Decades later, Redwood Splinters reunite

Left to right: Donna (Miller) Tesch, Tom Murphy, Sheri Murphy and Linda (Baxter) Newton. Submitted

About 30 people showed up at Redwood School on Aug. 6 for a “Picnic on the Playground” reuniting the students who attended school there in the 1950s and ’60s.

Back then, they were known as the Redwood Splinters.

This was their first reunion, and they came from as far away as Washington state, Portland, Redmond, Ore., and San Francisco.

Of course some of the attendees still live in the area, including Linda Baxter, Donna Miller, Joanne Miller, Jackie Beasley, Clarance Johnson, Becki Coggins, Peggy McKay, Sheila Kula and Bonnie Hanson, according to one of the organizers, Sheri Murphy of Hillsboro, Ore.

“The Redwood Splinters grade school reunion was a lot of fun, and unique, it meant much more to me than any others I’ve attended,” said Thomas Murphy. “I never thought I would ever again see the kids I spent those eight special years with. What a treat!”

Kenny Burhus of Redmond, Ore., who attended with his wife Colleen, said: “The wife and I had a wonderful time with the ol’ Redwood gang. Hope to do the same sometime in the future. It was really neat to meet old friends again.”

There are no current plans for another reunion, but it’s always possible, said one of the organizers, Sheri Murphy.

While none of the school’s former teachers was able to attend, “We did have fabulous help from Redwood teachers Krystol Berry and Kathy Haggard,” Murphy said. “They brought us all awesome cookies and had items for purchase like sweat shirts, reusable bags, all with the Redwood logos, and bricks to buy for the walkway out front.

“They are truly a treasure,” Murphy said of the two teachers. “Redwood would do well to keep them there for their entire lives.”