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UMW Magazine – Class Notes
1301 College Ave.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

1959

Edna Gooch Trudeau
ednanewkent@verizon.net

Lois Gaylord Allen’s two granddaughters are expecting, a boy for one, and a girl for the other. They are also completing their undergraduate degrees. A busy year, writes “Gay.” Howard’s Parkinson’s disease is continuing, unfortunately, to progress. He is using a walker all the time now. Gay continues to chug along. For over ten years she has volunteered with the local animal shelter. They have eight animals at home.

Jane Tucker Broadbooks wrote she and John made the right decision in moving to Chatham, IL to be near Jon Karl and family. Their location is beautiful with a rural setting including villages, farming areas, prairie vistas, historic sites and the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Jon Karl and Cathy are 15 minutes away. Tucker is a freshman, majoring in history at Truman State Univ. He lays the tuba in the Statesman Marching Band. Anna is in 10th grade and competes in Scholastic Bowls meets. Virginia plays the saxophone, is in 8th grade and the Jazz band and Scholastic Bowl. She is into fabrics and enjoys sewing visits with Jane. John undergoes hemodialysis three times per week, is doing well and is nicknamed the “poster boy” of the Da Vita’s Center. Jane is a member of the local post polio support group and also she and John attend meetings of the seven county dialysis support group. They enjoy driving through the countryside visiting antique shops.

Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas called. She has been traveling back and forth to Fredericksburg since her dad’s death in March, helping her brothers and sisters in cleaning out 50 years of possessions. She is finally completely retires, no more subbing. Anastasia is still living with her and Gregory is still in Astoria – so things are quiet on the home front.

Barbara White Ellis lost her husband, Allen, in February. She is thinking of selling their farm, thought she will miss her boarders- the horses are like family over the years.

Marcia Phipps Ireland and Gary have moved to a new house in Pennington, NJ. All is well.

Celeste Shipman Kaufman and I talked during the holidays. “Pug” is in good spirits. She is undergoing more chemo treatments and is looking forward to being in remission again. Prayers are appreciated. She gets a reprieve from her doctor when Smylie, Jeffrey’s son, is playing in a golf tournament. Big news. Pug and Alan will be great-grandparents in May when Francie, Julia’s daughter, has her son. Austin, Julie’s oldest, has completed all of his coursework at the Univ of Texas and is now working on his dissertation. Yea! Sarah, Julie’s youngest, is a freshman at Samford. Luckie, Jeffrey’s youngest, graduated from LSU and is with a large accounting firm. So all the Kaufmans are busy and spreading their wings.

Julia Coates Littlefield and Mo wrote they are grateful to be in very good health. They continue their volunteer work with their church. Updating issues in 2016 kept Mo busy with hammer and nail. Julia, as a choir member, is very excited about their upcoming trip to the UK to the Wells Cathedral for a week in July. Their daughter, Bess, and son-in-law Mark continue their careers in Richmond. Their grandson, Jack Henry, a 2015 UVA graduate, works for Analytic Partners, a research firm in C’ville. Bess was honored with a reward by the VA Assoc. of Fundraising Executors. She is a VP for development for J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College. Julia and Mo have visited son Scot, and his wife, Susan, several times this past year in Augusta, GA. Their son, Chris, is 15, freshman in h.s. and Mary Graham, 8, is in 2nd grade.

Joan Whittemore Loock and Jim went on a private charter cruise in February with three other couples to the British Virgin Islands. It was spectacular and very pampering. In June they attended Logan’s, Sarah’s son, hs graduation in Wisconsin. He is now attending the Univ. of Wisconsin. Mary, Sarah’s daughter, participated in a three-week exchange program in Thailand. What an experience. In July, Joni and Jim went on a two week Viking River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. Much fun! August finds them in Virginia Beach visiting Joni’s kids, Mandy and Curt and Curt’s twins, Samantha and Amanda, who are now 13. Mandy sold her restaurant and is now the manager of the Princess Ann Country Club and loves it. Joni and Jim on the road again in the fall to Wisconsin to visit family, friends, and football games. And, of course, their annual two week trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Jim is still working at the pro shop at their golf course and Joni still volunteers at the emergency room at the local hospital.

