It was 60 years ago that 111 members of the Washington High School Class of 1957 walked, in turn, across that old stage at John Small School, received their diplomas, and then stepped into the future.

It would be the last time the entire class would be all together in the same place. The very last time. Our time together had come to an end.

Washington High School did not have an auditorium at the time, just the walls of the space that would be completed later.

And so the years have rolled by. Seemingly more quickly as “time goes by.”

As of this writing (early June) some 45 members have received their final promotions.

Although many of you will not recognize very many of their names, especially those of you who are not originally from here, I am moved to list their names. A last-time memoriam, if you will.

So. In memory of and with deep affection, here are those classmates:

Bette Lou Alligood, Nell Ayers, Mike Bailey, Loretta Bowen, Judy Bridgeman.

Harley Caton, Jack Cleve, Durwood Cratch, Reta Daniels, Tommie Dawson.

Kitty Ellington, Frank Flynn, Bryan Grimes, Billy Gilgo, Harry Gurganus.

Jane Hardison, Milton Hodges, Bobby Hodges, Michael Howerin, Jerry Jackson, “Bunny” Jernigan.

George Kelley, Paul Leggett, “Frog” Leggett, Carolyn Mixon, Bill Morgan, Betty Lou Morris.

Kazia Paszt, Don Sawyer, Joyce Silverthorne, Glenwood Smith,Howard Ray “Zeke” Swanner.

Dell Dean Swindell, Sally Joyce Taylor, Bradford Tetterton, Bobby Upton, “Charnick” Nicholson Upton, William Upton.

Frances Warren, Jack Warren, Preston Whitford, David Whitley, Gloria Wood, Bobby Dale Woolard, Kirby Wynne.

For any whose names were omitted, I apologize. To any whom I have dispatched prematurely, please forgive me.

“Backward, turn backward, Oh time in your flight…” began the words of a popular song of yesteryear. But it can’t be done.

And as I wrote on the occasion of our 35th class reunion, “Let us raise our glasses/ In celebration of our shared past;/ Here’s to those days, those golden days/ May these memories always last.”

And may that reunion in the “land beyond the river” be the best one of all.