63
NMH
DIANE SEWALL CHAISSON 25 Williams St N Grafton MA 01536-1237 diane@meadowlarks-farm.net WILLARD THOMEN 417 Nicholson St Joliet IL 60435-7043 wthomen@stfrancis.edu
From Diane: A simple Christmas note remembering our ’62 vespers brought an amazing response. I can’t cover it all here, but one of the earliest came from Wendy French Palm. “Carole Larson Pratt and I were remembering that amazing moment. It was mystical, marching out of the warm, candle-lit chapel after singing our hearts and souls out, to a raging blizzard with lightning and thunder. Al Raymond instilled a lifelong love of choral music in all of us.” Carol Fishman Czaja wrote: “It’s so special sharing the memory of that night at Christmas Vespers with others who were there. Although I, too, have told family and friends about the power of the thunder and the magic of the snowfall, no one really understands how we all felt that night.” Margaret Martin Marcus sent along a favorite quote from her father that covers the whole Christmas ’10 experience, “Never a Christmas morning, never an old year ends, But someone thinks of someone, old days, old times, old friends.” Many more like that culminated in Mardi Coyle Kildebeck producing CDs of the concert and sending them to about 45 of our classmates. Her only request was that those who received the CD make a donation to NMH for our class gift. The rest of the class will get a vespers CD in ’12. She has also taken on the project of remastering and making CDs of Sacred Concert for reunion. Karen Eldred Stephan (one of the soloists) wrote about vespers: “What a wonderful Christmas present to hear all your ‘voices’. There is not a Christmas that goes by that I don’t think about that vespers in ’62. And I, too, get all teary when I remember Mr Raymond (‘rise and keep on rising’—and to the Mt Hermon singers—‘look at the girls, they’re not flat.’). We often do Christmas concerts here in Germany, and we always end with ‘Silent Night’ (‘Stille Nacht’). We begin with the 1st verse in German from my husband, then I sing a verse in English, and then we invite all to sing with us the 2nd German verse, and I sing the descant. It blows everybody away. They love it. I do, too.” To catch up on Karen’s info, she and husband Erwin have moved to a little farm in Waldmühlen north of Frankfurt. Both she and Erwin have had some health issues in the last 2 years, but continue to sing and teach. She was recovering from pneumonia around Easter. They are scheduled for an opera gala in June and an operetta evening in Herrnsheim in Aug. Katie Steinmetz Dater’s end of year news included much travel to places far and wide visiting family and friends in GA, VT, CT, WI, AZ, and FL.
This year featured a 4th grandchild. She was also back in VT to help with sugaring off in Mar ’11. Lucille Howell Sansing is retiring from Argosy U and will be enjoying time with grandson Oliver. Candace Kent continues to downsize and hopes to move within a year. She was very happy that her Northfield records, yearbook, and other memorabilia were welcome in the NMH Archives. Sally Magoon Chamberlain is still subbing in Portland Public Schools. Their 6 kids are mostly well and employed, and they have 7 healthy grandchildren. Sally’s husband continues to rebuild player pianos. They both volunteer in their ward and temple. Sally sent along pictures of our years together for sharing at reunion. Elise Elderkin writes: “It’s been really great to read everyone’s reminiscences and to realize that, no matter how good a time we had at Northfield, or not, we had this great solid traditional foundation, which will never leave us and which, willy-nilly, we share. And I, for one, am really thankful for it.” Kathy Shordt’s daughter (20) just returned from a few months in Costa Rica, learning Spanish and doing volunteer work. She is taking a year off before entering college in the Netherlands. Kathy has gone back to work part time, and enjoys it a lot. She said they would be in Bangladesh for most of Jan. By Jan the emails transitioned from vespers to memories of teachers and their influences on our development as people and professionals. Heidi Herrick Davis provided many funny memories of her experiences in East Hall. Several mentioned memories around the election of JFK. Renee Warnock Cowenhoven sent a piece, “Frozen in Time,” about her early memories as well. Spring ’11 found stories of dummy