So, I have been informed
by Mike that this is my
100th NEWSLETTER!!!
I sure didn't realize
that. Whose counting? I
do know that some of
them were probably
written before we had an
official
website.
I do enjoy writing
"news" from the
classmates every two
weeks. I think it
is important to keep us
in contact that way.
Mike has done an
excellent job of running
the website and
publishing my letters
and anything else I send
his way. He has
ideas that has helped to
keep the website current
and as many have said,
"the best class website"
on line. I know
that you appreciate it
because we hear many
compliments.
Thanks and help us to
keep it going.
MAIL CALL
from
Willis "Billy" Fowler
Sometimes I am
very saddened by the
fact that I am not able
to make it down to my
hometown. That
makes the website even
more important to me
being so far away.
If it weren't for the
work you and Mike put
into this project, I
would be completely cut
off and so much of the
past that helped make me
who I am, would be
forgotten and lost.
As for the present, I
have once again left the
oilfield service
industry and returned to
manufacturing.
This is a cycle I've
been in since moving to
deep east
Texas after graduating from Lamar University in 1991. It feels strange
having been raised in an
environment where men
went to work in the
plants and stayed for
40-50 years in the same
place and now that kind
of loyalty and longevity
is no longer the norm.
However, it has resulted
in a vast array of
experiences that can be
looked back on with a
since of real adventure.
Life has certainly not
been mundane. I
will soon be moving into
another endeavor that
will have me building
and erecting plants of
differnent types in at
least three states, as
the plans now stand.
One is a pilot methane
gas project for a giant
food company. Who
would have ever dreamed
of making alternative
fuel from cow dung?
As for my family life,
my wife of ten years
now, and I are very
active in our church.
If you are going to
commit to service, you
will be kept busy, I
assure you.
Between us, we share
eleven grandchildren
with # twelve, (Noah
Matthew Fowler), due in
June. Yes, God has
truly blessed us and we
consider ourselves rich
though others may not
see it that way.
from
Fred McCarty
Glad we don't
live in
Michigan and
so glad we got my 88
year old mother-in-law
moved out of her house
and into an assisted
living center last
November. She was
recently snow-bound, but
at least she has friends
there and does not have
to be in and out of the
weather.
You have reached the
100th Milestone issue of
our class NEWSLETTER,
and I want to
congratulate you on that
great achievement.
You and Mike keep us
together as a group, and
that means so much to me
personally and to so
many of our classmates.
Thanks.
As of Feb. 3, I had
three meetings with
various subcontractors
at the building site of
our new home. They
got the thermostats
installed at the house
but had not started up
the heaters. It
was a "toasty" 47
degrees during the two+
hours of meetings.
At the end of January,
Janette Light
and husband Richard
invited
Robert Sandoval
and wife Sandy to join
us for dinner at a very
good Mexican restaurant
on the northwest side of Houston. It was to
celebrate Bob's birthday
and mine as well.
Bob is the older
guy...by two days!
Since Bob and I started
Kindergarten together at
DeQueen in Mrs. Horne's
class, I managed to find
one of my old DeQueen
class photos. We
all enjoyed looking at
that and reminiscing
about our high school
buddies., Everyone
had a great time.
Janette took a photo of
Bob wearing the birthday
sombrero. He
actually looked pretty
good in it...for an old
guy! I feel so
fortunate to have some
great friends from Pt.
Arthur after all these
years.
from
Roy Dale Birkelbach
Becky and I are
celebrating our first
grandbaby.... 1 1/2
month old Harper Ivy, an
8 lb. baby girl.
It is a blast to spoil
her and then send her
home!
from
Janette Light Norton
If most of our
classmates are like me,
they have been just
surviving winter and
waking up to spring.
You'll notice that many
of the Face Book posts
are about what we're
cooking: gumbo, chili,
soup, and more gumbo,
chili, and soup.
On one of the recent
warm days, Richard and I
met
Robert and Carole
Sandoval
and
Fred and Sandy McCarty
for a little belated
birthday fiesta.
Robert, was fetching in
the black and silver
sombrero and Fred the
story teller, gave us
much to laugh about and
remember. We
agreed that the
friendships formed at PA
are just the best!!
Next time,
Tommy Thompson
will join us--kind of a
DeQueen reunion, I'm
just the event planner
from Sam Houston.
Bob is home from a long
work stint in
Regina,
Canada while Fred
and Sandy are building
their retirement home
with only one level and
less lawn work. As
my health continues to
improve, Richard and I
are finally able to take
a cruise to Cozumel and
Grand Cayman,
where the temp is in the
80s. When we
return, we look forward
to some road trips
across
Texas-this
will be our first year
to see the bluebonnets
without my momma or to
take, as we call it, the
"Stool Magnolia Tour"
because we carried step
stools for both the moms
to climb in and out of
the truck.
