McCook Alumni changing the world…
Read the rest of this entry »

A 1975 graduate of McCook Senior High is teaching basic police skills to Iraqi law enforcement officers and utilizing his art talents as well. Tim Monzon was deployed to Kuwait with the U.S. Army Reserve in 2005. While there, he witnessed the need for better law enforcement training in Iraq and returned to that country fol-lowing the end of his tour with the Army Reserves.
Read the rest of this entry »

Our nations attention was focused on Washington D.C.January 20 as Barack Obama was sworn in as our countrys 44thpresident. The historic inauguration of our countrys first African-American President attracted as many as 1.5 million people who came to watch the festivities in person. With a crowd that huge, its not surprising that there might be a few MHS grads in attendance. But what is surprising is the number of our alumni who attended or were actually part of the ceremony.
Read the rest of this entry »

Plans are progressing for the McCook High School All-Class Reunion July 2-5, 2010 and there will be something for everyone, including a new website.  Those who log on to www.mccook2010.com can request the password on-site and webmaster Mathew Winder ‘07 will email the recipient the required password and enter the person on the database. The Website includes several pages, including a message forum, classmate profiles and an “In memory” page. The reunion schedule and on-line pre-registration for the reunion will also be available as the information becomes available. On your first visit to this website, please click on the “Please Read First” on the left side menu bar. It will help you navigate the website.  To keep things lively at the all-class reunion, several events are being planned, such as sporting events, a pancake feed, and fireworks display. Individual class reunions will also take place. But we need your help in order to schedule other events to see if there’s enough participation. These include:

Read the rest of this entry »

Bison Alumni are shaking up the news around the world yet again.

Read the rest of this entry »

Durward Foster ’40 of Boulder, CO had a pleasant surprise in May when he was notified by the newsletter staff that Tom Poore ‘74 had found a MHS 1940 class ring with the initials D F inscribed on the inside of the ring. Durward and his daughter drove to McCook in June to claim the ring and were ecstatic to have it returned.  We are hoping for a similar happy ending to this story: A 1979 MHS class ring was found in a wall of a house on West M Street in McCook by Jim Gonzales ’79. The initials on the ring are L C B. The newsletter staff has not been able to come up with a name to fit these initials. If you think this might be yours or someone you know, please contact Robin Frick Calvin ’79, 308-345-7063 or 308-340-2401 or craftwhiz@swnebr.net.

Advances in science, medicine and technology have made the century one of the most exciting in the history of man. And Flora Dutcher of McCook, has lived every moment of the past 100 years to the fullest.

Born in a sod house in Red Willow County on Jan. 26, 1908, Flora has seen changes most of us can only imagine or relive in history books detailing the past. “We’ve seen major advances in education, government, and opportunity,” Flora said recently from the warm and tidy front room of her McCook home. “It has been a very exciting 100 years.”

Editorial note: We are sad to report that Flora died, April 22, 2008 in McCook. Condolences may be sent on-line to www.carpenterbreland.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fans may come and fans may go, but Elden Fuller is forever faithful to his beloved McCook Bison.

Elden, who is 72, has missed very few games in the past quarter century … and most of those were this year because he was hospitalized with life-threatening heart and kidney problems.

Read the rest of this entry »

July 2010 – Mark your calendar

The Bison Alumni Newsletter representatives, at their Feb. 24, 2008 meeting, gave the go-ahead to plan another all-class Bison reunion for the weekend of July 4, 2010. The ten classes that have graduated since our Bison 2000 celebration will add to the fun and excitement. We hope to start building the necessary committee leaders after you receive this newsletter. Join the fun and excitement and let the newsletter staff know if you will help and what your plans or desires are.

Thanks, John Hubert, Class of ‘45

The Marsh twins, Ed and Wallis, came to McCook as seventh graders in 1980 and headed for college following graduation from McCook High School in 1985. Looking back, Wallis says the years here were life-changing for both him and his identical twin, Edward.

