Class Notes

Thanks to those who answered my request for news. I hope to hear from more of you in the future.

Mary Winston Jones Lata of Lawrence, Kan., is her orthopedic doctor’s “bionic woman.” She had a second knee joint replacement, and more recently, she had a bad fall on her bathroom floor, broke a femur, needed a plate and screws, and was in a nursing home to heal. Daughter Jamie of Topeka visits often. She has two girls, 8 and 12. Son John is athletic director at Florida State University in Tallahassee. His oldest son is married with two daughters, making Mary Winston and Alfred great-grandparents.

Marcy Weatherly Morris and Juney Morris were to be great-grandparents again, as granddaughter Erin was expecting a boy. Erin’s other children are l0, 12, and 15, and the man she married in 2011 has a 13-year-old. Marcy said Erin will have her hands full at 36!

Nancy Lee Fox Sease of Spring Grove, Va., no longer has horses, ponies, or dogs. They do have 10 cats, six feral in the stable and four domestic. They took down their fences, so their property looks like an estate. Husband Tec has COPD and is completely blind due to macular degeneration, so Nancy Lee does the garden but has help with the grass and leaves. She was site manager at the 18th-century Smith’s Fort Plantation for 10 years. She has volunteered for ages at the Williamsburg library and for five years at the humane society. She’s been connected with the Boston Ballet, where she teaches a ballet class. She visits son “Sport” (Hugh) in Cohasset, Mass. He sold the ordnance remediation company he developed after retiring from the Navy and works for the new owners. Sport and Mary have son Hunter, 25, an Art Institute of Boston graduate who sells his paintings, and daughter Merrick, 21, a junior University of Maine English major.

Florence Overley Ridderhof said Fredericksburg was beautiful in fall, with College Avenue a riot of color and the trees in full splendor. She had been knitting, weaving, and spinning, trying different ways to paint a warp and weave a tapestry. She still dances with the Sacred Dance Ensemble of Fredericksburg and the ecumenical group, which includes several MWC grads. They also keep Friends of Dance going, encouraging UMW’s Department of Theatre and Dance and giving scholarships. She’s involved with Micah Ministries, helping the homeless, and Fredericksburg Methodist Church. Florence and others went to NYC this fall to join sacred dancers in a program at Trinity Church. She said to let her know if you get back to Fredericksburg, as she would love to see you.

Four of Clelia Boushee Bullard’s grandchildren had weddings in one year, three in Jacksonville, Fla., where Clelia lives, the other in Atlanta. One of her grandsons went to the Naval Academy, attended pilot training, and is an F-18 pilot in his first year at Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. One of Clelia’s granddaughters came to live with her after graduating from law school at the University of Florida. She’s head trainer and handles legal work for K9s for Warriors. Her office is 32 miles away, so she stays at Clelia’s beach house. Her German shepherd, Ruger, has become Clelia’s dog; Clelia lost her shepherd three years ago. Happy to still be able to do everything she wants, Clelia is involved with church activities and with genealogical organizations, including DAR, UDC, and Colonial Dames XVII Century. All four daughters still live within 3 miles of her, and six grandchildren live in town, so they get together often.

Ciel Schoolcraft Commander has moved into a “vibrant assisted living” facility in Carrollton, Ga. She broke her writing hand in March, so she couldn’t include much information. Liz Garey Parode moved from Tucson, Ariz., to Long Beach, Calif., with her puppy, Penny. Liz often visited Mary Cottingham Hardy in San Pedro, Calif., and was saddened by her death. She said Mary had a serious fall and never recovered. We all will remember Mary as very active in college, and she attended most of our reunions.

Myrtle Buchanan ’83 sent an email request. Her mother, Maggie Rebecca Janes, and twin sister Laura Elizabeth Janes were in our class for two years, and both died when Myrtle was young – her mother when Myrtle was 4. The only UMW story she knows is of a psychology professor who did an experiment with them about how twins look alike, and somehow they tricked him. If you have memories of the Janes twins, please email Myrtle (myrtleannb@gmail.com) or me. I hope to hear from more of you!

Nancy Parker Richardson has four granddaughters. Three are married. Two have babies, and Nancy loves being a greatgrandmother. Isaiah, 2, and Gracie Marie, 6 months, live in Ohio. River Daniel lives in Colorado. Nancy sends her love to all.

Carol Edgerton Cooper was in Seattle when the University of Washington, which had never retired a woman’s jersey, retired granddaughter Courtney’s volleyball jersey! Courtney was on the U.S. Olympic team and plays professional volleyball in Switzerland. Carol enjoyed a visit from her six grandsons. Two had returned from recent tours in Afghanistan. She keeps busy but has stopped playing tennis.

