The Newton Community High School Class of 1975 gathered Friday afternoon to dedicate a memorial tree and commemorative marker honoring classmates who are no longer with them, creating a lasting tribute rooted in remembrance, friendship, and the enduring bond shared by the graduating class more than five decades ago.
Held on the grounds of Newton Community High School near the northeast corner of the building, the ceremony centered around an October Glory maple tree and a black granite marker etched with a soaring eagle and the words “Gone but Not Forgotten.”
The dedication program opened with a welcome and remembrance from Bruce Diel, followed by remarks from Heidi Lipe, who shared the inspiration behind the project. Greg Fear spoke about the selection of both the tree and marker, while NCHS Principal Beth Probst also addressed those in attendance with inspirational words about the class, the tree and the bridge between the past, the present, and the future before Diel delivered the closing remarks.
The program distributed during the ceremony described the memorial as “a living tribute to the members of the Class of 1975 who are no longer with us.”
The dedication message reflected on friendships formed in the halls and classrooms of NCHS, the laughter shared through the years, and the lives that helped shape those who gathered Friday afternoon. The October Glory maple, chosen for its brilliant orange foliage each autumn, was described as symbolizing both the season of youth and the warmth of memories that time cannot erase.
At the base of the tree rests the black granite marker featuring the eagle rising into the sky — a symbol, according to the dedication, of lives that “rose, endured, and left their mark.”
Together, the tree and marker now stand as a permanent place of reflection on the NCHS campus, honoring classmates remembered not only for who they were, but for the lasting impact they continue to have on those who knew them.
As classmates, family members, school officials, and community members gathered beneath cloudy skies Friday afternoon, the ceremony served as both a remembrance of the past and a promise that those honored will never be forgotten.
