Reunion after 64 years

At every reunion of the Jefferson class of 1959, folks puzzled over Wayne Hostetler. “We haven’t seen anything of him since graduation. I heard he went to Colorado.” Only speculations kept his memory alive among the remaining nine members of the original 29.
Not only had the 29 alumni spent 12 school years together, but most also attended a two week summer Vacation Bible School together in their summer vacations. The community pastors joined forces, borrowed the Jefferson public school and provided two weeks of Bible lessons every summer to students who attended school in the building.
After graduation, women alumni met for lunch every month or so. Hubby kept tabs on the remaining members through Lois Scott. Many trips back home to Indiana included touching base with Lois and her husband Bill. Between reunions and chance meetings, that sufficed until this summer when Bill Swihart called. “I was at a concert in Goshen (Indiana). During intermission, the MC said, ‘now everyone stand up, turn around and greet the folks around you.’”
Swihart turned around. The man behind him said, “Hi, Bill.”
Bill looked at the stranger and asked, “And who are you?”
“I’m Wayne Hostetler. We graduated together.”
Bill’s mouth dropped. “I have got to get your number to give to Marion,” Swihart said. They had much to say after missing 64 years of their lives.’
Swihart called Hubby, told him about their chance meeting and passed along Hostetler’s number.
Wasting no time, Hubby immediately called Wayne. They talked for an hour and a half. Wayne had gone first to California to do his Mennonite Service. (As conscientious objectors to war, during the era of the draft, Mennonite men served in the workers’ program providing health care, education, agriculture and social services.) While in California, Hostetler took a few college classes, decided to stay after his service time ended and earned a degree in education.
“I was a phys-ed and history teacher in elementary school,” he told Hubby. Later, he moved to Colorado and opened a restaurant. After retirement he and his wife began living six months in Florida and six months in Indiana near his sister.
The phone conversation did not begin to cover sixty years. Hubby wanted to see him and their classmate Jim Larimer who was confined to home for health reasons. His family said he did not have the strength to visit in person. So Hubby talked with him on the phone.
Hubby wanted to see everyone left from the old gang. “When can we get up to Indiana again?” he asked, looking at the calendar. “We already have a dozen boxes of Bibles and books to take to Love Packages in Illinois,” he said.
Within days Lois called, “Jim Larimar died. I expect the funeral will be toward the end of the week.”
Mentally, hubby began packing his bags to go to the funeral home and to meet classmates, including Wayne Hostetttler.
With his mind focused on seeing former classmates and with everyone now in their 80s, the clock ticks loudly for the class of 1959. A couple others from that class passed this last year. The women who usually organized the reunion 15 years ago said, “We just cannot do this anymore. It is just too much work.” One classmate did not recognize Hubby when he visited this spring, and another probably won’t recognize him in a couple years.
Knowing it may be their last reunion, he visited with Larimer’s widow. The next day he had a two hour breakfast with the seven class members who could gather for breakfast and catch up with each other including the long-elusive Hostetler.