Class Notes

Many thanks to those few who contacted me. I know July is a busy time of year for all.

I planned to travel in late July to Yellowstone for a few days with my niece, my two daughters, and their spouses, and to visit afterwards with Carolyn Jenkins and Bob in California. My son and his family were to take care of my two cats while they continued to house hunt in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Linda LeHardy Sweet’s twin granddaughters were born in June in New York City. They were preemies but had made it to more than 6 and 7 pounds. Linda went up to New York to help for the first 10 days, and it was a joy! She said, “I should be their great-grandmother, so I just pray for strength and energy to keep up with them.”

Carolyn Osborn Jenkins, who lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea, planned a September cruise to Venice, stopping at small ports down the Adriatic, and going to Greece and Turkey, where she was to stay on for a cooking class.

I received a postcard from Helen Wilbur Vogel, who was enjoying a wonderful Alaskan cruise with a friend from her “Woodies” days. They saw a 25- story iceberg cave in Glacier Bay and lots of whales and other sea life, and they took the 12-hour bus trip into Denali National Park, where grizzly bears performed for them. Helen planned to make her annual trek to Chautauqua, Pa., in early August.

Please send some news to your new class agent, and I’m certainly going to try to be a better correspondent in the future. Thanks, everybody, and love y’all!

News is a little on the thin side this time, so I presume everyone is out having the time of their lives! I would prefer that to the time of my life, which includes visits to various doctors (who all seem to be 12) and ladies luncheons where we discuss various parts of the body that are descending or need shoring up. But, what the hay – I’m still here, well seasoned as I may be! I’m still working, though fewer days a week, because I do still enjoy the little kids and their deadly honesty. I’ve found that you can get away with saying anything that pops into your mind if you are under 6 or over 70. My granddaughter was to come back to San Luis Obispo, Calif., for her senior year in high school after a wonderful year in Germany and Europe. Her family was to go get her and take the grand tour, while their two black labs vacationed at the Casa Hovis. Fortunately, they are both 7, so I may not have to chase them down at the park!

Sally Hanger Moravitz’s granddaughter was to attend UMW this fall, and son Mike received a green hood for earning a doctor of philosophy in history from George Mason University. In May, the Moravitzes went to their cottage on the Chesapeake Bay, where Ann Doumas and Bill joined them. They all toured Solomons Island, where they hunted for fossils and fished.

Charlotte Fisher Klapproth described many doctor visits for cataract removal and lid lifting. In May, she and Chris went to the Ukraine with two other couples, spent three days in Vienna after the trip, and saw the Lipizzaner horses rehearse.

Eileen West Grenfell related the death of Eileen Cella Manze in April. She passed away at a hospital in Florida and was to be cremated and buried with her husband, Al, in Trenton, N.J. We will all miss her greatly.

In March, Nancy Shope Armbruster and Joe flew to Rome, went to Tuscany for a week, and spent two days in Florence. She thought Michelangelo’s David was inspiring and added to her enjoyment by re-reading The Agony and the Ecstasy while traveling. They spent another week in Sorrento, did a lot of sightseeing in Pompeii and Naples, spent a day on the Amalfi Coast, then flew home. Nancy spent the summer recovering from eye surgery and wasn’t able to drive for a while. She and Joe had a lot of visits from their children. Ellen lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and is chief counselor and director of testing at Tierra Encantada Charter School; Jean works for the Los Angeles County health department, writing grant proposals to improve children’s health; Michael works in Indianapolis, where he has taught English at Arsenal Technical High School for 15 years; and Ed is an environmental engineer in Boulder, Colo.

Betsy Land Johnson didn’t travel as much this year as last, but she and Dave did spend January through March in warm, sunny Fort Myers, Fla., an improvement over winter in Green Bay, Wis. She and her sister planned a boat trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow in September.

