A Modesto party 70 years in the making

They graduated just as World War II was coming to its end. And Thursday, 36 remaining members of Modesto High School’s Class of 1945 held their final reunion 70 years after the fact with a luncheon at the Clarion Hotel. They were joined by members of the classes of 1946 and 1947, along with 1944 alum Bruce Wadsworth, with 71 in all attending. They rekindled friendships, told stories and reminisced about their high school days, including the school’s championship sports teams of the era. Organizer Dot Craig Pozega said that for the Class of 1945, it will be last formal reunion. Despite the great turnout, putting elaborate reunions is getting too difficult, she said, since many of those who help with the event can no longer drive. “We had a good class,” she said. “Lots of the fellows went to the service after we graduated. It was a good group.” The Class of 1945 included 306 students, 34 of whom left school early to fight in the war, Pozega said.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 4:17 PM with the headline "A Modesto party 70 years in the making."