Winter seemed to converge upon us all of a sudden. Warm notes from members of the Class of ’53 add to the ambiance of the moment. Remembrances of past days together at MWC are special.

Lenny and I celebrated our 60th anniversary in August, and Myrtle Beach was our destination for my birthday in September. We were blessed with great health this year. Lenny’s heart valve replacement four years ago gave him a new lease on life. He still works eight-hour days in accounting and says he will never retire, but losing most of his 50-year clients here in Warrenton is hard. With my brother in the house some 27 years, our son here since his job closed at the airport after 27 years, 12 in our daughter’s office in D.C. to be replaced with 24 part-timers in January, and our two teenage granddaughters here every other weekend from West Virginia, life goes on full speed.

The Internet reconnected me with my former roomie, Sara Lou Mott Gabler Bevlin. I happened upon the name of her son, a Virginia Tech professor, and emailed him. He called his mother, and she called me – all within an hour! I’d lost touch with Sara in 1954. She remarried, had two daughters, and moved to Holly Springs, N.C. Since her husband died, she has lived with one divorced daughter and her five girls. We hope to meet someday.

Betty Cranford Beasley lives in a Fredericksburg adult apartment complex, near the family of daughter Donna, who died unexpectedly in June. Betty’s son-in-law and two grandsons are very special to her. Betty Raynor Pittman has a grandson in his second year at UMW, living at Eagle Landing. Betty’s life had recently been hard. Her daughter, Barbara Pittman Ferrier ’80, lost her 24-year-old daughter in August, after five years with ovarian cancer, and she lost her husband after a heart attack and surgery two months earlier. They were ready to put summer behind them.

Betty Mason Roper and husband Charlie flew to New Hampshire to visit a son and family for their 60th anniversary. They were treated to a week in London with their two sons and two grandchildren. In September, they visited a grandson and his two boys in Fort Myers, Fla., and their oldest son, a professor of rural medicine at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Betty recently reconnected with freshman Willard Hall roommate Nancy Harrwell Bowen, who lives on a farm in Warrenton, and they took a side trip to visit her. They heard Lorin Maazel conduct at Castleton in 2012. On their last two visits, they saw Jean Browning Rockwell and husband Fred. Last February Betty and Charlie dropped in on Ray and Kitty Garland Obenshain, who has health issues and is frail but maintains her smile and spirit, in Christiansburg.

Ginny Poole Kinniburgh and husband John are “scheduled retirees.” Ginny wrote two Christmas shows and was rehearsing her choir and chorus to sing at four events. They live at Falcons Landing, a Northern Virginia military retirement community, where John, a former MWC rector, is a photographer. Ginny edits his work. She misses suite/roommate Jo Harris, who lived near her and joined her for monthly power lunches.

Virginia Bailes was sad to learn of four-year roomie Donna Anderson Buck’s death in April 2012. Donna’s husband said they traveled while he was in the Air Force, and she taught. He retired to Arizona, where their three children live, and appreciated our contacting him and being able to share their story and keep in touch with her classmates.

Gayle Winston Roberts, our May Queen, celebrated her 60th anniversary with her sweet Page in Florida and spent a week in Virginia Beach with their family. Frances Giannotti Scalo saw her grandson graduate from Washington and Lee University in May and perked up during the ceremony when Pamela White ’74, who earned a J.D. at Washington and Lee, received an honorary degree.

Barbara White Ramer lives in Roswell, Ga., with daughter Robyn and her family, including two teenage sons. Barbara discovered a school for students with learning differences 11 years ago, loved the program, and volunteered. She later assisted with the organization and operation of Porter Academy as principal. She’s on the board of directors and has mentored staff as the school’s educational specialist.

Doris Lindsey Whitfield moved back to Raleigh, N.C., in January 2010 into a small community of townhouses with access to a library, gym, and pool. Her daughter’s family lives in Durham. She’s busy with political activism and feeds and watches bluebirds. She sometimes passes through Fredericksburg.

Winnie Hundemann Schurek and Bert Shelton Stornetta had a mini-reunion in November at Bert’s Annapolis, Md., home. Carolyn Redic had a family reunion in Costa Rica last Christmas, ziplining and seeing howler monkeys in the jungle canopy.

Peggy Hopkins Johnson, Jean Kimball Gray, Deigh Renn Simpson, Barbara Faxon Stout, Jackie Reese Perdue, and Joan Collins enjoyed our 60th reunion. Executive Director of Alumni Relations Mark Thaden worked with us, sending extra mailings. Our classmates were treated royally as 1908 Society members, took pictures, and attended events all weekend. In July, Peggy had a call from Paul B. Gill, husband of Peggy Jo Ellis Gill, who was in a Bedford, Mass., nursing home after a fall and spinal cord injury. He sent a picture taken on Peggy’s front porch during our fifth reunion. We hope you had a happy year’s end and a fresh beginning to 2014. Remember us all and treasure each moment.

