Class Notes

My calls to you classmates elicited similar responses. Many of you were sheltering in place because of the pandemic but staying busy and productive.

Susan Hutcheson Jurgens was disappointed that her barge trip to Alsace-Lorraine was canceled. She continued weekly, properly distanced Scrabble games, enjoyed organic veggies provided by her neighbors, and was joyous about the birth of great-granddaughter Taliyah, an Arabic/Jewish name.

Betty Litton Kilgour, after retiring from a career in education, lives in Leesburg. Having married an Army engineer, she traveled extensively in Europe and had a scary time in Anchorage, Alaska, when an earthquake shook things up. Her five children are in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Suzanne Branner Kessler lives at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond. She remotely attended her granddaughter’s wedding in Cary, North Carolina, this summer. She’s an ardent Washington Nats fan and is concerned about the future of her favorite sport.

Charlotte Adams Harrell lives at the Westminster Canterbury in Virginia Beach. Husband Bob celebrates his 100th birthday this year.

Nancy Stump Motley of Roanoke had a heart attack recently but seems as upbeat as ever. Her two daughters and a son fill in the gaps since Nancy no longer drives. Nancy and I, Rita Morgan Stone, reminisced at length about our trips to midwinters at Tech when we hired Hilldrup taxi to transport us.

Nancy Moxley Stone enjoys her view of the mountains in Elk Creek, Virginia, and spends her pandemic time exercising, doing puzzles, and reading. She particularly recommends David McCullogh’s Pioneers.

Mary Lou Finney Boyd was addressing 300 cards urging folks to get out the vote. A granddaughter adds decorative touches. Mary Lou swims three times a week and writes thank-you notes for MetaVivor donors, honoring her daughter who is a breast cancer survivor.

Peggy Sherman of Augusta, Georgia, recalled the interesting classes at Mary Washington but especially the fun weekends and visits to boys’ colleges and universities.

Lilly Longo Bilmond retired as an English teacher at Midlothian High School; she and her husband live in Richmond.

Marie “Weege” Attianese Harlow enjoys life in a community retirement center in Bridgeport, Connecticut. When the pandemic ends, she plans to resume bridge gatherings and other activities. Her children are in Florida and Delaware, but when they come for vacation in Nantucket, she goes for a visit.

Khalida “Kay” Showker has an exciting life, splitting her time between Sarasota, Florida, and New York. Kay began her career with Travel Weekly but went out on her own and has done 15 travel guides. Her most recent ones featured cruises. Kay has traveled all over the world and is on YouTube.

Shirley King Buchanan lives on the family farm in Chesapeake, in a home she built with her late husband, a physician in the area. She enjoys a huge backyard, visited by all sorts of animals. Shirley focuses on butterflies and birds. She was active in the medical auxiliary and is well-known to local politicians. Daughter Beverly lives with her since her husband’s death. Daughter Sherry Buchanan ’75 is a Mary Washington alumna.

Joyce Long Moore has filled her pandemic time with reading, even some textbooks she wishes she had read more thoroughly in college. She recently celebrated a birthday at Nags Head with four generations in one house for a week.

Ginny Orkney Philbrick of Bedford, Virginia, wrote that adopted daughter Betsy located her birth father and his family in California through the Ancestry website. Her half sister Amy of Raleigh, North Carolina, has visited the Philbrick home, to the delight of everyone.  Ginny’s grandson holds a doctorate in nutrition and works at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Corley Gibson Friesen and Ernie are settled in their retirement spot in Colorado and look forward to resuming fun activities after the pandemic is over.

Jean Amis Hill lives in Martinsville, Virginia, and has recovered from her broken hip. She sees her daughter and family frequently.

Mary Ann Jones Beard and husband Billy, who had a stroke, have lived in an assisted living complex in Virginia Beach for the past eight years. One of her children is in Carmel, California, and the other is in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Maryanne Heatwole Cox of Fredericksburg misses her friends, bridge club, book club, and many family gatherings, but keeps busy with the computer, reading, knitting, and painting.

Elaine Nader Powell looks forward to her grandchildren resuming their college sports schedule at William & Mary and Virginia Tech after COVID is over. Then she and her husband may resume cheering.

Claire Sindlinger DeGroot and husband Ward live in Arlington, Virginia. Daughter Gretchen had many connections with our Mary Washington classmates. Carol Edgerton Cooper introduced her to her husband and even helped her choose her wedding gown. And when Gretchen lived in Lexington, she connected with Bobbie Burgess and Sissy Davis.

Anne Hart Martin attended a service at St. John’s Church in Washington two years ago, and her family albums have many childhood photos of her playing in Lafayette Park. She was disturbed to see such turmoil in that beautiful part of the city.

Selma Friedman Fink of New York wrote that her son-in-law is an anesthesiologist, and her granddaughter works in critical care at a hospital that had COVID patients exclusively for months. At 7 o’clock each day, residents opened their doors and applauded in gratitude for medical personnel. Selma, like so many of us, was concerned about the divisions in our country.

Katherine Wells Ball of Tullahoma, Tennessee, lost husband Ted last year after 67 years of marriage. His life as an Air Force pilot provided the family with interesting travels. One son lives in Tennessee, and the other is a doctor in Northern Virginia. Kitty was named Volunteer of the Year in Tullahoma.

Maxine Haley Hazelgrove lives in Ashland, Virginia, and remains in close touch with Susan Jurgens. Maxine’s granddaughter Abigail is a first-year student at William & Mary.

Gwen Amory Cumming’s children are attentive and live nearby.  Not having church services leaves a big gap in Gwen’s life.

Betty Montgomery Handy and I celebrated my birthday with a lovely brunch, gifts of honey, and a flower arrangement created by Betty, a master gardener.

Bobbie Fowler Childs has moved to a senior community in Olympia, Washington, after selling her home on Hartstine Island. She and Richard were married for 65 years before his death three years ago.

It’s been a pleasure having phone visits with so many of you. When you have news that you think would be of interest to our classmates, please share it. Stay well and stay happy.