alumnae Connection
alumnae Connection 2005
The Crook 1978
Jennifer Burns Thompson, a daughter, Haley Renee, 5/18/11. Christi Roberson Coiner, a son, John Timothy Coiner, III “Tripp”, 9/15/11. Katie Fuller Dohrman, a son, Quinn Cirilo, 1/2/12. Ava Leigh Jackson, a son, Timothy Lee Naylor, II, 9/30/11. Alli Lawson Moore, a son, Lawson Wrenn, 8/10/11. Anna Kustra Morgan, a daughter, Emerson Ann, 1/4/12.
2006 Kristina McLamb Wilser, a daughter, Samara Kenlee, 2/18/2011.
2007 Caroline Medlin Schmidt, a daughter, Morgan Elizabeth, 2/3/12.
DEATHS
The Crook 2011 MARRIAGES
Laura Williams to Matthew Cosner, 12/31/12.
1984
2009
Valerre Wurst Aquitaine to Spencer Hoffman, 5/26/11.
Brittany Jones to Jeremy Flake, 7/21/11.
1997
Kellie Deaton to Marshall Chaney, 9/10/11. Maggie Hart to Jonathan Behrooz, 10/22/11. Meredith Moore to Seth Moody, 10/22/11.
Amy Fisher to Erik Wahus, 1/13/12.
2001 Ashley Nance to Ricardo Navarro, 6/5/08.
2002 Abbie Sirrine to Jeremy Stoner, 7/17/10.
2003 Sallie Hedrick to Nicholas Bowman, 7/2/11. Erin Taylor to Erik Rice, 9/3/12.
2004 Natalie Ellington to Kevin Long, 1/13/12. Kristin Siha to Marc Tillett, 5/5/11. Katherine Ward to Owen Fitzsimons Brice, Jr., 6/18/11.
2005 Taylor Newberry to Jeffrey Elliott, 5/21/11. Whitney Gower to Danny Richard Clayton, Jr., 11/5/11. Jess Klein to William Horner, 10/1/11.
2006 Jane Watkins Langford to Sarah Elizabeth Lay, 10/2/11. Kristina McLamb to Alan Wilser, 7/19/08.
2007
2010
BIRTHS 1995 Holly Lennon Wilford, a daughter, Sloane Elizabeth, 10/20/11.
1996 Julie Currin Harris, a daughter, Chloe Elizabeth, 7/13/11. Shauna March King, a daughter, Anna Margaret, 11/25/11.
1997 Kimberly Parker McHose, a daughter, Audrey Katherine , 7/11/11.
1998 Elizabeth Briggs Drummond, a son, Thomas Patrick, 8/26/11. Jessica Smith Elliot, a daughter, Caroline Elizabeth, 3/ 11/11.
1999 Anna Taylor Freeman, two daughters, Anna Ricks and Lucy Fuller, 10/12/11.
Amber Caudle to Jonathan Beckwith, 10/15/11.
2000
2008
Amber Pittman Barnes, a daughter, Caroline Emerson, 1/20/11. Maridith Kenna Fitts, a daughter,
Nicole McGuinness to Matthew Hines, 11/5/11. 30
/ Mered ith Ma ga zi ne / S pr i ng 2 0 12
Cailyn Lea, 1/31/11. Melissa McGee Meyer, a daughter, Elsbeth Louise, 01/15/11. Amy Turner Perry, a son, William “Will” Cooper, 8/15/11.
2001
1931 Lula McGougan Mallard, 11/11/11.
1933 Lois Sawyer Pritchard, 12/12/11. Martha Castlebury Shaw, 9/10/11.
1934 Ella Lee Yates Arledge, 2/1/12.
Kristen Monaco Johnson, a son, Chase, 4/9/11. Rachel Tidwell Walker, a daughter, Charlotte Anna, 11/5/11.
1936
2002
Pauline “Pinkie” Davis Perry, 12/28/11.
