Class Notes

 

[Please send news to the designated Class Agent according to the first letter of your MAIDEN name.]

Jean Ryan Farrell sent this poem about our recent reunion:

I went to my 50th college reunion,

And what did I expect to see?

A bunch of silver-haired ladies

None of whom remembered me.

A campus of tired old buildings

And well-worn paths that I once walked,

Familiar but distant memories

Filled with ghosts who no longer talked.

But time and space became transcended

The moment that I saw –

My friends so full of life and beauty

As if no time had passed at all.

My girls-only liberal arts school

Has since become a coed university

With grand restored and brand new buildings

Meeting the needs of the 21st century.

What a joy – three fun-filled days

To renew friendships with those we knew,

To remember again our hopes and dreams

Some of which actually came true!

Our education hasn’t ended for we are growing still,

Living lives of love and honor, our destiny to fulfill.

Thanks to all who came, and to all of those who could not,

And those who live in memory, who share our lifelong walk.

 

Marcia Minton Keech also summarized her reunion experience. “How to begin to explain how much our 50th celebration meant to my heart and soul? There were classmates I hugged and cried with … There were classmates I was acquainted with but now had the opportunity to get to know better, and what a joy that became.” She said that from the moment she and Bill arrived, everything went like clockwork, thanks to Lloyd Tilton Backstrom, Sylvia McJilton Woodcock, and the wonderful alumni staff. The informal barbecue on Thursday evening at Belmont was a great way to meet everyone and simply relax and reminisce. “Polly Updegraff Champ was the perfect emcee, coaxing all into memories and laughter.”

It was difficult to choose from the Friday Alumni College offerings, which included Civil War tours, tours of campus and Eagle Landing, exhibits at the UMW Galleries, wonderful workshops, fantastic topics, and our own Virginia Poet Laureate Kelly Cherry. The highlight of the afternoon was the opening reception on the lawn at Brompton. President Richard V. Hurley and his gracious wife, Rose, opened their home and grounds to all. The Class of 1961 walked across the street to our reunion dinner at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. Barbie Upson Welch emceed, Lynda Foster Moore delivered the invocation, Sylvia introduced President Hurley for his toast to the class, and William B. Crawley was keynote speaker. We ended the evening with friends at the hotel.

On Saturday, President Hurley gave a University update, then it was on to more Alumni College sessions, featuring phenomenal programs given by outstanding alumni and professors, including George Van Sant! At noon, we headed to the reunion picnic; we ate good food, chatted, and took lots of pictures. When the winner of the “Race for the Eagle” was announced, the Class of 1961 took all awards – the “trifecta,” as we named it – and rejoiced with great celebrating for the total of $2,722,104.04 in gifts and pledges from 144 donors, for a 56-percent rate of giving!

The class meeting in Ball Hall was moving and emotional, as we remembered great times and deceased classmates and gave thanks to all who helped make this most memorable time a success. Scrapbooks, photos, and other memorabilia were fun to look at, and it ended with a beautiful party and cake presented by the Office of University Advancement. At a cocktail party later we helped present the school with the big check from all classes, followed by dinner at the Woodard Campus Center, where Lloyd Tilton Backstrom received the Frances Liebenow Armstrong ’36 Service Award. What a way to end the day! We said our goodbyes that evening, but if we had remained Sunday, we could have seen the new William M. Anderson Center.

What a weekend of celebrating wonderful memories, priceless friendships, and ever-growing pride in the school that prepared us for life. I was profoundly moved by the oneness we, as a class, shared with the school, and I will cherish it forever. UMW is exceeding in character and status with a fantastic president and his phenomenal organization. The future of UMW looks great. To all of the classmates who could not make it this time, we missed you. To all those who were there, thank you so much.

