Florida Mini-Reunion.
Our Florida classmates, Beckie Hazelett Killinger and Paul Ford, are inviting you
to a Mini-Reunion in January 2009. It will be in the Central Florida cities of
The Villages and Venice. I announced this some months ago and about 30 classmates
and spouses have already said that they will be coming. The dates are set, so
you can now make your plans to travel and join in on the fun. Here's the plan
for the Florida Mini-Reunion.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Morning - Golf at The Villages - Organized by Tom Frick
1:00 pm - Meet at Marriott TownePlace Suites, The Villages (Spanish Springs), FL
2:00 pm - Caravan Tour of The Villages
5:00 pm - Dinner at Local Restaurant (to be determined)
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Live Entertainment on The Square
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
5:00 pm - Meet at Paul and Helen Ford's Home, Venice, FL.
6:30 pm - Dinner at The River Club of Venetian Golf and River Club
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Morning - Meet at Local Restaurant for Breakfast (to be determined)
Morning - Golf at Venetian Golf Club - Organized by Paul Ford
Morning - Visit Area Points of Interest and Shopping
Please let me know your plans for attending the Florida Mini-Reunion.
It is important that we know who will be attending which events so that final plans can be made
at each of the venues where we will meet. So, please reply to me indicating who
will be attending which events.
Send your RSVP to: Fred Charles, 2920 Providence Hills Dr., Matthews, NC 28105, 704-849-9650, fscharles42@yahoo.com.
I hope that each of you will consider coming to Florida in January to get together with your Classmates
and friends from HHS. It will be a great time for all.
HHS Class of 1960 Yearbook Photo Album. You may now view 570 of our 579 classmates in our new Yearbook Photo Album.
This may be helpful to those who don't have a yearbook and for those who find it handier to use the Internet than look
for your yearbook. This link is also referenced on our class web site home page. Go to http://hhs1960yearbook.tripod.com/. Several
of you wrote appreciative notes about the new yearbook photo album. This one
from Royce Hinchman sums it up. "Sometimes I just cant put a
face with a name, but when you look at those old pictures, it's like O! Now I remember! Thanks again!!"
Missing Classmate - Helen Horn Lawson. I had a very nice phone conversation with Helen Horn Lawson recently. Helen lives in Huntington, WV on 8th Avenue West. Her husband
John passed away several years ago. She works for White Way
Laundry and says that she doesn't plan to retire anytime soon. Helen and her
sister used to live together until her sister passed away suddenly with a brain aneurysm in 2003. Her sister is Spicy Sarah Horn (HHS'61). She
had returned to Huntington from California to help Helen take care of their mother.
Helen is active in the Crossroads Baptist Church where she helps with the teenagers.
She says that she is in good health and is enjoying life. I asked her
about the reopening of Midway Hot Dog's and she said that it was great to see it open again but the hot dogs aren't quite
the same.
New Cyberpony - Mary Louise Humphreys Bishop. I am happy to announce that Mary Louise Humphreys Bishop has been found and one more can
be taken off of our class missing list. Mary Louise lives in Mesquite, Texas
- a suburb of Dallas. She is single and working in sales from her home. Mary Louise has three children and three grandchildren. Most of them live near her in Texas. We had a wonderful conversation
catching up on a lot of subjects. She is anxious to hear from her friends from
high school and also to see Huntington again. She hasn't been back for 14 years. So, please welcome Mary Louise to the Cyberponies.
Her e-mail address is - mary.bishop42@yahoo.com.
New Cyberpony - Tom Noble.
I am happy to announce another new Cyberpony - Tom Noble. And,
we can also remove one more classmate from the missing list. Tom and his wife
of 28 years, Marta, live in Brownsville, Texas. They have 4
children and 3 grandchildren. Tom told me that after high school he worked for
his father in the grocery business in Guyandotte and in 1962 he left Huntington to join the Army Infantry. He spent 17 years in the Army including two tours to Vietnam. He
said that President John Kennedy "lit a fire in him" and he went off to serve his country.
He has only returned to Huntington twice but he has very fond memories of his old hometown. He would like to see how it has changed, especially Marshall. He
really enjoyed the movie "We Are Marshall" which brought back a lot of memories. After
the Army, Tom worked in the oil fields offshore in Louisiana. There, he would
work two weeks on the platform and then have a week off. On his week off he would
visit the towns along the southern gulf coast. Eventually, he made a move to
Brownsville and made it home. Tom is retired now but he puts in full weeks doing
volunteer work for local Catholic Churches and the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank. Tom
is also Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus in Brownsville. Please join me
in welcoming Tom to the Cyberponies. His e-mail address is - thomasnoble42@yahoo.com.
New Cyberpony - Martha Dial Brown. Please welcome Martha Dial Brown to the Cyberponies.
Martha and her husband Phil live in Fort Myers, FL. They
have lived there since 1994 when Phil took early retirement. Martha and Phil
(Buffalo HS '59) were married in 1960 just after Martha graduated from HHS. They
moved to New York State where Phil attended college and Martha worked for Lorelei Hair Care in sales. She traveled the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse area selling their products.
