Jeanne Paustian, Gladbrook High Class of 1968, stands in front of the Wall of Panther Pride while speaking during the Panther Pavilion dedication ceremony on Saturday, June 14, in Gladbrook City Park. More than 100 people turned out for the dedication of the pavilion, which has been in the works since 2023 following the Gladbrook School demolition in the summer of 2022. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Sun Courier Note: This story will publish in the Friday, June 20 edition of the newspaper. It is being published online now to correspond with the Times-Republican’s publication schedule.

GLADBROOK – For the first time in many, many years, the Gladbrook School fight songs rang out within earshot of where the school once stood as the new Panther Pavilion was officially dedicated last Saturday afternoon as part of the 103rd annual Corn Carnival festivities.

Constructed in honor of the school that stood for decades south of City Park before the entire campus was demolished in the summer of 2022 following a decision by the Gladbrook-Reinbeck school board, the pavilion’s main feature is the ‘Wall of Panther Pride,’ made up of nearly 400 bricks running along the back of the pavilion. After gazing down at the wall, folks can look to the south to see where the school once stood, its empty flagpole the only feature that remains (as of press time).

Just after 1 p.m. Saturday, Panther Pavilion Committee member and fierce Gladbrook School advocate Jeanne (née Schroeder) Paustian, Class of 1968, stepped in front of the mic to address a crowd of well over 100 people who had gathered for the dedication. After providing a brief history of the school district, including the 1987 decision to begin whole grade sharing with Reinbeck, Paustian addressed the pavilion’s origins.

“In 2023, a small committee of Gladbrook community members met to explore the possibility of creating some sort of structure to commemorate the memories of our community and of our students who attended the Gladbrook School over the many years that it served as our center of education. The committee spent time designing, promoting, fundraising, and building the structure we are celebrating and dedicating today,” she said.

The Panther Pavilion in Gladbrook City Park pictured on Saturday, June 14, during the structure’s dedication ceremony. Well over 100 people attended the event, which took place during the 103rd Corn Carnival. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Founding members of the committee include Sherri Denbow, Doug Gethmann, Dennis Haack, Terri Luehring, Jack Sass, Gladbrook Mayor Trudi Scott, and Paustian.

“Our fundraising consisted of selling bricks, writing grants, and accepting memorials and donations,” Paustian continued. “The sale of the etched bricks was overwhelming, and we are very grateful for the support of former Gladbrook students, classes, staff, community members, businesses, and organizations.”

A total of 244 small bricks (four inches by eight inches) and 117 large bricks (eight inches by eight inches) were installed roughly a week before the dedication, while work on the pavilion itself, including excavation, began back in April.

The Wall of Panther Pride is bursting with just that, pride. Bricks commemorate everything from the first graduating class of 1885 to the undefeated Panther football teams of 1961-1962 to the girls basketball state champion teams of 1959 and 1960. Class bricks for every graduating class from 1940 to 1988 are also featured on the wall. Perusing the bricks is a fascinating trip down memory lane for anyone with even the slightest connection to the school.

“The Class of 1946 has a single brick for each of the 17 graduates that year, with only three of them still living,” Paustian said before later imploring the audience, “We hope you take the time to look at the bricks and remember all with smiles and happy memories.”

Chuck Wickersham (center in cap), a former Gladbrook educator who taught for 27 years at Gladbrook High School, listens as Jeanne Paustian (off frame) speaks during the Panther Pavilion dedication on Saturday. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The pavilion also features a center structure composed of bricks from the original school. It is situated between two steel benches – one in gold and one in purple for the school’s colors. Both were paid for using a pair of Gladbrook Community Foundation grants. A granite etching of the school building, drawn “as most remember it,” per Paustian, features on the structure’s top while the front displays a brass plaque with the committee’s salute to education.

The salute reads: “This memorial, created from the bricks of the Gladbrook School is dedicated to the task of continued education. The Gladbrook School served this community in that task for 100+ years, and while only a memory of the Gladbrook Panthers remains, the task of education will go on forever. Education is the only vehicle through which the world can grow in peace and understanding. To that task we commemorate this Panther Pavilion.”

Any memorials donated to the project were used for the pavilion’s landscaping, including a perennial bed located behind the Wall of Panther Pride on the south side. Memorials and donations continue to be sought to help complete the landscaping, Paustian told the audience. The project is also still in need of electricity run to the structure and gazebo lighting.

