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News and Notes Thanksgiving 2008

FOR AND FROM THE CLASS OF 1957

 

Joann Shanks Alexander speaks for three of our CHS-57 Classmates

            “I just wanted you to know that I really enjoy reading your news and notes concerning our classmates even though some are very sad to read.  I wanted you to know that because of the reunion that classmate, Juanita Killmon and I have kept in close touch since the reunion.  We are also keeping in touch with Catherine Lee, going to dinner and hanging out.  When Barbara Jean Toth came for Phil's reunion this year the 3 of us had a long lunch in downtown Portsmouth.  The 3 of us are doing fine except with usual aches and pains of age.  Juanita and I go to the YMCA to try to keep in good health. Juanita has joined the church I attend "Western Branch Community Church" and we both like it there very much.  My email is the same and Juanita does not have an email so I relay news to her.  Thanks again for the news letter and keep them coming. Joann Shanks Alexander; 3370 Ferry Road; Suffolk, VA 23435; 757-686-0306; joannvash@aol.com

 

Texas reports all is well

          “My life is clicking along in a good mode.  I have ordered my Smart Car, but will not take delivery until sometime in '09.  I am considering a tiny version of my Aliner (hard sides folding camper) to tow behind it.  That is still in the planning stages.  I will be camping with friends for the New Year's holiday, and will be going on a Western Caribbean cruise with my daughter-in-law and two other close friends in March to celebrate my 70th birthday.  I continue to enjoy my second time around working at Scott & White Memorial Hospital.  I love working in the Division of Strategy, marketing & Communications department.  Lots of creative folks make working fun.  This will be the first time I have actually been able to see my daughter-in-law since my son, Jon, died November 2005.  I'm really looking forward to spending time with her and catching up on the activities of my grandchildren. Yep, I'm an old broad...and darn proud of it!  I work with a group of mostly young folks who could be my kids, and we get along really well.  They are invariably disbelieving when they learn my age.  They just consider me one of the group.  Life should be lived to the fullest!” Ellen Tillery Trammell; 9388 FM 935, Troy, TX  76579; 254-984-2452 etrammell@swmail.sw.org

 

Margaret Seagraves Royster says howdy

            “Bernie, I always appreciate the updates, I just don't get on the computer very often.  I have had an uncomfortable summer, chronic sinus and compression fracture.  I will have sinus surgery as soon as everything is lined up, however I count myself very fortunate when I read about some of our classmates.  As you say we are getting older, it is just hard to admit sometimes.  We will be grandparents again next summer if all goes well; it was quite a shock.  Just wanted you to know how much you are appreciated” Margaret

Margaret Seagraves Royster; Rt. 1 Box 1060-A; Thayer, MO 65791

417-264-2510; royster@centurytel.net

 

Pat and Holland Anderton stay busy taking care of others

          We are in Concord NC visiting with our youngest daughter, Linda for the Thanksgiving holidays.  We just finished volunteering at Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach Florida the end of October and dropped off the motor home at Sullivan's Island SC for our volunteer stint at Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie and Charles Pinckney beginning in December and ending in March 2009 unless we extend. We found that just sitting around doing nothing in Arcadia, Fl., was not for us, we like having a reason to get up mornings and find that we feel a lot better doing so.  We hope that everyone has a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and a MERRY CHRISTMAS!”  Patricia Owens Anderton; 568 Marsh Hen Lane

Fernandina Beach, FL  32034; 904-206-2371; GenoAndo@aol.com

 

Marvin Bowman volunteers and plans travel

Marvin writes: “Thanks for your continuing effort to keep us in touch. I have been busy doing plays and films as well as being a docent for a local History Museum. (Look at Marvin: http://picasaweb.google.com/marvin.bowman/SelectedActingRoles#)

I would be willing to "help" with a newsletter of some kind if you got any other takers.  I can gather, research, sort and type but I don't know PageMaker etc. and no, I am not going to learn. We have scheduled a trip to NZ and Australia in Feb. and then a Mayan tour in Central America in March.  We are spending our children's inheritance as long as we have it.  Like everyone, I am taking a hit on some investments but at least they are pretty diversified so perhaps OK for the long haul.” Marvin Bowman; 40 Lundee Ct; Aiken, SC 29803-5702; 803-397-9992; bowman@gforcecable.com

 

