Pair still meet as Fostoria Class of 1952

FOSTORIA — It's not as though Carole Rinehart and Pat Brown wouldn't welcome others when they get together monthly as members of Fostoria High School's Class of 1952. It's just that for about the last two years, they've been the only two to show up. And make no mistake — the two 90-year-olds enjoy their time together at Fostoria's American Table restaurant. "I do see some of the others once in a while and I do remind them of our luncheons," said Rinehart, who lives in Fostoria, as she has for most of her life. "But one gal said it conflicts with her bingo game; she'd rather play bingo. One gal had some (other) kind of a conflict and another one, every time I mention it she'll say, 'I'll try to be there,' but she never is." So, Rinehart and Brown, who resides in Upper Sandusky, continue to do what they've done for many years, which is meet for lunch on the second Thursday of each month. "Usually, for a while there, we were having a nice group — we were having seven or eight," Rinehart said. "But the last, I would say two years, it's only been the two of us. Some of them got sick, some of them would rather go play bingo or something else, and they just quit coming." The lunch gatherings date back to the 1960s, Brown said. "We haven't always eaten at that location," she said while noting that they did gather at restaurants previous to American Table at 603 Plaza Drive. "We started out, about 60 years ago, over on (Ohio Route) 199, where there was a steakhouse. .. Then we met, at one time, at Candyland, and we ate at the country club. We met at a place in Bascom. We met at a place in front of the country club. We chose a lot of places." While both Rinehart and Brown grew up in Fostoria, they didn't meet until their elementary school classes came together as junior-high students, in the seventh grade. "We might not have been best buddies, but we were good friends," Rinehart said. "We were friendly with each other all through school." Something of a familial attachment evolved as well. "I think we're close because we're, in a way, related," Brown said. "Carole's sister married my cousin. We have a connection that way." Both married after high school and are now widowed. As well as eventually working as director of the Mohawk Community Library in Sycamore, Brown raised three children. "Carole beat me on that," she joked. "I have six kids, 17 grands and 34 greats," said Rinehart, who finished her working career by retiring from the U.S. Postal Service in Fostoria. "About all I do is send birthday cards," she added with a laugh. She also, in retirement, began writing stories and poems for her grandchildren. She went on to win several contests in Fostoria, Wood County and Ohio. And, in the spring, her son, Dave, put together a collection of her works and had it published on Amazon in a book titled "When the Troop Train Stopped in Fostoria." "He showed it to his coworkers, who are teachers, and they liked it and bought the book," Rinehart said. "So, it does fit people besides just my family. That's what's happened since I retired." When asked about what she's done since retirement, Brown laughed and said, "Nothing like that." She did, however, work as a hospital volunteer for 20 years. Then, too, there have been the monthly lunch meetings. Rinehart brought up on her phone a photo of her and Brown at the American Table in May. "When we were there, just the two of us, nobody really knew that we were there as a class, not just two friends meeting," Rinehart said. "When we told the waitress that we were the class and that we were both 90, they paid for our meal — we went to pay and they said, 'It's all taken care of,' and they were so excited that we were 90 and having lunch for the class. "So, (in June) when I mentioned it to people that I knew and the people next to us heard it, then they came over and congratulated us. And that's when I thought, 'This is quite a thing, actually — two 90-year-olds there for our class." Of course, the topic of how the women reached 90 years of age arose. "That's what I keep wondering myself,' Rinehart said with a laugh. "One day at a time," Brown said. And, one of those days, they hope, another member of Fostoria's Class of 1952 — there were about 135 of them — will join them for lunch. "I do hope, some time, that somebody else comes. But I just tell Pat, 'Well, the two of us were the important ones,'" Rinehart said, laughing.