Wallace Brown and sold at the bookstore. Sunday morning we ended Reunion with a memorial service in the chapel. Our classmates who passed away this past year were remembered: Winifred Collins Brister, Edith Marsh Fonda, Mary Gesler Hanson, Suzanne Bassewitz Mentzinger and Catherine Coxe Page. Shortly after Reunion, we heard the sad news that Donna Reese Godwin had died in Jackson, Miss., on 6/08. Other news: Kate Shaw Minton has moved from her home of 54 years to 122 Palmers Hill Rd., Stamford, CT 06902. Joanie Patton and Ginger Dreyfus Karren met for lunch in N.Y.C. with Suzanne Bassewitz Mentzinger a few months before her death. Nell Dumas Herff regretted missing Reunion, but her grandson was being married on their ranch. Martha Legg Kates and Bill cited health issues holding them down, but said they’re taking care of each other. They were able to get to Fla. with family (15 of them in all) to see sister Sallie (SBC ’49) shortly before she died. Lillian Thu Pham sent regrets, but had a granddaughter graduating from law school. Nancy Morrow Lovell visited her after Reunion in Washington, D.C. Kier Henley Donaldson also had a granddaughter graduating from college. She’s still active with the Pawling, N.Y. Concert Series, selecting artists and doing promotions. She has 2 sons, 2 granddaughters, works out, reads and plays bridge. Ann Hoagland Plumb Kelsey went on a cruise through the Panama Canal, then flew to Boulder, Colo. for Jack’s grandson’s graduation from U. Colo. Granddaughter Sarah Plumb graduated from Dartmouth. Polly Plumb deButts had surgery this year, which kept her down. Benita Phinizy Johnson spent Christmas in N.C. with her sons. Mary Lois Miller’s husband High has been having health problems. Carroll Morgan Legge has moved to Blakehurst Community, 1055 Joppa Rd. Apt #206, Towson, MD 21204. She has 3 married daughters and 8 grandchildren—4 boys, 4 girls. She still plays golf and bridge, takes art, writing and other courses. She tells us that Louise Warfield Stump hasn’t been well. She also is in touch with Marianne Vorys Minister, who has sold her decorator business and moved to a retirement community in Columbus. I also heard that Peggy Nelson Harding lost her husband Nort, and that she had been ill. Pat Layne Winks and Henry had a trip to Paris. I see Betsy Wilder Cady from time to time. Betsy told me that she saw a film about Harvey Milk in which our classmate Sally Gearhart plays a big part. Coincidentally, I just learned that one of Sally’s former drama students in Texas in 1963, Carla Blumberg, has endowed $1.2 million to U. Ore. for the Sally Miller Gearhart Chair of Lesbian Studies. Sally had already donated her papers there. Carla said, “I wanted to honor Sally because she is one of the bravest women with the most integrity of anyone I have ever met.” Nancy Laemmel Hartmann and Bruce are still in Nashville and enjoying the grandchildren. Dick and I are still in our farmhouse. I still ride, but gave up dressage judging. I went to Dallas in June to my granddaughter Julia’s Bat Mitzvah. Diana and Ethan, Julia and Emmett were here several times over the summer. The rest of the family isn’t too far.
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Joanne mentioned that her reunion report to Marion “Shug” Graves was returned from her last Lexington, Ky. address. Do any of you know about her? The alumnae office has quite a list of our classmates classified as “lost” or “no mail.” Any help in locating those folks would be welcome. Please send me your news for the next issue. I wish I had known all of you better when we were students, but I am trying to make up for it now!
