Brief History of Patsy Rosenbach - Redmond native and 1958 Lake Washington H.S. Grad

 1955 - Football Crowd and Cheer leaders at LWHS/Credit Historical Society

An abbreviated history of the life of Patsy Rosenbach, Redmond native and Lake Washington High School graduate, class of '58.

I grew up on "Education Hill" before it was Education Hill. It was a dirt road that had huge washouts annually.  It's NE 166th AV. NE, but back then 3rd Avenue.  Redmond continues to have my loyalty. I have never lived farther than 10 miles away. I truly enjoy the fellowship at our annual “Golden Grads Reunions” of Lake Washington High School (LWHS), my alma mater. We just had our 2011 Golden Grad Reunion last month.  (Read More about it below!)  In my school days, LWHS housed students from Redmond, Kirkland, and Juanita.

A little family history: I'm the youngest graduate in my class of ‘58. I learned how to read, spell, and do arithmetic before I entered school and graduated at 16. My dad was blind and an invalid, but he taught me and my older sister before we entered school. Our older brother suffered a severe reaction to a small pox vaccination as a youngster, and had to have his books sent home with him to continue his studies.

I went to the first grade, as there was no kindergarten offered that year (the taxpayers had to vote it in and they declined that year). Three weeks later I was sent to a combined first and second grade room with Mrs. Shobert.

What did Redmond look like? Nothing like today! Read More >>
Buildings were made of wood and brick and never more than two stories. No Street lights in town. Party lines on the telephone. Volunteer fire department. Everyone worked for a living.

I grew up on Education Hill in very humble circumstances -- probably more so that most of my classmates, but I didn't "know" I was "poor". I just did what I had to do. I worked from the time I was a sixth grader.

Redmond High School on Education Hill was constructed well after my 1958 LWHS graduation class. It.was "in the boonies". Redmond High was probably built on a parcel owned by a classmate's family. They lived in a log house, with no running water. Her mother hauled jugs of water up the hill in her Model A or T. It was a heavily forested area. I used to walk up the hill to her house (a long way from my house!) for visits, knowing there was wild life along the way -- deer, bear, maybe more. I'm sure I never walked there alone!

To be sure, I walked down that dirt road to Redmond School for grades 1-9.  Upon graduation I went to LWHS.  My school (now ORSHC) housed just grades 1-9; not high school. I had to walk to school -- forth and back, on the dirt road. When I entered Lake Washington High School, I still had to walk to Redmond School to be transported by bus to Lake Washington

By the time I was a junior in high school, I had a job after school in a Redmond insurance agency and had to walk home from there as well. Sometimes my mom could pick me up. I was 17 before I got my driver's license.

1950 Kirkland High Logo

When my mother went to Redmond School it housed grades 1-12.  She  graduated in 1937.  The Redmond school my mother and I attended is remodeled into the red brick "Old Redmond School House Community Center" (ORSHC).

Redmond High School’s last graduating class was 1944. The class of 1945 was so small that the students were sent to Kirkland High School; Kirkland High’s name changed to Lake Washington High School the same year.

LWHS of old was located on the terraced grounds on Market Street in downtown Kirkland. In 1949 a new high school (LWHS) was built on the present grounds on Rose Hill. The size of my class or ‘58 was about 200.

Patsy Rosenbach
Native Redmondite
Class of '58 – LWHS

Photos submitted by Patsy.
Golden Grad Reunion photos by Patsy
Edited by Yoder

Photos of the Reunion, student guides, classmates, Patsy's reunion story.  Read More >>

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Synopsis of the Lake Washington Golden Grads Reunion, Saturday, September 17, 2011

Since our class was hosting the reunion this year, those of us who have been working on it were to be there at 11:30 AM for set up for the 1 PM opening, as we were told last year folks began to arrive at noon (and some did!). So I got there just after 11 AM. We had a lot of cooperation with a set of great teammates! Floral arrangements were located on the greeter’s table and two of the serving tables. (My shift was from 1:30 to 2 PM, but I was there from the outset until the 2 PM folks came on duty.) I really enjoyed greeting folks and collecting hugs.

Greeting folks was my joy, for I knew so many of them from my association with the Redmond Historical Society, my bank customers, and lifetime associates. Needless to say, there were many I did NOT know or even have a chance to greet personally, but I think I had the ultimate experience. I truly enjoy my social interaction!

Tables were set up for the various years, with a “kangaroo” standup placard at each table. There were sheets available at each table to enter your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to maintain contact for future announcements. Each year a different class hosts the event. Next year the Class of ’59 will be the host.

Light refreshments were served in the form of coffee and decaf coffee as well as lemonade. Cookies were served and at one of our meetings it was recommended that sugar free cookies be made available. There were about 200 ordered, and were pretty much consumed. We also ordered 600 cookies from Food Service, of the school’s cafeteria.

Attendance was a bit difficult to calculate. The sign-in sheets at the door yielded 314 people, but we are convinced many spouses did not sign the sheets (which indicated the class year). Of the 400 nametags, only 55 were left. But that is not a true reflection either, as some of us wore our class nametag from former reunions, or others wore their ID cards around their neck. We know for sure, there were about 350 or so attendees. It was a fine turnout.

Student tour guides

Tours of the new facility were conducted by about a half dozen school students associated with Leadership class. The lad I went on my tour with was informed, animated and knowledgeable. He's a senior this year. He said next year the school would house 9th graders as well. This year there are about 1,000 students on the new campus, and next year there will be near 1,500 with the freshmen. All of the space that housed the original building is under construction and dug up to create future student parking. Several solar panels were pointed out on one of the buildings. They collect solar energy, provided to the power company, which ultimately reduces the school's power bill. The theatre is spectacular. It will seat 420 and will be available to the community for rental. It has an orchestra pit and all the amenities of a first class venue.

There is also a sophisticated “studio” setup for television broadcasting as one of the classes. The culinary classroom is also very accommodating to the students with modern equipment and pull down power cords from the ceiling. Nothing like school days when I attended. To be sure, I’ll be in attendance next year!

--Compiled by Patsy Cook Rosenbach
Redmond Historical Society member