Onyx Anneau Spring 2021

Mary Add Wilson Baker reports before “lock down mode” she and Jim saw Tina Gnavi Collins and Dale in San Antonio in February 2020. She has talked to people more than she has in ages. Marjorie “Marnie” Luken , Monica Dell’Osso , Mary Ann Delehanty Latusek and Barbara “Barb” Weber Michael are doing well. She saw Barb in September when Jim and Greg’s fraternity brothers got together. She went to the groundbreaking of the new building at The Woods. Hopefully, we can see it at Reunion! Patricia “Patti” Williams Essig completed a Spiritual Direction program from Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin. She would be honored to explore the Divine — pattiessig7@gmail. com. She and Steve were looking at condos with their son. She launched virtual yoga classes. Their grandchildren Maggie (11) and Patrick (9) are due to go back to school in January. Patti is praying they stay safe. Patti and Steve didn’t travel to Florida this year and didn’t see Mary Botti Greenberg . She and sister Patricia “Pat” Botti ‘72 are loving Naples, Florida. Barbara Jaspersen Hataway sends sad news. After years of failing health, she lost her husband, Cara. He brought much into her world for near 32 years of marriage. He gave her his four adult children, their spouses, 11 children and eight greatgrandchildren. Her life in Kansas is about these people. Barb kept in touch with Susan Midkiff Boehme and Marilynn Kinealy McGuire . She was hoping for our 50th Reunion. Margaret “Peggy” Baele Aronson says 2020 was a weird year. She fell in April and shattered her elbow. She is healing. In November, her husband had a minor stroke and lost some function of his left hand. She and her husband moved to North Carolina 18 months ago. They have a lovely new house, great neighbors and they are close to family. She lost many friends this past year, including dear friend and classmate Gene “Genie” Hogan . Beverly “Bev” Birk-Cutshall sold their RV in Bradenton, Florida. They are full-time in Indiana. They dislike the Indiana weather, particularly the gloomy days. They got the first COVID-19 vaccine in January, the second in February. Bev says her biggest excitement is having their 7- and 4-year- old grandchildren for visits during holidays. Bev is dog sitting their two Boston Terriers. Dorothy Blakey Priester writes all is well in Northern Virginia. They are busy with their granddaughters. She is glad to have retired from teaching. Before the pandemic, they had travel plans. She is not sure when they will go. They celebrated the Washington Nationals championship. She and Fred celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and renewed their vows with their children and grandchildren in attendance. Dorothy wishes all her Woods friends’ safety. Jo Anne Henry lets us know that things are fine in Ohio. She has spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing her house. She is still training her dogs for obedience and herding competitions. She really misses visiting the nursing homes with her therapy dog. She hopes they can visit this fall. Angeline “Angi” Dvorak Ishida writes all is well in Denver. Although lost travel was

Contact me about the class Facebook group. We will organize a Zoom call to all those who want to join us. Any takers on sharing the co- secretary role with me? Karen Kelly Kiss

