March 5, 2011
I hope this finds you well.
The Tuscaloosa Class of 1961 “Locals” are getting very excited about the upcoming reunion May 5-7 (only 2 months away) and are looking forward to seeing many of you. Lots of thought was put into the planning of this special reunion. Won’t you take advantage of this occasion to reconnect with friends you haven’t seen for a while or, even since graduation? There are no more cliques, only a desire to warmly welcome you back into “the family.” It’s been fun talking with some of you about the plans. Did you realize that when we graduated, we were celebrating 50 years of THS and now we are adding another 50? The print of the school that George Taylor has drawn is fantastic. Remember, if you attend the reunion, one will be given to each person as a gift and if you are unable to attend, one will be available for a fee.
Robert Moman shares this information: “My wife (Susan) and I go to the southern coast of Spain at the end of February for two weeks of sun and exploration, and to visit friends in the region. At the end of March we travel to the U.S. for 40 days of visits in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and of course Alabama for me. We return to Sweden mid-May. Spring in Sweden is simply fantastic. I have attached a few "Scenes from Sweden" as proof.
Spring in Sweden is simply fantastic. I have attached a few "Scenes from Sweden" as proof.
Always looking for exciting events, I have entered two long bike rides in Sweden in June 2011, and just one week apart. The first is 150 km, and should take about 6 hours (I completed this one last year as well). The second, the Vätternrundan, is a 300 km (180 mile) circumnavigation of Sweden's second largest lake, and should take me about 12 hours to complete. This cycling event is the largest in the world, with 22,000 riders from more than 30 countries participating this year.
All of this means I will travel in Spain and the U.S. with my road bike, so that I can continue the training.”
Reading this makes me exhausted!!! Robert is coming from Sweden.
Heard from Robert Raiford: “I think I forgot to mention late last year we cruised through the Panama Canal and visited a number of Central American Countries....additionally, we were in Acapulco the week the 14 were kidnapped and later decapitated! Don't think I'll be back in Mexico anytime soon.....oh, the Panama Canal doesn't have anything on Oliver lock and dam:)....it's just a lot bigger. So many on the cruise had never seen a lock and here we were from Tuscaloosa telling them how it worked. When we kept our houseboat above lock 17 near Yellow Creek and on the Warrior (in the 70"s) we cruised down the Warrior through two locks and would dock next to Riverside Drive to go to Alabama Games....great memories. Best to you, Robert” I think Robert must have traveled around the world several times!!!
Tama (Thelma Allen) Noetzel continues to write about their travels in Europe – If you are interested (they are really good), let me know and I’ll forward them to you. It’s been amazing that during their traveling, they have run into fellow tourists that they have met at different places.
Heard from Brenda Peyton-Wright Davies: “Bob and I are doing well, but we are not traveling much. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about 5 years ago, and it makes travel a real challenge. Physically he is doing pretty well - he goes to a PD Exercise group twice a week, rides a recumbent bike, and plays golf and ping pong. I have not been playing as much golf, so my game is not at its peak (although I am still hanging on to the title of Club Champion). I have been Club Champion or Senior Club Champion where ever I have been for the past 10 years. Don't know if I will do it this year, but I'll sure try. I have also started riding a bike again, and have participated in a 40 mile leg of a race they do out here every year. It is "El Tour de Tucson," and Bob and I have raised over $11,000 over the past 3 years to help Parkinson's.
We are happy out here in Oro Valley (just north of Tucson.) It is a great community that we live in, and the weather suits us.
I am sorry that I won't be playing Ol' Colony. Have fun without us. Thanks, Brenda and Bob Davies”
Received the following information today:
Dear Susan,
I'm happy to be contacting you on behalf of Lee Faulkner regarding the release of "Alabama Moon" in Alabama starting March 18th! Moon Blake is coming to the big screen at last!
“Alabama Moon” has made the rounds at independent film festivals, and was awarded the Dove Foundation ‘Family Approved’ seal. The Dove Foundation is dedicated to advocating for families and moving Hollywood in a more family-friendly direction. It has been rated PG by the MPAA.
Adults and kids alike are sure to laugh, learn and definitely enjoy watching “Alabama Moon”. Family-friendly movies are few and far between these days, so I hope you will spread the word to the Alumni of Tuscaloosa High School via your website about the opportunity to see one –that’s not animated!
Below is a list of the theatres in your area that will be showing the film:
Starting 3/18/11
Birmingham Rave Patton Creek
Rave Lee Branch
Premiere Tannehill
Regal Trussville
Gadsden Premiere 16
Tuscaloosa Cobb Hollywood 16
Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information to pass on to those interested in seeing "Alabama Moon".
I’ve attached a news release and the film poster, which you’re free to use in newsletters, online or in eblasts. And our website has been updated with much more information and the MPAA approved trailer http://www.alabamamoonthemovie.net/en/home.php
Thanks so much!
Jocelyn Throop
Associate Producer
FAULKNER-MCLEAN ENTERTAINMENT, L.L.C.
P.O. Box 2164
Fairhope, AL 36532
Tel: 251-279-8940
Fax 866-641-2087
Cell: 514-632-4673
jocelyn@faulknerproductions.com
"ALABAMA MOON" the movie
Official Website:
http://www.alabamamoonthemovie.net
Check us out on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alabama-Moon/189785646899?ref=ts
Jack Wilder e-mailed me
Susan:
Sorry to say that I will not be attending the 50th.
The address information that you have on me remains the same. Wife of 44 years, Rosalie, remains the same. When we married I told her that if she was still around after 35 years that I would keep her, and I am a man of my word. Hope you all have a wonderful time.
Sincerely,
John F. (Jack) Wilder” Married 44 years - great news!
There is a feature in the “Tuscaloosa News” called “Looking Back” that appears each Monday. 50 years ago the week of 1/24, George Hamner, 18, a senior at Tuscaloosa High School, received an honor award in the annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search.
George’s brother, Richard, along with John Allen and George Taylor have been compiling a history of THS. It will be put with the print of the school.
Have received payment or indication that the following will be coming to the reunion:
Robert Moman, William Morris Clements, Bill & Cheryl Clements, Roland Mouchette, Jack Howard, Marty (Fort) & Billy Massengale, Ellis Smith, Butch & Jessica Miller, Ward McFarland, Sandra Henry Baker, George & Mary Hamneer, Charlotte Chandler Fulmer, Kathryn (Epperson) & Raymond Dockery, Happy (Hinton) & Gaston Green, Joan Ann (Boozer) Ray, Robert Raiford, Walter Bennett, Alice (Gribbin) & Newt Allen, Bill McCrory, Larry Grant, John Stanley Rich, Jeanne Birdsong Douglas, Bonnie (Clark) Davis, Cecil Ann (Bowers) Sayles, Mary Ann (Barton) Wood, Linda (Parker) Skinner, Billy Ray Davis, Jimmy & Barbara (Robertson) Walker, Sid Spencer.
Go to the “Roster,” pick out a classmate you haven’t talked with in a long time and call them. Talk each other into coming to the reunion. You’ll really have a fun time!!! Some friends have even rented a condo together to have a 3-day spend-the-night party. Don’t forget, the motel/hotel rooms I blocked will only be held until 3/15. Univ. of AL graduation is the same weekend, so Tuscaloosa will be busy!!!!
