They Have Passed Since Last We Met...

Memories of people, of passings....

For the 2011 Reunion, we gathered all the information we had on the class. This included all the personal data the Reunion Committee could obtain on the Class of 1965, of whom were alive and of whom had passed away. 

Since then, these are the folks we know we have lost:

Gary L. Thompson 

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2015/07/Thompson-obit.html

Mary Carolyn Hutchins

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2015/04/hutchins-obit.html

Jack Clendenen 

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2015/03/clendenen-obit.html

Linda Taylor

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2014/11/L-Taylor-obit.html

Bob Rock 

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2014/09/rock-obit.html

David Brookman

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2014/07/brookman-obit.html

Barb Dyar

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2013/09/Dyar-obit.html

Loren Reuler

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2013/06/reuler-obit.html

Paul Cutlip

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2013/04/Cutlip-obit.html

John White

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2012/10/JohnWhite.html

Phil Hunt

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2012/08/hunt-2.html

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2012/08/phil-hunt-dies.html

Darrilyn Faye Castelli

http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com/2012/02/castelli-obit.html

MacArthur Class of 1965 Deceased List 1. Danny Bouchez 2. Fred Boyer 3. Sharon Bridgeman (Ingram) 4. David Brookman 5. John Burchard 6. Judith Burke (Wilson) 7. Darrilyn Castelli (Lewis) 8. Thomas Chambers 9. Patricia Charles (Bilyeu) 10. Joan Clapp (Gentry) 11. Tim Cleary 12. Stephen Collins 13. Michael Cottle 14. John Coutrakon 15. Paul Cutlip 16. Mary Ann Decrevel (Kuster) 17. Carol Deremiah (Heinrich-Kramer) 18. Donna Derr 19. Barbara Dyar (Fox) 20. Greg Dye 21. Michael Elbl 22. Ray Estes 23. Linda Garver (McLaughlin) 24. Becky Grant (Revell) 25. David Gross 26. Steve Hill 27. Phillip Hunt 28. Mary Carolyn Hutchins 29. Francis Johnson 30. Richard Morris 31. Martin Moyer 32. Janet Owens (Terry) 33. Edward Palmer 34. Michael Paul 35. Stanley Pogue 36. Sandra Reed (Spain) 37. Loren Reuler 38. Terry Seats 39. John Stroup 40. Donald Swartz 41. Jim Tadlock 42. Gina Taylor (Saunders) 43. Linda Taylor Coon 44. Gary L. Thompson

45. Steven Volle 46. John White 47. Douglas Wilcox 48. Kathie Wilhelm (Akins) 49. Donald Yelverton 50. Phillip Yocum 51. Robert Rock

Committee for the 50th Reunion

of the Mac Class of ’65

Pat Ryan Carole Carter Hill Millie McCaddon Smith Janet Polen Barker Sandy Rentfro Porter Julie Sederlund Delahunty

Blog/Facebook Page: Loren Coleman

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Additionally, various articles on known and unknown deaths have come to light. If you have more of these, please forward them.

Here are a couple examples sent to Donna Camp Maddox:

Pick Up Your Mac 65 Book Today!

The front, sample inside page, and back of the 100 page long Reunion and Directory Book.

Clarification Note:  You do not have to be a Mac 65 graduate to obtain this book. If you were unable to attend the reunion but wish to have this book, see near the end of this blog for instructions on getting a copy via the mail. We are trying to make ends meet, so help out by buying a copy at a reasonable rate. Thank you.

The Commencement Program for the Graduation Class of 1965 for MacArthur High School listed 360 people. What happened to all of these individuals?  Where did they go to school or end up working? Where do your high school friends live today? What have they been doing? How many are married to each other? Who has passed away and how? Now you can have the answers to all those questions and more.

The newly published reunion book was given out to those who are registered for the Mac 65 reunion (June 24-25, 2011, Decatur, Illinois). The publication contains the most comprehensive collection of biographical sketches ever assembled for the MacArthur High School graduates of 1965.

