12/1/23

MAIL CALL
(none received)

WEBSITE DONATION
donation from Sharon Gary
donation from Linda DeCuir in memory of classmate Gary Bouillion

WEBSITE MAINTENANCE
I sent Mike Lawson $250.00 for the GoDaddy SSL certificate. It is due at the end of the year. It is a yearly cost that protects our server space. This money comes out of our website checking account that the classmates have so generously donated to over the years that has kept our website running. THANKS!!!!

MILITARY
We have added 3 photos and information provided by James Leland Hebert in the Air Force section of our Military. Thank you, James, for sharing. We would love to get more from other classmates, too. It can be of a classmate or any family member.

PHOTOS
I am still waiting on additional photos from our 55th reunion to add to our reunion section. It was really a fun time.

HELP IS ON THE WAY
If you ever need help in finding ANYTHING on our website, I am here for you. No questions are too “stupid”. (I hear that from friends.) If I can’t help you navigate what you are looking for, I’ll reach out to our website guru, Mike Lawson. Don’t hesitate to ask.

CARDINAL CADENCE
The Magazine of Lamar University
The Fall issue 2023 included a story about Murphy and I. A section in each quarterly magazine has CARDINAL LOVE STORIES. Any alumni that met their spouse at Lamar can send in their “story”.

Here is ours:
Linda (DeCuir) “72 and Murphy McFadden “71 Murphy and I were one year apart at Thomas Jefferson High School but really just knew each other’s names. We met in the spring of ’70 at the Newman Center (Catholic Student Union) on campus. I was an elementary education major and he was a political science/government major. I was also a member of the Lamar marching and symphonic bands. We made many lifelong friends from our years at the Newman Center. We still lived at our childhood homes in Port Arthur and carpooled to classes with friends from high school for four years. We both drove our own red VW beetles to college. After graduation from Lamar, Murphy began working at Texaco Refinery and I retired after teaching first graders at West Orange-Cove CISD for 30 years. We still follow Lamar activities and attend sports functions. I also attend theatrical productions and art shows. We both are proud Lamar Alumni and sing Lamar’s praises any time we can! We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary July 28 this year.

SURGERY UPDATE
I had a reverse shoulder replacement on my right arm on Oct. 4. I was very apprehensive because everyone I had talked to said how horrible the recovery was. Even though I had a massive rotator cuff tear and other issues, Dr. Edwards at Fondren said that it wasn’t operable. Therefore, a reverse shoulder replacement was needed instead. Thank you! Obviously, this procedure is a lot less painful recovering than rotator cuff surgery. I go to aquatic therapy twice a week and do home exercises. I had to forego driving for six weeks since it was my dominant arm. Things are going well. I will do my left shoulder in the future. Oh, Murphy said with my NEXT HUSBAND!

NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT I had to purchase a new IMAC computer even though mine was only three years old. Some weird glitch caused the screen to fry. Anyway, because Murphy and I are so technically challenged, we pay a yearly payment to the Geek Squad to get things straightened up when they go awry. Two weeks after our new printer and desk top computer was set up, a couple of problems popped up. Since I didn’t think that they were major I went online to set up a “chat”. That is where the PROBLEMS began. I wasn’t paying enough attention and ended up on a website that wasn’t legitimate but looked almost exactly like Best Buy’s website. I tried to converse with “Mark” for an hour trying to get to the problem. We were almost arguing (should have been a red flag, duh) and I was so irritated that I hollered to Murphy to bring me a TEQUILA SHOT, no, a DOUBLE SHOT just to get through this conversation. By the end of the hour, he was telling me that our computer was completely infected with viruses. It needed security soft wear installed for $750. Murphy could hear the conversation and we said we would call Best Buy to set up a home visit. “Mark” hung up! When we did get the real Geek Squad out here, the problems were a minor fix, no viruses, and he backtracked on my history and found it was obviously a SCAM website. Ugh. I hate being old. Thankfully, no harm was done. He said they will really mess up your computer and often clients will lose everything. I guess it was my lucky day!!!
My Aggie granddaughters were a big help when they came in for Thanksgiving. They helped Murphy take down the Christmas tree and ornament boxes out of the attic and retrieved other Christmas boxes from my “she shed”. That is just another word for expensive storage unit I pay monthly because I don’t have a large attic or needed closet space!

SUPPORT
Ray Knox (husband of Pat Trahan)
update 10/12/23
Ray is at Calder Woods Retirement Center. We still don't know what caused him to fall. He will have PT, CT and speech therapy. He is doing well and we are only about 3 minutes away. Sandy, our dog, is mourning. She'll sleep with me, wake me for a potty break and to eat. The rest of the day, she lays curled up where she could Ray come in on either side. I definitely miss my better half!!! Continued prayers will be appreciated. Ray and I are so very fortunate to have two wonderful sons. They took care of everything. Rich took care of Sandy (our 4-legged precious dog), mail, running in and out for any Beaumont needs, washing; Jeff was at the funeral home when the ambulance arrived, and arranged paperwork to be completed, took care of the transfer of Ray after his hospital stay to Calder Woods.
11/3/23
For any prayers for Ray's recovery, thank you. He's at Baptist Hospital on the rehab floor. He's working so hard. I do understand now how slow brain recovery is. I am so lucky to have a wonderful friend who is the most capable with info because of having gone through this herself. We will continue therapy even when they are off. Our TJ class are tops!!!
11/16/23
My husband, Ray, is in Calder Woods Retirement Community following a Traumatic Brain Injury while attending a friend's funeral in the Woodlands. Following a several hospital changes, he has seen by several doctors. The nurse practitioner sees the patients once a week. He has a very strong thresh hold for pain, but he can only follow see the nurse practitioner for pain and follow which procedures how the much pain to get comfortable. Prayers will be so appreciated! patknox@hotmail.com
Pat Knox
925 Brandywine
Beaumont, TX 77706

