Class Notes

California seems to be in the grip of some sort of desert climate, as our annual rain total was hovering near zero. Today, March 15, the temperature is about 80, and it’s clear and sunny. I shouldn’t complain, but it foretells water rationing, which we do so well that water rates go up.

My granddaughter, Morgan James, was accepted to UMW. She lives in San Leandro, Calif., but she’s interested in international relations and discovered that UMW is one of the best. She’ll be the third in our family to attend Virginia schools. My dad graduated from U.Va., I graduated from MWC of U.Va., and Morgan will attend UMW!

Sally Hangar Moravitz and Fran took a February trip to Barbados, where they boarded the Royal Clipper, the world’s largest full-rigged sailing ship. They stopped at numerous islands, snorkeled, and met interesting people. Of the 200- plus passengers, Americans were among the smallest groups, with lots of British, Germans, and Swedish. Sally’s granddaughter, a UMW student, spent spring break building a Habitat for Humanity house in Albany, Ga., with other UMW students.

Betsy Blackwell Fowler fractured both hips in 2011 but managed to travel to the Bordeaux region of France in between. After lots of rehab, she now functions more or less normally. Last year husband Jim suffered a stroke, which left him with dementia. He is in assisted care. Betsy stays busy with family and friends, and lives in a retirement center apartment that made an exception to a 20-pound pet rule when they fell in love with her 120-pound English Lab.

Charlotte Fisher Klapproth was in the middle of an East Coast snowstorm in March. Hurricane Sandy hit on her birthday in October, there was the June derecho, and she and Chris experienced a fire on their anniversary. They go to dinner and movies.

Patricia Seitz Hartel was accepted into the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. She keeps busy – I presume with her real estate business. Polly Stoddard Heim of Lewiston drove in January with her husband to Maple Valley, Wash., where grandson Zachery was born.

Nancy Shope Armbruster relayed the February passing of Jacquelyn Whitehurst Hertz, her dear friend and sometimes roommate at MWC and since, after a prolonged journey with cancer. She passed the same way she lived, with grace, courage, and dignity. Jackie was lovingly cared for during her final year by daughter ChaCha and ChaCha’s husband. Jackie was married for 57 years to retired USMC Capt. James Otto Hertz, whose military career took the family to California, Hawaii, and the East Coast. Jim was in a nursing home in the Virginia Beach area but was to be moved to the veterans hospital in Washington, D.C., close to son Jay and Jim’s younger brother. Jackie taught second grade at Trantwood Elementary School in Virginia Beach for 20 years and enjoyed enduring relationships with teachers and former students. We’ll miss her.

Joan Kleinknecht had cabin fever after Fairfield, N.J., got 35 inches of snow in addition to the mess caused by Hurricane Sandy. Then there was the sadness of Sandy Hook, about 20 minutes from Joan’s home. Joan volunteers, serves on a library committee, and is involved with the Gaelic-American Club, where she studies genealogy. She turned 80 on St. Patrick’s Day.