TJ Class of '68     NEWSLETTER                                                     04/13/07    
         

Hey Friends!
    Boy, I just realized that this is
Friday the 13th.  It has already been a "hairy" week, so I guess it is just natural to have it end the same way.  I have spent 5 days back and forth with my parents at St. Mary Hospital starting with my mother making a trip in the ambulance after fainting at home. She has been having lots of episodes of gastric problems over the years and we now know that there is a large stone in the biliary duct (gall bladder has been out for 30 years)!!  Anyway, with Dad (91 yrs old) with dementia and Mom (his care-giver), it always becomes TWO patients at a time.  Mom is 84 and in very frail health.  Dad is going to live to be a hundred!!  Anyway, back to the story.  She is going to have to have the surgery in Houston (Monday, I think).  Keep us in your prayers.  Thanks. 

MAIL CALL

from Debbie Borres in Nederland
Everything is going good around here.  We are getting ready to sail Monday on the Bishop Byrne/TJ Alumni cruise that has been in the BULLETIN BOARD section of our website. Just a couple of names on the list that I recognize.  I also see John Parent from the class of '66.  He used to be in the band NITE LITES while we were in junior high and high school.  Hope to see you soon as we will be planning our 40th reunion in '08.

(The last I heard was that classmates Ricky Bradley and wife Gloria Phillips were going.  Look them up. Take a picture and send it to us to publish .)

from Jack Etheredge in Bridge City
Our first grandchild, Peyton, made her grand entrance Friday, April 6, 07, at 9:04pm.  She weighs 7lbs, 14oz and is 20 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful!!!!   Our daughter, Niki, husband, and baby are doing fine.  Grandma and Grandpa are very proud of her.  She already has us wrapped around her little finger.  Can ya'll believe it?  We are finally grandparents.  What a wonderful feeling!!!  

(I agree.  I saw photos of that beautiful baby granddaughter.)
 

from Janette Light Norton in Amarillo
Don't we have lovely memories?  I, for once, don't have words to express how much the class of '68 appreciates you and Mike for helping us keep those memories alive--in fact, some of the memories have been revived after decades of dormacy.
 

from Georgia Peterson Winkler in Austin
I really enjoy the updates and all the work you, Mike, and the classmates send in to keep the rest of us informed.  Port Arthur was a great place to be raised and I hold fond memories of the past.  It does hurt to go there and see the differences in the familiar places of my childhood.  Everything changes and we need to move forward.  At least through this communication of the TJ website - some things can be revisited and appreciated. 

(Happy 57th B-D April 17th sweet friend!)
 

from Charlotte Johnson Hebert in Conroe
Sorry I am so late in replying to your request for information. We just returned from camping. I am excited to be "found" and off of the MISSING list. I appreciate Rhonda Richey (Bill's wife) sending you my e-mail address.  I am looking forward to catching up to date with other classmates. 

(So glad you "joined" us.  I LOVE deleting names from the MISSING LIST.)
 

from Janice Huebel Slaughter in Guntersville , AL
I've lived in Lumberton, TX, Mountainside, NJ, Gadsden, AL, and am currently in Guntersville, AL, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and on the largest lake in the state, a great bass fishing lake which has hosted several Bassmaster tournaments. It's a beautiful area but a long drive from my parents & siblings in TX.  My husband, Glenn, and I have been married almost 32 yrs.; he's a retired FBI agent & now has a PI business.  We have a married daughter in GA (and 4 granddaughters), a daughter who's a sophomore in college and a son who's a junior in high school.  I worked 10 yrs. in TX for the U. S. Government & have had a few part-time jobs 
since we left there.  I've done a lot of volunteer work, especially with the Child Advocacy Center and the local Arts Council.  I've 
chaired a songwriters' competition for the last several years, which takes place here in Sept., & asked Mike to post information about it in the newsletter.  We are close to Nashville and are able to get professional judges & great new talent. If you are an aspiring songwriter or know of one, please contact me for more information.  Hope to see everyone at our next reunion.

(Janice is not playing fair!  I saw her in PA last month and she looked like her senior class yearbook picture.  I bet it is that Appalachian Mountain WATER.  Send me about a dozen cases for starters!) 
 

from Nancy Decker in Kerrville
Thanks for everything that you and Mike are doing.  We love it. 

from Elizabeth "Liz" Hall in Lubbock
I really enjoy getting all of this information.  The pictures are really reat and if I ever had a minute to devote to the project I would try to get you some pictures of those of us who went to Terrell Elementary and to Edison .  Anyway, I am working away at Texas Tech.  My husband retired last May so he spends time taking care of our home in Lubbock so that we can spend every spare minute at our 
ranch in Flomot, Texas (8 miles from Turkey near Caprock Canyons State Park , 440 acres with the Pease River running through it).  Maybe some of our classmates would like to look at the pictures of the ranch that I have posted on the fotomat.com website. It's www.fotomat.com.  You will have to log on.  The user name is my email address (e.hall@ttu.edu) and the password is lizzie.  The guy in the "gentleman rancher" clothes is my husband John Burns.  The guy sitting on the trailer tongue is our friend and the woman in the funky hat sitting in the Toro Workman is me.  My health is good.  No chemo or radiation just lots of follow up tests on a regular basis.  Thank goodness for colon screening.
Elizabeth R. Hall, Ph.D.
Vice Provost
Office of the Provost
Texas Tech University
Box 42019
Lubbock , Texas   79407
(806) 742-2184

(I am thrilled about your health report.)
 

from Lyn Frasier Lee in Port Neches
Thanks so much for the time and effort that you and Mike put into our class website.  I am constantly bragging on our site. 

from Billy Jordan in Decatur, AL
The new web site is awesome!  You and Mike have done a first class job.  I am now about five months past my prostate cancer surgery and fully recovered.  I am so busy I have few minutes in the day free.  My wife and I are designing our final retirement home.  We have never built one from the ground up and it is amazing how much detail you have to sort through.  We have also bought another home that I am fixing up and will rent to my youngest daughter.  On top of all that I am the President of our church's congregation this year and there is a lot going on as we are growing.  Finally, I am a volunteer for the United Way and serve on a few committees with various agencies.  And this is what I call retirement!!. 