Prayer has been requested from the following:
Bonnie Clark Davis – will undergo double mastectomy on 3/8
Jessica Frazier Miller (Butch’s wife) is tentatively scheduled for robotic lung cancer surgery on 4/5
And others who are ill
The following have had deaths in their family:
Terry Yeargan Jackson’s father, Dr. P. B. Yeargan, died 2/15/11.
Charles Hilburn’s mother, Claudia Henderson Hilburn, died on 2/22/11
Mary Oliver White’s father, Rex Oliver, died on 2/25/11
I also learned that Barbara Marion died over 2 years ago. Her mother was kind enough to phone & leave this message for me.
Received sad news this morning that Dan Stewart died on 3/4/11 after a long battle with MS. Dan designed our first web site many years ago and was a tireless worker wanting to make sure it always looked great.
Do something for someone without their knowing of it, hug someone, thank someone – you will feel great!
Susan
January 17, 2010
Greetings!
Luanne Terrill Eddie welcomed a new grandson on 1/5/11. This is her first grandchild. How exciting! I remember after my first granddaughter was born that whenever I would stroll her in the mall in Birmingham, I wanted everyone to tell me how beautiful she was!!!
Received a message from William Morris Clements advising us that he and Betty would be relocating to a retirement community in the same town. He also updated us with information on his vast collection of motorcycles. His latest purchase is a Honda DN-01. It joins a stable of 11 other bikes at College Business Park in Claremont, CA where he keeps and maintains the collection. A few years ago he bought Walter Bennett’s 1984 BMW R80RT, which is now mated to a Velorex sidecar and is known locally as “Walter.” I believe a few reunions ago, he rode one of his “big” bikes all the way here from California.
Back in December, in the “Tuscaloosa News,” there was a listing by the Black Warrior Council, Boy Scouts of America, of all Eagle Scouts since 1914 by years. Our class had a good many:
Jerry Lake, Kendall Hanby, Jay Mayfield, Karl Weeks, James Christopher, Billy Massengale & Tim Hodgens. Lots of hard work went into earning this badge. Congratulations!
Tama (Thelma) Allen Noetzel and her husband are still visiting and camping all over Europe. If you would like to read her journals, just let me know and I will forward them to you. They are quite interesting.
At our December Class Pot-Luck Supper, we put together the reunion information. There were over 25 of your classmates who worked wonderfully together and got all of the correct pages folded & inserted in the envelopes, sealed the envelopes & placed two labels and one stamp on each one. About 350 were completed. All of this was done in about an hour. We are so excited about the upcoming reunion – REMEMBER – MAY 5-7, 2011. All of the forms and information are at the class web site http://ths61.com (click on this link) thanks to Jeff Graham who has done a terrific job with the site. He has also helped tremendously, as well as some others, Joe Lee Connell & Kendall Hanby, to name a few, in finding some of you who have moved. If, for some reason you have not received your forms, please go to the class site, they are printable. What did not get in the package was information from Ellis Smith regarding the golf planned for Friday, 5/6. This is on the class site along with the information on how to contact Ellis. It would be great if some of you could go ahead and send in your money. Soon, we will have to be making partial payments at some of the places we have reserved.
Will you go to the class site – the Roster section – and look at the names of classmates that do not have an address? See if you know where any of them are and let me know. I’d really appreciate it.
__________________________________________________________________________
Now for some serious news:
Classmates that need your prayers:
Mary Ann Barton Wood is seriously ill
Dan Stewart is doing better, but still very ill
Catherine Howard Givens will be having outpatient surgery on 1/17
Harry Hammonds was scheduled to have knee replacement surgery on 1/10, but due to the inclement weather last week, I haven’t been able to confirm it was done
Paulette Malone Evans continues to improve after her back surgery late last year. She is able to drive, but still has to be careful
Bonnie Clark Davis had a serious accident on November 3rd causing her ring finger to be crushed when a mirror that was being hanged fell on it. I haven’t had an update lately, but she was scheduled to see a surgeon shortly afterwards
Jack Howard’s brother, Tommy Howard (THS Class of 1959), died on December 9th
Vernona Mason Delmont’s mother, Viona T. Mason died December 19th
And, classmate, Wayne Sheridan Bell, died December 25th in Fairhope, AL
Wishing you a good week.
Susan
November 30, 2010
Here’s hoping you and your family are in good health. Remember, don’t put off the routine medical tests – a much quicker treatment and cure could be the result (mine ended up this way!!!).
Billy and Marty (Mary Frances Fort) Massengale continue to ride all over the country on Billy’s motor. A couple of months ago, they went to the Harley store for a hat and came out with a new motor that cost much more than the hat, but they both are extremely happy with it. I cannot imagine riding for as many hours as they do and not having a dead rear end. Marty is always ready to go. All Billy has to do is ask.
Tama (Thelma Allen) Noetzel and husband, Jonathan, are living in London for at least a year, maybe more. Since their arrival on August 14th, they have visited many places in a camper with their dogs. Tama reports today that it is snowing in London. She has sent some very interesting tales of their travels and experiences – if any of you would like to read them, just let me know and I will forward them to you. She also says that their 2nd bedroom is ready for visitors. She would love e-mails tnoetzel@live.com . Robert Moman backpacked the Pyrenees back in August with his daughter. Said it was an incredible backpacking experience, hiking more than 35 miles, 9,000 feet up and 11,000 down all with the heavy backpacks. He lives in Sweden.
The Red Hat Society’s 2011 International convention will be in New Orleans next year and I’ve made my reservation! There are 4 of us going (one is 92 – can you imagine?) and we plan to take the train. I anticipate loads of fun. You might have noticed that I said “International.” Well, they are – Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Canada are just some of the countries that have clubs. Our club’s 92 year-old member is always ready to go. She had to have part of her hip transplant repaired recently (who would have thought one would have lasted 30 years?) but she wasn’t home-bound for very long.
Barbara Robertson House and Jimmy Walker finally tied the knot on September 25th. It was a beautiful wedding (lots of thought went into it). I still believe that our mock wedding we had for them back last December was top notch. The video of it is on the class web site. It’s hilarious. Barbara & Jimmy loved it. We did too.
As I was looking at my calendar trying to remember things to report that have happened since July, I was amazed at all of the doctor visits I had posted. Whenever I’m with friends, it never fails that we end up talking about what medicines we take or our latest health episode! Sometimes it seems like each person is trying to outdo the other with their health experiences.
Please, please put down May 5-7, 2011 on your calendar. It’s the weekend for our class’ 50th reunion. If you have never been, please seriously consider attending. There are no more cliques – everyone is just so glad to be there. Each past reunion we have had a classmate attend and they have remarked that they don’t know why they had not attended before – they had had a wonderful time. We have very seriously tried to make this reunion a very enjoyable one, yet affordable, considering it is for 3 days. Information and the registration form will be mailed out the week of December 14th. If you are still in touch with former classmates, call them to encourage them to attend. We also need current e-mail addresses. You can do me a huge favor by asking your classmates to allow you to send the e-mail address to me or give them my e-mail address ( suselmore@msn.com ). Your e-mail address is safe with me.
I am sending to Jeff Graham (our website Guru) a picture Mike Canty gave me. See if you can identify anyone and let me know. Mike knows some of the people but there are a few that he cannot remember.
Cecil Ann Bowers Sayles’ son, Todd Carpenter, is Boone Newspapers’ President and COO. The company owns and manages 38 daily and weekly newspapers in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota.
