I am putting this newsletter together after the completion of our 40th Reunion Activities over the weekend of June 23 and 24. I believe that everyone had a great time. We had a record number of classmates attending one or more of the three events. We had first time reunion attendees of Johnny Crowley, Randy Robinson and Gay Reed Johnson. We had hoped to see James (Pat) Tiffin, Gwen Austin and Randy Doty (Gwen & Randy left us in Jr. High), but they were both unable to attend. We were also very happy that Judy Logan was able to come in from Oregon this year. Of course there were a large number who were unable to attend and we hope that by the next time – even more are able to make it to the party! Photos of the reunion will hopefully be online at the website soon!
I want to thank our classmates who provided the needed funds to make our reunion possible. I still have people that are amazed that we manage to have classmates provide enough funds to cover the cost and that we have never solicited each person attending to send us money. Let me thank again: Caroline Cason Wilkinson, Linda Bowden Cox, Dr. Jim Box, John Yancey, Lavoy Grider, James Peek, Wylie Hokett, Darrell Faglie, Donna Young Faglie, Cindy Peters Brown, Barbara Curry Childress, Gay Reed Johnson, Quentin Hix, Joe Lipscomb, David Florence, Darlene Tillery Florence, Bob Havran, Gary Cumbie, Van Morrison, Kent Kennedy, Rick Stacy and Larry Oliver. This group provided the funds to cover the expenses, plus enough to cover website costs for more than the next three years.
I need to extend several SPECIAL THANK YOUS:
To Darrell & Donna Faglie for hosting the Brunch on Saturday morning, June 24 where about 50 guests enjoyed a fun time of good food and fellowship. We also had Harlan & Inez Jewett, Tom Walker and Ms. Jimmie Hosea join us for the brunch!
To Rick Stacy for providing the Community Room at Stacy Furniture for our Saturday evening event. It was a great place and just the perfect size for our group. Rick thanks for you friendship and for always being there to help, as always.
To Gary & Jane Cumbie and Darrell & Donna Faglie for always being there when I needed help and support and working to find people and calling people, and encouraging people to attend.
To Linda Bowden Cox and Jerry for their help as well – even from Houston, Linda and Jerry were always there and ready to assist in any way.
To Bobbie Jo Benson Mitchell for the inspiring and spirit-filled invocation at the Saturday evening event – it was the start of a wonderful evening – thank you so much.
I hope everyone enjoyed the events and enjoyed our special guests: Harlan & Inez Jewett (they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 9, 2006); Coach Tom Walker who has always been a teacher, mentor and friend of our class; Coach Dwaine Boydstun and his wife Helen who also joined us. Coach Boydstun was only at GHS for a few years, but they were during our high school years and was a large part of our high school days; Dr. Edith Pewitt who was our high school science teacher (Physics & Chemistry) who continues to provide great leadership and participation in the City of Grapevine and one who has always been a strong supporter of our class; and especially we want to acknowledge Jimmie Hosea who was the 4th grade teacher of about 26 of our class. She told some great stories – especially about Marcia Holder. It was great to have her there and to also hear stories of her husband John who was a math teacher to many of us in the sixth and seventh grade. Thanks to Gary for tracking down Mrs. Hosea.
It was great to have the opportunity to speak to so many of the class during our efforts to find as many classmates as possible. I continue to be disappointed that some of our classmates remain distant from us. I hope that Marcia Holder, Janice Jordan McElroy, and a few others will decide to join us at the 45th or some other activity we have before that event. I feel that some of our classmates are missing a special time and a remarkable feeling by not joining us. I have about 75 classmates with (currently) good email addresses. I have 120 classmates on my list. We have email addresses, mailing addresses and/or phone numbers for about 104. We have five class members who are deceased and about 11 that we have been unable to locate. However, we have more located today than ever before….and we will continue to try and find the others.
The 40th Reunion was actually our 8th such event, we’ve had a 10 year (Grapevine Civic Center & Holiday Inn in Richland Hills), 15 year (Quail Hollow Ranch / Faglie’s), 20 year (Rick Stacy’s), 25 year (Solana Marriott/Southlake), 30 year (LaCasa Mexican Café), 35 year (Grapevine Concourse Facility), 36 year (Home of Darrell & Donna Faglie), and now the 40th at Stacy Furniture in Grapevine. Each year a number of things seem to become clear. (1) We ARE getting older; (2) We continue to value one another; (3) We seem to have truly discovered the major contribution to one another – we have been and continue to be more supportive of one another, especially during these more recent years, during these difficult times, when we have experienced the loss of parents, spouses, children and even grandchildren. I know from two very personal experiences since the 35 year reunion just how important your support has been for me and my family. I know that we never truly realized how important those years were between the mid-fifties and the mid-sixties in Grapevine, Texas would turn out to be – I hope you have stopped to think back and see how those years influenced so much of who each of us is today…you will be amazed and thankful to many people. I challenge you to stop for a moment and remember those years, those people, those classmates, those teachers, those parents and the citizens who helped to mold the character, personalities, and ethics our class exhibits today.
Please remember those in our class who have left us, Diana James, Donnie Moss, Roger Jordan, Bobby Lawrence and Linda Blevins Iberra.
The three months prior to our 40th Reunion were not always so happy. A number of friends of our class passed away over the past three months.
In March, Coach Tom Walker lost his wife Genell. Genell had suffered Alzheimer’s for some time. I know that Tom appreciated the flowers, phone calls and cards from a number of our class during his loss.
Philip Vester, who many of you remember, passed away in late April.
Many of our class also knew Pat Thrasher, who also passed away in April.
Bobby Joe (Bear Creek) Hilliard died after undergoing heart surgery in April.
The class of 1965 also lost Susan Yates after a long illness. Susan was so special to the Class of 1965 – she was the one who kept them together and kept communication open for that class. I know that her classmates will truly miss her and the others that have passed away over the past few months.
James Baber had surgery after they discovered an enlarged heart and patches on his lung. They replaced some arteries in his legs and he is expected to return to work full time the first of July.
If you have any ideas as to how to contact the following, please let me know:
Jerry Bates Pat Bates Dwaine Bryce Bill Tutt Jill Carlson Williams
Gail Defibaugh Evelyn (Dobie) Gill Lindsey Kenneth Hughes
Doris Jean Jones Betty McQuade Mary O’Conner Woods Jackie Morgan
These are the only classmates that I have not been able to locate at this point in time….so, any assistance would be most appreciated.
Photos of the 40th REUNION coming soon to our website at www.ghsclassof1966.com
God Bless the GHS Class of 1966 and their families!
Respectfully,
Larry Oliver