PANDEMIC - YEAR II

The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic started off with a bang for those of us in Texas. The news coverage kept us informed -- that is, if we had electricity. Many lost both power and water during the "arctic blast" that lasted nearly a week and broke many records here, with temperatures dropping into the single digits. I spent a lot of time on my computer checking on family and friends. The ones I could reach. Fortunately, most of my family were lucky enough not to lose electricity or water. We did have to boil water for three or four days. Some suffered rolling blackouts, but said they didn't last very long. 

So many were without power that freezing pipes have created nightmares for hundreds, if not thousands, of residents here in Austin. Videos of broken water pipes flooding homes and even causing ceilings to collapse while doing so make me count my blessings again and again. 

(WFAA)

The lack of enough plumbers to make the repairs to the myriad of burst pipes has created long lines of people at sites that are providing drinking water. Being without potable water for nearly two weeks or longer presents great hardships for those affected. Thankfully, many volunteers and organizations have stepped up to assist with repairs and providing necessary food and water. FEMA is now helping victims and businesses as well.

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I don't always hear much from you guys, but there are a few I can count on for a little (or a lot) of news. The following are some of the communications I extracted during the past few weeks.

Somewhere I let it be known that it has been over a year since I visited my hair stylist. My hair has since grown more than the thirteen inches I had cut off at that time. Denny had a clever solution for his own hair.

DENNY HILL: (Feb. 4) "It has been a year since I have had a

haircut, but it grows rather slowly. I trimmed it a bit myself around the ears, looking in the mirror with scissors." (Of course, you could always wear a pony tail and that great beret!) (Feb. 16) "Looks like not very much snow around my house. The snow around my house has melted down somewhat, but is still from 1 to 1-1/2 feet deep. At the end of my driveway there is a snow hill formed by the snowplow that is as high as my waist. That is why I am snowbound for 2 or 3 weeks. But otherwise the weather is nice, the air is very clean, all roads are clear, which means that is you have managed to dig your car out, or get it out of the garage, then there is no problem to drive around. But I prefer to just leave my cars in my garage and relax and be snowbound."

TRUMAN CONNER: (Feb. 19) "It was tough going until yesterday morning when we finally got water and electricity. We had one 24-hour stretch with no water or electricity. HEB has been a mob scene though." 

TRUMAN gets his second COVID vaccination March 13th.

JUNE HASH CURRY: (Feb. 4) "I did manage to get my first COVID shot, and the second one scheduled. (Feb. 16) It was -17 (degrees) last night but we have not lost power, thank God. Chris finally got to work today without incident, so all is good."

MARTHA NORTHINGTON: (Feb. 19) "Ok now. No power or water until yesterday. Whole family went to hotel. Water flowing but still has to be boiled. Heat working. Anne (her daughter) just stood in line at grocery and got a few things for me. Had to toss everything in refrigerator."

NANCY THOMPSON BAKER is usually up-to-date on Ballinger news. On February 12 I sent her an article about the San Angelo water being toxic, and asked her how she was holding up. This was her reply, "Wow! wow! I am okay for now but not looking forward to ice, sleet and snow being alone. My dog is too little to keep me warm...nearly all my heat is connected to electricity, so concerned...very concerned, about the duration of cold weather." She told me about VIRGINIA EGAN and Mike losing power. She didn't lose power or water, but later told me, "I had someone call to check on me as there were no tire tracks (in the snow) leaving my driveway. I have everything I need. I learned to survive when Jake was traveling!"  At one time she stuck a yardstick into the snow off her back steps and said there was at least 5 inches.

VIRGINIA HARRAL EGAN: (Feb. 19)

"Finally got a dialysis treatment for Mike yesterday. The dialysis center had lots of problems such as broken generator and the contaminated water situation in San Angelo, which has been ongoing for 2-weeks. The machines use a lot of water. He went back for another treatment today because he had gone 6-days without one. We had the rolling blackouts, but have managed to survive and our water supply has been good. If it hadn't been for the worry about Mike's health I could have dealt with it better. Family has been checking on us constantly. My daughter, Carolyn came and stayed with us for 3-days. I am looking forward to normal, if there is a normal anymore."

I later heard from NANCY that some dialysis patients had to be airlifted via helicopter to treatment centers. VIRGINIA didn't mention this and I forgot to ask.

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Mallie Sue Vessel, sister of BARBARA CAMPBELL WITTE. (March 31, 1940 - February 15, 2021) I am sorry I missed this when BARBARA'S brother Grady's obituary was mentioned on the last blog post. I think their memorial was held on the same day. You may read her obituary and leave your condolences at Lange Funeral Home.

