THS Class of 1956

December 2009

President:  Tony Saputo

Editor: Carol Meetz Enos

Blog Editor: Laura Lou Anderson Bashlor

FROM THE PRESIDENT:

      I just watched Ohio State beat the University of Michigan in football again! I was a true U of M and Detroit Red Wing fan, but since I moved to Florida 10 years ago, I have become a Florida Gator football fan and a fan of the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey teams. As a matter of fact, last night (Nov. 20) the Panthers beat the Red Wings in overtime. This doesn’t happen very often, but it was nice for a change. I am still an avid hockey fan. Oh, to be 18 again! If one of the local hockey area had a 60 and over league, I’d play.

     Ceil and I live in Southeast Florida on a barrier island that is 6 miles long and 4 1/2 miles wide called Marco Island. The Gulf and surrounding waters provide great boating and fishing all year around. People always ask us about the heat and the hurricanes. I don’t mind the heat. I like it when

the temperature is 90, humidity is 90 and the Gulf water is 88! In the ten years we have lived here, we’ve had to evacuate twice. Hurricane Wilma hit in 2005 and we only had minor damage to our yard

and boat. I’ll take the heat vs. cold weather and snow any day!

      The warm weather does not affect the Christmas spirit on San Marco Island. The Christmas season here is a month long celebration. We have a home decorating contest, Christmas tree lighting party, a street parade that draws nearly 2500 people and night boat parade that is amazing. Last year I rode in a coast guard auxiliary boat and gave out lifesaver candy.

   Ceil and I drive to Michigan every summer to visit their daughter and four grandkids for a month

or so. On our way to Michigan this summer, we stopped to visit Joe and Scarlett Yow who live in

Georgia with have a beautiful home, farm and many animals. Joe’s hobby is trains and he creates incredibly detailed miniature circus settings.

MORE REUNIONS TO COME

In August, 17 classmates met at Uncle Harry’s in Woodhaven for breakfast. We had a great mini-

reunion. We also have a class get together in Florida, usually in February or March. Lee and JoAnn Walters are organizing the next one. Watch for an e-mail from Bob Nelson soon.

     I would like to hear from you about having a class reunion in 2011.  Yes/no? Where? When? Ideas? And if would you be interested in serving on the reunion committee?  It usually requires a year in advance to book a place to hold it.

    Happy Holidays to you and your family!

LAURA LOU SUGGESTS A BLOG

   Besides helping to put some pizzazz to this newsletter, Laura Lou has offered to set up a class

blog, but she would need help to maintain it. ANY VOLUNTEERS?

***Since this newsletter was sent, Laura Lou has set up this blog.  It will be kept up to the best of her ability, but others can be added to help add news and photos as they come along. **

   Laura Lou is retired after teaching elementary school for 38 years and is enjoying her leisure immensely. The youngest of her three children has two sweet granddaughters who live only a few blocks away.

    Winter months are spent in Sebastian, Florida and the other eight months in Gibraltar.Michigan.  She enjoys watching and photographing wildlife and gardening in both places.  Laura has also been scrapbooking for many years and teaching classes at stores local to both states.  Here is one of her pages of her 2 granddaughters and Laura Lou.

QUESTIONAIRE IDEA DRAWS INTEREST, COMMENTS

   Bob Nelson brought forth the idea of a questionnaire for our classmates. Actually there was quite a positive response to the idea, but we couldn’t put it together before the holidays.

    Lee Walters sums up many feelings, “Good idea, before we forget, lose our friends or enhance

the truth.”

WINTER LUNCHEON 2009 IN FLORIDA

Difficult Times for Our Friends

   Herman Johnson’s year has been filled with doctor appointments and Anna’s latest chemo has really knocked her down.

    Cedo reports that Donna has been battling lung cancer for almost two years. A bright spot was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on a boat cruise on the Detroit River given by their two daughters, Michele and Tracy.  Michele stays home with her daughter and Tracy teaches AP chemistry and raises two sons.

   Both Herm and Cedo send their blessings and wishes for “Happy Holidays.” 

A Donna Sue Welcome

   Donna Sue Truman says visitors are much better than a visit from old St. Nick. Two classmates visited her this last year—Tony Saputo in the spring and Yvonne Turner Rice in the fall. She would like you to give her a call if any of you are passing through Clare.

    TECHMIRES SEEK THE SUN

   Like so many of our classmates, Carolyn Wagoner Techmire, husband, Jerry, and dog, Lover, have headed to Florida until April.

   While still in Michigan, she was able to visit with classmate, Ardsley, and visit the casinos, winning enough to keep them going. 

“I AM A BLESSED MAN…..”

   Says Bob Ford. His immediate family is all within a short distance of his home and sees them frequently. On both Thanksgiving and Christmas, they all descend upon them and the house is full with seven grandchildren from 14 months old to 11 years.

    He’s still working, but is able to travel regularly throughout the year with at least one trip to Minnesota, where his wife’s family is located and several trips to Mexico. They just returned from

10 days in Cancun with our oldest daughter and her family plus her in-laws where they experienced the tail end of Hurricane Ida which amounted to a fair amount of rain and wind, but Bob said “Nothing like what we experienced in Michigan those many years ago.

   The Ford’s plans for the New Year are to go to Cabo San Lucas to celebrate one son-in-laws 40th

birthday. They’re planning to converge on a seven bedroom villa somewhat removed from the developed areas. Bob added, “It should be an unusual experience, especially with both sides of the family coming together.”

