 
It has been a long time since we all went to Benton High school in St Joseph, Missouri but those days are not forgotten. If you have ever thought of contacting some of your old friends, this is a site which you may like to know about.
In the year 2000, Jim Hogan, class of 1956 decided to open a website for his classmates. The site's membership has grown, and he began inviting alumni from other years to join in. We now have years from 1930 to 1985 alumni who are scattered across the country who have become good friends thru the site and visit regularly to share not only old memories of our school days and life in st Joseph, but our present day lives. We share photos of our kids and grandkids, our vacations, our pets and also prayer needs, and news about our daily lives. You will enter the realm of
a very diverse,( in their activities and in their comments), group. But we all have Benton High and
St. Joseph, Mo. in common where ever we may be. So join in on everything and you will become addicted! Have fun! it is a
very empathetic and supportful group first and foremost. Our members
invite you to join us 
Write now for your personal invitation to a private, password protected site that is lots of fun.
contact administrator for your invitation....Contact Administrator
The Internet of Friends
We have been to many nice places and made a lot of friends,
But a friend made on the Benton Site is there till their world ends.
We have shared our joy and happiness
and shared great sorrows too
When we need someone to lean on, we search for the online crew.
Therefore, we sit at our computer, anxious to get online,
For we know someone will be there, to listen just anytime.
Some people think we’re so foolish, for confiding in ones we don’t know,
But to us it is a comfort, knowing we have somewhere to go.
We love to get their postings and read them through and through,
And all the funny jokes and truths, we love to read them, too.
If it brings a tear or a smile today from what they’ve sent along,
Then being on the Benton Site’s like hearing a favorite song.
We are happy we found the Benton Site and made so many friends
I pray to our Heavenly Father that our friendship never ends…… .
Revised from an original poem
by an unknown author
by Carl Wayne Bootman
Why We Love the Benton Alumni Site
Donna Stewart...This wonderful site has given me the opportunity to make new friends and renew old friendships. It has, also, provided me with a "job" I have always longed to do: BE IN CHARGE OF A COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT
THAT RECEIVES NO COMPLAINTS. ( DUE TO OUR CONTENTED MEMBERS!) (Hey, this is more than 2 lines so I am filing a complaint with myself.....AND ...THANKS, JIM HOGAN FOR HAVING THE ORIGINAL BRAINSTORM AND ASKING ME IN.....
********
Ed Jones... I love the site,as it has given me a chance to talk to old friends and even meet lots of new ones. Even when I don't have anything to say,I enjoy coming on and reading what all the others are doing and saying. Could call it snoopen I guess.
**********
Gary Hodges....I enjoy this site because it gives me something to look forward to each day, it lets me know how everyone is doing and I really enjoy all of the pictures and puzzles.I can't count the number of new friends I have met. Thank you all.
**********
Barbara Banks James...I like this site because, it is refreshing, knowledgeable,
and I am looking forward to meeting some of the ones who post replies. This is very enjoyable.
***********
Pat Webb Shepherd.....1 OR 2 LINES??How can it all be put in one or two lines. There is nothing like this site. We can ask for prayers and there is such an abundance of love and concern from everyone. We have a birthday and everyone gets to make it special. We need a recipe and someone is bound to have it. And AHHHHH those puzzles, even those hard ones, are fun and sometimes just a certain song that is on with them is the cure for the day. There is no place where friends are more beautiful than right here. Thank you Earlene, Donna and Jim for getting this started.
NOW DONNA I HAVE COMPLAINT #1...You have not had any of your families pictures on here for awhile.
***********
Charlie Caples - Being retired and with heart trouble that prevents me from doing any thing. I would be crazier than a bed bug if it wasn't for this site.
***********
Lu Lyon..... Even tho I don't respond often I feel honored that I can be on here to check up on everyone,who is needing prayer,who has a need of any kind,who has a new family picture to show etc. Guess you all just seem like part of my extended family. I know Sarretta & Gene don't care.I always have plenty of love to share.
***********
Mary E. Smith-Benson,Class of 42 .....This site has been such a joy to me ! ! ! And I'm so very thankful to have been invited to join. Don't know
many of you personnally but realize that is my own fault as I haven't been able to attend any of the wonderful
gatherings you have - maybe someday. Again,
THANKS for being my friends (site-wise), especially to Earlene who has been such a help to me
**********
Wayne Bootman This site brings me back home in so many ways. I like finding out where each person on here lives and looking it up on Map Quest or elswhere. It takes me back to places I have known and loved, and people I can relate too and love. God bless you all.
**********
Shirley Felch Gillett I believe it was Donna who first invited me, quite some time ago.I didn't know her but went through McKinley and Benton with Helen, her sister. I joined but didn't participate much because I didn't know anyone except Wayne, Marge and Carol (speaking of which, where is she? Never see her here anymore) As I participate more, I feel I have come to know you all a little more now and do look forward to checking in each day and reading the posts and being able to share mine with "y'all" ; ) No complaints...BUT...I do wish there were some from my class of '50 in here. I don't have any contact with any of them and wouldn't know how to invite them anyway. If anyone does...please do? : ) Thanks for the Site
*********
Joe Hamilton That's hard to do in just two lines, after we left St. Joe we lost contact with so many of our friends and this site has given us the opportunity to renew those friendships and make new friends, and a person can never have enough of those.
