It’s been 40 years and we’re still here

It’s been 40 years and we’re still here

Stranahan High Class of 73 — Seated l-r- Gladys Leeks, Martha Hambersham, Mitchlene Skinner and Pamela Williams, second row, l-r: Micheal Truck Peavy, Loretta  Marshall, Lorenzo Marshall, Sharon O’Connor and Ellen Blade and third row,  l-r: Bonita Porter, Marilyn Robinson, Willie Cooper, Vaneth Brown, Nettie Williams and Carl Roberson.

Piper High Class of 73 — L to r: Annette Jones-Bunion, Sharon Crum, Alex “Nub” Bonner, Barbara Davis and Betty Benefield-Jackson.

Nova High Class of 73 — L tor:  Gwen Yearby-Evans , Loriece Glover and Debbie Flakes.

Plantation High Class of 73 — L to r: Martha Freeman, Jerry Williams and Beverly Ferguson.

South Plantation High Class of 73 — Pastor An-thony Morton and Froline Holms-Gorre.

Fort Lauderdale High Class of 73 — L to r: Henry Diggs, Patrice Jenkins-Cohen and Milton Williams.

Pompano Beach High Class of 73 — Doris Simon.

Deerfield Beach High Class of 73 — Ann Fleming.

Boyd H. Anderson Class of 73 — Seated, l to r—Diane Gordon-Scott, Irma Boyd and Dorthy Jenkins; second, l-r: Debroah Adams-Lewers, Betty Beasley-Williams, Emma Mobley, Carolyn Clark, Sonja Jones Wells, Gwen Thorpe and Evelyn Thomas-Heath third row, l-r: Bobby R. Henry, Sr., McKinley Hudson, David Kennedy, Joe Dixon, Richard Yeargin, Larry Cain, Calvin L.. Dudley, Sr., Pinkie McKinnon, David E. Deal, Jr., Gwendolyn Shaw, Mildred Carn-Foster and Patricia Thomas.

By Betty A. Benefield-Jackson

 The City Wide Class of 1973, which consist of the high schools that make up the Broward County School System celebrated their 40th class reunion at the beautiful Embassy Suites on 17 Street Causeway in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

It was one of the best class reunions ever. We kicked off the weekend Friday night June 28 and had a good time and the meet and greet catching up on lost times with classmates far and near.

On Saturday evening during the banquet we partied like it was 1973. A night full of great entertainment from one of the classmates, Carl Trotter’s band moved us with some of the soulful sounds of our era. There was even some music that had the “Big girls backing it up!”

As with any dinner show you can always expect special guests that being said we were entertained by CR and the Five OGs.

The dinner was delicious. We had a great time. Thanks to our professional camera operators ‘King of Photographer’ and Mr. K. Hanna and Welton Jackson who provided the photos and CD’s that made this night un-forgettable.

As we moved forward to the next phase of our event, we took a step in faith by joining our  classmate Pastor Jimmy English as we gave praise and worship at the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, on that Sunday morning.

Unwilling to say goodbye, on June 30 we had our last lunch together of fresh fried fish, pies and cakes and other good stuff at the Women’s Federation Club of Fort Lauderdale. We read our old yearbooks and the promises of always staying in touch with one another. We had a wonderful time and will always remember this 2013 Class Reunion for the class of 1973.

I want to congratulate a job well done to the committee of the 1973 class. We’ll see you in two years, when most of us will be celebrating our 60 year birth dates.

Prayerfully, that will be worth the wait.