The Albert Lea High School Cass of 1940 celebrated its 65-year reunion with a noon dinner at the Elks Club Aug. 5 with 70 in attendance.

The class of 1940 was the first class to receive their diplomas in the new &uot;Cap Emmons&uot; Auditorium. Class members coming the greatest distance were Manual Lozano, Howard Churchill, Betty (Jensen) Bygd, Dawn (Sybilrud) Vogelson and Gordon Miller, all from California.

The 1940 class had 261 graduates, updated committee records show mailing addresses and records for 122 members, 119 deceased members and only 18 presently unknown.

Many letters of members unable to attend were received telling of the activities. These letters were posted on a bulletin board for all to enjoy. The names of deceased members were read.

Committee members planning the event, many having served continuously since early reunions were Dorothy (Christensen) Farnham, Berniece (recently deceased) and Russ Paczkovski, Marcella (Petersen) Minear, Grace (Olsen) and Jim Tomson and Charles Welsch (recently deceased).

Angeline (Spell) Pappas served as mistress of ceremonies. Members responded to her request for humorous and nostalgic memories of our school years. Fun gifts were distributed ruing the afternoon.

Joan Graham presented a program telling of her book, &uot;Remembering Albert Lea&uot; and other books she has published and read passages that were of interest ot us. Joan stressed the importance of preserving memories of school days, family and church for future generations.

Her book, &uot;Remembering Albert Lea&uot; is sold out. If enough requests are received for the book, a second printing can be ordered.

Please write down comical incidents and event of our school years and present them to members of the 1940 class committee.

Later in the afternoon, committee members served homemade cookies and coffee. It was agreed that the committee would make plans for continued mini-reunions to be held the first Friday in August at the Elks Club.