On the personal side my grandson started walking a couple of weeks ago and it is just a wonder to see him get around and into things.  We are buddies and he hangs out a lot at our house.  My wife continues to teach preschool and will probably be doing this for the next 10 years.  My oldest sister lives in Port Neches and is a victim of Alzheimer's.  She is beginning to lose her memory of who people are which is sad.  I will be traveling to Texas within the next couple of months to see her.
(All I can say, Billy, is that you need to go get a J-O-B!  You seem bored!)

from Gary Hammond in Plano
Thanks for what you and Mike DO!

from Linda Langhoff in Elberta, AL
I was on the computer and had just been thinking that I wished I knew the appropriate amount to send for a donation for the website.  I want to tell you & Mike  that your time and efforts put into this project are noticed and enjoyed by many of us, as we search our memories and photos to contribute something for you to work with. I have procrastinated sending a donation, trying to decide on how much to donate.  I am sure any amount would help, so there will be one in the mail next week from Alabama. 

(ANY amount is appreciated since it all goes to the same POT!~) 

from Laura Meece Darby in Kingwood
We have finally sold our house in Round Rock and moved back to Kingwood! 

Did anyone notice that there are only two states represented in this MAILCALL? You three classmates from ALABAMA need to do a MAPQUEST search and see what it would take to visit.

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WEBSITE $$$ CONTRIBUTIONS 

from Linda Blakley Rindlishbacher
"Here is another contribution for the website.  You and Mike have done a super job.  I love it.  I was a total nerd-really didn't graduate 
with the class but should have.  Mike was nice to include me.  

(This was Linda's SECOND contribution.  I sent her a note saying that it isn't necessary.  I received the following note back.)
Thanks for the nice e-mail.  Glad that you are doing fine with contributions for the website.  Heck, I guess I won't have to send the $1,000 I was going to send next month.  Ha Ha  Thanks again for all of the hard work and time that you put into the wonderful web site. 

I will be using some of the website funds to send out postcards to classmates that aren't currently on my e-mail list.  This is in hopes of getting more classmates involved and also to inform them about our class website.  Mike is looking for some current softwear to use for our website, also.   

Contributions may be sent to:

Linda DeCuir McFadden
112 Woodsong
Bridge City, TX 77611

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SUPPORT NEEDED

 Pati Plummer Paulino has been battling breast cancer since last spring, having incurred complication after complication.  Pati 
has been unable to return to her teaching job in Orange since the beginning of her cancer battle.  Maybe some of our classmates 
that have battled this malady could give her some encouraging words!

Pati Plummer Paulino
4200 Griffing Dr.
Port Arthur, TX 77642
pati515@yahoo.com
 

Yolanda Reyes Bourque suffered a staph infection and complications and was hospitalized for 71 days in Houston!  She is still trying to recover.

Yolanda Reyes Bourque
6078 Inez Ave.
Orange, TX 77630 

Please send me names of others that could use our support.  That is what we do BEST!!

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Condolences

Alan Foley    
(loss of his brother, Thomas Doyle Foley)
3367-26th St.
Port Arthur, TX 77642
(409)982-9706 

Linda King McComas
(loss of her mother)
10458 Parkside Dr.
Willis, TX 77318
ronmccomas@suddenlink.net
 

Ron Waedemon
(loss of his mother)
1818 Cheyenne River Circle
Sugar Land, TX 77478
(281)980-5368
intrfund@aol.com

bbw1m@aol.com
 

It is always hard to lose a loved one.  But, Linda King and Barry Boudreaux (mentioned in the last 3/26/07 NEWSLETTER) lost BOTH their PARENTS in a very few weeks time!  Please support your TJ classmates by contacting them and expressing your sentiments.  God bless them in their time of grief. 

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I hope that you are enjoying the TJ FIGHT SONG at the beginning of our website.  Tell us what you think.  How about the faculty photos?  You can find them by clinking CLASS PHOTOS near the top of the home page and selecting ADMIN/FACULTY.  Too many memories.  It is like dessert.....just a little at a time.  Enjoy it all.  Looking at our website is how I try to RELAX.  Cheaper than a spa massage for sure!  Thanks for ALL of the KUDOS that you send to Mike and I, but we just compile YOUR NEWS AND MEMORIES.  It is all of you that contribute your time and effort to keep our website refreshing.  So, this closes my NEWSLETTER during my STRESSFUL week.  I found an anonymous quote that seems to fit perfectly. 

Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"

                                                 Stay safe and keep in touch,
                                                 Linda DeCuir McFadden
                                                 lindasuemcfadden@sbcglobal.net
                                                 www.tjhs1968.com

 

         
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