REMEMBERING TERRY

TERRY COTHRAN's daughter Amy (the pretty blond above) dropped me a note along with the above tribute to her dad. In the note she said the following:

"..Terry died of complications due to Multiple Myeloma. He came down with this bone marrow cancer in Fall of 2010. He had been receiving treatment for many years and was doing really well. The Cancer flared up this past spring and even though he had had a tumor removed by radiation in May, the Cancer attacked his bones, which that type of Cancer does. He was very brave and never thought he would lose the battle. He was making design plans for his house, and doing small projects up until the last month of his life. He had to go into hospice for pain management and the fact that the chemo wasn't working anymore in August. The last week of his life is when he really took a turn for the worse. We were there with him when he left this world. My mother, brother and myself were the only ones in the room. He died at home where he wanted to be. He left very peacefully and still as handsome as ever. My father never got old, just sick. He still thought young, dressed young and acted young until the end. He was very proud of where he came from and spoke with much love when talking about his Ballinger friends. He was proud to be one of you. I hope he will be remembered for how brave and young at heart he was."

Yes, Amy, he will be remembered for all of the above. 

Any of you who would like to contact Amy or her brother Kelly, I have her permission to give her email address.

Peace and Love,

Marilyn

WE SAY GOODBYE TO ANOTHER

September 20, 2013

Jerry Ann Pruser Eaton

Mineral Wells Index

Jerry Ann Eaton, 74, passed away in Weatherford Sept. 17, 2013, with her family at her side. Ann was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother and friend to many.

She was born in Ballinger on Sept. 28, 1938, to Oscar and Velera (Fox) Pruser.

Ann retired as a secretary in the Oil & Gas industry, but also worked for many local businesses after her retirement, Baum Carlock Bumgardner being one of them. She was a very strong supporter in all of her organizations she was involved in such as The Catholic Daughters, American Legion and Desk & Derrick.

She is survived by her sons Norman Eaton, Dwain and wife Joy Eaton; sister Kay and her husband Fred Smith; granddaughter Scarlett Eaton and grandson Andy Farr; nephews Brad, Michelle and Thomas Smith of Dallas, and Gauntt, Keren and Halley Smith of Seattle, Wash.; and numerous cousins.

She was preceded in death by husband Riley Dwain Eaton in 1982.

Rosary will be at 6:30 Friday, Sept. 20, at Baum Carlock Bumgardner Funeral home in Mineral Wells. The Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Sept. 21 at 10 a.m.

Condolences may be left at www.bcbfuneralhome.com.

Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home

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Until we meet again...

Love and peace,

Marilyn

DOES A BEAR SLEEP IN THE WOODS?

I received an email from PEGGY BRANHAM KRUMLINDE over the weekend with the following:

"Our visitor last night at 11:30. We had another one night before last at 9:30."

When I spoke of seniors living an exciting life, this is not exactly what I had in mind, Peg! She went on to tell me the following:

"We are in our RV on our lot in Pendaries (Pan-da-ray), 22 miles north and east of Las Vegas, NM - 80 miles from Santa Fe. We are at 8,000 feet, and have a lot of pine and oak here. The bears are hungry this year due to the drought, although we have had our annual monsoon season - it was a little late in August this year. We have to have all our bird feeders brought inside by around 5:00 every afternoon so the bears won't get them.

We will be winterizing on the 16th and return home to Albuquerque for the winter. It is already down in the 40s in the mornings here, and we have to use heat for an hour or so every day. It is warm during the afternoons, but drops back down by about 5:00 every afternoon and continues to get colder as the night wears on. It is truly beautiful here - we love to fish and are 20 minutes from Morphy Lake State Park north of us at 10,000 feet. Lot of rainbow trout - yummm."


What I'd like to know is do the bears ever go fishing, too? Seems I've seen a lot of videos of them doing just that -- and in the daytime!

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JERRY EOFF dropped me a note as well. "Of interest to some. The old Troop 42 scout hut/Catholic hall - the barracks building across from the water tower, was destroyed by fire this morning (Sunday, 9/8)."

I remember the building. Sorry I don't have a picture. I was there for a family reunion for someone a few years back and it was showing its age then. If I remember correctly, it was a frame building. With people using the kitchen facilities, I'm surprised it lasted this long. 

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I still don't have any details of TERRY COTHRAN'S passing. I hope the family will have an obituary placed in the local paper - or the online Ballinger News. If/when they do, I will post it here.

I would like to do some kind of memorial for TER. If any of you would like to share a story or two - either from high school or recent years, I will be happy to publish that as well. In the meantime, to TER, a big fan of John Wayne movies, "Happy Trails to You".

Take care out there, and 

Peace,

Marilyn

MORE FROM OUR CLASSMATES

NOTE: I should have mentioned this before now, but if you will click on any photo, you will be shown an enlargement of it and all of the others in the post.

If any of you guessed that the other "adventurer" I mentioned in the last blog was DENNY HILL, you were right. However, I also heard from another classmate that must be added to the list as well. His update follows this one from DENNY.

