Notes for Marilyn

Anyone who talks to NANCY THOMPSON BAKER soon discovers her sense of humor, and ability to exaggerate! The above photo was taken on her birthday when I last lived in Ballinger. She put the candles off of her birthday cake in her ears. (You are lucky I didn't use the photo with your finger stuck up your nose, Nancy!)

At the recent class reunion, NANCY put out a notebook for folks to write something to me for our blog, entitled:

Notes for Marilyn

(Doesn't have to be true.)

Here are the entries:

NANCY BAKER - Jake and I went to Las Vegas recently and won lots of money! Over the years we've financed a whole new casino! 

VIRGINIA HARRAL EGAN - Mike and I are still in Ballinger. We are getting older and I'm not sure that we are doing it gracefully. It doesn't take much to entertain us. We won the lottery, but spent it all in 6 months. Oh, well, easy come - easy go. 

DORIS and DON WHITE - We've lived in the country for the last forty-six years, and love it. We enjoy being with our four children and twelve grandchildren. We attend the games they participate in. They are a joy to be around. We raise goats, and keep busy with work around there. We have spent the last 56 - almost 57 years together.

 

PATSY BERRY BOMAR - After losing my husband Rex in 2013, lots of things have changed. Have our lake house for sale - no fun anymore. House at Midland for sale because the town is so different. I am ready to relocate. My life is real undecided now. Our class reunion has been real fun. 

BUDDY WILKINS - Marilyn, thanks a lot for keeping us informed. My wife, Merry Lou, and I celebrated 50 years of marriage this year. (Congratulations!) I retired as a University professor of about 40 years in 2005. We full-time RV'd for eight years, and now live in Mission, Texas. Have a son and daughter and four grandkids.

 

JERLINE PIEL STEEL - Still living around Blanket. Very involved in church and Extension Club. Lots of supportive people around. Family growing every year. Have enjoyed the school reunion. 

ANN KEELE ELLIS - Lived in Bronte 30-odd years. Have two daughters, four grandchildren, and one great-granchild. Am retired. Have a pretty comfortable life. Am proud to be alive. 

I saved these until last:

JANICE AMARINE - I have been retired five years, and trying to find an old codger so we can start a family. (Ha!) I am enjoying my retirement, and just doing what I want to do. I still live in Ballinger, and will be here 'til the "Father" calls me home. I am still in pretty good health. I go a lot while I can, and enjoy going to Abilene and being with JANETTE. We go see her kids in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. Having a good time at our reunion. Miss you. Thinking of you. (Ahhhh.. I miss you all as well.)

JANETTE AMARINE BRADSHAW - I've lived in Abilene, Texas since 1966. Didn't want to move from Ballinger because I loved going to town and waving at people. So, first day in Abilene I went to town and everybody was waving at me! I was on a one-way street, so instead they were giving me the one-finger wave.

I'll leave it to you to guess which ones (if any) were "not true"! 

By the way, as I have not been to a reunion since our 50th, I don't have enough current photos of you all. Why not send me your recent ones? If you can't email them to me, send them by snail mail and I will scan and return them. 

Until next time..

Love and giggles,

Marilyn

2015 BHS ALL-SCHOOL REUNION

Before the Homecoming Reunion I asked NANCY to be sure to let me know how it went, who was there or who was missing. I really didn’t expect her to send me much, as I know she was planning to spend a good part of the time with hubby Jake’s Class of ‘54. I was delighted to get the following in the mail yesterday, with a promise to send me the class photo that was taken so I could publish it on the blog as well. If any of you took photos that you could send me via email, I would love to post them for all to see.

Class President JAMES HAYS called the meeting to order. Observers NANCY THOMPSON BAKER and PEGGY VIRDEN SHARP (troublemakers) should have been told to keep quiet! (By the way, several of the guys have really put on weight – just an opinion!) The topic of the meeting was to come up with a plan for a big blowout in two years for our 60th reunion.

We were all having a good, comfortable time at the House of Grace, hosted by RODNEY FLANAGAN and his wife Carolyn, where the price is right, there are plenty of bathrooms, wheelchair access, and air conditioning. Treasurer RODNEY offered his home place three miles out in the country. He also said that no one would want to drive from Colorado for a one day affair. (GENE?) DON SIMMONS never stated his opinion. The girls – worker ants, and planning committee – PATSY BERRY BOMAR, VIRGINIA HARRAL EGAN, DORIS STOKES WHITE, PEGGY VIRDEN SHARP, JERLINE PIEL STEEL, the AMARINE twins, and ANN KEELE ELLIS (and maybe more that I cannot remember) will all work on the food.

President JAMES HAYS read off a list of the deceased members of the class, the most recent ones first, and after looking through the annuals, the list became quite extensive. Hoping in two years, there are at least a dozen of us left to attend!

All in all, the women are quite nice looking still, even if some of it is due to makeup covering up the scars of old age creeping up!

It should be noted that a lot of the people do not have computers. Because no mailers were sent for some of the activities, no one knew where to go at what time. Therefore, in my opinion, the whole 5-year reunion was not as well organized as previously done. New teachers, new crop of students do not recognize those of us who have been around for 75 plus years. Tradition also has been forgotten!

There is too much walking to do at the big new high school (Junior High building complex.) People were continually turning off their hearing aids as the noise level was terrible. The most frequently spoken words were “what?” and “huh?”

They need less parking lots, more automatic sidewalks at BHS, or better access to medical assistance! There was actually one person in attendance from the Class of 1942. I saw a couple of people over age 90 – still able to walk unaided!

Some mention of enjoying the Class Blog was acknowledged. Some of the ones missing from this reunion were named, i.e., JUNE HASH CURRY, DOROTHY BISHOP ROGERS, MARTHA NORTHINGTON, PATI COCKRELL PRITCHARD, BARBARA SHARPES BROOKS, SHEILA GREGORY DANKWORTH, JERRY EOFF, MIKE FOY, GLENN SMITH, PAT SMITH MULLINS, WALTER THOMAS, ROSALYN URBANTKE HOELSCHER, MACK WOOD, and RUTH ANN HENNIGER WOOD. (I’m thinking NANCY forgot a few like JIMMY COWLISHAW, DENNY HILL, and PAUL MOTA.) Hoping to see these people in two years!

A few of the ones who were in attendance were RODNEY FLANAGAN, BOB BURTON, NEIL BROUSSARD, JAMES HAYS, GENE ROUTH, JIMMY STUBBLEFIELD, DON SIMMONS, BILL KING, HAROLD HUDGENS, and a woman nobody remembers came as well. Her name is Mildred Tabor. (Anyone out there have a clue?)

BOB BURTON brought a few old photos, and we played “Who is this one?” for awhile. And “Wonder where they are now?” DR. JAMES HAYS, our go-to for medical advice, was told he needs to cut back on carbs as he is expanding in girth along with the rest of us. As far as I know, no politics were discussed at the reunion.

When our class picture was taken at the high school, there were not enough chairs for the women so I stood up in front of HAROLD HUDGENS – the shortest in the class in front of the tallest in the class!!

Although Jake and I did not go to the ballgame, I understand the highlight was the arrival of the Shannon MedVac Helicopter transporting Jim Slaughter (former BHS football player and coach) and the game football! Thankfully, the helicopter was not needed to transport any patients. Wonder who paid for the helicopter? It cost $9,000 to $10,000 for transportation to Shannon Hospital from Ballinger eight (8) years ago! (I remember that cost as well!)…All of this was written between 2 and 4 am.. Good night all.. Nancy

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Editor: I’ve tried to put all of my comments in italics. I cannot believe NANCY wrote all of the above and more in longhand. She also included notes to me from some attending (a couple will tickle your funnybone). I’ll publish them in the next blog post. In the meantime, if any of you can, please forward photos for those of us who were unable to attend. Any other incidents of importance (or fun) that might have taken place when NANCY was absent that you wish to share, please feel free to let me know.

Peace and much love,
Marilyn