One should never write
out of a sense of
guilt-you're bound to
get more confession than
you care for, but here,
Linda, is my
contribution to the
100th edition of our
newsletter. I
predict when our brains
and hands thaw out
you'll be hearing from
many more of us.
Don't give up on us just
yet. You and Mike
provide the kindest
service of all.
Thank you from the
bottom of my heart for
that.
**********************************************************************
MARDI GRAS in PA March
3-6
www.mardigras.portarthur.com
for all the information.
It is a great event and
you will more than
likely see some old
friends there.
Married classmates
Jonnye Dee (Doering)
and
Robert "Bob" Williamson
are honored to be the
King and Queen of the
Bon Ami Krewe.
**********************************************************************
News from the Homefront
I am enjoying this "springlike"
weather. It allows
my Dad to spend some
time sitting on the back
sun porch and front
porch soaking in the
fresh air. We
couldn't do that too
much when we lived in Bridge City due to the mosquito population.
I sure don't miss them.
Today is 9 months since
Mom passed away. I
still have my moments.
Thank heavens some of my
dreams are good ones of
Mom now instead of the
sad ones I had for so
long.
My sister seems to be
settling into the new RX
meds the doctor gave her
for her ADD and Bi-Polar
condition. Of
course, as some of you
know, mood swings are
constant. She is
going to have cataract
surgery on both her eyes
during the month of
March. Her
eyesight had gotten
really bad.
I was going to write in
this edition about a
trip to
Lynn Eldridge's
ranch home in
Tupelo
that was supposed to
take place February
11-13. She had
invited classmates
Paul Colletti,
Jim Andrus,
Jude Arisco,
and Jude's sister &
spouses for a fun-filled
weekend. Well,
three hours before we
were to all gather, we
received a phone call!
Her water heater and
pipes in the attic had
frozen,
then thawed and she
arrived to find her
house in shambles from
the ceiling caving in.
The photos she sent
proved to us that she
wasn't just "making up
an excuse" to cancel!
"-) Southeast
Texans know all about
floods. We feel
your pain.
Well, my dad was on two
spaces on a SUPER BOWL
pot. He won
$250.00! So, now
we are going to buy him
a suit. He lost
his only one in the
flood during Hurricane
Ike. We never
replaced it. He
said now he'll have a
"funeral suit"!
**********************************************************************
POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE
Living
on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a
free trip around the sun
every year.
How
long a minute is depends
on what side of the
bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays
are good for you, the
more you have, the
longer you live.
Happiness
comes through doors you
didn't even know you
left open.
Ever
notice that the people
who are late are often
much jollier than the
people who have to wait
for them?
You
may be only one person
in the world, but you
may also be the world to
one person.
Some
mistakes are too much
fun to only make once.
Don't
cry because it's over;
smile because it
happened.
We
could learn a lot from
crayons: some are
sharp, some are pretty,
some are dull, some have
weird names, and all
are different
colors...but they all
exist very nicely in the
same box.
A
truly happy person is
one who can enjoy the
scenery of a detour.
**********************************************************************
RECIPE for Hatton
Elementary (in BCISD)
Yeast Rolls
(contributed by
Janette Light Norton)
2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cups sugar
2 T yeast
3/4 cups oil
1/2 cup of milk
7 cups flour
1 T salt
Mix water, sugar, and
yeast with a whisk.
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Mix flour and salt and
set aside. Add oil
and milk to the first
mixture on low speed.
Add flour a little at a
time. The dough
should pull away from
the bowl. It it
doesn't, add a little
more flour. Cover
with butter and let it
rise to double in size.
Pinch into rolls, let it
double in size.
Bake at 350 degrees.
Makes about 24 rolls.
***********************************************************************
FACE BOOK
This is a suggestion.
Often, I get asked to
"friend" a classmate.
I like to send this name
to all of you that I
have listed on Face
Book. The problem
I have is when you have
signed up without using
your MAIDEN name.
Other classmates write
me back asking me who
you are. To help
with this, please do the
following:
Go to your home page,
find ACCOUNT then
ACCOUNT SETTING, click
on YOUR REAL NAME,
change your name to
include your MAIDEN
name! Remember,
your photo will not
ALWAYS look the same as
you did in HIGH SCHOOL!
"-)
Here is a list of
classmates that
could
add their MAIDEN names
to their profile:
(I put their maiden name
in parenthesis so you
would recognize them.
Be sure to "friend" them
so that you will be in
touch with some more
classmates.)
