The 1960 graduating class of Estherville High School recently met for its 50-year reunion.
It is obvious the reunion planners uphold the adage "the more the merrier" as the members of the 1960 graduating class of Dolliver High School were asked to join in the fun of walking down memory lane during the weekend of Aug.6-7.
There's one other interesting facet that was produced from these two classes and that is three members of each class found their lifelong spouses.
Half of the couples who attended EHS are: Pat Meehan Evans, Wendell Hanson and Roberta Langmo Dahlke. Their spouses from DHS are: Warren Evans, Karen Sampson and Bill Dahlke.
"It was the city kids marrying the county kids!" Pat Evans said.
Each wife was kind enough to share the story of meeting their future husbands.
Meehan-Evans
"The first time I saw Warren was at the Dairy Queen when it was on First Avenue South by the old creamery in the fall of 1965. I was with a girlfriend who was a classmate of Warren's. He walked in with his younger brother Larry whom I already knew. Warren had just returned home from the Air Force. They came over and spoke to us."
At that time Pat was working at Butterfield Produce in the office (now Estherville Foods) and a co-worker would tease her about a guy there who had a crush on her. "I told her I had just met Warren Evans and would like go on a date." Pat admitted that he was nice and good-looking and it was love at first sight.
The co-worker knew Warren and lined up a double-date. "Actually Warren had two dates that night and he chose to go out with me." Their first date was a trip to the movies in Fairmont to watch a film starring "The Monkees."
The courtship developed and the couple wed Aug. 6, 1966. "There was an April engagement," she recalls.
Pat and Warren have lived in Estherville for the 44 years of their married life. They are the parents of Helen, Cheryl, Lee and Paul. Ten grandchildren complete the Evans family circle.
Sampson-Hanson
It was the summer of 1961 when Karen Sampson came to Estherville from her home in Dolliver to work. "I had several girlfriends here and they wanted me to meet Wendell Hanson. At the time he was working at a gas station."
The gas station Jensen's Sinclair was located where Subway is now located on Central Avenue.
Karen said all of the friends had piled into one of the girl's car and off they drove to the gas station. Whether the ruse was to check the oil or get some gas, the ultimate reason was for Wendell and Karen to meet.
Karen said they talked a few times after that and did go on that first date sometime in June. The first date was a popular choice for the early '60s going to the drive-in to watch a feature film.
While neither will admit to love at first sight, they each thought the other was fun to talk to and good-looking.
It was over a year later, Sept. 2, 1962, when the couple wed. "We were married in a little country church outside Dolliver known as the Palestine Lutheran Church. It now sits on the Emmet County Fairgrounds," Karen said.
For all of their 48 years of married life, the Hansons have called Estherville home. They are the parents of Todd, Michelle and Mark. Nine grandchildren complete the Hanson family circle.
Langmo-Dahlke
It was during their freshman year at Estherville Junior College (Iowa Lakes Community College) that Roberta Langmo and Bill Dahlke met.
"Bill had a new, cute 1960 Falcon car and we all wanted to drive it. We circulated a schedule and took turns (girls, only)! He was a real good sport," Roberta shared.
She vividly recalls their first dates involved "running to the bakery between classes. I always said we had one official date, but were together much of time, between school and work."
As for the love at first sight, Roberta and Bill believe, "You know when someone is right for you."
The couple did not have an official engagement. It was at some point they decided in early 1961 to elope.
"We were married in Jackson, but Bill's mother had to go with us the day we got the license, as Bill was underage! He was almost 20 and I was almost 19. In those days, if you weren't engaged your senior year of high school, you were deficient! We were married at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Jackson the day after our finals. It turned out to be June 1st."
While elopements are to be on the hush-hush, this one was not. Roberta said, "Some elopement, everyone in town knew about it before we left."
They now reside in Roseville, Minn., and call their 49-plus years of marriage a blessing. They are the parents of Alayna (Beth) and Nicole. Two twin grandchildren complete the Dahlke family circle.
