Class of
56
Newsletter
Return to
Class of 56 home page
Winter Edition January 2008
“Old friends are like antiques. They are to be treasured.”
____________________________________
Goodbye 2007
– Hello 2008
The Holidays have come and gone. I did my shopping via the internet with my
right leg propped up. Three weeks after
tangling with my weedwacker, I played like Humpty Dumpty. Surgery on my ankle involving a titanium
plate and 6 vicious looking screws, 4 weeks in a wheelchair, 4 more weeks on a
walker, and 2 weeks using a cane have me back to two feet firmly on the ground
and nearly normal. I did extremely well
but sticking to doctor’s orders was s-l-o-w going and an experience I do not
want to repeat. (That sure sounds whiney
when you read about John Lindsey’s ordeal.)
I’m so sorry I missed our October luncheon. I don’t have any pictures to share but Gretta (Safley) and Richard Chronister, Gwen (Parker) and Cleete
Bewley, Sue (Rider)* and Bill Luce, Shirley
(Duvall) and Rick Harrison, Virginia (Morris) and Virgil Proctor, Dorothy
(Wooten) and Jack Burris, Retta Safley, Dorothy (Clark) Fike, Linda (Goodwin)
Griffin, Ann (Young) Shields, Betty
(Magness) Thomas, and Erma (Duryea) Cotton attended. Betty took the door prize.
*We’re so glad to have Sue join her old classmates although
she did graduate in 1955.
Luncheon Old South Restaurant 12:00 Saturday, February 16 HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE Next event will be in June
Jackie (Mayhan)
and Don Brooks enjoyed
a trip to Denver and Tulare, CA in November.
They saw the giant redwoods, Grand Canyon, Painted Desert and the
Petrified Forest among other beautiful sights.
And they met their great-granddaughter for the first time. Kiowa Sumer Lasha Steele was born September
12. She weighed 8 lb. 13 oz at 21
inches. Unfortunately, after Jackie
returned home she had to spend 4 days in the hospital getting her medication
for arrhythmia regulated. She says, “It
is a PAIN getting OLD.” (Where have I heard that
before?)
Larry and
Lois Woodward spent
a very COLD Christmas in Kansas
City with daughter Karla and
family. He says they are glad to be
back in Florida. They are planning an Alaskian Cruise in June for their 50th
Anniversary and then will spend a few days with Lois’ sister and brother-in-law
in Yakima, WA.
John Jennings sends a photo up-
date of
little Ryder Zane Jennings. “All
dressed up to go out on the town.” Isn’t he just a
miniature John?
John’s
goats are all pregnant and
will begin kidding around January 20. He has a new Anatolian Sheppard whose
name is Maise. She will be a year old
March 27 and soon after will begin the process of becoming a mommy dog.
Gwen (Parker)
Bewley has
a new great-granddaughter named Aubee.
She was born on November 11 and weighed 9 lb. 3 oz. Gwen says she always knew that someday she
would be GREAT.
Cleete is coming home from the hospital on Friday
the 4th. His liver is
failing and he isn’t eating. Hospice will begin coming to their home to help
care for him. Continue to pray for
them.
Gerald Myer remains in the Medical
Lodge in Butler, MO. His physical
condition is poor but he is better mentally.
He is able to read and seems to enjoy living there.
Nancy
(Grimes) Bostian lost
her brother in early November
2007. Lee Roy Grimes, Jr. of
Little Rock was a 1954 RHS
graduate. Our condolences to Nancy and
her family.
Martha
(Braden) Reid says
her son continues to show no signs of the stroke he had other than weight loss
and works every day. Her oldest
grandson is now a freshman at the University of Arkansas and loves it.
Erma (Duryea)
Cotton celebrated
the New Year at the special request of the ‘man’ in her life---her 7 year old
grandson---“because we had a blast last year!”. She figures he won’t always think that staying up ‘til midnight drinking carbonated grape juice from a stemmed glass with an old
woman is such a blast.
Dortha
(Johnson) Griffin
has spent 5 weeks in Kansas City caring for her daughter-in-law who is having
serious complications from back surgery.
She will be going back to help out for a few
more weeks.
Her son works out of Canada half the time and Kansas City the other
half.
Shirley
(Duvall) and Rick Harrison spent a week over New Year’s in Gatlinburg, TN. They were joined by their son and
daughter-in-law and some old friends.
They shopped in the snow, watched football in front of a fire in the
fireplace, and the dropping of the ball in Gatlinburg.
Enjoying a visit with Terry Boswell at Harrison were the following guys.
L-R: John Larry Mosley, Bryan Spillers, Terry, Ronnie Blalack, John F. Jennings
____________________________________
Terry has had several heart operations and suffers
from Parkinson’s Disease. He has
therapy every week and John says he looked good.
Barbara
(Ellington) Jones reports
that they have been living through a kitchen remodel but she was able to cook
their Christmas dinner in the new kitchen.
They also installed a stair lift to aid her in climbing the stairs. Barbara’s
2 small grandsons think she is mean because she limits the time they are
allowed to ride up and down on the lift.
She has been quite busy with her handiwork. She made 6 “Count Down to Christmas Calendars” with Johnny’s
help. She also made 4 flannel
adult-size night and nap quilts and 2
child-size, knitted 10 pair house shoes and 75 dishrags, and completed a
machine appliqué quilt and is working on another. Such a talent!!
John Lindsey is home after 9 weeks treatment for an infection from a form of
meningococcal disease in his legs.
After 8 days in ICU and 10 in the hospital, he was moved to skilled
nursing home in Portland for 40 more days.
With drips, oxygen, catheter,
insulin shots and blood sugar tests 4 times a day, physical therapy,
wound treatment, and heavy anti-bacterial medicine, and 2-3 weeks of home
health care he thinks he will be ‘good to go’.
He and Renetta have purchased and moved to a senior mobile home park to be closer to their girls and
grandkids. John says “Thank you for your
prayers and concern. There is a God and
His Son was with me in this ordeal. My family helped so much and I cherish them
for their support.”
Fairoaks Mobile Home Park
5404 NE 121 St Ave., Space 89
Vancouver, WA 98682
360/718-2467
E-MAIL CHANGES
Barbara (Ellington) Jones
Gwen (Parker) Bewley
Dortha (Johnson) Griffin
Johnny Lindsey
Keep sending your news, anniversaries, birthdates,
pictures, new e-mail and physical address changes. The old saying, “No news is good news” is not true for us. No news is NO NEWS.
jane.rhs@swbell.net 501/835-4542
Class Site: go2russellville.com
Anniversaries
Dalene (Davenport) & Sam Horton
March 7, 1962
Birthdays
Shirley (Duvall) Harrison
February 12
Linda (Goodwin) Griffin
April 13
Belated
Jackie (Mayhan) Brooks
November 1
Correction
Ella Lee (Blackford) Taylor was November 8
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
Throw out nonessential
numbers. This
includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why
you pay them.
Keep only cheerful friends.
Grouches pull you down.
Keep learning. Learn more about the
computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain be idle. ‘An
idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And
the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.
Enjoy the simple things.
Laugh
often, long and loud. Laugh until you
gasp for breath.
Tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move
on. The only person who is with us our
entire life is ourselves. Be alive
while you are alive.
Surround yourself with what you love whether it’s family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, or whatever. Your home is your refuge.
Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get
help.
Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall,
even to the next county, to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt
is.
Tell people you love that you love them, at every
opportunity.
Jane