50-Year-Reunion

Fast forward to May of 2025, when you started sending your emails in for the Reunion Yearbook that you hold in your hands. It was interesting to see how many of you were feeling as I was – how can it possibly be 50 years? Bluefield wasn ’ t perfect then, but we had some passionate educators and mentors in our schools, churches, and athletic teams. And now, we are probably older than those respected individuals were back then. How has this happened? I remember writing a book report for Joy Sarver in the eleventh grade. The book, The Way We Were , an easy read, since the movie was out, was my choice that six weeks. I ’ m sure you can hear Barbara Streisand ’ s voice as you read these lines, “ Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind . . . Can it be that it was all so simple then . . . So, it ’ s the laughter we will remember, whenever we remember . . . .” As I have worked on this project and read your bios, I have been very, very impressed. We have some accomplished individuals among us. Why are we not surprised? Thank you for taking the time to reflect and write about the past half - century. As several have noted, we have indeed done our families a kindness by providing them the info they will need when it is time for them to write our obituaries. It was the theme for our senior yearbook in 1975, and thankfully, it ’ s still the beloved mantra of Bluefield High School today, “ We believe! ” On behalf of the Reunion Committee, thank you for sharing parts of your story with us -- and may we always believe.

Wayne Pelts 50 - Year Reunion Chairman

BHS Class of 1975 50 - Year Reunion Committee -- Billie Arnold Johnson, Brock Smith, Carolyn Aust Vance, Carleena Sword Blankenship, Cindy Freeman McGraw, David Orander, Derrick Felts, Diane Frazier Sudduth, Don Poe, Jennifer Scales Windle, Melinda Surway Angles, Pamela Gaither Burton, Patricia Hale Taylor, Retha Smith, Wayne Pelts

3