CLASS NOTES
Margie Hord Méndez ’69 celebrates the publication of Tali: 365 Drops of Dew for Young Women.
with NMH connections: Nancy Chittim Farrand ’75, Katy Gordon Kline ’60, and Constance Bloomfield ’61. While conducting a training session for new graduates, a fellow asked Chris if she had graduated from Mt. Hermon because she had an NMH lanyard. The fellow’s father is John Aspinwall ’62 and his aunt is Sue Aspinwall ’70. Chris told Louise Rothery ’70 about all the connections, and Louise said that Chris brings small world to a whole new level. Beyond all the “small world” stuff, Chris’s brother, Andre Fleuriel ’74, married longtime partner Mark Boyd in October. • After working 30 years as a school psychologist in Connecticut, Susan Griggs retired and moved to Wenatchee, Wash., where she worked as a church planter with Latinos. Unfortunately, she was unable to build the church up so that it could be financially selfsustaining, and she had to move on. She is now a chaplain intern at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. She has two children and five grandchildren close by on Bainbridge Island, Wash., and spends much of her free time there. • Marti Hall Malabad and her husband enjoyed “a great month in England and Scotland. Hiking, sightseeing, and eating way too much good food. Wonderful experience.” • Alice Hildebrand and I connected via email when I vacationed in Bar Harbor last summer. It turns out she is married to Allen Myers ’61, brother of Tom Myers ’67, sons of my father’s second cousin, Ed Myers. Small world! Alice has worked as a chaplain at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and the Family Birth Center at Maine Medical Center since 2011. She stays in North Yarmouth and Allen remains in Brooklin, Maine, and helps care for Alice’s father, who’s healthy at age 95 but no longer driving. Perhaps next summer I will have better luck catching up with Alice and Allen. • In November, Margie Hord Méndez and three other women published a book of daily meditations for a whole year, for young women. The Spanish title could translate as Tali: 365 Drops of Dew for Young Women (Tali means “my dew” in Hebrew). She says it was a wonderful experience, under the leadership of a woman who has quite a few books under her belt, including novels. Margie and her husband still belong to a 300-person choir. • Bev
68 I NMH Magazine
From left: Lisa Fleuriel Hall, Andre Fleuriel ’74, Chris Fleuriel ’69, and Mark Boyd at Andre and Mark’s wedding
Knoll Tosi and Dave were grieving the loss of two of their dogs: one of old age and the other by accident, leaving them with a dachshund/ papillion mix that came to live with them after Bev’s mother passed away in 2012. On a happier note, she reported that a recent snack of a couple of graham crackers brought back fond remembrances of “Milk Station” in the basement of Stone Hall. Better not take more than two graham crackers, though! Bev retired from SimplexGrinnell in February 2015. Since then, they have spent a couple of days a week caring for grandsons Jack and Ben. (Ben and our granddaughter, Bri, were both born on May 10, 2012!) “They are bright, active boys, and we are enjoying this time with them,” says Bev. They are grateful for the chance to help their son and daughter-in-law. They recently purchased an office suite, which is rented to three private-practice lawyers, one of whom is son Greg, who left the public defender’s office in 2014 after 10 years. The couple has been on two Prairie Home Companion cruises, one to the Baltic Sea and another to the Caribbean. • Emelda Peters Kennerly and her husband were delighted that when their Share and Seed Academy for the Performing Arts performed The Wiz at the Ritz Theatre in Jacksonville, Fla., last summer, the 402 seats were sold out. Also, Emelda published The Magnolia Seed: From Last Child to First Lady last July. Although all of the names have been changed, it is an autobiography. • Sue Pineo Stowbridge enjoyed 50 years of updates and reminiscences with Boni Morse and Charlotte Dickey Gereige at the Orinoco Kitchen in Boston’s South End in June 2015. Charlotte still lives in Lebanon, but was visiting her daughter in Boston. Strangely enough, we did not look like we were 14 years old, and were glad we had provided identifying information. Sue also had lunch with Margaret Bixby at El El Frijoles in Sargentville, and with Louise Merriam at Tracy’s Seafood in Sullivan while on vacation in Southwest Harbor, Maine. In September, Sue and husband Marc traveled to Seattle and visited MarthaJane Tippett Peck and husband Rob at their home in Port Townsend, and also with the Pecks’ son, Jon, his wife, Ania, and daughter, Allie, in Seattle. There were lots of sights to see, fabulous restaurants, brunch
From left: Becky Shafer Tuuk ’69, Wendy Ferris Greeney ’68, and Libby Leonard Siegmund ’69 in Traverse City, Michigan
at the Space Needle, and sailing on Puget Sound. • Becky Shafer Tuuk has also caught up with some old friends. In August, Becky, Wendy Ferris Greeney ’68, and Libby Leonard Siegmund met over lunch in Traverse City, Mich. In November, she enjoyed a visit from Don and Faith Goodwin Hodgkins, who went to Michigan for a week to celebrate Beck’s father’s birthday. She says, “Even at 105, he still loves to tell jokes, reads, and plays some chess.” For the holidays, the Tuuks planned to see their daughter, who is working until the end of January 2016 at an eco-lodge on the Pacific Coast. • Sheryl Powers Kropp writes, “NMH has always held a special place in Peter’s (Kropp) and my hearts. We fell in love there for the first time — mixers, sports events, choir. During Peter’s illness over this past year, our love for our fellow classmates and NMH deepened. We received so many notes, cards, messages, visits, music, and videos to support us and show us that we were not alone in our difficult journey. After Peter left NMH, he found another passion at Boston University: early childhood education. He taught at the Ezra H. Baker Elementary School in West Dennis, Mass., for about 10 years. After he left teaching, Peter remained in contact with some students and teachers. Sadly, my best friend left us on 11/12/15. Fortunately, we were able to keep him home, and both my sons and I were with him. Hundreds were at his service, including students he taught 30 years ago and fellow teachers as well as NMH friends. His service ended with the Northfield Benediction. When our family learned that an early childhood education center for NMH faculty and staff is being built, we felt that anything we could do to support that effort would be a fitting tribute to Peter. We have asked that any friends who wish to do so, contribute to that fund in Peter’s memory. In that way, Peter will continue to make a difference for children and foster their education.” • Thanks to everyone who took the time to submit both text and photos. Whether you read this in print, via email blast, or on Facebook, best wishes. If you’re not getting the email blasts from NMH and wish to receive them, please go to nmhschool.org and make sure your information is up to date.