They lived in New York State until retirement. Martha and Phil have two
children and 3 grandchildren who all live in New York State. They enjoy traveling
the US and make frequent visits to NY to see their family. They also operate
a small company (ABZ Data Services), which manages customer databases and other data requirements. Martha has been on our missing list for a long time. She is
looking forward to hearing from her old friends from the HHS Class of 1960. Please
give her a big Welcome. Martha's e-mail address is martha.brown@earthlink.net.
New Cyberpony - Helen Lacock Jaquith. I am happy to announce that I found another long time missing classmate - Helen Lacock Jaquith. Helen lives in Bradenton, Florida with her husband David. They have been married 20 years. She has three children and
three grandchildren. Helen is a real estate agent in Bradenton and has been in
selling homes for 22 years, originally in Lexington, Kentucky and now in Florida, for Re/Max.
After high school, Helen married Harold Casey (HHS'60) and lived in Huntington until Harold's unfortunate
motorcycle accident and death. She later moved to Kentucky before moving to Florida
in 2001. Please join me in welcoming Helen to the Cyberponies. Her e-mail address is helenjaquith@gmail.com.
Classmate Patricia Bradley Jones. I am sorry to inform you of the passing of our classmate Patricia Bradley Jones. I have recently learned that she passed away in 1998, at the age of 55, due to complications
from emphysema. Walter Jones, Pat's husband of 35 years, provided
the following information concerning Pat and their family. "Pat attended Sullins
College in Bristol, VA, while I went to the University of the South at Sewanee, TN.
We both participated in the choir and, since Sewanee was a men's college and Sullins was a woman's college, there was
a joint coral performance. We met and married after I graduated and joined the
Air Force. We moved to Tripoli, Libya for a three-year tour and had our first
daughter while there. After moving back to South Carolina, we ended up in California for 7 years and four more kids. We moved
several times around the Southern states and ended up in Richmond, VA. There
we raised and educated the 5 kids." Pat and Walter's children now have presented
them with 7 grandchildren (four boys and three girls). Walter also writes, "Pat
studied IKEBANA flower arranging while in California. She received a degree from
Japan and ran a floral business in Richmond." I wish to extend our sincere condolences
to Walter and his family for the loss of our classmate and friend, Patricia Bradley Jones.
Classmate Thomas R. Hage.
I am sorry to inform you of the passing of our classmate Tom Hage.
Tom passed away Wednesday, October 22, 2008, in Huntington. Please see
the following obituary from the Herald-Dispatch. THOMAS R. HAGE, 65, of Huntington,
W.Va., passed away Wednesday, October 22, 2008, in St. Mary's Medical Center. He was born November 2, 1942, in Glen Hayes,
W.Va., son of the late Felix and Gladys Northern Hage. Tom was a graduate of Huntington High School and attended Marshall
University. He was a United States Air force veteran and retired from RWC Inc., Westerville, Ohio. Tom was a member of Masonic
Lodge #53 A & FM Huntington, American Legion Post #177 Barboursville, and Huntington Elks Lodge #313. He enjoyed golf
and watching Marshall University Football. He is survived by his wife Sue Stois Hage; two daughters, Jennie
Harrison and Suzanne (Marc) Houyoux; one stepson, Tim Salmons; six grandchildren, Miranda and Ashton Harrison, Taylor and
Jack Houyoux, and Chase and Ty Salmons; and four siblings, Joe (Mary) Hage, Ralph Hage, Anne Hage, and his very special baby
sister Susan Hage. A celebration of his life will be held 3 p.m. Monday, October 27, 2008, at St. John's Episcopal Church
Huntington by Rev. John D. Stonesifer. I wish to extend our sincere condolences
to Tom's family for the loss of our classmate and friend, Tom Hage.
New E-Mail Addresses.
Bishop, Mary Louise Humphreys - mary.bishop42@yahoo.com
Brown, Martha Dial - martha.brown@earthlink.net
Jaquith, Helen Lacock - helenjaquith@gmail.com
Kinzer, Betty Sue Haden - bskrherd1@juno.com
McComas, G. Anne Varnum - amccomas24@live.com
Nelson, Lacreta Gillespie - lacretanelson@aol.com
Noble, Tom - thomasnoble42@yahoo.com
Whipkey, David - dwhipkey123@gmail.com
Wiseman, Thomas - wisemans1@comcast.net
Nancy Celebrates 66th Birthday.
Nancy Sellards Wheeler was joined by several classmates and family members recently at The Woodlands
in Huntington to celebrate her 66th birthday. Attending the party were Susan
Chetwin Brandon, Pam Morlock Rawn, Nancy's aunt Mary, Pam's mother Betty Morlock Wilkinson, Nancy's mother,
Judy Browning Clark, and Peggy Simmons Wilmink. Mary Harvey
Wilson Midkiff and Nancy Necessary Gravely also visited Nancy earlier. Many classmates sent birthday cards for her birthday celebration.
Please see Classmate Photos.
Bill Angel Burial. Ed
Shaffer attended the burial of Bill Angel in Charleston, WV on Friday, August 29, 2008. The following is Ed's story of the event.
"Friday, August 29, 2008 was warm and sunny
in West Virginia. Bill's remains were placed in the Angel Section of Spring Hill
Cemetery in Charleston, WV. There was no formal ceremony as such, just a group
of family and close friends commemorating his life. Bill's wife Mona,
placed his urn in the ground along with memorabilia from his many years with United Nations.
