Former Ginger Hill Elementary School Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Gather for Reunion

Last Updated on Monday, 27 October 2014 15:28

By Christen M. Stroh

On September 17, 2014, more than 50 former faculty, staff members, and administrators of the former Ginger Hill Elementary School met for a reunion, the first they've had since the school closed its doors for the last time in June of 1987.

Rosemary Bucchianeri, Kathleen Mancinelli, Linda Cochenour, Ann D'Emedio, Susan Tegi, Jo Anna Stroh, Dottie Bewick, and Bonnie Roskov

The reunion, planned by Rosemary Bucchianeri and a small committee, was held at the Ginger Hill Grange and began with a social hour at 2 p.m. Jo Anna Stroh led the group in a memorial service for the 28 deceased members of the Ginger Hill community with a prayer and the lighting of a candle, which remained burning for the duration of the reunion. Kathleen Mancinelli presented a slideshow full of pictures from years past, and Joyce Neidermeyer Halechko gave the invocation. Dinner was catered by Two Fine Caterers of Charleroi. Additionally, the Ginger Hill staff donated $100 to each of the two current Ringgold elementary schools.

Ginger Hill opened in 1924 and was renovated in 1964 to include a library, multi-purpose room, kitchen, health office, and additional classrooms; it was the same year the Ringgold School District was formed and Ginger Hill became a part of it. Though Ringgold School District continued to grow, Ginger Hill did not grow with the district, which merited the decision to close the building as a school and renovate it to become a bus garage for the district.

Though Ginger Hill is no longer operational as a school, the memories live on and the fun continues for those who were affiliated with it during the years that class was in session.