Class of '05 leaves its mark
for history in the hills

By Caroline Downs

The Kenmare High School Class of 2005 made sure the tradition of the KHS class rocks, scattered on the hills along U.S. Highway 52 south of town, continued.

They were just a year late in doing so.

Andrew Hager, who was president of the 2005 senior class, chuckled as he talked about the project which took place during the summer of 2006.

"We had always said we wanted to do the rocks," he said. "We wanted our class to be remembered. They looked to me to get it started."

Hager had every intention of doing so after his class’s May 2005 graduation day, but then he was elected to a state office in FFA and his summer schedule changed overnight.

So the class rocks project was set aside, but not forgotten. "We want to keep that tradition going," Hager said.

The KHS classes of 2003 and 2004 have not completed their class rocks, but Hager was able to contact several former classmates to work on the 2005 rocks last summer.

The class chose a site belonging to relatives of 2005 graduate Carter Norrie, overlooking the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge and the Scenic Lake Road, and visible to drivers heading north from the Baden overpass.

Hager said Chelsea Schwartz and her father John Schwartz, who helped with his own class’s rocks when he graduated in the 1970s, tramped up and down the hills and laid out the "05" design.

Several members of the 2005 class worked on the project throughout the summer, according to Hager. "People were busy with their jobs, but we appreciated those who could help," he said, adding the project brought friends back together after a year. "I saw a lot of people from my class I wouldn’t have seen otherwise."

He listed Schwartz, Cyle Golde and Casey Jones among members of the class who contributed a great deal of time and effort to the project. "Casey called around every weekend to try to see if we could get together to dig, get rocks and paint," Hager said.

Hager himself was surprised at the amount of time and work the project required.

He missed the first work day, and when he arrived for the second session, he was astonished that eight or nine people had spent six hours just digging the trench for the "5."

"We dug the numbers about a foot deep and set the rocks," he said, laughing again as he recalled farmers in the area who were only too happy to donate large stones for the project.

The KHS class rocks have been a tradition on the hills south of town since 1945. For a number of years, "Rock Day" was an event organized by the school district for the graduating seniors.

Hager was pleased with the appearance of the "05" rocks and with the participation of so many former classmates. "I thank them," he said, "and I hope the community enjoys it. We had a good time doing it!"