Carol Cooper sends a big thank you to all who donated funds for a seat, a gift from the Class of 1955, in the new William M. Anderson Center. It will have a plaque that says, “In Honor of MWC of UVA Class of 1955.”

Carol hopes that the Class of 1955, though long gone, won’t be forgotten – as if! So when we all get back to UMW, we can sit in “our” chair. Thank you to all the donors: Mary-Margaret Papstein Carter, Sally Watson Castle, Carol L. Cooper, Anne Rohrbach Culwell, M. Ann Strickler Doumas, Gretchen Hogaboom Fisher, Polly Stoddard Heim, Jane Johnson Jones, Charlotte Fisher Klapproth, Ann Hungerford McKinlay, Sally Hanger Moravitz, Mary Patteson Morgan, Phyllis Melillo Shanahan, Joan Ferrall Shaw, and Ann Shumate.

One more comment: How often have you put down a piece of paper or other object and turned around to find it’s vanished into thin air? Then you have to waste time hunting it down. It frustrates the heck out of me. So, I’m at work doing this for the umpteenth time when one of my employees walks in and inquires about my activities. She looks at me a moment and then says, “Well, every day is just an Easter egg hunt for you, isn’t it?” So that’s now our catch phrase at work. Now, when one leaves, the benediction is, “May the egg be with you.” So that is my wish for all of you. And send news!

Special credit goes to those in our class who made it to our 55th reunion. Although I didn’t get to speak to everyone, those on the roster included Beverly Almond Tucker, Suzanne Borke Grasberger, Aldeen Burton Markle, Connie Crigler, Sandra Cutchins Pittman, Margaret Dorsey Purser, Mickey Foley McDaniel, Mary Goode Henry, Connie Hook Felvey, Marion Hoyt Lee, Ann Mitchell Wood, Carole Petley Toone, Beth Poteet Pollard, Eleanor Pratt, Page Richardson Coulthard, Marge Uhler Adcock, Angela Walton Barksdale, and Nanalou West Sauder.

I received a thank-you note from Marge Uhler Adcock. She enjoyed hearing President Richard V. Hurley’s update on Mary Washington and eating lunch with current UMW students on Saturday. The highlight of the weekend for many of us was dinner with the Hurleys at Brompton. They are a great addition to UMW. Marge related that Emma Spears Ellis was on a trip to Paris while her classmates toured the much-expanded UMW campus. Peggy Wood Wright was absent from our midst, attending graduations of four grandchildren. Her husband, Ed, died Oct. 31, 2010.

Bev Almond Tucker is a farming gal, making hay driving an air-conditioned tractor. She has two children and four grandchildren. Suzanne Borke Grasberger is surrounded by children and grandchildren who live nearby, and she volunteers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and at her church school. Angela Walton Barksdale moved to Richmond and is a member of the Colonial Dames of America. Beth Poteet Pollard is an honorary member of her garden club and a volunteer for the Petersburg Area Art League and Preservation Virginia. Connie Hook Felvey plays tennis, kayaks, and belongs to a reading club in which members read different books rather than everyone reading the same one.

Stokey Saunders Scott and Ozzie Mask planned to attend the reunion, but last-minute health concerns kept them from joining us. Carole Petley Toone invited Ann Wood and me to a July lunch at her home before her annual trip to Barnegat Lighthouse in New Jersey to visit her sister. She also planned to visit Jeanetta Bishop Patane, whose husband, Bob, died in July 2010. Carole was recognized for her volunteer work teaching ESL at the Culpeper Literacy Council.

You all are the greatest! Thank you for responding to my email for news. Numerous classmates have told me how pleased they have been to receive news of you all through Class Notes.

