Okay Kids, Pay attention!!!
I have so much to write and so little time that I’m simply listing all those of you who just acknowledged receiving the last newsletter on the last page. Thank you, and the rest of you be on alert that I may decide yours is a bad address, and quit sending to you!!!! Now, for those who had something more to add….
Tunk
Taylor, Class of 1950
ENJOY HEARING ABOUT PEOPLE FROM HOME. THANKS FOR
Marie
Grussendorf Bennett, class of 1944
Even though I graduated in 1944 so many of those names are familiar. I have sent the newsletter on to my sister Rita, brother Bill and cousin Johnny Daily, who is 9 years younger than I am but graduated from IP high school
Don Beck, Class of 1953
[
I got this a couple of days ago from Buddy Johnson's wife Jane. He was in our graduating class of 1953. I hope you can get the attachment of the funeral home and on the right column are the details of his obit.
[My reply:]
Thanks, Don. I did find the
obit. I'm sorry to hear about Buddy's death. I liked him in
school. I had forgotten that he didn't always live there.... My
parents knew some of the family previously, as they lived out north of
Jim Bradford, class of 1947
Maryanne, thanks for the
great newsletter. Son Bell of IP has an apartment on the floor
below me in
[My Reply:]
Thanks,
Jim.... yes, I learned his local name from his secretary, Annette.
I had no idea of who she was talking about when she wrote me that
"Johnny" had fallen.... etc. But we got
it straightened out. He was still in the care center
when Bill was there for his birthday. Annette told me that he was
expecting to go back to the Village very soon. I didn't get to go
for his party, since we had the Pot Luck here the day before. Bill
is 'younger' than I am, and more used to long drives!
Lee
Holloway, Class of 1959
I read a note from Carolyn Caddell Adams, class of
1959, that name has me digging into my year books. I do not remember her
and that got me worried maybe I'm slipping faster than I thought. My
thought is it might be 1949 and my year books don't go back that far.
Anyhow if she is from the mid 50's or early 60's I would love to hear
from her.
Lee
Holloway Class of 1959
[My reply:]
Slip of the
finger, Lee...... The year is 1955! I’m sure I will hear from others as
well!
Lou Ann Gay
Yarbro
THANKS FOR THE
NEWSLETTER
Note: Much
more about Homecoming later……
Lee Holloway. Class of 1959:
Mary Hackman Dennis, Class of 1952
Hi
Maryanne, My new address is
Mary Dennis
It is good to hear from our old friends.
I enjoy hearing from you.
Thanks for thinking about me.
Love, Mary Gladys
Wanda
Mansell Chastain, Class of 1947
Maryanne, The newsletter did finally download and I enjoyed it. My address is 6504 Opal rather than 8504. Thanks, Wanda Note: Sorry! Another goof on my part.
Thomas
Pace, Class of 1946
Your wonderful newsletter project
is received here with no problems! I can tell it is a "labor of
love" on your part and much appreciated by me and others. Little
news at this end!! We have been dodging those same tornados all
Spring that start in your country and travel to
Donnie and June James McManus, both Class of
1955
My
sister-in-law, Jeanne James (my brother Billy James 1947) sent us
several copies of Old Friends, and we really enjoyed catching
up on some old friends. We did not know about your newsletter.
My
husband and I (Donnie McManus and June James McManus 1955) just
celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, so we go way back with some of
you. We moved to
I
have to add my bit to the accolades about Maude Owens. What an
inspirations she was, especially when she closed her eyes, pointed that
long finger and read to us from her favorite poetry.
All I
remember about W.R. Bradford was the rumor that he had an electric
paddle. Once I walked by his office and saw an electric heater.
I was sure that had something to do with the paddle.
We
have many memories of
Please add us to your email list for Old Friends, if you can.
June McManus
Note: Hmmmmmmm ….. I think we have room for two more!!!! Welcome to all others, via E-mail. And see the next item……..
Bill
Mahler, Class of 1947
I received it and reproduced it for two others w/o emails. Bill
Note: If everybody would do as Bill does, and if those people responded too, we would really be able to all keep in touch! If you need addresses of friends you would like to send copies to, let me know!
Naomi
Baxter Runco, Class of 1953
As usual it was so much fun to get the latest on everyone. I had a pleasant surprise today when I got an email from Mary Hackman Dennis, my long lost friend. Thanks for the newsletter and you are doing a great job. Hope to see you at homecoming. If at all possible I am going to try to be there. Naomi
Agnes
Wesley Giles, Class of 1953
Thanks for
including date of Homecoming......I have a room reserved at the B&B in
Note:
The
Jackie Teal
Medlinger, Class of 1951
Hi Maryanne! I received
the newsletter, but, believe this if you can......I have not had time to
open it yet!!!!! I gotta get a new life!!!
I do not have time to do ANYTHING for myself....and I thought one
was supposed to be rocking in a chair at my age!!!??? oh
well....
