The Class of 1962 will celebrate their 50th Class Reunion with a Dinner/Dance on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at the "Glen Tavern Inn" at 134 North Mill, Santa Paula. Any questions please contact Maria Diaz Kilgore at 805/647-6274 or Mariadiazkilgore@aol.com. Details will be mailed to classmates at a later date. Does anyone know the whereabouts of the following classmates: MariaRosa Cozzoli, Wanda Dawson, Jose Estrada, Clifton Faulkner, Kipling Graves, Henrietta Hamilton, Jose Hernandez, Ruben Ornelas, Steven Penn, Art Sanchez, Howard Wands, and Don Woodward?

Hello F.H.S. Alumni! It's hard to believe that students are heading back to our Alma Mater already. Where did Summer go? The Alumni Association wishes to thank all our alumni who supported our organization this past School year. In June we presented Scholarships to 10 Graduating Seniors, and in July, we awarded 11 "Continuing Ed Grants" to past scholarship winners still in college. THANK YOU!
On Friday, September 16th, 2011 the Alumni Association, in conjunction with the High School "Sports Hall of Fame" committee will host the first annual Sports Hall of Fame Football Game. The game is against Morro Bay High, and will be played at the F.H.S.Football Stadium. In 1945 the Fillmore High Football team won the Ventura County Championship, and they will be honored at the game. (Picture Above). Also being honored at the game will be the 2011 Hall of Fame inductees. Bill Mayhew, class of 1918; J.C. Taylor, '45; Buck Basolo, '46; George Garnica, '50; Phil Rice, '52; Dick Frederiksen '54; Eugene Reyes, '59; Joe Cook, '61; Tom Hayes, '64; Booty Sanchez, '72; Tim Grove, '72; Jeff Fauver, '79; David Miller, '80, Roy Alsup, '81, Brad Edmonds, '89; Danielle Stines, '95; April Kozar, '97. The Sports Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Saturday, Sept 17th at the High School starting at 7:00pm. Please call High School for more info. 524-6100. Please come to the game and support your Alma Mater. Don't forget to check out our new Alumni Web-Store. www.fhsalumni.gigabitprint.com You'll be able to find all kinds of F.H.S. Alumni souvenirs for that special Fillmore Flash. T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, totes, cups, mugs, Bath mats, etc, all with different Fillmore High Alumni logos. GO FLASHES!!

Conway Spitler

Every ten years, as summertime nears, an announcement arrives in the mail. A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand. Make plans to attend without fail.

I'll never forget the first time we met. We tried so hard to impress. We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars, and wore our most elegant dress.

It was quite an affair; the whole class was there. It was held at a fancy hotel. We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined, and everyone thought it was swell.

The man all conversed about who had been first to achieve great future and fame. Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine house and how beautiful their children became.

The homecoming queen, who once had been lean, now weighed in at one-ninety-six.

The jocks who were there had all lost their hair, and the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.

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With the largest crowd in ten years, nearly 300 alumni members met at the Memorial Building in Fillmore to celebrate the 98th year of the Fillmore High Alumni Association. Mark Ortega, class of '70 and the Vice President, opened the evening with information regarding the evening program and some history of the alumni association. Boy Scout troop 406 presented the colors, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Roy Henderson, class of '47 then gave the invocation which was followed by the delicious dinner prepared by Rigo Landeros and Greg Laird of Laird's Catering.

The evening's program began with the recognition of the Honored Classes, which were the ones that graduated in the years ending in 1 or 6. Kenny Rogers of the class of '46 was able to get 12 of his classmates to attend their 65th reunion and Beverly Hooper Bishop, class of '51 had a fine turnout for her class's 60th reunion. The class of 1961 showed up in force with over 40 members present after a Friday evening reunion at the Merriott in Oxnard, which was coordinated by Betty Reed Carpenter.