The effort to collect any kind of bio info on every class member has been so extensive, with such superb cooperation from a majority of the Class, the book is a massive tome. The information is presented in a perfect bound paperbound book, 8.5" by 11" in size, totaling 100 pages of text in Times News Roman 10 pt font. The biographies section alone is 23,000 words. Yes, it may require reading glasses for most, but the amount of information is so great, and the desire to keep the book affordable, small print was the solution. 

A variety of MacArthur classmate historical data is revealed. Which high school sweethearts are still together? What others have re-discovered each other years later and are happily with each other today? 

The book tells of the "first cars" of 120 members of the Class of 1965, who shared the type of the vehicle they initially owned. One person even told the name she gave her first car.  The "first car" passages contain an intriguing gathering of humorous memories of those vintage autos.

Finally, when this project began, who could have known that the stories of those who have died would be so compelling. Sometimes this was because of the identity of those who had passed away and the shock of a youthful age for a few deaths. Other times, it was because of how the person had died.

Among the Class of 1965, out of 360 graduates, it is known that 40 of our classmates have died.  Of these folks, the following are their causes of death, as recorded to date and detailed for each person within their bio entry in this new book:

Acute asthma attack (1)

Auto wreck, hit by a lumber truck (1)

Brain cancer (2)

Colon cancer (1)

Drowning accident (2)

Explosive device, Vietnam (1)

Gastric bypass surgery (1)

Head injuries, after a fall (1)

Heart disease (2)

Hunting accident (1)

Liver cancer

Lung cancer (2)

Motorcycle wreck, hit by a semi-truck (1)

Murder (2)

Pancreatic cancer (1)

Ruptured spleen (due to a fall) (1)

Traffic accident (1)

Unknown/age-related? (18)

The Table of Contents for this book is, as follows:

Title page (a page)

Introduction (a page)

Biographical Sketches (48 pages)

Contact Directory (10 pages)

Senior Pages 1965 (40 pages)

Were you unable to attend the reunion but want a copy of the book?  Pick up one for yourself or a relative of a graduate. Order it today, by using PayPal [ to LorenColeman@maine.rr.com ] or sending a check to Loren Coleman, PO Box 360, Portland, ME 04112.  The cost is $17.00, for the book, handling, and priority mailing.

In the meantime, send along new info for the constantly updated database of bios and obits for the MacArthur HS Class of 1965.

Obits & Missing

Time Magazine, May 1965.

A few updates to the listings of obituaries have occurred under the "Who Has Died?" posting, as well as the other special notes on various other deaths in separate postings. (Please review the archives to find those.)

We need more obit info about the following people who have been confirmed as having passed away:

Pat Charles Bilyeu. Word has been received that she passed away 12 - 14 yrs ago from liver cancer. More information is needed.
Judith E. Burke [Wilson]
Thomas Chambers
Joan Elaine Clapp
Timothy Cleary
John Robert Coutrakon. John Coutrakon was apparently killed in a car/logging truck accident in the late 1980s. More info is needed.
Donna Jean Derr.
Frances Diane Johnson. Nov. 1973?
Edward Albert Palmer
Steven Alan Volle.


1965 Corvette Coupe

The following additional notes have been recently added to the "Who Is Missing?" section. Even with the new finds that means there are lots of people about whom we have no data, at all, yet. Can you help?



The Missing List...