From Connie: Carolyn Crum Pannu had a marvelous trip with Pat Scott Peck along the East Coast, from Washington, D.C., up to Calais, Maine, stopping at the Anchorage by the Sea resort in Ogunquit, Maine. Pat was a tireless hostess, showing Carolyn everything from her delightful town, across the river to Canada, and the towns of Prince Edward and Prince Andrews. They took side trips to Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and Campobello Island in New Brunswick. Finally they drove west to visit Peggy Howard Hodgkins’ lovely summer home, took an overnight jaunt to her winter home, shopped at the renowned Renys, and met her friends and family. Carolyn planned to visit Renee Laurents in Los Angeles for a weekend of fun in August. Carolyn joined the singles group Events and Adventures, heard the San Francisco Symphony in Golden Gate Park, and was looking forward to many activities and to branching out from incessant knitting. She said it was heartwarming to see dear friends from our first year, including Sara Ellen Flowers McKinney and Mary Turner Willett, as well as Walter, widower of Vaughan Hargroves Scott. Carolyn wrote, “Just want to tell everyone how much I enjoyed being surrounded by our beloved classmates on our beautiful campus … and [we are] thrilled to have given all that we could to support our fabulous university! So many precious memories to treasure!”

Carole Grant LeMay said Reunion Weekend couldn’t have been more perfect and thanked everyone who worked so hard to make it special. She and Ralph were updating their kitchen and great room and preparing for a cruise with their daughter and family that was to be a pre-50th-anniversary celebration. Clara Sue Durden Ashley’s husband, Clarence, has a book, CIA SpyMaster, that is available at the UMW Bookstore! Maddy Contis Marken was impressed with the reunion planning, the campus, and the Alumni College and Civil War walking tour. She enjoyed seeing everyone and meeting their husbands. She planned to travel to Turkey this fall.

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Wright Coxe (Connie’s sophomore roomie) wrote, “You have thanked me for bringing you to Mary Washington! Now it is my turn to thank you for bringing me back!” She had a wonderful time, felt fortunate that the weather was beautiful and everything went smoothly, and already was looking forward to our 55th! Bitsy wrote, “I have told so many people about it, and they are all in awe! I don’t think any other college could put on such a first-class reunion weekend.” On Sunday, she and friend George Sack “did” Fredericksburg, seeing Chatham, Kenmore, and St. George’s Church; taking a historic walk through town; and dining overlooking the river. On the way home, they visited the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico.

Leading up to the reunion, I heard from several classmates who were unable to come. Betty Meaders-Lynch of Seattle was looking forward to retiring from a lifetime of teaching and to caring full time for her new grandson, while her son and daughter-in-law returned to work. She misses Maria Rahola Endries and Charlotte Vaughan, who have passed on; the East Coast; the beautiful Virginia countryside; and many friends and roommates. Betty wonders about Becky Johnson, who lived in Annapolis, Md.

Pat Kenny wrote, “I couldn’t be who I am without my experiences at Mary Washington.” Her bachelor’s degree allowed her to land a lab tech job with the National Institutes of Health, be accepted to the art-as-applied-to-medicine master’s program at Johns Hopkins, and enjoy a 30-plus-year career as a medical illustrator at NIH. While there, she became interested in alternative ways of addressing disease, such as through nutrition, gardening, and the study of botanical healing. Pat’s herb study group concentrates on the rose family, and, she wrote, “that botany class with Miss Parrish comes in handy today.” She hoped to attend the Herb Society of America’s Educational Conference and Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh in June with her sister, Mary Ann, a New Jersey lawyer.

Carlotta Croghan Clark had to abandon hopes of attending reunion after a trip to Europe ended up with a bout of pneumonia, but she applauded the hard work that went into the planning. She is OK now. Marie Butler Skalski was unable to attend reunion but sent greetings and well wishes. She was dismissed from her sales position at J.C. Penney in late April. Dixie Babb Rucker sent her best. She wasn’t up to the reunion in June as she had just returned from Norway and planned to travel again in May. Kay Gamble Reinehr, business manager for Mark Twain Library in Redding, Conn., was unable to attend Reunion Weekend because of the close of the library’s fiscal year and training for a new operating system.

I want to add that, at the farewell brunch on Sunday at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, we enjoyed the company of current students – at our table was a dynamic chemistry major from Delaware. I am glad to hear such positive remarks about the reunion booklet, and I thank all who contributed information and memories. Lynne and I are happy to have Renee back as a class agent! We will send you our news via email so you get it in a timely manner. It will still be in the magazine, probably critically edited. The next news deadline is March 15. Keep those UMW bonds connected!

