Class Notes

Barbara Bishop Mann took an October break from her state and local elections
mode to go in search of her Bishop ancestors. She went to Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, where she had previously found much information at the Hat-
tiesburg Area Historical Society about her great-grandmother, “Miss Sallie”
Bishop. Her knowledgeable resource person was no longer there so Bobbi
traveled to South Carolina, where the Bishops had lived, and started her search at
the SC State Library. From there Bobbi went to the Family History Library and
spent many hours with a professional genealogist, an LDS volunteer who
graciously waived her fee. By closing time Bobbi’s “head was in the clouds” and
she has continued her search through Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com. She
and Robert drove over to Beaufort, SC, for a mini-reunion with classmates Ryan
Stewart Davis, Ginny Bateman Brinkley, Kathy Fowler Bahnson, Marilyn Wood
Hunter and Anne Meade Clagett at Mary Anne Pyne White’s home. After the
decisive state elections Bobbi and Robert spent Thanksgiving in Buford, GA, and
Christmas in Huntsville, AL, then returned to Richmond for the General Assembly
to convene. Bobbi and several friends lobby vigorously for students and public
education. Anne Meade Clagett extended her SC visit with classmates to include
time with her late husband’s family and her sister’s family, celebrating happy
memories of John’s life.
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Jana Privette Usry continues to be active in Richmond’s One Voice Choir. After
their long-standing director retired the board decided to accept applications for
guest directors for their concerts this year. The first applicant directed their
holiday concert, which the membership said was their best concert ever, and they
would love him to stay. Jana became a great aunt again in November, celebrating
the arrival of baby Kristian. Unfortunately, his family lives overseas in Prague and
Jana will not be able to visit for a while. Jana’s niece, however, a student at Penn
State, will spend her senior year abroad in Scotland and will stay there for five
years to complete her degree as a licensed veterinarian. Jana enjoyed a visit from
UMW’s Jan Clarke last fall when he was visiting in Richmond.
Katie Green and her sister, Charlotte (class of ’69), took a September road trip
through Virginia to visit historic homes. First was the Woodlawn Plantation plus
the Pope-Leighey house, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian designs, located on
the grounds there. Katie became a fan of Wright’s architecture, especially the
Fallingwater house in PA, while living in Oak Park, IL, his long-time home. Katie
and Charlotte also toured James Madison’s Montpelier, Robert E. Lee’s birthplace
Stratford Hall, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where for the first time
they were allowed to take photographs. Last summer Katie visited her son’s
family living in Cardiff, Wales. They met first in London to take 3-year-old Ester to
the London Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, good eateries and then enjoyed

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the train ride back to Cardiff, where they enjoyed wonderful family time as well as
many lovely local parks. At home in Houston Katie is active in the Houston Choral
Society and participates in their concerts. In December she performed in a joint
concert with the Texas Medical Center Orchestra presenting Poulenc’s “Gloria”
along with new arrangements of traditional Christmas carols.
DeeDee Nottingham Ward is still living and working in San Diego. CA. She loves
her work so much she has no plans to retire but after spending over 44 years in
the same house she and her husband are downsizing, selling it and moving to a
new retirement community close by. Moving was easy while Nat was in the army
–it’s an overwhelming task now!
Kathy Goddard Moss and husband Tom continue to enjoy living in their Oakland
retirement community, especially since their son and family are nearby and
friends and relatives come to visit.
Betsy Chappelear Tryon is firmly entrenched in her townhome in Redondo Beach,
CA, not far from her childhood home, her brother, sister and family, son and
daughter. Granddaughter Maddy is thriving as a cadet at The Citadel in SC, making
a name for herself with her volleyball skills. Betsy’s whole family celebrated
Thanksgiving week together on a Caribbean cruise, a real treat!
Genie McClellan Hobson and husband Don took a spring cruise to the Alaskan
Inside Passage and British Columbia. They hiked, kayaked, took a zodiac tour and

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saw bears, whales, eagles and sea lions “up close and personal.” They spent July
through September traveling in their RV out west, touring the Badlands, Mt.
Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the beautiful Black Hills in Custis State Park, and on to the
Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone, seeing many other forms of hoofed
wildlife, wolves and coyotes. In October Don attended meetings at the UVA
Darden School to prepare for their upcoming 50th reunion and Genie and Don got
reacquainted with Charlottesville and “old” high school buddies. They even stayed
at the Misty Mountain Camp Resort, where they had tent-camped while in grad
school. After living 46 years in Delaware they still consider Virginia their home!
Genie’s been retired four years but continues to work several days a week, writing
and collaborating on medical publications about leukodystrophies, and currently
has three papers in press.
Elaine Gerlach McKelly and husband Tim have successfully moved into a
retirement community not far from their longtime residence in Oxford, NC, and
are enjoying it immensely. Most of their traveling is to visit their seven
grandchildren in college – two seniors, two sophomores, three freshmen. The
youngest granddaughter is at UMW, finally carrying on the tradition. In May
Elaine and Tim traveled to France for a river cruise from Paris to Normandy and
back, perhaps their last overseas vacation. They plan 2020 trips to Key West, FL, a
Hudson River cruise and two college graduations.