Ricky Bradley
11/9/23
a note from Gloria Phillips Bradley
Monday night Rick woke at 2am with chest pains on the right side, jaw & throat. Running tests, they found he also had Double Pneumonia. They hooked him up to 2 strong Antibiotics continuing nitro packs. Tuesday morning pain still on chest, neck & jaw. More tests started them thinking heart was fine and it was Lungs doing all the pain from Pneumonia. They started leaning towards Gastrointestinal problems from the Esophagus to stomach. So, they are doing a Gastrointestinal scoop tomorrow around 1pm.
11/20/23
Rick is still hospitalized as his condition continues to worsen. We need your continued prayers over the next several days.
11/23/23
Today we are so very thankful to our Precious Lord, Rick is doing better this Thanks giving day. Turkey is good but husband is so much better. Drs have him on restrictive liquids diet. No more confusion last 2 days. Still has CHF left lung. Pneumonia in both lungs. Legs still swollen. Had really bad Afib with his heart rhythm several days & nights. Seems they have it under control right now. On oxygen 24/7. God is still on the Throne & in charge.
11/28/23
Rick passed all evaluations to go to Jim Thorpe South Side in-patient Therapy to learn to walk again. He arrived at 2:30 pm today.
Rbradley73064@yahoo.com
Ricky Bradley
9221 SW 99th ST.
Mustang, OK 73964
(I call him SUPERMAN for all he has gone through over the last several years. Ernie Bullion says he's like a cat with 9 lives!)

Marilyn Jackson
Marilyn was recently hospitalized for emergency medical issues. She is now home. She is receiving radiation for bladder cancer and chemo for breast cancer. Prayers for her recovery is appreciated.
marilynsjw@yahoo.com
Marilyn Jackson
2315 Glenwood
Port Arthur, Tx 77642

Debbie Borres Desmond
She reported that after several years of treatments for Lymphoma, she has now been deemed as CANCER FREE! Thanks for all the prayers.
Desmonddebbie353@gmail.com
Debbie Desmond
503 37th St.
Nederland, TX77627

Carole Oubre Reeves
Treatments for pancreatic cancer
Carole.reeves@att.net
Carole Reeves
6536 Jefferson
Groves, TX 77619

Dianna (Caillier) & Robert Lewis
Multiple health issues
Dianna Lewis
912 E. 6th St.
Port Arthur, TX 77640

Charline Valenciano Allen
Dementia
Jhargrave77@yahoo.com
Charline Allen
8695 Medical Center Blvd.
Port Arthur, TX 77640

Jeanette Constantine Morgan
recurring heart issues
denandjune@yahoo.com
Jeanette Morgan
3901 Hwy 366
Groves, TX 77619

Diane Barker Foreman
Multiple health issues
dianebforeman@gmail.com
Diane Foreman
5541 Garfield
Groves, TX 77619

Loretta (LaLonde) & Glynn Myers
Recovering from back surgery and upcoming hip surgery
Husband is having upcoming eye surgery for a macular hole in his left eye.
Lorettamyers@verizon.net
Loretta Myers
522 Beacons Hollow Lane
League City, TX 77573

Meredith Lawson (wife of Mike Lawson)
Oral surgery
Meredith Lawson
2119 Twin Lakes Blvd.
West Columbia, TX 77486

CONDOLENCES
(classmate gone too soon)

Gary James Bouillion
8/15/50 – 11/2/23
No services planned
Married to fellow classmate:
Tonna Cooksey Bouillion
1105 Squaw Valley
Leander, TX 78641
tonnalcb@swbell.net

Earnestine Robin (mother of Mike Elliott)
2/22/30 – 10/7/23

Joey Mallett (son of Lavada Wilson)
5/13/76 – 11/19/23
Lavada Edwards
9873 CR 179
Bedias, TX 77831
Lavada.edwards@gmail.com

(Earnestine Robin and Joey Mallet’s obits may be found in the OBITUARIES section at the top of the website front page)

Please reach out to the classmates listed that are having medical issues or that have lost a family member.

This is the last newsletter of 2023. The year included many classmates getting together to reminisce at the 55th class reunion. What a great weekend.

This year we learned of the passing of classmates Susan Broussard, Marlene Fallin, Randy Blanchard, Cathy Swanson, Frances Cook, Josephine Bordonaro, Patricia Patrick, Harold Schkade, Hal Ross, Nancy White and Gary Bouillion. We also found out about Diana de la Rosa’s passing in 2022. That brings our total to 179 KNOWN deaths.

Time passes too quickly. Take some time to reach out and visit with old friends or share a phone conversation, drop a line in the mail or text. Just reach out to me for an address, phone #, etc. Don’t wait until it is too late to reconnect.

Stay in touch and contact a classmate,
Linda DeCuir McFadden
lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com
www.tjhs1968.com