Mary Montague “Monti’ Sikes was to have another book, Jungle Jeopardy, published in August. She uses her experiences visiting Maya ruins as part of the plot and has a series of large acrylic paintings, Revisiting the Maya of Central America, which she plans to exhibit in connection with the book. Another book, A Rainbow for Christmas, is due out later this year. Last March Monti visited Mary Washington to present a writer’s workshop in Lee Hall, sponsored by the University Bookstore, where some of her books are available. In July, she spoke on two panels and served as a moderator on a third for the Public Safety Writers Conference in Las Vegas. She would be happy to speak to classmates’ book clubs or at arts centers. Many of her paintings are 4-by-6 feet, and she would love to schedule a show in conjunction with a talk by an expert on the Maya.

Barbara Craft Grantz and husband Walt are “still perking along” and spent Easter with Helen Grantz Fortner. After all these years, they still laugh like they did at Mary Washington, only now it’s with white hair and wrinkles. Barbara and Walt left Peru in 1969 and looked forward to seeing what’s changed during a trip back for an archeological theme tour in July. Barbara met Martha Jane “Marty” Spilman ’59 at a woman’s club meeting, where she recognized her MWC ring as she poured tea. It is a small world!

Kay Nelson Richardson and husband Clay haven’t done anything exciting this year because of his illness and rehab, but things were looking up since he got a pacemaker. We wish Clay a rapid recovery! Kay emails and exchanges jokes about retirement and old age with Nancy Hallett Guest, who is always on the go with husband Harry. I got a chuckle from an email from Joyce Bistrow Wrestler that said, “Sorry, no news, as they say, that’s ‘fit to print.’”

Charlsey McFarlane De Lorenzo sent the news of the death of her former roommate, Isabella Phillips, who passed away in January from lymphoma. Charlsey was shocked; they attended our 50th UMW reunion together in 2007 and she saw her frequently when traveling to Sarasota, Fla., to visit two of her daughters and their families.

Nancy Hallett Guest and husband Harry spend the winter in Vail, Colo. Their twin granddaughters come to ski every weekend, and Nancy enjoys the time with them. She doesn’t ski anymore, but between Harry and their son, Jim, the girls have excellent instruction. Nancy volunteers at the local hospital, and they stay home for the summer in Albany, N.Y., where they are busy with their younger son, who lives in Short Hills, N.J., and thinks nothing of hopping on his bike and riding to Albany.

Barbara “Bobbi” Falkenbury Wright and Jim have enjoyed traveling while they can to far-flung places these past few years. They took a boat trip through the Low Countries in Europe and visited old friends in the United Kingdom on their return home. Barbara visited her daughter and family in South Carolina, where she watched their two granddaughters’ ballet practices and soccer games. She rented a car (“… a white Jeep for this old granny!”) and drove to Georgia, where she joined forces with fellow alumnae at Patsy Whitmire Culberson’s home on Lake Lanier. They meet with Nancy Moore Cavins of Florida, Patricia “Patty” Falkenbury Cook of Atlanta, and Mary Frances Pierce Burton of Rochester, Minn., every couple of years and have the best time ever, remembering, teasing, and most of all, laughing!

Erna MacLaughlin Lawrence was honored in the spring by ISITC, a financial services industry group she was associated with before retiring. This was only the second time their Standard of Excellence Award has been granted, and Erna was surprised and thrilled. The award, a beautifully etched 6-inch Tiffany crystal disc, is given to a former ISITC member in recognition of lifetime achievement. Congratulations, Erna!

Elizabeth “Libby” Fordham had a splendid spring visit with Florence “Foncie” Lawrence Williamson.

Mark your calendars for Reunion Weekend, June 1-3. Classes ending in 2s and 7s, from 1942 through 2007, will be celebrated. Hope to see you all there!

Lucas and grandmother had three exciting days together in June while Virginia and Matt tried to get some R-&-R. At 2, Lucas is putting sentences together very quickly.

