class notes

trip, and Nancy reports she was out of her “comfort zone” for a lot of it. It was a great family time together, and that’s what is important to her.

’66

Peggy

Marion Ryals

mryals001@sc.rr.com

Barb Symroski Mayer has swapped her job as pro bono educator in national parks for Grandkids National Parks: one in Anchorage with Eva and Aedan, and one in Hawaii with Lyra.

Bettie Anne Humphreys Mahony visited Susan King Johnson ’67 in Jackson, Mississippi, and toured Eudora Welty’s home together.

Bonnie Jo Henderson Schell, while being treated for small cell carcinoma and isolating during the COVID pandemic, collected her stories and poetry into a book entitled “Growing Up Mad in the South,” available on Amazon.

Ellen King Wiser broke her right ankle, but after two surgeries, a stint in rehab, and home PT, she is now zipping around with her walker.

Jan Gaskell Ross and Art moved from their Raleigh home of 27 years to a retirement community. Downsizing and moving were challenging, but they managed (with the help of their two children). Jan was amused to realize that their son was moving his daughter into a fifth-floor dorm room for her first year of college just as he was helping move his parents into a fifth-floor unit for their first year in a new community.

Karen Gearreald participated in a reunion of the Agnes Scott and Princeton 1966 College Bowl teams in the same Radio City studio where the teams competed. Malinda Snow participated by Zoom, as did some of the Princeton team members. From this meeting emerged the possibility of fulfilling Karen’s long-held desire to narrate audiobooks. To be continued . . . .

Libby McGeachy Mills led an intrepid group of 11 Sixty-Sixers to meet via Zoom for six sessions to discuss four contemporary works of “speculative fiction.” These literary encounters with science included Richard Powers’ “Galatea 2.2” and “Bewilderment,” along with Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” and “Klara and the Sun.” Classmates who willingly pushed themselves beyond their comfort boundaries included Alice Davidson, Betty Anne Humphrey Mahony,

Betty Rankin Rogers, Ginny Finney Bugg, Jan Gaskell Ross, Kay Roseberry McCarron, Martha Thompson, Mary Brown Bullock, Peggy Marion Ryals, Nancy Bruce Truluck and Portia Morrison

Louise Smith Nelson has consigned 2022 to the rubbish heap after breaking her pelvis first on one side and then on another, along with her hip. Idaho winters! They caused her to miss a trip to the Galápagos Islands.

Nancy Bland Norton has found a new home in Seattle, Washington, blocks from her son Matt and his wife . . . a big change from life in a small, Southern town to a bustling, Northwestern city. Already she has found a spiritual home at Seattle Unity and made new friends in the community.

Carol Davenport Wood and Tom welcomed Patty Williams Caton and Randy for a visit in their Louisiana home.

Sue Ellen Hipp Adams and several fellow Daughters of the American Revolution quilters met in Kentucky to sew together the winning blocks of the National DAR America 250 quilt contest, in which each state made a quilt block representing its state during the period of the founding of America. The America 250 quilt is to hang in the DAR headquarters in Washington D.C. Sue Ellen has also been appointed as the American Heritage Committee National Vice Chair for Music for the first three years of the new DAR administration.

Suzanne Scoggins Barnhill has been program chair of the Tuesday Book Review & Lecture Series at the Fairhope Public Library since 1993. This year, her review was “A Cook’s Tour of Britain” with Albert Smith’s and Rex Harrison’s (fake service dog) superior sense of smell, which usually solves the case, even though Albert gets the credit. Suzanne tried to give a sense of the humor even though she was focusing on the foods.

’67

Avary Hack Doubleday

Margaret “Marty” Ryan Clayton moved into a new concrete (Insulated Concrete Forms) home on Pensacola Beach last year, and her wonderful builder’s assistant was so helpful that Marty took her to Carnevale in Venice, Italy, this February. Marty shared a photo from her last trip there in 2017. She now intends to travel as often as possible since “travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer!”

In October, Anne Divine did something she had wanted to do since she was about 10 years old: She went to Egypt. With one of her sisters and her husband, she took a Road Scholars trip, and it was wonderful, fulfilling her expectations: the pyramids, the Sphinx, the cruise on the Nile, the Rameses statues. And she rode a camel!

Avary Hack Doubleday and her husband, Gerry, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in a restaurant overlooking the Colosseum in Rome and then joined The Grand Gourmet Tour of Sicily, sponsored by Center for Life Enrichment in Highlands, North Carolina. Many of the delicious meals were at wineries, where they were accompanied by tasty Sicilian wines.

Ellen Wood Hall spent Christmas in Santa Monica, California, with her two sons, Jason and Clinton; her daughter-in-law, Rebecca; and grandchildren, Teddy (8) and Georgia (5). It was a special time for them.

Susan Stevens Hitchcock’s great-grandson, Silas, turned a year old in September; she and Garland enjoyed two cruises and several short trips; she co chaired the Agnes Scott College Outstanding Alumnae Awards Committee in November; and she published five Next Generation SHEro interviews and profiles, including two with Agnes Scott alums! All the recent SHEro profiles are available on the Turknett Leadership Group website under Women in Leadership. Susan and Garland began 2023 with a winter “getaway” in late January-early February (Caribbean cruise), and she started a new interview/profile series called Everyday SHEroes — inspiring women who live and work with purpose and passion.

