October brings something different, Classmates!
The Grapevine has been turned upside down! This month we have a contributing editor. Anne Skatzes Williamson retired in 2008 from the San Jose Mercury News after more than thirty years in the newspaper business. She proposed a role-reversal so this month she is the interviewer, and I become the interviewee.
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Good morning, Judy. Thank you for agreeing to this interview. It seems you have such an engaged interest in hearing about other people's lives, I think those same people and others would like to hear a little more from you about you.
My early memory of you is as the "smartest kid in school." Do you recall having that reputation?
Good grief, no! And that sound you hear is the chortling of one particular Willis teacher from her heavenly cloud.
You are way too modest. So, with all that brainpower, where did you go to school after Willis? Tell us about your career path.
My last child graduated in 1980 and I decided it was finally my turn. Taking advantage of my employer's education benefits, I enrolled at Otterbein College in January 1981. My goal was to earn a degree by the age of 45. I declared a double major, Business Administration and Accounting, and attended classes in the evening. I graduated in June 1986, two years ahead of schedule. Two years later I earned my CPA certification to practice in the state of Ohio. (My life isn't particularly photo-worthy. Insert mental image of middle-aged blonde holding diploma. Note the paradox.)
I spent my accounting years in the corporate world, preferring business to private practice. Since retiring, I still do a few personal tax returns each year for family and friends but they are fewer each year.
That's an admirable accomplishment. I'll bet your family was proud of you. Do you still have siblings locally? We would like to hear about your children and grandchildren, too. Where are they and what are they doing?
I am the oldest of five siblings. I have a brother and a sister still in Delaware County, a sister in Licking County, and a brother in Nashville. They are all grandparents now.
My three children and their families are spread far and wide. Daughter Chris lives here in Delaware, as does her daughter Aimee, and Aimee's son Haven. Haven is the great-nephew of classmate Ken Lavender. Ken and I are practically in-laws!
Son Kelly lives in Alabama and works in Georgia. His daughter Ashley lives in Orlando with her three girls: Christine, Isabelle and Sara. Kelly's son Trent is a senior at Purdue, majoring in accounting. It must be in the genes.
Daughter Becky lives in Carmel, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis. Her son Adam is almost 12, and daughter Riley is 10.
That is a lot of birthdays to remember! We hope you're able to spend a lot of time with them now that you are retired. We know that you also volunteer many hours to provide computers to seniors who might not otherwise have access. That's a wonderful gift. How did the program develop?
Ah, now you have opened the floodgates. I met Bill Rosebrough in 1976 when I worked for United Telecom and he worked for the sister company, United Computing Systems. UCS provided the computing power to the R&D company, which at that time was all mainframes with a few dedicated terminals for software developers' use. Personal computers were still in the future. Bill's degrees are in math and he entered the workforce at the same time that computers moved into the workplace. They grew together. We married in 1978.
His love of computers was infectious. As a graduation present, in 1986 we bought our first home computer--and I was hooked! Over the years we have owned many machines. Like "Tim the Toolman" Taylor, we were always looking for More Power, so we learned how to enhance and modify the machines, changing hard drives, adding memory, changing video cards, replacing power supplies. The most ambitious project we ever had was replacing a motherboard. The instructions said it would take about eight hours. It took five hours with both of us working! I hope never to have to do that again. (Insert mental image of computer guts.)
Ten or twelve years ago we were contemplating a new machine and we mentioned it at euchre club. Coincidentally, one of the players had a friend who was interested in getting a computer but was watching his budget. The idea was born! We rehabbed the used computer and delivered it to a Willis alum, class of 1945.
Now we have friends and family members watching for used computers suitable for rehab, and people who are interested in receiving them. This is all done by word of mouth and we are kept as busy as we like. I have lost count of the number of units we have given away. The most recent placement went to another Willis alum, class of 1940. I am excited that so many seniors are eager to learn about the cyberworld. And I have discovered that the more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn. (Insert mental image of geeky grandma reading PCWorld for fun.) I love this stuff!
Thank you again, Judy, for the monthly newsletter. Is there anything else you'd like to share with your avid readers?
What started out as a cost-saving tool for reunion planning has evolved into something very much more. I love doing the Grapevine and the website but I couldn't do it without all our classmates, the folks willing to share their experiences, their hobbies, their lives. The older I get, the more I appreciate each person's life views and what it took to shape them, where they have been and where they are going. We all have something to contribute to the ongoing story and I am happy to be one tool in the process. In case I failed to mention it,
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Anne has been in California for 42 years, employed in advertising sales management at two separate newspapers. She has three perfect children: a college professor, a teacher, and a marine biologist, and four more-than-perfect grandchildren. Anne and Robert, her husband of 20 years, live in Santa Rosa and San Jose. She now owns one-half interest in an antique mall in Healdsburg, CA.
For real visual excitement, Dennis Jackson sent gorgeous photos of his most recent adventure. Here is how he describes it.
On August 1st, my old boss, son, daughter, and I took a photo excursion to Page, Arizona. All of us are big photo buffs and have long wanted to photograph storied Antelope Canyon. You may have heard of it. It's a slot canyon 138 feet deep but it is only shoulder width in many areas. The canyon is incredibly beautiful, though potentially very dangerous. In 1996 (I believe), twelve people were trapped in the canyon in a flash flood. A 30-foot wall of water crashed through the narrow 3/4 mile slot canyon, drowning eleven of the twelve. The lone survivor was the Navajo guide. The rain was 12 miles away and they had no idea they were in danger.
