Memorial Poem to Deceased HS Classmates

In Memory of our Departed Classmates
(Ron Stewart, Ron McLaury, Bill Arthur, Bob Stohr, Pat Potratz, Richard Decker,
Mardelle Parkinson, Jane Nus, Linda Whiteford)

Nine classmates have been deleted from our original roster,
Five male, four female, representing the tri-cities of the school district,
Felled by accidents and disease alike,
Some with advanced warning,
Some taken suddenly and in relative anonymity.

Ronnie Stewart, the first to go, a rebellious sort and my football cohort;
Ron McClaury, with his wily nature and mischievous spirit;
Bill Arthur, morphed into a vital member of the Westgate community;
Bob Stohr, whose gentle nature, tied to his family’s turkey farm status;
Pat Potratz, my soft-spoken neighbor and dear classmate K thru 12;
Richard Decker, with whom I shared the ‘Westgate experience’ K thru 12;
Mardelle Parkinson, held in high regard as a classy lass with a purposeful drive;
Linda Whiteford, who projected mystery and a resolute will;
Jane Nus, my ‘first love,’ only to be taken by another Bender!

Also, Mr. K, our beloved Principal and role model extraordinaire.

May we all extract the best held in each of their lives, as well as in their passing,
Holding our memories and their spirits as we all traverse the ‘autumn of our lives.’


Nate Bender – 5/2011

To West Central’s Class of 1961 (Poem)

Gathering again after fifty years, WC’s Class of ’61,
Celebrating with a core group, invested in making this reunion special.
Honoring those resistant or unable to reconnect,
Honoring those yet unaccounted for,
Honoring those who have passed to the far beyond.

Marking the cycle of lives so dispersed, while noting the common bond,
Held in our individual adaptability to life’s changing events.
Marking achievements often found outside the expected,
Marking joys and sorrows, all lending to creating character so strong.
Supporting potential needs for healing old wounds,
All the while, we celebrate the basic fact, we made it thus far!

Happy 50th All Y’all……….Nate Bender