Class Notes

Greetings! News from Carol Bailey Miller finds her usual activities as historian emerita of the Virginia Horse Show Historical Society continue as do her memberships in the Red Hat Society, the Garden Club, and the Historical Society of Cumberland County. New activity is interviews with elderly citizens in her county which she really enjoys! Weather related balance problems seem to be her only real health problem.
Nan Riley Pointer reports that she and her husband continue to enjoy traveling. Latest was a steamboat cruise on the Mississippi River from St. Paul to St. Louis in August which included a visit to the boyhood home of Mark Twain and the John Deere combine factory which Joe really enjoyed!
My sad news of the death of Billie Mitchell Hanes was reported in the last issue, but I thought many of you would appreciate a bit of her life history. After our graduation from MWC in 1950 she taught English for a short time before starting a family. She was a devoted wife to Dick for 68 years until his passing in 2017, a loving mother to her three children: Leslie, Diana, and son Robert (who predeceased her). She enjoyed 8 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. She lived in Virginia Beach for many years. How Juney and I miss her!
Further sad news closes my column. Our beloved 40 year old granddaughter, Erin, suffered a brief illness in October 2018, was placed on the national liver transplant list for 14 hours, but her liver deteriorated rapidly and she passed away on Oct. 14, 2018. She leaves a distraught, saddened, and devastated family, which includes four very special children: Lucas, 20; Liam, 17; Chloe, 15; and Oliver, 5. We request your continuing prayers.

Mary Ann Dorsey Judy and Nancy Root Skinner have volunteered as class agents for the Class of 1954! They would love to hear how and what classmates are doing so they can share that information in future issues of the UMW Magazine.

Barbara Wilson Taliaferro  writes: I would like to share my new address, having moved to Westminster at World Golf Village in St Augustine, FL. In February. My husband, Bob Potter, died at our home on Manasota Key at the age of 93. I am living independently with my two sons and families nearby.

Hermie Gross Fox, a faithful correspondent for all my years as class agent, sent news via her Christmas letter. Her grandson, Trey Graham, graduated with honors from high school in Houston. The Graham family, Hermie and her sister made a celebratory trip to  Washington D.C. Trey is now a student at Colorado State. Trey’s brother, Brodie, is in the ninth grade at Leyson American School where his sister, Sarah teaches. Hermie spent Thanksgiving 2018 with the Grahams when eldest brother Spencer Graham and Lucy Ruan, M.D. announced their engagement. Hermie and her sister were heading out on another Viking river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland before Christmas. She was planning to spend Christmas with her son John Fox and wife Lisa in Irvine, CA. She reports that Taylor is still teaching.  Preston is a senior at Pace University. Jordan is a sophomore at USC and Dylan is a sophomore at Irvine High School. Hermie, at 84, in addition to traveling, keeps busy walking, practicing yoga and cardiac workouts.

As for me I find out that I am the mother of a retiree!  My son, Ted retired in February 2019 after 39 years with Gannett newspapers! Tom is a lawyer in the cellular tower field. My youngest son Stephen is with the Brunswick Group, a worldwide business advisory firm. His daughter, age four, is my youngest granddaughter. He also has a teenage son, Tom. My eldest, Kirby Power, is a freshman at the University of Missouri. Her sister, Allison, is planning to enter her freshman year at Iowa State for the 2019-20 school year. Their brother, John Chilton Power, will enter high school next fall.

The class of ’57 is on the move!

Many of Libby Fordham’s family members have moved to Spotsylvania, and she enjoys sharing time there with them.  She has spent much of 2018 also traveling to Florida, Texas, South Carolina, and Fredericksburg. Libby has been in touch with Trudy Hawk Powers, who has moved to a one floor apartment and loves it.  Nancy Ward Whitmore, of California, is proud of grandson, Colin, a junior at University of Maryland and granddaughter Olivia who went with Linda, born in China, to visit her birthplace.

Barbara Craft Grantz, took time out from getting her Virginia Beach home ready for market to spend three weeks with family in California where she was “treated like a queen” by Art, Kathy, Leila Lars and Christian.  They did the cooking, and entertained with new games.  Leila is volunteering at Shared Bread program at her church.  Barbara enjoyed seeing there a pageant in which the children portrayed animals of the manger scene at Christmas.  I’m sure she will be pleased to share details of the wonderful production.  Barbara is hoping that the house sale and the anticipated move to Woodbridge area will be at the same time.  She will be close to her MWC roommate and sister-in-law Helen, and Lu.

Dorothy Rice Clark is now living in Alpharetta, Georgia.  She lives with Mark Evans, her youngest son, in a big house with room for visitors.

Bruce Spain’s visit to Florida included an unexpected stay at Jupiter Medical Center, but it had a view and she was out in time for family Christmas.  Pre-Christmas plans to visit son Quigg Lawrence had to be altered due to Roanoke’s heavy snow. Quigg is a bishop in the Anglican Church.  Janie Watson Rawlings has moved to a retirement village in PA, Bruce reported.   Bruce, Betsy Ware, and Lucy Burwell, now living at Westminster Canterbury, attended the reunion.  Bruce wrote that Joan O’Shaughnessy Kaufman has passed away.

