March 2004

Time keeps on moving on!  In about two more years we will be attempting to come together as a class to celebrate our 40^th Year Reunion.  Along those lines a group of our classmates who have been instrumental over the past 35+ years in planning & helping fund past reunions have talked about making some plans for the next one.  There will continue to be discussions, but again, we hope that we will have the funds available to make sure every class member who wants to attend will be able to do so and be able to make plans months in advance so as many class members as possible will be able to attend.

If we can swing things we will be looking at a full 24 hours of reunion time.  We are seeking a time in the spring of 2006.  We want to have a brunch(for late risers)/breakfast(for early risers) on Saturday morning.  We would also consider a golf tournament (for those wishing to participate at their expense) Saturday afternoon.  Then we would have a dinner party with some music for entertainment & dancing into the early hours (specifically requested by Caroline) of Sunday….and Sunday breakfast for those who stay over the night and if they can get up early enough to attend.

Another effort and being “chaired” by Mr. Gary Cumbie, along with Darlene Tillery Florence, Diane Cherry Stacy, and Van Morrison will be looking into an Alaskan Cruise for class members who would like to go.  It appears that there are at least ten couples who have already expressed an interest in such a trip.  Word from the committee is that they are looking at a June 2005 departure date.  Stay tuned as information comes our way….start saving your money for a once in a lifetime cruise, and with your classmates! – PRICELESS!

The Website is going to be taking on a new look in the near future.  Our special assistant for our website Shelley Debnam  (she was married in December so she changed her last name from McDade) is working on getting some new things worked out and added.  Keep checking out the website at www.ghsclassof1966.com

Joe Lipscomb provided me with a number of Grapevine Sun Newspapers from the mid-sixties.  I have finally gotten through them and have scanned a number of the articles and photos.  I will be working with Shelley to get these on the website very soon.  There are some great shots!  Keep checking the website for these additions in the photo section.

On a very sad note since our last newsletter.  Frances Wilkins, James Wilkins’ Mom passed away.  Word was sent out and I know that many have kept James and his brothers, Dale and Frank in their thoughts and prayers these past weeks.  James is one friend that I’ve probably known longer than anyone else from our class.  I have spent many years knowing James and his family.  My dad and his dad worked together for many years and I spent many hours at his house as a kid – so I know how special his mother was to these men and that her passing will leave a big hole in their daily lives.  Please continue to pray for them.

I also received an email on March 6 from James Wilkins telling me that Butch Tiller’s wife, Lou, was in a major automobile accident in Mt. Vernon on Wednesday, March 3^rd.  She was airlifted to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler where she was in ICU.  She is expected to remain in ICU until Sunday, March 7^th.  She underwent surgery for internal injuries and more is expected on her shoulder/collar bone.  Lou is now home and recovering nicely, according to James.  I'm sure Butch appreciated everyone's thoughts and prayers.

It is great to see and hear about some of our classmates getting together and having some fun and fellowship even when it is not some sort of reunion or planned mini-reunion.  This month there was a group of our classmates and spouses (in some cases) who got together for a little food and talk.  There were two in March 2004 for instance – One group consisting of classmates:  John Yancey, Rick Stacy, Linda Bowden-Cox, Gary Cumbie, Bob Stevenson, Joe Lipscomb, Barbara Ethridge, Caroline Cason-Wilkinson, David Florence, Darlene Tillery-Florence, Van Morrison, Jim Box, Darrell Faglie, Donna Young-Faglie, Kent Kennedy, Bob Havran, and Larry Oliver – It was really nice to see this group and get to talk….but, it seems you just get started and all these old people are ready to go to sleep!

Also in March there was a group of folks who had a little catfish!  Classmates Darla Eubanks Cooper, Darrell Faglie, Donna Young Faglie, Larry Cox, Doug Moore, Johnnie Mae Washington-Braddock, Mary Millican, Pat Tillery, Larry Oliver, Lavoy Grider’s sister, and Lavoy Grider (who was celebrating a birthday that same day - he can’t be that old!) were there. That too was a GREAT time and we had lots of laughs and it too seemed to end too quickly.   Times like these are what make remaining in contact with our old classmates so valuable.  It was Lavoy’s birthday remember…so he looked a lot older than the others there!

I suspect that there may be more of these types of “get togethers”, if so, let me know so we can include in the next newsletter…we may become a Mini-Grapevine Sun of Old here if we are not careful!

