SPRING-OA 2022

As the new year arrived and our hopes went up, the new COVID variant surged and we again remained challenged. I pray that you and yours are healthy or fully recovered. So far, my crew is A-OK with school, work, safe travel, reading and game-playing. We moved into our new home in October with my apartment attached to the side of my daughter, son- in-law, and three grands’ house. We are all delighted with our new home. We received Christmas 2021 greetings from Billie DeBeck Brunsman and Bob, Carol Burger Schuler and Bill, Kathleen Flynn Schmidt , Jo Ann Surmont Hribernik , Melissa Crider Andrea, Kathleen Dunne Alexis and Ron, Susan Eichmuller Hamilton ’90G and Wayne, Nancy Kuzmich Hillenbrand and Gus and Diana Schmitt Barry . Here are some highlights from their cards: Billie remains in the throes of her degenerative disk disease and is coping with Bob’s help. Kathy S. enjoys her new digs near her daughter’s family and spent the holidays with her oldest daughter. Melissa’s hobbies include an indoor garden of 14 large plants and artist painting challenges. Kathy and Ron celebrated at Disney World with family. The Champaign, Ill., newspaper recently recognized Kathy A. as a teacher who made a significant difference in the life of a particular student. Clare Martin Phelan reminds us that “no one is doing too much these days!” She has been at home most of the winter and has nothing of note to tell us except that she is well and content. “Which isn’t so bad, is it?” She just tried WORDLE for the first time and thinks it will be a fun puzzle when she figures it out! Judith “Judy” White Stoffel is well and avoiding COVID so far. She and daughter Kathy are hoping to make it to Poland in March to see Auschwitz and the Salt Mines. Judy sees Annette McMullen when she goes to virtual operas at the theatre. Last spring, Judy received a surprise phone call from Mary Walsh Ryder from whom she had not heard in decades! Kathy Robinson Goldstein’s life has been very calm and isolated. She is planning on a cruise in March to the Caribbean on a gorgeous ship. A good friend who travels a lot is tutoring her in all aspects of cruising and they are going together. It will be a great time, she thinks! Kathy wishes “all good health and a good spring full of colorful blooms.” Mary Jo Augustine and Jim are working through some residual COVID issues with support from kids and grandkids. She feels “so lucky to live in an area full of outdoor opportunities. My group of five tries to find a new trail through the Ozarks every week. When weather warms…we kayak! Y’all welcome to join in!” Linda Lewis Mayer was especially grateful to attend our 2021 in-person Reunion. Vaccines allowed gatherings with “old” roomie, Carol Kobar Moulton and fellow music major Ann Faulconer Witty , Linda’s brother David, a wedding with husband Richard’s family and a visit with sons Chris and Matt and their families. She is still doing music directing at a small Catholic Church, and Richard is gearing up for volunteer tax work for low-income seniors. Mary Gattie Galloway and Glenn’s son, Scott, and his family (Theo, 5, and Arthur, 6 months) live only three blocks away. So G’ma and G’pa do their share of babysitting. Last summer this group and their St. Louis, Mo., son and family (Anna, 10, Evan, 7, and Maggie, 2) enjoyed a week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She “did so much enjoy having them there.” ’66 Mary Holtz Hathorn 911 Wildrose Pl Erie, CO 80516 mahathorn@msn.com

