It's that time of year, Classmates !
Where does the time go?
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
Betsey Ingraham Rhame is pulling up roots.
After making NYC my home since 1998, I am moving across the country to Portland, Oregon. Are any former classmates in the Portland area?
Why Portland? I have two daughters, one settled in Philadelphia and the other in Portland. Each of my wonderful "girls" has a little girl of her own. My younger daughter and her family just moved to Portland this past September. As for me, after loving NYC as always but being constrained by high rents to live in less than optimal space, I told the girls I would move where I found a living space that made my heart sing and I found that space in Portland. (As you probably know or could guess, Philadelphia is a lot like NYC. An old city where you get no bang for your buck in the rental market.)
So at the beginning of December I'm bound for Portland where I don't know anyone but my kids and the son of an old friend. Does anyone know anyone there who's my age? (Joke, but it is kind of nice to have a few friends in your age ballpark.) Hope this finds you well and looking forward to the holidays. All best, Betsey
If memory serves, Janet Shirling Robinson used to live in Portland but that doesn't help now, does it? I bet one of our classmates knows someone. Enjoy your new home and stay in touch.
SURFING AGAIN
I love the internet. Whiling away time, I came across this very nice write-up at the University of Akron website of our own Alice Moore.
The Honorable Alice Batchelder
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals - Sixth Circuit
Judge Batchelder attended Ohio Wesleyan University, graduating in 1964. Following graduation, Judge Batchelder taught for several years prior to earning her J.D. at The University of Akron in 1971. She then pursued a legal career and was among the first women in Medina County to practice law.
From 1971 to 1983, Judge Batchelder served as an attorney in private practice with Williams and Batchelder. She obtained her first judicial post as a judge on the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio in 1983. After two years, she was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
In 1991 President George Bush appointed her to her current position as judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the sixth circuit, which covers Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. While a district judge, Batchelder obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of Virginia Law School in 1988.
Judge Batchelder is known as one of the best writers on the U.S. Court of Appeals. She is a professional associate of the American Bar Association and the Medina County Bar Association, and is a member of the Federal Judge's Association and the Federal Bar Association. Her activities include the National Conference of Multi-State Bar Examiners.
Judge Batchelder has been honored with several awards from The University of Akron: the Law Outstanding Alumni Award in 1993; in 1996, an Honorary Alumni Award; and in 2001 she received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law. She currently serves as a trustee of the School of Law Alumni Association. In addition, in 1993 she received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Lake Erie College.
Judge Batchelder is married to The Honorable William Batchelder and has two grown children.
Wikipedia has a great deal of information. In 2005, Alice was a U.S. Supreme Court candidate, and on August 14, 2009, she was appointed Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit. Kudos, Your Honor!
WHAT A SURPRISE
I knew that Terri Norris Bischoff was a big Buckeye fan but I did not know the extent! Check this out.
Speaking of Terri, she came across a copy of her father's 1936 Delhi. On page 21, there are photos of the fathers of three of our classmates: Terri's father Bob Norris, Rodger Nutt's father Harold Nutt, and Sandy Patrick Woods' father Bernard Patrick. Sondra Parks Davis' mother Ruth Yarhouse was also in that class.
The class of 1936 was the first to attend all four years at Willis High School.
BUDDING ARTIST
Neal C. Lauron | Dispatch
Burke Mooney, 4, paints at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Visitors tried oil painting, though many kids used watercolors or markers instead.
This little cutie is the grandson of Susie Donovan Mooney and he was the feature photo of a recent Metro article in the Dispatch. Now, Burke, if you hold your mouth just right....
SAND ART
Early in November, Shirley Dorsey Ward learned of a sand art competiton at Ft. Myers Beach, Florida, so she drove up prepared to take plenty of photos. The white sands were a challenge to the photographer but not as much as the winds of Ida challenged the artists. It was difficult to narrow all the wonderful exhibits down to twenty photos for the album. I marvel at the skill and patience that goes into such temporary art. Click here to view the album.
ABOUT THE SPIRE
Last month I introduced you to the new Richard North Patterson book. In his interview with the Delaware Gazette, Patterson mentioned that no murder had ever taken place on the Ohio Wesleyan campus. Dennis Jackson says otherwise:
In this article Patterson states that, unlike in his book, no one was ever murdered on the OWU campus. As a kid, I recall the "Red Shoe" or "Red Slipper" murder case. On September 17, 1953, coed Cynthia Pfeil was murdered by her boyfriend Roy Schleagle. The body was found in a shed on campus. Big stuff in Delaware at the time. Her ghost supposedly can still be seen walking on Henry Street. No kidding! See "The Ghosts of Stuyvesant Hall and Beyond," by John B. Ciochetty, OWU.
Naturally I turned to Google and there are many references to the murder. Cynthia Pfeil and Roy Schinagle (or Schleagle) met as freshmen at OWU and she was strangled behind the football field. I found a very good accounting of the case at the site, The Deadly Reasons, starting on page 115. I am surprised that Patterson hadn't heard about it. It is an interesting read and a bit of Delaware history I did not remember. Good memory, Dennis!
John Rapp had visitors last August. To celebrate their retirement, Bill and Carol Norris Rapp spent a week with brother John and family in Seattle before heading off on an Alaskan cruise. The city of Seattle has much to see so they did the entire tourist thing, including lunch in the Space Needle. This photo of the brothers was taken at the Pike Place public market, a one-of-a-kind must see for visitors.
Bill and John Rapp
Some lucky lady is going to be very pleased with the flowers!
RECOMMENDED READING
Peg Householder Jones recently read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, and she was moved enough to recommend it to our classmates. You can read a synopsis here.
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Patricia Welch Kelley
Nancy Wells Davis
Gene Gray
John Robinson
Shirley Piper Robinson
Judi Barringer Hunter
Janet Shirling Robinson
Ken Lavender
Lynn Sheets
These birthdays were listed in the class directory. If I have overlooked anyone, please let me know.
CLOSING WITH HUMOR
Jeanne Robertson is a public speaker and humorist.
This video is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Take a few minutes and enjoy.