Onyx Anneau Spring 2021

Anne Hoban Jean reported from home in Chaptico, Maryland. “Paul and I got our second Pfizer vaccines, we both feel super good. No side effects at all. Maybe because the dark cloud of COVID is beginning to lift.” Eileen Janssens Nasif posted from California, “A big thank you to the volunteers and staff at Goleta Valley Hospital drive-through vaccine clinic!” Victoria “Vicky” Vallecillo had a Valentine’s Day greeting online from Puerto Rico; her Facebook page includes a petition-signing request re her advocacy work. We need to find a way, she said, “Congress must exempt Puerto Rico from the Cabotage Laws of the Jones Act of 1920.” Anne “Toni” Murphy’s note brought a smile among some of the shadows of this year. “I am saddened by Mary Sergan Shelangoskie’s death,” Toni said. “On St. Nicholas day she always left a treat outside the dorm room door.” The treats were always special and a surprise because I would always forget about St. Nicholas. And on holidays she would send beautiful handmade cards.” Judith “Judy” Lojek Mercer , art teacher and potter, wrote from Denver that summer 2019 was a bittersweet time for them. She and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and two weeks later their older son Michael, 47, died of liver disease. Her note concluded with the reminder and hope that “happy memories and time have helped the healing process.” We read of Sue Spencer Wynn’s lovely, meaningful life journeys from a childhood in Milwaukee, to Green Bay, and Janesville, Wisconsin, to St. Paul, Minnesota, — and a move in 1982 to Lexington. Her obituary said, “Everywhere Sue lived, she thoroughly enjoyed spending time and traveling with friends she met playing bridge.” Kathleen “Katie” Ryan Douherty said, “…my fondest memories of Sue were at the bridge table. Not only could she really play bridge, she brought laughter and fun to the table too.” Paula Rolfes said, “Biggest Packer fan I ever met!” Nancy Hurrle Emmett added “Many years ago we met at Lambeau Field before a Packer game. Her seats were much better than mine!” Nancy Hurrle Emmett is Utah neighbors with Kathleen “Rys” Ryan Dougherty and reminisces over missing their meetups for luncheons, but Zooms have been wonderful, she says. “We get to look at each other.” Karen “Skins” Skinner Lafkas and Barbara “Newt” Martin Fossum continue to represent us on the Board of Trustees, Nancy reminded me. A Christmastime YouTube link was Barbara Roguski Mandal singing with her church choir. In spite of being homebound 24/7, Wabash Valley alum, Elizabeth “Liz” Benstent Tuttle has big news. “My 18-year-old grandson, who lives about five minutes from the campus, has been accepted to The Woods.” On the initial day, Liz was one of 59,000 sign-ups for vaccine day in Terre Haute. Mary Helen Walker Clayton has a Grandmother’s Memories book almost ready for publication, and says it’s been difficult to downsize from having horses and land, but downsizing has its