"What is up is basically that I just keep on trucking.                                         

This summer I spent my usual month in Berlin, and two months in Warsaw. In Berlin I wound up making friends with the bartender and the cook at my favorite Kneipe (tavern or pub), which is "Zosch". Many nights I stayed until after they closed around 3am, and hung out, drinking free beers with the bartender and his friends after hours, usually until 4am or later, speaking only German, joking, telling stories, etc. It is amazing how fluent one becomes after enough beers. (The picture at right is the Zosch he speaks of, and Denny is the one on the end in a blue shirt next to the red candle.)

In Warsaw I made a breakthrough. For several years I had noticed that on my Rynek (my "market square) there was a compact group of 6 or 7 degenerates who seemed to be the "regulars" at the local "watering hole" (pub). I wrongly thought they must be a snobbish group, and I wrongly thought they spoke only Polish. But this summer somehow I managed to be inducted into this group, and now we are all friends.

They are very friendly, extremely funny, making jokes all the time, and quite helpful to teach me raunchy expressions in Polish. Here is the composition of the group (aside from me, the math prof.):

1.  A garage mechanic (speaks Polish and English)
2.  A taxi driver (speaks only Polish, except when drunk, at which point he speaks any language)
3.  A Polish couple (he speaks only Polish, but she speaks Polish and Italian)
4.  A Japanese who is in Poland because he represents some big company from Tokyo which plans to build power stations in Poland to make electric power. (He speaks Japanese and English)
5.  Another Polish couple (he speaks fluent Polish, German and English), she is the lead dancer in the Warsaw version of a "Moulin Rouge" type of "Review" (she speaks Polish, English, and can do a 180 degree split standing on one leg)
6.  Another Japanese who is the CEO of all of Mitsubishi in Poland. (He speaks Japanese, Polish, and strangely, Arabic)

Now I am in Shreveport, Louisiana, visiting my mother. But on Friday I have to return home in Port Jefferson, NY, to resume teaching, etc." Best regards, DENNY

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Another candidate for our daring senior citizen list is BILL KING. He wrote the following and sent photos of what might be described as his hobbies:

"I have attached some pictures that depict the aging process for me. The red Harley was at one time my most enjoyable and relaxing mode of transportation. Then after I became a little older and not so confident in riding the Harley, I had to resort to a little more manageable mode of 

two wheel transportation, my red 1954 Cushman Eagle. The Harley had to find a new home, but the Cushman is still with me, easier to handle and fun to ride. Now I am becoming a little more comfortable with four wheels under me so I have discovered my 1957 Ford Thunderbird is a little easier to keep upright, besides 1957 was a great year. I have never gotten flying totally out of my system and will take a ride anytime one is available so a couple of shots of my ride in a hot air balloon in Albuquerque, NM that was fantastic.

Hope everyone is having fun."..BILL

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Class President JAMES HAYS sent the following (and is also on our daring senior citizen list):

"I still work for a living supplemented by some retirement which I re-invest, mostly in old guns. I still fly and just made a trip in my 1941 Culver Cadet airplane to Iowa for the Antique Airplane fly-in this past weekend. I also am the Brown County Health Officer 'counting cockroaches' in restaurants. Lots of fun. I am also active in the Texas State Guard (hurricanes, homeland defense, NON-FEDERAL) from which I plan to retire this year, getting too old!!!  Lost my ex-sister-in-law to cancer, Judith Hampton Martin, last month - a sad year. (So sorry for your loss, James.)

(I know this is not your Culver Cadet, JAMES, but that's you in the cockpit.)

NYDAH ELLET is still in a nursing home and really enjoys getting and answering cards and brief letters. Address: Kensington Care Center, Rm 11, 849 N. Aurora Rd., Aurora, Ohio 44202. She can't handle a telephone well since her accident but writes well.  Drop her a note."..JAMES                                         

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I hear from JUNE HASH CURRY frequently. She says she doesn't do anything exciting. Most of us don't, June. However, she does play bridge twice a week. Keeps those brain cells growing! She also has two rescue dogs. I forget both of their names, but below is the cutest picture of the last one she got. This was not long after she and her son Chris brought the little one home, and it was terrified of men. Hiding behind the pillow! I think her name is Tracie.

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A good friend of mine in Ballinger who has been a realtor for 30 years wrote me that a millionaire from out of town had moved there and bought quite a few of the buildings in downtown. These buildings were the old Lynn Building, the old Western Auto, the old First National Bank next to Ballinger Florist, and the Texas Theater. Dot said he is restoring all of them and plans to have a water purification system put in. She also said that the EPA keeps fining the City for not complying with regulations, so they (the City?) are putting in a "reverse osmosis" water system. She then went on to say that the City is in compliance with the EPA -- surprise! As someone who has lived all over the U.S. in my lifetime, I have to say I never experienced worse municipal water anywhere! I hope this rumor is true.

