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STANFORD — Dozens of former Crab Orchard High School graduates and students turned out for the 45th annual Crab Orchard High School Alumni Association banquet.

The alumni and former students enjoyed an evening of sharing stories, rekindling old friendships and enjoying good food at the annual banquet held recently at Lincoln County High School.

The old Crab Orchard school closed its doors at the end of the 1973-74 school year and has since been razed.

This year’s honored guests were the members of the Class of 1969. Ten members of the class were on hand to celebrate their 50th year reunion.

The 10 members returning for their anniversary reunion were: Shirley Brown, Lana Turner Denney, Kathy Holman, Sherry Noland Irvin, Rhonda Dyehouse Marshbanks, Gladys Portwood, Judy Manuel Robbins, Eleanor Horton Sims, Sharon Brown Stone and Judy Brown Taylor.

The Class of 1969 has lost nine of its 46-member class roll with Joey Albright, Anna Atkins, Winford Cummins, Shelia Simpson Elam, Sara Hawley Goodwin, Phyllis Hopkins, Jerry Smith, Bernie West and Charles Wren now deceased.

The Alumni Association’s recognition was not limited to a single honor class, with one individual being singled out for their dedication to the former school and the Crab Orchard Alumni Association.

Glenna Shaw Baker, a 1953 graduate of Crab Orchard High School, was presented with the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Baker has been involved in many aspects of the association, such as serving as alumni president, organizing and working fundraisers for the association, selling alumni tickets and working the door at numerous banquets.

In addition to her association, work Baker served on the Crab Orchard City Commission for four years, served on the Neighborhood Watch program, organized the Crab Orchard July 4 parades for six years, helped with Christmas parades for two years, worked the polls for elections, was president of the Crab Orchard Homemakers Club and volunteered at the the Fort Logan Hospital Auxiliary. She also taught Sunday School at Crab Orchard Baptist Church and was leader of GA girls.