MAIL CALL
from Charlotte Suire Pellerin in Baton Rouge, LA
Baton Rouge has been home now for 39 years though our families and hearts are still in the Golden Triangle. Our oldest son has moved to Texas though. Chris, his wife Brandi, and our grandaughter, Brianna, live in Spring. So, that is another reason to visit the Golden Triangle and the Houston area more often. Our youngest son, Shane, is still here in Baton Rouge and works for a large corporation in town. I am retired but my husband John is still working at the ABC affliate TV station here in Baton Rouge. We were able to travel to the Big Apple to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We love Cajun music and are involved with the Cajun French Music Assoc. As you probably know, there is a very active chapter of the CFMA in Port Arthur and we have gone to dances at Larry's French Mkt. when we are in town. That is about it from our neck of the woods. I love the updates on the website and the NEWSLETTER.
from Camille Messina Hudson in Lake Jackson, TX
Both my daughters, Keely and Kinsey, have now officially announced their good news! They are both expecting in December. Kinsey is expecting her fourth child and Keely is expecting TWINS! We are estactic!
(Oh, what wonderful news. I see your grandchildren on FB and they always seem to be having a great time with their grandma!)
from David Elliott in Dallas
I have been real busy building a new house here in Dallas. I should be moving in around September. I was able to travel to Israel and Jordan for the first time this last spring. All those Bible stories from Sunday School came alive and the illustrations in the Children's Bibles were right on! I'm a bit concerned for Israel, though. They don't have too many friends over there!
Life is good for me over here. Thanks for all you and Mike do for keeping it all together for our class.
from Leah Conner Shields in The Colony, TX
I decided to move to The Colony so my daughter and granddaughter could live with me. Since my husband's death, I didn't want to stay in Fredricksburg by myself, so it's onward and upward.
from James Leland Hebert in Waldorf, MD
I love what you and Mike are doing with the website. We were a remarkable group of very nice people and it's nice to keep up with what everyone is doing today.
from Susan Hardcastle Beaty in Phoenix, MD
We recently married off Narlin's younger son in Louisville, KY. Now, both boys are married, and I'm done with rehearsal dinners. I hope to send photos soon.
from Mike Soileau in Atlanta, TX
It is hot and dry up here in Atlanta, TX. We really need rain! Our pond is drying up my catfish.
I am really enjoying the photos of old Pt. Arthur. It is also fun to read all the news from fellow students.
from Larkin Eddie Thompson in Eureka Springs, AR
I haven't been getting the "heads up" notices from you and Mike so I thought that I needed to e-mail you my new e-mail and home addresses.
After a 35 year successful career as a Geologist in Tulsa, my wonderful wife, Margy, and I "retired" in 2009 and moved to our wooded paradise in the Ozarks just west of Eureka Springs. Our daughter and son still both live in Tulsa. Margy has become a part of the local arts & crafts community, being a die-hard quilter and knitter. I have been busy with my hobby of woodworking and also we have both become active in our local volunteer fire department. Since most of the department's activity is medical in nature, I decided to take some medical training and I am now a certified EMT. Occasionally, I help out in Eureka Springs by driving an ambulance, but most of the work is volunteer out in our rural area. It's very rewarding being able to help people in their time of need. It gives us a chance to "pay back" for the fortunate life we have had.
Thanks for the hard work in keeping the website and us "together".
from Nancy Ippolito Sewell in Crosby
I finally retired after 37 years of teaching!
from Lynn Eldridge Gill in Dallas/Ranch in Tupelo
Gail Wilson Felker and Debbie Andrews Hoelzle came to visit at our home in Dallas last week for a "mini-reunion". We spent one night at our home in Dallas and one night at our ranch in Tupelo (near Corsicana). The photo I sent in is at the ranch. We had lots of fun, lots of catching up and little sleep!
from Paula Iles Restrepo '69 in Dallas area
The story on the last update about the marine in dress blues standing with the umbrella for the older veteran brought tears to my eyes! Great picture, great story! Thanks to the contributor.
NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT
Thank heavens there isn't much news from here! My sister, thanks for your prayers, seems to be much better. Her mother-in-law did pass away on July 14. Any kind of stress seems to knock her for a "loop". After a set-back, she is getting back to a more even keel.
Murphy went to a new cardiologist in Beaumont, (closer to Lumberton), and the doctor is going to hold off on tests for now. Yeah! We are celebrating our 39th anniversary this Saturday! We are planning to celebrate our 40th with a Hawaiian cruise in January!
Dad is doing well. I don't think I want to live to 96 years old BUT he is doing well. He is really such a good guy and we are blessed to have him living with us and he is really healthy. His family practitioner always says he wished his blood work was as good as Dad's. (He is in his 30's!)
The granddaughters are keeping us really busy this summer transporting them to day camps! They just returned from a 2 week vacation traveling to Palo Duro Canyon and Colorado. August has them at "CAMP NANNY & POPPA"! Talk about being part of a "sandwich generation" with trying to keep an elderly dad and elementary kiddos entertained. Right now I am composing this NEWSLETTER and listening to the Boston Red Sox vs Texas Rangers game on an IPAD in my "baseball" room while Murphy is watching the game on television in the bedroom and Dad is watching wrestling (WWE's 100th telecast) that I DVR'd for him in the den! Talk about multi-tasking. I keep checking on Dad telling him I am working on "school work" on the computer. So far he is "believing it".
MOMMA LUCY
We have a bird feeder in the back yard and we enjoy watching several species of birds pick out their favorite food. Well,
our 12 year old toy poodle, who is diabetic and also has a seizure disorder, has to go outside often to do her "business". We leave our patio door open about 5-6 inches so that we don't have to constantly open and close it. We have been pleasantly surprised that one of our birds that frequents the feeder has decided to take advantage of the air conditioning. She has decided to boldly fly and hop through the opening and just make herself comfortable. She hops around under the kitchen table and eats crumbs that Dad tends to drop and then now has expanded her territory and goes all over the house. She is not scared of us and has even hopped right past our dog. She goes all over the house and we have to make sure she is not "hiding" before we leave the house or lock the doors to go to bed! The photo I took of "MOMMA LUCY" is her on the bathroom window ledge. I guess she is even "potty trained" since you can see the bird dropping on the window in the BATHROOM, of course! The only time I felt like putting her in "time out" was when she kept landing on my GONE WITH THE WIND collectible plates in one of the bedrooms. I don't know if she is running away from an abusive husband, thinks we are a halfway house, or just likes baseball! I'll keep you posted in the next NEWSLETTER!
SUPPORT
from Darlene Turner Landry
(update on husband, Steve Landry)
Steve is doing much better since his surgery. He is still in a neck brace, will have it for at least a month.
CONDOLENCES
(death of a '67 graduate)
Ronald Cormier
March 21, 1949-July 18, 2012
(His obituary can be found in the OBITUARIES section on the front page of the website)
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Please check your e-mail box to see if I have contacted you to update your current mailing information for my spreadsheet. Remember the "magic" number of 99 classmates that I was still waiting to hear from? Well, thank you to the 3 classmates that checked their mail and responded. I am only waiting on 96 more.
Stay in touch and contact a classmate,
Linda DeCuir McFadden