1953
Florence Pye Apy 67 Rivers Edge Dr. Little Silver, NJ 07739 floapy@verizon.net
Shortly after submitting the last class notes, Edie Norman reported that Shirley Rankin Dumesnil’s husband, Ed, died on 1/29/12 of leukemia. Edie expressed her condolences at a later date at lunch with Shirley. Edie also reported that Jane Dawson Mudwilder of Anchorage, Ky., died on 5/18/12. Jane was a retired realtor. Her husband Robert predeceased her. She was survived by 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Caroline Miller Ewing attended the viewing. Our class extends sympathy to both families. Our sympathy also goes to the family of Louise Somerville Krotzer, who died in Philadelphia, Pa., on 11/10/2008. She was survived by her husband, Henry, 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren. I spoke with Louise several months before she died. She had completed her freshman year at Sweet Briar. June Arata Pickett’s husband Bob died on 5/8/12. C. J. and Katzy Bailey Nager attended the funeral. June and Bob’s son had already made plans before Bob’s death to move to Vero Beach to be near June and Bob. Again, our sympathy to June and her family. Happier news: Jack and Kirk Tucker Clarkson celebrated the 60th anniversary of her Junior Year in France with her Paris roommate. She saw all the members of her French family and stayed in a country home near Tours with the son of the lady with whom she had lived. This was followed by a trip to England to visit her World War II pen pal. Caroline Miller Ewing wrote that she had moved to a “smaller place.” She added that the skills in theater and set design she learned as a member of Paints and Patches have helped her in “downsizing.” She takes joy in having her granddaughter matriculate at Georgetown U., husband Bud’s alma mater. Nan Locke Rosa and Frank are looking into a Panama Canal cruise to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary. For Nan’s 80th birthday her daughter, son-in-law and husband feted her with a surprise party for 30 friends and family members. Polly Sloan Shoemaker and Jimmy and Betty Behlen Stone spent a weekend in April with Jack and Kirk at their Fla. home. Kirk also sees Eleanor Johnson Ashby and Katty Turner Mears frequently. In May the last 2 of the Clarkson’s 4 grandchildren graduated from college, Jack III from Ole Miss and Tucker from U. of Ga. The Apys expect the last of their 10 grandchildren to graduate in 2033 on a date which may conflict with our 80th reunion! In the meantime we enjoyed a mini-reunion with Princeton’s Class of ’54, which took us to Portugal and Spain via the
Douro River. Hope to see all of you in May at our 60th Reunion (May 31-June 2).
1954
Bruce Watts Krucke 7352 Toogoodoo Rd. Yonges Island, SC 29449 bwkrucke@gmail.com
Our sympathies and condolences go to the families of classmates who have passed away recently. We can be proud of their lives of service. We lost our May Queen, Fran Reese Peale, last March and Nancy Maury Miller in July. It’s a shame that the first we’ve ever heard about Louise Skinner McLaughlin is that she has died. Full obituaries for these classmates can be read in the online version of the notes located on the alumnae website. Sally Gammon Plummer had a family reunion in July. She rented a cabin near Bozeman, Mont. Eldest daughter Lisa and husband Bill came from Portland, Ore.; son Dave came from Missoula, Mont.; and Sally drove up with her younger daughter Nancy, who lives in Arvada, Colo. On Sept. 8 Sally leaves for a weeklong birding trip to Cape May, N.J., and has high hopes for reaching 500 North American species seen. She still volunteers weekly at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and is active at church. Lamar Ellis Oglesby lost her husband in Feb., had her knee replaced in May and will have cataract surgery in Aug/Sept. Her knee op was successful, and she is walking without pain. She and 19 family members are going to Costa Rica together after Christmas. Lamar solicits our prayers for her daughter Frances who has been fighting cancer for 7 years. Jean “Sissy” Morris Long writes: We’ve just moved and love our new digs. Anne White Connell is across the street. She just got home to stay from Houston and her long round of successful chemo. Our Friday night supper club has dwindled, and Betty Gene Orr Atkinson is mostly at home now. I visit her often. I do see “Peaches” Davis Roane. She lost Jack on Mother’s Day in