Sure had fun with Bill
at Sonny's dinner.... You would have cracked up at the look on his face
when I told him I am Jackie Teal....I could see 50 yrs of recalling in
his mind in that split second....I hope all is well with you guys...I
will try to read the newsletter today...love and hugs...and thanks a
million!! Jackie
Note:
For those who don’t know,
Jackie’s late sister was Son Bell’s wife.
So, Jackie was at his 90th birthday lunch that Bill
attended….. He called me
and said he had met “Annette”…. Son’s secretary…. and put her on the
phone to talk to me.
However, I was talking to my Old Friend, Jackie!!!!
Senior Moment for BJ…...
Imogene Martin Phillips, Class of 1949
I sent you an email and it came back. So I will try again. I tried to locate Jerry, but my mail did not work either. His sister is Patsy Rogers Cope Roy. I do not know her husband's first name. I thought that would be a start. If you know of more students for the class of 1949, I would like to have their email. Thanks. Ima Jean
[My reply:] Thanks, Ima Jean. [I had requested help finding Jerry…] Just as I suspected was happening to my mail!!!!!! I have Jerry's address, but was hoping that somebody else had a new e-mail for him... I hate writing letters. I know they would not disappear on purpose. Their parents were our next-door neighbors until they died. I know all the surviving kids. If I try real hard, I can find them.... was hoping for a short-cut from somebody.
I may have added Carolyn Baxter's e-mail since you and I talked.... Just in case, it's Carolyn Baxter Glaser I think that's the only new one I have. Will let you know if I get more.
Note: Ima Jean and Howard Gay are both wanting to communicate with others in the class of 1949. Help will be appreciated. I will break down and MAIL this issue to Jerry and Barbara [Entrekin] Rogers….. But let this be a warning to those who receive the newsletter by e-mail…. I have to know when you change addresses. And don’t lock me out, if you want the newsletter. I have also lost Larry Parkey, from a later class.
As for my own E-address, it appears that I always get my Yahoo mail, but I have lost a lot through HughesNet. Therefore, I suggest that you all use TranquilityHome Don’t worry if you use the other one…. I know it’s confusing, because sometimes I forward a message I have received via HughesNet, and when you reply, most likely yours will automatically record it into your address book. The important thing is for you to write to me… I don’t care where!!!
I’m not wild about Yahoo for several reasons… one being that I cannot send all 111 e-mail newsletters within an hour…. I understand that is a protective action, but it is frustrating when I want to get through with my job, and take a nap!
Conversations with Bruce Hughes, [Class of 1955???] I’m not sure of the year, but that’s the era…. I don’t have time to find out before writing.
Bruce sent me a picture of the 1921 Iowa Park Football Squad.
I wish I could put it in the newsletter, but will have it at
Homecoming with my old albums….[a reminder to YOU to bring YOURS!]
Not knowing where his parents went to school, I asked him if his
father was in it. He replied “Glad you got it. Mickey identified the
fellow on the far left, 2nd row, as Roy B. Smith. My dad went to high
school in
My answer
was “When I looked at that
picture, I saw that guy and thought "He looks like Roy Smith".... then
just forgot it. Had no idea that
Later,
Bruce sent the following e-mail:
Sent:
I assured Bruce that I would rush home from a doctor’s appointment to catch him… and got the reply, “Great! This is, of course, my son. I was named after him, according to my mother.”
In the meantime, I had gone to the website, and observed a quite
YOUNG Bruce Hughes, a Rock Star, I believe!
So my final note to Bruce
read
“ THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!! I
was worried about you when I went to the link!!!! Funny....”
James Portis, Class of 1942 [May 2 ]
I just received your latest copy of Old Friends, and although I don’t know most of the folks who write, I enjoy reading about them, and especially when it is from some of the old timers.
I thought you might enjoy the pictures I took of the class of
1942 last year. I have been
a long time getting them printed, as shortly after returning home, we
found that
I can’t get over how
I have many fond memories of
Note:
Bobbie Ruth
Grussendorf Duty, Class of 1951
I want to say that your time, talent, and love for your school is greatly appreciated. You are doing what you can to further the love and friendship of these dear people. If everyone did what they could in this life, how bright the future of the world would be. We can brighten the corner where we live, truly.
I want to tell you that my sister
Betty Grussendorf Rush, Class of
1947, can speak again.
Her daughter, Kathy, [class of 1972] is caring for her in her home,
along with her husband, Roy.
They make her life more enjoyable.
She told me this week, “I love you”, along with other things I
couldn’t understand. Kathy
was not willing to give up on her mother, and has helped her come back
to reality. That’s love in
action. Bobbie.
Prayer Requests include my own plea for my daughter-in-law, Debbie Blizard Gilmore, [class of 1969] who has received a bad report on a mammogram, and must have further tests. She is also facing cataract surgery in the near future.
