This website is for the collection of pictures and other memorabilia of the Class of 1961 of Central High School, Independence, Oregon.
Created March, 2023 following closure of the former sharesite on Shutterfly.com.
Primary Classes – Monmouth, Independence and other Schools that sent students to Central High School.
Kindergarten Class, Monmouth, Oregon, Teacher Miss Kane, 1948-1949
Front Row: ?,?,?, Barbara Krauger, ?, Kelly Cutsforth, Kay Winegar, ?,?.
Back row: Larry Harding, ?, Teacher Miss Kane, ?,?, Janet Guenther, Martha Krieg, ?,?,?.
Photo courtesy of Janet Guenther Stone.
3rd-4th Grade Class, Monmouth Elementary School, Teacher Mrs. Taylor, 1951-1952
Front Row: Sharon Sauer, ?, Shirley Fleming, ?, ?, Jim Tow, Cameron Brown, Patty Lane, Jackie Kelly.
Second Row: Junia McKnight, Beverly Benscotter, Tom Harding, ?,?,?,?,?, Leona Stoltz.
Last Row: Teacher Mrs. Taylor, Janet Guenther, LynDene Yung, ?, David Schjoll, Student Teacher, Norman Lofting, ?, Laura Lyn Rogers, ?, Student Teacher.
Photo courtesy of Janet Guenther Stone.
4th Grade Class, Independence Elementary School, Teacher Mrs. Mary Helen Gwinn, 1952-1953
Front Row: ?,?, Nonie Massey, Dennis Gibbons, Leon King, Bill May, ?, Don Chitwood.
Second Row: Sharon Boyle, Barbara Todd, ?, Joyce Dryden, ?, ?, David Schjoll, Leroy Russell.
Third Row: Dixie Kuhns, ?, ?, Joyce Fletcher, Janet Mole, Jan Stapleton, Ann Powell, ?, ?.
Fourth Row: Teacher Mrs. Mary Helen Qwinn, Student Teacher, Student Teacher.
6th Grade Class, Teacher Mrs. Mary Donaldson, Henry Hill Jr. High School, Independence, Oregon 1954-1955
Front Row: Paul Lierman, Dick Wiese, Don Chitwood,
Don Burger?, Bill May, Leon king.
Second Row: Noni Massey, Johnny Brents, Earl Dickman, Carol Cokely, ?, Dennis Gibbons, ?.
Third Row: ?, Barbara Todd, Sally Brown, Dixie Kuhns, Wanda Bishop, Sharon Boyle, David Schjoll, ?, Teacher Mr. Donaldson.
Last Row: Jan Stapleton, Martha Krieg, ?, Cokie Burns, Barbara Krauger, Joyce Dryden, ?.
Mr. Don McKenzie’s 7th Grade Class, Henry Hill Jr. High School, Independence, Oregon 1955-1956
Front Row: Dick Wiese, Harold Roberts, Gerry Thompson, Paul Lierman, Johnny Brents, Earl Dickman, David Schjoll, Don Chitwood, Leon King.
Back /row: Joyce Fletcher, Jan Stapleton,?, Sharon Boyle, Cokie Burns, Dixie Kuhns, Wanda Bishop, Martha Kreig, Noni Massey, Barbara Krauger, Barbara Todd, ?.?,?, Teacher Don McKenzie.
Photo by Dennis
Second photo by Johnny Brents using Dennis’ camera
Additional pictures of Teacher Don McKenzie and pictures of his 7th Grade Classroom at Henry Hill Jr High
7th Grade, Teacher Eugene Brown, Henry Hill Jr. High School, Independence, Oregon 1954-1955
Photo courtesy of Cameron Brown
8th Grade Class, Teacher Ty Brown, Henry Hill Jr. High School, Independence, Oregon 1956-1957
Front Row: Earl Dickman, Harold Roberts, Dick Wiese, ?, Carol Cokely, Leon King, David Schjoll, Dennis Gibbons, Johnny Brents, Nonie Massey.
Second Row: Joyce Dryden, Wanda Bishop, Marilyn Lutz, Sally Brown, Lynn Lyon, Don Chitwood, Paul Lierman, Jim Inman.
Third Row: Martha Krieg, Sharon Boyle, Jan Stapleton, Barbara Todd, Dixie Kuhns, Barbara Krauger, Chris Jensen, Ginger Facemyers, Gerry Thompson, Cokie Burns, Teacher Ty Brown
Autographs – Ty Browns 8th Grade Class
Individual pictures, Some of Ty Brown’s 8th Grade Class
Note: Tyrus (Ty) Brown died December 27, 2011. He is buried in the Salt Creek Cemetery – west of Dallas
8th Grade Class, Teacher Mark Williams, Henry Hill Jr. High School, Independence, Oregon, 1956-1957
Front Row: Rae Dickinson, Sue Allen, Bob Burger, Audrey Youtzy, Jon Nelson, Terry Carpenter,?,?, Wayne Cobine, Susan Warden, Coral Cokely.
Second Row: Henretta Wilkinson, Doris Levacy ,?, Jimmy Vanderfeen, Jim Clinton, Joyce Fletcher, David Tonkin, Glenda Hopkins.
Back Row: ?,?, Dick Wildfang, Jim Warren, Larry Lierman, ?, Gary Weigel, ?,?, Teacher Mark Williams.
