I attended Indian Valley Jr. High in the early 1970’s and it was there that I developed my love for long hair. Not for myself, mind you. In our homeroom, my seat was towards the back. Two rows down, and one row to the left sat a very cute girl. Each morning I was treated to the sight of her coming into homeroom, sitting down, taking a very long comb out of her purse, and running it through her amazing “Marcia Brady” style hair. I guess those long bus rides to school really messed with girls' hairdos, which required the morning homeroom ritual. For three years I watched her comb those lovely locks. But of course, being a shy, skinny, self-conscious adolescent I figured I had about as much of a chance of befriending her as I did Marcia Brady!

Fast forward to 11^th  grade at Souderton High in the Fall of 1975. As fate would have it, we both landed in the same study hall. By then I was ever so slightly more outgoing and struck up a conversation. To my surprise, she reciprocated and over the next couple of months, I discovered there was a super sweet and adorable person hiding behind those beautiful hazel eyes, that went way beyond her amazing hair. We became good friends, and our first “real” date was the fall marching band competition at Veterans Stadium. “Real” date meaning I actually held her hand on the bus ride to Philly. I just couldn’t believe someone liked me enough to hold my hand – and needless to say, I was shocked, and hooked! And I think she was hooked too.

We were pretty much inseparable from that point on. Band competitions, football games, trips to the R&S Keystone diner for French fries and a vanilla coke… it was an awesome two years. There was a short period of time after we graduated in 1977 that we parted ways. But it just solidified the fact for both of us that the good Lord had a plan for our lives, which included being married in the summer of 1979.  Over the last 44.5 years we’ve been blessed with three daughters after a miraculous healing from infertility. We both went through two bouts of cancer and are now cancer free. We have experienced many joys and opportunities in life beyond what we deserve, are still wildly in love, our faith is strong and …we still live in Telford, PA!

Kent and Cindy (Fry) Gerhart

Class of ‘77