Nearly 70 years later, these school friends still have plenty to talk about

The little faces stare out from the old black-and-white photo. It is 1957, and while some of the first graders in Fingal, North Dakota, smile, others seem a little uncertain about the camera. Could seven of the girls have imagined that nearly seven decades later, their friendships would still be part of their story? Their circle would grow to include four other girls. They grew up together and are growing old together. These days, the school desks are gone, and getting together takes a little more planning. This 1957 Fingal classroom photo includes seven girls whose friendships would last for decades: Sylvia Schlagel, front row, far left; Mary Tingley, behind Schlagel; Becky Maasjo, second row, fourth from left; Mary Geeslin, in front of Maasjo; Sharon Maasjo, second row, fifth from left; Jackie Monson, back row; and Rae Ann Lehse, in front of Monson. Lehse died in 2016, Tingley in 2024 and Geeslin in 2025. Contributed / Sharon Maasjo There are husbands, fami