Celeste Shipman Kaufman was in Lafayette, La., for a golf tournament during Mardi Gras. Pug and Alan had just left Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where they saw Pamela Raumitz Laveck and had a long lunch. Austin, the son of Pug’s daughter, Julie, graduated from the University of Alabama in May and has two years of track eligibility. Sister Francie is a freshman at the University of Alabama, and sister Sarah runs district track. Smylie, the son of Pug’s son, Jeff, is a freshman at Louisiana State University and plays golf. Pug and Alan went to New York before Christmas, and then headed to Nassau. Next they planned a trip to Oregon and a visit with Frances Burke Firth.

Martha Spilman Clark wrote that after 42 years Paul is stepping down as general director of Scripture Union Peru, however, he will continue to work in another unit. Thankfully, all 16 schools are back together after terrible floods in Peru. Would you believe they taught 41,800 students weekly?

Mary Fried Downing and Glenn celebrated their 50th anniversary in July. Charlotte Wohlnick Wiggs and Archie celebrated their daughter and family’s return from Vietnam in June and expected Audrey Dubetsky Doyle, Gloria Winslow Borden, Sigrid Stanley Jackman, and Marianne Carrano Raphaely to attend.

Irene Piscopo Rodgers went on a Danube River cruise in April, spent a few days in Prague, and planned to be in Budapest for Easter. Irene took her annual ski trip to Crested Butte, Colo., with friends in January, and traveled from there to Las Vegas, then home. She said that all is well with Ann Stephens Watkins and Bob. Nancy Brewer McCarthy broke her ankle, so it has been slow going for her. Phyllis Hartleb Rowley and Jim celebrated Phyllis’ birthday in June at the Franciscan Crab Restaurant in San Francisco, with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Son Phillip and family were there and planned to stay three weeks. The Rowleys planned to visit Canada in July.

We would like to celebrate the lives of our classmates and their loved ones.

Joyce Panciera Pippo’s husband, Tony, wrote to say that Joyce passed on from pancreatic cancer in October 2010. They have a beautiful daughter, Emily, who is married to Michael Tracht; a 6-year-old grandson, Alex; and a granddaughter, Olivia, all of Atlanta. Tony and Joyce spent summers in Mystic, Conn., and winters in Coconut Grove, Fla. They had a wonderful life together.

Nancy Mann Kaplan’s husband, David, wrote that Nancy’s memory loss and mild cognitive impairment developed into Alzheimer’s disease, and she is in assisted living. Nancy’s older sister is affected, as well. Janet Garriss Lewis’s husband, Phil, passed away from cancer in May.

Betty Ditmars Prosser and David celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a garden party at their home, hosted by their daughter and her family. Fifty friends, from Maine to California, shared the special occasion, and Betty and David “renewed their contracts” for another 50 years. They looked forward to summer houseguests and Betty said, “In another life, I am going to operate a cozy country bed-and-breakfast in this nice old farmhouse.” We hope you caught the Survey Says article, which opened with Betty’s remarks, in the spring issue of this magazine. Thanks for representing us so well, Betty.

Joanne Lister Jacobs and husband Frank also celebrated their 50th. Their children gave them a wonderful party at a local restaurant with all their friends and relatives. Joanne continues her work as a speech pathologist with a private pediatrics firm. Jude Wandell Potter and her husband celebrated her May birthday by flying to Greece and Turkey.

Cyd Day Getchell thanked us for remembering her birthday and said her wish would be to turn the clock back 40 years! She spent her birthday weekend getting a herding instinct certification for the German shepherd puppy she got last fall and was training it for next year’s title. Cyd once bred 40 champion show dogs but said that as a breeder-owner-handler that was a walk in the park by comparison. She is a new member of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America.

Sue Whidden Frisch enjoyed April botanical travels, exploring flora throughout North Carolina. They explored the Croatan National Forest with friends in Morehead City, visited Bonehenge, the site of the reconstruction of a sperm whale skeleton, and saw several Wilmington-area nature reserves. Places they visited include the Raleigh/Durham/ Chapel Hill area, Swift Creek, Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, the North Carolina Botanical Garden, and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near Asheville. They traveled home via the Blue Ridge Parkway and detoured to the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern United States. Upon return, Sue said that Norfolk, Conn., seemed tame, and she was planning her next trip.

