Submitted Photo Standing top row: Susanna Strong Lawson, Sue Anderson Tolman, Cheryl Runge Person, Robert Taylor, Robert Crowell, John Gilbert, Arthur “Doc” Horton, Charles Johnson, Howard Roberts III, and Duane “Hap” Terrill. Seated front row: Linda Lampman Vanderwark, Carolyn Haskell Hendrickson, Viola Schroeder Dorman, Eleanor Donaldson Nopper, Kathleen Korwin Wilcox, Susan Washington Sipos, Anna May Storer Tanner, and Peggy Skinner Hassinger.

CASSADAGA — The Cassadaga Valley Central School class of 1962 recently held its 55th class reunion in the Cassadaga American Legion Hall Post 1280.

The committee of Vi Schroeder Dorman, Susanna Strong Lawson, Connie Cady Josephson and Susan Washington Sipos met in the winter to begin planning for the reunion. Dorman said she wanted to invite all the class members and even extend the invitation to other classes. The thought was successful as there were members of the classes of 1960 through 1967 attending.

The event was catered by the Cassadaga Shur-Fine. Village of Cassadaga historian John Sipos served as the master of ceremony. The evening included a time for fellowship, dinner, remembering other classmates, announcements and thank yous, a fun auction conducted by Barry Tolman, a time for classmates to tell a brief history, and concluded with music by John Gilbert and Peggy Skinner Hassinger.

Cassadaga Valley Central School is a large district which when merged combined 31 rural schools. In the 1930s centralization of schools was necessary to offer a wider curriculum to the students. Groundbreaking for the Cassadaga Valley School, located on Route 60 in Sinclairville, took place in January 1939. The first commencement in the new building was on June 25, 1940. When centralized, the school district was known as “Central District No. 1 Towns of Charlotte, Gerry, Stockton, Arkwright, Cherry Creek, Ellery, Ellicott, Ellington, Pomfret, Chautauqua County, N.Y” It was not until July 1, 1973 that the official name became “Cassadaga Valley Central School District.”

The class of 1962 will be holding the next reunion in two years, and always welcomes members of other classes.