Tuckerton High School's 2000 Reunion

I volunteer at the Tuckerton Historical Society on most Wednesdays from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. It's one of my most enjoyable days of the week, as I am able to discuss a variety of local history topics with the half dozen or so volunteers plus the visitors that show up on most Wednesdays.

Four of these volunteers (Shirley Nugent, MaryLou Mathis, Connie Woolson, and Bonnie Jean Kovar) are currently beginning to plan for a multi class Tuckerton High School reunion to be held sometime near the end of this year.

Their recent planning discussions have led to looking through the Historical Society's files regarding past reunions. This resulted in finding a Tuckerton Beacon newspaper clipping of a multi class reunion held in 2000. I thought I would share the article and accompanying photos, as many of our Blog readers are graduates of Tuckerton High School. I hope some of you out in the Blog-O-Sphere enjoy this little trip down Memory Lane.

Tuckerton Alamnae Recall The Way They Were

[Tuckerton Beacon Thursday. October 19, 2000]

by Linda Redington

TUCKERTON — When parents go by the Tuckerton School. they think of it as the place where their children go to learn and play. But when their grandparents drive by, it's a different story. For years, the brick building on Marine Street was the local high school.

Memories of the old school are so fond in many of its graduates that a recent Class of 1949-60 reunion brought alumnae from far and near to the Captains Inn ln Forked River.

Not everybody made it. There were some from Kansas and California for whom the trip was too much and many who are no longer on this mortal plain. There was at moment of silence for the latter before the evening of fun and sharing memories began.

Walt and Georgina Bartlett, formerly of West Creek and now of New Gretna, were among the many who recalled those innocent days of poodle skirts and bobby sox, of dances at the school every Saturday night and hanging out at the local soda shop. "'The Sugar Bowl." which most recently was One Eye Willie’s and is soon to become Mercurio's Restaurant [Editor's Note: It has since become the China East Buffet.]

So was Fred Kalm, voted the “Must Popular Boy in School" as well as the "Best Looking" in 1949. One of the schools teachers, Milton Showell of Beach Haven, was present. and welcomed enthusiastically by the former pupils, and certificates were given to those traveling the greatest distance, having the most children or grandchildren or the longest marriage.

Bob Hutzley, Class of `49, whose yearbook prediction was that he would still be trying to give his constitutional essay years from now, came all the way from Michigan for the event. "I wouldn't miss it for anything," he said.

Time has marched on since the 2000 reunion. We are saddened by the passing of Jack Shinn, Edward Laird, and Joe Marshall, Berta's husband, since the 2000 reunion.

Hopefully, those Tuckerton alumnae currently out in the Blog-O-Sphere will be able to make the next reunion near the end of this year. Stay tuned for future reunion details.

Pete S