News Flash – Caroline has her own email.  I will have to say that even though she now has an email address, she usually only gets info from sending stuff to her husband’s, John’s, email.  I guess she has not figured out that you have to check it before it serves much purpose.  Maybe she will work this out after a few months or years.

Linda Bowden Cox has been on a trip in the Scandinavian area recently, be sure to ask her about her trip.

Please watch the newspapers sporting section as Darrell Faglie, Jim Box and I are teaming up together to play in a golf tournament April 16….I’m sure course records could be in danger of being broken.  This will be the first time Darrell and I have had a doctor with us on the course in case we need one!

After all of the golf accolades we will receive (Darrell, Jim and myself), we will be taking a trek to Gary Cumbie’s home for an evening of  “chance” as we have a little poker party that should include (besides, Darrell, Jim, Gary and me) Bob Stevenson, David Florence, Rick Stacy, Joe Lipscomb and Gus Linthicum….Yancey is going to be attending some event with his son and I think Havran is also otherwise obligated.  However, this should be a good time…I hope Stevenson wins some money as with his previous records he may give up!  We are all hoping that Rick shows up with some of that money he has to burn!

Jean Giddeons has email finally…..I received an email from her in March telling me that her daughter had set her up with an email address and access from home.  Jean – that is great…we can finally add her to our list of email memos being sent out.

A couple of months ago….we rediscovered James (Pat) Tiffin.  After we talked a couple of times he sent me an email about his life (very short version).  Some of you have seen this before, but I think it is extremely worthy of sharing with everyone.

From James (Pat) Tiffin:   “After graduation I attended UTA for 4 years and graduated with a BBA.  Soon after that I was in the Army.  After the Army I worked 5 yrs for Sears in the Automotive Dept.  After Sears I worked 3 yrs. for Globe Union (Johnson Controls) selling automotive batteries.

I left Globe Union because of the extensive travel.  I worked a couple of odd jobs for a year until I landed a job with AC Delco (General Motors.).  I worked for General Motors. for 19 years in various assignments that took me to different parts of the country.  4 of those 19 yrs. were in Detroit working as a product development/marketing manager.  I retired from General Motors in 2000 and now live in Tyler, Texas.

That’s enough about my jobs.  In 1972 I married Michele Duke.  Michele graduated from Hillcrest High School in Dallas.  We have 2 daughters and one son.  We also have 3 grandchildren.  All of our kids are out - on their own.  It makes it really quite around the house.  My dad died in 1995.  My mom lives in an independent living facility in Tyler and is doing well.

Both my wife and I have had Heart bypasses and have too many medical problems to list.  But we are doing fine.  Life goes on and you do your best.

My hobbies may be surprising to you.   After GHS I became a certified scuba diver.  During college summer breaks I worked for a dive shop in Dallas and taught diving lessons.  For several years Michele and I were going to dive meets (spear fishing) on a regular bases.  Motorcycles - of course.  I owned 2 over the years.  I would love to have one now.  After I started to get older and diving became harder with my bad back, I took up fishing.  Oh, how I love to fish.  Michele, not interested.

I reflect back, almost daily, to my High School days...for the most part, happy and fun days come to mind when I think about my years at GHS.  I really had it made, living in a small town, going to a great school and most of all, having a good friends.  Why I did not keep in contact with GHS friends, I really don’t have an answer.  Maybe my jobs, at the time, seemed more important.  When you get older, you realize friends. past and present, are as important to you as your family.  Good friends are family.”

Thanks Pat for sharing the above with us.

By the way, I hope Kent Kennedy and Bob Havran didn’t get any strange post cards from Mississippi in March.

We continue to search for MISSING CLASSMATES!  So here is the latest list of classmates that I no longer have a mailing address, phone number or email address for – no way to communicate.  It would be great if we could get EVERYONE located so that we can make sure that as many as possible attend the 40^th Year REUNION – Spring of 2006!  SO look this list over and let me know if you have any leads on the following:

This means that we have 101 confirmed classmates that we can contact by one or more of the methods (email, telephone, mailing address).  Not bad for people who sort of separated almost 40 years ago!   However, our classmates still seem to move around a lot and forget to keep me posted on mailing addresses, email address, phone numbers, etc.  So, if you move….keep us up to date!

May God Bless the GHS Class of 1966!