Soap Lake's 50th homecoming

SOAP LAKE - In 1958, Karen Heilman was crowned Soap Lake High School's first homecoming carnival queen.

This year Heilman is crowning Soap Lake's newest homecoming queen Friday during the school day.

Soap Lake High School is celebrating its 50th homecoming. All week students have dressed to themes, a homecoming tradition.

Associated Student Body Secretary Karen Smith said the themes for the week are "hippy versus hick," "duct tape," "decade day," "dynamic duo" and "spirit day."

"I see a lot more kids getting involved this year (with homecoming), and our school spirit is getting boosted by bringing the history into our building," Smith said.

One Soap Lake family shares multigenerational memories of homecoming. Dolores Nacke graduated from Soap Lake High School in 1959, the first graduating class that could attend school in Soap Lake for 12 consecutive years. Her daughter, Robin Deines, is a 1980 graduate of the high school. Deines' children are now attending the high school.

"(The 50th anniversary) brings back a lot of memories and a lot of pride in Soap Lake schools," Nacke said.

Nacke said when she was in school, students would collect boxes and then burn them in a bonfire. Slumber parties, decorating the halls and walking downtown hand-in-hand as one long snake were other activities her class enjoyed. Dressing up to themes is something her generation shares with current students.

"In 50 years, that hasn't changed. We'd like to think we were a little advanced, but we weren't," she said.

Deines said box burning and the snake dance were part of the ceremony when she was in school. During homecoming week, classes would compete to collect the most boxes for the bonfire.

"We would run around at night, taking each others' boxes," she said.

At the end, students would enjoy a large bonfire.

Each class decorated a float, which students would parade through town.

Deines said she hopes to see a lot of alumni at Friday's homecoming, since it would be good for students to see the school spirit.

"It's exciting," she said. "Hopefully, we'll get a good turnout of people."

D.L. Deines said most of his favorite homecoming memories from past years are of football competitions.

The four-year varsity football player participated in drills and races this year in anticipation of the homecoming game. Teammates carried one another on their backs, did somersaults from one sideline to the other and conducted wheelbarrow races.

In addition, Deines enjoyed dressing up during homecoming week. His duct tape costume, of colorful strips over shoes and clothing, earned him one of the titles of best dressed.

"It got pretty warm," he said.

Deines is a nominee for homecoming prince. In 1980, his mom was named a homecoming princess.

Heilman, the homecoming queen from 1958 and a graduate of 1959, said homecoming was a good time in high school.

"We rode in the convertible, you dressed up really nice," Heilman said.

The school had a carnival in the gym, with students running the booths.

As a high school student, when her aunt and uncle celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Heilman said she wondered how anyone could live that long.

"(Fifty years) seemed old, and now of course that I'm in the middle of it, it doesn't feel that old," she said.

Crowning of the king and queen takes place at Soap Lake High School at 2 p.m. Friday. The football game, Soap Lake versus LaSalle, begins at 7 p.m.

For more information, call Soap Lake High School at 509-246-1201.