The High School Class of 1940 celebrated its 70th reunion on Sept. 10 at noon at the American Legion Club. Angeline Spell Pappas was the mistress of ceremonies. Angie recalls she was the first female cheerleader in 1939, now there are none.

Susie Petersen, of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, welcomed the class members and friends to Albert Lea and presented each with a welcome package.

A moment of silence was observed for the departed classmates including the three recent, Aileen Skarie Christensen, Marjorie Borland Christensen and Orville Weum.

Marcella Petersen Minear has kept a record of the members of the class of 261 graduates; 154 deceased, 82 living and 25 unaccounted for.

Eva Petersen Harper, of Fairmont, presented the class with an acrylic painting she had painted of the old high school, which will be given to the Freebom County Museum, Library and Historical Village. Four by six photo copies of the painting were given to each class member.

Dorothy Nielsen Berger of Kapolei, Hawaii, and Manual Lozano from Los Angeles, Calif., made the biggest effort to attend.

Roger Lonning gave a slide show presentation and narration of the early schools and football teams in the county.

Angie had made all the name tags with the original picture from the class book as well as the pictures and names of the deceased members mounted on a easel. There was a display of the class group pictures taken from previous reunions, a 1939 AhLaHaSa school paper and previous reunion booklets.

There were door prizes made by members, calls from classmates unable to attend and singing the school song, “Come on Tigers.”

Reunion committee members were Angie Spell Pappas, Marcella Petersen Minear, Eva Petersen Harper, Grace Olsen Tomson, James Tomson, Maurine Kelly Larsen and Russ Paczkowski.