Class Notes

Can you believe that on the last weekend in May 2015 we will be celebrating our 65^th reunion at the Mary Washington Homecoming? Plans are underway for a nice weekend on campus and you will be getting more information in the days ahead. Mark your calendar for May 29-31, 2015, get in touch with friends, and plan to come if you can.

Reading about the restoration of the amphitheater in the summer issue of the University of Mary Washington magazine, Margaret Bryan Morgan fondly remembered dancing on the stage there with the Modern Dance group and what a thrill it was. She and Ed, who live in Williamsburg, celebrated their 65th anniversary in July 2014. They have four married children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. They feel fortunate to be in relatively good health, still driving, and volunteering at church as well as in the community. Margaret was a preschool teacher for 19 years and loved every minute of it. When she retired they named a children’s library after her. Some of you may remember that Ed started off as a mechanical engineer with Dupont but after three years he had a call to go into the ministry. He served in several Episcopal parishes and then was a professor at the Virginia Seminary of Alexandria before he retired. Margaret said it has been an interesting life.

Florence Overley Ridderhof was also a member of the Modern Dance group and she participated in the October 2014 Dancing With the Fredericksburg Stars event, which was held in Dodd auditorium on campus. She is to be congratulated on winning the People’s Choice award—not bad for someone our age!

Marge Diener Knapp remembers being in Advance Modern Dance with Florence. Marge always wanted to be a dancer but piano got in the way. She now lives in Jamison, Pennsylvania, and finds life challenging without a car but she is not complaining. She has Comfort Keepers come in twice a week to help with housework, laundry, or to take her shopping. She is still active in church, and although she has given up choir and chorus she still plays bells. Her daughter has been helpful too, and arranged a nice two night trip to Atlantic Highland New Jersey. They visited Sandy Hook and walked the boardwalk in Asbury Park, sadly visiting the building which housed the merry-go-round – lions, tigers and horses are gone!

Clelia Boushee Bullard sent me two lovely pictures of herself with her three daughters when they celebrated her birthday in July 2014 in Jacksonville, Florida. Clelia still looks young and happy.

Betty Gavett Breeden sent Barbara Lloyd Hiller an article about Fredericksburg which appeared in the travel section of Sunday San Diego newspaper. It described some of the more modern businesses which are there now among the historic sites. The author of the article said that the city might want to start hyping itself as Brooklyn on the Rappahannock. Barbara forwarded the article to me along with her comments about the places she remembered when we would walk to town. Barb is serving as corresponding secretary of her Woman’s Club in State College, Pennsylvania, and is finishing up the club’s history scrapbook. Jim’s walking ability is not good but they went to Ocean City, Maryland, for their annual Thanksgiving crab cake “orgy”.

Carol Bailey Miller has learned to walk again with extensive therapy after her knee surgery. She is publicist for the Garden Club and Red Hatters Club in Cumberland, Virginia. This involves doing write-ups of the meetings and taking pictures to send to the local newspaper. She is a biology major turned into a “journalist.” She has seen some interesting wildlife on her property, including a pair of bluebirds and one night, when returning from a meeting, she encountered an eight point buck crossing her driveway in front of her garage.

Mim Sollows Wieland and Earl have picked out their apartment in the continuing care community Lantern Hill, which is in their town of New Providence, New Jersey.

Although they won’t be moving in until after Thanksgiving 2015, Mim has been busy getting her present home ready to be put on the market. We keep in touch via email and try to get together either in New Jersey or Cape Cod.

Hope you will try to come to our reunion and also that you will send me some news.

Lenny and I celebrated 63 wonderful years of married bliss, and nothing else has changed at home – all floors still filled, with one son and one brother. Our son David got “light” employment finally. My husband Lenny’s partner is ill, so Lenny opened a one-man office on April 16, a necessity. The fast move was horrendous for a pair of 83s. I worked on the computer with him thru the tax extensions until October 15. Now to clean the house!