Preceding the presentations of this year's alumni scholarships to graduating seniors, Stephanie Gomez, class of 2002, and a former recipient of an alumni scholarship and several alumni continuation grants, spoke on how the alumni scholarships had aided her in achieving her education. John Lemley began the scholarship presentations by introducing the two recipients of his scholarship--two $2500 scholarships for two years plus a one-time offer of $500 towards a laptop computer. The recipients were Troy Spencer and Claire Faith. The other eight recipients of the alumni scholarships were: Brianne Cesario the Dulcie Arnold Memorial Scholarship, Riley Wright the Carl and Helen Siechert Memorial Scholarship, Sean Chandler the American Legion Scholarship, Chrisitan Conaway the Masonic Temple Scholarship, Chloe Keller the Wm. Brisby Memorial Science Scholarship, Isis Topete the Piru Youth Organization Scholarship, Ana Pantoja the Conway Spitler Business Scholarship and Grace Simon the Fillmore Breakfast Club Scholarship. Each of these scholarships is in the amount of $1000.

Door prizes were awarded to Em Wendel, Isis Topete, Elaine Ipswitch and Carol Shiells who received gift baskets of tomatores from Beylik Family Farms. Gift boxes of avocados from Mission Produce were awarded to Ray Hoover, Jillian Wilber, Jerry Crockett and Mike Hope. Tote bags that were made by Gertrude Lovelace were presented to Gay Newman and Jane McCreary. John Wilber, Principal at Fillmore High won a hand knitted scarf in blue with a white flash which was made by Carmen Zermeno. Very appropriate. The Fillmore and Western Railroad presented Mystery Train tickets to Janine Rees and four subscriptions to the alumni newsletter, "Flashbacks" were won by Terry Rudkin, Jack Edmonds, Harvey Hopkins and Kenny Myers.

This year three prizes were presented, thanks to the generosity of Elkins Ranch Golf Course and Cheryl Dimmitt and Mike Richardson of Quality Ag. Kenny Rogers and Kenny Myers each won a round of golf for four golfers at Elkins Ranch and Judy Bartels won a cord of wood from Mike Richardson. Our thanks go out to all who donated these wonderful prizes.

The names of the officers of the Fillmore High Alumni Association for the 2011-2012 year were put into nomination by John Lemley, who was class president of the class of 1961. The new officers are Mark Ortega, President; Corinna Mozley, Vice President; Glenda DeJarnette, Secretary; Marla DeZavala, Financial Director; Kathleen McCreary, Flashbacks Editor; Maria Kilgore, Historian; and Directors, Michelle Haase, Tricia Gradias, Barry Thompson, Mark Avila and Rick Cadena. Dick Mosbarger will assume the office of Past President. He was presented a lovely retiring Presidents plaque by the members of the Board of Directors.

The evening's program was closed with the singing of the alma mater by all in attendance, but many alumni members and guests stayed around for several hours to visit, which the alumni board hopes will become a tradition. Plans are already being made for the 99th alumni dinner next year and even for the 100th dinner in two years. That should be a big one.

Fillmore High Alumni Association

Hello to all you Fillmore High Alumni. Come join in all the fun at our Annual Alumni Dinner at the Veterans Memorial Building. Social hour starts at 4:00, and dinner starts at 6:00pm. Gary Laird (Class of 76') from Lairds Meat Shop in Santa Paula will do the honors and prepare our meal of Tri-Tip, Chicken, Sausages, and all the trimmings. Dessert will be included. Heres the run down. If you subscribe to the Alumni Newsletter (Flashbacks) the cost is $30.00. If you do not subscribe to the newsletter, the cost is $35.00. If you decide to pay at the door, the cost is $40.00. Our address is P.O. Box 385, Fillmore, CA. 93016-0385. As the date gets closer to June 4th, you may want to walk in your payment to the Alumni Office located at 540 Sespe Ave., #6. (Alumni Office is opened Mon, Wed, and Fri from 9:00am to 12:00 noon). We hope to see you on June 4th. Come meet our 2011 Scholarship Recipients. "All Hail to our Alma Mater" 805-524-0416.