Tulane Wilson Duke recently resigned from the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education as District 3’s representative to become a full-time grandmother. After serving Tuscaloosa City Schools for nearly 4 decades as a teacher, elementary and middle school principal, the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction and on the school board, she is ready for her new job. She has even moved from Tuscaloosa to be near her new grandchild. I hope we can pry her away to come to the reunion.
I had a wonderful visit with Jo Ann Boozer Ray a couple of weeks ago. Jo Ann was in town for the Mississippi State game and invited me over to meet her son, daughter, their spouses and grands. A wonderful family.
My older granddaughter, Katie, turned 21 on the 18th and decided she wanted to celebrate by going skydiving! She and 3 of her friends did and had an absolutely great time. I have pictures that were made on her way down (part of the package deal) and the smile on her face went from ear to ear. She said they went up about 4,000 ft. before jumping. Whew, that’s one thing I won’t be doing – ever.
Kathryn Epperson Dockery and husband, Raymond, recently returned from a trip to New York City and then a cruise up to Canada. They had a really good time, but Raymond was ready, after about a week, to get home to his tractor. There’s nothing quite like home, is there?
We have classmates and their families who have had serious illnesses – please pray for them.
We also have had classmates who have had loved ones to die:
Bonnie Clark Davis’ husband, Bob, died on July 30th
Jeanne Birdsong Douglas’ husband, Gerald, died August 20th. He was in the THS Class of 1959
Terry Yeargan Jackson’s mother, Thelma Alice Brown Yeargan, died September 29th
Barbara Allen Henigin’s mother, Sarah M. Allen, died October 2nd
Beth Posey Lewis’ mother, Rita Snyder Posey, died October 4th
Ron Donaldson’s mother, Hazel Landers Donaldson, died October 4th
Carl Epperson’s brother, Ronald Craig Epperson, died November 7th
Edwina Green Brown’s mother, Mattie Monteray Green, died November 9th
Again, don’t forget May 5-7, 2011.
Send me some news – I know you all aren’t just sitting and doing nothing.
Susan
July 17, 2010
IMPORTANT NEWS:
Next year, we will be celebrating 50 years since graduation!! Can you believe it? We will probably begin our planning meetings next month (August), so if you have any suggestions as to 1. Month; 2. Places around Tuscaloosa to hold the parties; 3. Activities during the day (touring, golf, etc. – we will still have the “Girls” Luncheon on the Friday of the reunion weekend), send them to me at suselmore@msn.com
CLASS NEWS:
John Allen, has served as president of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table for the past three years. His organization recently had as their featured speaker, the dean of Civil War Historians Edwin C. Bearss (featured commentator for Ken Burns' PBS series, The Civil War). The meeting was held at UA Huntsville before a packed audience in Chan Auditorium. See more about this event at the Classmates In the News page.
Billy and Marty Fort Massengale still travel everywhere on Billy’s motorcycle. They went out West several months ago and really enjoyed it. They have plans for more trips. All Billy has to do is mention riding the ‘cycle and Marty is ready to go in a flash!
Jimmy Walker and Barbara House also enjoy exploring the Tuscaloosa area on their Cushman motors (Barbara has her own red one). About a week ago, they, along with another couple, came by to see me and I felt like the street in front of my house was an elite Cushman show room as all four had their own sleek motors. I wish I had been quick enough to get a picture of all four of them leaving the front of my house. Times have really changed – can you picture your parents on scooters or motorcycles when they were our age!!!!!
Paulette Malone Evans, her children & grands went on vacation the last of May and swam with the dolphins. She said they all really enjoyed it. Even her 2 year-old grandson put his wet suit on.
Sandra Henry Baker’s granddaughter, Chesa, has been to several sport camps this summer here in Tuscaloosa and her grandson, Zak, is doing well in baseball. By the way, Sandra’s son, Jack Baker, is corporate chef of Cosmos & Cobalt restaurants in Orange Beach. There is a 15-page spread about both restaurants and Jack in the latest issue of Tuscaloosa Magazine. When you are in the area, go by and ask if Jack is there and, if so, tell him you know his mom! He will be delighted.
George Hamner was honored recently by the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce for his efforts and leadership on behalf of the chamber’s technology council and recent WiFi initiative on the Strip (University area).
Some time ago, our newspaper ran an article about schools that no longer exist and their mascots. It’s been 30 years since Tuscaloosa High and Druid were combined. “It’s not hard to spot Black Bear bumper stickers that grace the cars and trucks of former Tuscaloosa (High) graduates. No one knows for certain how Tuscaloosa came up with the nickname of Black Bears, but one story of the origin is told more than others. ‘When Tuscaloosa was founded, there were black bears here,’ Tuscaloosa High School graduate Bill Lawley said. Another theory floating about is that the black in the name Black Bears comes from the Choctaw Indian, Tuskaloosa, meaning Black Warrior, for whom the city was named. There is a group of former Tuscaloosa High students who eat breakfast at Rama Jama (located across the street from Bryant-Denny Stadium) each week. The spirit of both schools is so alive and well that last year (2008) the Tuscaloosa City Council approved ordinances to rename sections of city streets “Black Bears Way” and Dragons Lane.”
Roger and Margaret Ann Townsend Bailey’s granddaughter, Kari Leigh Walker was married the first of the year. A very pretty bride!
My granddaughter, Katie, a rising junior at Birmingham Southern, is involved in a very interesting project this summer. Her major is research psychology. She was nominated by her professor to take part in a summer research project with UAB, studying children with ADHD, ADD & some Autism. She and other students take these kids swimming, trips – whenever the “school” session is over with each day. It’s not easy from conversations with her. They also have to evaluate the “campers” before leaving each day, which normally is longer than the usual 8-hour work day. She is getting paid, not very much, but earning every penny. This should look very good on her résumé.
The “locals” continue to meet the 3rd Tuesday evening of each month for either a “pot-luck” supper or at a restaurant. If you happen to be in town on that day, please call someone to find out where we will be. We would love to have you join us.
Tama (Thelma) Allen Noetzel and her husband, Jonathan, will be leaving for England the first of August to spend at least a year living there along with their 3 dogs that will also make the trip. Their son and his family live there. Tama has been getting the necessary papers ready for, it seems like, a year. Because the family pets will be traveling with them, the paperwork and necessary shots, etc. for the dogs are very important to have correctly. The vet was very impressed with the way Tama had prepared the information for each dog. I know that they will really enjoy being near their grands and getting to know them better.
Diana Hardin Miller is a grandmother again. Harper Johanna Mueller was born June 1st and is doing well. She is a beautiful baby.
Barbara Robertson House is also a grandmother again. Britt House was born in March and is adorable. Son, Mike, is the very proud father. Whenever Barbara goes to visit in Birmingham, no one else is allowed to hold Britt, but Barbara!
Alice Gribbin Allen and husband, Newt, did some extensive sailing on their boat back in the spring. They both love sailing.
With Anna Kate & George Taylor being in Pensacola where Catherine Howard Givens lives, AK & Catherine have been on some fun shopping times. They enjoy getting together and catching up on the news.
Phyllis Ward Booth advises that Jenny (Myrtle Webb) Smith’s husband passed away last fall and believes Jenny would really appreciate a card from you to perk her up. Her address is 32 Kit Sierra Loop, Carson City, NV 89701.
