Continue to send us your questions and comments. We will respond (now we’ll really have to) promptly.

Hope to see you in a few days!

Committee members, in reverse alphabetical order, with Candy first  this time, are:

Candy Norgard Petersen
Jim Elert
Marian Coyne Mottaz
Karyn Christiansen Proulx

SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS

J U L Y  2 9,  2 0 2 2  U P D A T E

We’re now weeks away from our 50-Year Reunion of the North High Class of 1972.  It's Saturday, August 20, from 2:00 to 7:00 pm at the beautiful, spacious Casey Lake Park & Pavilion (see photos in the menu on the left), 2089 17th Ave. N, No. St. Paul, oh so close to where we made our high school memories. 

Low-key, casual fun and connecting with classmates in a relaxed atmosphere (Jim may wear shorts), is the only priority. Come as you are, be who your are. Admission ($20 cash) is at the door, and not in advance. This is so, so easy. We do not have to know in advance that you’re coming. Just come. Make a last-minute decision, just do it, we want to see you! As this is our 50th reunion, it could be our last organized event.

• Admission is $20. Please, please note that this will be cash only, due at check-in, so put some cash in your pocket, just like the old days. You’ll get a pretty wristband and name tag when you arrive.
   
• Our food truck, a No. St. Paul favorite, “Darn Good Food,” will accept cash and credit cards. On this special NSP day, if you’re a salad person, you may want to let it all go and enjoy hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, polish sausage, French fries, and onion rings.
   
• The really-good-at-what-they-do "Fusion Events” will accept cash and credit cards as thtey serve us beer, wine, and soft drinks. Marian said she's likely to have a beer.
   
• Proprieter Al Obaidi Rihab's Ice Cream Truck, another No. St. Paul favorite, will continually stop by to keep us happy. Note that it will be cash only for a range of cold delights. 
   
• The committee will have free bottled water available.
   
• There will be some door prizes, and some lovely decorations and stuff that Karyn's working on
   
• If you’ve not yet told us that you’re planning to attend, or may attend, please go to “Early Reunion RSPV for Planning," (menu on the left) and let us know. It will help our planning.
   
• Please continue to spread the word. Encourage your classmate-friends to put $20 in their pocket and at least stop by for a short time.  Even if you’ve aged a bit, we just want to see you.
   
• With Covid still a bit of a thing, our spreading-out-at-the-park, Casey Lake Park & Pavilion venue, continues to feel like a great choice. IF the weather is extra-warm, know that the pavilion is air-conditioned. IF rain were to visit us, the pavilion holds 150-200 inside, and there are expansive covered patios. The reunion will take place and we will have fun.
   
• 50 years ago, our senior-year yearbooks were late in arriving and lots of folks didn’t get a chance to have them signed by friends. You could bring yours to the reunion, for signing, as Candy is planning to do. (You should probably sign if she asks.)
   
• From our very own Class of 1972 website, here’s some numbers for you: We live in at least 20 states. In the past five months, 153 classmates have created profiles, many with photos and tales about what they’ve been up to. WE ARE a sheriff, lawyers, doctors, a locomotive engineer, a pilot and a pastor, educators, a horse farm owner, and a newspaper publisher. And, proudly, WE ARE parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Take some time to read the profiles.
   
• Many have commented on classmates’ profiles on our members-only website – take a look at these as well. And, 64 deceased classmates are listed; many of you have left heartfelt comments about them.
   
• Thanks to those who have begun to make our website a vibrant way to get in touch and keep in touch with classmates. Leave a message we all can see, or send a private messages to anyone on this classmates-only site.
   
• Whether you attend the reunion or not, this website will remain active in the years to come. Keep in contact with whomever you choose. Future class get-togethers could be large or small, perhaps initiated by any of you on the website.
   
• Have you created your profile, shared something about yourself?  If not, take a moment and do it now. Instructions are in the left-hand column of this site.
   
• With our event ending at a sensible 7:00 pm, those reluctant to conclude their classmate-connecting can surely find nostalgic No. St. Paul venues – the Legion and Neumann’s come to mind - suitable for continued conversations
   
• The website has a “Contact Us” section. Send us your questions and comments. We always respond promptly.

Hope to see you in a few weeks.

--Karyn Christiansen Proulx, Marian Coyne Mottaz, Jim Elert, Candy Norgard Petersen

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS

SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS

MAY 28, 2022 UPDATE

Greetings, members of the NSP Class of 1972 –

Plans are coming along for our 50-Year Reunion of the Class of 1972.  The event is Saturday, Aug 20, 2022, 2-7 pm, Casey Lake Park & Pavilion, 2089 17th Ave. N, No. St. Paul.  We’ll be able to spread out on the lawn, gather inside the pavilion (up to 200 capacity), enjoy covered patio spaces, and even a dock on the lake. (In this unpredictable Covid-era, we wanted to provide the oopportunity to spread out.) If it’s extra-hot this day, the pavilion is air conditioned. Find photos of this beautiful site on our website under “Casey Lake Park and Pavilion.”  Let's make our 50th a big and special gathering - if not now, when!?
 

