Nearly seven decades after graduating from Grand Junction High School, the Class of 1958 is still finding reasons to get together.

“Each month, 20 to 25 classmates enjoy fellowship and lunch together—68 years after our graduation,” said classmate Peggy Krantwashl Ballard. 

Some classmates stayed in Grand Junction for decades. Others moved away, built careers elsewhere and returned to the Western Slope later in life. A few drive in from nearby communities, including Vic Harville of Montrose and Carol Reese Lyons of Collbran, to be part of the gathering.

For many, the monthly lunch is more than a reunion. It’s a reminder of the friendships, school spirit and shared experiences that shaped their youth.

“We considered ourselves so fortunate to be growing up in the ’50s,” one classmate said, recalling a time when students cruised Main Street, packed buses and trains to cheer on their teams and knew many of their classmates by name.

Sports were a major part of school life, several classmates recalled. 

“We were very sports-oriented,” said Rex Stucker, who attends lunches with his wife, Joyce (née Roland). “Our class had a lot of sports trophies, winning state championships. We actually hired trains and buses to go to those places for the student body if they wanted to go, so you got to know a lot of people doing that.”

He still remembers riding a bus to a game as a cheerleader led the students in a chant: “We are the Tigers, the mighty mighty Tigers.”

Not everyone in the group was close in high school. 

“A lot of us didn’t even know each other,” said Jackie Chiaro. “We’ve become friends later. You just meet a lot of really nice people. That’s why we keep coming back.”

They look out for one another long after lunch is over, sending cards, offering rides and making sure no one misses the next lunch. And when they gather, the circle often grows to include spouses, siblings and adult children, too.

The lunches also give classmates a chance to reminisce about old landmarks, local businesses and the Grand Junction they grew up in.

At a time when many people lose touch after graduation, members of the Grand Junction High School Class of 1958 continue to make friendship a priority. Their monthly lunches show that old connections don’t have to fade with time. Sometimes, they grow stronger.

For these classmates, lunch is more than a meal. It’s a standing date with old friends, shared memories and a little Tiger pride. 

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