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Class Notes 100 years ago MEN’S GLEE CLUB
In early 1913, the club gave concerts in eight cities in Ohio, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. “The spring trip was undoubedly the best ever taken by the Club.”
The 1913 Index Participating were: Prof. Harold G. Hutchins, director; A. M. Cunningham ’14, O. F. Deetz ’15, R. D. Markert ’15, V. P. Minier ’13, C. E. Cunard ’15, E. J. Freed ’12, F. E. Hyde ’13, C. P. McNeil ’12, E. R. St. Clair ’14, C. E. Weisell ’13, R. W. Miller ’15, J. R. Dunlap ’13, C. N. Frazier ’15, W. L. Lawrence ’15, W. F. Orbison ’15, J. B. Weir ’13, H. G. Vance ’12, J. G. Loy ’13, R. D McIntire ’12, C. O. Smith ’15, L. E. Sperry ’12, C. V. Weygandt, ’12, J. A. Pierce ’14.
1934 1935
Viola "Vi" Startzman Robertson 4533 Hunters Chase Lane, Wooster, OH 44691 330-345-5733
1936 1937
Martha “Mollie” Tilock Van Bolt 420 Brookside Drive Ann Arbor, Mich.
Since the last report, five of our 23 living classmates have had birthdays. Both Bob Andrews and Norvin Hein, born in 1914, celebrated their 98th birthdays in August. Bob’s hearing prevents him from using a telephone, so I sent him a card. (We spent a day in June together at our 75th class reunion in Wooster). Norvin’s family celebrated his birthday a week early, so he was a bit surprised to pick up the phone and hear me singing “Happy Birthday” on the actual day. He is well, but developing hearing problems. Realizing how close Bob and Norvin are to the century mark, I went through my card file of our classmates and discovered that both Otis Heldman and Violet South Tolly had reached the 98-year landmark in April. Several 36 Wooster W I N T E R 2 0 1 3
years ago, Violet had said she expected to live to be 100, so I called her in late September to tell her that three other classmates are also closing in on the century mark. Violet has limited mobility, but thanks to her daughter, Mary, with whom she lives, Violet leads an active social life, with weekly guests for lunch, frequent visits from relatives and friends. Violet is an avid follower of the fall college football games and keeps up to date with current events. I talked with both Betty (Lisa) Panetta and Betty Clepper Reyer on their September birthdays. Lisa is now in the medical building at Rydal Park Retirement Center in Philadelphia. Betty Reyer celebrated the day with her son, who lives with her in the house she and her husband acquired early in his career. Betty still drives, and she “keeps house” as she has done since the death of her husband. Esther Amstutz Edeburn, who lives in Ashtabula, Ohio, had a busy summer. In June, her sister from Rittman, Ohio, drove to Ashtabula for Esther’s birthday, and they spent some time visiting members of the Edeburn family who live in western Pennsylvania, whom Esther had not seen since Raymond’s death. In August, her sister and a cousin made the round-trip from Rittman to Ashtabula so Esther could attend her sister’s 90th birthday party, and again in September, they made it possible for her to attend a family reunion in Rittman. Esther lives alone in the house she
shared with Raymond and she still drives, but only locally. I am saddened to report that I received a phone call from the wife of Ralph Immel. Ralph passed away Sept. 29, 2012. We extend our sympathies to Ralph’s family. I (Mollie) continue to enjoy a busy life in Ann Arbor. Summer gardening was a challenge because of the 90-degree days and the lack of rain, but September was devoted to landscaping the east border of the back yard, so there were many trips to neighboring nurseries in my 2002 Chevrolet Tracker, and much time devoted to digging holes from nine to 13 inches deep to accommodate the plants I purchased. I can now handle the plants in five-gallon containers by myself. In September, activities at the Turner Senior Center, about five minutes from my house, were in full swing. I went to an exercise class two days a week, began a class which meets weekly until mid-December to improve balance, and next week began a six-week class in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program sponsored by the University of Michigan on “The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles.” I spend a good deal of time watching the DVD programs of “The Great Courses” offered by the Teaching Company. Currently, I am about halfway through the 84 lectures on “Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition,” and the 32 lectures on “The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works.” The DVD drive on my five-year old pc could