Nancy and Charley move to the country

            Nancy writes:As of August 21, 2008, Charley, Nancy and Zoe (our cat kid) Burch are official residents of Deltaville, Virginia: a peaceful little fishing village on the Middle Peninsula.  Located on a peninsula there is one road into town and the same road out, no stoplights or fast food restaurants. We are unpacking boxes and boxes and boxes hoping to keep only the necessities. You know how that goes; everything has a memory, so it has to be kept.  The art studio (on the property) should be finished by the end of September. Deltaville is 45 miles from Newport News, an hour away from where we lived.  We plan to spend a lot of time on the road visiting our friends, seeing doctors, taking art classes, and continuing community service work.” Nancy and Charley Burch; 17264 General Puller Highway; PO Box 1062; Deltaville, VA 23043; Home 804-776-0126; Nancy 757-218-6360; Charley 757-218-6350” nburch8@verizon.net

 

New Knees and many grandchildren for Sleepy

Carolyn Wright Barnette reports: “I talked with Rodney this week and he sounds great.  He's going back for therapy on his knee, which he injured a year ago when we were all together on Afton Square during our reunion.  He's been through a lot with the infection and the new knee replacement.  I'm happy he is recovering well now and enjoying a grandson who is about seven months old.  I think he has 12 grandchildren.”  Carolyn Barnett Wright; 8300 Pasadena Boulevard; Pembroke Pines, FL 33024; 954-432-6599 barnettewright@yahoo.com

 

Pickelball Devote

            Pat and Deadri Horan write: “Thanks for the update Bernie; you do a great job keeping up with everyone.  We are still caring for parents, playing Pickelball, taking care of property, traveling when we can, riding the bikes when we can and trying to stay out of trouble as much as we can. J” Pat Horan; 5500 Springwood Drive; Portsmouth, VA 23703; 757-484-4450; horanhome@cox.net

 

Carolyn Wright says don’t forget important folks

            When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address.  If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would get.  When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following: A Recovering American Soldier; c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center; 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW; Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

 

Lost Addresses

          I have lost track of Patty Malone Outten who has changed her email address.  If anyone talks to Patty, please ask for her new email address.  Perhaps one of you will contact her and send me her new email address.  Joel Hawkins still lives at the same address in Oklahoma but his email address no longer works. revelerbk@cox.net

 

A fun trip click here: Take Me Back To The Fifties

 

Update your email address on the Cradock website

            Perhaps your email address on the Cradock.org website might not be the email address that you are currently using.  It is easy to fix this if you want. Please go to the website http://Cradock.org and contact by email the Webmaster, Janie Norris Evans. Her name is in many places on the site.  Send her your email address and she will see that it is posted correctly on the site.  While you are on the site browse a bit and see how much the site has improved since you were last there. Janie does a great job with the site and of course, we want to be sure that your classmates and others who might find the site and want to contact you will be able to do so.

 

Poor Spelling

            I spelled Alice Faye Cooper Linton’s name incorrectly in the last newsletter.  She is CHS-53 and writes great stories for “The Admiral” their class newsletter.  She is Tommy Cooper’s (CHS-58) older sister.  You probably remember that Tommy married Pat Hodges (CHS-58).  Sadly, Tommy died in 1985.

 

Thanks for the memories

            Thank goodness, the political season is over and I am no longer get “hate mail” from folks, some, who were a part of the various political campaigns.   I am apolitical and I love politics and politicians of every stripe.   After the elections, I support the President, whoever that may be.

 

            I have read biographies and studied our U. S. Presidents.  Favorite presidents in my lifetime are Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, Reagan and Bush #1.  There was greatness in each of them.  All were flawed leaders who did many fine things, but advanced our country’s well being more than they damaged it.   My least favorites were Nixon, Carter, Clinton and Bush #2.   All were flawed leaders who did many fine things as President who hurt our country as much or more than they helped.

 

            I like to receive your opinions about anything, anytime, including your political opinions but there is not enough time in my life to read forwarded mail, especially that with a political message.  I never pass them on. They do not influence my vote, only my opinion about the chain of events that led you to forward it to me.  I rarely read them.  I suspect that I am not alone.  Thank you for your tolerance, patience and understanding, and keep sending your non-political emails.

 

            Truth is, I like you, but I hate those dopey messages. So does everyone else.  When people get messages with FWD:FWD:FWD in the subject line, they instantly are alerted to what's coming their way: cyberjunk. They hit "delete." Without looking…sorry…. eventually someone would tell you this. It might as well be me.

 

            Several of you have sent emails worth passing along so that more of us will be aware that there is interest in keeping Cradock alive in our memories.  Please take time soon to look at the http://cradock.org/ website.  My friend Janie CHS 62 is the Webmaster and she does a terrific job of keeping her Cradock constituents (you and me) up-to-date. This Newsletter will be published on Janie’s website.

 

revelerbk@cox.net