We then each had a memory to share, many amusing as well as some of his efforts to help friends from behind the "Iron
Curtain" escape during the "Cold War" so they may come to New York to study at Columbia University. Bill's cousin, Phil Angel, read a long-time family poem used at all burials. Mona, a Swedish National, then read a short poem which ended, "welcome home to your "Mountain Momma!" Each of us then took turns placing dirt on the grave until it was filled. We all then retired to Phil and Ina's home for food and fuel plus much talk of Bill.
"Bill left Huntington after 8th grade to go
to school in Michigan. He graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1964
and went to New York to study at Columbia University. He later went to work at
the United Nations spending his career working in various children's, youth and women's sections of the UN. Most of the past 30 years were spent working in Vienna, Austria where most of the sections were headquartered.
He met Mona there and built two homes. Along the way they managed to acquire a menagerie of pets. Bill traveled the earth helping those, in particular children, who needed a helping hand. Somehow every year, like all West Virginians, Bill and Mona managed to come home to Mountain
Momma!" Ed Shaffer
Memories of Bill Angel.
Several classmates offered their memories of Bill Angel.
Terry Brodof. "Billy Angel was one of those individuals you don't forget even though he was out of my
life for over thirty years. I remember an incident at Cammack. Bill had come
into class late, I think the teacher was a Mrs. Bartlet but it's a long shot if I actually remembered her name. The teacher foolishly asks Bill for an exclamation and by the time he was finished the whole class was
in hysterics' but not the teacher. For some reason I felt it was necessary to
defend his actions and said something to the teacher. Mrs. Bartlet looked at
me and said something like 'Billy Angel doesn't need your defense, he will do just fine in this world.' She already recognized him for the man he would become." Terry Brodof
Michael Lerner. "I had memories of Billy, too. In my whole life I only
got into one fight and it was with him. We were sledding on the south side of
four pole creek on a day when we were out of school for snow. I think I ran into
his sled by accident. I don't know why it happened, but he literally beat me
up. I didn't understand then. Now
I look back on it and realize that he, being really smart and talented, struggled having lost his dad and also having broken
a front tooth. It had been temporarily capped with a stainless steel cap until
he was older and had a tooth-colored crown. That had to be embarrassing and so
I can understand his having some hostility. The other time I remember was when
our whole class (maybe 6th grade?) went to his house down the basement where Billy did a fantastic marionette show. One of the numbers was to the song 'The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane.'
I remember that going down the basement I couldn't help noticing the coolest Christmas tree in the living room. That was tantamount in our home with committing serious sin. But was I jealous! I lost touch with Bill until he showed
up on the Cyberpony list and we exchanged very pleasant e-mails for a while. When
I saw the pics of Terry & Sandy with Bill and Mona in Vienna, I was again jealous and had been looking forward to the
opportunity to go to Vienna and see him after all those decades. Sadly I won't
have that chance. His life came out really well and he made a difference in the
world. I join our classmates in mourning his death." Michael Lerner
Joe McVay. "I remember Billy as a really smart and funny guy, but the first time I remember Billy
was when Miller played Cammack NOT A SCHOOL SANCTIONED EVENT...put together I think by Billy Garner
and Pete Schoew. We all meet in the "dip" to play and the only
thing everyone told me was look out for Paul Shanklin. He will
knock your head off. The first thing I did when we got there was to find out
which one was Paul. He wasn't hard to pick out he was the biggest and tallest
one who never smiled. I told Garner 'don't line me up where I'm going to have
to get in the way of Shanklin because Ill just move out of his way. They put
me on the other side and where this nice looking kid with a smile on his face was playing.
I thought, Am I lucky or what? The
boy with the smile on his face (the whole game) was Billy Angel. As
I found out after about 4 plays he was smiling with anticipation of knocking me silly.
I think I saw stars and circles after every play. HE WOULD JUST KNOCK
THE HELL OUT OF ME, HELP ME UP WITH THAT SMILE ON HIS FACE, AND WAIT FOR ME AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE FOR THE NEXT PLAY WITH
THAT SAME SMILE ON HIS FACE, AND THEN KNOCK ME ON MY BUTT AGAIN. It didn't matter
which way the play went his first decided he had to flatten me and then go tackle someone.
I went over to Garner and told him I would move to the other side where the big tall guy with NO smile
on his face was playing, because I knew very quickly what my team mates would find out during the course of the game Billy
Angel was the toughest guy on the field. At the end of the game as we
shook hands Billy (still smiling) said to me 'you may be little but you sure aren't dumb I saw move to the other side'. That's how I met Billy Angel.
When I got to Cammack, he was one of my first friends 'from that other school' and I also spent some GREAT times in
Billy's basement doing what 7th grade boys did back then and it wasn't video games although Billy did have a TV upstairs. He also could make sounds by squeezing his hands together...as I said he was really
smart and very funny." Joe McVay
Carolyn
has an Auto Accident. Carolyn Thomas Schenck
had an auto accident in October while visiting her son in Chicago. She had a
broken sternum which is a very painful injury requiring a lengthy recovery. We
are all wishing a speedy recovery for Carolyn in the days to come.
Carroll Kincaid Twiss Health.
