MONROE - A few years ago, there were five. And last year, they numbered only three.
This year, the Winslow High School class of 1935 was down to two remaining graduates of the original 10 boys and 10 girls. So when it came time for this year's class "reunion" - something the Winslow graduates have done for 75 years - 94-year-old Lois Meighan of Monroe said she didn't think it was going to happen.
That's when her daughter-in-law stepped in.
"When (another graduate) passed away they said 'that's it, were' not going to do this anymore,'" said Regina Meighan, who married Lois' son, Dennis. "And then I said 'no, we really have to keep on doing this.'"
So recently Meighan drove her daughter-in-law down to Parkview retirement home in Freeport to visit fellow Winslow graduate Eva Bauch for one more annual reunion.
Through the decades the grads, though small in number, have remained big fans of their old school. They have seen major changes in their hometown of just under 350 residents, including the merger of the Winslow school with those in nearby Lena.
Some of their high school memorabilia was even lost in a Winslow fire, but their cherished memories of old friends and simpler times are still as vivid as ever. When they get together, they talk about departed loved ones and the weather, but never politics, the women said.
"They can tell you a little bit of everything about each graduate, what they eventually did, who their families were," Regina Meighan said. "They are very aware of what's happening around them and both are still sharp as a tack."
Indeed, Lois Meighan says the point of the reunions was to help keep memories of their youth alive. They also were following the advice of their former principal at Winslow, who told them it was important to always "be there for each and other."
Bauch, 93, said the decision in the 1950s to send Winslow students to Lena High School was a big blow for the small town and a catalyst for their annual reunions.
"Of course they (Lena school officials) invited us to go to their reunions but we didn't think it was right," she said. "So we decided to keep doing our own thing."
Bauch and Meighan were not only classmates in the 1930s, but friends as well. They tried out for plays together, attended sporting and church events, and hung out in a town they say was bustling back then - with a railroad coming through Winslow twice a day and a high school to keep townsfolk glued together. The women plan to get together again next year, and to continue doing so as long as they are able.
The secret to their longevity, Meighan says, are common life experiences, such as motherhood.
"We're both survivors because we both had seven children," Lois Meighan said. "That's what helps keep us young."
This year, the Winslow High School class of 1935 was down to two remaining graduates of the original 10 boys and 10 girls. So when it came time for this year's class "reunion" - something the Winslow graduates have done for 75 years - 94-year-old Lois Meighan of Monroe said she didn't think it was going to happen.
That's when her daughter-in-law stepped in.
"When (another graduate) passed away they said 'that's it, were' not going to do this anymore,'" said Regina Meighan, who married Lois' son, Dennis. "And then I said 'no, we really have to keep on doing this.'"
So recently Meighan drove her daughter-in-law down to Parkview retirement home in Freeport to visit fellow Winslow graduate Eva Bauch for one more annual reunion.
Through the decades the grads, though small in number, have remained big fans of their old school. They have seen major changes in their hometown of just under 350 residents, including the merger of the Winslow school with those in nearby Lena.
Some of their high school memorabilia was even lost in a Winslow fire, but their cherished memories of old friends and simpler times are still as vivid as ever. When they get together, they talk about departed loved ones and the weather, but never politics, the women said.
"They can tell you a little bit of everything about each graduate, what they eventually did, who their families were," Regina Meighan said. "They are very aware of what's happening around them and both are still sharp as a tack."
Indeed, Lois Meighan says the point of the reunions was to help keep memories of their youth alive. They also were following the advice of their former principal at Winslow, who told them it was important to always "be there for each and other."
Bauch, 93, said the decision in the 1950s to send Winslow students to Lena High School was a big blow for the small town and a catalyst for their annual reunions.
"Of course they (Lena school officials) invited us to go to their reunions but we didn't think it was right," she said. "So we decided to keep doing our own thing."
Bauch and Meighan were not only classmates in the 1930s, but friends as well. They tried out for plays together, attended sporting and church events, and hung out in a town they say was bustling back then - with a railroad coming through Winslow twice a day and a high school to keep townsfolk glued together. The women plan to get together again next year, and to continue doing so as long as they are able.
The secret to their longevity, Meighan says, are common life experiences, such as motherhood.
"We're both survivors because we both had seven children," Lois Meighan said. "That's what helps keep us young."