Betty (Bernauer) Wademon
Carol (Bonin)
Hammonds
Chris (Crochet) Wramp
Colorado Barb N Dani (
This is Barbara Bowers)
Jeanne (Painton) Cain
Jonnye (Doering)
Williamson
Katherine (Van Slyke)
Sparks
Kay (King) Young
Lila (Delilah Holman)
Ivey
Linda (Blanton) Murski
Marilyn (Jackson) Williamson
Nelwyn (Comeaux)
Blanchette
Peggy (Edwards) Hatfield
Phyllis (Fett) Abshire
Robert N Linda (Dowling)
Weldon
Sandra (Nicks) Kelly
Sandra (Ellis) MacNamara
Sara (Little) Chilton
Shari
(Louvier)
Parker
Sherry (Clingan)
Armentor
Susan (Hatfield) Miguez
This weekend, I am going
to send you a suggestion
to FRIEND a classmate.
She is listed as
Lila Ivey.
Well, you will remember
her as
Delilah Holman.
She hasn't changed her
listing on FB yet so I
have given you warning
as to who this is.
Let's see if you read my
NEWSLETTERS! "-)
Face Book seems to be a
great place for our
classmates to catch up.
I noticed that
Christy
Dodge
and
Becky LeBlanc
have been having a
blast chatting among
their old friends!
Just don't forget to
send me some of that
chatter. It takes
a long time for me to
check out the
conversations on Face
Book so that I have
something to write for
my NEWSLETTERS.
************************************************************************
TJ Memories
(sent in by
Fred McCarty)
The link below is an
essay written by
Fred Schneider, TJ '66
(classmate Randy
Schneider's
brother).
I found it very
interesting and it
provided some history
about our school which I
thought might be of
interest to share with
others in our Class of
'68.
www.tjmemories.com/essay.htm
I really love the
conclusion of Fred
Schneider's essay which
says,
In early summer of 1966,
we wore the caps and
gowns that we so
desperately chased for
our entire student
lives. We were
glad to be finished and
looked forward to the
road ahead. Now,
we are nearing the other
end of that road.
More than any other
group, high school
friends have much more
in common with each
other, because we
started at the
beginning.
The only thing I could
add to Fred's conclusion
is "ditto for the TJHS ,
class of '68".
I was looking at some of
the other class websites
through the links posted
on our web page and
discovered that the
class links for '62,
'65, '73, and '80 are no
longer active. I
tried to see if I could
find new addresses for
those classes but I have
not been successful yet.
I hope there is still
someone working on
behalf of those other
classes. Looking
at these other websites
just reinforced my view
that our site is clearly
the best.
While looking, I found
the website
www.tjmemories.com
The Fred Schneider essay
is posted on this site
along with a good bit of
other information.
We need to consider
posting it as another
"Website of Interest"
link on our home page.
***********************************************************************
BIRTHDAYS!
I hope you have been
clicking on the list of
birthdays for your
classmate friends.
Mike has them listed by
the months. It is
a good way to reconnect
with some of your
favorite friends of
by-gone days. You
can find their e-mail
address by going on the
website and clicking on
CLASSMATE LISTING.
***********************************************************************
SUPPORT
(a note from
Bobby Williamson
about wife,
Jonnye Dee (Doering)
Jonnye's arteriogram
discovered only a small
blockage on the left
side of her neck.
The doctors say they can
cure that with
medication. The
right side was corrected
with surgery two years
ago and is doing just
fine with no blockage at
all.
(a note from
Al Hebert's wife,
Carolyn)
It is with much sadness
that I have to report
that we had to put our
beloved pet, Princess,
down after prolonged
illness. I have
also suffered a big
seizure. The
doctor wants me to be on
bedrest for several
days.
(a note from
Sandy Ellis MacNamara)
I had a TIA. It's
a "baby stroke" or as
the doctor stated, "it's
a warning shot." I
also have a clogged
carotid artery.
I'll tell you what, if
it's not one thing it's
another! I'm
tough, I will fight.
Now, I have to get my
blood pressure stablized.
We ALL need to take care
of ourselves. Just
when I thought I was
moving and groving, I
couldn't talk in front
of a group of clients.
I could hear them say,
"Miss Sandy, are you Ok,
Miss Sandy?" as I try to
explain that I am fine
and I can't even speak
English. I could
use some prayers.
***********************************************************************
CONDOLENCES
Msgr. Don Golasinski
(Pastor of Immaculate
Conception Catholic
Church in Groves)
died Feb. 5, 2011
Wade Foster
June 6, 1949-January 30,
2011
Please remember that
anyone mentioned in the
CONDOLENCE section
usually has an obituary
published in Mike's
OBITUARIES section on
the front page of the
website.
**********************************************************************
There you have it!
My 100th NEWSLETTER for
all it is worth. I
hope you enjoy them as
much as I do writing
them. Sometimes it
is a monumental task
that seems to loom over
my head and then as I
write, I forget the
"task" part. I
love you all and hope
that we will be able to
continue "meeting" like
this for a long time to
come.
Stay in touch and
contact a classmate,
Linda
DeCuir McFadden
lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com
www.tjhs1968.com