May. She went to Sea Island this summer with her daughters. I published my book, “Finding Kate,” last Dec. (history of my grandmother who came to Ark. from Va. to teach school in 1885). Elaine Colmer ’55 also lives here in an apt. with husband Bob. Magaret “Peggy” Jones Steuart writes from Jamaica: We’re in Jamaica right now with some of our family, Brad, middle son and his 5 children. All 28 have been here this summer at one time or another. Ages of the grandchildren range from one to 28! I see Doreen Booth Hamilton occasionally and a group of alumnae in other classes, Tuttie Webster, Kay Diane Bowles ’57 to name a few. We’re fortunate to have 4 lovely daughters-in-law and a great son-inlaw. Everyone lives about 15 minutes from us. Still volunteering as chair of the garden committee at the Washington Cathedral and on the Board of Tudor Place Historic Home and Gardens in Georgetown. Jerry Dreisbach Ludeke: My big trip this year was to Iceland and Greenland with Overseas Adventure Travel. Since then I’ve had 2 camping trips in the High Sierra. One was an Elderhostel starting with a hike from 6000’ to 8000’ elevation in the first mile and finally settling down at 7600 for a week. The second one was
a week with my San Francisco family at Camp Mather on the Hetch Hetchy road bordering Yosemite. Our older son is still in Costa Rica where he and his wife both work for the American Embassy. Their 3 children are all in the states, 2 in Calif. and the married one in Washington, D.C. Our younger son and wife plus 3 sons (10, 13, 15) are still in San Francisco. Dallas “Dilly” Johnson Jones: Daughter Louise ’84 and Jim have son Charlie, a sophomore at Wofford playing soccer, and son Giles, a freshman at W&L playing soccer. Their daughter Lucia is a freshman at the Atlanta International School. They still live in Atlanta. Daughter Sanford and husband Gene are in Great Falls, Mont. where Gene is president of the Univ. of Great Falls. Their triplet boys are freshmen in h.s. (Dilly might get to see Vicky Toof Johson when visiting in Great Falls.) In May, Ann Collins Teachout and Bill came to visit and later Vaughan Inge Morrissette spent a night! The news from Ruth Frye Deaton and Hugo is not so cheery. Several years ago Ruthie had bone surgery on one of her ankles, and it hasn’t gone well. Hugo has had cancer. He’s had a procedure and chemo. They’re home with help. Last I heard from Merrill Underwood Barringer and Paul, they were taking a condo in Charlottesville, but were also keeping a place in Weldon. One more thing: I recently received an invite to a party in Highlands, N.C., to educate people about a Historic Trust house here in Macon. The hostess for the party was listed Mrs. Frank McLain. When I called to regret, I told the lady that I had a classmate named Mary Lee McGinnis McLain and her husband was Frank. Could this be the same person? Indeed it was! Ann Collins Teachout says Dilly will be visiting them in Oct. She and Bill are busy volunteers and have had an eventful year with grandchildren: 2 graduating from college and one of those marrying, another producing twin girls making them greatgrandparents. They also took a spring cruise to the Caribbean with his older sisters. Their oldest daughter moved to New Haven last year and they love that excuse to visit New England. Ann Thomas Donohue had news of the derecho in June. In Arlington, where Ann lives, it consisted of a weird ‘sturm und drang’ with lots of lightning and formidable winds, which did in countless trees and wiped out electricity for a spell. Ann and Tom spent a few days on the eastern shore with kids, grandkids and dogs. Our London classmate, Joan Oram Reid, wrote: Husband Bob and I still live in central London as he’s still the chairman of ICE Futures, the oil trading exchange. I’m still busy with my historical research, mainly to do with Benjamin Franklin. I’m also curating a small exhibition at The Wallace Collection Feb. through April 2013, showing the 300-year silver inscription collection of the Past Overseers Society of Westminster. The family is busy with 4 small businesses starting up. Cirrus Communications, Frog, Fish and Scoobits. Fish has just sold some software to the FBI in Washington. Joan’s grandchildren are all growing up, with 2 of the Australians with them at the moment for their work and gap year activities. Joan noted that they’re devastated by the loss of Anne Sheffield Hale and her husband Bradley.