I have learned recently, from Carroll Kincaid Twiss' husband Charlie, that Carroll
has serious medical problems. She has been diagnosed with Parkinson's and dementia. I have been discussing this with Charlie for some time and have had difficulty passing
this bad news on to you all. Charlie writes, "Her memory is failing much faster
than we thought but her physical condition has stabilized. She does read the
e-mails and at times responds with a smile. Her long term memory seems to be fairly good but her short term memory comes and
goes." I asked Charlie if it would be OK for her friends to write to her. And, he said that it would be fine. I
thought that possibly a card with a cheery message, or a nice letter or e-mail from her friends would be appropriate. Those high school memories stay with us for a long time and I expect that Carroll
will remember them and enjoy thinking back to those days. If you do contact her,
it would be a good idea to send along your high school picture to help her remember you.
You can find your high school photo on our class web site. You may contact
Carroll at:
Carroll Twiss
20221 NE Woodinville Duvall Rd.
Woodinville, WA 98072-5407
cnc.twiss@verizon.net
Chuck Returns to WVU.
Chuck Kinder was honored at his alma mater, West Virginia University, recently. He gave a reading and book signing on there. Chuck is a recipient
of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Recognition Award from WVU. Here
is Chuck's introduction for this event. Chuck Kinder, a professor
and the director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh, earned both a BA and MA in English from
WVU. He is an award-winning author of four novels, the most celebrated of which
is Honeymooners: A Cautionary Tale (2001), which was a New York Times Notable Book.
He also studied at Stanford as an Edith Mirrielees Writing Fellow. Before
becoming a full-fledged writer, Kinder worked variously as a coal miner, moonshiner, bartender, bouncer, bandit, prize fighter,
circus performer, white-water guide, professional cook and cowboy, and itinerant college professor. His other books include the "meta-memoir" Last Mountain Dancer: Hard-Earned Lessons in Love, Loss, and
Honky-Tonk Outlaw Life (2004), The Silver Ghost (1979), and Snakehunter (1971). His
work has appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Appalachian Heritage, New England Review, TriQuarterly. Third Coast, and other journals. Chuck Kinder is the inspiration for the character Grady Tripp in
the novel and movie Wonder Boys. Congratulations to Chuck for his many accomplishments
in the field of creative writing.
Photos from Paul. See
Classmate Photos for photos of Paul Harrison’s kids and grandkids taken during visits to Hampstead,
NC this summer.
Jim Remembers Yankee Stadium.
Jim Handloser writes, "The Yankees played the Orioles tonight (September 21, 2008). It was the last
game ever played in
Yankee Stadium. Only a Yankees fan like me could feel wistful at the thought of
this. Still, the stadium does have a place in our nation's
history, so I
thought some of our classmates might enjoy reading the singer Paul Simon's
memories of the place. I have my own, but compared
to Simon's, they're about as interesting as tonight's final score." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/sports/baseball/21simon.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin). Jim Handloser.
David Survives Hurricane Gustav. David Reeder sent several photos from Hurricane Gustav as it passed through Gulfport and
Biloxi, MS. He said that "Biloxi survived this one with very minimal damage this
time." See Classmate Photos for one of the photos.
Nelson Evacuates New Orleans.
Joe McVay informed me that Nelson Pace evacuated New Orleans, as directed by the
mayor, before Hurricane Gustav as did his son Duncan. As many of you know, Nelson
and his wife had to walk out of New Orleans, in chest deep water, after Hurricane Katrina.
The memory of that catastrophe is still on everyone's mind. It turned
out that this one was not nearly as bad.
Hurricane Ike - Donna Darbes McGehee. Please read Donna Darbes McGehee's story.
It's nice to learn that she and her family made it through Hurricane Ike OK.
Donna writes, "Thanks for checking with us, We have been on vacation in Canada and missed the hurricane. We understand
from our daughter, Susie, that both of our houses survived with no damage. The experience was amazing, she said, loud roaring
noise and huge gusts of wind that shook her house to its core. All of our neighborhoods are littered with pine needles and
downed branches but no structural damage. She said not to hurry home because there is no electricity, which means no air conditioning,
TV et al and all of the businesses are closed as are the schools. We are supposed to be going home this coming weekend but
may delay our homecoming if the electricity is not back on yet. Will visit relatives in Indianapolis and Toledo. Just a warning
to pass on to others, keep your gas tanks filled because if the electricity does not come back soon, the rest of the country
will feel the gasoline shortage because they will not be able to pump the gasoline into the trucks to transport out to the
rest of the country. We were lucky this time. Thanks for the concern." Donna
Darbes McGehee
Hurricane Ike - Barbara Davis Chapman. Another of our classmates has survived the destructive forces of Hurricane Ike. Barbara Davis Chapman and husband Jim (HHS'57), live in Spring, Texas
which is north of Houston. Barbara writes, "We are OK here. Lots of rain and wind but no damage to the house.
Still having to use the generator for some things." After a more than
a week, she told me that the electricity was turned back on. Barbara says, "If
you ever have to spend time without electricity, you will soon realize what a wonderful invention it is." They used to live in Crystal Beach, TX, which, Barbara says, "was almost blown off of the face of the earth,
however our former home is still standing." It is great to hear that another
classmate has survived Hurricane Ike.
Remembering Others Who Have Left Us. Please join with me to remember our friends and family who passed away recently.