In response to the birthday card we sent, Natalie Robins Lehmann-Haupt said she had spoken to Sue, whose father is, of course, our Dean Whidden. He is 106, lives near Sue in Connecticut, and, aside from some hearing loss, was doing fine! Nat is a prominent New York-based author, who has written several novels. Her husband, former publisher Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, and their daughter, are authors, as well.

Syd Collson Chichester had a super birthday with her daughter at their family reunion at Glencairne, the Chichester farm in Virginia. Syd enjoyed seeing friends she hadn’t seen in years at the Class of 1961’s farewell brunch at UMW. She chatted with Lloyd Tilton Backstrom ’61, whose sister, Cary Tilton Doyle, is in our class but not on our radar – does anyone have her address? She also spoke with Polly Updegraff, Peggy Howard, Ellen Gotwald, Renee Levinson, and Caroline Crum. Syd wrote, “Their class won the Triple Crown – all three of the Eagle awards. The ‘devil class’ raised more than $2,700,000 for the University! Quite a feat, huh? They had 67 returnees.” (Note from your agents: You know this is a challenge for our 55th reunion coming up four years from now, so get ready!)

Syd bought a winter home in Florida on the St. Johns River, fell in love with the area, and stayed well after the season ended this year. After the reunion in June, she drove back to Florida with Gay Hall Sullivan, whose new home is near Syd’s. They had a small kennel on the drive for their two rescue dogs and a long-haired Chihuahua. Patty Connolly visited Syd, fell in love with Vero Beach, and planned to return next year. Syd and Patty had lunch with Nancy Cleaves Blaydes, who also wintered there. Syd volunteered at the Indian River Environmental Learning Center and led canoe trips, joined the Vero Beach Museum of Art where she was delighted to see a painting by Gari Melchers, and mentored a high-schooler who became like a granddaughter to her. Syd said, “Guess you can take the teacher out of the classroom but not the classroom out of the teacher!”

Pat Garvin Dyke, Shelby Davis Porter, Bayla Goldberg Manis, and Marietta “Jo” Ames Steinberg sent greetings. Shelby reminisced about school days shared with Janet Garriss Lewis. Liz Hill Heaney and Bob are always busy – staying out of “the proverbial” trouble.

Teresa Horseman Ammon and her husband are avid gardeners in Atlanta, where they had what they felt was their most beautiful yard ever this year. Teresa sent a gorgeous picture of it. Sue Whidden Frisch sent a picture of her home in the snow. Accomplished artist Gray Sheafer Dodson shows her work online. Another artist, Joyce Neil Krost, returned from her travels abroad and added a gray calico cat to her family. Her marketing director was developing a website for her work.

Jeanette Meyer Juren and husband Hal learned a lot of Russian history and saw amazing palaces and churches during a cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow. They wore jackets, hats, and sweaters on the trip and returned to 90-degree weather in Norfolk, Va. Sarah Forsyth Donnelly enjoyed spring in Albemarle County, Va., but complained about having to weed. The lefty promptly broke her left wrist and had to weed right-handed. Sarah and her former U.Va. roommate visited Washington, D.C., touring the Capitol and other sites. Sarah’s wrist was healing well, and she happily reported that the titanium in it did not set off any metal detectors.

Darrell and Karen Larsen Nelson traveled to Las Vegas to meet their new twin great-grandchildren, a boy and a girl, Brynn and Seth, and to visit their daughter and all three granddaughters. From Las Vegas, they took the long way home through southern Utah, stopping at Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Monument Valley. They took another spontaneous trip in their RV in September.

