Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, found a small but enthusiastic group of members of the 1966 graduating class of Otter Valley Union High School gathering at the Neshobe Golf Club in Brandon.
Only 15 classmates could make the reunion, but that didn’t stop those present from getting back in step and catching up on happenings since they were together 10 years ago.
Over the past 60 years, the group has gathered for six previous reunions, making this the seventh time they have come together to reconnect. Many stories were shared throughout the evening, and laughter abounded about the “old days” at OV.
The class of ‘66 was the first to move “upstairs” from the junior high hallway on the first floor in the fall of 1962, when they became high school freshmen. By September of 1965, all 96 members of the senior class shared one homeroom, held in the small cafeteria.
Traveling the farthest for this reunion were Donna (Douglas) Ellefson of Pine Island, Minnesota, and Betty (Parker) Landon, of Beaufort, South Carolina. Gary Bradley and Elsa (Carlson) Bengal both drove from their homes in New York (in Plattsburgh and Endicott, respectively) and back home again in the dark after a splendid evening.
Others traveled much shorter distances to get to the reunion. Anne (Birmingham) Pelkey and Lorelle (Anderson) Bernard came up from Pittsford; Chris (Germond) Morgan and Rick Rawson traveled from their homes in Sudbury; Bruce Blanch from Leicester (where he is living for the time being); Madine (Brown) Reed came down from Goshen; and Patty (Wetmore) Ferson and Linda (Quinby) Thompson both reside right here in Brandon. Others attending included Pat Martin of Rutland, Carol (Crossman) Currier of Proctor, and Ashley Cadwell of Middlebury.
Gym teacher and coach Chuck Memoe, who still lives in Brandon, joined the group as the only surviving faculty member from their senior year. It was wonderful to have him join the reunion evening.
The group enjoyed dinner prepared by Neshobe chef Connie, followed by a group photo taken by Laura (Reed) Raymond, who is a member of the OV class of ’97.
The evening’s entertainment consisted of 20+ ladies from Maiden Vermont, a barbershop chorus based in Middlebury and directed by Brandon resident Tim Guiles. They were great! If anyone is interested in seeing Maiden Vermont perform, find out about their upcoming Brandon and Middlebury “Fall Show” performances here.
The Class of 1966 graduated with 96 members, 39 of whom have since passed on. A short memorial reading of those names was held before dinner by Anne and Madine.
Those attending agreed that waiting another 10 years is too long, so a decision was made to meet more often, in a casual manner, starting in the summer of 2027. More information will be available on the class’s Facebook page.
Until next time, from the “Greatest Class at Otter Valley” — Go Otters!
