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2006 REUNION ARTICLE
Alaskan brothers plan multiyear reunion of Lewistown area high schools
By MARY MARGARET PECHT - mmpecht@lewistownsentinel.com
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER
Jim Hollis stands outside the community building at Lewistown’s Rec Park, where the multiyear Mifflin County School District class reunion will take place on Aug. 5.
LEWISTOWN — Lewistown was an incredible place to grow up, Jim Hollis said.“The people were great, businesses were thriving, Viscose and Standard were booming,’’ he said.
Hollis’ adopted hometown holds a special place in his heart, even though he no longer has relatives in the area — “just a lot of good friends and a lot of great memories.’’
Now living in Alaska, Hollis regularly comes back “home’’ to Lewistown for reunions of the Class of 1971 of Penn Highlands High School.
But he wants to see more of his friends this summer and, to that end, has organized a multiyear class reunion, targeting specifically the classes of 1969-73 of Mifflin County’s high schools. Graduates of other years, at this point 1965 to 1975, have asked to participate, and he says come join the fun.
“These were people we all associated with but never got together because we never came together in one place,’’ he said.
The reunion is slated for noon Saturday, Aug. 5, at the community building in Lewistown’s Rec Park.
The Penn Highlands High School Class of 1971, Lewistown Campus, will hold a reunion at 7 p.m. Aug. 5, at Clarion Inn, Burnham.
His brother’s lack of a 35-year Class of 1969 reunion also spurred Hollis’ desire for the multiyear reunion.
Hollis was born in Houston, Texas, one of three children. His father died when he was 6, and his mother when he was 13. The family moved around a lot after his father’s death due to his mother being ill with cancer.
The Hollis boys — Jim and his brother, Bob — arrived in Lewistown in 1963. Their sister remained in Houston. Jim attended Buchanan Elementary in Lewistown in fifth grade, then went back to Houston for one year, returning to Lewistown permanently after his mother died in June 1965.
Jim and Bob spent the remainder of their formative years at the home of their uncle and aunt, Robert W. and Irene Lilley, who lived a few miles west of Lewistown.
Bob Lilley was postmaster at Lewistown, and, Hollis said, “I was very proud of him and had a good role model growing up.’’
He recalled, “You didn’t miss the school bus because you walked to town if you did. That was (one of) the rules of the house. Many of those ideals, standards, aren’t taught today. You have to be responsible for your actions. I think that being easy on kids isn’t helping them; too many things are just handed out today.’’
If the rules of the house were designed to teach responsibility, there was also room for fun. Lilley coached baseball, and refereed football, basketball and baseball. Jim Hollis’ high school sports career included football, wrestling, track and baseball. He also enjoys swimming.
Hollis’ brother-in-law and sister, Jack and Linda Good, moved to Alaska in 1970 because of the military and stayed there.
Brother Bob Hollis graduated from Lewistown High School in 1969 and from Shippensburg State College in 1973.
After graduation, he headed for Alaska, where his sister lived. Bob worked for Wein Air Alaska airline. He also skied for the airline, which meant attending championships all over the world — “Austria, Switzerland, Japan, just to name a few. What a job!’’ Jim Hollis said.
Jim Hollis graduated from Penn Highlands, Lewistown Campus, in 1971 and from Lock Haven State College in 1976.
He taught for a few years — a half-year at Lewistown, then at Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit and three years in Harrisburg, then he returned to Lock Haven to complete a second bachelor’s degree, this time in special education.
Alaska beckoned.
After his second degree was completed, he immediately moved to Alaska to be with his family. He planned to stay only two years, he said, but fell in love with Alaska.
He taught in the Anchorage School District for 20 years, 16 in special education and then four in horticulture and landscape design.
“Since the summers are so short, people want their flowers and landscapes now! I would teach landscaping in the greenhouse as well as the hallways all year long. We even grew a bent grass golf green in the greenhouse to teach people turf management,’’ he said.
He noted the high school career center in which he taught, much like the Career and Technology Center in Lewistown, offered 25 different vocational training programs, including such subjects as aircraft power and frame, aviation technology and tourism.
During those teaching years, he also was active in community projects, mainly a wrestling clinic and tournament for children 5-12 through the Kiwanis Club.
“From my horticulture class we would do various landscape projects around Anchorage. We also prepared all the flowers for the Alaska Railroad terminals. Our largest project was preparing flowers for Catholic Social Services’ annual flower sale. We donated $20,000 worth of flowers every year for their fund-raiser,’’ he said.
After 20 years teaching, Hollis retired. He and his wife, Patty, spent a year touring the United States with a fifth-wheel camper.
He has since taken some consulting jobs, one of which particularly interested him because of where it took him — to the Aleutian and Pribolof islands, “the big arm that reaches way out into the ocean when you look at a map,’’ he said.
This job was an early intervention program designed to help identify infants who may have disabilities. If a child was identified with a disability, he received a scrip from a physical therapist and then carried out those instructions, teaching the parents to follow up.
