Hannig Named Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Logandale resident and Moapa Valley High School alumnus Katherine Hannig has been selected as the Grand Marshal for the 2016 MVHS Homecoming parade. Hannig is not only an MVHS graduate, but also a past employee of the school and has been a die-hard supporter of Pirates all her life.

Hannig was born and raised in Moapa Valley and is the daughter of Grant and Verna Bowler. She attended school in the Old Logandale School through the 8th grade. She then attended grades 9-12 at the high school, which today serves as the Mack Lyon Middle School in Overton. Hannig graduated in 1956 and then attended college in Cedar City at the College of Southern Utah for one year before moving to Henderson to work.

While in high school, Hannig was active in many activities. “I wasn’t really any good at sports, but I loved to dance,” she said.
Hannig was part of the Debonettes, the school dance team at the time. She said that she loved that.
She was also very active in theater and loved being in the school plays. She won the school’s Outstanding Actress Award when she was a senior.

She also graduated as valedictorian of her class.
“I went to school because I loved school,” Hannig said. “I didn’t know I was valedictorian until after graduation when I looked down at my diploma and saw the valedictorian sticker on it.”
Hannig said that there were only 25 students in her graduating class. Back then everyone worked together to make graduation a big program, she said.

But Hannig’s relationship with MVHS did not end at graduation. While working in Henderson, Hannig got a call from the principal of the high school, who also happened to be her dad. He asked her to fill an emergency vacancy teaching the business classes. Hannig did not have a teaching license so she took the appropriate courses and applied to the state for a provisional certificate for one year, which she was granted.

She loved teaching so much, she ended up getting a provisional certificate for two more years after that.
In addition to teaching business, Hannig also helped with the dances and floor shows and taught the Debonettes in the mornings. She was also the school newspaper advisor. The school, at that time, put a paper out every week.

Hannig left the school in 1960 when she married Jerry Hannig. The couple moved to Vegas and began their family. Katherine and Jerry are the parents of 3 children: Denise, Marty, and Brad.
Nine years after leaving the valley, the Hannigs returned and Katherine was hired back at the high school as the coach for the Debonettes. She did that, with some breaks to coach the flag team, for the next 15 years. She left employment at the school for good in 1985 to work at the post office.

Katherine worked at the post office for the next 15 years, spending the last seven of those years as the postmaster before retiring and spending her days with her family.
She says that she is still very active in MVHS activities and attends all the football games and the dance revues, as well as being a yearly presenter of the Grant M. Bowler award at the spring Senior Awards night.

Hannig was honored to be chosen as this year’s Grand Master.
“I love Moapa Valley and I dearly love the high school,” she said. “I haven’t missed a Homecoming in all these years. I do miss knowing all the kids by name, but it is fun when I find out they are the grandkids of people I knew. Even though I don’t know them all, though, I am still one of their biggest supporters.”

MVHS staff was excited to award Hannig with the title of this year’s Grand Marshal. “Katherine is a MVHS graduate and we’ve seen her at the games for all these years, as well as at the dance revues, and as one of our scholarship presenters,” said MVHS Principal Hal Mortensen. “She’s a true Pirate. There is no better person than her to be the Grand Marshal of the Homecoming parade this year and we are honored to have her.”

This year’s homecoming parade will take place on Thursday, October 6, beginning at 5:00 pm. Following the homecoming parade, the Homecoming Assembly will be held in the new MVHS gym.

The varsity football game will be held on Friday night at 7:00 pm. Pre-game Homecoming festivities will begin at 6:00 pm. The Pirates will be playing Rancho High School.

On Saturday morning at 8:00 am is the Kill Hill Challenge put on by the MVHS Cross Country team. Runners can sign up at a table set up during Thursday’s Assembly or at www.active.com.

The Homecoming dance will be held on Saturday night from 8:00-11:00 pm in the Gary Batchelor Gym.