CCHS Class of ’85 attends ‘Time Stamp’ dedication

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Class of 1985 came together for a mini-reunion on Friday for the dedication of a recently installed memorial art piece.

“Time Stamp,” a granite bench now on display in front of the high school building, is the creation of Charles City alumni Molly Barrett, who worked with her former classmates to build a memorial in honor of those that are no longer with them.

Following the suicide of one of their former classmates in 2021, the Class of ’85 got in touch with each other to see how everybody was doing. Upon finding out that of the 17 former classmates who had passed since graduation, five had taken their own lives, the class decided to create a project both as a memorial and a way to support mental health awareness.

“Suicide continues to be an issue we see,” said Class of ’85 alumni and Avalon Center Director Leah Weber during the dedication. “We have to be able to have these conversations with people.”

Members of the class formed a committee to raise funds through donations and T-shirt sales, commissioning Barrett to create the 5,000 lb. memorial bench last year.

The bench was installed earlier this year in July, placed in the grassy area in front of the high school entrance.

“This space right here is where all of us old folks entered the school,” said Barrett. “It means the world to me.”

On Friday, following the Homecoming parade, members of the Class of ’85 and the Charles City community gathered around the memorial for a dedication celebration.

Speaking on behalf of Sean Bode, who couldn’t attend, Stace Burns read the dedication speech to the audience, telling the story of why the memorial was made and expressing the hope that it can help someone in the future.

Along with the memorial, the class has also raised funds to start a scholarship for Charles City students through First Security Bank.