ST. GEORGE — Growing up together at the “right time” is what bonds the Dixie High class of 1955, one of the organizers said at their 85th Birthday reunion on Thursday.

The theme was a “Blast from The Past,” and the bash was held at Zion’s Bank on St. George Boulevard. Around 25 classmates enjoyed BBQ chicken, salads and birthday cake with ice cream.

“The amount of money someone makes doesn’t matter; their status in the community, church or anything they’ve achieved doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have a common thing that unites us,” LaRee Jones said. ” And we grew up together at the right time and in the right generation.”

Jones said it had been a delight to plan Dixie High’s birthday parties with other classmates throughout the years and has helped them keep close. Every classmate is contacted via mail and by phone calls. Many cannot attend as they have in years past due to being homebound.

“We call and talk to them. So, we know how they’re doing and what they’re doing. And many of them are homebound at this age,” Jones said. “They are sending messages to the rest of the class, wishing they could be here.”

She is grateful that her classmates welcomed her into their school when she moved from Salt Lake City to St. George in the 1950s. Their kindness motivated her to plan the class birthday parties all these years.

“My father was an alcoholic and my parents divorced when I was very young. I left Salt Lake City in the ’50s when my parents divorced, and divorce was a bad word and a bad omen back then. But this Dixie High class brought me in,” Jones said. “I was a bitter little girl. And they changed my life with their friendship and their goodness. So, I cannot repay my classmates. There’s no way I can repay them because of what they did for me back then.”

Jones presented classmates with a gift certificate from a business operating in 1955 (and no longer in operation). Some of those businesses include Jim’s market, a market on wheels. It was a truck that went to different areas of St. George and stopped at homes so the women could come out and get something they had forgotten when they did their weekly shopping. Another business that was popular back then was Mindy’s Women’s Wear.

Organizers set up a memorabilia table featuring Dixie plates and 1950s books from the Woodward Elementary School Library for each class member. Records show 105 of the Dixie High Class of 1955 graduated from Woodward Elementary School in 1953 and 87 graduated from Dixie in 1955.

Another activity was when they passed around a microphone so group members could share their memories. Many of them spoke of their teachers and coaches.

Jones said a classmate who lives in South Jordan whose daughter and husband flew from New Jersey into Salt Lake City to drive him to St. George for the event. Another classmate traveled from Dallas, Texas, to attend. They had a mixture of Washington County and out-of-town classmates attend.

Jones said planning the party with some of the other classmates and the anticipation had been “just a delight.” She thanked Bea Foremaster and Honey Marcia Stucki for working on the event.

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