A walk through the halls and cafeteria of Varnum High School truly and quickly defines the Varnum Public Schools community. Each day, as they change classes and break for lunch, students are surrounded by the portraits of every senior who has graduated from Varnum High since 1929.

The portraits in the hallways and cafeteria are there to keep our school’s history alive, no doubt, but more importantly, the photos are there to remind our students that once you are a Varnum Whippet, you’re always a Varnum Whippet.

The Varnum community is a tight-knit group often referred to by its members as the “Varnum family”. Varnum graduates often find themselves coming back later in life to work or teach at Varnum and serve the community that they know and love, and if you attend Varnum sporting events, you’re sure to see former Varnum athletes turned lifelong fans filling the stands at each game to cheer the team on to victory.

So, when a member of the Varnum family passes, the loss is very heavy on the hearts of everyone in our community. Unfortunately, we have recently lost several members of our Varnum family and would like to honor their memories by sharing photos over the course of the next few weeks. This week, we will celebrate the lives of Mr. Joe Elmore and Mrs. Gayla Hendryx.