The 1944 Graduation Class of Dushore High School
L to R: Back Row--Terry (Theresa) Smith, Jean Marie Chesonis, Leonard Chesonis, Leo Elchak, Mildred Stavisky, Helen Mattichak
Front Row--Bessie Peterman, Doris Cook, Miss Christine Mack (Advisor), Shirley Fiocca, Betty Kozemko
Photo Contributed by Connie (King) McMichael

                  DUSHORE HIGH SCHOOL:  CLASS OF 1944

 

Contributed by Connie (King) McMichael
November 2007

 

Note: Dushore High School Opened in 1898 and served the need of the local county for more than sixty years. The high school also had a working relationship with other schools in the area. For example, the childen from Lopez usually first attended Colley Schools; they often came from Russian families who spoke that language in their homes and every day life. Typically, students would graduate from Colley High School at the end of the 11th grade, then enroll at Dushore High School for their final year, graduating there as well. The graduating class shown above exhibits that relationship with several examples of "Colley" grads in the Dushore class as well.
Some of the boys attending Dushore High School had already joined the service of their country. And, not all of the Colley High School class members of 1943 ended up at Dushore. The full 1943 Colley class roster was: John Patrick Cahill, Jean Marie Chesonis, Leonard Albert Chesonis, Helen D. Decker, Esther W. Gardner, Elizabeth Kozemko, Esperia Marion Caccia, Thomas R. Lavery, Franklin John Scaab, Helen Mattichak, Katherine Marie McGee, John Plaskon, Chester Sahanoski, Theresa Ann Margaret Smith, Mildred Stavisky and Michael McCobin. As you can see by comparison with the class picture above, only some of these "Russian" students moved on to the school in Dushore.
Colley High School used to stand on the hillside as you entered the town of Lopez, Sullivan County, PA. The building no longer stands. As a young girl, when we would pass the school, my mother would tell me that students from the Lopez area attended this school, which she called the "Russian School". As a result of this local history, there is a lot of overlap between "senior" classes at the two locations, as you will see below. Click on the following links to see:

Forty-Sixth Dushore High School Commencement Program: 1944:
Program Cover
Page 1: Schedule of Events
Page 2: Class Members and Awards
Page 3: Faculty and Board of Education

Announcement on Class Play:

Sullivan Review
Dushore, PA
February 24,1944

Dushore High School Seniors to present 'Dear Daffodil' a three-act comedy. The following will take part: Shirley Fiocca, Dave Miller, Bessie Peterman, Leo Elchak, Terry Smith, Ronald Saxe, Michael McCobin, Jean Chesonis, Betty Kozemko, Doris Cook, Leonard Chesonis, Marcella Steafather and Robert Pond.

Colley High School Class of 1943:
-----The structure behind these students was an honor roll memorial constructed to honor school graduates serving in the military. You can see a picture of the memorial next to the school in the section on "Early Schools" in 100 Years of Pride: A History of Lopez.

Class Trip: Boys
------Top center: Leo Chesonis, Bottom center: Leo Elchak, Bottom right: Michael McCobin **---others unidentified
Class Trip: Girls
-----Left to right: Esther W. Gardner, Elizabeth "Betty" Kozemko [Mrs. Walter King], Mildred "Millie" Stavisky [Mrs. Andrewlavage], Doris "Dotty" Cook, Theresa Ann "Terry" Margaret [Mrs. Milleson], Wilda Wood, Jean Chesonis, Helen D. "Di" Decker
** Note: Identified by his son Dave McCobin in June 2009.

The final graduating class for 1944 for Dushore High School is shown at the top of this page.