"The years in McCook helped set our life course," Wallis said. "We owe special thanks to four teachers: Dave Dunham, John Gumb, George Briggs and Doug Martin. They helped steer us along the right path."

Read the rest of this entry »

Thirty-one 1965 classmates contributed almost $2000 to acquire digital cameras and recording equipment to donate to the McCook Library. Steve Batty put the class project together and delivered it to the library in early October. The equipment will be used to record (digital audio and video) oral histories at the library. Initially the digital video camcorder was loaned to MHS teacher, Linda Crandall for her journalism kids to start using. The high school will be able to record HS events and could even produce an online version of the Bison year book and maybe do some pod casts for their web site. Stop by this link to see what the library will have http://www.mccookdirect.com/classof65/class-project.htm Classmates helping financially with this project were: Warren Jones, Dan Crow, Linda Leibrandt Taylor, Nancy DeVaughn Schwery, Mary Tincher Kalb, Larry Cain, Steve Batty, Chris James, Phil Pate, Mary Jo Stephens Weigand, Roger Jones, Susie Hutt Trupp, Mike Gilbert, Pam Gull Schilz, Colleen Grant, Ashley Stevens, Roger Leitner, Judy White Anderson, Connie Rutt Jones, Jack Tuttle, Linda Ambrose Harr, Jay & Lynn Reed Nylander, Jane Flaherty Peterson, Gray Grim, Janet Rutt Hepp, Linda Krieger Shaw, Bob Best, Mary Ann Budig Myers, Ernie Weyeneth and Mike Walker in memory of Jennie Walker.

Years ago, deep inside Mark Haller ‘75, a battle raged. He remembers that a primal voice – bent on self-preservation – screamed at him. “It’s hot! It’s hot! Get back!” But other voices – curiosity, imagination, self-expression – won out, and Mark blows and sculpts molten glass into wonderful, flowing expressive forms. Mark’s creative side just doesn’t listen any longer to that primitive voice – that “little lizard in the back of my mind,” he calls it – that warned him of the dangers of that howling, fire-breathing furnace. Mark is a native of McCook, and the son of Luanne Beneda Haller ‘47 of McCook and the late Rod Haller of Culbertson. Mark bypassed a career in law to live the life of a gypsy, traveling the country, blowing glass, teaching about sand and silica and soda ash, and sharing his art with others. Haller demonstrated his talent and imagination during a week-long workshop and art show at the McCook Art Guild. Story by Connie Jo Discoe ’73 – McCook Gazette

Some 16 months ago the Class of ‘66 realized we wanted a better way to keep in touch as we were losing track of one another in between reunions. Originally, an e-mail list & directory was gathered.   The e-mail list gave classmates an opportunity to communicate that heretofore did not exist. In some cases people reconnected with others they had not heard from in 40 years. Then we created a web site which went on line July 1, 2007.

Read the rest of this entry »

  Sgt. Randy Matheny, a 2004 graduate of McCook High School, was tragically killed by a roadside bomb on February 4 in Baghdad, Iraq.  Matheny, the 20-year-old son of Jan and Duane Collins and Gary Matheny and his fiancée Kay Chambers, died when an improvised explosive device detonated next to the armored security vehicle in which he served as a gunner.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bison Alumni are shaking up the news around the world yet again.
Read the rest of this entry »

Hey- On the burner-just waiting for the idea to get hot. The idea is about an all alumni reunion possibly in July of 2010. Remember Reunion 2000. There will have been ten more classes graduate from MHS by 2010. Hope this doesn’t make anyone feel too old to have another Big Bison reunion. If you or your class would like to explore this idea, please let the Bison Alumni newsletter staff know at jehubert@swnebr.net, through the Address Change box on our website bisonalumni.com, phone John @ 308-345-4534, or mail to Bison Alumni, 700 West 7^th, McCook.