July 21 and 22, 2000,
our 35th reunion, the number of attendees was low, but
the ones who attended agreed that we had a good time. We had a lot
of classmates call and say they were coming on Saturday night and
then didn't show.
We had several faculty members to attend Saturday night, Don Cross and wife, Carl Sandifer and wife, Louise Beyers, Barbara
Wesseling, Nell Johnson and her daughter, Lewis Adams, and Ira Welborn. We had a letter from Marjorie Dees-Patterson since she was not able
to be with us. Glenn Ellison, after introducing the faculty members, asked if any of the guys present had to report to Mr. Cross's office, the majority of the guys indicated that they had visited Mr. Cross!
For our entertainment
the reunion committee, with assistance from a few others, put on a
skit titled "A typical Day at Paxon." We did this hoping
to get a few laughs. We got more than a few laughs, especially the
guys, errrr, I mean the girls. Yes, the guys put on skirts and wigs.
However the "girls" were larger than the costume maker thought
they would be so some of their wrap-around skirts didn’t quite
wrap around! This made for a good laugh also. Our attempt to make
everyone present laugh at us worked, so we feel that the skit was
a success.
We had a few first-timers.
In March 1999 when a group of us went to Chattanooga, we met Barbara
Skeen-Madden and Diane Skinner-Russell. They both were here for the
reunion, their first reunion. Marilyn Haddock-Williams and Gwen Barton-Murphy,
who were best friends in school but had lost touch, located each other
in time for the Multi-year reunion in June and then came to our reunion,
also their first reunion.
Charlotte Wright-Thien and
Marvin Thien were with us for the whole weekend (they had attended our 5th reunion
in 1970 and became jaded toward reunions). Charlotte was a member
of our committee and was in our skit. Jan Crews-Daniell, who moved
away early in our senior year, joined us. She had attended an earlier
reunion and remembered the good time she had and contacted friends
to be sure that we had her new address. She has recently moved back
to Jacksonville (home).
Pat Mathena-Oglesby
had her son drive her down from Van Wyke, South Carolina for her
first reunion. Got a card from her saying she had a great time.
Toby Russell-Cagel
came from Memphis TN to be with us, her first reunion and contact
with classmates. Clyde Israel, who also lives in Memphis, will try
to keep in touch with Toby.
Sharon Stone-Gibson
came all the way from Costa-Rica to be with us. She arrived several
days early and joined us for our last meeting before the reunion.
We really enjoyed visiting with her. We found out that she and her
husband own a lodge in Costa Rica. If you are interested in vacationing
in that area, we will be happy to put you in touch with Sharon.
It was good to see
Jean Sailers and Frances Harrington-Conner. They both had missed our 30th reunion,
so we had a lot of catching up with them. If you remember either one, you will remember
that they are both full of laughs. We just didn’t have enough time with them. Another
person who was back with us after missing the last reunion was Loretta Newcomer-Bledsoe.
She had missed our last several events due to illness, but with her new kidney she is her
beautiful, fun-loving self. She tells the best (funniest) real-life stores.
Luci Norrell-Criswell
came from Iowa for our reunion. She stayed with Angela Glover-Boettcher
for a few days then on Saturday night they stayed at the hotel along
with Sandra Cooper-Wilson and Jan Crews-Daniell. They did this so
that they could stay as long as they wanted to in the hospitality
suite. This is where you really have the chance to visit with everyone.
Martha Crawford-Nolan
was with us from Indiana. We enjoyed our talks late into the evening.
She has a new grandchild (10 days old) that she was excited about
seeing.
Clyde Israel made a
real vacation out of our reunion. He and his wife (Charlotte) came
a week early to visit, or was it to play golf everyday?
LET’S BREAK FROM
REUNION NEWS
FOR A MOMENT.
I want to make a point about reunions and making new friends. Just
about all of us knew who Clyde Israel was in school. We were not friends (I’m not
sure he knew who I was). With Clyde and Charlotte coming to the reunions and our annual
get together each summer, we have become close friends. So close, in
fact, that we vacationed together this spring.
Oh, yes, there is one
other classmate whom I have to mention. Most of the Class of 1965
did not know him and our 25th reunion was his first time
with us. He and his wife had a good time and have become one of
our biggest supporters. How many of you remember Buddy Sweat? Not
very many, right? Well, Buddy and his wife, Deborah, are the best
friends anyone could ever wish for. And they are the third couple
on the vacation this spring with Clyde & Charlotte Israel and
me and my husband, Fred.
Clyde, Buddy and I
agree that attending our reunions is what brought our friendship
together. There are others who share this story about new friendships – people whom
we did not associate with in school are becoming best friends. This is why we continue
to plan and have reunions, to gain new friendships.