Frances Lawson Phipps, 94, Proctorville, OH.
Pat Phipps Alley's mother passed away August 10, 2008.
David Michael "Mickey" Goodall, 58, Capitola, CA.
Bob Goodall's brother passed away September 11, 2008.
Hazel Irene Curry, 87, of Proctorville, OH.
Jim Curry's mother passed away September 14, 2008.
Carol Lee Smith Woodard, 66, of Proctorville, OH.
Lucy Smith Duba's sister passed away September 18, 2008.
Lillian N. "Joyce" Hubbard, 67, of Huntington, WV.
Joanne Norris Underwood's sister passed away October 3, 2008.
Ralph Gordon “Bub” McCloud, 68 of Huntington, WV. Phyllis McCloud Adkins’ brother passed away October 28, 2008.
Michael's Missouri Grandsons.
Please go to Classmate Photos to see Michael Lerner and his two grandsons Simon and
Isaac.
Rethinking High School.
The Cabell County Schools are studying their approach to education, especially in high school. In September, the Herald-Dispatch published a series of three articles on Rethinking High School. While this focuses on the education system in West Virginia, it should draw similar
comparisons to the schools in your city and state all across the US. I thought
that the articles were well done. You may see these articles by going to the
following links.
Part I: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/life/schools/x1724960990/Standards-attitudes-hampering-education
Part II: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/life/schools/x182622223/Officials-cite-initiatives-to-improve-learning
Part III: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/life/schools/x1103069240/School-upgrades-will-need-support
Gary is Doing Well. Gary
Lyons had successful open-heart triple bypass surgery in June. His wife
Kathy tells us that “Gary is doing just great, back to driving and now is back to work. Doctors are so pleased with his speedy recovery. His
cardiologist said he has many good years ahead of him and does not say that to too many of his patients, due to complications
that occur from this type of surgery & the overall condition the patient was in to begin with.” Tom Rutledge visited Gary recently and Gary tells him that he feels the best that he has felt in last 25
years. Way to go Gary!
David Has Back Surgery.
David Jenkins had back surgery on September 26th in Littleton, CO.
His wife Jane tells us that David is recovering well and hopes to get back to work soon. We wish David a quick recovery.
Bob is Recovering.
Bob Stevens is recovering from several health problems. In
August, Bob had a minor heart attack as a result of a 99% blocked artery. His cardiologist was able to successfully repair
the blockage with stint. Bob told me that he has not has a problem with cholesterol
and that they believe that the blockage was a result of his surgery for prostate cancer a few weeks ago. He was at the urologist's office several days after his prostate surgery when the heart problem appeared. Recovery from two serious operations is slow, as you might imagine. Bob has continued to do cardio rehab and has now begun to play a few rounds of golf. Best of luck to Bob for his full recovery.
Carolyn Sue Sends Photo from India. Please Classmate Photos for a great photo of Carolyn Sue Daniel. It was taken while she was on a missionary trip to India in April, 2007.
The city was Darjeeling in the Northeast part of India in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Carolyn Sue told me, "We went 9,000 feet up in the Himalayan Mountains on a prayer journey. We stopped at several small villages to hold services at very small churches. It was a wonderful trip. The time in the Mountains was awesome. I loved Darjeeling. It is beautiful. I loved Siliguri. I consider it home
also. I love Northern Indian food and the people.
I guess I just love India." Carolyn Sue Daniel.
Helen Receives 2008 Tennessee Indian Eagle Award. Helen "Red Wing" Vinson has just been presented with the 2008 Tennessee Indian Eagle Award. Congratulations to Helen for this wonderful accomplishment. Helen is the sister to our classmate Alice Belvin Corbin.
The following was written about Helen and used during the presentation. The
award id given to Helen "Red Wing" Vinson of Lakeland for spending a larger part of a lifetime giving to
Native issues, culture, writing poems, writing songs and countless uncompensated work given to TNNAC and the Memphis Caucus. The following describes the Tennessee Indian Eagle Awards and the organization that
sponsors the annual event.
Tennessee Native American Eagle Organization. In 1998 a small group of people in Tennessee had a dream to honor Native Americans
in the state who have made outstanding contributions in their communities all across the state. That same group desired to honor these special people publicly so that others could see the good that they
are doing on issues that affect every race of people in Tennessee. From the dream,
the name "Eagle Awards" was chosen because like the Eagle, these People fly the highest.
The Eagle Award recipients are Heroes in today's society. They do these
good works all the time, not thinking others see and we want to honor them for their selfless acts. We look up to them and we want our children to look up to them for their leadership qualities and traditional
values. In the past, the honorees have accepted their awards with humility, in
the same selfless manner that they made their individual contributions. There
were no long-winded speeches of acceptance, only humble thank yous and embraces. Congratulations
to Helen for this wonderful accomplishment. See Classmate Photos for a view of
Helen’s award.
Michael Moves to Florida.
Another classmate has moved to Florida. Michael Pigman
makes it 53 in Florida. Here is what Michael tells us about his move. "Hello family and friends. I wanted to let you know that I
have moved into my retirement home in Gainesville, Fl. I moved in 7/30/08. It is a gated, 55+ year old community. It
is just a small home with 2br 2ba. It has a very small yard to take care of. It is located in the heart of paradise (Gainesville).
