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G at h e r e d & w r it t e n by cl a ss R e pr e se n tat i v e s
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S u sa n A l l e n M o r a n o ’69, Awa r d W i n n e r
The 2012 Coker College Alumni Weekend was held April 13-14 with 158 alumni in attendance representing the classes of 1946-2011 joined by faculty, staff and friends of the College. Festivities began on Friday night with the reunion class dinners. On Saturday, alumni participated in class meetings, attended the general session and the presentation of the 2012 alumni awards and gathered for a luncheon in the Susanne G. Linville Dining Hall. During the general session on Saturday, the class gifts totaling over $19,400 were presented to President Robert Wyatt from the reunion classes of 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1977. Alumni Association awards were presented during the General Session to the following recipients: Susan Allen Morano ’69 – 2012 Distinguished Achievement Award Gloria Mack Bell ’74 – 2012 Distinguished Service Award
Class reps needed for: 1937, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1958, 1967, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. If you are interested, please call the alumni office at 1-800-65-COKER (26537) or 843-3838062.
1938
Florence Houck Steele
Post Office Box 69 Davis Station, SC 29041 803-478-8783 | 803-460-7877 cell phone
1939
Lisa Miller Sneed ’98 Mary Constance [Connie] Bell ’93 EV 104 Cooper River Road Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 843-650-4791 | CokerGrad@aol.com Dear Class of 1939: I must begin this, my first column as your class representative, with a hearty “thank you” for allowing me to serve in this capacity. I have thoroughly enjoyed chatting with some of you on the phone. I vow to do my very best to reacquaint you with your classmates as I share with you our conversations and letters. Again, thank you, for permitting me to be your class representative. A special thanks, also, to Marjorie Brunk Nettles, ’40 who gave me the new phone number for Octavia “Ta” Moses Mahon. Just a few months ago, Ta moved from her home in Sumter to Covenant Place of Sumter where Margie lives. The two have been friends for many years, and now they are also luncheon companions. Ta says that she lives in a very lovely place and takes it “one
day at a time”. She used to be extremely active but now pushes a walker. Ta has four children: a son in Columbia, a daughter in Blue Ridge, GA, another daughter that shares her time between Pawleys Island and Summerville, and another son in Spartanburg. She tells me that her children and grandchildren are very attentive to her. She is also very fortunate to have a nephew in Sumter (a surgeon who operated on her leg last week) that checks on her and takes care of her. Within the past year, Ta talked to one of your classmates, Jeanne Anderson McLain who lives in Columbia. I had a lovely chat with Eloise Hayes Smith. She still lives in her home in Latta, does pretty well, drives a little, and just celebrated her 94th birthday. Being the baby of a rather large family, she said the celebration seemed to last a month. She has a daughter next door and a son here at the beach. She maintains that her children are very, very good to her. By the way, her son is my optometrist. Eloise’s last trip to Coker College was in 1999 when she celebrated her 60th class reunion. She recalled the wonderful time that she, Janet Langston Jones, and Edna Johnson Kirkegard had. She truly did not want the events to end. The news of Helen Montague James comes to us via Ta Mahon. The two attend the same church and circle meetings. Helen still lives in her home and is as bright as can be. Her children and grandchildren are very good to her, and she loves to go to Edisto Beach with them. About a year ago, Eloise Hayes Smith talked with classmate Helen Moore Beam. Helen lives in Roanoke, VA, and she has a home right here in Myrtle Beach as well. She promised to call Eloise next time she came down to the beach. Several times I have called Janet Langston Jones,
but she is never home. But I don’t give up very easily, and I will eventually reach her. A math major, Eloise Hayes Smith told me that she enjoyed her years at Coker. She married in 1941 and found herself to be not only a teacher, but a military wife as well. In her words, “Wherever he was stationed, I taught school – NC, SC, FL, and VA.” She continued teaching school for thirty (30) years. After retirement, the Smith’s traveled extensively visiting all of the lower 48 states. Her husband did not care to visit Alaska or Hawaii. After he passed way, she received an invitation to a wedding in Alaska. I can’t think of anything that would have kept her from going, and off she went having a marvelous time. Then, about five years ago, she received an invitation to visit her son’s former college roommate who returned to his native Hawaii after school. Again, a team of horses could not have held her back. After three glorious weeks in the Aloha state, she arrived back home with her mission accomplished – a visit to all of these United States. Twice a year (Thanksgiving and Mothers’ Day) the Smith family gets together, and Eloise is so looking forward to the upcoming Mothers’ Day celebration. And to all of you who are mothers, a very happy Mothers’ Day to each of you. Please write or call me with any news, address or phone number updates, or just a “hello”. Your classmates would simply love to hear from you. Again, a great big “thanks” for allowing me to serve as your class representative. And don’t forget to tell someone that you love them! Cordially, Connie
G l o r i a Mac k B e l l ’74, Awa r d W i n n e r
A l u m n i Day 2012