OA-Spring 2023

C L A S S N O T E S Kathleen “Kathy” Gerend-Meinking reports 2022 was not a banner year for the Gerends, so she expects better in 2023. 2022 holiday gatherings were scrubbed by a mini-blizzard. Kathy believes husband, John, might make his first visit to New York if he can find a golf course or two. Hopefully, Kathy can get her head around attending our next Reunion but after the events of last year, 2025 might be a little early for her planning. Yung Hae Chung Lee is well. Like other classmates, she had some health issues, but thanks the Lord for keeping her here. Her new motto: “to live, to enjoy life, share love, take nothing for granted until your last breath and love life.” Hopefully, 2023 will be a fresh start. Martha Crane visited Alfonso and family in Washington in September and hiked the Olympic National Park. She is in love with the Pacific Northwest, likely enhanced by her hiking addiction. Christmas was spent in Spain with daughter, Elena and grandkids. The youngest, Luis, just celebrated his first wedding anniversary. Oldest son, Simon, is retiring from the army in April after 20 years. She remains in good health and active. Martha has been blessed. Jean “Jeannie” Marcellus Ferrone and Tony are making the most of their retirement and are fortunate to be active (with new knees for Tony!) Covid certainly hunkered them down, fostering dogs, drinking the good wine and more! Now they’re back to seeing family and friends and traveling again. “The “grands” are all in college. How did that happen so fast? Wishing you all peace, joy and good health!” With the arrival of Covid several 1970 classmates Zoomed to keep in touch. Martha Crane, Jean “Jeannie” Marcellus Ferrone, Mary Ann Green, Karen Swartzlander Fountain and myself, Karen Kelly Kiss , have continued this practice. Our latest Zoom included a viewing of a newly made cast for Mary Ann, who happened to have a fight with the ground after a fall. We recently discussed our SMWC class rings. Two of the group have lost rings, so between us, we have made a pact, when one of us “Drops off the Perch” the SMWC ring will go to them first. I think all of our 1970 classmates should consider passing your College ring to the care of SMWC for a current student who might not be in a financial position to purchase one. Any takers? Tell your family! “Nancy Nurse” or is it Christine “Chris” Seelman Rochetti . Husband, Rick’s knee surgery in December gave her a chance to upgrade her skills after playing nurse for five weeks! Traveling was limited to a couple of flights to Charlotte to visit their son. They’re planning a trip to Italy next September. Their other son bought a house in Arlington Heights and comes to their place around dinnertime. Chris shared that Reunion was the BEST! Hopefully, more Woodsies will attend in 2025. Anne Kayser Lannert and family found 2022 was health-challenging. Steve had double bypass heart surgery, pleural effusions, shingles and Covid —one after the other! He did very well in recovering from each. They are looking forward to a healthier 2023. They are planning more trips to be with the grandkids and a fun trip to Aruba this spring to celebrate their 75th birthdays! Anne wishes everyone a healthy year and a Happy Birthday! Jeanie Reime Heller gave a great report on Reunion. “We were the special class that got to stay in the new dorm. The group expressed how lucky they felt having gone to SMWC. Under the education of the Sisters of Providence, SMWC helped make me a strong, independent woman with a good moral compass.” Jeanie managed some travel and visited her cousin in Oakland, California, in July. Marnita Duffy Fabbre and husband Dino, now retired, are doing well. Dino’s job as a hospital

