Erick Baumeister’s research revealed that 50 years ago, we lost James Robert Poehnelt, a member of the Class of 1966, on Christmas Day in 1974 at the tender age of 26.

James passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, after a prolonged illness.

His parents were Clement J. Poehnelt Sr. (1918–2011) and Dorothy B. Boerner Poehnelt (1917–2005), both of Sayville. James and his parents are all buried in St. Lawrence.

As is often the case, James’s photograph from Sayville High, which we had in our archives, was adorned with the heartfelt wishes of a classmate.

What steps should we take regarding this? Fortunately, we reached out to Buzzy Gertzen, who was able to work his magic once more and enhance this image. As illustrated above, he succeeded!

This restored photograph will enable future generations to forge a deeper connection with the individuals and narratives it embodies. Buzzy’s efforts guarantee that our collective history will be preserved in a manner that is both visually appealing and historically significant.

Our gratitude goes to Buzzy Gertzen!