Congratulations to Michael on his new home - in Paradise!
News From Larry Osborne.
Please see the following news from Larry Osborne. Some
of you may remember that Larry gave us some good advice a few years ago after having survived open-heart bypass surgery. It was "Live Life While You Can". I asked
him about this advice and it is part of his reply. Larry Writes, "Yes, I am retired
but still have a half dozen or so accounts that are in the habit of calling me if they have projects coming up. They're long time loyal customers so I generally know the outcome from the beginning. What the heck, I don't play golf and I never had any guilt about enjoying what I do. I pick the low hanging fruit and I fired stressful customers years ago.
I have coffee most every morning with a group of friends and we start the day with a few laughs. My dad passed away May 1st at 91 at the VA Hospital in Tampa and I am taking care of the estate. My mom is 90 and in a nursing home in Vidalia, GA and I'm managing her affairs. They were three weeks short
of their 70th. She was in a church owned nursing home, which explains the distance. I have driven a ton of miles over the past 5 years.
Our son got married in May 07 and he and his wife live in Lancaster, PA. He
is with State Auto and she is with the FBI. Our daughter, grandsons and her husband
just move from Maryland and bought a home in Franklin, TN. She is a teacher and
he is a project manager for a Nashville firm.
"To answer your question. I believe more than ever that you must live while you can. Life
has a way of kicking our backsides and no one gets away without some pain. Your
health and the next breath are not promised and anyone that waits for a brighter day just does not realize how few calendars
they have left. Look around, things are tough for a lot of people. We've gone through it. Someone has to be an example to our
children and grand kids. Like it or not if not us then who?" Larry Osborne.
Larry Salyers Retirement.
Larry Salyers is retiring as executive director of Tri-State Airport in Huntington. Larry (HHS'59) is the husband of Sandy York Salyers.
The following is from a Herald-Dispatch article in August. "Salyers stepping
down after 26 years as Tri-State Airport executive director. After 26 years of
weathering the ups and downs of the airline industry, Larry Salyers is ready to hop on a plane and visit
his grandchildren. The executive director of Tri-State Airport is retiring Sept.
30 or until a successor takes his place. 'After being in charge this long, it's
hard to walk away from my employees and the relationships I have with them,' the 67-year-old Salyers said. 'But I'm ready
to be a full-time grandfather for a while. I've got eight grandchildren, and five of them live out of town.' Salyers joined Tri-State Airport in December 1975 as director of operations and security, and was promoted
to assistant airport manager in March 1980. In August 1981, he was named acting manager, and was appointed as the airport
director in May 1982. Congratulations to Larry and Sandy on their retirement.
Big Joe Turns 100. Joe
McVay Sr. celebrated his 100th birthday on July 18, 2008. The Governor
of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, proclaimed July 18TH 2008 as Joe A. McVay Day in the State of West Virginia. Big Joe received a picture and congratulations from President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Senator Lindsay
Graham, Governor Manchin WV, Senators Byrd, and Rockefeller of WV, a signed note and gifts from Joe Gibbs former coach of
the Washington Redskins and now President of Joe Gibbs Racing. His 103 year old
sister, Marry Shepp, also wished him happy birthday on the Internet via Webcam from West Virginia. Joe Jr. wrote. "The home where Big Joe lives in Myrtle Beach, SC. had a birthday party for him. They really went all out for his birthday. They held it in
the main dinning room and every seat was taken. Here are these older people who
in some cases can't speak or feed themselves with out help, all of them in wheel chairs and yet they all wanted to come to
the party and wish Big Joe a happy 100th birthday. It was so very moving to see
ladies come up with a smile on there face touch him and wish him a happy birthday. One
lady said, 'He is too sweet of a man. Any woman lucky enough to get him wouldn't have let him go.' It seems like people are always saying such very nice things about the Judge. He was married to our mother his 'Girl' for 56 years before her death.
Tomorrow we get to do it all over again. ALL of his family will be here
to celebrate the life of our wonderful, kind, generous and loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather - Big Joe, The
Judge." Joe McVay
Weekend in Huntington.
Paula Whitten Smith writes about her visit to Huntington in July.
"Don and I had a great time in Huntington this past weekend. Remember, Don attended a Hurricane High
reunion committee meeting Sat. morning and then we went to cousin Mike and Henriella Perry's 50th wedding anniversary party.
But I did want to report that we also took time to go visit with Nancy Sellards Wheeler at the Woodlands.
She doesn't say anything but we could tell she was glad to see us by her sweet smile. Mrs. Sellards was also there. She is
90 yrs old and looks just lovely - so very pretty. Some things in Huntington look better, some worse, and some the same as
when we were teens there. The Midway drive in has reopened and is doing well. We also enjoyed dinner Friday evening at Max
and Erma's at Pullman Square. It had finally cooled down some by evening. Oh, I'm not used to the humidity of WVa anymore." Paula Whitten Smith.
Pete and Betty Move to Huntington. Rev. Pete Schoew and his wife Betty have recently moved to Huntington
from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I understand that there have been a few sightings
already from Pete's old classmates. This is great news and we all hope to get
reacquainted with both of them in the near future. Their new address is 2069
Enslow Avenue. Welcome Back - Pete and Betty.
