Fitzgerald homecoming brings alumni back together

WARREN — Wayne Petree has good memories of his days attending Fitzgerald High School.

“It was great here. The atmosphere was great,” he said. “The teachers back then were strict. Once you started knowing them, they were great. They kept us in line. Everyone got along. There was no fighting or anything like that.”

He remembers the pep rallies in the gymnasium, attending football games and the homecoming parades. Petree, who graduated in 1971, recalls the excitement during student council elections.

“We had banners all over the school and lockers,” he said.  “We had the election in the gym. It was so loud, teachers were coming out of their rooms.”

Petree and his wife Theresa, a 1974 graduate, were among approximately 62 Fitzgerald High School graduates — some wearing Fitzgerald T-shirts — that attended the school’s Alumni/Homecoming/Family Fun Day Event Sept. 19.

Alumni conversed with each other over hot dogs and hamburgers, looked back on their school days, and anyone who wanted to could take a building tour with district Director of Operations Bill Rudd. Some graduates still reside in Warren while others moved to different communities.

The dinner brought out Bob Klos (Class of ’69) and his wife Debi Klos (Class of ’73), who reminisced about their high school years with David Spurrier (Class of ’72) and Cheryl Spurrier (Class of ’73.)

“It’s cool to come here and see all the changes,” said Debi, whose maiden name was Brzozowski.

“I had fun coming here,” Bob said. “Looking back, it was fun.”

The auditorium had just been built when Bob graduated. He still remembers his history teacher George Montgomery.

“He was the best teacher in the whole world,” Bob said. “The best part of school was getting together after school.”

David always carries Cheryl’s school ID card from the 1970-1971 school year in his wallet. Young was her maiden name.

“She’s beautiful,” David thought when he first saw her. “She was a stunner.”

The pair met in algebra class.

“He was very quiet. He wouldn’t talk,” Cheryl said. “Before you knew it, we were getting into trouble for talking.”

“She’d come and watch me play basketball and run track,” David said. 

The Spurriers began dating Feb. 13, 1970. They married July 13, 1974, at St. Cletus Church in Warren, which is now called Our Lady of Grace Parish.

John S. Clark, 90, who graduated in the school’s second graduating class in 1952, also made it out to last month’s dinner.

“I started in the two-room schoolhouse. It was nice,” he said. “The high school was brand-new. I liked to come here.”

At one time in the district’s history, Clark’s teacher was Zena Neigebaur, who eventually became superintendent. The Neigebaur Administration Building is named after her.

Cindy Russo, Class of 1965, walked around the cafeteria visiting with people at each table. After she graduated, she came back to Fitzgerald High School as a teacher for many years.

“The kids were very respectful,” she remembered.

Fitzgerald High School won the homecoming game against Lake Shore High School 40-0. Prior to the game, school officials held a family fun tailgate with bounce houses, an obstacle course, train rides, a magic show and more.