Fillmore High Alumni Association

Seventeen applicants from the original 41 applicants for Fillmore High Alumni Scholarships were interviewed by the Scholarship Committee, and after individual interviews, the following seniors were selected to receive scholarships for this year:

Receiving the John and Nit Lemley Scholarship of $2500 for two years plus $500 towards a laptop computer are Troy Spencer, son of John and Stephanie Spencer and Claire Faith, daughter of Bill Faith and Janine Rees.

Receiving the $1000.00 alumni scholarships are: Brianne Cesario, daughter of Rodney and Jennifer Chavez, Sean Chandler, son of Brett and Coleen Chandler, Corey Cole, son of Craig and Lynn Cole, Christian Conaway, son of Steve and Camilla Conaway, Chloe Keller, daughter of Roger and Nannette Keller, Ana Pantoja, daughter of Dagoberto and Maria Pantoja, Isis Topete, daughter of Ramona and Jose Topete and Riley Wright, daughter of David and Sherri Wright.

These seniors will be honored at the Awards Assembly on Wednesday, May 25 and again at the alumni dinner on Saturday, June 4. Congratulations to all of these recipients.

Just one month until the Alumni dinner on Saturday, June 4 at the Memorial Building in Fillmore. It is not too earlier to get your reservations in and to let your class representative know if you are planning on attending. Kenny Rogers has sent out notices to members of the class of 1946 that he wants everyone to come to the alumni dinner for a class reunion. Other classes holding their class reunions at the alumni dinner are the class of 1951 under the guidance of Beverly Hooper Bishop, the class of 1961 with Betty Reed Carpenter making the arrangements, with a Friday night gathering at the Marriott in Oxnard, followed by attendance at the alumni dinner on Saturday. Kathy Penrod McCreary has planned her class reunion for the alumni dinner also. The class of 1956 is having their 55th class reunion on Saturday, June 11 at the home of Shirley Somers Williams. The class of 1971 will hold their 40th reunion on Saturday, August 12 at Elkins Ranch Golf Course. Rochelle Baucom-Burningham is making plans for the 30th class reunion for the class of 1981, Elisa Quezada Magana is beginning to plan for this class's 20th reunion and Erika Sandoval and Michelle Cerbantez, class ofd 2001 are working towards having a class reunion this year. The alumni dinner evening will begin at 4:00 p.m. with a social hour and dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. sharp. There will be ample time for visiting before dinner and the Memorial Building will be available to us until 11:00 p.m. for more visiting. Please come and make your class reunion a special one.

Fillmore High Alumni Association

The February issue of the alumni newsletter, "Flashbacks" is in the mail and you who subscribe to it, or are Life Members, should receive your copy early next week. If you do not receive one, please contact the alumni office at 805-524-0416 or at staff@fillmorehighalumni.com.

The February Alumni Board meeting was held Monday, February 21 at the home of Marla DeZavala, with all members but two in attendance. The financial report showed that the three accounts of the alumni association--the General Fund, the Scholarship Foundation and the Life Endowment are in good shape, but additional funds are always needed.

The class pictures that are displayed during the alumni dinner in June are being reframed as the old frames are twenty years old and are not in good condition to be transported and hung many more times. It was determined that the alumni would not sponsor a golf tournament this year prior to the alumni dinner because Elkins Ranch Golf Course was not available. Barry Thompson is in charge of this event and will schedule it for the 2012 banquet weekend.

It was decided to CONTINUED »

Fillmore High Alumni Association

I’m turning 100 years old on March 23, 2011 and I’d like to share some childhood memories of my times in the Fillmore schools. Because of a series of childhood illnesses, I was eight when I entered the old grammar school on Mountain View St. My first teacher was Miss Arthur. The principal, Mr. Horton, often visited our classroom during the day. The reason: He was courting Miss Arthur!