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Cherie Wells Brumfeld and husband Joe, now 81, have celebrated 52 years of
marriage and are now set to stay in their Florida home. Although they both miss
Virginia very much they enjoy the agreeable weather and love the fact that there
are no state income taxes in Florida!
Carolyn Eldred continues her alumni activities in Fredericksburg plus the MW-
oriented ElderStudy and UMW theater involvement. Carolyn also helps the
Historic Fredericksburg Foundation with productions and grant writing.
Anne Powell Young, who moved back to the Fredericksburg area last year, has
become enchanted with the new “hometown” that its downtown has become.
She became reacquainted with a James Monroe ‘62 classmate, Nancy Redgrave
Sielski ’82, who passed away this fall after a three-year stay in a Stafford nursing
home. Anne and another JMHS classmate, Caroline Hoagland Stone Ruppar, held
a memorial luncheon at La Petit Auberge, joined by several other of Nancy’s high
school friends. Anne reported that Caroline and Alan were planning an addition to
their Reston home and would winter in Florida, followed by an extensive overseas
trip–details later!
Pam Kearney Patrick and husband TaB have signed up for Cross Fit training at the
Ft. Belvoir gym twice a week; Pam for the VersaClimber, TaB for the Peloton
bikes. Besides both being very active politically this year TaB is teaching financial
literacy in the Fairfax County schools as a volunteer and Pam continues her

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successful avocation with miniature watercolors. She sold five paintings last
summer at the SOMA Gallery in Cape May, NJ, (their second home) and four at
the Strathmore (Bethesda) Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers show. Pam
and TaB enjoyed a long visit in Cape May from their son, who had not seen their
beach home since 1977, and later traveled to some “very enjoyable gatherings” at
their high schools. They visited Carol Bingley Wiley, Pete and Bendi during the
Christmas/Hanukkah season and also entertained them in Cape May along with
Bing’s daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, Nora and Isaac.
Terry Caruthers has returned to good health after three heart surgeries and
realized her 75th-birthday wish by traveling to Europe for a wonderful “Castles and
Cathedrals” River Cruise. She and husband Don had a delightful journey through
four countries, primarily Germany. At home in NC Terry keeps very active in
Golden Girls, a 300-member over 55 club with 25 subgroups such as book clubs,
garden clubs, and card groups. Terry has been president, excursions leader for
day trips, special events co-chair and most recently served as communications
director to work on new membership management software. Terry also formed a
new subgroup in honor of one of her dear friends, who was a decorator, with the
purpose of creating floral arrangements for Golden Girl luncheon events. This
friend left Terry some of her bead/stone collection and sparked Terry’s renewed
interest in beading, which she had done years ago, and she now enjoys making
beautiful necklaces again.
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Don and Kitty Downs Gregg visited Terry and Don for one of the Golden Girls
special events, a soiree at the stables, and were so taken with the setting,
Mooresville on Lake Norman, that they are considering downsizing, selling their
Denver home and moving to NC! A major drawback is that they have lived in their
home since 1984 and “it is exactly the way we want it.” Also their daughter is
nearby. Last year Kitty, Don and son Chris took a fabulous Royal Caribbean cruise
in the Mediterranean, a total first for them! The Symphony of the Sea was over
400 yards long; their suite was huge and luxurious; their special dining area was
delightful with fantastic foods; it was “a dream come true.” They went from
Barcelona to Maijorika, Marseilles, Rome, Florence and Capri and highly
recommend the experience to all of us.
Katharine Rogers Lavery and husband Hank skipped their usual Outer Banks NC
beach vacation last summer largely because almost all the grandkids are grown,
working full time and two were planning fall weddings. Maggie’s October
wedding was at the historic Catholic church in downtown Charlottesville where all
the festive events were within walking distance. Daniel’s wedding was in
Stevenson Ridge at Spotsylvania Courthouse with the other events in downtown
Fredericksburg. It was fun staying at the Hyatt hotel right across the street from
UMW and showing other guests the familiar sights in the area. Staying home all
summer meant keeping up with the Over 39 Gang bowling league, of which

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Katharine is the social secretary, participating twice weekly in the Ft. Myer “Never
Too Late” senior fitness classes, plus Pentagon Sailing Club meetings, church and
family activities. Occasionally at Ft. Myer Katharine bumps into Anne Kales
Lindblom, who lives nearby and shops at the commissary, or Alan and Caroline
Stone Ruppar, who also shop there. Katharine’s family Christmas treat was an
afternoon in a first-tier box at the Kennedy Center in DC to see Matthew Bourne’s
New Adventures Swan Lake, a fascinating innovative Irish rendition of the classic
ballet. A three-generation group of sisters, daughters, nieces and granddaughters
filled the whole box and had a wonderful time together.