Joan Collins is contemplating downsizing as she prepares to her Fluvanna County home and move to something smaller. She will be moving into an apartment in Charlottesville this month.  Joan says her cell phone will remain the same, and she will change her address with the Alumni Association. She reports that her health is ‘basically still pretty good’ and she still drives. She asks you to stop by if ever in Charlottesville.

Y’all have a grand Thanksgiving and Christmas. I await your news in 2015!

A couple of items arrived too late for the July class notes, so some of the news is a little old. Oh well, none of us are spring chickens, either!

From Mary Margaret Papstein Carter comes news of a weekend trip to Seattle last July for a nephew’s wedding at a winery, which she expected to be great fun. Close to the end of October, the Carters had their first great grandchild, a sweet little girl. Mary Margaret says it’s fun to be a great-grandmother, but not good to have a child who is a grandpa. She wonders how she can be so old. The other fun thing was a lovely trip to London and Paris. The Carters were in Paris before, but the museums were all on strike, so this time they were able to visit the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay. They had an almost tragedy when she left her tote bag in the taxi which brought them to their hotel; in it were her iPad, jewelry and other special items. The next day the items were returned to her, thanks to an honest taxi driver.

A trip to Vero Beach, Florida was, related by Patricia Seitz Hartel and husband for a reunion of all their friends who lived in the D.C. area in the 70s. They have been getting together since 1962. They had a great time eating and drinking and enjoying good weather. The Hartels’ son Austin teaches dance at the University of Oklahoma. He celebrated his 13th anniversary there, and Pat celebrated her 39th anniversary in real estate.

Welcome news from Roberta (Bert) Linn Miller, who had somehow slipped by my list of e-mail addresses, as have quite a few other classmates (be sure to keep your information updated with the Alumni Association.) Her daughter lives near and her husband and has three children: 23, 17 and 13. The Millers’ son lives in Texas, raises longhorns, is a Texas peace officer, and is Director of Food Safety for John Soules Foods. His son and wife just had a baby boy, which makes the Millers great-grands. The Millers lived in six states (Mobil Oil), their daughter six states, and son ten states.

She does have some sad memories of the passing of some of our classmates, such as Josephine Jane Williams Van Hook, whom she traveled with to be bridesmaids at the wedding of Dorothy Mcllwain to James Mattison. Dot, who passed away several years ago,was her suitemate senior year and became a good friend. In 1952 Bert lived in Trench Hill and had two roommates, Anastasia (Buttons) Petro Molitor and Barbara Jean (Pete) Phillips Lucas. Pete transferred to Marshall the next year, and after being lost for a while Bert found out that she had also passed away.

Joan Kleinknecht, one of my regular correspondents, writes that her heart has finally healed and her case was “one for the books.” She is doing yoga with a 93 year old teacher and is reading to mostly Spanish children with gifted teachers. She also had some interesting ideas to pass on to me. I’m always looking for information from you all for news other than doctor appointments. So, here are her ideas. Who in our class has the most grandchildren, or great grandchildren? Who has seen the most countries? Who has met anyone famous? For the latter Joan says she could name four, counting a blind date with H. Ross Perot.

I celebrated my 39th year for The Dance Shop. I figure that one day while fitting pointe shoes I’ll just keel over, shoe in hand! I do still love working with the little guys, they are so cute and outspoken. They say it as they see it…come to think of it, so do I: a perk of being very young or being very old.

Nanalou West Sauder, who has been living at Kendal Community in Lexington since 2010 was, delighted when her 1840s brick farmhouse finally sold in November. She has so much to report I will save the rest for the next issue!

Mickey Foley McDaniel and husband cruised the Danube with stops in Budapest, Brataslava, Vienna, Salzburg and Prague, enjoying the sights, fine food and their fellow travelers. They also made a trip to Lake Tahoe to visit old friends. A granddaughter graduated last year from the University of Georgia; another is a senior at Macon University.