When I first started school at the age of eight, I began in low first grade, but was soon promoted to high first. I was then promoted to high second, then low third. Before the school years was out, I was promoted to high third where I caught up with others of my own age.

In fourth grade, our classroom was a converted hallway. We were outgrowing the school. When I was in sixth grade, we moved to the new school. Then at midterm our class entered junior high. Now our classes were in the basement of the old high school. We had crowding problems even then.

I entered high school midterm and could complete high school in either 3 ½ or 4 ½ years. There was no midterm graduation, so, I, along with others in my class, chose 3 ½ years. The first semester we doubled up on English and Algebra, dong a year’s work in one semester. Then we were assimilated into the regular class schedule.
During my high school years, Fillmore High School had a good football team and an outstanding basketball team which won the Southern California Conference. The same boys played both football and basketball.

Since I lived on the Montebello Oil Lease, I rode the bus to school. There were our bus routes: Bardsdale, Montebello, Piru and Sespe, but only two buses. The buses would go to Montebello and Sespe early. We arrived at school an hour early so we went to study hall of sometimes played tennis. After school we were the first bus to leave and were quickly returned to our homes. The Piru and Bardsdale students got to school just before the bell ran, but they had to hang around after school. A lot of time was spent on the lawn waiting for the bus, as no one was allowed to leave the school grounds to go to town.

Often on hot days, since there was no air conditioning, our teacher would hold classes outside on the lawn.
In the spring of 1928, before graduation, the seniors had a ditch day. We went to the pier at Santa Monica where I won a Mickey Mouse statue which I still have. This was one of the first Mickey Mouse statues in existence. It is made of wood and is about 4 inches tall.

Before graduation, there was a Junior-Senior banquet and a church service. The graduation was held in the high school auditorium with all the girls wearing white dresses. The class of 1928 was the largest class to date. There were 47 of us. We were a combination of students who graduated at 3 1/2, 4 and 4 ½ years of high school.

Often in the Flashbacks, a daisy arch is mentioned. Instead of the daisy arch, we had a flower march. Each senior had a flower girl, and at the conclusion of the ceremonies, the flower girls, arms loaded with flowers, would march to the stage and give the graduates the flowers. Friends and family saved flowers for their special graduate. When the March was finished, the stage was a mass of flowers with only the grads’ heads protruding. It was a wonderful and memorable sight!

Thank you Fillmore High for having a great Alumni Association.

Fillmore High Alumni Association

ATTENTION ALL FILLMORE HIGH ALUMNI MEMBERS!! A number of alumni members have received the following e-mail and the Fillmore High Alumni office wants everyone to know that it did not come from here. We do not do business this way, and the e-mail address that is given is not ours. It evidently is a way for someone to attempt to get money from people, so please do not respond to this message:

"FILLMORE ALUMNI: Our Fillmore Alumni site is not financially supported by the school. We are having our 2011 Membership Push to help cover costs. We're encouraging all members to upgrade to full access Lifetime Membership for a one-time fee of only $25 (normally $50) or become an annual supporter for $20 per year. Use the below link to upgrade today."

This is a good idea, and if we had everyone's e-mall address, we might try to contact alumni members this way, but we prefer to contact members about subscribing to the alumni newsletter, "Flashbacks"or becoming Life Members by way of the alumni website, the newsletter or by individual mailings. Also, our Life Memberships are not $25, but our annual subscription to the newsletter is $20. If anyone receives one of these bogus e-mails, please contact the alumni office at 805-524-0416 or staff@fillmorehighalumni.com. We hope no one has been scammed by this.

The F.H.S. Alumni Association will be selling Alumni Coffee Mugs, and the 9 mile dvd in front of Von's on Friday, and Saturday, December 17th and 18th. There are a few commemorative programs from the 100th game that will be for sale to. Please come to Von's on the 17th, and 18th, and support your Alumni Association. These items will make the perfect Christmas for that special Alumni. If you wish to purchase these items before December 17th, and 18th, Please call the Alumni Office at 805-524-0416. Go Flashes!