By June Matthews
It was the year of Woodstock, Hurricane Camille, the Tate-LaBianca murders, man’s first walk on the moon, and the opening of a little burger restaurant named Wendy’s. But for better or worse on a national scale, it was a good year for a group of local graduates known as Ensley High School’s Class of 1969. They’ll be marking the 50th anniversary of that milestone with a reunion at Birmingham’s The Club on Saturday, August 3.
Among them is Joe Estes, First Baptist Church Trussville’s Minister of Worship, who will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. A multifaceted musician even in his high school days, Estes recalls participating in “anything and everything musical,” including band, choir, ensemble, quartet and “The Good Ole’ Ensley Boys” with Bobby Horton. Not surprisingly, he names a production of the musical “Oklahoma” as one of his favorite high school memories and band sponsor Martha Bankston as one of his favorite teachers.
“There was just something special about Ensley High School during those years,” Estes said. “Probably the best thing was the community we all shared. Ensley was a great place to live back in the 1960s, and we all took genuine pride in our school.”
As someone accustomed to wielding a microphone, Estes is happy to contribute his quick wit and easygoing style to the reunion event. But even more than that, he and fellow committee members Bob and Becky (Martin) Duvall, Catherine (Paterson) Bobo, Susan Huff, Nancy (Taylor) Stroup, Terry Yarborough, Stan Ritter, Charles Morello, Donna (Pate ) Kelly, Lynne (White) Hughston, Nancy Prickett, and Kathy (Hamby) Nailen, hope classmates will want to join in the fun.
Graduates from other EHS classes are welcome to attend as well, said Estes. Current RSVPs range from the classes of ’65 to ’70.
“It’s going to be a great evening of reconnecting with old friends, finding out what life has brought their way, and sharing memories of a much simpler, less stressful time,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it, and I encourage any of our classmates who aren’t already planning to attend to order their tickets and come join us!”
For complete details about the reunion, visit the Ensley High School Class of 1969 website at https://ensleyhighschool1969.myevent.com/. But don’t delay. The deadline for ticket purchases is July 14; the deadline for ordering commemorative T-shirts is July 10. T-shirt sales will offset reunion expenses.