OA-Spring 2023

one granddaughter to visit at her college too. Jeanette is involved in the Ohio Right-to-Life movement and involved in the Catholic radio of St John Paul the Great in Tiffin. Judy Sadler Nelson still enjoys being in the country and living near family in Greenville, South Carolina. She has visited Rory Tappan Kosanovich several times and went to the Pensacola area in February to see a best friend from her days living in the Chicago area. She’s looking forward to becoming a great grandma around July 4th. Kathryn “Katie” Wheeler Walker moved to Carmel, Indiana after her husband Chuck died in 2018. Her sons AJ and Ben live in the area with five of her grandchildren. Katie is fortunate to have found a caring gentleman with whom to share her life. Katie and Vinnie met playing cards. His children live in Indiana, Vermont and San Diego. They traveled to visit all of them plus Katie’s sister, Mimi, in Jacksonville. Jane Sitzman Clark and husband Larry have been leading relatively quiet lives since Larry was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in 2020. He’s on massive doses of immunosuppressants, so he’s very vulnerable to viruses and COVID. They became empty nesters once again when their grandson and his mother moved to Wichita Falls in December. The rest of their children and families are scattered throughout the world. Even with the distance, they manage to entertain them all throughout the year and stay very busy. Anne Becherer Hambly , unfortunately, had another cancer diagnosis, her second in less than two years. This was endometrial cancer which required a complete hysterectomy. It’s wonderful that Anne came through the treatments with the radiation and chemotherapy with flying colors and feels back to normal. Anne commented that if anyone travels to New York City, be sure to visit the Museum of Broadway in Times Square. This was a dream come true for Anne and Larry and they helped make it happen. Margaret “Marge” Hansen Sleght continues to enjoy playing MahJongg and several card games. She started playing Bridge again, which she hadn’t played in 30 years. She’s a little rusty but enjoys playing with a patient and friendly group. She’s still able to power walk five days a week. Marge spent the month of September in Cape May, New Jersey. She had hoped to see Mary Anne Walker Rahm , but she and Alan didn’t make the trip this year. Kathy DeNovo Williams hasn’t fully embraced retirement, so she’s working at a sweet children’s shop a few days a week. In October, she travelled to Texas for her niece’s 50th, and it turned out to be a family reunion. In January, she went to Knoxville for the dedication of the newest addition to UT’s Vet School’s Teaching and Learning Center, a pet project of her brother Bob who has held off his retirement until its completion. Suzanne Sainz Bouwens enjoyed cruising to Iceland and Norway. She also had a hip replacement. Suzanne and her husband are proud of their son, who bakes at the Tucson food co-op. Marylin Seibert Leinenbach is finally retiring after teaching for 51 years, 22 at Indiana State University. She has published two children’s books about her great-granddaughter, Leah Marie, who has Downs syndrome. She’s waiting on illustrations from the publisher in New York for the third book. Her nephew has asked Marylin to write his son’s story about having a cochlear implant at seven years of age. In conjunction with her writing partner, Anne, Marylin hopes to launch this book on March 17. Penny Higgins Dunham and husband Bill are traveling again. They took a cruise to France, which included the Normandy beaches. During the summer, they visited the Jersey shore and spent Christmas in

