But while each decade faced different times and different challenges, appreciation for their roots, their teachers and their classmates was a common denominator.

“The education system here in New Castle speaks for itself,” 1955 graduate Charles May said. “A lot of alumni have done very well in a wide variety of fields.”

Few words were needed to tell the story of empty chairs from the class of 1943. They represented the 16 people who left New Castle High School during their senior year to serve in World War II. One, Robert Hubbard, was killed in action.

“It was a happy time and a sad time, both,” remembered Alice Osborne Kuebler, who graduated in 1946.

“When we graduated that year, this is what they did during our commencement,” Eva Kalk Hellmer said. “We were young and these boys were so darned anxious to get out of high school and go see world.”

One of those, Frank Pfenninger, recently received an honorary diploma nearly 70 years after leaving the high school for duty, which saw him fight in the Battle of the Bulge.

But because of New Castle High School, its teachers and a caring community, many alums said they didn’t realize how tough things really were at that time in history – even with all the rationing of things at that time.

“We were poor, all of us, but we didn’t know it,” said John Barrickman.

Dances at the New Castle Armory, hamburgers at Doug’s and hanging out at the YMCA’s “Canteen” were among memories shared.

“We’d stay at the Canteen until they’d run us out,” New Castle alum Sonny Robbins said.

Robbins was one of the lucky ones. He had a car, a 1931 Plymouth. Many back in that time period walked to the high school, then at Walnut and 14th streets.

He remembered having 15 girls hanging on to his car when trying to take a classmate to the train station, where he would be off to the military.

As they walked around a veritable circle of life in New Castle from the 1940s through today, some alumni couldn’t help but still marvel at the gymnasium that some may have taken for granted.

“This gym is just fantastic,” said Mike Goodman, a 1963 graduate who now lives in Virginia. “I’m taking pictures of this to show my grandkids. They won’t believe what we grew up with.”

New Castle alumnus Carolyn Hall Padgett said younger members of her family are envious when they see photos and hear stories of the 1960s.

“They say it must have been the best time,” she said. “They wish they could have lived through that era.”

On her display table, Padgett had a pair of what were known as “senior cords” – tan corduroy pants that students decorated with colorful words and emblems.

“Most of us had funny things put on them,” she said. “Sometimes, guys would have the names of former girlfriends on theirs and have to cover them up after they got married,” she laughed.

As a brilliant sun seemingly smiled on the occasion, alumni who had come from as far away as California couldn’t say enough about how well organized and delightful homecoming was this year.

“This takes a lot of effort,” 1962 alum Dale York said. “It’s nice that they have people here who are willing to do it.”

“It was one of the best ever,” said 1966 alum Sharon Dabney. “The enthusiasm today was just great.”

“It was very well organized,” agreed Gene Ingram, one of Dabney’s classmates. “It was a big parade and well attended from the courthouse to Baker Park. It was a lot of fun. I feel like the attendance was better than any other Homecoming we’d had.”

Yettiva Wade, a tireless organizer from the class of 1946, summed up an occasion of the past with a story of a classmate looking to the future.

“The first thing Jake Cunningham said when he called me from Colorado Springs was ‘Now Yettiva, get ready, because our 70th class anniversary is coming up in 2016,” she said. “I told him, ‘Please let me get through this one first.'”

Frank Pfenninger has no doubt that it, too, will be a success.

“That’s the thing about New Castle people,” he said. “They’re doers.”