’65 Dear ones, as time goes by, we and those we love, are increasingly facing health challenges. Let us keep in touch and keep all of us in prayer. Hugs from Anne. “Fie on COVID-19! We’ve all had our fill of that subject.” Bridget Allman Dederick’s perfect lead line for my Class of 65 Onyx notes collection. As most people remain apart, “Bridge and I rarely even see the people we know in our building,” Art wrote. However, amid this doom and gloom, and after COVID-19 sequestering and ongoing neo- natal care in NYC and Bethesda, newborn Rosalind Dederick, born in September, was able finally to rejoin her family in Germany. Bridget and Art’s holiday letter also reported family environmental work to “support a rich wildlife habitat and scenic views as a nature preserve forever” in response to nine-year old grandson Charley asking, “what can we do for nature?” Mary Ellen “Ellie” Wegman Yakamavich said, “Honestly 2020 seems more about the things we didn’t do.” She and Joe didn’t take a planned river cruise to Russia, “we also didn’t travel to Denver to visit our older daughter Jenny and family, or to Kansas City to visit family, or to our Woods Reunion, or to Branson, Montana, which we usually do in the fall.” Mary Susan “Susie” Piszczek McPartlin reported, “No Hawaii travels but daughter Katie and family moved to Rhinelander,” and added “grandson Alex finally made his First Communion after five postponements!” Susie keeps in contact with Martha “Marty” Sullivan O’Neill , Elizabeth “Liz” Benstent Tuttle and Paula Rolfes . Susie added Ellen Rubinate Webster is in a wheelchair at an assisted living facility. Her address is Ellen Webster, Village of Buckland Court #145, 432 Buckland Road South, South Windsor, Connecticut, 06074. Barbara Roguski Mandal posted a card request on our Class website when Juanita “Jonni” Garcia-Maldonado Sayres’s was sick from cancer surgery and chemo as an example of how important our connections feel. Even months later, it helps to share prayers and condolences when we learn of losses. Prayers to Raleigh, North Carolina, for Linda Solomon Bamford on the loss of her husband, Paul, in September. Kathleen “Katie” Ryan Douherty said, “It is challenging to reflect on a year fraught with so many vividly bleak memories yet it taught me some unforgettable lessons. I learned that having time to think and reflect is incredibly important. I focused on my three ‘R’s’ — reflection, resilience and re- awakening.” Patricia “Pat” Pratka Womak said, “I cook more, garden a lot, tackle house projects and try to be faithful, in prayers, for the situation we are now in 2021. Gene and I are in good shape today. We hope the immunizations will put an end to this horrid illness.” Katherine Krider Satchwill 502 Helen St Kannapolis, NC 28083-3652 KKSKatherine@hotmail.com

advantages for being “ready to go” as soon as we can. Visiting grandkids will be first travel planning for almost everyone. With continued optimism, Catherine “Kitty” Arterburn Felten , in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has been able to participate in a Duke University research study of Parkinson’s; adding that a side benefit was that when “COVID came I walked even more so use my cane even less.” Kitty says family Zoom scavenger hunts are fun diversions, with nearby and farther distanced grandchildren. For Nancy Glaser Bray in eastern North Carolina the events calendar says “we’ll be joined by Mother Nature herself, Mrs. Nancy Bray,’ at the A Time For Science /NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ technology and science outdoor learning center and museum. “Saturdays with Mother Nature” events and studies are part of Nancy’s family expanding Bray Hollow Conservancy lands development. Martha “Marty” Sullivan O’Neill’s storytelling is riveting of their Chicago driveway/garage Christmas Celebration. Families commandeered portable fire pits, into an open sided garage/ carport area. There were masks for all, juke box music, beer and wine — and then, despite careful weather watching, there were wind bursts, rain and more rain, “even my underwear was wet” Marty chuckled in the re-telling. Ruthanne Schoettlin Otto said that this summer, she and Tom were honored as a couple by “both our parish and the Knights of Columbus as the St. Charles’ recipients of the Corpus Christi Award, while the K of C Council nominated us as ‘family of the month’ in October. Needless to say, we were very touched.” Elizabeth “Betty” Borders McAndrews says, “I Just want to tell everyone again how shocked and surprised I was at the Zoom celebration of my Rumely Award! I am scheduled to get my first shot of the vaccine next week! Never thought I’d get excited about getting a needle stuck into me!” She mentioned classes, multiple book clubs, yoga, binge watching and challenged but adaptive ways to celebrate and care for friends and neighbors, creative food banking, lots of gardening. Barbara Thier Morris added, “Looking deeper into ourselves and the importance of family, friends and life in general. If there is a silver lining to this time we enjoy family Zoom calls each Friday. Our 2020 started out leaving California and driving across country to South Carolina, our new home. Having arrived into our new home two weeks into COVID-19 the pandemic put a serious curb on exemplifies her continued energy and sense of spiritual connectedness, “Sunday Mass live with Cardinal Dolan in New York City at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Live Mass at home Parish. Monthly Zoom with the women in our parish Ladies Guild. Tried to get 5,000 to 7,000 steps in 3-4 times a week, weather permitting. My kids are all here so we visited with masks and social distancing. The thing I hate is not being able to attend grandkids events.” meeting and greeting new neighbors.” Patricia “Pat” Pratka Womack’s story

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