As a lot of you know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of this year. On June 25th I underwent successful mastectomy/reconstruction surgery at UAB. I am improving each day, but still have a ways to go. This cancer was found in my yearly mammogram exam, so was very small. I have been so very blessed in having the prayers, visits, cards, nourishment & help from so many. I would appreciate your continued prayers.
Please remember in your prayers the following classmates who have had family members to die:
Nancy Waugh Dowling’s sister, Judith Waugh Anderson, died 2/3/10
Peggy Hoggle Isbell’s mother, Mildred Vice Hoggle, died 2/22/10
Sue Redd Bollinger’s father, William Harvey Redd, died 3/4/10
George Hamner’s mother, Elizabeth R. Hamner, died 5/9/10
Death of Classmates:
Barbara Shirley Copeland died 1/18/10 of cancer
Charles Ebersole, Jr. died 4/24/10 after an extended illness
John (Johnny) G. Jones died 4/27/10
Don’t forget to send in suggestions for a successful reunion and PLEASE consider attending if you have never done so before. We will let you know, in plenty of time, the date of the reunion so you can make the necessary plans to attend. There has been at least one classmate at each of the last 3 reunions who has never been to a reunion before and said over and over – why have I not attended before – I am having such a good time!!!!
In Friendship,
Susan
January 03, 2010
Happy New Year!
I had forgotten to mention my trip to the Ozan Winery back in July with a few of my Red Hat friends. It is a delightful place located outside of Calera, AL. email: contact@ozanwine.com During the summer months on Saturday’s, they even feature a train ride on a train purchased by the retired members of the railroad that runs on a 9-mile section of track also purchased by these retirees. The wine tasting on Saturday’s can also feature a box lunch. We did the whole “9 yards” and thoroughly enjoyed it.
That’s Cecil Ann, Sandra & me along with one member who is 90 and the other about 85!!! & a younger member.
Their website is www.ozanwine.com.
The ’61 Supper Club met in December at Charlotte Chandler Fulmer’s home. We had wonderful food & fellowship and to top it off, a mock wedding! Barbara Robertson House & Jimmy Walker had announced several weeks earlier that they had decided to get married after only dating for 28 years! SO, some of the members attending, the “devious” ones, decided we couldn’t let the announcement go without having some fun. We did a fairly good job of keeping the “ceremony” secret. Billy Massengale was the “Preacher” and Marty Fort Massengale, Sandra Baker & I were the bridesmaids, looking ever so lovely. Marty’s outfit evidently came from several closets, mine came from Dirt Cheap and I’m not sure where Sandra’s came from – plus her fashionable wig. George Hamner got it all on video and Charlotte taped the sound – now George is trying to figure a way to show all of you what fun we had. Barbara and Jimmy were blown away and we all giggled throughout the whole “ceremony.” Charlotte even had a small wedding cake to top it off.
Click HERE for the video
We are still laughing about all of the fun we had that night.
I visited Dan Stewart today. We had a great visit. He would really appreciate your card:
LaRocca Nursing Home, #23, 403 34th Ave., E., Tuscaloosa, 35404
On a more somber note: We have some classmates who need your prayers regarding their health – pray for easing of pain or healing.
Prayers needed for deaths of family members:
John Allen’s father, Walter L. Allen II, died 12/22
Jim Kyzer’s father, James “Buck” Kyzer, died 12/16
& Sandra Quarles McDaniel’s husband, H. Don McDaniel (THS ’57) died suddenly 12/30
Check out the information regarding Lee Faulkner’s new movie “Alabama Moon” on our class website. It was featured back in the Fall during Birmingham’s Film Festival. Go to the "In the News" page for the info.
Would love to receive your news.
In friendship,
Susan
November 01, 2009
Fall is coming – the leaves are beginning to turn here in Tuscaloosa. It’s always a pretty sight to cross the Black Warrior River and see the colorful trees lining the river bank.
During the July 4th week, Johnny & Alice Cunningham visited their daughter & her family (including the “grands”) at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. where their son-in law was teaching math during the summer. The family actually lives in Orange, VA where he teaches at Woodberry Forest, a prep school in Orange. Johnny said they loved visiting all of the history places in Boston that he had studied about back when he was in school. They took a harbor tour and saw all of the tall ships that were in port and stayed in an 1840 house on campus.
Elizabeth Ashcraft Bailey has a 2-year old grandson, London Patrick, who is in constant motion!
Alice Gribbin Allen and husband, Newt, are avid sail boaters. They have taken several week-long boat trips this past Summer and Fall and plan on an extended cruise to the Keys and Bahamas in January. They also plan on taking a cruise on a “big” ship in December to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. They have also been to the mountains in October to see the leaves changing into their Fall colors. Needless to say, they are loving their retirement!
Enjoyed hearing from Nancy McJunkin Scalise. She had been on our “lost” list for some time. She and her family live in TX.
I’ve also “found” some more “lost” members – hearing from a few – and hopefully will hear from more. I love the challenge of trying to “find” our classmates. Classmates.com and Facebook have been some help lately.
William Morris & Betty Clements vacationed in northern New Mexico back in July. He rode his Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter and Betty and some friends were in the car. They had a great time.
Marty (Fort) & Billy Massengale write of a terrific trip taken in September.
“On September 9 Billy and I left Tuscaloosa on the Harley headed for the Badlands of South Dakota. The Badlands National Park was gorgeous. From there we moved on west to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer State Park, Deadwood (home of Wild Bill Hitchcock and Calamity Jane), and on to Sturgis (home of the largest motorcycle rally in the U.S.). From there, the next stop was the Devil's Tower in Wyoming, that always reminds me of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Several rock climbers were scaling the sheer walls of the tower. Then we continued west to the Rockies where we turned south passing through Casper and Cheyenne, WY. and on to Fort Collins, CO. Here we visited Rocky Mountain National Park which advertises the highest paved road in the US. The road is over 12,000 feet above sea level and crosses the continental divide. On that particular day we ran into rain, snow, sleet and hail at the upper elevations; but on the plus side the Aspens were getting their fall colors and they were beautiful. After crossing the continental divide several times we ended up in Vail, Co. with snow being forecast the following day. It was time to head toward home. We crossed Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas with a bad weather front close behind and got home on September 22, which coincidentally was Billy's birthday. He "MADE 66" as they say in Louisiana. We saw buffalo, antelope, elk, mountain goats and a lot of beautiful country, as well as meeting a lot of great people. All total we but 4,551 miles on the Harley. Yes it was tiring but WOW what a great ride and a great trip.”
Robert Raiford also went on a “dream trip.” “Just got back from Scotland and Ireland. I'd always wanted to play the great British Open Courses so our foursome set off and played Royal Troon, Turnberry, Murifield, The Old Course at St Andrews and finished up at Carnoustie. It was everything we had hoped for and more.
My friend met me after golf and we toured Scotland starting with "The Gathering" with all the clans meeting for the 250 Birthday of Robert Burnes....After touring Edinburgh Castle we overnighted in St. Andrews where we toured the nearby Falkland Palace and the fabulous Glamis Castle....so much history it's impossible to mention it all. Next was Stirling and Blair Castle as we made our way West.
The following day we passed through Glasgow to visit the Culzean Castle and grounds. I could go on and on but you get the idea....castles, golf, food, touring and all driving on the wrong side of the road. We did stay at Traquair House which is the oldest residence in Scotland continually occupied since about 1107. We were the only guests and had the run of this wonderful Castle....which incidentally has been the site of visits and stays of 27 European Monarchs. Can you imagine me running around dozens of rooms with fireplaces roaring wondering where all the ghosts were! They even prepared us a private meal....