Bettie Anne Humphreys Mahony ’66 from El Dorado, Arkansas, and her friend Gay Bechtelheimer, a watercolor artist, visited Susan King Johnson in Jackson, Mississippi, for a long-overdue catchup. They toured the Eudora Welty House and dropped in at the Research Club to hear a presentation, “Witchcraft, Urban Legends, Conspiracy Theories, and Folklore of the Pandemic,” given by Susan’s friend, Jo Anne Prichard Morris.

Elizabeth “Cookie” Johnson Kohn and her husband will be great-grandparents of a little girl in June. After the happy event, she will travel to Italy with two granddaughters, aged 17 and 19, and meet her husband in Trieste.

It is well-known that many Scotties marry guys who graduated from Georgia Tech. Last March, Leslie Campbell Sutherland married just such a man, John C. Sutherland, Georgia Tech ’62, ’64, ’67. John was getting his doctorate when we were freshmen. He moved to Augusta several years ago and is the dean of the College of Science and Math at Augusta University; he and Leslie met at an AU Foundation event. She sent a photo from a Mardi Gras event.

’68 Betty Derrick

bderrick1968@att.net

Pat Bell Miller; her daughter, Alison; and granddaughter, Ella, spent a week in Grand Cayman in August celebrating Ella’s 10th birthday. One of their favorite activities was swimming with the stingrays. Now, grandson Aubrey’s 10th birthday is approaching, and he wants equal treatment!

The blessing in Gué Pardue Hudson’s life is that Will, her oldest son, gave John, her youngest son, a kidney. Both are doing well. She hopes all will choose to be organ donors on their driver’s licenses!

Ann Glendinning, Gué Pardue Hudson and Mary K. Owen Jarboe joined former Presidents of Agnes Scott Mary Brown Bullock and Elizabeth Kiss to name an office in Agnes Scott Hall in honor of Lea Ann Grimes Hudson ’76, associate vice president and secretary of the board. The surprise event honored Lea Ann for her more than 40 years of devoted service to the college and occurred on Jan. 30.

Chee Kludt Ricketts has been able to honor the life of her father, Karl Vernon Kludt, a Marine aviator shot down in South Korea in 1950. Chee had just turned 4. In July 2022, Chee; her daughter, Michelle Evans; and her husband, Travis, attended the unveiling of the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. In November, Michelle, Travis and Chee traveled to Hawaii to locate her father’s name in the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Jan Burroughs Loftis and Lucie Barron

Eggleston, roommates junior year, had a longoverdue reunion at Lucie and Bob’s home on Edisto Island in September 2022.

Lucy Hamilton Lewis and grandson Henry had some Christmas fun and great adventures in NYC — not the least of which was getting to stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue, which was closed off to vehicular traffic one Sunday afternoon!

2022 was a challenging year for Allyn Smoak Bruce, as she lost her husband, Mike, on Valentine’s Day. A fall caused a torn rotator cuff and surgery. Redeeming the year was the birth of her second granddaughter, Lily Carolyn Bruce, in September.

A.J. Bell Churchman and Charlie’s daughter, Sarah Catherine Churchman, received a master’s in digital media from Georgia Tech in May. Sarah received a $500 cash award for having the best master’s project in her department. She has moved back to Alabama and started her own one-person company called Churchman Creative.

Travel plans in October brought Vicky Plowden Craig close to Atlanta, and she was able to visit and lunch with Jo Callaway. Jo is now living at Rockdale Healthcare Center. Vicky had shoulder replacement surgery after Christmas and is doing physical therapy diligently.

Just before the pandemic, Eleanor McCallie Cooper enjoyed a trip to Japan with her daughter. Eleanor loves indigo and white fabrics and has made several quilts from Japanese fabrics. She also enjoys arranging flowers in the Japanese style, ikebana.

Members of the class gathered on Dec. 13, 2023, at the home of Kathy Blee Ashe to enjoy festive Christmas decorations and plan their 55th reunion in May.

Susan Aikman Miles and Shelton are thoroughly enjoying life at Presbyterian Village. Their house is perfect, and Susan has joined a committee in the community. Moving here was one of the best decisions ever.

’69

Lalla Griffis Mangin lallamangin1@gmail.com

Mary Anne Murphy Hornbuckle mahornbu@charter.net

Margaret “Peg” Barnes Carter, following the death of her husband, is residing in an assisted living facility near her daughter, Janet, in McLean, Virginia.

Minnie Bob Campbell noted that Dr. Penny Campbell, one of the last living professors of our era at Agnes Scott, passed away at age 88 on Jan. 15, 2023.

