Lehigh alumnus donates money toward memorial
At this year's bi-annual Lehigh Rural High School reunion May 25, alumni contributed $2,370 toward erecting a monument at the site of the school building, which was demolished several years ago. The total included a $1,000 donation from Ray Peters, Hutchinson, a 1933 graduate who served as postmaster at Lehigh from 1962 to 1977.
About 2,000 bricks from the original building have been reclaimed and will be used to build the memorial. Plans are to develop a recreation park around it, including walking paths and possibly tennis courts.
A preliminary sketch of a memorial was submitted to alumni at the reunion, held at Crosswind Conference Center, Hesston. The sketch was prepared by architect and alumnus Jim Goentzel of Wichita.
The four-tiered design will be 12 feet high, 10 feet wide, and two feet in depth. It will incorporate several white concrete stones including one with the date "1920," and one inscribed with the words, "High School." Cost of erection is estimated at $3,000.
As an additional fund raiser, Paul Thiessen of the class of 1966, the last class to graduate from LRHS, sketched a design of the 1920 Lehigh High School building onto 50 of the original bricks. The bricks were made available to alumni for a donation of $20 or more. A few bricks still are available.
Although not much is left of the once thriving community of Lehigh, not even the school building, alumni continue to find pleasure in coming together bi-annually to reminisce about the days they spent there.
At least 163 people attended this year's reunion. The class of 1963 hosted the event. Paul Thiessen, Wichita, was master of ceremonies. Sarah Plett Winter, at age 90, was the oldest alum present.
The group enjoyed a slide show depicting the history of Lehigh. Scenes from the demolition of the high school brought sighs of sadness from the audience but, as someone said, the memories live on.