Three weeks is a long time to be gone from home, at least for me....but this trip was such a great time, I was home before I realized it....”
Noticed in the Tuscaloosa News there was a request for all former players and students of Coach Tom Tarlton to send a card to the coach and remind him what he has meant to you. Send the card to: Roberts and Horton, PO Box 20511, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
Prayers needed:
Ronnie Rawlins will have neck surgery on November 10th; Catherine Givens still being very careful as she has not had surgery on her hip problem, but feels “ok” for now; Mary Ann & Tommy Wood – both in poor health; and others.
Sandra Smalley Massey’s husband, Troy (Class of 1959), died on 9/25/09. He had served Southern Baptist churches in AL, MS, LA, WY, FL & PA. Among his many accomplishments, he was a former Trustee of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
John Langford (Class of 1958) died in a tragic accident last week falling from a ladder while helping his daughter’s neighbor. He and his wife, Faye Thomas Langford, were visiting their daughter who lives in North Carolina.
With the holidays approaching, please think of friends who might be lonely this season and encourage them to join you in just doing “something.” Hug someone – it will make you feel good.
Send me your news.
In friendship,
Susan
September 14 , 2009
Hope this finds you well.
Sunday, 9/13/09, Bradley Smith, son of Ellis & Libby, preached his first sermon at his new church, Northridge Baptist located in Northport. I know Ellis & Libby were bursting with pride!
Best wishes are in order for Sandra Wedgeworth Pride & Rufus Partlow who were married recently.
For those of you coming to the Bama ballgames in Tuscaloosa, be sure to check by the RV parking lot at the bottom of River Hill (Greensboro Ave.) in front of the “Bama Belle” dock on Friday’s & visit with Skipper & Mary Lou Falls and his Karaoke fun (I haven’t confirmed he is doing it this year, but I'm pretty sure). It’s always a fun time and usually begins around 8. Be sure to bring a chair.
My braces are off!!!!! I still can’t get over not having all of that “stuff” on my teeth. The teeth don’t look too bad (they look pretty good, actually). I’m still getting used to the feeling. For those of you who have been around me well before the braces, you know my love for peanut M&M’s. I haven’t been able to eat them for just about 3 whole years (and that has been hard). Some of my buddies decided we needed to celebrate by having lunch & at the lunch, I received a little over 10 lbs. of the peanut M&M’s! I’ll be fixed for a while, I believe.
The next thing on my agenda is getting over my broken right foot! All I did was take about 4 steps in my garage and felt a pop. I’ve had that cute (and HEAVY) boot to wear for a little over 5 weeks. Hopefully, in about 2 more weeks, that fun will be over with!
After you read this, check out the Class Roster again. It’s new & improved. With Jeff’s help, I’ve tried to update everything about you that I know! There is an option to view and/or print a roster listing in PDF with complete address, phone, and name of spouse. No e-mail addresses are available – that is personal and you can write or call that person to find out. Please let me know if anything on your line is incorrect (suselmore@msn.com) so I can correct it. Somewhere down the line, I’ll scan the pictures from the annual and Jeff will post them so you can visualize your classmates from high school times.
While you are in Tuscaloosa, don’t forget to stop by Temerson Square Bar, an upscale neat bar, located on 4th St. behind the old First National Bank building. It is owned by my nephew, Bo Hines.
The Cushman motors group leaves tomorrow for Hiawassee, GA for their annual meet. I know that Jimmy Walker & Barbara House will be going and there will be others. It’s a quaint little town. Some of us went to a Red Hat gathering there about 5 years ago and really enjoyed the area.
Becky (Rebecca Green) & husband, Jack Smith, are traveling westward by car and will be gone for over 30 days! That’s a long time in the car, but Becky was looking forward to it.
Catherine Howard Givens was in Tuscaloosa over the long Labor Day weekend & we were able to meet for lunch and shop afterwards. It’s always fun to be with her.
Jerry Lake has retired again – now he is only working one job – with First Baptist Church.
Prayers are needed for:
Health wise:
Dan Stewart – his health continues to decline
Bob Davies – husband of Bonnie Clark Davies
Gerry Douglas – husband of Jeanne Birdsong Douglas
Darroll Johnson – husband of Barbara Hill Johnson
Tommy Wood – husband of Mary Ann Barton Wood (and also Mary Ann)
Ronnie Rawlins – he continues to improve & for Betty
Deaths:
Judy Rankin Montgomery’s father, Marcine Rankin, died 9/7/09
Please send me some news.
Quietly do a good deed for a wonderful feeling!
Susan
July 25, 2009
Hi Everyone:
Isn't the new Class of 1961 web site absolutely wonderful! Please let
Jeff know how much you enjoy it
News
Butch & Jessica Miller and 4 other couples took an Alaskan Cruise in May. Jessica said she thought even Butch gained some weight as they were always getting ready to eat. The weather was perfect for 9 days, but they were all ready to get home.
Johnny & Alice Cunningham were in Damascus, VA in May with their church and participated in Trail Days for hikers of the Appalachian Trail. They provided health screening & had mission opportunity to talk with hikers from all over the world. There were about 25,000 people mostly hikers to invade Damascus, which is located about 20 miles above Bristol. They met some very interesting people. Johnny said some of the hikers reminded him of of the 60's. Most of the hikers were searching for something in their lives or fulfilling a dream of hiking from Springer Mountain, GA to Maine. Needless to say, they really had a good time trying to minister to the hikers passing through.
Marty (Mary Frances Fort) & Billy Massengale have a new grandson born 5/14/09. His name is Tate Alexander Massengale. He weighed 6 lbs. & 4 ozs. Marty says he is beautiful, of course. He has a big sister. Marty & Billy went to Charlotte in June to the National Cushman meet.
In June, Paulette Malone Evans met some good friends from her graduating class at Stephens College at one of the classmate's Maine summer home.
Received this news from William Morris Clements:
Susan,
Always good to hear from you and get some news. I just returned from a trip north of San Francisco to our home in Claremont. I went up there to get an RKA IN Charge communication tank bag for my motorcycles. With this tank bag I now have GPS, CB, XM and telephone communications in my motorcycle helmet, which is bluetooth (no wires between helmet and tank bag). What a trip home - got to listen to all the tunes from the 50's and 60's plus I was able to telephone home going down the freeway in L.A.
My official retirement dinner is tonight at the Claremont School of Theology where I have retired as the Edna & Lowell Craig Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling. Betty (Hayes) - THS Class of '62 will continue to work as the Reference Librarian at Claremont for a few more years. We will be celebrating 41 years of married bliss in a few weeks. Life is good!
William Morris Clements
5/25/09
We continue to have such fun at our '61 Supper Club each month. This week we met at Billy Ray Davis' house and he cooked the most wonderful grilled chicken. With this being the middle of the vegetable season, we had some wonderful home grown/& cooked veggies.
I received some wonderful news today at the orthodontist - my braces will be coming off on August 25th!! This is very short of 3 years that I have had them. I will probably go to Sam's within that week and buy the M&M peanut candy that I have not been able to eat for all this time. As one of my Red Hat friends told me after she had gotten braces - we will have the prettiest teeth in the nursing home!!
