How the WHS Class of 1958 wrote a book on growing up in Whitefish

It began with a chat, as many things do, and an idea was planted, a seed sprouted, and viola! a book was written. If only that were the case. Here’s the real story of how a book written by a group of old codgers came into being.

Long-time Whitefish residents, Charlie Abell and Dewey Hartmen, were chatting over coffee about the latest edition of the annual newsletter compiled by their Whitefish High School graduating class of 1958. They were sitting at the Buffalo Café when someone overheard their comments and butted into the conversation, as friendly Montanans are wont to do. “Your high school class members are still communicating with one another after 60-some years?” asked the amazed intruder. “Why, yes! We’ve been writing an annual Valentine’s letter each year since 1989 and keeping in touch with one another between our usual class reunions. It has kept us close through all the years,” was the reply.

“That’s amazing; I’ve never heard of another class that does that. You have an incredible amount of material that could be the basis of a book!” said the gentleman. And that’s how the idea was planted.

Charlie and Dewey mulled the idea over and decided to present it to their classmates. Did anyone else in their class think they could write a book? What tale should be told? How would it be compiled? So the query went out to classmates who now are scattered from the East Coast to the West Coast, but a core group remains in the Pacific Northwest, centered in the Flathead Valley.

Following typical procedures, a majority of classmates agreed that their experiences growing up in Whitefish merited telling. It was agreed that the book should be inclusive, involving deeds and misdeeds, good times and not-so-good, friendships and early youth through graduation.

Classmates began writing about their most memorable playtimes, favorite teachers, life on a farm, a few pranks and more. As these poured in, Kay Knapton volunteered to assemble them, hoping to create a cohesive story. Various categories (chapters) arose when one person’s tale did not fit into a category already created. Eventually, the mishmash of stories began to take shape.

But there were gaps to be filled, so that treasure trove of annual newsletters was dug out, read and re-read to glean an occasional memory. This also provided stories from some classmates who had already departed this world; of the original 63 graduates about 30 remain. And memories of some escapades involved the departed, so to the extent possible, most graduates of the Class of ’58 are represented in the book.

Since this was an effort of multiple authors, it required a Bulldog, the school mascot, to nag, cajole, badger and generally harass classmates who have reached an age where timelines are “on my own time” and not related to printing deadlines. Again, Kay Knapton proved her Bulldog loyalty.

A title was given to this creation: “Love Letter to Whitefish, Montana”. And a release date was set to coincide with the 65th class reunion, to be held Oct. 6, 7 and 8 at the Whitefish Community Center. A book signing by old codgers, who remain young at heart, will be held Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. This will be the public’s chance to meet the storytellers, learn what it was like to grow up in Whitefish during the 1940s and ’50s from the horse’s mouth, challenge their memories and say hello.

Once it was clear the text was falling into place, the need for illustrations was apparent. School annuals from the years 1954-58 were an excellent resource. The Whitefish Historical Museum and Explore Whitefish provided photos. And a few classmates contributed personal photos as well.

Meshing text with appropriate photos was a joint effort involving local Flathead classmates, called the Supreme Council. Then the final draft was sent to the printer.

Early reviewers of the book praise the endeavor and are amazed that overall these classmates appreciated their early upbringing, shared a similar love of the outdoors and have remained close throughout the years. Proceeds from the book will be donated to the Whitefish Education Foundation.