Classmates Meet in Charlotte.
In July, Larry Shaver, Jerry Clay, Terry Brodof, and I met for lunch in Charlotte. See Classmate Photos. As you can tell from our attire, Jerry
is the one who had to get back to work.
Jerry (known now as Rex) is Director
of Research and Planning for Gaston College. Jerry says that he really enjoys
his work and plans to work 5 more years if all is OK. Since Jerry joined our
HHS Class of 1960, in his Junior year, he doesn't have along list of acquaintances from school. He does remember the close group of athletes that he teamed up with in the basketball and track teams. He also told us about a group of guys who played poker together while in high school. Some poker players from the good old days were, Dick Vital, Buck Crews, Terry
Brodof, Billy Glick, Bill Weaver, Bill Garner, and Bob Garner.
Jerry's wife Delia is a nurse in Charlotte. They have
two sons (15 and 19).
Larry Shaver and wife Helen
(HHS’61) live in Charlotte during parts of the Summer and Fall. They
live on Lake Wylie and enjoy boating on the lake and many other recreational activities easily available there.
Terry Brodof and wife Sandy,
spent the summer planning and attending family reunions and just returned from a vacation in Europe.
Jean and I would like to announce
the wedding of our daughter, Bethany, and Wil Westbury in Charleston, SC on October 18th. See Classmate Photos.
Graley Wedding at Kieth-Albee.
See Classmate photos for photos of the James and Jessica Graley wedding, which was
held at the Keith-Albee on May 17, 2008. It was a very beautiful wedding at a
wonderful location.
Photo of Stan Maynard and Barbra Haptonstall. See Classmate Photos for a photo taken at Marshall this summer of Stan Maynard and my
sister Barbara Charles Haptonstall (HHS’59).
Selby Wellman Lectures at Marshall. Selby Wellman (HHS'59) continues to serve the students at Marshall. He was the guest speaker at the Ruth E. Butler Executive in Residence Lecture on Monday. Please see the following MU press release. Selby is the husband
of our classmate Donna Bias Wellman who is also a Marshall graduate and supporter.
Selby Wellman to give Executive in Residence Lecture at Marshall University. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - F. Selby Wellman, retired Senior Vice President
of Cisco Systems, Inc., will deliver the Ruth E. Butler Executive in Residence Lecture Monday, Oct. 27 at Marshall University. Wellman, a Williamson, W.Va., native and 1963 graduate of Marshall University, will
speak at 11 a.m. in the Alumni Lounge on the second floor of the Memorial Student Center on Marshall's Huntington campus.
His speech is titled, "Getting that job in today's business climate." The event is open to the public, but seating is limited. "The faculty, staff and students of the Lewis College of Business are excited
about the return of Mr. Wellman, an influential graduate of the college, as a lecturer for the Executive in Residence program,"
said Larry Templeton, director of development with the College of Business. "Mr. Wellman will be able to provide our students
with some valuable information concerning that initial job search. He has some
insight into what is expected of students by a major corporation and hopefully can assist them in successfully reaching their
goal of attaining employment." The Executive in Residence program was created
in 1984 by Dr. Robert P. Alexander, then-dean of the Lewis College of Business, with the purpose of providing students with
the opportunity to hear and interact with successful business executives. The program provides role models with outstanding
business experience related to students through lectures, discussions and informal dialogue.
Wellman spent his entire career in the high technology industry. Prior to joining Cisco, worldwide leader in networking
for the Internet, he spent five years as Corporate Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Operations at FiberCom. He also
was Corporate Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Paradyne, a Florida-based networking company. Wellman started his career
at IBM, where he spent 15 years in various marketing and management positions. Wellman
took early retirement to pursue other business and personal interests. For the past five years, he has followed up his many
years of amateur auto racing by competing at the professional level in the Grand-Am Rolex Series throughout the U.S. and Canada. Wellman's current activities include involvement in West Virginia education through
his private family Foundation. This includes many scholarships that make it possible for West Virginia students in need to
attend Marshall University. His Foundation also has funded the SAS Curriculum Pathways software students in grades 8-12 in
all West Virginia schools.
Bill and Litz Travel to Japan, China. Bill and Litz Jarvis took a one-month trip to Japan and China this spring. He describes their exciting travels. And,
they were very lucky to return just before the earthquake! Bill writes, “We
went to Japan on April 2 where we rode the Bullet train and spent some time in Hakone volcanic basin, and toured Toyko. We
love Japan especially in cherry blossom time. We then flew to Beijing where we spent the next 5 days walking on the Great
Wall, spending time in and around the Olympic Village (will view that in a different light) it has done a lot for the city.
(construction everywhere). Saw the Forbidden City and love the markets. The food was great - lots of vegetables and fruits.