Jody Campbell Close spent a week with her sons and their families in Virginia, then a week with her daughter’s family in Seattle. The family reunions mean a lot to her as she lives in Florida and sees relatives so rarely. Jody is on her way to professional certification in the study of genealogy. She completed 15 weeks of genealogy research study with Boston University and was working on several commissions in addition to her own family research. With help, she developed a successful nine-week workshop for Boy Scouts to earn their genealogy merit badges. Jody said, “It was so great to see their interest grow as they made discoveries about their families and about history, but their wizardry at the computers was humbling.”

Karen and Jody, your class agents, continue to publish a monthly news flash for those with email addresses and to send birthday greetings and condolences on behalf of the class. We hope these efforts help us remain close and keep our bonds alive. A note, especially to those without email – please send us news; we want to hear from you, too.

 

[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.

Greetings! I traveled to Egypt in January to visit the pyramids, sphinx, temples, and other historic sites. The trip was wonderful, but we were sightseeing during the Arab Spring, found ourselves in the midst of protesting and unrest, had a difficult time getting out of Egypt, and eventually were evacuated by the U.S. State Department – quite an experience to tell my grandchildren about. Our 50th reunion is right around the corner!

Linda DeAlba Filer has lived in Newport News, Va., since 1965 and taught in the local high school. After retiring from teaching and losing her husband to pancreatic cancer in 2004, she went to the police academy and is now a part-time detective’s assistant. Son Todd is a homicide detective in Newport News. Daughter Cindy lives in Charlottesville and teaches at U.Va., and Cindy’s husband works with graduates who live overseas. Linda’s cousin married Mary Washington roommate Marian Adams Spain, they live in Edenton, N.C., and Linda hears from her frequently. She would love to hear from other classmates, too.

Beverly Sulpice Persell’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Blaire, who lives in Temecula, Calif., visited her and her husband for 10 days in Alexandria, Va. They took her to the National Gallery of Art, the International Spy Museum, and the National Museum of Natural History, and they treated her to a scenic ride on a British-style double-decker tour bus. Bev keeps in touch with her Mary Washington “little sister,” Edna Knight Roberts ’64, who teaches French at George Mason’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Bev was looking forward to getting back to teaching after being housebound for two months with a herniated disc in her back and a pinched nerve in her hip. Glad you are recovering, Beverly, and, thanks for telling me about the death of Louise Dunn Fuqua’s mother in New Iberia, La. Our thoughts are with you, Louise.

Joan Akers Rothgeb enjoys babysitting her red-haired grandson, who lives in Richmond. She and husband Eddie traveled to Baton Rouge, La., and Florida, where she met for coffee with Beth Shailer’s widower. Joan, Gale Taylor Drew, and Sue Grandy Farrar attended the funeral for Betsy Carper Cole’s husband, Buck. Betsy was doing well and planned to spend the summer in California with her son’s family and to visit her other son on Pawleys Island, S.C., in the fall. Joan met Donna Floyd Parker and her sister this summer in Roanoke, Va., and was to meet Maggie Walker and Bettie Kienast for lunch in Charlottesville in July.

A correction from the last edition: Marcia Kirstein Fitzmaurice did not initiate TealToes.org, a nonprofit that educates the public about ovarian cancer; her daughter, Carey, did. Visit the site to learn more. Ann Tench and husband Jerry had a wonderful time at the Grand Canyon in May. Ann and Mary “Wolffie” Maddrey Isenhour both live in Emerald Isle, N.C., and see each other often. Ann planned to meet Helen Alexion James, Emily Lewis, and Judy Lewis Clark ’61 for an August mini-reunion at Helen’s place in Virginia Beach. Ann added that Sue Grandy Farrar was enjoying her museum work in Christiansburg.

Diana Copple, Nancy Powell Sykes, and I planned to meet here in Hampton for lunch in July, but circumstances prevented it. I hope things work out better next year; I still want to see pictures of that beautiful grandson. Kathy Clark Wary and husband Dick were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August and reaffirm their vows in their church. They invited all their original wedding attendants, including bridesmaids Beverly Jacobson and me, to the late August ceremony in Stockton, Calif. Nancy Powell Sykes, Kathy’s Mary Washington roommate for three years, was to accompany us.