Additionally, there are plans to move the school’s flagpole from the empty lot to the pavilion, while a section dedicated to the school’s history, complete with photographs, is also in the works.

“We hope the Panther Pavilion will be a center of healing,” Paustian continued. “We believe this can also be a place of celebration during school reunions and that it can be a place for attendees of the annual Corn Carnival to make a stop for gathering and photos with friends and classmates.”

Pianist Sue Koster, Gladbrook High Class of 1963, plays one of two Gladbrook School fight songs while Jeanne Paustian (left) sings along with the audience. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Paustian then paused to invite soloist David Buskohl, Class of 1979, and pianist Sue Koster, Class of 1963, to lead the audience in singing the Panther Fight Songs, including the roughly pre-1962 “Gladbrook Loyalty Song” and the later “Panther Fight Song.” Both are printed below.

GLADBROOK LOYALTY SONG

We’re loyal to you, Gladbrook High!

We’re purple and gold, Gladbrook High!

We beg you to stand against the best in the land,

Soloist David Buskohl (far left), Gladbrook High Class of 1979, leads members of the audience in singing one of two Gladbrook School fight songs on Saturday, June 14, while standing under the new Panther Pavilion located in City Park. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

For we know you have sand, Gladbrook High!

So smash their defense, Gladbrook High!

Go crashing ahead, Gladbrook High!

Our team is our fame-protector,

On, team, for we expect a vict’ry from you, Gladbrook High!

Darrell Paustian (seated center), who worked as the custodian of Gladbrook School from 1986-2013, listens as those around him sing one of two school fight songs during the Panther Pavilion dedication ceremony held last Saturday. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

THE PANTHER FIGHT SONG

(Words and Music by David Boyd)

Let’s fight for Gladbrook High,

We aim to win this game!

Let’s go and steal the show,

Fling the Panther cry sky high, like flame!

Let’s cheer, we have no fear,

We’Il steer clear of defeat;

Turn on the steam, team;

Get on the beam, team;

Ol’ Gladbrook lives on Victory Street!

Many of those seated on the pavilion’s benches were visibly affected as the audience on Saturday stood en masse to sing, including veteran Chuck Wickersham, a former Gladbrook educator who taught for 27 years at the high school.

“Of course, we’d rather have the building there,” Buskhol told the crowd after the second song finished. “But that was beyond our decision. God bless [the school]!”

Following the fight songs, Paustian turned the mic over to Mayor Trudi Scott to accept the pavilion on behalf of the City of Gladbrook.

“This place right here made us pretty good people,” Scott said as part of her brief remarks, a comment that elicited a strong vocal agreement from many in the audience.

Before closing out the ceremony, Paustian thanked her good friend, retired Gladbrook educator Coach Terri Luehring (1977-2011), who was standing near the back of the crowd filming the event – ever humble but always working despite not officially being on the clock anymore.

The atmosphere both ahead of and following the dedication resembled a joyous class reunion, with many expressing gratitude for the pavilion, but it was also tinged with somberness as attendees expressed regret that such a structure was necessary.

“This is awesome,” an audience member told Buskohl ahead of the dedication.

“Well, it is and it isn’t,” he replied. “Wish it wasn’t something we had to do.”

Between hugs and laughter, folks could be overheard asking one another if they had located their name on the wall or the name of a former classmate, coach, or teacher.

“Those were the days,” a GHS alumnus said to a fellow schoolmate, wistfully.

“They were good days,” she replied.

Go Panthers!

A video of the Panther Pavilion dedication ceremony is currently available to view on the Gladbrook For Sale/Community Info/Events Facebook public group page. It will eventually be available to view on the Panther Pavilion website which is currently under construction.

Gladbrook Mayor Trudi Scott elicits laughter from the audience while speaking on Saturday as part of the Panther Pavilion dedication ceremony. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Retired Gladbrook/Gladbrook-Reinbeck educator and coach Terri Luehring (yellow shirt) smiles while being recognized for her work as a member of the Panther Pavilion Committee. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Denny Luethje checks out the Wall of Panther Pride, part of the newly-dedicated Panther Pavilion, on Saturday, June 14, in Gladbrook City Park. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Several folks stand under the new Panther Pavilion gazebo as they explore the Wall of Panther Pride last Saturday afternoon in Gladbrook City Park ahead of the formal dedication ceremony. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER