The Class  NEWSLETTER                                                                         07/24/14
         
   

 

 

MAIL CALL

from Jeanette Constantine Morgan in Groves

June 28

I just wanted to let you and Mike know that I just got through reading our latest newsletter. I wanted to say thank you for the great job that ya'll do. It really keeps me informed about what is going on in the lives of classmates that I would not other wise know about.  My heart goes out to all of those ladies who lost their husbands and those with the medical problems. I know for myself I truly enjoy the job you both do and really appreciate it. I am looking forward to reading about your vacation and hope that you can make it.

Dennis and I just had a visit from our son Chris who lives in NYC. He came for a very short visit. We had both sides of the family over and I made a huge pot of seafood gumbo. Everyone had such a good time visiting with him. I wanted to share with the classmates that Chris is the proud owner of Morgan's Brooklyn BarBQue. It was listed in the top 100 restaurants. His restaurant was also chosen after several interviews to be on the show Bravo. They will start taping in July and it will air in January. If any classmates make it to NY please go by and check out his Texas style restaurant and tell him they are my classmate. Thanks again for the great updates.

(I am heading to NY in December with three other gals and I plan to eat some yummy BBQ there.)

denandjune@yahoo.com

 

from Elizabeth Tieskens Ellis in Sugar Land

June 27

First day of retirement... In pj's til noon, drinking coffee, birds singing, dogs relaxing, wind chimes chiming, chatting with lifetime friends on the phone...and a new chapter begins.

liztellis@gmail.com

 

from Cherlyn Hebert in Houston

June 29

I just got back from a motor coach tour that started in Rapid City, South Dakota, and ended in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the trip we visited Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer's Last Stand, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone. Mount Rushmore was impressive; but Yellowstone was truly the highlight. The wildlife was so amazing; we saw deer, elk, a fox, a mother black bear and three cubs, moose and lots of buffalo. We stayed at the Old Faithful Inn; I would say Old Faithful itself was less than 100 yards from the front door. What a treat! And as we were leaving the second morning, it was snowing! It snowed on us most of that day as we toured around Yellowstone. I'll have to say that this Texas girl was a lot more excited by that than the northerners on the trip.

 

I had so much fun seeing some of the good ol' USA that I intend to do more in the future. It'll have to wait for a while, though, because I'm having my second knee replacement in July. But if I recuperate as well from this one as I did from my other one in January, I hope to resume my traveling in the not-too-distant future.

hebert1220@att.net

 

from Loretta LaLonde Myers in League City

Glynn and I went to visit some friends and our classmate, Marian Taylor Bellanger, was there and we had fun talking about high school classmates. Marian’s husband is our friends’ brother.

(Marian's brother, Wayne was the official photographer at our 45th class reunion.)

lorettamyers@verizon.net

 

from Janette Light Norton in Cypress

July 10

It's been a while since I wrote and I feel really badly. With all the work that you and Mike put into our most special of all class websites, keeping your inbox full is the least we can do to help you guys out.

 

First of all, my daughter is now expecting her second child. If all goes as planned, this will be our 4th and last grandchild. Already we have the 3 precious girls and I wouldn't mind rounding out with a 4th, but of course, Someone Else is in charge of this rodeo.

 

As many of you know, my lifelong friend Liz Tieskens is moving to Denver, probably within the next few weeks. So, what going away present at our age that speaks to a meaningful farewell? I surprised her with a surprise visit from her all-time longest friend (neighbors at birth), Beverly Copeland, and Liz's jr. high running buddy, Jann Rodriguez. I didn't think Liz would ever stop crying or breathe. The last time she saw Jann was at our 30th or so reunion.

 

And today, we had a girls' day at our pool, including Peggy Foster. Still as much fun as our days at Lakeview Pool but certainly not photo worthy. Haha...and my cute boyfriend Richard was only too glad to leave us alone. My how times have changed. Love all.

(What a memorable surprise!  You are a great friend.  Thanks for sharing this fun time with your classmates.)

hjn50beach@yahoo.com

 

from David Lapham in Sunset Valley, TX

We recently managed to take a few weeks off from our über busy retirement to travel to Germany. We went the latter half of May with some friends and stayed in a condo in the Rhineland for about a week, driving around and sightseeing. Very beautiful country, I wouldn't mind spending a few months there particularly in the late Spring time. There were vineyards everywhere, and we sampled our share of wine but we had to try the local beers at least every other day. After we left the condo we took a bus tour that made a circle all around the country. We saw quite a bit and had a great time.

DaveL@lapham.us

 

from Perry Peterson, TJ '65 in Marble Falls (brother of Georgia Peterson Winkler)

Greetings from the class of '65

Georgia is busy with her 3 grandkids and still works for the school district in Austin.

I'm retired in Marble Falls and enjoying 5 grandkids and griping about politics.

Next year is our 50th reunion... What???

At the 10th,  we met everyone' spouses and learned about their careers. At the 20th,  we met each others new spouses and learned about their families. At the 30th, we struggled to recognize if our classmate was the husband or the wife. Now the 50th...trying to stay alive till it gets here.

In hindsight, combined reunions would have been nice so we could see you guys from other classes too.

Y'all are looking good.

php847@gmail.com

(Thanks for checking in on us.  Tell your sweet sister “hi” and tell her to drop us a line, also.)

 

DAD's MOVE

Well, it finally happened.  Dad moved into his new “digs” on Monday, June 30.  I was so upset that weekend while packing that I cried on and off for two days and he hadn't even left!  Actually the day of the move was much better.  Maybe because we were so busy getting him moved in and so much to talk about with the new facility and new “friends”  that were already there.  Dad took it in stride, like I knew he would.  He is comfortable as long as someone tells him what, when, where, and how.  Isn't that a blessing!!! Ernie Castaneda Bullion, along with my granddaughters and husband helped me through this move.  They were a Godsend.  By the way,  Dad is the lone man there and the other nine ladies are always doting on him.  They are worried he might not get enough to eat!  The aides think he is SUPER!  I check on him a couple of times a week.  I don't want to go there every day.  That would defeat the purpose of having him there and not living here.  Murphy and I are enjoying the “freedom” that this move has given us.  It has been a long time coming but I still feel so BLESSED that I still have my DAD in my life.  He is special. 

(I want to thank all the classmates that have taken the time to write, call, and pray about this with me.  Your sentiments have certainly helped me through this  huge step.)

 

HEALTH ISSUES

The nuclear cardiac PET scan was normal, EKG and Echo were also normal.  I haven't received any results yet of the Heart Calcium Scan.  Terrific results so far!  My shoulder is still bothering me and the dr. gave me another shot to ease the inflammation.  So far so good?  Not so fast, buckeroo....

 

TRIP TO ER

God said, “So, your Dad has moved and you think you are carefree.  Let's throw a kink into your thinking!”

July 10 (the night I was to write a NEWSLETTER for the update)

I had a “granddaughter/Nanny” afternoon planned with pedicures and yogurt treats.  I began to feel “strange” after the pedicure and sat in the car for a few minutes until the feeling subsided.  I drove the girls about a half block to the  yogurt place and the same thing happened while in the shop.  I waited in the car until the feeling left me and drove the girls to indoor soccer about three miles away.  While waiting for the building to open the symptoms returned with avengence.  I had to lay my seat back and turn the ac up!  I had no control when trying to hold my head up and my arms felt like noodles.  Someone in the parking lot called my daughter and she met Murphy at Beaumont Emergency Center.  I was there for about four hours.  I couldn't stand, hold my head or arms up.  My speech was very halting and monotone.  I remember everything.  The doctor ran blood work, EKG, CAT scan of the brain and of the neck.  Everything was normal except the neck which showed lots of arthritis and degenerative disease several disks down.  I have had problems with my neck and shoulders since my neck and throat cancer surgery in 1980 and 1981 that resulted in a lot of nerve damage.  While “talking” with the doctor, I remembered that I had sat in a MASSAGE CHAIR while having a pedicure.  Because all other tests were normal, he concluded that the motion of the chair could have added extra irritation to a vunerable area of my spine. 

 

So, I now will visit with a Neurologist in August to see what is going on.  Hopefully, a TIA was not the cause.  I sure don't want this to happen again while driving!  Stay tuned.....

(Now you know why we didn't have a NEWSLETTER in the last update.)

 

NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT

Good news.  After five months, Murphy has lost 35 lbs and I have lost 32 lbs.  Yea.  We are doing it by cutting out extra sweets (not eliminating them, though), portion control, healthier eating, and “moving” more.  Nothing fancy.

 

A thrill of a game!  You all know by now that I LOVE baseball.  Well, FINALLY our hometown boy, Clay Buchholz was slated to pitch in the Boston Red Sox/Astros game on Sunday, July 13.  Now, I was in the ER on Thursday night before the weekend game was scheduled.  The doctor wanted me to go into the hospital for a “couple” of days to check out what was going on.  I would have nothing to do with that and POSSIBLY miss this game!  I told him in my “monotone” voice that whatever was going on with me would still be going on the day AFTER the game.  Well, was I happy I stood my ground.  Clay pitched a “complete game giving up only three hits and no walks, striking out 12 batters and winning the game 11-0!” What a thrill for him in front of his Lumberton/Beaumont area fans.  What a fun day.  I wish our good friends, Ernie (Castaneda) and Ron Bullion would have been with us.  We have a tradition of spending a weekend each summer watching baseball in Minute Maid Park.  It just didn't work out for this series like in the past.  They are Buchholz  fans, also.  Another downer!   Murphy said “NO” to buying me a box of Cracker Jack.  That is UN-AMERICAN.   (I ate a terrific link on a bun with delicious bbq sauce and cole slaw, though!) Yummy

 

In the last two months we have been burning up the pavement.  We had our “classmate's” weekend in Bastrop (Lost Pines Resort) the last weekend in May.  Then, two days after we moved Dad we spent five days in New Braunfels at the River Road campsite.  There were forty-one of us on three spots. We had five RV's and two tents on our sights.  Even though that sounds crazy, it was “organized chaos”.  It was a wonderful, relaxing few days. Because of my “bad” shoulder, I didn't go tubing but laid around in the water like a beached whale. Many of the friends & family that were gathered there were from the TEQUILA's Restaurant families in Port Arthur. The food......awesome.  Ask me if Murphy worried about what we ate.  NOPE.

 

My daughter, husband and granddaughters are heading home after a week in Lake City, CO. This is a small town where Jud Hollingsworth TJ '66 owns a hardware business.  They spent the week exploring, riding bikes, relaxing and hiking.  My 11 year old granddaughter hiked with her dad to the top of Handies Peak (1453 miles high).  This was her first attempt and now she is “stoked”.  I am really proud of her achievements.  She is the one that I “showcased” in an earlier NEWSLETTER.  Love that Bailey “Bug”.  

 

SUPPORT

Charlotte Pace Thurston underwent a successful sinus cancer surgery at MD Anderson on July 14.  After recovering, she will then have a cancerous kidney removed and then undergo chemo and radiation.  Please keep her spirits up by contacting her with your well wishes. 

 

2702 Mazur

Port Neches, TX 77651

 

Rhonda Carleton Richey '70 (wife of Bill Richey)

Rhonda had anterior cervical fusions surgery July 15 at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston. She will have several weeks recouperating with Bill running the show.  Uh oh.  No, she said he has been a “real trooper” helping her out.

rrich@gt.rr.com

 

3695 Woodway Dr.

Orange, TX 77630

 

Kent Koerth '66 (husband of Jane Lippincott)

Kent will undergo six weeks of radiation in Houston for prostate cancer.  He previously underwent surgery at MD Anderson.

kkoerth@gt.rr.com

 

2707 Miller

Port Neches, TX 77651

 

from Jan Russell in Spring

I'm doing great. My surgery went well and after the 1st 2 days I had no pain at all. This after the surgeon had told me how EXTREMELY PAINFUL the surgery would be! That just goes to show how faithful the Lord is in answering our prayers. So I'm spending the rest of the summer dealing with getting things set up with Medicare; I'm turning 65 in September! (Oh my!!!) This coming school year will be my 42nd and LAST year to teach, so I'm also trying to get things set up ahead of time with Texas Teacher Retirement. Between Medicare and Teacher Retirement System, it's so complicated. Almost tempted to just keep working until I die. (NOT REALLY) I've been to so many retirement meetings and may have to take a trip to Conroe to speak with someone face to face about Medicare. (Don't want to deal with the Houston people!)

jlrussell49@comcast.net

 

from Alfred and Carolyn Hebert (Alfred...TJ biology teacher)

Alfred is doing better since his biking accident but driving is a slight bit of a challenge. We have some trips coming up soon and we will have to share some of the driving. He is riding his recumbent bike now, just not real long yet. I am riding it too. I had three procedures done on my spine with the last one being surgery. I had an EMG done too and learned I have damaged muscles in my low back. The upper was not tested. So besides bone loss, pinched nerves from pinched discs, damaged cartilage, nerves add this. But we ARE in recovery.

hawaiistomnd@hotmail.com

 

Cherlyn Hebert is having a second knee replacement.

Hebert1220@.att.net

 

7928 Ellender Lane

Houston, TX 77040

 

CONDOLENCES

Paula Daigle Sheppard

(death of mother, Marie “Manette” Daigle)

5411 Garfield Ave.

Groves, TX 77619

 

shepppms@att.net

(View the obituary on the front page)

 

I noticed that we have four classmates that have moved back to TEXAS where they belong.....Bruce Meyer from New Jersey to Willis, TX, David Williams from Traverse City, MI to Sherman, TX and Bart and Laura (Meece) Darby from Corapolis, PA to Katy, TX.  Welcome back.  What took you so long?

 

                                 

                         Stay in touch and contact a classmate,

                         Linda DeCuir McFadden

                         lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com

                         www.tjhs1968.com

 

 

 

 

     


                      

 
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