Carol Kobar Moulton and Mike’s highlights were a trip to Spain with their daughter’s family, visits to son’s Nebraska home and - after almost 60 years of no communication, Carol and her sister reconnected with a long-lost cousin. Diane Mikol Cunningham, Constance “Connie” Griffin Samoluk and Carol met in Michigan for a relaxing time at Diane’s home. Favorite pastimes continue to be reading for two book clubs and volunteering at the Newfields museum gardens. Maureen Cassin Vadman and Dave successfully made it through a stressful 2021. Dave had his aortic valve replaced in May. After a long slow recovery, he is feeling great and back to his normal active life. Maureen loves to swim for exercise, completing a mile+ about four times a week. They both enjoy hiking, biking and pickleball and participate in community service activities. Eight grandchildren, ranging from 20 to two, are special delights. She finishes with “Life is good!” Good grief! Melissa Crider Andrea had a mild heart attack during the Christmas holidays, but medication and surgery have her up and about, albeit a little more slowly. She is grateful for everyday experiences of the beauty in life, and for the dear family and friends that walk the path with her. Melissa, we all send our prayers and hopes for a full recovery. Kathleen “Kathy” Flynn Schmidt has embarked on a new lifestyle, living with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, ages six and seven. Her oldest daughter Karen lives nearby with tween granddaughter Madeline. Kathy plans a trip “Alps to the Adriatic” in mid-May and then they are all off to Hawaii for two weeks. She met Kathleen “Kathy” Castiglia ’65 , while shopping in Leesburg, Va! They had a lovely visit catching up on family and school news! Bonita “Bonnie” Liosi Stevens and Mike reported that Susan “Sue” Eichmuller Hamilton ’90G and her husband, Wayne, hosted a Woods gathering for the southwest area of Florida. Kathleen “Kathy” Dunne Alexis and Ron also attended. Clare Thuning- Roberson, Ph.D. ‘67 and her husband drove over from Fort Lauderdale. President Dottie King gave a lovely talk about all of the exciting new things happening at The Woods. Bonnie was anticipating Ann “Patti” Sharrer Bokermann for a week’s visit. Susan “Sue” Eichmuller Hamilton ’90G and Wayne managed a couple of short trips this past year - a golf trip to the Country Club of North Carolina and a week cruise to the Caribbean complete with wonderful Irish musicians. Sue’s sister Donna Eichmuller Liszewski ’69 and Mary Kay Campbell Watson ‘69 and Al joined them. Both grandchildren are in college now. Golf, exercise, parish marriage preparation classes and adult faith formation classes keep them busy. Sheila McBride Beaupre has been active. March included a cruise to the Bahamas with friends and major surgery on her foot and leg. August was a family reunion in Rehoboth Beach, Del., and in September, after two and a half years due to COVID restrictions, daughter Colleen was finally able to visit home from Germany. Sisters MaryEllen Mellen and Sheila celebrated sister Deirdre McBride Radanovic’s ’63 birthday. Sheila is quilting and making dress kits for parish Dress-a-Girl mission. Margaret Curley Burk and Don enjoy grandparenting four little boys and a new baby girl. She is active in the storytelling world, producing shows in the Chicago, Ill., area and participating in national shows which Zoom has made possible. Margaret is lucky to get to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods several times a year to visit family in Terre Haute, Ind., stay at the Guest House and enjoy the new faces and energy on campus.

Pat shared, “Deepening Faith, intellectual curiosity, connections to one another, caring and empathy. When we gather, I feel the wealth of these gifts.” Kathleen “Katie” Ryan Dougherty added “It is challenging to reflect on a year fraught with as many vividly bleak memories, yet it taught me some unforgettable lessons. I focused on my three ‘R’s; ’reflecting, resilience and re-awakening. She and Frank “communed with Mother Nature, focused on racial equality, the election and local community support. Mary “Bobbie” Barrett mentioned that Frank and Kaite stopped for a visit on their return during a cross county trip back to Utah. Elizabeth “Betty” Borders McAndrew’s noted our class of 65 palindromes 56th Reunion celebrating her 2020 Rumely Award as a highlight. (Yep, it was small but so much fun! The many work-in-progress sites across campus are stunning!) Another highlight was to have Thanksgiving back at The Woods with 21 family members together for the first time in three years. Mike and I are healthy thank God. But aging “ain’t easy”. Best to all our classmates, she added. Anne Hoban Jean and Paul visited with their California son, wife and grandkids whose “dog family” increased to a three-pack with the addition of a dachshund named Frank T. Furter. “The East coast kids are all beautiful and above average, like the kids in Lake Wobegon.” And while scouring Facebook, I noted that Anne’s granddaughter Sophie was admitted to UMCP Honors in Florida. Other Facebook and birthday greetings posts include stories and photos of grandkids and now, some great grands. I follow Nancy Glaser Bray’s wonderful science education and service education work in Greenville and Asheville, N.C. Martha Sullivan O’Neill’s great family gatherings, and Sara Howrey’s bountiful gardens plus most recently a grand rotogravure selection of photos of a family wedding in the beautifully restored Cincinnati Woodward Theater- -featuring movie poster mockups, dances and performance art! Mary “Bobbie” Barrett shared the book Celtic Devotional (Daily Prayers and Blessings) by Caitlin Matthews that she’s found valuable, to get back to a daily tradition. Recommended, she said, by Alice Quinlan . In addition to the delights of connecting with classmates, Bobbie’s been busy with bi-weekly zoom calls with her five brothers and three sisters – “and occasionally a few nieces and nephews joining in. Despite all that’s challenging, life is good. Hope to see you at Reunion.” Barbara Fox Vanek wrote, “I think I’ve been missing in action a few times lately. Life was pretty typically one led by retired women: volunteer and cultural activities, bridge, friends, grandchildren, etc. COVID changed that, and a cancer diagnosis really changed it. By May 2021 I completed treatment and have pretty much come back - being carefully followed, of course. All that kept us from being with Mary “Demps” Dempsey Garvey during Jim’s illness and death (Jim was the best man at our wedding). We were finally able to connect in August and were able to attend the memorial Mass for Jim in September.” I only can conclude, as always, with wishes, prayers, dreams and Emily Dickinson “feathery hopes” that our lives continue to have purpose and passion, and that in the months and years to come, we get to walk again on that sacred ground and hear our voices echo “Our Lady of Providence, pray for us. Oh, pray for us.”

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