Martha Allen (Taylor)
Barbara Baker
Andrew Eugene Barber
Donna Lee Barfield (Barlow)
Mary Ann Bass (Danis)
Murray Halleck Beck - Found, living in Illinois.
Cindy Anne Best (Danner)
Donna K. Bottrell (Martin) - Found, living in Wisconsin.
Donald Eugene Brewer - Found, living in Florida.
Sharon Ann Bridgeman
Terri Louise Brown (Stuhlmann)
John Burkehart
Richard Allen (Dick) Burrous - Found, living in Oregon.
Greg Lee Butler - Still need info.
Carol Louise Buttz (Hawes)
Lynn Franklin Calhoun - Found, living in Decatur.
Floyd Campbell
Darrilyn Faye Castelli (Lewis)
Pat Charles (Bilyeu) - Deceased
Robert (Bob) Thomas Cross
Donna Jean Cunningham (Ferhenbach)
Annie Kate Currie
James Stephen Dehority - new add to missing
Diana Lee Dotson - new add to missing
Carolyn Joyce Elbert (Camp) - Located, more info needed.
Ray Edward Estes
Joseph Don Garvin Jr.
Stephen L. Gideon
Richard Gilaspie (sp?) or R. L. Gillespie - new add to missing
Sharon Lynn Goldman
Pam Goodwin (Kemp)
Becky Diane Grant (Revell) - Deceased
Shirlee Grupe (McCartney)
Linda Kay Gulino (Ogden) - Found, living in Arizona.
Keith Douglas Hamman - new add to missing
Peggy Harper (Sipes)
Charles Thomas (Tom) Harrington
Sheila Jo Harrington (Telford)
Maira Lynn Harris
R. Steve Hill
Donnie R. Howard - Perhaps found, Chicago
Richard Lynn Huston - new add to missing
Carol Ann Irvin
Paul Young Irvin
Barbara J. King
Jim Douglas Klausmeier
David Knight
Shirley Ann Macklin (Bates)
Joan McElrath
Paula McGehee (Foran) - Found, living in Illinois.
Ken McGlade - Found, living in Decatur
Daniel Edly Mahnke - new add to missing
Thomas (Tom) Edward Manship - Found, living in New York.
Margarette Ann Meisenheimer (Repass) (Gault) - Found, living in Decatur.
Rebecca (Becky) Lou Miller (Dick) - Found, living in Decatur.
Darrell Lynn Miller
Connie Nixon (Wilber)
Janet Lee Owens
Susan Beth Parry (Gordon)
Michael (Mike) (Skip) Pieszala - Found, living in Illinois.
Susan Ramsey
Frances Lynette Ray (Whitehurst)
Kathy Elaine Reeter
Beverly Ann Rogers (Donavan)
Charlene Ann Ruff (Smith)
Linda Mae Rutherford
Gay Lee Schlacter (Johnson) - Found, living in Chicago.
Edwin Leon Scott - Found, living in California.
John Shields
Joanne Marie Singleton
Sharon Sue Sledge - Found, in Arizona.
(Mary) Stephany Smith
Nancy Karen Smith (Rickemann)
Carol Joann Steele (Lemons)
Cynthia Sue Sterns (Sample)
John Carlbert Stroup
Jeannette Anne Sullivan
Judy Swam (Ray)
Donald Roy Swartz
Joanne Elizabeth Taylor
Lucille Paulette Taylor
Patricia Kingsley Teare - Found, living in Chicago.
Tom Tomalla - Is he really in Missouri? Further confirmation needed.
Sue Todd (Lewis) (Woolington) - Found, living in Decatur.
Claudia Voelcker
Lamae Wachholz
Nancy Jane Walker (Morrison)
Marilyn Sue Walton (Anderson)
Ralph Weaver
Linda Jane White (Edelhofer)
Gary Wilhelm
Charles Winegardner
Gary Lee Word - Found, in Arizona.
Alice L. Young (Hardenfeld) - Found, living in Indiana.


Brigitte Bardot visits New York, 1965.

The number of people we are finding is encouraging, and many people are talking to each other. The search for classmates is not so much an expedition hunting elusive souls, as much as a memory jogging exercise to recall when and where you have last heard from so and so or whether you might know the whereabouts of this person or that one.

Send in a comment below, or if you have corrections, updates, or additional information, please use this safe contact form by clicking here.

We won't be calling off the search for our classmates, no matter what the reason! Thank you.