POCATELLO - Members of Pocatello High School's class of 1948 gathered on Friday for their 60 year reunion.

The event will continue today.

Leonard Williams, of Chubbuck, said that unlike many of his classmates, he chose to remain in the greater Pocatello area throughout most of his life. Now in his late 70s, the only time he moved away was for a four year stint in the Navy from 1948-1952.

Williams said he has only attended two previous reunions, his 10th and his 55th. He showed up Friday because he wanted to visit with his surviving high school peers.

"I wanted to see who's still with us," Williams said. "There's a lot of them that aren't," he said, pointing to a table with a long list that included the names of his departed classmates.

Friday afternoon, reunion participants toured the Fort Hall Replica near Upper Ross Park and Old Town Pocatello, they visited the newly unveiled statue of Chief Pocatello just off South Fifth Avenue and they stopped by the Southeast Idaho Veteran's Memorial. That night, they attended a banquet at the Holiday Inn.

Saturday, they will have brunch and then tour the Stephens Performing Arts Center at Idaho State University and go to Pocatello High School to view the new gymnasium.

In all, 97 people are participating in the reunion, including guests. Many traveled from out of state.

After his discharge from the military, Williams worked for Union Pacific Railroad and then the J.R. Simplot, Co., from which he retired.

When Williams attended PHS, it was the only high school in the area. His mother went to Poky, as did his brother and sister. He recalls the class of 1948 as the best in the school's long history.

"We had a lot of pride in our school and in our class," Williams said.

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