N E W   D E T A I L S

FOOD AND BEVERAGES. ICE CREAM, TOO.
The popular, local Darn Good Foods food truck has been booked to offer classmates hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, polish sausage, French fries, and onion rings for sale

We've contracted with Fusion Events to provide beer, wine, and soft drinks for sale. We’ll provide bottled water at no cost.

Proprieter Al Obaidi Rihab's Ice Cream Truck will continually stop by, providing a range of delights for purchase

ADMISSION
A $20 admission charge will be collected at the door, but not in advance. And, we’ll not seek donations ahead of time as in the past. (Admission covers reunion expenses including facility rental, beverage service contract, decorations, signage, printing, ”office” supplies, and securing our Class of 1972 website and domain name well into the future for classmate connections.)

EARLY REUNION RSVP FOR PLANNING: YES, PROBABLY, UNSURE, NO
Please assist planning efforts such as budging and food and beverage planning by indicating your “early” plans regarding the reunion. Go to “Early Reunion RSVP Survey for Planning” on the website home page and complete the “survey.” Notify us of your plans, whether its "yes," "probably," "unsure," or "no." You must be a member - and first login -  to submit this form.

SO FAR, 50 PERCENT OF CLASSMAGES ACCOUNTED FOR
In just the past three months, 132 classmates visited our members-only reunion website, became members, created profiles, and began connecting with fellow classmates. We have email addresses for an additional 64 classmates. Also, 64 deceased classmates are now memorialized on the website (20 of you have already provided written remembrances.)  Taken together, 50 percent of our classmates have been accounted for.  With your assistance, we’ve got three more months to locate and connect with many more from our class.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP ON THE WEBSITE?
If you’re receiving reunion emails but have not yet signed up (become a member), go to www.northstpaul1972.com, then to “Start” in the upper right corner, find your name, activate your account, and begin connecting with classmates.

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD
While we know not everyone wants to be found, locating classmates after 50 years is a big challenge. Please help spread the word. Direct classmates you’re in contact with to our classmates-only website to sign up, using the process above. 

CLASSMATE TO CLASSMATE CONNECTIONS 
Connecting classmates to other classmates is so much more enjoyable when you post old and current photos, create a profile, share school memories, as well as remembrances of beloved, deceased classmates on our members-only Class of 1972 website. Please consider doing this – or contnue to add more content.

CONTACT US
Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions, suggestions, and ideas. Use the “Contact Us” feature on the website.

Hope to see you in August!

--Karyn Christiansen Proulx, Marian Coyne Mottaz, Jim Elert, Candy Norgard Petersen

FEBRUARY 20, 2022 UPDATE

Casey Lake Park Pavilion, site of August 20, 2022 reunion

Greetings, NSP Class of 1972 –

It’s been two weeks since we announced a August 20, 2022 Fifty-Year Reunion (Scroll down a bit further for these details) of the NSP Class of 1972.  There’s good new news to report since then. Here’s an update and some reminders:

BECOMING A MEMBER
On Feb. 6, with not a lot of tech knowledge, we launched a members-only Class of 1972 website, announced details of a Summer 2022 gathering, and sent an email to all classmates with known emails. In less than two weeks, nearly 40 percent of this group has already “registered” (which means to simply sign-in with an email address and password) on this new members-only (www.northstpaul1972.com) website. Exceptional, thanks, but we’d love to have more of you participatel

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP 
Why would you want to become a member?

--It assures you will continue to receive updates as reunion planning progresses

--It provides you full access (just sign in) to announcements, to classmate profiles and photos, listing of Missing Classmates (we just need an email address to not be missing), listing of deceased classmates, see where classmates currently reside, and obtain the ability to connect with and private-message your classmates

--The website will remain operational for months and years to come, providing an ongoing hub for connecting and communicating as a group or individually

IF YOU'VE NOT YET BECOME A MEMBER  
If you’ve not registered, we encourage you to do so now. Go to JOIN HERE in the upper-right corner, find your name, and “become a member with an email address and password. This is your, shared website, you can make it come alive by providing content and communication and establishing your own connections with long-lost classmates.

CLASSMATE PROFILES
(sheriff, medical professional, teacher, pilot, paster, horse farm owner, military service, newspaper publisher, locomotive engineer) 
It’s already starting to take shape! Visit the “Classmate Profiles” section where it’s VERY fun to see what classmates have been up to over the past 50 years. If you haven’t already, please consider sharing even a little bit about your life, add a past and present photo or two, maybe share a school memory. Thanks!