Annette Snyder Deese, a son, Jeremiah Matthew, 1/11/12. Katie Vreeland Locklear, a son, Cannon Martin, 9/12/11. Suzanne Parker Miller, a son, Elijah Glenn, 11/19/11. Abbie Sirrine Stoner, a son, August Grey Thomas, 10/7/11. Katie Creech Yarbrough, a daughter, Amelia Rose, 8/13/11.
2003 Lindsay Sutton Beavers, a daughter, Madeline McNeel on 5/19/11. Abbey Nelson Clayton, a daughter, Harper Lily, 8/21/11. Lauren Strawbridge Cookson, a daughter, Keira Raye, 1/21/10 and daughter, Lucy Macon, 8/23/11. Cecile Robinson Herman, a daughter, Maggie, 12/6/10. Kendall Byrum Hussey, a daughter, Laura Gray, 4/25/11. Jennifer Carter Short, a daughter, Isabella Claire, 12/6/09 and a son, Tristan Carter, 9/4/11.
2004 Jackie Cash Cook, a son, Noah Alexander, 10/15/11. Elizabeth Bell Hunter, a daughter, Carmie Elizabeth, 9/21/11. Paige Kemmerer Kiser, a daughter, Meredith Avery, 9/24/11. Sarah Melody Olson, a daughter, Sophia Elizabeth McCoin, 12/14/11. Allison Koos Rash, a daughter, Stella Marie, 8/19/11.
Ida Warren Flax, 9/26/11.
1937 1939 Relieu Baucom Cratch, 11/6/11. Betty Lyon Veach, 10/18/11.
1940 Madge Glazener Cooke, 9/14/11. Eva Cotner Wilson, 12/25/11.
1941 Huldah Hall Berryhill, 11/22/11. Louise Combs Wall, 1/11/12.
1942 Mary Cooke “T. Cooke” Williford, 1/20/12.
1943 Geraldine Couch Mayer, 10/12/11.
1944 Mary Parrott Warren, 1/11/12.
1945 Priscilla Claire Nance Abee, 5/7/11.
1946 Peggy Haywood Gregory Jones, 10/30/11. Betsy Holt Pierce, 2/28/11.
Author Jenny Hubbard, ’87, Traded Teaching for Writing By Katrina Kempney, ’11
A
uthor and Meredith alumna Jennifer Hubbard, ’87, taught high school and college English for almost two decades before leaving to pursue a writing career in 2005. “I’d taught for 17 years and was pretty tired of grading bad essays,” says Hubbard, who writes under the name Jenny Hubbard. Teaching teenagers helped her when she decided to write young adult fiction. “They can sniff out dishonesty−in a person or in a piece of writing−in three seconds flat. I enjoy the challenge of honoring the authenticity of a teenager’s life,” she said. Her first novel, “Paper Covers Rock,” was influenced by her classroom experiences. In the novel, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, suspects there’s more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex’s writing for class. For Hubbard, the writing process is one of diligence. “Writing is something I have to do, like exercise,” she says. It is the revision process that involves the most work but creates the most rewarding end result. “The first draft is always a beginning−never an end,” she said. “Complete a draft, put it aside for a few days, then re-read and mark Jennifer Hubbard, ’87 it up with your fresh insights and suggestions.” Hubbard, who majored in English and minored in theatre at Meredith, has many fond memories of her college years. “For me, Meredith was about friends, but it is my professors most of all to whom I am grateful for taking a genuine interest in who I was and who I hoped to be,” she said. Some of her favorite times at Meredith included diagramming sentences with Dr. Garry Walton and spending time with Dr. John Creagh. “(Creagh’s) generosity of time and spirit…I took up way too many precious hours in his office talking about literature and theatre and life.” When not working on writing novels, Hubbard also writes plays and pursues acting in Charlotte, N.C. She currently serves as managing director for the St. Thomas Players. Hubbard’s second novel is underway, with the working title “Exit, Little Sister,” due out in 2012.
M eredith Ma ga zine / Spring 2012 /
31