It’s been 72 years since Isabel Rossman received her Goodrich High School diploma.
At 99-years-old, Isabel was the ‘Senior Martian? and perhaps the last known member of the Goodrich Class of 1932, sharing memories of teachers, school and friends during the Martian Reunion on Sunday.
‘Mom still has fond memories of Goodrich growing up here in the 1920s and into the Depression,? said Dan Rossman, who spoke on behalf of his mother. ‘Mom was sad to see the old high school torn down in the 1960s, she really loves this school.?
Isabel, along with about 300 Goodrich High School graduates, now gather every other year for a unified reunion celebrating classes that date back at least 44 years.
Pam Dooley, Class of 1964 and member of the reunion organizing team, said the response from the classmates across the country is pretty strong.
‘This year we invited graduates from the class of 1970,? she said. ‘We have graduates from Texas, Florida, along with many southern states. Each year different classmates come along with many of the same ones. But it’s always a good response from Goodrich’we have families of graduates come everytime.?
‘I was from the first class that attended the Gale Road High School,? said Dooley. ‘I remember gettting lost there? it just seemed big and new. We came from the old Goodrich High School near Erie Street that was three stories and we had classes in the basement.?
Thirty-two years before Dooley, Isabel Rossman graduated from the old Goodrich High School building when it was still a modern facility.
Isabel was born Nov. 21, 1914 in Grand Blanc at a doctors office, said son Dan.
‘Mom was born premature and had a twin sister that died at birth,? he said. ‘She was born in the winter and they used the wood stove to keep her warm. Her dad was Dr.Wells Reid, a physician who worked with Dr.Wheelock in Goodrich. Wells also served in World War I and made it home to be a part of the Goodrich School Board for about 30 years. They later named Reid Elementary School after him.?
Dan said after Isabel graduated from Goodrich High School she went on to Michigan State University.
‘Mom went on to MSU and earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics in 1936,? he said. ‘That’s where she met Terry, my dad, after they both attended MSU homecoming for a few years. Dad told us he looked up the names of the unmarried girls and found mom’s name. They married after World War II in 1949.?
The couple had four children, Susan, Elaine, Robert and Dan.
‘When the kids were older, mom worked for several hospitals in the Muskegon area as a dietician,? he said. ‘Her longevity is due to eating a balanced diet and having kids later in life’that’s my thoughts. She still plays bridge every week and returns to class reunions in Goodrich from her home in Lakeview.?
While members of the Goodrich Class of 1932 like Isabel are rare, the reunion continues to attract former students each year.
‘We start with a class list and look up addresses,? said Dooley, who along with classmates Karen Lucik and Pat Price, coordinated the reunion.
‘If anyone knows classmates, please get in touch with the school so we can get the word out for the 2016 reunion. After graduation, students are spread out and difficult to keep in touch.?