As most of you know, I have been working at McAbee Construction Company for almost 4 years. Well, July 9th, Mrs. McAbee took all of the office "girls" who could go to Orange Beach for 4 days - ALL EXPENSES PAID - and I mean all expenses paid except for any personal purchases we wanted. We were given money in advance for our gas, breakfast & lunch, she rented 3 additional condos in addition to her personal one at Phoenix VII, we went on a dauphin cruise the first late afternoon we were there, we met each evening for dinner, for which she paid AND we received our pay for the Thursday & Friday we were gone from work and having fun. I've never experienced anything like that before. While I was down there, I was too close to Pensacola not to visit Catherine Howard Givens who lives in Pensacola. We had such a nice visit on the Friday I was there. We went shopping and had a wonderful lunch.
The following classmates & their families need your prayers:
Diane Sheehe Guthrie's mother-in-law, Evelyn Tucker Guthrie died 6/14.
Jerry Lake's mother-in-law, Helen Austin Long, died 6/19.
Dan Stewart's mother, Edna Corrine Hardin Cooper, died on 7/6.
& Patricia Tidmore's mother, Marjorie Capps Tidmore, died 7/20.
Our classmate, John Terry Hallman, died 5/31 in St. Cloud, FL.
Please send Dan Stewart a card - he would love to hear from you
address: Dan Stewart, LaRocca Nursing Home #23, 403 34th Ave., E., Tusc., AL 35404
Don't forget to hug someone today - it will make you feel so good.
AND, let Jeff know how much you have enjoyed logging onto the new web site.
Send me some news!
In friendship,
Susan
May 17, 2009
Hi:
Hope everyone is doing well.
I forgot to mention last time that Bonnie Clark Davis went on the Atlanta 3-Day Walk Against Breast Cancer last October. She, along with others, walked 60 miles over the 3 days. She began training back in April. That's an awful lot of miles. I'm so proud of her and her determination to finish, which she did.
The Red Mountain Theater Company's 30th Anniversary Gala Celebration was held on April 3rd with Lee Meriweather (Miss America 1955) and Broadway's David Friedman attending. Our own Robert Raiford was honored for his Legacy to the company. He looked quite spiffy in the picture in the "Birmingham News." Congratulations, Robert.
My friend, Beth Kidder, & I traveled to Ft. Worth, TX the latter part of March for the National Red Hat Convention at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center. Three days prior to the convention's beginning, I visited with my first cousin and his wife who have a simply wonderful 3-story town house in downtown Ft. Worth. His office is on the first floor and their pool is on the second floor on the patio!
There weren't as many attendees this year at the convention - about 900 Red Hatters. 5 years ago at this same site, there were about 3,500. We have a good time and met some fun/nice women who sat at our table each time we got together. Because the group was smaller, there weren't quite as many outlandish outfits! There were still some, however. I'm sure the hotel is still finding red & purple feathers around the place.
The local Red Hat Society clubs (there are 12 in the Tuscaloosa area!) held a luau in April. Each club decorated their table to reflect the Hawaiian theme to be judged. Sandra Henry Baker is in the same one as I and because of her decorating flair - we were one of the 3 chosen as winners (no 1st, 2nd or 3rd - just 3 winners). She can always come up with a decorating plan, no matter the theme. She is great!
For you Alabama fans, did you hear that the U of A campus has been rated the 12th most beautiful in the nation!! Our baseball, softball & golf teams have really had wonderful seasons.
Walter Mitchell and his wife are grandparents of a precious girl who was born in March.
Jeanne Birdsong Douglas asked me some time ago to let you all know of the petition to honor Millard Fuller - see below
Recently I wrote to you about Millard and Linda Fuller (Linda Caldwell, THS Class of 1959) and the petition to ask the US Congress to honor Millard's humanitarian achievements. I sure hope I wasn't overstepping our friendship by asking this petition to be forwarded to our classmates and to the class of 1959. Both Millard and Linda were born and raised in Alabama. Millard graduated from the Univ. of Alabama. I am sending a press release (below) about the Memorial for Millard to be held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Mar. 14. Gerald and I will be there with the Fuller family. President Carter is speaking."
IF you think it's appropriate, would you mind passing along the press release about the Memorial coming up for Millard Fuller. I would imagine that many of our classmates have participated in Habitat for Humanity builds and some may remember Linda Fuller.
Thank you,
Jeanne Birdsong Douglas
PRESS RELEASE
Celebration of the Life of Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat for Humanity, Fuller Center
Last update: 1:55 p.m. EST March 4, 2009
AMERICUS, Ga., March 4, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Fuller Center for Housing www.fullercenter.org, headquartered in Americus, Georgia, will host a celebration of the life and legacy of Millard Fuller, to be held Saturday, March 14, at 2 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity and The Fuller Center for Housing, died after a brief illness on February 3rd.
"This joyous tribute to a man who inspired millions is open to the public and is expected to draw hundreds of volunteers, homeowners, and supporters from around the world," according to David Snell, newly-elected president of The Fuller Center.
The celebration will be held in the Horizon Sanctuary, the newest addition to the historic (1886) church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., once co-pastored with his father. Fuller preached at Ebenezer in 1993, and was also the 1992 recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award.
Fuller and his wife Linda founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976, and during Fuller's 29 years as president there, the organization built houses for over one million people in 100 countries. The Fullers' philosophy of love in action, explained in Fuller's book, Theology of the Hammer, changed the face of volunteering in America and spread throughout the world.
Motivated to expand their vision of eliminating substandard housing worldwide, the Fullers left Habitat in 2005 and founded The Fuller Center for Housing. It currently has programs in over 40 U.S. communities and more than a dozen countries.
Fuller received hundreds of awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. The House That Love Built, by Bettie B. Youngs, Ph.D., published in 2007, gives an intimate glimpse into the marriage, careers, spiritual journey and profound influence of the Fullers.
Former President Jimmy Carter will be a featured speaker at the memorial. Music will be provided by the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, and country music entertainer Jamie O'Neal will perform "Look What Love Built," which she composed in honor of Millard and Linda. Fuller's longtime friend and fellow world-renowned charismatic speaker, Dr. Tony Campolo, will be the keynote spokesperson.
SOURCE The Fuller Center for Housing
http://www.fullercenter.org
Hi Susan, I think you probably know of Linda Caldwell Fuller who graduated from THS in 1959. She is the wife of Millard Fuller and together they founded Habitat for Humanity and Fuller Center for Housing. Millard died last week very unexpectedly. He and Linda have truly made an amazing difference for the better in our world. Their efforts resulted in providing homes for over one million poor people in 100 plus countries. Below is a petition to honor Millard in Congress. Gerald and I signed it (Linda is Gerald's first cousin) and hope you will too. Please forward the petition to our class mates and to anyone you know from the Class of 1959. Linda has been very low key whenever she has gone back for class reunions. She has never called attention to herself but she and Millard are people we can all be very proud of!
Hope you are well!
Thank you,
Jeanne Birdsong Douglas
Subject: Fw: Facebook Petition to honor Millard Fuller
Dear Friends,
A Facebook petition is being circulated to ask Congress to issue a proclamation honoring the life work of Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing.
Congressman Sanford Bishop's office has agreed to help us with this effort, but the petition will help us gather names and supporters who will help us carry the mission forward.
This may be the easiest and most important thing you can do for change today.
Please click on this link and sign the petition. Then forward this message to all of the people in your address book and contact list.