assignments to share. Margery Attwater Mosher has offered to make a book of all these emails to share at reunion. Carol Tyler Kirk writes: “All packed for a move to Huntsville AL. I haven’t made it to any of the reunions. A 20-plus-year career in the Army generally had me far, far away. And then life was just too hectic for a while. Perhaps ’13 will be the year that I finally make it back there. I did visit the campus some 15 years ago, and it was as lovely as I remembered.” Wyndie Estes Eberle is recovering from a total hip replacement. Thank heaven for Medicare. Carol Larson Pratt hopes to attend reunion. She’s been reading the funny stuff written in her yearbook. “This wild child taught physics after college. I have a wonderful family that I love, and the grands keep me on my toes. Retirement has been terrific—started early at 58. Somehow I will get to the lower 40 in 6/13 (from AK).” Lynn Dow Drinkard was a psychologist working at the state psychiatric hospital, but 2 years ago moved to the home-based primary care program for the Veterans Admin. She is part of a medical team that provides services for home-bound veterans in ME. “It’s a great job and I don’t plan to retire for several more years. Sometimes I feel I would like some more free time, but mostly I’m still happy getting up at 6 every day.” Barbara Wilson Daunheimer writes that her
son and his family moved to New Zealand in Apr. Craig’s an audiologist, and apparently, they really need them there. “I’m excited for them, but I’m a little sad for me, as it seems like another loss so soon after losing Ed. On the upside, I may get to visit New Zealand. It was so great hearing from so many classmates earlier in the year.” In May Carol Waaser wrote: “Currently cycling thru Italy, following Garibaldi’s route from Marsala, Sicily, all the way to Turin—1,400 miles in 4 weeks.” Lydia Adams Davis has a new CD. You can check out clips at www.oneearthsogreenandround. com. She has a new car and is singing, gigging, and helping seniors. She recently talked with Jean Blackburn, who is considering coming to reunion. I know some of you are technophobic or Facebook averse, but if you are on Facebook you should join the Facebook Group NMH1963 at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38206648730. For those who don’t join, make sure I have your email so you will get email announcements. Also, with your email you will be tuned in to the sharing that has been coming along since last Dec. It has been fun to hear from so many of you. From Willard: Thanks to the responses to my recent request for news, I have the following to report. Holt “Beau” Anderson continues working more than full time on moving the health-care industry to electronic health records and secure exchange, so everyone will receive informed care at the point of clinical decision making. Holt is working with a nonprofit, collaborative organization established in ’94 in NC and is the vice chair of the coordinating committee for the Nationwide Health Information Network. “Really looking forward to the 50th in ’13 as part of the most disruptive class in NMH history (offenders know who you are).” Pete Conklin is looking forward to the 50th. So is Peter Jenks. Back in Dec, Lloyd Jones wrote that he and Anne are busy with their highly productive vegetable gardens and orchards in ME (summers) and FL (winters). In Mar, they went on a 2-week cruise to the southern Caribbean aboard Celebrity’s Constellation. Ricker Winsor and wife Yien Liang Kwee “Jovita” moved in Aug from VT to Trinidad, Tobago, where Rick is teaching studio art at the International School of Port of Spain. The school has a diverse student body. He and Jovita will be back in Indonesia visiting family and friends in the summer of ’12. His last Upper Valley VT art show was held last Memorial Day weekend, and his last concerts playing mostly delta blues on his guitar and singing were in Grantham and Haverhill NH in May and July. On a recent visit back to NMH, Rick observed that the new art center is “the best I have ever seen on the secondary level—really wonderful and the campus looks more beautiful than ever.” Rob Liotard and wife Marcia continue to enjoy retirement in VT “despite the recent recordsetting rain.” Recently they had lunch with Richer Winsor and his new wife in Burlington. They have been enjoying CDs of his performances and the
Fall | 2011 CLASS NOTES 67