MOST IMPORTANT! HELP FIND "MISSING CLASSMATES" 
They're only missing until we have an email adddress
The number one reason we started the process this early is to locate as many classmates as possible – with your help. It takes a village to locate former villagers. Under “Missing Classmates,” the website lists classmates’ names that are only “missing” because the planning committee does not yet have an email address for them. We are counting on you to visit this section where you’re likely to know a person, or two, or more on this list. PLEASE encourage those you are in contact with to visit the website, click on their name under “Missing Classmates,” register, they’ll no longer be “missing,” and they'll begin receiving reunion updates. Or, let the committee know by going to "Contact Us."

IN MEMORY: OUR DECEASED CLASSMATES 
Reunion committee members have undertaken the task of maintaining a list of deceased classmates over the many years. There are are 60 that we have knowledge of and we have been adding to this list due to sharing from you. This list can be found on the website under ”In Memory.”  It is a sobering experience to visit this site. You can inform us (there’s a form on the site) if you have additional details on listed classmates or if there are others to be added. We will continue to update “In Memory” over the months and years to come.

WHERE WE LIVE
Oregon, Nevada, California, Florida, Michigan, Texas, South Carolina
Another section of the website, "Where We Live," charts where classmates currently reside. The first 75-plus Class of 1972 website members already hail from 17 states.

MORE INFORMATION/PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS 
Visit the website for continually updated information and scroll down for previous announcements. Questions? Let us know at "Contact Us."

--Karyn Christiansen Proulx, Marian Coyne Mottaz, Jim Elert, Candy Norgard Petersen

FEBRUARY 6, 2022 ANNOUNCEMENT

OUR 50-YEAR REUNION  
NORTH HIGH CLASS OF 1972

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022
2:00 to 7:00 pm
Casey Lake Park Pavilion & Park
2089 17th Ave. N, No. St. Paul, MN

REUNION DETAILS
We’re excited to announce that planning has begun for a 50-year reunion celebration of the North High Class of 1972!  The Saturday, August 20, 2022 event (save the date!) will be held at Casey Lake Park, the 33-acre crown jewel of the North St. Paul parks system. The park’s beautiful, new pavilion (up to 200-person capacity) and its two covered patio spaces have been reserved for the 2:00 to 7:00 pm. event.

As we (hopefully) continue to emerge from the Covid era, the indoor pavilion, outdooor covered patios, and the spacious surrounding grounds – including lake front, fishing pier, expansive lawn and hillside - offer ample space to spread out, relax, and socialize in large and small groups with classmates. More details will follow but expect a fun, casual, indoor-outdoor experience with food trucks and beverage service to keep us plenty happy. We’ll continue to share more details about the reunion including how to RSVP, a nominal fee to cover expenses, and additional event features.

LOCATION
Images of the pavilion and park site:
Casey Lake Park and Pavilion

WHAT YOU’LL WANT TO DO
1) Get the Class of 1972 reunion date on your calendar!

2) “Sign-up” now on the reunion website (more details below). We created a website which will become your link to further reunion updates, and also allow you to immediately begin privately message other classmates. There will be more content to come, including an area for photos/videos, and posting a list of classmates no longer with us, and list of classmates we're still trying to find. The website will remain active (for years) following the reunion and continue to connect classmates in the years to come. 

3) Please encourage fellow classmates to visit the website and sign up – let's all work together to make sure everyone has the opportunity to attend. We have been working hard to obtain and maintain email addresses for classmates. At this time, we have contact information for 162 classmates – but there are so many more! 

WEBSITE. SIGN-UP. GETTING STARTED
Go to our website: www.northstpaul1972.com
1) For those receiving this initial email, we’ve already “listed” you. But, before you can access content on the website for the first time, you need to go to “Sign in” in the upper-right hand corner.  “Join” the website with your email address and password. Click on “Classmate Profiles,” find and click on your name, and follow the instructions. You don't have to, but write a little something about your past 50 years, and consider adding a photo or two.

2) If you’re visiting www.nostpaul1972.com and you are not yet “listed,” go to the upper-right corner and click on “JOIN HERE.” Scroll to the bottom of the page’s list of classmates and click on “If your name needs to be added, please Contact Us.”

Please feel free to go to “Contact Us” on the drop-down menu on the left to contact the reunion committee. As we move forward, positive feedback and your reunion ideas will help us further develop the event and make us aware of questions that need to be answered in further updates. You can also use this feature to provide us with names and email addresses of classmates you’re in contact with who are not yet on our list.

So, let’s get together - if not for the 50th, when!?  We’ve received positive comments about the initial concept for this summer’s reunion. We look forward to learning your ideas for how to make it a success. We're excited! Thanks in advance for your interest and your help in creating a memorable and meaningful gathering of the Class of 1972 on August 20, 2022.  Initial members of the reunion planning committee are:

Karyn (Christiansen) Proulx
Marian (Coyne) Mottaz
Jim Elert
Candy (Norgard) Petersen