I especially apologize to Jeanne for not getting this out in a timely manner. There are good days and not so good days and things just don't get done by me as often as they should.
The following classmates need your prayers due to medical reasons:
Sue Sutton Miller, Ward McFarland, Ronnie Rawlins, Mike Canty, Sandra Baker, Barbara House, Jimmy Walker
Larry Roach's father, Samuel Roach died April 14th
Tim Pearson's brother, John, died in April.
Classmate Fay Cooper Stone died January 31st. The obituary listed her name as Mahala Fay Stone.
Please hug someone tomorrow - there are rewards for both of you!
Please let me know some of your news!!!!
Susan
February 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!
Robert Raiford sent this last January ('08) and I've been waiting for him to let me know how his trip went - anyway, he is always going to such wonderful places.
"I'm leaving January 24th to Buenos Aires and then a cruise to Uruguay, the Falklands, around the Cape and in the northern waters of the Antarctic and finally to Santiago, Chile....I first went to South America as a senior at THS in 1961 when I won a paper-boy trip to Rio....it'll be fun going back at last. Will give you a report when we return. We're cruising Princess again as we've found it offers us a great time. Love to all. Robert"
Billy & Marty Fort Massengale just love their new bike - this is a report of a trip they made back in November:
"Billy and I had a great trip to Big Bend National Park, Texas, on the Harley. We went from Slidell, LA, to San Antonio and spent a couple of days touring around the city. We had beautiful weather and thoroughly enjoyed the Alamo and other sights of San Antonio. We headed for Del Rio through Kerrville and the hill country of Texas. Boy, it was twisty and up and down. We saw very high fenced areas with many exotic animals behind them - big mule deer, buffalo, antelope, deer and big horn sheep. We really had a good ride even in the drizzle rain. It really became desert after we left Del Rio and headed for the National Park. The mountains were looming ahead of us - huge, and beautiful. I kept taking pictures from the bike. We stayed outside the park in Terlingua/Study Butte. This area is so very desolate that my question was "how do people live out here, but more importantly, WHY do people live out here?!? We enjoyed the beauty of the Mountains for several days before canoeing the Rio Grande through a beautiful canyon. We had a great trip and put 3000 miles on the Harley. The new Harley Ultra Classic is a year old and before we got home we turned over 8000 miles. We really have been enjoying the new Harley."
Charles Renfroe and his partner, Allen Henry, have opened All-American Self Storage/Napa Valley Wine Storage and it is located in a new shopping area just before crossing the dam to North River. The wine storage part is something unique, especially for this area.
Mary Hugh Buckner Taylor's son, Mike Taylor, has opened a new gym here in Tuscaloosa named Headhunters CrossFit/MMA. He, along with his wife, have competed in body building contests in the past and should do well with this type of gym. There are no machines!
Jerry Lake has accepted the call to be the Minister to Senior Adults at First Baptist Church here is Tuscaloosa. What a wonderful calling for him! This is effective today, 2/1/09. He will do very well.
Our class's 65 Birthday Party went very well in April. All who attended had a really good time. The weather was good. The entire Tuscaloosa reunion "bunch" did a terrific job with the menus and the decorations. We had one classmate who had never attended a reunion before, Gene Lowery and his wife, Terry. They said they had a wonderful time and were not sure why they had not attended a reunion before. (See, I keep trying to tell you all the same thing!!!!!)
I had my extensive oral surgery 5/29 and it was quite an experience. Glad it's over with. I stayed overnight in the hospital. I should be out of the braces in a couple of months!!!
In October, Paulette & I, along with one of our good Red Hatter friends (Beth Kidder), went to Savannah to attend a "mini" Red Hat convention. There were about 350 in attendance. I had never been to Savannah before. Really enjoyed the visit and meeting new Red Hatters (some came as far away as MN, WI and even Canada). Beth Kidder & I will be going to Dallas in March for the big convention - staying at the Gaylord Convention Center again. Received word this week and Chloris Leachman will speak at our Saturday luncheon. She should be a hoot! There should be over 3,000 Red Hatters there.
Janice Ward Parrish notified me of her address & e-mail address changes and in the conversation she told me of the move she and her husband had made recently from Florida to Colorado. I have to just copy her description for you all to understand what she went through!!!!
"Thanks for your words of encouragement, Susan. The worst is over now as we built this house two years ago. The hard part was returning to Florida from the Colorado summer and in eight weeks doing some major remodeling, getting the house on the market, getting it sold, disposing of grand piano, art work, antiques, furniture, bicycles and a ton of wood-working tools, equipment, etc. (Remember our Colorado house is fully furnished.)
Bill is quite frail, so I drove us out in his little Pontiac Vibe pulling a 2,000 pound U-Haul. Everything went fine until we started up the mountains toward the continental divide and the blizzard hit. The Vibe kept losing traction--all traction-- so we'd come to a complete stand-still in the middle of I-70. Then I'd veer over to the shoulder where the trailer would whack against the guard rail--the only barrier between us and The Abyss. Fortunately, the trailer was so encrusted with snow and ice that didn't sustain any visible damage from the whacking. Coming down the the other side of The Divide with its 7% grade was no better. I was pumping the brakes for 12 miles down, praying the trailer wouldn't push us with our dinky little Florida tires into the looming semis ahead of us. We were within 100 feet of our house before the nasty little Vibe refused to climb an almost imperceptible hill, and a friend had to come and tow us to the driveway. Now I can relax and enjoy my retirement hobbies: teaching skiing and doing the occasional book talk. Our house is centrally located and a gathering place for hungry ski instructors. These folks seem to have been sprayed like buckshot across the socio-economic landscape. One friend is a squatter in an abandoned cabin on the mountain (no water or electricity) and another flies in on a private plane to teach skiing on weekends. These people are interesting, off-beat, quirky, mostly better skiers than I, and in every case happy and doing what they love. Even though our nest egg has been reduced by over half in the last year, I feel very grateful and blessed."
We never realize what we can do until we have to, do we!!
Unfortunately, since my last e-mail to you all, we have had 3 classmates to die:
Renee Campbell Connerly died 2/16/08
Robert "Buddy" Wyatt died 12/23/08
Phyllis Maxwell Cook died 1/6/09
Please keep the families of these classmates in your thoughts.
The following classmates have had family members to die:
Anne Crawford Smith's husband, Andy Smith, - 2/21/08
Carole Raiford Sanders' mother, Alice Raiford, - 2/28/08
Holli Massi Watts' father, Richard Massi, - 3/9/08
Norma McGlamery McGraw's father, Dr. Charles McGlamery, - 3/10/08
Danette Stanard Godbold's mother, Velma M. Stanard, - 3/13/08
Nancy Ramsey Hill's father, William C. Ramsey, Sr., - 5/27/08
Betty Nix Bishop's brother, Gerald Nix (Class of 1958), 9/28/08
Eugene Hanes's mother, Nell Hanes Marlow, - 11/11/08
Ward McFarland's brother, Bill McFarland, - 12/5/08
Skipper Falls' father, Drew Falls, - 12/30/08
Maxine Clements Farris' mother, Mable Clements, - 1/19/09
These classmates also need your special thoughts.
Also of note - Pete Pierson former coach at THS died this past month.
Hug someone - you'd be surprised how good it will make you feel!!
Have a great week.
