Bertha Lenore Aldinger’s 1900 graduation dress and high school diploma were recently donated to the Golden High School Alumni Foundation.

The items will be placed on display at the Golden Pioneer Museum. They were donated by the original owner’s daughter, Marie France.

Marie and her husband, Bob, are both graduates of Golden High School. They have driven back to Golden for 27 years to attend the Mines’ commencement ceremony each year.

Marie attended the old North School for her elementary schooling, and went to the South School for her junior high school education (Bill Coors attended the 7th and 8th grades there at that same time).

Marie graduated from Golden High School in 1934 with a class of 58 students. Her best friend was Alberta Hancock, whose nickname was Toots.

She and Marie co-edited the Maroon and White newspaper at the school. At the time, she said many families in Golden were still recovering from the Great Depression and didn’t have enough money to purchase yearbooks.

Her husband, Bob France, attended CSM, where he pursued an engineering degree and was a member of the ROTC.

He graduated in 1936 and served in the military in World War II, attaining the rank of colonel. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge in Germany.

Bob met Marie at the old Golden Gem theater, on 13th Street and Washington Avenue.

“She and her girlfriend were sitting in front of me and a friend of mine at the movies at the old Golden Gem theater,” he said. “We struck up a conversation and ended up walking them home.”

They were married in 1938 at Golden Presbyterian Church, which is now Foothills Art Center. They raised four sons, and all four retired from the U.S. Navy.

Their youngest son served in Vietnam, and one of their grandsons is currently serving in the Navy. They have seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Upon donating her mother’s dress to the alumni association, Marie said she was sorry to see the changes in Golden that have progressed to the point that traffic lights and crossing signs are needed. But she said she plans to continue coming back.

“We’ll be here (next year) — be the good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise,” she said.

The creek rising would likely have been more trouble in her mother’s era.

Marie said she thinks there were only seven or eight students in Aldinger’s graduating class. She also believes her mother wore her graduation dress again when she married in 1913.

Bertha was born in Leadville, but moved to Golden following her marriage. Marie said that her mother was not given a middle name when she was born, and so chose her own, Lenore, from Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “The Raven.”

Both of Bertha’s children, Marie and her younger brother, Fred Maclean, graduated from Golden High School. Fred went on to graduate from Colorado School of Mines also.

Bertha taught in the Guy Hill School House in Golden Gate Canyon long before the building was relocated to the Clear Creek History Park. The Aldingers also had a grocery store on 10th and Ford streets at one time.

After leaving Golden, Bertha lived with her children. But she always came back to Golden for her dental work because she believed no dentist compared to Dr. Leslie Anderson, a well-known local dentist at that time.

Unfortunately, while she was in town for dental work in September 1944, she died. Her dress and diploma will be on display at the Golden Pioneer Museum, 923 10th Street.

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Vivian Waterman is the Golden High School Alumni Foundation’s secretary.