********
Tammy Lawhon-Hodges-Jarrett This site has let me meet new friends and provided a way of letting me keep in touch with some special people, I also like the puzzles.
***********
Lester Enslow I don't write much as I'm so busy with my Bible studies. I send them out on Monday now to over 2,000 people, who some times write back with questions that I always answer. I also post a lesson that I have taught previously as history each week. Although I will be 78 tomorrow I think I am ministering to more people now than at any time in my life. Lord love you all.
*********
Barbara Barnes-Campbell Thanks to Dixie and Phyllis for getting me hooked on this site. I have enjoyed it so much. No strangers here just lovely interesting friends. It brightens my days.
**********
Jayne Martin-Rivera I have really enjoyed the site. Thanks Earlene for your knowledge of the computers, you keep everything so interesting, never a dull day on this site.
**********
Margaret Krumme Burns Since Earlene invited me to check in on the website at our reunion in 2003, I have enjoyed it very much. Don't have much to offer, but enjoy what others are doing. As Martha says, "It's a GOOD thing!"
*********
Gail Johnson First of all, thanks to Pat Shepherd for bringing me on board. This site either starts my day or ends it just as I go to bed. I can catch up on old friends or meet people I would never have met otherwise. I can come here with prayer request or with celebrations and know everyone will be with me. I truly love and depend on the Benton Web-site.
*********
Bob Bingaman I don't remember who introduced me to this wonderful site. Probably Ed. I am so happy to have the opportunity to have it.I don't respond often, but never a day goes by that I don't read it. I work the puzzles but I would not dare post my time.
It has allowed me to renew friendships and meet so many new ones.I look forward to the Cyber lunches in September. I don't offer much but I have taken a million things away from the words that have been posted here. To thank everyone by name would be impossible so I will just say "thank you all".
**********
Shirley(Bishop) Mattox I love reading what other people write .Want to thank Wayne for asking me to join more than a year ago tried to get in then but couldn't. Got in after we moved to Az.I have met so many nice people here and found some old classmates also.
*********
Sharon Cason Harmon I am so thankful for this site. I have a husband that's not too healthy, a mother with dementia living with us and I take care of my grandchildren. After mom goes to bed and things get quiet, I go down to the computer in the basement and read about my friends. Actually I feel like you all are my family and I appreciate you all so much. I look forward to it so much every day.
********
Dixie MARTIN DAVISON... I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO SIGN ON IN THE MORNING TO VISIT WITH ALL MY FRIENDS HERE. I LOVE THE PUZZLES (AND BOB DON'T BE AFRAID TO POST YOUR TIME AS I'M NOT THAT GOOD EITHER). I AGREE WITH PAT WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HERE IT IS SO GREAT. I LOVE THE RECIPES, BIRTHDAY CARDS. PICTURES. OH I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT EARLENE SAID ONE LINE AND I HAVE WENT OVER MY LIMIT. THANKS EARLENE, DONNA AND JIM FOR STARTING THIS SITE. AND TO PAT FOR THE WONDERFUL LUNCHEONS WE HAVE EACH YEAR AND IF YOU HAVE NOT ATTENDED IT SHOULD BE TOP ON YOUR LIST. IT IS A WAY TO MEET ALL THESE GREAT PEOPLE THAT YOU TALK TO HERE ON LINE.
**********
Ron and Phyllis Zirkle:
Some nice things about the site,are 1st the prayers that go out to all of
the nice people that are on the site, 2nd. the wishes for Birthdays &
Anniversaries.
Many of us have made new friends on the site , AND met them at the Cyber
Luncheon, WOW what good food and friendship.
*********
Irene Sodowsky-Stout-Walter
I also enjoy this site and talking to old friends and meeting new ones. Thanks to Jim, Donna and Earlene for starting it and keeping it going. Earlene has so much talent and ability to come up with such nice cards etc. that it never gets dull. I really like seeing pictures of all the families and pets also.
***********
Bob Mejia
I love this site because I love to be among people, in contact with people, write to people, joke with people, create items, stories, and poems concerning people, and reading the comments that all the people on this site write.I like to see other people's pictures and other postings share some of mine with them too
I also like to pray for people ask for prayers when we need them and show compassion toward all who may need it. We have a fine group of altruistic people who console when needed and sometimes needle and cajole...also when needed.
This site helps us all to pass time productively and to exercise our minds in different ways. It enables us to stay connected not only with our high school alumni of various years but also to our hometown and hometown high school. Although we have changed and some of our values and political views have been altered, we still can communicate without rancor and remember all the other things that still hold us together.
This site enables us to still realize how many things we still have in common including growing up in our Hometown, our High School, our home State, our beloved Country and though OUR GOD.
***********
|
|
