‘We were all so close’: Fox River Grove grade school classmates reunite after 50 years

More than 20 people from the Class of 1974 gathered outside of Fox River Grove Middle School on Saturday for a tour of the school they graduated from 50 years ago.

Chatter of old memories from middle school crushes to teacher gossip filled the air.

Of the 72 students in the graduating eight grade class, back when it was called Orchard Street School, about 25 gathered for the reunion. Many still live nearby, while others came from Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Ohio.

Reunited friends walked the halls and remembered their lockers and science classrooms. Many reminisced about their lunches in the basement, which is now storage. One person remembered the math classroom where they would push the clock an hour ahead to get out early. Another room was remembered as the place where teachers took smoke breaks. The stuffy basement room still had a slight linger of stale cigarette smoke.

Fox River Grove Middle School head custodian Glenda (Weber) Marshall led the tour. She graduated from the school in 1970. This is the only class she knows of that reached out for a reunion tour.

Classmate Ellen Berggren spearheaded the reunion after attending her 45th high school reunion.

“I’m now retired and I wanted to reconnect with friends,” she said. “I just wanted to get people together again.”

Finding all her classmates was not easy. Not being able to find old records, Berggren and a couple of friends brainstormed names of everyone they could remember. They reached out through mail, social media and Facebook to connect with everybody.

Berggren, who now lives in Idaho, describes the school as a “charmed existence” that provided a “fabulous education.” The class felt unique with so many parents working in the school, from librarians to making home-cooked meals in the lunchroom.

Classmate Linda Cory brought original class photos and newspaper clippings she has kept over the years. She said she was touched and surprised when she received a letter in the mail about the reunion.

“We were all so close and it was such a warm, welcoming environment,” Cory said. “It felt like a home.”

Classmate Neelie Skoulund-Kruse hoped to find a time capsule they buried on the property, but large plant pots where it might have been were in the way. Classmates remembered putting their class photo and newspaper clippings in the capsule.

Classmate Elena Snarskis said growing up in their small town made for a tight-knit community. Each grade had two classes, so many grew up around the same 30 people from kindergarten to eighth grade.

“We’ve all been in each others’ houses,” she said. “And the teachers gave us such a good start.”