Letter to the PHS Class of 1971
from Lorraine

Here is a letter given to Pam Mefferd Russ by Lorraine's daughter Tricia in the Spring of 2011.
Lorraine wrote this for the 2006 Reunion but never read it.

Dear Classmates,

Congratulations to the Palmetto High School Classmates of 1971. We made it despite the odds in more ways than one can begin to imagine. Here we are in 2006.

We began "This Dream" as a result of the sudden losses of some of our fellow classmates af few years back. We have all traveled the long road to this very day with a sense of "Bitter Sweet" happiness and sorrow combined. Thus we will share this special commemorative weekend in the spirit of the physical absenses of those that began the journey with us in the beginning.

It was one of Debbie Revell's last wishes in her Email to me during the summer of 2005 to "be here" sharing in this weekend that she so very hopefully talked about with some of us for a few months. Her unexpected diagnosis abruptly put an end to one of her most sought after hopes of one last reunion to share in with all of us. With the unexpected departure of Dot Renzi and Deborah Revell, we all became much more aware of how we needed to put forth the extra effort in working hard amongst ourselves to pull a 35th year reunion off.

I believe that today, had it not been for the loss of our Precious Classmates, we would not be congregated in this close of a proximity to share in this Beautiful weekend as a "Class reborn" and commited to the constant bond of cemented history that we all began making 35 years ago. Our reunion today will be a milestone in the lives and memories of all of our hearts forever. Let this merely be another "Page" in our "Diary of Life," and let us remember our selected Class Motto that gave Birth to our Senior Class of 1971 was certainly laid as solid foundation in the Pillars of PHS for others to feel proud and follow suit.

In the Fall of 1964, Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" reached the Halls of Palmetto High School yet, was actually able to "LIVE" thru the hearts of our young souls and minds. It was the Fall of 1964 that we, as children, actually "Saw- we conquered and we lived." So "Today", those same hallways are walked by our children with Pride, Integrity and Moral values in our society. We changed the course of history for all future generations and lived the first class of Martin Luther King's "Dreams" at Palmetto High School, that little town on the Gulf Coast of Central Florida.

We need to feel proud to have lived such a demostrative part of Palmetto High School's Internal History; thus it will continue to live on in future generations to follow.

May God continue to Bless us, as One
"One for All & All for One"
We Are Palmetto High School's Proud Class of 1971