Nancy (Williams) Brinkman 
August 3, 2004

Three members of Gilbert Class of '73 held a brief "reunion" just before the Gilbert quasquicentennial parade on Saturday, July 31, 2004. We met for a quick visit and photo in the Consignment Gallery on Main Street, where I was shopping with my daughters, searching for "bargains" for my oldest daughter's new apartment.  Susan (Lee) Moklestad  and Connie (Barrie) Terrones talked to my mom, Pauline Williams, while waiting for the parade, and she told them we were in the shop. It was great to run into each other during the big celebration. Connie had her young grandson, with her, their son BJ's sweet little boy. My goodness...are we old enough for that???  
 
Susan had her digital camera, so we could document the "reunion".  The photo has made the rounds through email, but it probably won't appear in any publication, unless the other gals choose to pass it along.  I've kept in touch with both Susan and Connie thru the years, but last year's class reunion rekindled the friendships and encouraged more communication through emails.  Connie's husband Bob, class of '72, gave our family a standing invitation last year to stop by for his real, homemade tortillas, since our sons are from Guatemala.  We have yet to take him up on it, but will do so one day. 
 
I didn't get in on many of the festivities, but my mom was involved with the display of Woman's Club history in the high school library, still making posters and volunteering after all these years.  My parents were involved in many activities and projects at Gilbert while my brother Dave ('67), sister Jeannine (71), and I attended school there. 
 
My children and I enjoyed Chris Cakes Saturday morning. We went for two reasons, the wonderful pancakes and curiosity as to who would be flipping the cakes that day.  Chris Cakes in owned by Greg and Donna White of Pocahontas. They live one mile south of our Rolfe, Iowa farm.  Donna cuts my hair. 
 
Another connection between Gilbert and the Pocahontas/Rolfe area is that Helen Gunderson grew up about one mile from my husband's family farm, where we now live and work.  We often see her in our area, visiting her parents and documenting Rolfe's events and history.
 
There are three Gilbert grads in the Pocahontas/Rolfe area, in our northwest corner of the state   Geri Glenn Sommerlot (class of '82) and Jolene Lahm Duitscher (class of ' 90) both live in the area.  Geri's husband Roger Sommerlot has been our Pocahontas Area High School football coach for about 14 years.  Geri and Roger met while he was student coaching at Gilbert in '79 under Phil Ross. They couldn't date until they met up again at UNI after Geri graduated from high school.  Jolene and her husband Dave run a large dairy near Rolfe, which helps provide employment to many in our small town. Our three families attend the same E Free church in Albert City. 
 
Between we three Gilbert grads, we have 17 children, including our seventh, a ten year old daughter waiting in Guatemala for adoption paperwork to be completed soon.  Sommerlots have seven and Duitschers have three, with their fourth on the way.  Of course, our ages vary considerably...Geri was in 3rd grade when I graduated, and Jolene was in 4th grade when Geri graduated!  I'm quite sure Jolene wasn't even born when I graduated.  That makes me....hmmm...a lot older than Jolene.  If a>b and b>c, then a>c.  I think I learned that equation in Algebra I and Algebra II, which Connie Barrie mercifully pulled me through.
 
Congratulations for the great job planning and pulling off the various activities throughout the weekend.  It involved lots of people volunteering their time and talents to make it such a success.  It was amazing to see all the changes in Gilbert since 1973, back when there wasn't much going on on Main Street.  Back then, we were offended when people called Gilbert a "suburb" of Ames.  Now it's clear that the reason Gilbert has continued to stay on the map throughout the years is partly due to their close proximity to a larger city and the desire for "city dwellers" to enjoy small town life.  May you all continue to have the best of both worlds!