    Bob’s sister from Ann Arbor has been hospitalized for a month after a serious auto accident a month ago when she sustained multiple broken bones but fortunately no internal injuries. Bob plans to go back and visit her this month.

    He closes his message to us “with best wishes for a blessed Christmas, a prosperous New Year

and (at our age it is essential that I add) continued good health.”

WORKMANS STILL ACTIVE

   Tom and Mary Jo credit duct tape and WD Forty for keeping their joints moving. After serving as the replay official for the Hawaii Bowl, Christmas Eve day, Tom had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in February after playing pickle ball in Florida with the infamous Ralph, Fred W. Larry W. and Lee W. of 1956 THS fame. Then in July he had a hip replacement in order to be ready for the 09 NCAA football season and the 09-10 ski season. He played golf for the first time at the Onekama gathering.

   They live with in a mile of five of their grandchildren and Mary Jo has grandmotherly duties with all five. Twin Tess is doing well with her heart rebuilding concern and will have her third and final surgery next spring. Three other grands live near San Jose. Their son Gary survived the closing of the Nummi plant near Fremont and is now with an energy cell firm in the same area. Christmas will be in Onekama again this year with skiing, tobogganing, hockey, and wood cutting on the activity list.

CHRISTMAS SINGING

    Carol Meetze Enos is lucky enough to spend much of the season enjoying Christmas concerts. Both of Ralph’s singing groups put on major productions. The community tree lighting featured three hundred voices, a full orchestra and was narrated by Eden Espinoza, the Broadway lead of “Wicked.” Three hundred voices singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” bring goose bumps.

    Otherwise, it’s been a stay at home time. The local grandkids provide excitement with water polo. The senior grandson received a water polo scholarship to Brown, and his sophomore sister is even better. They were able to visit the Watsonville family at Thanksgiving and will visit the Spokane family in January.

  

    Pat and Bob report an uneventful year. They were able to spend time with the Yow’s in the spring and had an enjoyable lunch with 18 classmates in April.

   The were able to spend only ten days at their cottage in Michigan because Pat finally listened to Tony’s prodding and Tom W’s input and had hip replacement surgery and came through with “flying colors,” but were unable to spend their annual month of October in Michigan. 

   Bob’s been semi-retired for several years. As an automobile broker selling new and used cars, the

present economy has forced a slow-down.

    They are looking forward to 2010 and “Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.” 

JUDY’S FAMILY KEEPS HER BUSY

     Judy Raymond Murtagh had a busy summer as always. She had a get-together with 36

cousins ranging in age from 1 to 89 and grandson Joe was home from Iraq and met many

of them for the first time. 

   She and Ralph were back in Florida for the wedding of their grandson, Chad and his bride Mimi. On the return to Michigan, the parents decided on a road trip to Tupelo, Mississippi to see Elvis’ birthplace, then got on the Natchez Trace through Alabama and Tennessee.

   In October, their daughter, Michelle and family flew from Alaska to New York to be with Joe for a few before he deployed, then on to Trenton to be with the whole family. The siblings partied until midnight and the Judy and Michelle “would stay up talking until 5 a.m. EVERY NIGHT!”

    Michelle is doing very well. She went on a five day kayaking trip in Prince William Sound and also went caribou hunting. Michelle got a caribou.  Judy asks for continued prayers for Michelle as well as Joseph who has deployed for a second tour in Iraq.

   Another of Judy’s grandchildren has moved to Alaska and has already “gotten his moose.”  Judy and Ralph will be leaving for Florida right after Christmas and send greetings, “Hope all our classmates are well and have a wonderful Christmas.”

    A MEMORABLE TRIP

   Donna Girardin Hassel reports a memorable trip to the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam and the five days they got sidetracked in Utah.

     The Utah drive included Canyon lands National Park, Arches, Mesa Verde, Glen Canyon, Lake Powell and Bryce Canyon. Donna loved Bryce, “The beauty and formations of Bryce Canyon are beyond description.”

   (eds note: This is a magnificent part of our world. I, too, would urge all to see it.)

     Donna’s opinion is that the Grand Canyon pales in color to Bryce but still awesome.

   On the return trip they stopped at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and then home, exhausted, in time to spend two days cleaning up the leaves in the yard.

A GREETING FROM THE YOWS

   “Scarlett and I wish everyone who receives this Slocum Truax email a very Merry Christmas and a

great 2010 New Year. GOD bless each one of you.

   We would like to share briefly what we enjoy doing. For years, Scarlett has shared her love of horses and animals with others. About three years ago Scarlett started NOAH’S RAINBOW alt inc. which is now in he process of becoming a non-for-profit Christian Charity 501 (C) Corporation. Our major goal is “Helping Children Overcome.” The program includes children 4-11 who are grieving due to various circumstances, who have physical or mental problems, and children in the Foster Care Network in the state of Georgia. The program is assisted by the use of eight miniature horses that interact with the children.

   The games the children play with the mini-horses help them gain life skills such as leadership,

communication, problem solving and personal confidence. Children share their thoughts, fears, and

feeling about losses and grief with their peers in a safe nurturing environment.

   If you ever find yourself on I75 or I 575 NW of Atlanta, you are welcome to stop by the ARK and

meet the minis: Angel, Dr. D, Color, Maxine, Misty, McKenna, Shrek and Rainy.”