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I'm pretty sure many of you either had recent experiences as scary as ours or have had a good laugh at the predicament we here in Texas found ourselves in during the recent wicked weather we suffered. This on top of the COVID pandemic seemed almost too much to bear. At least in this part of Texas. We definitely are not used to it. Can you imagine that Del Rio recorded a record-breaking 11.2 inches of snowfall?

My front porch.

My back deck.

The bad weather? Well, Considering what we have been through in recent years, I think we all must admit that climate change is upon us. Hopefully, the Texas leaders will do whatever is necessary to prepare us for any future events such as the one we just went through. It was sad to think that so many of the Board members of ERCOT that nearly completely failed our electricity needs don't even live in Texas. They all received salaries of six figures. (Needless to say, they have since resigned.) Even though they were advised that our grid needed to be upgraded, they ignored doing anything, which left us at a point we were less than five minutes away from the whole state losing power and shutting down completely. 

I do hope most of you have been escaping the coronavirus and perhaps have one or more of the vaccinations under your belt by now. I would love to hear from you. Let me know how you are coping with the isolation the pandemic has forced upon us. Share some of the "good stuff" you have experienced as well.

Until next time..

Peace and love,

Marilyn

LATEST NOTICES

I have been waiting to hear from more of you before writing a new post.  Sadly, most of the news I've received has not been happy news. The latest was sent to me by TRUMAN CONNER in regards to the passing of HAROLD HUDGENS.

"Harold Hudgens, 81, of Ballinger, passed away Saturday, February 6, 2021, at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo. A full obituary will follow." 

BARBARA CAMPBELL WITTE's brother, Grady Campbell, Sr., 78, passed away Thursday, January 28, 2021, at his home in Ballinger, Texas. 

JIMMY COWLISHAW's sister, "Emma Lou Cowlishaw Smith peacefully passed away at her home Saturday morning. (January 23, 2021) She was the first of seven children born to Herbert Cowlishaw and Marie Killingsworth; she was born August 17, 1933, in Ballinger."

I usually try to keep up with Ballinger news on their website, but I'm finding out they don't always list all of the obituaries. Each of the above can be located on the Lange Funeral Home website, where you may also submit your condolences. Lange Funeral Home

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Not all news from your classmates are gloomy or sad. Some have advised me they have gotten or have an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccinations. My first one is to be on March 1st. Daughter Carajean is taking me to the drive-through, where she is also scheduled for her first shot.

MARTHA NORTHINGTON has had both of her vaccinations as her daughter is a nurse here in Austin. MARTHA made a quick run to the doctor's office where she worked when they ran completely out of appointments and had a few leftovers that were going to expire. 

JUNE HASH CURRY has gotten her first shot and the second one scheduled!

TRUMAN CONNER has an appointment to get his first one this month.

NANCY THOMPSON BAKER said she is scheduled to get her first shot in April. Lucky her, a home health nurse will administer it to her in her home.

DENNY HILL always keeps me up-to-date. Recently I received the

following email from him. It's always such fun to hear from him!

"Miracles do Happen!" .. "I can still hardly believe it, but I got my 1st COVID-19 vaccination shot today! Out of the blue came the info that on Sat & Sun, Jan 30 & 31, there were openings available for the first dose at Stony Brook. I found out about it on Friday afternoon, and by Saturday afternoon I had the shot. Nobody I know understands what happened.

"It was shockingly well planned, organized, and executed. The National Guard was there to direct traffic, and guide you to the site. It progressed in a simple, orderly but thorough fashion, and they signed you up for an appointment for the 2nd dose. Everyone was very polite and helpful.

"I do not know how to explain it. Maybe some goose flew over and dropped a golden egg."

When I asked if the last big Arctic Blast that hit the east coast had affected him, DENNY told me he currently had a foot of snow in his yard. Today I saw on the weather that a second Blast was to reach them again. I emailed him and asked if he had plenty of food on hand in case he got snowed in. He responded that it is already snowing.

One more thing before I close.. well, two more. First, please let me know how each of you and your family are doing. 

Secondly, please keep GENE ROUTH and his family in your thoughts and prayers. It is terribly hard -- as you all know -- to lose a loved one. And there are more than one way to lose someone dear to you. GENE's wife Lenna is in a memory care facility. Being away from a spouse you have been married to for over 50-years is difficult. And the added sadness when they are unable to recall many of those years makes it even harder.