administrator brought them to St Louis many years ago. Jeanie is still delighted and shocked that their two daughters and their families ended up living in St. Louis after many years of living and working in far-flung places. Much of her priority time is spent in various volunteer activities and on babysitting duties for the grandkids that they love. Both Mary Rose Gillooly and Marilyn Foley Stephen have checked in and are looking forward to hearing about our former classmates in the Onyx Anneau. Ruth Dilger Kelly is traveling with trips planned, including Morocco and “Down Under” in the next couple of months. After her second hip replacement in August, Ruth continues to hit the pool and join daily water aerobics classes. Her ten grandkids, aged 10-21, keep her busy but are her pride and joy. Ruth also poses a question to her classmates: Is anyone interested in The Woods River Cruise in 2024? Although retired, Jacquelyn “Jackie” Keoughan finds life busier than ever. She teaches French at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of Delaware in Wilmington and one class at a community college. Additionally, Jackie plays flute and piccolo with two bands, an orchestra, a flute choir and a flute quartet. Extra time is spent with family, including accompanying two granddaughters to Italy last summer. Her fourth grandchild will turn three in April. Kathryn “Kathy” Kinley Roller made a brief trip to Nashville, Tennessee before Christmas to see their son, Tim, perform as a singer/dancer in the Nashville Symphony’s Christmas show. The family had a good Christmas with most attending for presents and a pitch-in dinner. Bob and Kathy are planning to go to Scotland and Ireland next August with two of her sisters and a brother-in-law and are looking forward to that! Belén Capiel González and husband Jorge are well, although the past six months have presented a few health challenges. Her children are great and the grandchildren continue to be a joy. Jorge and Belén love attending high school athletic competitions and games involving the grandkids. Between the three of them there are plenty of activities including dance and tumbling for the youngest. They are also planning for a December 2023 wedding for her oldest daughter. Adelaide Riordan Keenen sent the sad news of the loss of her older brother, Dr. Tom Riordan, who died on January 19 at the age of 80. Rest in Peace, Tom. Her son, I believe is now living in Sydney so we might find a way to catch up in the future. Carolyn Gallogly and her husband moved from Long Island after 44 years and landed back in the Midwest. Their return to Illinois has reunited them with alumni friends and family. She succumbed to a knee replacement, which has kept her busy. Carolyn offered advice in a famous quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou. Nancy Voll Pietrangeli traveled in July with 70 family members who ranged from nine months to 73 years in age. In September, Nancy and seven family members traveled for three weeks around Alaska in truck campers. They drove the infamous Dalton Highway along the pipeline beyond the Arctic Circle as far as Coldfoot. To celebrate her sister’s 70th birthday the two sisters finished with full body plunges into the Arctic Ocean. We welcomed our first granddaughter, Bobby Michele Behl, in January 2023. Bobby is named after my nephew’s son, “Baby Bobby,” who died at seven months old from Leukodystrophy. Moe and Jamie live in Sydney, Australia. Older daughter Michele Kiss, partner Lee and almost seven-year-old David Isensee live in California. David and I are well. I hope to meet

new-found relatives in Ireland this year. My 49th anniversary of my Australia arrival approaches. Thanks, classmates, for your appreciation when answering the call for our Onyx notes. See you in 2025!

’71 Judith Larkin 4732 Lost Creek Ln

Bellingham, WA 98229-2574 (360) 319-6522 snowboundgordons@aol.com

Lydia Ruiz Hull shares all is well in New Jersey! Lydia and Doug celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary last June. They are enjoying life with eight grandchildren. They are with them constantly. She enjoyed seeing our classmates last year at reunion, she just wishes more would come. Their two Shelties keep them busy. Lydia and Doug travelled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Florida several times this year. She sends her regards to have a blessed New Year. Mary Ann Murphy Atkins was so sorry to have missed our Reunion. She hopes all will attend the next one. She reports it wasn’t a very exciting year… she’s lucky to be in good health and loves spending time with her three grandsons. Mary Ann still enjoys working. She’s busy with book club, bunko group and a fun dinner group. She wishes everyone a happy and healthy 2023. Susan Mastroianni Collamati says all is well with her and Ernie. Ernie is teaching at Regis College part-time now while she continues living her retirement. They had a month-long trip to Australia. They were finally able to celebrate the marriage of their son to a wonderful Australian woman! The celebration with the bride’s side of the family had to be delayed due to Covid. Son Anthony and his family also joined the fun. Katherine “Kathy” Allen Gordon has eight wonderful grandchildren and her first great-grandchild. Kathy’s daughter and her husband moved to South Carolina. Both her sons live around her. Grandson, Brian, is in the Air Force National Guard and was just deployed to Africa. She prays hard for his safety. She says old friendships are the best. Kathy DeClue Schubel had her second knee replacement in February. She credits the decision to one of our classmates. Healed by September, they visited their daughter in Oregon and brother in Washington. They also visited another daughter in Arkansas. Mike continues consulting work with Cummins. All children and grandchildren attended a party for Kathy’s mom’s 95th. With all of her family doing well, she says they were truly blessed in 2022. Kathy says take care! Angeline “Angi” Dvorak Ishida says all is fine with her, Ken and their family. Their daughter Mika and family came to Denver, Colorado, during spring break, and they all went to the mountains for ski school for Marika and Alik. Daughter Mina and family joined her and Ken in Kyoto during the summer. Their grandchildren, Kana and Nadav, had a great time shopping and eating some of their favorite Japanese foods. Angi says it was a great year. Mary Add Wilson Baker , says that all is fine in Terre Haute! The big trip this year for the whole Bakers family was a vacation to Walt Disney World in June for their 50th Anniversary. She and Jim had a lot of fun and reports they actually kept up with the grandchildren, which was a feat in itself! In October, Mary Add, Mary Ann Delehanty Latusek, Barbara “Barb” Weber Michael, Marjorie “Marnie” Luken and Monica Dell’Osso , spent a delightful week on Hilton Head Island. She’s visited with several other classmates and says all are doing well. She says she’s ready to see a lot of classmates in 2026!!

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