NOW, BACK TO THE REUNION.
Our resident photographer, Marvin Green, was here from North Carolina
with his cameras and lots of film. Marvin enjoys sitting around
and taking pictures of people across the room. Be aware when Marvin
is around! One other bit of information on Marvin, he brought flowers
for our hospitality suite. Wasn’t he thoughtful!
Did you see Sandra
Bebee-Hill, one of our faithfuls, and Linda Mills, one of our new
committee members, dancing? They certainly are limber, not to mention
good dancers. Talk about dancing, Rob Bentley danced with just about
every lady there. If you didn't dance with Rob it was because the
evening ended before he got around to you.
Faye Lanier-McArthur
was with us on Friday night. She has legal custody of a grandchild
and had to go to a dance recital on Saturday night so couldn’t
be come back to be with us. (By the way, Faye is not the only classmate
who has custody of a grandchild.)
Jim (James) Price couldn’t
be with us on the reunion dates, so he came to Jacksonville on Thursday
to visit with a few of us. James and I admitted to those present
that I used to chase him while at baseball games that our older
brothers were playing in. Man, that was a long time ago. (Sorry,
James, I just had to tell on us.)
Randy Barber still
has his basketball form. After playing golf on Saturday morning
the guys showed up at the school and played a little basketball.
Then there were a few games of two-on-two. I think Randy was on
all the winning teams. He just couldn't miss, or wouldn't miss a
shot in order to give the other team a chance.
While some of us were
trying to play basketball at the school, Larry Cohen was being his
quiet self. Larry, Larry, you need to be louder or jump up and down
so we will know you are there. No matter if you are quiet, we still
enjoy you and are glad that you join in with us.
We could say the same
about Mary Ann (Wilson) and Lloyd Ray. They are a very quiet couple
who has attended all of our reunions. They had planned to be with
us on Friday night and Saturday at the school, but their plans changed
and they were able to be with us on Saturday night also. We appreciate
your being loyal to the Class of 1965.
Doris Kedzior-LePrell
was with us this year; she had missed the last couple of reunions.
It was good to visit with Doris. She still has her pretty smile.
Another classmate who
has a pretty smile is Myrtle Crawley-Hollis. She and her husband
joined us on Saturday night.
Lyndee Shcultz-Wingate
also joined us Saturday night. It was good to visit with Lyndee
once again, but I forgot to ask her why she didn’t encourage
your sister-in-law, and our classmate, Carol Wingate-Leininger to
come with her.
Ted (Roland) Rondeau
and his wife (Sue Todd, class of ’66) drove all the way from
Louisiana in a rain storm on Saturday, so they arrived late Saturday
night. Late or not, it was good to see Ted and Sue.
Jeanette Jackson-Burnsed
is still just as quiet as she was in school. Jeanette usually supports
us, and actually dropped by our first meeting on her way to work.
She said she would like to help us, but she works from 7:00 P.M.
to 7:00 A.M. at the hospital and wouldn’t be able to be at
all the meetings. She and Charlotte Wright-Thien work in the ICU
section together.
Some other classmates
who support our reunions are: Myra Altman-Scott, Harriette Sparkman-Joiner;
Don Hubbard, Eddie Whitted, Lionel Varnadoe, Richard Overstreet,
Lynnwood Whitfield, Jimmy Perdue, Larry Mapps, Darrell and Betty
(Dyal) Boone, Gary Pajcic, Orbin Williams, Mary Scarborough-Bruno,
Billy VanSickle and Ted Sills. If you didn’t attend our activities,
then our labor of love would be for naught.
If some of our faithfuls
were omitted, it was not intentional and we apologize. We have a
good group of classmates and friends who support and attend our
activities. We could use more of you, though. Please join us occasionally
and you will see what we mean when we say we have a good time.
I personally want to
thank our committee one more time for all the hours of work they
put into our 35th reunion. For some this was their first
time working on the committee, so an extra thank you to them. In
no special order here is a list of dedicated workers:
Lynne Breese-McDonald,
Charlotte Wright-Thien, Gerald Prescott, Ann Weeks-Martin, Larry
Cohen, Linda Mills, Faye Keen-Lee, Richard Alford, Marvin Thien,
Loretta
Newcomer-Bledsoe, Buddy
Sweat, Rob Bentley, and Will Weathington. Everyone of you did an
outstanding job on the tasks you volunteered for.
Volunteered for??!
Glenn Ellison didn't volunteer, Larry Cohen volunteered him. Thank
you, Glenn, for agreeing to MC for our program.
Even though our
numbers were off for this reunion, everyone who attended asked that I convey
to all that didn’t attend that a GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL IN
ATTENDANCE. Hope to see more of you in 2005 at our 40th
reunion.
