Manchester fast friends for 50 years

Friends at 50 (Click on photo for enlargement) Related links: The Friends at 50

THE MANCHESTER FRIENDS first gathered on Sunday, Aug. 30, 1964, to welcome Herbert ’62 and Diane Hand ’62 Eveland home from Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) in Germany. Hosts for the day in Berne, Ind., were Kenneth ’62 and Linda Barkman ’62 Fuller.

They had such a great time, they decided to reunite annually in summertime (many were teachers), rotating hosting. In the beginning, members were the core group of friends from the Manchester College classes of 1961 and 1962, but through the years, they adopted friends from other colleges. Two have died.

Families grew, and the annual event became a family affair. In the beginning, the hosts set the table. Today, they “eat out” or use a caterer, leaving more time for everybody to enjoy their time together.

They gather for one, two or three days in the hosts’ cities in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, where the old friends tour local attractions. They’ve steadfastly met, through the troughs and the triumphs.

Every family made it to celebrate their 25th reunion in 1987 with a weekend in Michigan. In 1992, at Wagon Wheel Playhouse in Warsaw, Ind., they sat in seats the theatre acquired from the Old Auditorium at Manchester College. (Those also were the Chapel seats in the 1950s and 1960s.)

Fifteen returned in July 2012 to celebrate the 50th gathering of The Manchester Friends. They checked out the coed dorms, recalled dress codes, 10 p.m. curfews and sign-out sheets of their school days. No
dancing on campus then. They had plenty of observations, all proud of their Manchester roots.

“It’s a privilege” to be a Manchester grad, said Daniel McRoberts ’62x of Caledonia, Mich.

“Every tall oak tree comes from a small nut,” cracked Dale Wenger ’61 of Upland, Ind. He probably wasn’t talking about trees.

BY CHAZ BELLMAN ’13