8th St. & Hutchins Avenue

This was back in March, and I haven't heard more since then. NANCY THOMPSON BAKER was aware of some work being done on downtown businesses, but not much more. If anyone knows anything about these renovations, etc., how about letting me know?

That's it for now. If anyone thinks of something to share with all of us, just send it to me. I have not started volunteer work here yet, so I have more time on my hands.

Peace and love,

Marilyn

NEWS AND MORE NEWS

My recent request for news to publish on the class blog produced a few results. A couple of them are a little lengthy, so I will probably do them in two different posts. Thus, it will give those of you who haven't submitted anything a chance to do so. Also, for the most part, I don't have any recent individual pictures of you all. But then, maybe we would all rather be remembered as we looked at whatever last reunion we attended! I'm just sayin'.

PAUL MOTA was the first to respond. Thanks, Paul. Here's what he had to say:

"I only have mostly good news. Nothing much here. I am still retired, and just not doing much. My main problem is not pushing back from the table (PAUL, I think I remember you said that once before!), but otherwise I am in pretty good health - thanks to God. I have a trip to Las Vegas coming up next month. That's about it. My wife is in great shape - much better shape than I am. I wish I had more dramatic stories to tell you, but all is well. My daughter and her husband and the two grandchildren are still in the Houston area and all are fine."

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DOTTIE BISHOP ROGERS, as usual, is not letting retirement grow boring. She said:

"Hey, it's so good to hear from you! Are you still enjoying those grandkids? (Me:Yes!) Mine are all doing well and so am I.

I went a little crazy last year and returned to teaching. Thank goodness, I came to my senses and re-retired. I have to say, unfortunately, it was not a good experience. I had been so blessed at the Texas schools in which I taught, I was fully unaware of the caliber of this school in Willcox, Arizona. I had some wonderful students, but those fifteen or twenty 'bad apples' sure spoiled the basket. I went into that school with the enthusiasm of one twenty years younger than I was, and I came out of the situation totally feeling my real age. Shriek!

(Downtown Willcox, AZ - Population 3,757)

On a good note, Larry and I motor-homed across Texas -- well, that was our initial plan, but we did enjoy the ten days we had even if the A/C went out, a water line burst in the motor home, we had two violent storms...we made it through unscathed and laughed. Of course, Larry immediately put the motor home on sale upon our return, but we played some super golf courses and it was fun. Since coming home, I have just done a few things around my house and am volunteering at the golf course." 

Now, DOTTIE, surely on such a fun, eventful trip you took some photos you can share?

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As we all know, we have a couple of real "adventurers" in our class who are still stepping out of the bounds of what most seniors their ages do. I've heard from both of them. Some of you who are on Facebook already know that GLENN SMITH is one of them. GLENN had this bit of news: 

"On the last day of April, I loaded my two dogs and myself and drove to Mexico. Took me four days to reach Ajijic where I am living. I have posted on Facebook a bunch of photos that I took here. They are under the name LEONARD GLENN SMITH. I'll be glad to become a 'friend' of any class member not already listed in that category.

As for my reason for the move - well that was multifaceted. I can't think of how to explain it briefly. I enjoyed the time in Ballinger and everyone was very nice to me there."

I questioned GLENN a little more about the place where he lives and he sent more info:

"Mexico is a little cheaper than the United States. Ajijic (I can't imagine how to pronounce this!) is more expensive than many similar sized Mexican towns, because lots of people have come from Canada and the States, and many of them are retired with enough money to inflate prices by spending more than the local economy was accustomed to."

In case any of you are interested and daring enough to move to Mexico, here's a little breakdown of the costs he sent:

"I pay $550 a month for a 2-bedroom, 2-bath furnished house. My internet and local phone cost $50 a month. Electricity is around $20 because no heat or air conditioning is needed. (Wow! imagine no a/c in the 100+ temperatures most of us in Texas have had this summer!) I have a gas water heater and stove. Gas costs about $25 a month. I have a washing machine, but no dryer is needed because afternoons are sunny and the air is not humid, so hanging clothes to dry is natural and effective. I don't have TV, but cable is available and costs are similar to 

(Photo at left is the entrance to his rented house with one of his dogs peering out. The one at right is a door near his house.)

the States. I have a car but haven't filled the gas tank since I arrived here four months ago. I walk to one of six places for breakfast every day. Eggs, toast, beans, jelly, and coffee cost about $5-$7, tip included. Walmart is a ten minute drive. Computers and TVs cost 50% more than in the U.S. Food costs on average about the same as if one were living in the States." 

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Let's see how many of you can guess who the other "adventurer" is who will share his/her news with us in the next blog post. I hope to have an update on NYDAH ELLET in it as well. 

Also, I will share a rumor of a mystery millionaire who's supposedly bought up many of the old buildings in downtown Ballinger and is renovating them. If anyone has the latest news on his project - which he stated he is doing because he needs a tax break - send me what you know.

Until next time, send me all the news you wish to share.

Peace, and may all your news be "good stuff",
Marilyn