Pug
[Wenzella] Blum Walsh, Class
of 1950, is currently in ICU at
WORLD TRAVELLERS to the same area
As I write this sentence, Sunday May 25th,
Martha and Bill Weiler,
Class of 1950, are on their way to another tour, having just weeks
ago returned from the last!
E-mail from Martha reads:
“Exploring
the
Rip [
This
is the latest skinny on our summer trip: We fly to
Note:
Rip and Dorothy will be guests of their son and his wife, who have just
recently purchased the Matau.
Go to
http://www.charterbrochure.com/matau/ for
a brochure on this beautiful sailboat that is being chartered in the
Mediterranian. Later
word indicates their adventure is around the middle of June.
HOMECOMING DELLIMA:
People, we have a situation that needs as much feed-back as possible, and YOUR opinion is important. Please respond to this urgent message. You and I have helped create a problem that needs fixing. We have sat back and let others do the work, failed to make reservations for the Alumni Banquet, and criticized when we were displeased with the results. Therefore, some of the committee members have resigned.
Our Alumni Association Banquet committee needs
local volunteers to help with the planning and operation this year.
That requires those people to be in the
The Alumni Association has considered dividing all the graduates into two separate groups, with a banquet for each. That would require TWO separate planning committees. Some of our people have indicated that they had rather not have a banquet at all, but simply a cold-cut buffet, so that the entire time can be spent visiting. It’s too late to change anything this year, but we need to make decisions for future years, about exactly what WE, the W.F.George High Alumni, want at Homecoming time
Sue tells me that she has not been able to secure
any of the younger people to take over those classes who graduated from
the ‘new’
Our Old Friends will take in those classes from the
early 60’s, who are grads of OUR school, this year.
I cannot mail any more newsletters, but welcome all e-mail
addresses for those in those classes, at this time.
So, Lee Holloway, and others in those younger classes, get busy
now, spreading the word and passing around the newsletter.
We already have several from those years who have joined us by
choice. Remember, we have
already reserved the OLD SCHOOL cafeteria for our
OLD FRIENDS ROUND-UP from
Sue has suggested that attendance to the banquet may be limited to ADVANCE TICKET SALES with a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope enclosed for mailing the tickets to the buyer. That would eliminate all the extra paper-work to get in. A dead-line for these purchases would give an exact number of plates needed for the banquet. If there were more orders than space allowed, attendance would be on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.
A banquet ticket would not be required for the OLD FRIENDS ROUND-UP. Those without tickets would still get to visit, but would just have to eat elsewhere.
My job now is to communicate with you, and deliver the responses to Sue. Please cooperate in answering all the questions below, by numbering a separate piece of paper, writing the appropriate answer beside each number, and sending those answers back to me. Or, e-mail your responses.
Failure
to
reply
will
result
in
removal
from
my
mailing
list!!!!!!!
1.
Are you in the area of
2. Do you usually attend the banquet, and / or plan to attend this year?
3. In the future, would you want to keep the banquet for all ages? Or do you think we should separate our Old Friends group from the young classes of more recent years?
4. Would you want to keep the banquet just the way it is, with hot food, or would you rather have a casual buffet?
5. If your choice is a buffet, what types of food or refreshments would you personally enjoy?
6. Is entertainment important to you?
7. Are decorations important to you?
8. Would you be more inclined to attend the event if we had a buffet combined with our Round-Up, rather than a banquet or buffet later?
9. How serious is the matter of parking arrangements for you? Do you have any suggestions to make it easier? Would you pay for Valet Parking?
More information on Homecoming will be
in a later newsletter.
Thanks for your help.
Ending on a Funny Note…..
Lou Ann Gay Yarbro, Class of 1952
SIT
DOWN & TAKE A LOAD OFF ~ I'VE
Acknowledged Newsletter,
in order of receiving :
Dorthy Lee Major, 1959:
Nicki [Lenora] Brown Lieb, 1958;
Bernice Cage Mason, 1953;
Eva Nell Clements Cook, 1951;
Roy and Annelle Short Mundt, 1947;
Veneta Gilmore Glasgow, 1946:
Ray and Mary Ann Spence Shook,
1947; Howard Gay, 1949;
Jeanetta Croft Bagley, 1953; Lucy
[Lucille] Wesley Holman, 1951; Lloyd
& Pat Klinkerman, 1955; Mick
Sewell, 1954; Franklin
Farmer, 1950; Wiley
McDaniel, 1942; Doris Probst
Perry, 1947; Phillip Turner,
1950; Glen Miller, 1948 and
Helen Mitchell Miller, 1947;
Bob Ayres, 1946;
Myra Taylor Hays, 1952; Gerald
Walsh, 1947; Frances
Arnold Taylor, 1955; Johnnie
Dunn, 1950; Reat [Aretis] Fish
Spruiell, 1951 .
Love and Appreciation to all of you.