The Rock Port Alumni Association held its annual banquet Friday, May 10 in the high school gymnasium, with approximately 140 in attendance. President Lynn Hunter welcomed everyone and senior Riley Vogler gave a prayer before dinner was served.
The 2019 Alumni Committee honored the following individuals: Oldest alumni in attendance: John Knierim, Bill Smith, and Rex Lee, Class of 1951; Ruth (Moore) Fox, Class of 1947; Anna (Adams) Wolf, Class of 1948; and Betty (Schoonover) Henry, Class of 1949.
Gary Gaines and Linda Gilbert, both from the Class of 1968, were recognized for traveling the farthest.
Recipients of the Merle and Vera Walter Scholarship were Kelcie Gaines, Abby Bradley, and Riley Vogler.
The 2019 Alumni Achievement Award was presented to Jacque Gayle (Reid) Gebhards, Class of 1969.
Jacque Gayle’s parents were Milton and LaVona Reid, and she has one brother, Randy. Her family lived in many places before landing in Rock Port. While at Rock Port High School, she was involved in many high school activities, band, cheerleading, school play, and other various clubs and organizations.
She attended the University of Missouri – Columbia. While there, she dated Gary Gebhards, who was attending the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. They were married on June 16, 1972, and moved back to Rock Port. Jacque Gayle transferred to Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, to finish her college degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education. Gary and Jacque Gayle have three children, Tad, Tyler and Tawni.
The RPHS Class of 1959 was the 60 year honor class at the Rock Port Alumni Banquet. Pictured above (left to right) are: Kenton Krusor, Alberta (Herron) Stephens, Judith (Maness) Bradley, Beverly (Schroeder) Hendrickson, and Keith Ottmann.
The RPHS Class of 1969 was the 50 year honor class. Pictured above, left to right) are: front row – Carmen (New) Ellison, Suzanne (Bailey) Schoonover, Lola (Harmon) Davis, and Mary Jean (Fox) Nixon; middle row – Ben Cox, Janet (Frede) Taylor, Nancy (Sweeton) Mutzbauer, Gloria (Davis) Whisler, and Jacque Gayle (Reid) Gebhards; and back row – Herb Tharp, Butch Schomburg, David Howell and Phillip Sheldon.
Scott Deatz, left, and Mary (Shaw) Rouse, right, represented the RPHS Class of 1979, the 40 year honor class.
The RPHS Class of 1989 was the 30 year honor class. Members present were Stephen Gaines, left, Jerry Thomas, center, and Cort Andrews, right.
Tad Gebhards, left, Brock Davis, middle, and Clint Criger, right, represented the RPHS Class of 1994, the 25 year honor class.
The RPHS Class of 1999 was the 20 year honor class. Pictured above (left to right) are: front row – Jennifer (Umbarger) Vogler, Jennifer Clemens, Crystal (Taylor) Goins, Meghan Chamberlain, and Kymm (Gayler) Nuckolls; and back row – Chad Rogers, Travis Gubser, Reid Hunter, Troy Cook, and Christopher Gebhards.
The Class of 2009 was the 10 year honor class at the Rock Port Alumni Banquet. Pictured above (left to right) are: Jacob Erdman, Randy Wedel, and Aaron Metzger.
Members of the RPHS Class of 2019 who attended the alumni banquet (pictured above, left to right) were: front row – Jared Thomas, Ethan Wood, Brett Gayler, Ashley Christian, Abby Bradley, and Ashley Cue; back row – Trejan Criger, Brock Martin, Dalton Stevens, Preston Jones, Kelcie Gaines, and Riley Vogler.
The Class of 2019 was inducted into the Rock Port Alumni Association.
Jacque Gayle Gebhards, recipient of the 2019 Alumni Achievement award, and her family. Pictured above (left to right) are: back row – Tyler Gebhards (RPHS Class of 1997), Tad Gebhards (RPHS Class of 1994), Jacque Gayle Gebhards (RPHS Class of 1969), Gary Gebhards (RPHS Class of 1969), Tawni Ellis (RPHS Class of 2000), and Demian Ellis; front row – Logan Ellis (3rd grader at Rock Port R-II), Ali Ellis (kindergartener at Rock Port R-II), and Reid Ellis (3rd grader at Rock Port R-II).