Until next time..

Peace and love,

Marilyn

LATEST NEWS

Sadly, we have lost another of our own. I'm sorry I do not have a recent photo of Ross. At the time I put the '57 Class Reunion handbook together, Ross was grieving over the loss of his wife. It was understandable at the time that he did not want to participate in our reunion celebrations. Rest in peace, Ross.                              

JAMES ROSS DAVIS         (September 5, 1939 - March 17, 2017) 

James Ross Davis, 77, of Ballinger, Texas, passed away Friday, March 17, 2017, at the home of dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Parsons, in San Angelo, Texas.

Ross was born September 5, 1939, in Ballinger, Texas, to H.G. and Margarete Davis (Cox). He married Wanda J. Robinson in 1962 in Ballinger. She preceded him in death April 29, 2007.

Dad enjoyed offshore fishing, collecting arrowheads, missionary work for the church, and the strongest coffee he could find. He loved raising his family and worshiping the Lord. He spent his life working for the Lord through mission trips to Costa Rica and across Texas. He was a kind hearted, selfless, honest, and caring person and had a sense of humor that could lighten up anyone's day.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Wanda; son, Stephen Ross; and a daughter, Kimberly Dawn.

Ross is survived by one son Kenneth D. Davis Sr. of Fort Worth; granddaughter, Amber Davis of Fort Worth, Kenneth D. Davis Jr. and wife, Lindsey, of Fort Worth. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 6:00-8:00 pm on Friday, March 24, 2017 at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger. The memorial service will be Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 10:00 AM at Lange Funeral Home and he will be laid to rest in Evergreen cemetery.

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I always enjoy hearing from DOTTIE BISHOP ROGERS. She answered my recent email with the following update on her activities.

"Sooo happy to hear from you! I am okay though at the time my leg is in a brace. (I tripped over an electrical cord while cleaning my shop. I think I knocked a hole in the concrete!! But, I did injure my knee. It damaged and sprang the mid ligament and will take 4-6 weeks to heal.) I have about quit golf. I play once a month in the scrambles, but don't enjoy it like I did when I could play every day. Since our course closed, our groups have become traveling teams and I am not able to do that. Therefore, my game went to you know where. Having been a pretty good golfer, seeing my game get so bad, I have quit. I did change my garage into a woodworking shop. I am refurbishing furniture, making cute signs, building barn wood picture frames, and decorating wine bottles. 

My family is doing really well. My son Greg finished the pilot for the TV show but so far, it hasn't been picked up by a network. His welding business is getting huge and hiring men left and right. My

daughter and her husband are looking forward to retirement next year when their youngest graduates. He is looking forward to going to Colorado and work for my bonus son who is in the oil business there. My son in Texas is doing great even though recently he cut off a finger then fell and broke his hand. I always tease him about the infamous "black cloud" that seems to follow him. I still paint and have 3 pics in a show in Tombstone and 2 in a show at Cochise College. I still call myself a beginner and am trying to improve.  

Larry and I are still close as ever. He is such a wonderful guy. We make a good team since both of us are so independent. He is the one who has gotten me started in woodwork. The once a month I play golf is for him. He is still an avid golfer. He just got new clubs a couple of days ago-he trades up every year with Taylor Made. Yada yada yada. Seriously, he takes care of me when my kids will let him. He is a very stoic Norwegian (except with me). I have given up and got a tablet for Facebook and Messenger - mainly for my grandkids and greats who live in other states. (I now have 13 great-grandchildren. Shriek!!) Must run. We'll gab again soon."  Dottie

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DOTTIE appears to have a lot in common with at least two of our classmates. JIM COWLISHAW wrote a while back that he was doing some woodworking himself. I believe he told me at the time he was making those lovely wooden fountain pens you see at craft fairs. 

Another hobby DOTTIE shares with a classmate is golf! (There may be more of you out there who share this activity with her.) TRUMAN CONNER is planning a trip the first week in April to Palm Springs, California to play some serious golf.

When he returns, he will join MARTHA NORTHINGTON and me for lunch at my place. We planned this for a couple of weeks ago, but MARTHA was finally getting the management to replace 3 sets of French doors in her apartment -- and of course, it happened the day we were going to get together.  I'm looking forward to their visit, as they are among the greatest conversationalists I know. And, of course, they both have had fascinating careers.