Sandra Earley, with her husband, Phelps Hawkins, is about to begin her fifth year of retirement from the practice of journalism (him, network TV; her, various publications) and teaching journalism, first in Bulgaria and then at an Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in Savannah, now home. Recent months have been devoted to the search for a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) like their mothers lived in. At the top of their list currently are places in Stone Mountain, Asheville and Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. Their major requirement? Good conversation. Their only child, Bradshaw, prospers in Dallas, where he practices law. He and his wife, Charity, have four children, ranging in age from 7 to 17. All play lacrosse, and their weekends are filled with sports travel. They love seeing the children play when tournaments come to the East Coast.

Anna (Eliza) Stockman has had an eventful year. She lost her older brother, Jim, last year, and on the way home from the funeral, she was in a severe one-car accident, hitting a tree. She has spent a lot of time in various health care facilities recovering from her injuries. Due to the kindness of family and friends, she has been able to stay in her home with her beloved pets. With a positive attitude, Eliza looks forward to spending time with her Agnes Scott roommates, Mary Garlington Trefry and Flora Rogers Galloway, on their yearly reunion/adventure. She mentions that she enjoyed a recent lunch with Nancy Sowell Williams and Marion Hinson Mitchell

Marion Hinson Mitchell and Carol Blessing Ray, class of 1969 fund chairs, are looking ahead to our 55th reunion. The college’s tentative dates for 2024 Alumnae Weekend are May 17-19, 2024; Alumnae Weekend is now the weekend after Commencement. Marion and Carol want our class to once again win the trophy for the highest percentage of Fideles members. Fideles membership is based on three consecutive years of giving to Agnes Scott. If you gave last year, please give before June 30, 2023, for this fiscal year and then again before May 2024 for the next fiscal year. THANK YOU to all who have already donated for this fiscal year. Any gift of any size in any year is crucial to the success of Agnes Scott.

’70

Janet Pfohl Brooks

JBrooks48@aol.com

Cathy Vogel and her husband enjoyed a postChristmas holiday in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and enjoyed having lunch with Sharon Elliot ’00 and her husband.

Linda Gibson Wages writes that while 2022 was not an easy year for her family with the death of her daughter’s partner and several medical issues for her, she and Dan have been able to continue to camp often and had two great trips with other family members, introducing them to the natural wonders of the area we live in, including a lot of national parks.

In January, Christine Cope Pence spent time in India and UAE on a photographic trip, her first major international trip post-COVID. She was able to meet with an international community of photographers in each place and traveled with two excellent female photographers.

Hollister Knowlton writes that she and Nat FitzSimons Anderson, Susan Ketchin, Mary Margaret MacMillan, Judy Mauldin Beggs, Ruth Hyatt Heffron, Betsy Sowers and Deborah Kennedy Williams (former cottage mates) are still meeting via Zoom twice a month. She and Nat Anderson drove from Philadelphia to Belfast, Maine, for Thanksgiving with Ruth Heffron and her husband, John, where they also met up with Betsy Sowers to visit the Falmouth Art Museum in Rockland.

Talissa McCormick is living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and “thought it might be good to hear from those on the road less traveled.”

Janet Pfohl Brooks and her husband recently returned from a trip to Antarctica, her seventh continent, where they were able to kayak, go on a submarine excursion and make several landings to walk among thousands of penguins. ’71

Cindy Ashworth Kesler

cindyk315@gmail.com

Sarah Ruffing Robbins welcomed her third grandchild, Charles Pryce Davis, in late December. Baby’s mom, Patty Robbins, is on leave from her work as an attorney for DoorDash, and Patty’s sister, Margaret, teaches at Mount Vernon School in Atlanta. Sarah still teaches in the English department at Texas Christian University.

Grace Pierce Quinn is happy to be in “Nanaville” since her daughter Lauren and husband, Harrison Hudgins, had their first child. Everett Quinn Hudgins was born on Jan. 8, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces and 20 inches long. Luckily, new grandson and parents live close by.

Joann Spencer Siegrist, professor emerita, West Virginia University, winters with her husband, Frederick, in Naples, Florida. She was recently highlighted in the Fall 2022 issue of The Forum, National Mortar Board magazine, for her USA and International Puppetry and Theatre Education work spanning over 40 years. She has her own company now, PUPPETATIONS, which specializes in literacy shows.

Lynn White Montanari lives in Connecticut but enjoyed spending Christmas in South Carolina, catching up with family in Spartanburg and Charleston. If you are in Charleston, she recommends her nephew’s wonderful wine shop, GRAFT. Stop by and tell him his Aunt Lynn sent you!

Carolyn Nodell Glasgow happily announces two new grandchildren. Cooper Mac Attayek was born in January in Durham, North Carolina, and Juniper Wren Glasgow was born in October in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

’72

Anne Kemble Collins annekcollins@gmail.com

Louise Röska-Hardy sent news of the birth of her daughter Susanne’s third child, a son, in Huntsville, Alabama. Louise is now the proud grandma of six grandchildren, three of whom live in Germany. Louise continues to teach one or two graduate courses at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. She is a researcher at Essen’s Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities, has worked with two colleagues to organize a recent conference on neurasthenics and periodically speaks with several Agnes Scott College classmates about her special interest in the experience of “awe,” which involves a frisson or physical response to art or music.

Louise says that most of her research and writing focuses on the relationship between neuroscience and the humanities. She regrets having missed the