Patsy Barclift McDermott and husband Hugh took a Holland America Cruise from Seattle to Russia and experienced a 10-week odyssey, spending time in Japan and China; traveling to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Australia; cruising to islands in the South Pacific; and heading to Hawaii. Patsy and Hugh traveled around South America for 40 days last year, so they were glad to stay home for a while.

Liz Kennedy Thomas wanted to know the date of our 50th reunion, and Nancy Powell Sykes, who is on the reunion committee, assured me that it’s the first weekend of June 2012. Other committee members from our class are: Bette Stewart Kienast, Emily Lewis, Maggie Walker MacAllister, Jane Walshe McCracken, and Marsha Lynn Wilkins. Let them know if you have suggestions or thoughts. Ladies, please mark your calendars; I hope all of us will be able to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event. In the meantime, keep me posted with your news

Once again, I’ve enjoyed talking to members of our class, many of whom I haven’t seen since we graduated. I’m still working my way through the alphabet, so if I haven’t contacted you, don’t let that keep you from sending news to the above email address. By the time you read this, I hope we will have been able to implement Joyce Rodgers Haddock’s suggestion to hold a Northern Virginia lunch, probably sometime in September, since there are so many of us in the area.

My husband, Jonathan, and I traveled again in May and June to Italy, where he likes to practice his Italian. We planned to go back to Lake George and Vermont in October. I planned to join the Boston Architectural College’s garden tour of Argentina and Uruguay just before Thanksgiving, which is their spring. I lived for several years in Uruguay and look forward to returning to that beautiful part of the world. In May, we welcomed our seventh granddaughter; not a boy in sight!

Joyce Rodgers Haddock of Alexandria, Va., retired five years ago from teaching at private and public schools. Granddaughter Eva is 8, grandson Alex is 2, and grandson Adam is 6 months. Faye “Russell” Hatcher of South Jersey spends summers on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with family. After retiring from 30 years of teaching, she headed the preschool program at Woodland Country Day School in New Jersey. She enjoys travel and church activities and has two daughters and five grandchildren. Russell has kept up with Mary Washington alumnae who were roommates in school, as well as later when she was working in Virginia Beach. She sees Mary Saunders Latimer of Suffolk, Va.; Beth Lyle Turner of Warrenton, Va., a retired radiologist who left after sophomore year; Lois Smith McDaniel of Gainesville, Va.; Nancy Hersh Gibbs, who divides her time between New Byrne, N.C., and Washington, D.C.; and Sara Tarrant Bernert of Richmond. Last year Russell visited Beth Wharton Williams, who lives in Austin, Texas, with husband Sam, and Linda Herrold Hansen, who lives in Georgetown, Texas, with husband Rick.

Peggy Perkins Hartman of Chesapeake, Va., is a retired Tidewater-area real estate agent. Her husband died last year, and she has two children and two grandchildren. She is in two bridge clubs and loves to travel. She visited South Africa in April and hopes to get to Kenya and Tanzania next year. For the moment, she was housebound with a new Scottie puppy to housebreak and four Himalayan cats. Mary Stewart Booth Ruhnke of Petersburg, Va., has two children and three grandchildren and goes to her beach house at Sandbridge in Virginia Beach in the summer.

Ann “Annie” Reardon Crowley Rowe of Madison, Va., joined Nancy Pida Remmers ’64 of Palm Coast, Fla., and Lola Koller Sarsfield of Dale City, Va., for a celebratory 70th birthday lunch in Manassas in June. Annie was completing her novel with help from a local writers’ group she founded. Her husband, watercolorist Mack Rowe, built his own studio at their home earlier this year. In May, the Rowes launched the Art Ark, with parties for family, friends, and fellow artists of the Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle, of which Mack is a member.