No Class Agent
classnotes@umw.edu

I’m getting fewer and fewer responses as the years go by, but I’m grateful for what I get. Thank you to those hardy souls who continue to contribute.

I’ve been corresponding with Ann Dunaway Criswell, who found a couple of copies of Dr. Alvey’s History of Mary Washington College, 1908-1972 at an estate sale and asked if I’d like one. I told her I would and had fun reading it and skipping between years. Ann’s mother graduated in 1919, when it was Fredericksburg State Normal School. Ann said the big changes started about 10 years ago. It’s morphed into UMW, and nothing stays the same except our memories. However, I agree with her that it will always be MWC for all of us. Ann and her husband spend late spring and summer in Virginia, and fall and winter in California. She’s still looking for lost classmates Frances Smith, Pat Steadham, and Nancy Nye.

Nancy Shope Armbruster and Joe of Santa Fe, N.M., traveled to Scandinavia last spring. They spent a few days in Helsinki, Finland, learing about the Finns and eating seafood; traveled through beautiful forests to the northernmost part of Finland; visited the Sami tribes; and saw and sometimes ate reindeer. In the far north, they boarded a mail boat, traveling along Norway’s west coast. The mountains were still capped with snow in May, and ice-filled glaciers streaked their sides. They got off the ship in the southernmost part of Norway and traveled by bus, listening to Grieg’s music, to Oslo through gorgeous mountains with stunning lakes and tunnels to accommodate travel. Nancy said it might have been the most beautiful journey she’s experienced, that we live in a wonderful world, and that it’s sad we can’t take better care of it.

Chris and Charlotte Fisher Klapproth spent 10 days in November on their favorite island, Curacao, rented a car, and visited places they hadn’t yet seen. Charlotte said the Caribbean island is full of roundabouts and bumpy roads, with no street signs, and that the natives are warm and helpful. The heat reminded her of Delaware summers but with a constant breeze. They found and spent time with the girls who’d made their previous trips fun. Charlotte said it was probably their last trip because of difficult travel, especially dealing with the Miami airport from an international standpoint.

Patricia Seibert Siegel and her husband sold their house in Torrance, Calif., and were moving to San Diego County, near their daughter and family. Sally Hanger Moravitz’s son, Brian, retired from the fire department. He was an EMS with 24-hour shifts and one of the responders to the Pentagon on 9/11. Sally had a cataract removed and said she could now see all her wrinkles and her dirty house.

I planned a January hip replacement and hope it helps my attitude because I’m not a lot of fun to be around right now. On the bright side, I can park anywhere with my handy, dandy handicap sign. When Neil drives me to work and lets me out, a couple of cars are usually waiting and honking. I get out very slowly and pathetically limp and drag my leg while looking straight at them and smiling. Golly, I do love being old and obnoxious!

Joan Morgan Bolton and Stu, married 48 years, have three sons and four grandchildren who live nearby in New England. In 1999, Joan retired from 22 years teaching public high school and is in her 14th year of tutoring ESL in Windsor, Conn., public schools. She earned a master’s degree in education at UNC, Chapel Hill, studied in Mexico City, and was a training officer for the Peace Corps in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. After marrying, she lived in Spain for a year, then attended the University of Maryland. Her husband taught in private schools in California, Texas, Michigan, Arizona, and Connecticut, and they saw much of the U.S. They enjoy their grandchildren and camping in Vermont.

Hermie Gross Fox took a train trip with her sister in June through Switzerland, visiting Zurich, Chur, St. Moritz, Zermatt (and the Matterhorn), and Geneva. Afterward, they spent a few days in London. Hermie broke the radius in her left forearm – she’s left-handed – while trimming roses  in a raised planter bed. She had a misstep and fell backward onto the patio. She was in a cast for weeks, had therapy, and could use her left hand again. Her daughter, a middle school special education teacher, lives in Houston with her family, trains rescue ponies, owns two horses, and shows in hunter/jumper classes, as does her middle school son. Her son-in- law works for Noble Energy. Hermie planned to take them to Oahu for the holidays. Her oldest grandson graduated from college and works for a computer company. The two youngest grandchildren are in middle and elementary school. Son John, who owns the marketing company Quiver, and his family live in Irvine, Calif., about 30 minutes away. Granddaughter Taylor teaches for Teach for America in the L.A. area. The two oldest grandsons play high school water polo. The youngest is in elementary school and plays soccer. Hermie planned to travel next year to Glacier National Park in Montana and to Paris in fall.