From Renee: I still teach classes, including one on the Constitution; stay busy reading and going to the theater, concerts, movies, and the gym; and enjoy my dogs, Gracie and Buddy, and my cats, Dickens and Domino.

Becky Paris Spetz loved our reunion! She felt the years disappear, is proud to be part of the Class of 1961, and already was encouraging attendance for the 55th! She recommends reading two mysteries by our deceased classmate Emyl Jenkins, Stealing With Style and The Big Steal, the reviews of which were love letters to Emyl. Becky and hubby Wayne planned to visit his brother and family in Canada in July and in September to stay in Siena during a Village Life trip to Tuscany through the Lehigh University Alumni Association. Becky walks five miles a day on level ground but took time out from her Appalachian Trail hiking due to hip problems. She plays duplicate bridge, takes yoga, gardens, is in a book club, and enjoys Lynchburg with Wayne. Becky doesn’t like to talk about her activities but bit the bullet per my request. She is a great example of making the most out of life.

Donna Henninger Henderson still lives on a dairy farm in Botetourt County, Va., and her son, who lives next door, works on it. Her grandchildren, ages 11, 13, and 15, keep her busy. Her daughter is married and lives in San Francisco. Donna retired from school administration but still substitute teaches and does lots of volunteer and church work, plays bridge, makes pickles, and plays golf. She treasures her years at Mary Washington and how her education influenced her life.

Pepper Jacobs Germer and Hank planned to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a Baltic cruise in August. They are involved with church, choir, special ministries, and Rotary Club, and they provide for sick friends. They travel to Memphis and planned an August trip to see their daughter, son-in-law, and 3-year-old grandson, Henry, outside of Houston. Pepper thought our reunion was wonderful and that everyone looked good. “Age 72 is a blessing.”

Sylvia McJilton Woodcock had a houseful of company, with more coming. She posed the rhetorical question, “Wasn’t the reunion wonderful?” Yes, Sylvia, thanks to you and Lloyd, and Amanda Carter, Cynthia Snyder, and the staff of the University Advancement and Alumni Relations offices, it was, indeed. Sylvia wrote, “It was really gratifying to see so many classmates attend. And the fact that we won all three categories was amazing. I am truly grateful for all who came and all who contributed to our class gift.” Sylvia and Stuart planned to attend the ribbon cutting at the official August opening of the William M. Anderson Center, UMW’s new state-of-the-art sports and convocation facility.

Sylvia noted that there is some interest in having a “mid-reunion” in a few years and urged classmates to let her know if they’d be interested.

OK, here are my two cents on reunion. It was fabulous! And we are properly very proud to have won the “trifecta!” The warmth and enthusiasm that infused every first sighting of one another, every event, and every singing of our Alma Mater made indelible marks on our hearts. One wonderful aspect of our long weekend was the way the years melted away; it was as if graduation day and this weekend were spliced together to form a seamless ribbon of happy memories of our college days. The sadness at the loss of 63 of our sisters (21 since the 45th reunion) and the lovely memories we hold of them were beautifully honored through the reading of each name by Jean Ryan Farrell and Peggy Howard Hodgkins, along with a presentation at the class meeting Saturday. The breathtaking beauty of the campus has not diminished. What a treasure we had in our years at MWC, the place that gave us a fine education in every way; we grew intellectually and socially as a result of all we learned there.

From Lynne: Our 50th reunion was absolutely marvelous. The University went all out for us, with each event carefully planned and beautifully orchestrated. Kudos to classmates Sylvia McJilton Woodcock and Lloyd Tilton Backstrom, and to Amanda Carter and Cindy Snyder of University Advancement and Alumni Relations, for all their hard work. Our new president, Richard V. Hurley, and his wife, Rose, are just what Mary Washington needs and will certainly help its reputation continue to improve. Attendance was phenomenal, with 73 classmates and 28 spouses and guests, many who had never before attended a reunion. Our years at Mary Washington were a special time in our lives, and the reunion reinforced our memories and friendships. Now for current news:

Sandy attended his first reunion with me, loved it, and said he’d like to return for our 55th! We’ve been busy since then, with the Singapore son and family visiting for a month. Also, we have my 22-year-old cousin staying with us in the city while she does an internship. We have been taking small trips around New England (Vermont and Massachusetts) and spending weekends at our place in Litchfield, Conn.