disappointing, they are grateful for their health. She says it has been hard watching their grandchildren in Denver cope with remote learning. Their grandchildren in Chicago have been attending school. The highlight was a one-month visit from their Chicago-based daughter Mika and family. Their son-in-law set up his office on the patio and Mika worked inside. Kathy DeClue Schubel says she and Mike are fine. After they got back from their trip to Kiawah, South Carolina, things shut down and they haven’t been anywhere since. They are careful because of Mike’s diabetes and Kathy’s mom turned 93. They gather with her, two of Kathy’s sisters and one of her brothers. She and Mike got their first vaccine shot. They have been cooking a lot. They are counting their blessings as they have stayed healthy. Kathy’s brother just moved to Camano Island, Washington. Christine “Chris” McCauley Stremel says she missed two cruises, one family vacation/reunion in Branson, Missouri, one beach trip in St. Augustine, Florida, and one knee replacement. She missed the Community Theater activities and Flower Mound Senior Citizen Center Duplicate Bridge and her aunt’s 96th birthday party. She has not lost anyone to the virus, and she has reconnected with old friends online. Chris hopes the 50th Reunion happens. Mary Ann Delehanty Latusek reports that she had a new grandson on the first Monday of the COVID-19 shut down. Luke Alexander is almost a year old. The older granddaughters go to school four days a week and they have them on the day of online classes. She is so glad they retired. They had a family vacation at Hilton Head in summer. They also got together at Christmas. She hopes we can get together in May. Patricia Lenz Spaulding tells us that she has moved to Niantic, Connecticut, after living in her home in Stamford, Connecticut, for 42 years. She wanted to be closer to family. She speaks with Nancy Sullivan Duffy and Kathleen “Kathy” Keigher Brooks (roommates) often. We would have our own reunions in the past years but could not get together with COVID-19. She is looking forward to Reunion. Linda Szempruch Aylward hopes for a broad vaccine distribution for normalcy. She makes functional pottery, throwing bowls, cups, etc. She is hand building and sculpting in her office, tuning into her virtual class from Harper College. This “hands- on” hobby keeps her centered. Arthritis is an added challenge as she thinks about 72 around the corner. She’s grateful for Pilates. Linda is praying for deep blessings for our class and loved ones. Barbara “Barb” Weber Michael says Christmas was special as she and Greg Zoomed with family. Their children, spouses and 13 grandchildren joined from all over. In June she and Greg were in Indiana to celebrate Barb’s dad’s 100th birthday. Greg’s mother passed away last April, 11 days before his parents’ 75th wedding anniversary. In September they drove to North Carolina to join Jim and Mary Add Wilson Baker and friends for a fraternity gathering. They and their immediate family have stayed well.

’71 Judith Larkin 4732 Lost Creek Ln

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

Hello my dear classmates. It’s here! We made it — 50 Years! Can you believe it? For me, the time just flew by. Just yesterday I was in Mr. Palacios’s 8 a.m. logic class (there is an oxymoron) and here I am, 71 years old, retired 18 years after 31 years of teaching, writing to more 71-year-olds with histories much like mine. This pandemic has changed all of us, but in some ways, we are very much the same…. Kathann Wyss Koehler is working at Xavier University as the Planned Giving Manager from home. She keeps up virtually with family and Cincinnati SMWC Lunch Bunch. Four of nine grandchildren are close and visit about every 4-6 weeks. She has checked on classmates. Sueanne “Suzie” Blazer Stokes in Kansas City, Katherine “Kathy” Uzdawinis Laham and Jena Worland Hartman in Indianapolis, Paula Connor Zembrodt in northern Kentucky and her “big sister,” Therese Connor Benken ’69 in Cincinnati are hanging in. Mary Jo Trainer Pazak writes life has changed not traveling. She and Red are enjoying retirement. Mary Jo attends a virtual Bible study, and she is on the Grand Canyon Young Readers Committee. She recommends books for 3-6 graders. Their sons their families are well. They have six grandchildren — Madeline (sophomore at Baylor), Michael (senior), Matthew (8th grade), Jameson (5th grade), Paulson (3rd grade) and Morrison (kindergarten). She is looking forward to Reunion. Edna Hannon Wintermantel tells us she only traveled to see her kids. They all live near her in New York state. She has been helping her sister- in-law care for her terminally ill brother-in-law until his death. She says everyone is trying to stay safe and too many have died. She keeps in touch with Mary Getty , Valerie Woods ’72 and Mary Jane Welter ’72 . She hopes we can pull off Reunion. Margaret “Meg” Deisher writes from Arizona. She and her sister took their annual trip to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, before the outbreak of the coronavirus. Since then, they have been inside. During that time, Meg and her sister spent most of the last year as caretakers for their old friend, more like a sister. She cannot believe we are the “old girls” now. She is looking forward to an in-person Reunion. Giovanna “Vanna” Looney Gorham tells us that she and family are well. She has a new granddaughter, Miah. She babysits Savannah. She is “a hoot” and keeps Vanna busy. They stayed home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She and her sister enjoyed the aspens, explored St. Elmo and its cemetery. She and family explored Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel. She suffers from cabin fever. She reads a lot. She travels the U.S. and Europe via YouTube.

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