Mary Massey is doing very well since her loss of Jack. She mentioned hospice-sponsored grief support group and AARP sponsored Widowed Persons Services as being very helpful for those of us going through this experience. Mary is taking exercise classes, walking her little dog, Gigi, hiking with Wanderbirds (her 48th yr) and volunteering at the Audubon Naturalist Society (her 25th year) and attending musical performances.

Barbara Barndt Miller’s daughter, Ann Marie, arrived for her annual trip to visit her mother on her birthday in March. The weather was warm and good for horseback riding. Wayne and Barbara raised several foxhounds this past year-they had an outstanding season. The summer was filling with gardening, cutting, and splitting wood. Mid-September found them in Ocean City, MD, watched an airshow from the boardwalk, played golf, and ate at the Tuckahoe Inn. Main project this year breaking their two year old pony “Sweetie.” She is doing well. Autumn this year at the “cabin” was bursting with color. Bunnies were hopping, squirrels gathering nuts, a skunk was in the wood shed, deer grazing in the alfalfa fields, a bear and a red fox were sighted – Well said, Barbara – a lovely picture of Mother Nature.

Received my annual humorous letter from Arthur Old, Eleanor Markham’s husband. Arthur and Martha (second wife) live in Fredericksburg. Martha has two children and four grandchildren of her own to add to Arthur and Eleanor’s one son and two grandsons. Last three months of the year was spent attempting to return Art’s heart to normal rhythm following a laparoscopic right colostomy. He came home with A-Fib and after many elixirs has been successful. But since most promised the side effects of loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, Art made every effort to not miss a one! Hopefully, his life will eventually settle down. The rest of the year continues with Sons of Amer Rev. and Civil War Round Table meetings, UMW Elderstudy sessions, attending plays and trips to N.C. Martha is doing well.

Irene Piscopo was on the road most of 2016. Highlights. January in Argentina for a winery tour. During Easter Irene was in Malta visiting family. From there to France joining a planned trip for the Hurleys which also included Monaco and Nice. An important event, being invited to a science lab in Monaco – a UMW student was working in the lab! In June a trip to New York with a close friend of many years. In August, she was in Kansas for a niece’s birthday and then off to Lexington, KY for a friend’s anniversary celebration. One of her UMW students who had been to NYC, visited on Labor Day weekend. They walked all over NYC, saw a play, and watched tennis finals in LI. In November, over Thanksgiving, she flew to Bordeaux for a river cruise. She made several trips to UMW looking at research the students were doing. She taught at Hunter this summer and felt UMW students who attended were very seriously involved. Irene sent news of Kay Rowe Hayes and her ongoing involvement with Republican politics. She went for ten days to Myrtle Beach with her family for the Christmas holidays. Irene also sent news of Nancy Brewer McCarthy. She slid down the stairs in her house in April and was in rehab until July. Her husband, Bunky, has been super during this ordeal. He had a chair-lift put in, updates for her in the master bath, such as walk-in shower. He’s doing cooking, grocery shopping, etc. Wow.

Ann Watkins Steves and Bob made the decision and moved into an independent living apartment in retirement community in Dallas after 48 years in their home. Ann loves, include wonderful amenities and many social activities. And the people are friendly. Bob is still working (4 hrs. a day), still attend the same church. She has given up volunteering in the library. Seems her family spent the year moving, too. Here we go – Their oldest son, Bruce, and wife Janet moved into a new house in Nokomis, FL. Their daughter, Natalie, and husband Josh and son James will move this May from Okinawa to the D.C. area. Bruce’s and Janet’s daughter Sarabeth and husband, Kevin, moved to Bradenton, FL from Atlanta for new jobs. Ann and Bob’s son, David and wife Sheila moved from RI to Austin, TX to be near daughter Brittany and family who just moved into a new house. Ann and Bob’s daughter, Linda and husband, Mark are still in RI. Their daughter, Megan moved to a new apartment in east Boston where she attends Suffolk Union. Linda’s son Matthew moved into a new house with other guys in Blacksburg, VA where he attends VA Tech. And Linda’s daughter, Nicole moved in Sept. to an apt in E. Greenwich, RI after graduation from URI, Ann and Bob’s son, William and wife Julie and daughter, Stella, still reside in Vermont. Whew!

Lucas is seven, doing very well in school. He loves to read and learn which makes grandma very happy. I think of so many of you frequently. Hope 2017 brings you good health and happiness as we ease into our 8th decade.