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In a previous blog I wrote that DENNY (Professor C. DENSON HILL, PhD) had been invited to a prestigious dinner in Warsaw. Here he is with a group, including the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, at a brunch in the Winter Garden of the presidential palace, following an award ceremony for Polish and British physicists. The British ambassador and Vice-Prime Minister of Poland/Minister of Science were also there.

That's DENNY on the far right. I didn't recognize him at first, as he has his hair pulled back in a pony tail! The President is second from the left.

DENNY often tells me of his dismay (to put it mildly) with our Texas politics. (Especially when he is in Europe and everyone asks him about us when they discover he is from Texas). The following is part of a discussion he and I were having a few months back about the people in our state and Louisiana that manage to keep them "Red" states. This is true of many southern states.

"For a number of years, before my mother died, I was traveling 5 or 6 times a year to see her...so I was often taking flights between Atlanta and Shreveport. I was constantly in amazement at the conversations I was having with my fellow travelers.

It was not that they were genetically stupid, quite the contrary, as many of them worked in situations that required considerable know how. But often when talking to them, they appeared to be so misinformed as to what was actually going on in the US, or in the world, as to make them seem to be idiots.

None of them seemed to understand the basic bait and switch technique which was being used against them: they had been persuaded to vote for people who promised to deliver something better for them, while the truth is that after these people were elected, they invariably switched to a stance which totally screwed the working class, and enhanced only the rich. I never understood this.

Could it be largely the fault of 'talk radio'? Or something else? If so, then what?" 

Maybe FOX News or Breitbart News? I wish I knew, DENNY. Obviously, you didn't speak to any in my circle of friends.

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On June 1st of this year, 60 years ago, a wedding took place. JUNE HASH married Grady Curry. Do you all recognize the lovely ladies on the left?

Until next time, why not send me the "good stuff" happening in your life? 

Peace and Love,

Marilyn

NEWS AND NEWS

NEIL BROUSSARD sent me the following video. I sent it to JUNE CURRY, hoping to cheer her on to a good recovery. She liked it so well (she has her iPad with her), I decided to share it with all of you. This will get your toes to tapping down memory lane!

JUNE is in rehab, and since she has her iPad with her, you might send her good wishes, funny e-cards, or just a note of encouragement -- especially from any of you who have gone through the same surgery. You should have her newest email address in the back of your handbook, if you've made the changes I've sent. If not, email me and I will send it to you. I don't want to put personal emails on the blog for all the world to see.

I know I sent you an update on NANCY BAKER's husband Jake. I haven't had more news from her as yet, but will forward anything I receive on his and JUNE's conditions. So far, prayers appear to be working for both of them. Keep it up.

I recently had lunch with MARTHA NORTHINGTON. She was kind enough to bring us a delicious meal from Whole Foods, complete with cookies for dessert. We chatted our heads off, often talking at the same time! I'm afraid I might have bored her with my talk -- and photos of my children and grandchildren. She was too polite to say so. MARTHA's enjoying living back in Austin, close to her son and grandchildren. 

Yesterday I had a real treat. I saw my youngest grandson play golf for the first time. Travis has been in the South Texas Junior PGA Tournament league for the past 4-years. He's been taking lessons from a golf pro at a local Country Club for the past year. He's 13, but the 14- and 15-year-olds he plays with make him look so much younger. He holds his own with these older boys. I got to cheer for him on the last nine holes of a tournament yesterday in Lakeway -- near my home. He didn't do as well this time, but recently placed 5th in a group of 25 or more. I was afraid that this Grandmommy made him off his game. His dad had to shush me when I said "Ohhhhh, no!" at a missed shot. I promise to do better next time.

Daughter Carajean's son Tanner has taken up running, as well as still playing tennis -- now on the Amarillo High School tennis team.  Like his grandfather, BOB BURTON was at BHS. I wish I had a photo of you, BOB, while playing tennis. Somewhere in my many moves I lost all of my BHS annuals. Maybe someone could scan a photo and email it to me? This photo was taken of Tanner running a half marathon in Dallas, but he's looking forward to his 18th birthday this summer so he can enter full marathons.

Which reminds me, NEIL, I cannot find a recent photo of you. Please send one. Google is doing away with Picasa soon -- makes me so very mad! I have at least 5,000 photos stored on it. They have transferred them to their new Google Photos, but none are in the order they were in on Picasa. I have a horrible time finding what I want.

Enough rambling for today. I always look forward to hearing from any of you -- for whatever reason. Please don't wait until someone is ill or has died to communicate with me and our classmates.

Until next time..

Peace and love,

Marilyn