The oldest living alumna of Miller High School, Anna Dickson Holmberg, stood beaming by the newly erected memorial tribute on Sunday afternoon, which was fashioned out of 258 bricks from the former high school.
Dickson, 100, graduated from Miller High School in 1925. There are 258 total graduates from Miller High School. Sixty-eight of those are living and range in age from 70 to 100 years old. Each brick on the memorial marker, which sits where the former high school used to, represents each graduate. The memorial marker also is made out of etched granite, which bears the image of the school. It was unveiled at the end of the 85th anniversary high school reunion.
Alberta Brinkman, who graduated from the high school in 1938, said the committee was hoping to have 85 people show up for the 85th anniversary of the school, which was founded in 1922. They ended up serving 130 for lunch.
A book about the school is going to be published, with the final chapter coming from Sunday’s picnic. The book will include everything from memories to pictures and stories ranging from 1922 to 2007.
Sunday afternoon’s picnic was about honoring the 85th anniversary of the school, but also to swap memories and stories.
For more on this story, see Monday's Emporia Gazette.