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Dearest Classmates,
It has been a "lifetime" since our last update (at least it feels like
a lifetime if you live in SOUTHEAST TEXAS!!!). Of course, the last
update was BEFORE the infamous RITA.
If you live here, you will understand that RITA has become a curse word. I
have had so
many inquiries from out of area classmates about how we all fared. Well, it
wasn't PRETTY, to say the least. The evacuation stories
can be down-right UGLY as well as FUNNY (now, of course). Downed
trees, mold in houses with leaks, holes in roofs, downed fences, cable out for
months, internet down for weeks, anything aluminum gone, FEMA troubles,
insurance troubles, adjusters not showing up, restaurants
still closed down, Central Mall closed down (about 4 stores are now open),
doctors not returning, signing up for waiting lists for roofers, plumbers,
fencemen, garage doors, flooring, windows, blue roofs, blue roofs, blue
roofs,etc!!!! Okay, do you get the idea? I have
heard from classmates that have had to move in with relatives or have them move
in with them. Maybe '06 will be better. Can you
believe that HURRICANE SEASON is only 5 months away? YIKES!!!
Okay, enough whining!!!
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MAIL CALL
How did you make out with Hurricane Rita? I was back
through Pt Arthur in late November but
only had time for a "drive-through" as we were on trip and just
passing through the area.
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I haven't had any updates from you in a while
and am starting to worry about you. I hope all is well and that you are
just taking a much
needed and deserved break from the website. My husband and I are finally
going to be able to travel to the States this month to see our families.
We are very excited about it.
(This must mean her husband has successfully
recouperated from his earlier heart attack)
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Believe it or not, Richard and I are not the only
people living in Amarillo who are also from the PA area. They tell sad
stories of their visits home but it's not like hearing from my own friends.
Richard and I had such a wonderful visit at the
alumni gathering at Larrys French Market just before the storm; now
we're ready to come
home and share the other side of life with you. Maybe this spring...
My thoughts and prayers have been with all of
you, while knowing that the indomitable Cajun spirit and your strong
faith will carry
everyone through. Please let me know what you hear about our classmates
and if there is any way that I can help or support the area. Except
for the bits and pieces of news that I get from a person here or there,
there is no other news. Glenn Myers sent me a web site with
some pictures but our local news stories are only about New Orleans. It's as if
no one has heard about the other places that have been
hurt.
Prairie fires are keeping us anxious in the
Panhandle. What an unusual time of life this is--so much happening all
over the world. I'm
glad to have friends and family to share it with. So many have no one.
Have a wonderful 2006. Give my love to all and
please write when you have time.
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I
have a hay farm up in a little town in North East Texas,
Atlanta
… that would be about 20 minutes south on highway 59 from
Texarkana
. Really nice rolling hills with hardwood and pines. My wife
inherited a farm (cows/hay) from her Grand Pa and we built a retirement home up
there. Since I don’t know the first thing about hay farming, :) I just
got some locals who cut and bail it for me. I take care of hunting
the deer, catching the fish, and other Cajun taught survival things. I
also am not retired I still have a 13 year old daughter at home and ,
Thank God, the older daughter graduated from college, FINALLY :) , and actually
is making a pay check. But all in all life is not bad.
I did go to
Port Arthur
to visit with Hugh Weatherly’s family, his mother passed
away … she was a very loving and good person and will always be remembered.
Hugh told me he wants to make the next get together with the class mates, he
lives up on Toledo Ben on the
water, what a life.:) I spoke with Randy Baker, he
has been working in
Nigeria
off shore .. He said it ain't fun.. but he keeps going back.
We
had a neat get together a few months back, Carol Bonin, Randy Baker
and myself met in
Nederland
. We were all neighbors and recalled some funny and some not so funny
memories. It was good to see Carol again, she is just getting into Scuba
Diving and had just
got her certificate. It was good laugh about the old days. By the
way, I saw the address you posted on the remember to pray list for
Susan Davis
a
nd I called her when I saw she lived in the same town I now live in.
We had a good chat and she said some folks had
seen her mothers name in the paper (in the Groves) and had came by the funeral
home. Come to find out her husband and my wife
went to school together (not the same grade but close, in a small town they all
know each other). Anyway, it was nice we talked and
got the scoop.
She does not live far from our farm and we are going to try to
get the families together when we can. Oh one thing we spoke about
was it would be nice if we scanned our old pictures some where so we could
remember what we look like … we both could not remember and she said she did
not have her old year book. I’m sure someone has already thought about
this on the web page idea, it would be great.
(Guess what Mike? Thanks to Mike Lawson, they are already
scanned!!)
Mike Soileau also thought we might
like to check out this website
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This is Tonna (Cooksey) Bouillion. I went to TJ but didn't graduate from
there. My folks moved me to Lumberton the middle of my Junior year.
I ended up marrying Gary Bouillion who did
graduate from TJ in 1968. But, I had gone to school in PA all my life. My
brother Paul Cooksey actually graduated from TJ in 1966 and lives in Lumberton
with his family still today. Gary and I got married right out of high school.
We have one son who is married and almost 33, one granddaughter who just
turned one...and a wonderful daughter-in-law named Shelli. Gary
and I will gladly contribute to the website fund, and who knows...maybe one day
we'll make it to a gathering or reunion. We live in the Austin area and have
since 1976. I work for Leander ISD in the Admin. building.
We are all praying for the evacuees up here in Austin. Please keep us all
posted...if there are specific families we can all help,
maybe that would work better than just a blanket donation to the Red Cross,
which we have done already. We all just want to help in some way.
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Just thought I would share info
of my first grandchild.
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