Carole Petley Toone went to Mackinac Island last September. She also enjoyed a visit to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. She continues her work of many years with the Culpeper Literacy Council. Her family traveled to help her celebrate her 80th birthday. An age change that most of us marked last year!

Angela Walton Barksdale spent a week at Bald Head Island with friends last fall. “Red” Rosanelli Metzger spends half the year at Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, and had just returned to her winter home in Richmond when I reached her. She was looking forward to her annual holiday trip to New York City with her son, Father Joe, and their visit to Rome in January, where last year she attended a private Mass with Pope Francis. Red has a granddaughter at Longwood, a grandson at Hampden Sydney and another, a Kappa Sig, at UVA.

Also, some sad news to report: Mary Linda Fitchett died Oct. 29, 2014, at home near Eastville, Virginia.
I have visited many retirement communities but for now am living at the farm or in my in town apartment.

Over the almost ten years of being your class agent, I have had anxious moments of having no news to report, but you have always come through. Sadly, this time no one did! In September, my Sweetheart had a serious stroke located in his brain stem and continues in a skilled nursing facility here at The Jefferson, where we are now living. This on top of his traumatic brain injury sustained seventeen years ago has set him back, as you can imagine. In the meantime, I have been recovering from an upper respiratory infection and shingles. I am sorry to report that no one has volunteered to step up be the class agent. I have enjoyed keeping in touch with you all over the years, but now I must say goodbye and move on to caring for Mahlon. God bless ~ Joan

A postcard was received from Cecile Shipman Kaufman on an Alaskan cruise in July. Another postcard arrived from Phyllis Hartleb Rowley from a cruise in October called the Oceania “Artistic Impressions.”

Beth Shocat Cole, who attended our 50th, settled in Tucson, Arizona. Her daughter has a ranch and horse business – Beth is renting a house from her. She is adjusting to the desert after three years at the beach in Jacksonville. She has a small coaching practice and offers a program at the local library for job seekers. They have an outstanding track record. Beth has been practicing yoga for 50 years and continues feeling it keeps her in good health. Her three daughters are doing well. Her oldest grandson is in a serious relationship. His bride-to-be has a darling daughter which will give Beth a great grandchild. Beth’s granddaughter is at Colorado State University. She is majoring in Biomedical and Chemical Engineering (five-year program.) Her youngest granddaughter is 16 and attends the Denver School of the Arts. She is a terrific singer. All five grandchildren are doing fine – three are seriously working and career-oriented.

Irene Piscopo Rodgers was recognized at commencement with an honorary doctorate of human letters. She is a very active advocate for UMW.

Martha Spilman Clark and Paul hosted eleven abandoned boys and their families at a gathering in March. Martha was honored at a Retreat Center as the first Teaching Director. Their son John visited them for a few days. He lives in Dallas and reviews hotels. Their son Billy lives in Peru and was recently in the U.S. raising funds to coordinate Scripture Union work in Ecuador and Bolivia. Martha and Paul are still not ready for retirement. They stay busy with conferences on Bible Study, ministry, Deaf Schools, Medical and Administration, Training, Abandoned Boys and Camps.

Dan Proulx has been fantastic keeping in touch with news of his and Pat’s grandchildren. Austin, Pamela and Mark’s son, is in his third year at the School of Architecture at Virginia Tech. It is a five-year program with one year away from campus. Meghan, their daughter, is a high school senior and planning community college next year. John, Gray and Gina’s son, is in third grade. He is an excellent reader and takes karate and tennis. Dan stays busy attending football games and local events. He and his family are planning a cruise in December. He will attend a friend’s daughter’s wedding in February on Jekyll Island, Georgia, and next he’s off to Sarasota for nine days.

Lucas is getting tall! His fixation these days is Lego and learning about the U.S. states. He also enjoys going to the movies (or is it the popcorn?)

The Class of 1959 Endowment had a value of $157,810 as of June 30, 2014. Donations in 2014 totaled $10,939. The endowment supports the annual Research and Creativity Day symposium held each April.