Mount Ayr recognized 51 graduates in 2023
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A total of 51 seniors crossed the stage Sunday, May 21 at the graduation ceremony for the Mount Ayr High School Class of 2023. Details about the graduates can be found in the Class of 2023 insert in last week’s Record-News.
Valedictorian Kaylie Shields and Salutatorians Drew Ehlen and Jaydon Knight addressed their graduating class including:
Aidan Alexander Albaugh
Linsie Jo Barnes
Haley Jo Barton
Macey Kay Bowen
Austin Dean Byrd
Alexis Teawna Darrah
Becca Paige Dolecheck
Kade Leo Dugan
Brock Michael Eagan
Drew Taylor Ehlen
Trey Bryant Fooken
Jaixen Lane Frost
Alexis Kristene Greenland
Paton Marie Gregg
Tabatha Jo Henle
MaKenna Mae Jones
Riley Ann Jones
Kacee Ray Klommhaus
Jillian Eileen Kniep
Tessa Kathleen Kniep
Jaydon Tyler Knight
Macaela Renee Kuonen
Karlie Rae Larsen
Zoey Marie Larsen
Samantha Lee Lemmaroy
Ethan LaRue Main
Collin Riley McAlexander
Wyatt Robert McLead
Alesen Reveca Morales
Jacob Matthew Novak
Kianna Jayleen Paxson
Jayden Mitchell Pickering
Braydon Andrew Pierson
Trevor James Rice
Brodie Leland Saville
Natalie Kay Schaefer
Kaylie Nicole Shields
Madison Rae Shields
Angelina Lee Smith
Riley Dean Stark
Tegan Marie Streit
Scout Lee Supinger
Trenton William Swank
Bryson Joe Triggs
Lauren Michelle Triggs
Josie Elizabeth Vanderflught
Kaylun May Victor
Reegan Kay Waldeier
Mallory Claire Weehler
Kalee Rae Wise
Klayton Phillip Yoder
This sizable class graduated 13 more students than the class of 2021-2022. However, the class size was much bigger 50 years ago after many small town schools merged to form Mount Ayr Community Schools in 1959.
Class of 1973 graduates David Richards and Rosemary (Schlapia) Hullinger recall having 76 members graduate out of 79 total students. When they started school in 1960, Mount Ayr had the third largest school bus route in the state of Iowa. Kids traveled from town to town by bus to attend school by grade.
Hullinger recalled two small country school houses being moved into Mount Ayr. One building hosted first grade, and the other building held second graders. Third grade met in the existing Mount Ayr school house, and one fourth grade section met in a mobile trailer that was also moved in. The other fourth grade class traveled to Benton along with fifth and sixth graders.
Students in seventh and eighth grade attended school in Mount Ayr, and were joined by students from Redding, Tingley, Ellston, Beaconsfield, Delphos and Maloy in eighth grade.
There were five traveling teachers that visited schools to instruct band, vocal music and PE at that time. Before the Mount Ayr swimming pool opened in 1963, students took the school bus to the pool in Grant City, MO. During high school, Richards recalled having PE at the Mount Ayr swimming pool every year in September.
Memorable moments included the boys and girls basketball teams and boys wrestling winning the Tall Corn Conference in 1973. The boys basketball team also went to the state tournament that year. An interesting photo from over 50 years ago also captured 28 boys playing a friendly game of tug-of-war against 11 girls on the front page of the Des Moines Tribune. While the boys outnumbered the girls many years ago, the ladies may have a better chance in 2023.
Will classmates recreate the girls vs. boys tug-of-war moment during their 50th class reunion at the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club over Memorial Weekend? We sure hope so.