Flew to Shanghai for 4 days, which is a total turn around from Beijing - very modern (parts of it would make NYC look old). Saw the jade Buddha's and traveling out of the city. Here we rode the Mega Train that
runs from the city to the airport. It travels at 260 mph (have pictures to prove it). Flew to Wahan where we boarded a ship
for 4 days on the Yangse River-each day we ventured off the ship to visit some treasure and of course spent a day at my real
reason for going - The Three Gorge Dam-UNBELIEVABLE. And to think they relocated all those people, factories, and life in
just 17 years (guess that is what Communism can do). Debarked in Chopching where we were only about 90 miles from the epicenter
of the earthquake (5 days after we returned) where we visited the Pandas and General Stillwells home. Flew to Guilin where
we spent 4 days on Vietnam border, which was a lovely city antique and quaint - loved it. Visited a tea plantation and a rural
classroom among other things. Flew to Hong Kong for 3 days - soooo many people and of course very modern - good horse racing
and seafood. Left on April 2 and arrived home May 1--what a trip. We are headed for Vietnam and Cambodia in Oct. for 3 weeks
need to see it in more peaceful times. We love our home on the farm - cool climate and gorgeous view, but it is always good
to see how others live. Hope this finds each of you enjoying your retirement as much as I am.” Bill Jarvis
Dan and Sally Visit Hawaii.
Dan Nelson writes about their trip. “Sally
& I recently celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary by spending 14 days in Hawaii.
Our first trip to Hawaii was on our 20th anniversary and we have been there several times since then. The geologist in me is drawn to the volcanic activity on the ‘Big Island’. Nothing like flying over active lava flows! We covered 4 islands,
but spent most of our time on Maui. Our favorite activity was taking multiple
whale watching trips. We lucked out on the weather....it rained only once in
14 days (on the road to Hana). As you know, my primary hobby is photography. I was fairly good this trip...only took 3200 pictures!
I'm sending several photos, 20 in fact, but in two separate emails for faster transmission.” Dan Nelson. See Classmate Photos to see Dan and Sally in Kauai.
Richard and Lola Vacation in Hawaii. Richard Casey writes about the vacation that he and Lola took to Hawaii. “Lola and I have been to some of the islands of Hawaii. We enjoyed the beaches,
museums, dinner cruises, volcano's, the underwater exploration of the oceans bottom in a submarine and the natural beauty
of this marvelous state.” Richard Casey. See Classmate Photos for Richard and Lola in Hawaii.
Update from Richard Wilson.
Dick writes, “Just a note to let you know our youngest son, Richard, just graduated
from Marshall University. Our oldest son John has just started
his second year of Residency at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown CT. Our daughter
is now with Bill Blass as Sr. VP of sales for the Corporation. Stephanie lives in Wilton CT and has two girls
and another child on the way.” Dick Wilson
Greg Salyers Receives a Promotion. Sandy York Salyers tells me about her son’s recent promotion. “I would like to brag a little bit about my oldest son. Hamilton
Beach Brands Inc. reported that it has promoted several executive officers. Greg
Salyers, VP/operations, is now VP/global operations. He will continue to lead purchasing, customer operations, corporate
planning and logistics, and information services teams; he will now also have responsibility for the engineering and quality
groups. Salyers has been with the company 23 years. He began his career as a corporate electrical engineer for Hamilton Beach
and has held several positions, including VP/product engineering. He lives in Richmond, VA area in Glen Allen and is married
with two daughters. The oldest, who just graduated from High School and is going
to William and Mary in the fall. She has a GPA in high school of 4.8.” Sandy York Salyers
Cy J. Smith, Superintendent of Mansfield Christian School.
Paula Whitten Smith sends us good news. Her son, Cy
Smith, has been chosen as Superintendent of the Mansfield Christian School, in Mansfield, Ohio. Paula writes, "There is a nice photo and article about our son Cy's appointment as MCS superintendent,
in the Mansfield News Journal." Paula Whitten Smith. See Classmate Photos for
Cy’s picture. MANSFIELD -- The new superintendent at Mansfield Christian
School is an old name. Cy J. Smith has been chosen superintendent.
Smith has a long history as a student, faculty member and administrator with the school. He replaces Kris Schottleutner, who
has resigned the position after a spending more than a decade with the school. Smith has served as the high school principal
for MCS since 1998. "I'm certainly grateful for this opportunity and am looking forward to leading my alma mater," Smith said.
He graduated from Mansfield Christian in 1987. He received his undergraduate degree in education from The University of Toledo
and obtained his masters at Ashland University. Smith received his doctorate from AU in 2002. In addition to being an alumnus,
Smith taught history and social studies at MCS for four years beginning in 1992. He also coached basketball. He said he's
excited for the opportunity to lead the school. "We will continue to expand our facilities and press for academic success
and spiritual growth," Smith said. "MCS is a special place and I'm honored to guide such an outstanding organization." Smith also will lead the search for a new high school principal to fill his former
position.
Classmates Enjoy Evening in Matthews. See Classmate Photos for photos taken at Fred and Jean Charles’
home this summer.
Book Recommendations.
I have established a section in our Yahoo Groups site for member book recommendations. And, I have added Michael
Lerner's book recommendations. For those of you who are full group members, go to Database and Book Recommendations. Here are Michael's book recommendations with reference links to further information
and book reviews.
Overtreated, Shannon Brownlee
Super Foods to the Rescue, Steven Pratt, MD
The Biology of Belief, Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D
Favorite Web Sites. Several
of you have sent special web sites for our enjoyment over the period.
John White - http://www.oldfortyfives.com/thoseoldwesterns.htm
Joe McVay - http://www.snjmall.com/chico/
Michael Lerner - Strolldownmemorylane1.wmv
Joe McVay - http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm
Michael Lerner - www.lumosity.com
