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!