Sadly, Virginia Nettles Hutchinson passed away in December.  Her husband wrote that she had a stroke.

Kay Richardson Robson, has been living in the Lakewood Retirement Community for three years.  In May 2018 she married a “lovely man” from California who had come to live at the retirement home.  After the wedding they visited California.

Marlene Bost Braun has learned the importance of being a caregiver following the mild stroke of her husband Carl, but even with getting him to doctor’s appointments and  to exercise programs, she  manages to keep up with some of her church  and music activities.  Remember that beautiful organ music at college?  They are thankful for the years when they were privileged to travel.  Their daughter lives down the street, and recently a great grandson and his parents moved from Houston to Chesapeake.

My pal Jean Durham Busboso lives in Madison County, Virginia, which offers interesting museums and historical programs that may be of interest to you history buffs.  My husband and I visited Montpelier with Jean and Buz when it was in the beginning of restoration.  Very interesting place.

Betty May Rose Ballengee lives in Columbus, GA, but her family is “spread all over”.  They had a gathering of 12 for a few days at Christmas.  Two granddaughters are getting married this year, and there will most likely be gatherings then in Nashville and York, PA.

Ellen Hertz Hewitt and husband Charlie are very happy that they moved from their home of 52 years to an apartment two years ago.  She is delighted with the waterfowl on the lake.  “Life is smaller” she says since she no longer drives, and Charlie drive only short distances, but they are within walking distance of so much, and the neighbors often walk together.  She is still taking a French class, and Charlie is in a class where he is writing his memoirs.

Nancy Guest spent the holidays in Vail, Colorado with their grandchildren Kate, 15 and Halston , 2 I/2.

Mary Montague Sikes, artist, author and photographer, with her husband Olen visited Sedona, AZ in November where she took a Jan Sitts painting workshop at the Sedona Arts center.  She is one busy gal, teaching, signing books and more.  Her new book is Spirit Vision Soul Songs.

Pat Falkenbury Cook had hip replacement last May, and is now on the mend, though its being slower than she had anticipated, she attributes to the fact that we aren’t “spring chickens”.

Cliff and I haven’t taken a l-o-n-g trip since the January 2018 visit to New Zealand and Australia.  Maybe later.  He still works and I still participate in choirs.  I know I’m not a “spring chicken” when middle aged people address me as “Miss Joyce”.

Thanks for your notes.

It’s hard to believe how quickly the months go by – and here we are 2019 – our sixtieth year! We are an awesome group.

Several phone calls between Kay Rowe Hayes, Irene Piscopo Rodgers, and me. Kay was hospitalized for several problems – a slow recuperation but doing well now. All her kids and grandkids are fine. Irene and Kay attended the 2018 reunion in order to see friends, etc. Had a grand time!
Jane Tucker Broadbooks and I had a wonderfully long telephone conversation. She and John have moved to a retirement home a few minutes from Jon Karl and family. It’s easier for them with prepared meals, etc. John’s lung cancer is decreasing. He is still on dialysis, which slows him down some. Jane is hoping to meet with Molly Bradshar Clark in Charlotte and drive together to the 60th.

Julia Coates Littlefield and Mo wrote a very kind note concerning Matt (my son-in-law) and also shared the sadness of having beautiful loving sisters who are victims of severe dementia. Scott and Susan and family are still residing with Julia and Mo at this time as they make further decisions. In August, Julia and Mo will travel to Maine for their annual visit. Mo enjoys visiting his siblings. Bess and family is still in Richmond – they will drop by to see them on their trip to Maine.
Frances Bourke Firth and John celebrated their 60 anniv. In the fall with a four-week cruise to the South Pacific islands. Great news, Bunky’s and John’s youngest daughter is getting married. She found the man of her dreams. Bunky and John had a fantastic tour of Antarctica in February – said it was a land of whiteness and beauty.
Celeste Shipman Kaufman’s husband, Alan, wrote an update of the kids. Julie (daughter) and John’s middle child Francie and her husband have an 18-month-old son, Miles, who is already hitting golf balls with a plastic club. Yea, grandpa! However, they had a tragic loss in Oct when their second son, John Haven, did not survive a genetic defect after birth and went flying up to heaven to our own “Pug.” Austin, Julie and John’s oldest, earned his Ph.D. from the Univ. of Texas and is job hunting. Sarah their youngest is a junior in Samford and doing well.

Jeffry, Pug and Alan’s son, and wife Pam are doing well, too. Their oldest, Smylie, married in April to Frances, and lives about five minutes from Alan. Jeff’s and Pam’s son Luckie bought his first home and continues to work for a CPA firm.

Sad voice mail from Dorothy Reeder Hruby. We have lost dear Jane Howard Buchanon – These news reports always break my heart.

My sweet Lucas found a piano lesson on Yahoo and taught himself. Virginia found a super piano teacher and Lucas has a brand new interest he loves. Dear old Tom would be thrilled!
Sorry, not much news. Are we getting old, forgetful and slow!