Toronto with their two sons and daughter-in-law. This March, Penny plans to return to The Woods for Ring Day to see a niece and her daughter each get their rings. Last year, another niece, Sarah Stultz Mahady ’05 , the director of alumni relations, was the featured speaker for the 100th anniversary Ring Day. Martha “Marti” Rumely Kuehn and husband, Henry, are still happy living in Louisville, Kentucky, after being there 17 years. They travel to see their four children and six grandchildren in Los Angelos, Chicago, and Jupiter, Florida. Marti has been helping six Afghan men who were embedded with our special forces, settle in Louisville. It’s been quite an education for her to find housing, teach English, help with driver’s licenses, and job changes. Therese “Terri” Connor Benken felt she had a humdrum year until November 5th when her daughter, Kay, got married in a lovely ceremony. Nancy Butler Bruck ’s daughter and Terri’s other daughters were among the bridesmaids. On November 17th, Terri had planned on taking a substitute teaching assignment, but then she got COVID on the 15th. That same day her central heating went out, and she couldn’t get a new boiler installed until December 20th. Now Terri’s doing much better, and we wish her continued health. Cassandra Almonte Bauza and her husband moved back to Hanover, Massachusetts, in August 2021, because her son’s wife was having twins and needed help. They have six grandchildren under the age of six, five boys and one girl. Two of her children are trauma surgeons, and one is a federal lawyer. Her husband recently retired from his medical practice since he was going back and forth to Puerto Rico to see patients. Kathleen “Kathy” Shine Wright continues to volunteer at Fatima Retreat House and in her parish. In October 2022, she moved into a condo and loves her new neighborhood. This past summer, she traveled to Florida to celebrate her third grandchild’s high school graduation. He’s now a freshman at Rose Hulman. Her granddaughter graduates from Indiana University in May. Kathy’s oldest grandson works in Chicago. Her youngest plans on attending Indiana State University this Fall after graduating high school this Spring. Barbara “Barb” Wahnsiedler Klein has been recovering from a slight accident. Even though vaccinated and boosted, she got Covid in December. While recovering from that illness, she fell flat on her face on her hardwood floor and broke her nose in three places. Her husband, Rich is still checking out groceries at their local Schnuck’s market and loving every minute of it. Barb’s mother celebrated her 97th birthday and is still living by herself in her big house. Barb commented that she and Rich are just trying to buy eggs and live a little longer. Nancy Butler Bruck and her husband have moved to a smaller, more manageable house about three miles from their former place. Everything is on one level, and she says that even the kitties are more content. They are enjoying their grandchildren whenever they can. Since they love being at The Woods, they try to get to Terre Haute occasionally. Barbara Fritsch Milner wrote that Pamela “Pam” Butler Bromann and her husband Gary stopped by last Fall on their way home from visiting Pam’s east coast family. They also visited with Mary Ann Dugan Zagar and Fred. Barbara was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease twelve months ago. She’s still working part-time for the Cleveland Clinic. Since vaccinations are down, she’s triaging calls to the clinic doctors. She commented that life is good, and she’s hoping to get back to The Woods in 2024 for our 55th Reunion! Joan Wylie Hall has a new granddaughter. Amelia Caroline, sister of Hannah, five, was born four weeks

early on November 2 in Atlanta. Thanks to Facetime, Joan can enjoy Amelia’s smiles and her intense efforts to make sounds. Joan (in Oxford, Mississippi) and Judith “Judy” Curtin (in Rochester, New York) stay in touch by email, and Judy gave important advice when Joan had two cataract surgeries in January. David and I have been taking several cruises in between college semesters. We cruised the length of the Panama Canal, visited Aruba, Curacao, the Dominican Republic and San Juan. During the summer, we traveled to Rome, Portugal, the Normandy beaches, Copenhagen, Gibraltar, the UK, Sicily and Sardinia. We totally enjoy spending time with their four grandchildren and Ziggy, the rescue dog we got during the pandemic. Congratulations to our classmate, Sharon Harley, Ph.D ., Associate Professor of African American Studies at the University of Maryland. Sharon received the 2023 Honorary Feminist Sociologist Distinction award. It honors contributions of feminists who are not sociologists by training in feminist sociology but devoted to celebrating participation and contributions to advancing gender and sexual justice and dismantling intersecting systems of oppression. She will present her work on Black women’s labor history, building a Black feminist scholarly community and bringing researchers together across the African/Black Diaspora. Pamela “Pam” Preisser Olin and hubby, Rick, have had quite an eventful year, with Rick having several cardiac issues and 12 visits to the hospital. But the Lord was so gracious to them, and Rick seems to be doing very well. Christmas was such a huge blessing because all the children and their spouses and grandchildren returned home. It was a full house of around 22 people from December 21 to January 1. Natalie Moses and Doug faced a lot of change in 2022. Having bought a house on the northern Maine coast in 2018, they finally made the sea change after Covid! Realizing that traveling between North Carolina and Maine was unsustainable, they moved to Maine full-time in early April 2022. They love the northern coastal waters and community. Natalie mentioned her Dad passed away last November after almost 102 years of a wonderful life. Mary Beth Rennels Strassel reported our Golden Reunion was magical and the new dorm Les Bois Hall amazed all. In June, Ray and Mary Beth sailed on a Viking Danube cruise that falsely claimed to do daily Covid testing. After recovering from Covid, Ray was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. They found great medical care and support from their four offspring and six grandkids, including a new Thanksgiving baby, Vivian. “Trust in the Lord, you shall not tire.” She and Mary Patrice Slevin Haley have managed a couple of visits, and once a month Zoom poetry sessions including Norene La Mere Lewis, Margaret “Mickey” Kelly Murray and Carolyn Gallogly take place. Jennifer Ross Grassmyer is finding life good in Tulsa, Oklahoma! She has a wonderful partner. (“He’s the best!”). They have been together for 10.5 years. She has three children: Katie, Matthew and Gregory. She also has two sweet grandchildren! “I did not believe retirement could be so wonderful, and this is after 10 years! In May, I was very happy to see so many of our fellow classmates. Here’s to hoping for a good year for us all!” ’70 Karen Kelly Kiss 3 Highview Court Wandana Heights VICTORIA 3216, AUSTRALIA +61 3 5243 0983 karenkellykiss@gmail.com

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