He would fly to Dutch Harbor, 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, on a 737 jet, and there board a four- or six-seater plane, on wheels or on floats, to fly out to the islands.
Dutch Harbor has America’s shortest runway, bordered on three sides by water and a mountain on the other. There is no room for pilot error and only a select few pilots fly into Dutch Harbor, he said, adding that most airstrips in Alaska are gravel.
“The best way to describe the landing is you glide over the ocean for what seems an eternity and then in a second you see the runway and — boom — you’re down. The minute the wheels touch the runway the brakes go on as well as the reverse thrusters. I imagine it is very close to landing on an aircraft carrier. Haven’t done that, don’t plan to,’’ Hollis said.
The Hollises — whose household also includes his brother, Bob, since an auto accident 10 years ago — live in the town of Fritz Creek, nine miles east of Homer, a metropolis of about 4,000 people. This is about 220 road miles south of Anchorage, and there’s only one road so you can’t get lost, Hollis said. They have lived in Homer since 2001.
Bob Hollis plans to accompany Jim to the reunion on Aug. 5 in Lewistown.
Jim enjoys fishing for halibut in nearby Kachemack Bay.
“My personal best for halibut is 170 pounds. You have to shoot the fish before you bring it into your boat or these things will break a leg or just do some major damage to your boat. Most people shoot them with a .410 shotgun, then you hog-tie them just in case!’’ he said.
The Hollises also have a place — which he described as “just a shack’’ — on the famed Kenai River, where people come from all over the world to fish for salmon. Lots of his friends come there to fish, too. His personal best for landing a salmon is 53 pounds, although he adds that he once had an 80-pounder up to the boat before it got knocked off while trying to net it — “the one that got away.’’ A friend from Harrisburg caught a trout in the Kenai — a 19-pound, 36-inch specimen.
Hollis admits he spends a considerable amount of time fishing — he enjoys it, and it stocks the freezer for winter. He plans to hunt more now, too, and noted that a 1,200 pound moose will stock a freezer very quickly.
“I have been a commercial fisherman. I have set netted, drift netted, long lined; however I have never crabbed. That is one dangerous job and sometimes you don’t come back from crabbing, or you may loose a limb,’’ he said.
Patty Hollis still works at Deadhorse on Alaska’s North Slope. She works two weeks on and two weeks off, which is nice because to get to work, she hops a plane in Homer, flies to Anchorage and then gets on a 737 and flies to Prudhoe Bay.
Her schedule also allows her to join her husband when he’s relaxing “somewhere warm,’’ like Florida, California or Hawaii, during the winter.
Penn Highlands Class of 1971, multiyear gatherings set for Aug. 5
LEWISTOWN — The multiyear Mifflin County School District class reunion and the 35-year reunion of the Penn Highlands Class of 1971 both will take place on Saturday, Aug. 5.
The multiyear reunion will begin at noon in the new community building at Lewistown’s Rec Park.
Although the event officially ends at 5 p.m., the building is rented until midnight, and anyone who wishes may stay to socialize through that time may do so.
The cost for this event is $10 per person to cover the cost of food and beverages. It is hoped the proceeds from the raffles, plus any donations, will cover the remainder of the expenses incurred.
This will be a casual, picnic-style event.
People coming from other states are invited to bring a basket from their states (maximum $50) to raffle. Reunion organizer Jim Hollis said he plans to bring a basket from Alaska, which will contain items including shirts, hats and smoked salmon.
Hollis said he would like everyone attending to register by e-mailing LewistownReunion@hotmail.com by July 20. Registrants should include name (maiden name if applicable), address, phone number, e-mail address, year graduated and high school name.
Those who register will be contacted by e-mail if there are ny changes or updates. They also will receive by e-mail a flier with details about the reunion and a registration form they can print out. This information is being compiled by Barbara (Smith) Vogt, who lives in Elkton, Md.
Although targeted for Chief Logan, Lewistown, Kishacoquillas and Rothrock high school graduates from 1969-1970 and Penn Highlands graduates from 1971-1973, anyone may attend.
Hollis said inquiries have been received from members of the classes of 1965-1975, and no one will be turned away.
Checks should be made out to MCSD Reunion and sent to 506 Lindbergh Way, Lewistown, PA 17044.
Local contacts for the multiyear reunion are Lynn Berrier, at 248-4164, or Dan Musser, at 248-0366.
• The Penn Highlands, Lewistown Campus, Class of 1971, will have a separate 35-year reunion reunion , which starts at 7 p.m. at the Clarion Inn, Burnham. The cost is $35 per person.
Individuals can register by mail, sent to Betsy Shannon, 2 Jenkins Lane, Lewistown. The reservation deadline is July 15. Checks should be made payable to Lewistown Class of 1971.
Anyone who does not have an e-mail account may call Hollis at (907) 235-1232 for information; just remember that there is a four-hour time difference, he said.
Section: News Posted: 6/26/2006
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