The Helena High Class of 1935 will be celebrating its 70th reunion this week. The Class of '35 was the last class to graduate from the old Helena High School, which was a beautiful three-story stone building located near where Central School is.

It also happened to be the final year for principal A.J. "Andy" Roberts, who was also known as "Bobby." Roberts is renowned as the founder of the Vigilante Parade (in 1924), and he also later served as Helena's mayor.

There are at least 18 surviving members of the Class of '35, many of whom attended the reunion at Jorgenson's Thursday evening. Among those classmembers, is Doris (Jones) Schneider. Doris and her late husband, George Schneider, were classmates at HHS. In 1958, they helped build and operate the Capital City Bowling Alley, with partner Dr. Cashmore. Doris worked the desk, tended bar and did janitor work, while her husband was the alley's manager. George Schneider retired in 1975, and in 1995 he was elected to the Montana Bowling Hall of Fame.

Schneider's classmate, Dye Ogata, served during World War II as a military intelligence linguist in the South Pacific, where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. The Ogatas were a well-respected, longtime local family of Japanese origins, operating a garden farm in the Helena Valley for many years.

During the war, many of Dye's relatives in the U.S. were forced into internment. Many years later, President Clinton recognized the Ogata family and other Japanese-Americans for their sufferomg.

Classmate Ann (O'Connell) Korting is believed to be the oldest living Marysville native who still resides there. Devoting her life to education, she was a teacher in Marysville until its school closed down in the 1960s, before finishing her career at the Jim Darcy School. Korting was one of the originators of the longstanding Marysville Picnic. She has been the backbone of the annual event, and even helped out working with the picnic this year.

Korting also was instrumental in the reorganization of the Marysville Catholic Church. One of the community's most beloved citizens, Ann Korting received a beautiful plaque from the folks of Marysville for her lifetime of contributions.

Homer Phillips was one of the co-founders, with Bill Carson, of the Last Chance Stampede in 1964, which has been held at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds annually now for 41 years.

A former Helena High and Carroll College football player, in the 1960s he worked with the City Parks and Recreation Department and the Exchange Club in developing four Little League baseball fields, at the complex now known as Ryan Fields. In 1960, Homer took over the management of Phillips Dairy, which was founded by his father in 1918.

Joe Geier was a member of the 1932 Bengals football team, which won HHS' only state grid championship.

Harold Paulsen -- who has helped organize most of the reunions for the Class of '35 -- is the longest-living serving insurance representative of Western Life Insurance, of St. Paul, Fortis and Hartford. From 1957-59, he served in the Legislature. But what he is most famous for is his singing.

Beginning in 1931, with his guitar and his rendition of "Strawberry Roan," Paulsen has sung for every Montana governor from John E. Erickson to Judy Martz. For 39 years, from 1963-2002, he performed solo the state song, "Montana" for the annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast.

Paulsen, who has sung for over 2,800 funerals in 56 different churches around the state, said that his two most requested songs are "How Great Thou Art" and "The Place Where I Worship."

During World War II, he performed at the Nuremberg Opera House, and years later, he sang for Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who was visiting our Capitol. Humphrey sought out Harold afterwards to tell him, "Young man, you have a great voice."

And if you're a baseball fan, the recording you've listened to of the National Anthem at every Legion game at Kindrick Field for the past 20 years happens to be the voice of Harold Paulsen.

Chase Patrick was very active in the banking industry most of his career, serving as the vice president of First National Bank. He is well-known for heading up the refurbishing of the Civic Center. Patrick, who was responsible for the new seating and enlarging stage at the Civic, helped secure the financial loans for the renovations, in addition to performing many hours of volunteer labor. He too, served in the Legislature, in the 1960s.

Other surviving members of the 70th reunion include: Ann (Herold) Alford, Rose (Bryson) Baum, Dorothea (Casper) Neath, Eileen (Dignan) Schuller, Mark Hopkins, Dorothy (Maxwell) Gardner, Kathleen (Merrill) Gloege, Marian (Potter) Halm, George O'Connell, Sylvia (Strandberg) Connick, Elizabeth (Vargo) Roa, and Helen (Williams) Smigaj; and honorary member Bill Wheatley, HHS Class of '34.

Curt Synness, as a member of the HHS Class of 1970, is part of his class's 35th reunion -- halfway to 70.