Cynthia Scott Morcott of south Florida still rides horses and has five grandchildren. She and Woody travel a lot and were to spend the summer at their home in Dornoch in the Highlands of Scotland. She is sorry she missed the reunion and seeing suitemate Peggy Howard Hodgkins. Sandy Walters Julifs also wishes she could’ve attended the reunion. Several grandchildren had graduations, and they were in the Los Angeles area for one of them during that time. As reported in the reunion booklet, Sandy is president/CEO of a nine-county community action agency, has been there for 38 years, and loves it!

Dannelle Simms Salmen had fun when two of their granddaughters, ages 10 and 15, visited from Florida. They spend winters in Mexico on the Sea of Cortez and summers in the “boonies” in New Mexico, with electricity in the house but no indoor plumbing. It’s like being at camp and they love it! Their place is at an elevation of about 8,000 feet, so it is usually pretty cool and green, with a stream, irrigation ditches, and a small pond, but they were suffering a drought and had no water in the stream for the first time ever. It seems like the best of both worlds and they love both places. Dannelle is involved with fiber arts including spinning, dyeing, knitting, felting, etc.

In celebration of their 50th anniversary, Jean Ryan Farrell and Frank planned to spend a week at Lake Lanier near Atlanta in July with all of their sons and their families, including the ones from Singapore. Jean wrote, “Just a week ago we were all in Fredericksburg and now I am missing you all so much! Thank you for all you have done and are continuing to do for our class. Having attended two previous UMW reunions and several at West Point, I feel that this was the best of all, in every way. I am more impressed with our alma mater than ever before and wish I could start all over again!” (Jean’s beautiful poem about the reunion is warmly appreciated by all who were there!)

Jane Riles was to teach plein air painting in San Diego this summer. She and Jim were looking forward to a 30-day October cruise to the South Pacific, traveling from San Diego to Tahiti, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, and Hawaii. In January, they were to go to Paris to get Jim’s studio behind the Bastille Opera ready to put on the market, then head to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the rest of the winter.

At 72, Agnes Welsh Eyster is busier than ever, continuing to be deeply involved in her art, including a recent project for the City of Houston’s permits and code enforcement departments and the Green Building Resource Center, formerly a rice warehouse. It consists of a panel of etched steel, nearly 12-feet long, that fronts the lobby reception desk; 5-by-4- foot vertical side panels; and other long panels, in the lobby security area. Link to Artful Interventions, a blog about the project by friend Mary Margaret Hansen.

Becky Young Butler Guy of Fredericksburg, who is now a widow, sent a cute message explaining all her last names and wondering who her class agent should be. She was a Young when she arrived at Mary Washington, a Butler when she graduated, and a Guy when she remarried. Judy Youngman Wigton was happy Carol Grant LeMay convinced her to come to our reunion, her first! She raved about the campus, classes, teachers, and seeing friends after 50 years.

Anne Tetterton Jordan Madsen wasn’t able to attend our reunion but had her own grand reunion with Janis Murphy Rifler, who visited her afterward after not having seen her for nine years. They spent two days with Barbie Sutton Wilder, who was also unable to attend. Together they called Mary Hall Richardson, whom they hadn’t seen since leaving campus. Anne transferred from Mary Washington after sophomore year, went on to earn her master’s degree, and retired 14 years ago from a career as an educator. “My memories of Mary Washington and the friends I made there will never leave me.”

Nancy Wright traveled to Yellowstone National Park with her granddaughter, who lives in Wisconsin. Nancy takes each granddaughter, when she is 10, on an inter-generational trip to a destination of the granddaughter’s choosing. Previous such trips included Prince Edward Island and the Grand Canyon, and Nancy has two more to go.

Carolyn Spell Robertson celebrated her husband’s 75th birthday with a family cruise, including their 4-year-old twin grandsons, on the Disney Dream in July. They had an outstanding experience on the Disney Wonder four years ago. Judy Saunders Slifer’s garden kept her busy making bread-and-butter pickles and freezing French green beans. She also hoped to make pesto with her basil and can tomatoes. She wanted to plan a trip to see the Copper Canyon by train, but Eleanore wanted to take a cruise to Ukraine.