Class Notes

Nancy Edwards Brockman lives in Cary, North Carolina, close to her two daughters and their families, and two grandchildren. She has always had a passion for music and has become a certified music practitioner for healing, specializing in therapeutic harp playing at the bedside, playing weekly at Transitions Life Care Hospice, Rex Hospital’s NICU, and ICU. She has been interviewed on TV and enjoys also the rich cultural life in Raleigh.

Beverley Sulpice Persell still lives in Alexandria and is so excited that Blaire Persell, her granddaughter from California, just graduated from UMW and plans to live in the D.C. area. She is the daughter of Bev and Bob’s late son Bobby who was an air marshal. Bev’s father is 97 and lives an active life in Florida.

Louise Couch Girvin and John are living in Kentucky and celebrating their 55^th anniversary and the graduation of their granddaughter Emily from University of Kentucky who has just been hired as the first alumna to teach in her original elementary school. Their daughter Joelyn, a junior at Eastern Kentucky University, has just been accepted in the occupational therapy school.

Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor’s grandson Brett Burcher graduated from Stafford High School. It’s gorgeous and new, and the floor plan and athletic field have changed from the days when Kathleen several others from Mary Washington did student teaching in senior year. Brett is headed for the engineering school at Virginia Tech, bringing back special memories Kathleen shared with Barry there. This makes three generations; Brett’s dad also went to Virginia Tech.

Peggy Downs Gerber and John had quite an adventure on a Holy Land spring tour. The group met in Tel Aviv and traveled to Nazareth, stayed on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, the area of miracles where Jesus met the disciples Peter, James, and John. Then the group arrived in Jerusalem. On May 15, the new U.S. embassy was officially opened. This was the same time the Palestinians and Israelis were firing at each other in Gaza. Needless to say their families were worried, but they were safe in Jerusalem and landed back home with stories to tell.

Pat Mackey Taylor is enjoying her seven grandchildren, six of whom are girls. She raised six children, five of whom were boys, and had to wait till age 66 to become a grandmother. Now she calls herself a circuit rider, traveling between Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia to babysit. Spare time is spent as a docent at the Hampton History Museum and in classes at the Christopher Newport University LifeLong Learning Society. She planned a fall paddlewheel cruise on Oregon’s Snake River, following the Lewis and Clark route.

Myrtle Lee Dean France, Nancy Powell Sykes, and Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor were invited to represent the Society of 1908 (all graduates of 50 years or more) and march in Commencement this past May. Unfortunately Kathleen was on crutches after a fall and had to watch remotely.

Nancy Powell Sykes is enjoying traveling again after two years of surgeries (joint replacements). She spent two weeks at Christmas with her daughter in San Diego. Now she eats out with friends and takes bus day trips.

Montgomery County Museum, where Sue Grandy Farrar is director again, sponsored a concert as part of the Mountains of Music events in southwest Virginia. Betsy Carper Cole and Sue attended the concert. Joan Akers Rothgeb had a week’s visit in Houston, Texas, with Mary Lott Haglund and husband David. While there Mary and Joan traveled to Bastrop to meet Lucy Ritter Todd for lunch. As a surprise Lucy had invited Janice Tucker Goebel ’76 to join them. Janice is retired and also lives in Bastrop. Janice and Lucy discovered several years ago that Janice knew Joan when she was growing up. Lucy has a studio in the wonderful modern Bastrop Art Gallery and paints there. At a Women of the Rotary lunch Mary and Joan met another Mary Washington alum, Pat Voelker Donnell ’60.

Maggie Walker McAllister arranged a lunch in late spring at a beautiful winery near Harrisonburg. Those able to attend were Maggie, Emily Lewis, Bettie Stewart Kienast, Georgianne Maloy Hull and Joan Akers Rothgeb. Emily stays in contact with Helen Alexion James, who lives in Virginia Beach.

Nancy Cheek Mitchell lives in Winchester and husband Robert continues to practice law there. They have been busy attending graduations of grandchildren. She and Joan were finally able to meet for lunch this spring. Their conection goes back to high school, when they met at a state student government conference.

We extend our hearts and sympathies to Kathy Clark Wray, who lost her husband last fall.  She was Nancy Powell Sykes’ roommate for three years until she left to marry her Marine. Her three sons are nearby in Stockton, California.

Our condolences to the family of Steva Jenna Kellenberger. Her son reports that she and her husband died recently. She enjoyed her friends and life at UMW and was a world traveler with her husband and dad who was in the military. Godspeed dear classmates for sharing your news even if you are downsizing and constantly learning in this technical world! Notes and calls are welcome too!

Beverley Sulpice Persell wrote, “My granddaughter Blaire Persell graduated from Mary Washington  this spring.  She lives in California so her mother and brother flew in for her graduation May 12th.  She will be living in Arlington , VA with a roommate who went to Mary Washington too.  She is presently looking for a job with the US government.  My husband Bob and I will help her furnish her new apartment.  Several cousins came from Richmond and her grandparents and uncle attended her graduation.”