I worked on this tribute for months - which has been hard to finish because of all of the other projects that come up.
I wanted to see how much information and pictures I had for each member of the class of 1961 and include it with each name.
For some I had a lot of information and others not very much.
At times it was difficult to know for sure if I had the correct family so if you see some pictures that aren't part of that classmate, please let me know.

If you notice I don't have very many pictures for you or if you are a family member of a deceased class member and can help with more pictures and information please e-mail me.

The things you send me to scan will be added to this very unique Manning historical database I've been working on for decades, that I doubt anyone in any other community is doing.

This 1961 feature started out when I received this e-mail from a 1961 class member.
From there I decided to see just a little of what I could find in my digital database that was going on in Manning in 1961 and who some of the citizens were.

This year marks the 60 year anniversary of our class (and underclassman reserves) earning the right to play in Des Moines along with 7 other teams for the State Championship.
This was the first year since the 1948 team for a Manning team to achieve that goal.
While we didn’t win, we did lose to the eventual winner, Marshalltown, by 7 points.
Of the teams, Manning with our 189 students was the smallest by far except for tiny Calumet with their 38 students.
Jerry Callender

1961 MHS graduates: Terry Adamson, Donna Ahrendsen, Carol Beck, Thomas Bennett, Kenneth Boell, Jackie Borkowski, Barbara Bruck, Marilyn Brus, Jerrold Callender, Anna Birgitta Carlsson, Lenny Carstens, Terry Doyel, Beth Eckholdt, Eleanor Ehlers (valedictorian), Johnny Ehrichs, Dorothy Fink, Warren Fischer, Dennis Frahm, Eileen Frahm, Dean Grimm, Frances Grimm (salutatorian), Linda Handlos, Roger Hansen, Lila Hargens, David Hass, Joan Heithoff, Lowell Jahn, Wayne "Butch" Jensen, Sandra Johnson, Patrick Kasperbauer, Patricia Knobbe, Karen Knueven, Dale Koester, Carol Kuhl, Alan Kusel, Valda Lamaack, Gordell Lamp, Patricia Mathisen, Gary McNutt, Steven Mock, Nancy Mohr, Sandra Mohr, Gary Mundt, Paul Mundt, Betsy Musfeldt, Fred Nulle, David Nelson, Mary Reinke, Gary Rowedder, Faith Sander, Paul Spieker, Lowell Stammer, David Swank, Marjorie Thielen, Jean Thomssen, Judy Thomssen, Richard Vaudt, Marilyn Vennink, Kenneth Venteicher, Allen Vinke, Anna Marie Wiese, Russell Witt, Joyce Sonksen Warnke

1961 former students: Judith Atkins, Leona Bosche, Gary Cooper, Dennis Domayer, Billy Donaghu, Jimmy Eich, Roger Eischeid, JoAnn Groppe, Kenny Hass, Judy Hemerson, Dale Hinz, Melvin Hoffman, Ronnie Hollander, Mary M. Johnson, Keith Justice, Patricia Killeen, Dickie McMahon, John Miller, Patricia Musfeldt, Kathleen Nelson, James O'Lear, Mary M. O'Lear, Pearl Peters, Alton Petersen, Irene Rowedder, Larry Ruhde, Earl Schiltz, James Schrock, Wilma Seals, Barbara Simcoke, Lawrence Spicer, LuVerne Steffes, Larry Stolz, Bob Synhorst, Larry Thetford, Ronnie Umland, Beverly Weinbrandt, Nancy Young