Henry Hill Jr High Cheerleaders
Rae Dickinson, Sharon Boyle, Glenda Hopkins, Jan Stapleton
Photo courtesy of Glenda Hopkins Olson
Eighth Grade Promotion for Henry Hill and Monmouth Elementary
HIGH SCHOOL YEARS
Year Book Covers
Senior Class Play
Junior – Senior Banquets
Senior Class Night
Graduation Events
Graduation events
Senior Class Picture
High School Memorabilia
Reunions
20 Year Reunion – August 1, 1981
20 Year Reunion – August 1, 1981
Front Row: Don Chitwood, Margaret Brody, Nonie Massey, Glenda Hopkins, Trudy Burns, Kay Winegar, Carol Fitzgerald.
Second Row: Marion Farm, Billie Hall, Janet Guenther, Dick Wildfang, Diana Rule, Garold Leppin.
Third Row: Tom Mueller, Sylvia Postl, Dixie Kuhns, Leona Stoltz, Dwight Cummins, Wayne Cobine, John Haggerty.
Fourth Row: Leon King, Chris Jensen, Jim Vanderfeen, Eddie Stogsdill, Mark Willliams, Dick Wiese.
Classmates attending 50 Year Celebration of Central High School
Classmates attending the 50 Year Celebration of Central High School, August 2000.
Front Row: ?, ?, Kay Winegar, ?, ?, ?, ?.
Second Row: Don Chitwood, ?, Diana Rule, Trudy Burns, Carol Fitzgerald, Dennis Palmer.
Third Row: Larry Harding, Dwight Cummins, Dick Wiese, Clyde Freeborn, Jim Vanderfeen, Paul Lierman, Marion Farm.
50th Reunion, August 26-27, 2011. Photos by Dick and Dianna
Future Reunion Planning – August 2013 at Don Chitwood’s house
Front Row: Dianna Rule, Jan Stapleton, Jim Vanderfeen’s wife, Rae Dickinson, Janet Guenther.
Back Row: Dick Wiese, Carol Fitzgerald, Trudy Burns, Jim Vanderfeen, Dright Cummins, Don Chitwood’s wife, Don Chitwood.
Reunion with Class of 1960 – August 2015
55th year Reunion, Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City 2016
photos courtesy of Janet Stone
Various Memorabilia
Poem by Tom Mueller
Courtesy of Janet Stone
Janet visits Trudy Burns in Nashville, July 2012.
Photo courtesy of Janet Stone
The following photos courtesy of Glenda Hopkins Olson
Some editions of the Panther Press during our senior year. Courtesy of Glenda Hopkins Olson.
Teachers/Coaches no longer
with us
Classmates no longer with us
Some classmate obituaries
Lester (Les) David Baker (Added 01/28/24)
Jan. 23, 1943 – Jan. 11, 2024
Lester (Les) David Baker passed away at his home on the farm on Jan. 11, 2024, after 7 years with vascular dementia.
Les was born on Jan. 23, 1943, in Erickson, Manitoba, Canada, to his parents, Sidney J. and Delores Baker. In 1958, along with his dad, Les became a United States Citizen. The family settled in Independence.
Les married Janet (Jan) Mae Olsson 61 years ago. Les and Jan lived on a beef cattle and hay farm where they lovingly raised their three children Shawn, Shelli and Eric (Janeen). He had six grandchildren – Evyn Baker, Henry Baker, Kasey Eames, Kelsey Huber, Ryan Eames and Bryar Eames, and one beloved great-grandson, Jerek.
Les worked at the Holt Foundry from 1963-64. One of the most known items he made were all the steel washers (engraved “HOLT INDEP ORE“) for the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
In 1964, Les received his certification in autobody repair. He worked at various shops in Woodburn, Salem, Dallas, Independence and Monmouth. From 1970 to 1975, Les owned Monmouth Autobody and Painting on Warren Street. He did a lot of painting on Monmouth’s fire trucks and medic units. He was a volunteer firefighter for the Monmouth Fire Department and earned a “Fireman of the Year” award in 1974.
After buying the farm, he sold the Monmouth business and went to work for Roberson Motors in 1976 where they were located first between the two bridges in Salem, and then at their new location off Mission Street in 1988. He retired as the body shop foreman in 1994 after 18 years.
Les loved living on the farm and enjoyed “playing” with all of the farm equipment. Anyone that knows Les knew of his deep love of all animals from cattle to cats, dogs and a large population of turkeys! Some may even have had encounters with his “guard” banty rooster.
Les taught a very popular night class for Chemeketa Community College in basic autobody repair. He taught students how to restore and repair their own vehicles. If students were ready for paint work, Les would invite them to his shop at the farm for additional lessons. He taught one or two classes per term for 30 years. He enjoyed being a teacher of his craft and was a mentor to many.
After retiring from Roberson’s, he stayed busy with his farming life and continued to repair and paint vehicles at his shop on Bakers Acres. He even managed to complete full restorations on more than 12 classic cars that were his true love. A fine example of this would be his second-owner 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown Coup 2-door hardtop that he purchased from the original owner, who had bought it from Roberson’s. She sold it to Les for $1 since he took care it for her the entire time she had it. Because of his desire to always help people and his love for cars, he touched so many people in his 81 years. You can say that he never met a stranger.
Les’s family would like to thank Dr. Gina Remington for her care of Les through the years and the great hospice care of Willamette Vital Health.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Willamette Vital Health 1015 3rd St. NW, Salem.
There will be no funeral service. A celebration of life for all family and friends is being planned for March. Date to be determined.
CENTRAL HIGH class of 1961 