Reminder that the monthly, 4th Monday GHS ’70 Luncheon is right around the corner, noon September 24 at Auburn’s Peking Buffet (@Grandstaff&SR8, 260.925.2746). Put this on your calendar now, and while you’re at it, fill out the year’s remaining 4th Monday dates.
The August luncheon saw 15 classmates in addition to me: Bob Bishop, Cindy Hathaway Myers, Cindy Nodine DeWitt, Dan Myers, Greg Weller, Hal Hippensteel, Jama Payton Campbell, Jim Burns, John Jinnings, Kathy Creager VanAllen, Lauren Fike, Mike Rhodes, Penny Evans Wolf, Steve Tullis, and Tom Refner. What a nice turnout – yet there are so many more who would be welcome: that means YOU if you are not already on this roll call.There were actually too many for a good group photo at the crowded table, so we’ll have to settle for the scenes below. Apologies to those left out this time, come back next month and we’ll try again.
These photos reflect a lot of action around Dan Cindy Hathaway Myers, because I was taking the pictures while generally sitting across from them and to Jim Burns’ left. You can “see me” in my seeming absence – I was right there where you see nothing, as the camera was positioned in front of my face, aiming away.
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Hal Hippensteel |
The others here are of course ...
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| and Kathy Creager VanAllen |
These two photos are interesting. Lauren Fike has something serious to say to me, and when Lauren speaks people listen – in this case John Jinnings and Hal Hippensteel are going to hear what Lauren has to say:
“Don’t be using any of those cheap Japanese cameras that make me look fat!”
You can see the fun now, as John and Hal, hearing the punch line, instantaneously turn toward Lauren, definitely amused.
Speaking of weight, Bob Bishop was saying he has been exercising differently lately, and at this point wants to lose ten more pounds, which would put him at 155 instead of 165. Penny Evans Wolf couldn’t understand that: “Why do you want to lose ten pounds? I could bench press you right now!”
Penny, sitting here next to Greg Weller, is one of those vivacious and charismatic people who seem to glow. We were near-neighbors in Illinois for I believe four years, but did not see each other there. Penny came back to Indiana in 2008, but continued to work for a Chicago area company by cyber-connection for three years. She will serve as the DeKalb County Humane Society’s next-term president. Steve Tullis is on the other side of Greg.
So you can see we really needed more women – Cindy Hathaway Meyers and Penny Evans Wolf had a lot to put up with at first. But the others did come, as you can see below:
Girl Talk
Cindy Nodine DeWitt, Jama Payton Campbell, and Kathy Creager VanAllen
Great picture here, obviously a great time, but don’t be misled – the group wasn’t segregated at all, there was considerable interaction between the sexes, and everyone seemed happy to be there.
Other News and People
The 2012-2013 school year is underway, with the new High School still under construction but definitely coming along. And while this won’t be news to many, especially those living in Garrett, it may well be news to many others: Garrett’s Middle School principal is our own Linda McDaniel DePew. Some day I would like to take her photo by the school, find out how long she has held that position, maybe hear some of her thoughts, etc. It must be a very demanding and sensitive position, especially at this time of year.
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(August 27, continuing High School construction) Does this photo make school look like a high-security prison, or is that just me projecting? Half-joking of course (sort of). Surely it will be very nice, and I always felt like the new-at-the-time JE Ober Elementary School building said “Education is important and valued by the community.” |
Just as the past August newsletter was going out, Trudy (Gertrude) Watson Boyd and her husband Jack were returning to their home in Dickinson, TX between Houston and Galveston, having spent several days visiting family in Garrett and Avilla. They stayed in Ft Wayne, and also attended Jack’s 50th class reunion. More on Trudy and Jack farther below.
Sarah Haynes Sweitzer and her husband Kent have sold their farm and are moving to Middleton, WI, just west of Madison, where they will be closer to their first grandchild and the rich cultural milieu afforded by the University of Wisconsin. If you attended either of our past two reunions, you probably noticed or met Kent. He is an avid photographer and took many excellent photos. Approximately 100 can be seen by clicking on GHS ’70 2010 Reunion Photos. More on Kent in a coming month, when I cover the very surprising Garrett Museum of Art. And hopefully we will continue to see both Sarah and Kent now and then in the years yet to come.
Speaking of reunions, just in case you don’t know, the 2010 reunion was attended by several classmates who had either never come before, or who had not come for a very long time, and most of these have since said they were so happy to have come, and that they will never miss another!
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| From Kent’s GHS ’70 2010 Reunion Photos. There are about 100 snapshots from that event in his online Gallery. |
A lot can happen in the years between reunions, and hopefully these 4th Monday luncheons and this newsletter will fill the gaps, at least somewhat.
Finally, while we’re reflecting in this vein, let’s welcome those who have requested or have otherwise been added to this email distribution since last month: Bill Fetter , Clyde Handshoe, Greg Weller, Lisa Engelhard Murphy, Nancy McKee Ireland, Trudy Watson Boyd, and Wayne Smith. It’s really nice having you all here with us, even if the gathering is in Cyberspace.
