Ford City Class of ’51 Held Monthly Meeting

by Olivia Wasilko

The Ford City High School graduating class of 1951 held its monthly luncheon at Nite Courts on Tuesdasy at noon. Several alumni attended along with their family and friends.

Edward Dentici, 84, and his wife Mary Lou, 83, have been married from nearly the time they got out of school.

“We’ve been married 61 years,” Edward said. “Can you believe that?”

The couple did not meet until they both attended Ford City in their freshman year. Mary Lou went to school in Manorville until eighth grade, and Edward went to one of the area’s Catholic elementary schools.

Mary Lou remembers the days before most students had access to public transportation. “I walked to school every day from Manorville. We didn’t ride the bus, we had to walk. I got the bus at 7:30 to get to school at 9. We even had to walk down at lunchtime. We had about an hour, but there was no cafeteria or anything in school.”

“There were two bus runs as far as I know,” Edward added. There was one from Cadogan and one down from Bethel area. That was it.”

Only when her father began teaching seventh grade math did Mary Lou have the luxury of riding in a car to school.

Everyone present at the reunion agreed that the 1950s were a much different time, considering all the changes that have taken place in the schools.

“Back in 1951 we didn’t have the drugs that they do now. Or as much alcohol. We didn’t have any problems in the school whatsoever.”

“The new school is very nice, though,” said Kittanning graduate Jim Thomas. “It’s a lot different in construction from what we had. I went to one of the basketball games and I enjoyed it there. Ford City had the best basketball team in the valley at one time. And the coach was one of the best coaches who lived around here at that time. His team always beat us at Kittanning.”

Sharing stories like this is exactly why the class of ’51 meets every month. Although their visitors have been few lately, they say it is worth gathering to share their friendship and memories.

“We get good and bad memories,” Thomas laughed. “But it was better than it is now, I think. That was in the good times.”

Any classmates, spouses, and friends are always welcome to join the meetings and share their memories.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.