People can be very kind and thoughtful, going out of their way to share information they randomly find.
Thank you to Jodie, who saw this photo at a thrift store, found that Karen’s Chatt has a connection to Willshire, and forwarded a scan of the photo to me, a photo of the 1944 Willshire High School senior class.
Plus, the names of the class members are hand-written on the back of the photo. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Willshire High School Class of 1944
Back row: Paul Leistner, Ralph Hamrick, Rick Strickler, Bob Carr, Fredrick Schumm.
Middle row: Winifred Davis, Blaine High, Donie Eichar, Gene Bebout, Nancy Schaffner, Vera Dull (sponsor).
Seated: Helen Hileman, Dorothy Carr, Harriet Stetler, Alvera Cully, Margie McBride, Dorothy Miller.
The photographer was Fred B. Smith, School Photos, Blanchard Avenue, Findlay, Ohio.
Written vertically on the left side of the back, probably written by the photographer, is Miss Nancy Jane Schaffner, Senior 1943-1944.
Names written on the back of Willshire 1944 senior class photo.
This was likely Nancy Schaffner’s copy of her senior class photo. She was the last surviving member of the Willshire High School Class of 1944, a class of 16 members. Nancy passed away just a little over a month ago, on 18 October 2024. Somehow the photo made its way to the thrift store.
WWII was still going on in 1944 and many of these young men served in the U.S. armed forces after they graduated.
A little more about the members of the Willshire Class of 1944:
Paul S. Leistner (1926-1997), married Barbara Rose White
Ralph W. Hamrick (1926-2019), U.S. Army, WWII; married Kathryn L. Baxter; married Frances L. Dull
Richard LeDoyle Strickler (1926-2006), U.S. Navy, WWII; married Pauline Ila Smith
Robert E. Carr (1926-1992), U.S. Navy, WWII; married Dorothy L. Minx
Fredrick “Fritz” Louis Schumm (1926-1990), U.S. Army, WWII; married Rosemary Ilo Fisher
Winifred Irene Davis (1926-2005), U.S. Air Force; married William C. Stout
Collin Blaine High (1926-1967), U.S. Army, WWII; married Mary B. Bollinger
Donald F. Eichar (1926-2015), U.S. Navy; married Elizabeth L. Skiles
Eugene Harold Bebout (1926-1996), married Carol Carey [1]
Nancy Jane Schaffner (1926-2024), married Gail Tice; married Gerald E. Hildbold
Vera Pearl Dull (sponsor) (1896-1977)
Helen Jean Hileman (1926-2002), married Charles Phillip White
Dorothy L. Carr (1926-2004), married Robert Humbert
Harriet E. Stetler (1926-1969), married Max Noll; married David Martin
Alvera Cully (1926-2013), married Theodore David Eady
Margie R. McBride (1927-2016), married Charles M. Opliger
Dorothy J. Miller (1926-1993), married Charles M. Tussing; married Floyd Ray; married [?] Whitmore
I remember several of the individuals in this class and two of them, Helen Jean Hileman and Dorothy Carr, were members of Zion Lutheran, Chatt.
The photo is also a good example of high school fashion during the war years.
Such a nice photo! Thank you Jodie for sending it to me!
[1] There appears to be a flag staff by his tombstone photo on FindaGrave.com. However, I could find no details of his military service. Perhaps someone knows and will let me know.
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Lots of interesting information in that post!
Author
Thank you!
Karen,
what a great post. I was actually personally acquainted with many of the class members. During High School I worked for Paul Leistner milking his cows and helping with his farm work. Visited with neighbors Philip and Helen
White regularly maintaining my Whizzer Motor Bike, etc. Blaine High was my next-door neighbor, etc. etc.
Thanks for sharing.
Karen,
My dad is Fredrick “Fritz” Schumm and is in the back row, farthest right. He never had much to say, but when he did share thoughts, he always spoke highly of his classmates. It must have been a very special group. To add a little more information to your post, dad served in the Army in WWII – I believe in Italy. Thank you for sharing this picture. We are fortunate and grateful to have someone like you ‘preserving the past’! Thanks again!
Author
Thank you for the additional information, Mike. I have updated the post to reflect his service. Thanks for writing!