Peggy Wood Wright built a three-story, six-bedroom house in Midlothian, Va., with her youngest daughter and family. If anyone is in the area, she has a guest bedroom to share. One of her eight grandchildren graduated from college and is in Northern Virginia, one graduated and is in Maryland, five are in college, and one is in high school. Peggy goes to monthly high school alumni luncheons in Virginia Beach.

Edna Evans Morgan lives near Virginia’s Zion Crossroads. Her grandson, in his second year at U.Va., is in the marching band. Edna traveled to Hawaii in September, stayed at the Hale Koa Hotel, and visited Bill Evans’ sister. “Red” Rosanelli Metzger spends May through October at her New Hampshire home, winters in Richmond, and takes annual trips to Rome. I got a call from a New York law firm that Nancy Hawkins Lockhart passed away in March 2011.

Meredith Puller Townes’ oldest grandson is in the Navy, stationed in Spain. Meredith and her husband plan to visit in November and travel to Portugal. They visited UMW last spring with one of their granddaughters, and Meredith couldn’t believe the changes on campus.

Joyce Bristow Wrestler cruised to New England and Canada. They had a lobster boat excursion and saw seals at Bar Harbor. The final port was in Quebec, which was “uphill both ways.” They were headed to North Carolina’s Outer Banks in October. Their city, Chesapeake, Va., was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Joyce planned to participate in the community production of the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah. She said she feels old when she reads UMW updates of board appointments of folks who are so young.

We planned to move in early January (yikes!), after 40 years in our 4,000-square-foot home, to a 980-square-foot retirement community condo I call our “dollhouse.” Things are topsyturvy, so I keep busy sorting and discarding our “treasures.”

I got an email in October from Jean Lee Anderson Chapman, who drove with husband Rodney to Washington, N.C., to visit Lucile Geoghegan Cheshire and husband Bill. Jean and Lucy shared an apartment for a year after graduation and had lots of fun. Jean said Lucy was quite sick with lung cancer. She spoke later to Bill, who said Lucy wasn’t talking much and was hard to understand. Lucy passed away in November, and Jean and Rodney attended the funeral in Washington. Lucy and Bill were married 54 years and have children Bill Jr., Helen, and James. Jean thinks they have 10 grandchildren. Condolences to Lucy’s family and to Jean and Rodney.

Carol Lehmann, my roommate for two years, took a two-week August course on modern British government at the University of Oxford, co-sponsored for the 30th year by her Michigan State University alumni association. They visited the houses of Parliament and Winston Churchill’s home. It was Carol’s second trip to Oxford.

My suitemate Sherrill Massie Judd and her husband planned to sell their Richmond house and move to her Mount Jackson farm. Elizabeth “Betty” Gould Storms called in July to say she and husband Bob were great-grandparents after daughter Susan’s daughter, Kristen, had baby Abigail.

The Winchester Education Foundation and school officials honored Joyce Butler Allen’s family members during the Butler Hall dedication ceremony. Hilda and Robert Butler’s 10 children graduated from Handley High School, and the Butler family donated $80,000 to the school because of the value they place on education.

I visited Joyce Larrick Casey ’60 and husband Jerry at the annual Empty Bowl Supper to benefit the Laurel Center for abused women. Joyce was honored at a recent tea for 40 years of work at Handley Regional Library in Winchester, Va.

Could you please put me on your holiday lists? We need your support to keep the 1958 class notes going. Keep in touch, and thanks to those who’ve responded in the past.

Jane Tucker Broadbooks sold their house and moved to a ground-floor apartment in Asheville, N.C. Moving 38 years of accumulation took a while, but Karl and family were there for them. One of the three bedrooms is John’s office; he’s still saying no to retirement. Jane hoped to visit Molly Bradshaw Clark in Georgia in April, and she said Mary Stump Harold was well and Jo Neal Hendricks Scully was hopping along in Richmond. Sue Horan is in Roseville, Calif.

We held our first meeting for our 55th reunion with Dodie Reeder Hruby, Marcia Phipps Ireland, and Marcia Spence Harrison-Thornton in July. Marcia Spence works three days a week in her psychotherapy practice, is a Healing Touch energy therapy practitioner, and has three grandchildren. Her oldest son and family were returning to California, which means she’ll be traveling. We met again in September with the rest of the team – Emily Babb Carpenter, Kay Rowe Hayes, Edith Sheppard Ott, and Mary Fredman Downing – accomplished much. Irene Piscopo Rodgers and I couldn’t make it, but we planned to meet again in January. By now, you should have received my first reunion “come on” letter.

My grandson, Lucas, is in a Montessori preschool. He likes to learn and is very serious about his homework. He also does tae kwon do and soccer.