Garrett Streets
Moving beyond school and school classmate news, out into the Garrett streets, check out the Chinese Restaurant at 115 W King, just east of the old Shake Shop and across from the new Garrett State Bank. This building once housed the Heavenly Blue upstairs, where The Children (Larry Place, Ed Meyers, et al) played for a short while. Not long after the second story burned, leaving the building that you now see. The restaurant has an extensive menu and seems very pleasant inside, but will nonetheless undertake some renovations in the near future.
The focus here though is to see the building from an ironic point of view: the red Do Not Enter sign.
On a more serious note, Garrett, the new Garrett Mayor, and the Sikh owner of Garrett QuickWay, a convenience store located where Don’s Gas Station was back in our day, have made the national news. To learn more, click on Do You Remember Lillie’s Store in Garrett?
On a more serious note, Garrett, the new Garrett Mayor, and the Sikh owner of Garrett QuickWay, a convenience store located where Don’s Gas Station was back in our day, have made the national news. To learn more, click on Do You Remember Lillie’s Store in Garrett?
We’ll look at other Garrett Street views in other newsletters to come. But for now …
It is mid-to-late September, 2012, and the new school year is well underway …
Do you remember how it felt … that very first day of each new school year? New teachers, new kids, new chances …
And yet how many chances we never dared, or imagined to take? How many classmates we never really knew, despite the opportunities?
Now here we are, back together again, some at the 4th Monday luncheons and many others in Cyberspace … Another chance to get to know each other better! It is in this spirit that I asked Trudy Watson Boyd if she might share a little more information for the newsletter, and she was very gracious in her response. These are her own words:
Stephen,
Thank you for sending the August newsletter. Doris [Sleek Jarnagin] sent it too through my email.
In 1974 I met my wonderful husband Jack Boyd at a Baptist church in Fort Wayne, IN and married in November the same year. He was born in Fort Wayne. We have two married daughters, two granddaughters, one grandson and two great-granddaughters.
We moved to Colorado Springs, CO in 1990, then to Phoenix, AZ, and one year ago to the Houston, TX area to be closer to family. We bought our present home in June of this year. Jack is fully retired and I retired from Target last year. We both work part time for an inventory company.
We enjoy eating out, going to movies and spending time with our great-granddaughters and other family here. The only time I miss the snow is at Christmas time.
Jack and I attended his 50th class reunion [Central Catholic High School] on Aug. 19th.
Garrett has changed. I do miss some of its stores, and our school is growing larger each time we visit. It is very nice to see everyone at our class reunions.
Well Stephen I think I went overboard on my info. Please feel free to condense and correct any misspelled words [no such editing was required]. I really like the newsletter.
Take care and may God bless you.
Trudy
Let me just say “Thank you Trudy for sharing these blessings in your life with all of us, and I hope we can all see you again at the 2015 reunion.” And let me say to the rest of the class, please feel free to share your news as well. We all grew up together in the Sixties, and now that we have arrived in our 60s, it is indeed time to get know each other better!
In Closing
That’s just about all for now, except please help spread the word: share this email and help get other classmates “signed up.” Anyone wanting to be added directly to the distribution needs only email or call me [voice, not text – my phone options are set to not receive text] at 630.251.6931, and I will add them. And please share the info with classmates not using email.
If you want to share class news, a photo, etc, just send it electronically to me (along with descriptive text and your phone #). The idea is to make these bulletins interesting whether or not you want to or are able to attend the luncheons. You all out there know a lot more about what is going on than me, myself, and I, so please know that your input will be welcome!
Presently the direct email distribution includes 40 classmates, and so far 14 have elected for their email address to be shown (in alphabetical order):
Bob Bishop , Carolyn Myers Kowal, Delana Runion Kantzer, Don Campbell , Gery Barry , Jama Payton Campbell, Jim Burns , John Jinnings , Pat Casey , Paulette Swank Kobiella, Rick Elder , Ron Gall , Teresa Koehl Thorne, Vicki Miller Hodge
The others listed below are on the email distribution as well, but email addresses are hidden per the Bcc option:
Arni Placencia , Barbara Tustison Smith, Bill Fetter , Cindy Nodine DeWitt, Clyde Handshoe , Dan Yarde , Dave Ashenfelter , Dave Kobiella , Doris Sleek Jarnagin, Doug Smith , Gary Fike , Greg Weller , Jack Clark , Jeanne Hockaday McNeal, Kathy Creager VanAllen, Lisa Englehard Murphy, Marisa Kennedy , Mary Yoder Weeks, Mike Rhodes , Nancy McKee Ireland, Penny Evans Wolf, Sarah Haynes Sweitzer, Steve Tullis , Tony Janueski , Trudy Watson Boyd, Wayne Smith
If you are willing to let your email address be seen, please respond with “SHOW ADDRESS” in the subject line or in the email body.
This newsletter and most (if not all) past editions are also archived at http://ghs70news.blogspot.com/, where classmates can also post comments.