Susan
July 23, 2008
Message from Robert Raiford:
Hi, what a great party....so sorry I couldn't join you. Back in January we went to Buenos Aires and from there to Uruguay, the Falkland Islands to visit the peguins, around Cape Horn (in the northern most waters of Antarctic) through the Straits of Magellan and on to Santiago, Chile....was a wonderful cruise and the first time I'd been in South America since I was a senior at THS and had won a Familly Weekly paperboy contest which sent me to Rio. CP Chapman was also a paperboy and finished in second place.
Last month I took a team of clients to Pine Needles North Carolina to compete in the International Diamond Cup Southeast Tournament and we were shocked to learn we won the tournament and the right to compete with the other regions through out the US and Canada at the finals at Pebble Beach in August. It's truly golf heaven and I'm excited about going back.... on the way back home we're stopping off in Las Vegas to celebrate my 65th on August 22! God, are we old. Thanks for keeping us all in touch! Robert
The 65th Birthday Bash was super. As usual, the ones who came had a wonderful long weekend. We even had a "first timer." Gene (Eugene) Lowery and his fun wife, Terry, were sorry they had not attended a reunion before. Everyone who helped in the planning and the decorating and putting it all together did a super job. It was all great, but, probably the highlight was on Saturday night, Sandra Henry Baker had the theme of "Rock'n & Roll'n" where she put a rocking chair and a wheel chair on a table to carry out the theme! She always can think up wonderful ideas at the drop of a hat. Jimmy Walker had a terribly painful back & Sandra had torn some of the ligaments in her knee - and they did the planning & decorating for their evenings while in extreme pain. I truly appreciated that - as all of the rest of the reunion committee because we knew how difficult it was for them. They had wonderful help from Marty & Billy Massengale, Barbara Robertson House, Charlotte Chandler Fulmer, Mike Canty, Kathryn (Epperson) & Raymond Dockery, Billy Ray Davis. Jimmy Cochrane (he did an excellent job in catering the Thursday night boat ride), Judy Hannah Elder, Ward McFarland & Howard Hawkins. Of course, we had to celebrate with a birthday cake and Barbara House & Charlotte Fulmer found a lady who agreed to make it. It was fantastic! Not only did the Black Bear look absolutely great, but the cake tasted good!
Not long after the reunion, Sandra had surgery and she is still undergoing therapy. It's been slow, but she is doing better. Jimmy's back is better, but his knees are his main problem - and he can't bring himself to schedule an appointment with the surgeon!!!
You all know I have braces. Well, the end of May I had extensive oral surgery (it was part of the plan) - was even in the hospital over night with Morphine & Decatron in the drip. After 4 weeks of liquids I was finally allowed to have soft foods about July 11th. That weekend, I had a peeled tomato sandwich on soft white bread and you would have thought I had had the very best steak ever grilled. I also went to the Farmers' Market that Saturday and bought peas, string beans, yellow squash & new potatoes and cooked them. The taste was fantastic! I don't want soup, mashed potatoes, Ensure and several other items again for a very long time. I was able to eat chicken (only in very, very small bites) as of last Thursday. I can live with this. My gums are still "dead" and it may be a couple more months before the nerves heal. It's a strange feeling. I'm on the down hill part of the mountain, tho. Still a little cheeky on the right side of my mouth, but not too bad. Maybe around Christmas time, my braces will come off. A friend in Red Hat who just got her braces about 6 months ago said that we would have the prettiest teeth in the nursing home! It's really interesting to see almost as many adults in the orthodontist as children.
Sid Spencer describes his "new" bike:
"My latest purchase is a 2004 Heritage Softail Classic Black on gold. Been sitting in this dude's garage for 2 years and only has 6,000 miles on it. Sweet looking bike with Vance & Hince "talking " pipes." Sounds like a dream bike for those of you who collect them.
In June, Charlie & Patty Renfroe had the pleasure of going to Greece -
"Patty and I just returned from a fabulous trip to Greece and the awesome islands on an REI planned adventure hiking trip...we flew to Athens Greece with our good friends and neighbors Tim and Nancy Woodall, and toured the Parthenon, the Acropolis and stood on Mars Hill where Paul preached to the Athenians 2,000 years ago!!
We then met up with our hiking group of 12 wonderful human beings and for the next 8 days went to 3 islands, including the breathtaking Santorini, hiking across the beautiful awesome terrain and having lunch and dinner in small personal tavernas and sidewalk cafes...some of the best food we have ever eaten....and seeing some awesome sunsets; only rivaled by our own sunsets on the beach's of Seaside, Florida..."
Marty (Mary Frances Fort) & Billy Massengale are the proud grandparents of a most beautiful boy born the latter part of June. Marty has already spent some quality time down in Louisiana helping out and loving it. Billy went down with Marty when the baby was born, but let Marty have her own time when she went back a couple of weeks ago.
Johnny & Alice Cunningham have moved to Birmingham to be nearer their grandchildren.
Luanne Terrell Eddy writes:
"Older son Trim married Alyson Strange in 2005 at Daniel Boone Native Gardens, Boone, NC. He and Dad (his) built and transported the ceremony trellis. Alyson's environmental biologist, Appalachian State, from Knoxville. Trim's marine biologist, Florida Atlantic University. Summer of 2007 they moved from Stuart, FL, to first house renovations and new jobs at Bio-West in Logan, UT.
Younger son Todd sold my Decatur, GA, guest room in 2006 to take Factory Mutual Global transfer to Portland, OR. He's electrical engineer, Georgia Tech. Dad (his) finished house projects while Todd and girlfriend Ellene Smith, Agnes Scott '02, flew west. Now they're renovating 1900-era Victorian. Ellene's in Portland State grad school after AmeriCorps work in Vancouver. WA.
Mom's (Luanne) still moving the Space Coast at Coldwell Banker Sun Land Realty and planning more northwest adventures after snowy Thanksgiving visits last two years. No grandchildren, but grand-critters total four dogs, two cats and six chickens, plus great-aunt to three grandchildren of sister Sheila Terrill Hayden, THS '67. Luanne"
I'm a member of Classmates.com and it paid off once again - received notice that a classmate had signed on - Jim Frye. I e-mailed him thru the Classmates e-mail (that's their protection for subscribers) and he responded to my e-mail!!!!! We had lost him for about 10 years. He's hoping to visit before long. Maybe he can make it when we have our monthly supper get-to-gethers. Would be great to visit w/him.
Great news - I notified some of you this morning - the Tuscaloosa City Council had on its agenda tonight to rename the portion of 17th Street between Hackberry Lane & 10th Avenue, "Black Bear Lane"!!!!! This is the street that ran behind the school. The Council renamed part of a street near the old Druid High School "Dragon Lane" on July 6th and some members of the THS Class of 1962 had gotten up an e-mail campaign notifying their fellow classmates of this (and also including the e-mail address of one of the Council members) and asking them to spread the news, which some of us got and, in turn, spread the news. With nothing left of our school, this helps!
In October, Paulette Malone Evans, another Red Hat friend and I are going to a big Red Hat gathering in Savannah. Besides all of the planned activities, we are going on the Haunted Trolley tour ending with dinner at the Pirate House. On the way back home, we plan to eat lunch at Paula Deen's restaurant. I've never been to Savannah & hear it is a charming place. We are really looking forward to the trip. We're staying at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront Hotel. I'll report on our trip when we return home.
Please remember those who are sick and those who just need our prayers. Do something for someone without their knowing it. It will make you feel so good.
Send me your news. Would love to hear from you.
Susan