Being so narrow, the sunlight only hits the bottom of the canyon around noon during the summer months. The prime target of photographers and tourists are the rare light beams that quickly appear and disappear during this time.
When we finished photographing Antelope Canyon, we headed to Horseshoe Bend a few miles away. You probably have seen photos of the bend. It is a breathtaking view of the Colorado River just a 3/4 mile walk from the highway.
Click here to see the photos. The quick flashes of sunlight and the sand showers make the images look like works of art. They are beautiful, Dennis. Thanks so much for letting us see such a unique glimpse of nature.
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BECKY DOES IT AGAIN!
Sharon Kiernan Maggard and Sally Jo Scott Scott (I love saying that) came back for the fair -- another opportunity for a party! Becky Ross Donovan was gracious to suggest her garden and we leaped at the offer. Sally brought her aunt Marcena, her daughter and two grandchildren, and her daughter's friend and her two kids. The kids were hardy enough to get in the pool! Not so, the adults. We sat around eating pizza, talking and laughing. All the things we do best. It was a great time. Many thanks for hosting, Becky, and many more thanks to Jerry for the pizza run!
Sandy Patrick, Shirley Brimhall, Sharon Kiernan, Judy Myers, Terri Norris, Vicki DeVries, Carrie Ann Pinney,
Becky Ross, Mary Carson, Nancy Hough, Karen Oller, Sally Jo Scott
|-|-|-|-| MEET AND GREET
The Willis All-Class Meet and Greet took place on September 26. Eighty-seven alumni signed the register and a few opted out, so I would guess about 90 attended. Counting spouses and guests, the total attendance was nicely over 100. The Willis cafeteria, the "scene of the crime," accommodates nearly 300 so space was not an issue. Originator Ron Gabriel entertained the audience with his words of welcome, and Brent Carson (Hayes '66), a former Willis teacher and current president of the Delaware County Historical Society, gave us some history of Willis.
There was a lot of mixing and mingling, hugging and handshaking--exactly the purpose of the get-together. It was a very good afternoon. Many people took photos and a few made videos which I would love to post to the website.
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PERSONAL GLIMPSES
After a long, satisfying nursing career, Ann Lawson Sanderson retired on September 18. She immediately hit the road for North Carolina to cuddle her new granddarling, Josie Ann, who arrived on August 9. Congratulations times two, Gramma.
On October 1, Shirley Dorsey Ward is officially retiring her needle and thread. Her doll hobby may suffer because she has taken up computer graphics and is becoming quite an artist. Next, she is going to tackle animations so maybe we will see some of her creations in the future. Keep us in mind, girl!
This past weekend, Karen Hock Barrett married Jerry Facciani, her long-time beau. They tied the knot in Las Vegas at the Elvis Chapel and they were attended by their children and two of Karen's grandchildren. Click here to see the wedding photos. Best wishes to you both and much happiness, from all of us.
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MORE HORSE TAILS...uh...TALES
Becky Ross Donovan's feature article last month stirred a lot of conversation. Karen Oller George mentioned that Marilyn Evans, Dallas' sister, taught her to ride when Karen was nine years old. Karen got her own horse when she was eleven and had him till she left home.
In the mid-'70s, Karen boarded and trained her saddlebred at Becky's. They both showed under silver saddle in parade classes. Karen found a picture showing Golden Two Boots, her golden American saddlebred stallion.
Karen and Boots perform at River Ridge Horse Show, Columbus, OH, 1977
Karen passed on her love of horses to the next generation. Son Mike has shown horses and trained standardbreds for many years. He has also owned several race horses. Karen will pass up a yard sale to attend one of Mike's races. That is serious devotion!
I contacted Dallas Evans and he had more to add:
Marilyn worked with Karen and a few others, giving instructions on horses and riding. Karen lived a good driver and 3-iron away from our home. She had a horse named Prince – I knew she loved that horse very much. Occasionally, I would tease her about Prince and she would not speak to me for days.
Marilyn and I joined a 4-H club in Delaware. I remember showing our horses with Karen, Becky Ross, and Elaine VanDerVoort. Marilyn also worked with our cousin Diane Winters, who is now the out-rider for The Little Brown Jug.
Showing horses on the weekends was beginning to become somewhat lucrative for Marilyn and me. Around 1958, Marilyn entered her horse Tommy, at The Ohio State Fair. Winning 2 or 3 classes moved her into the Championship Western Show Horse class. To my amazement she won the class, and against some of the best trainers in the state and surrounding states. I was so touched by this event and so happy for my sister – she never saw the tears in my eyes.
Reading the recent article Becky wrote about her horses and all the championships she has won brought back some great memories. Speaking of memories, did you know I worked for Jerry Donovan while in high school? Jerry had a great herd of Brown Swiss dairy cattle he showed all over Ohio. I remember one year Jerry and I were gone for 6 weeks showing his cattle at various county fairs. Jerry did very well with his cattle and won many, many championships. He has always been a true friend.
And another story -- Elaine had a pony named Trixie. She, Becky, and I were at the Delaware fairgrounds attending a 4-H meeting and someone got the bright idea to hitch my pony to Elaine’s pony cart. Everything was going great till the harness broke, allowing the cart to move forward, hitting my pony in the butt. Well, all hell broke loose and the pony started running at warp speed around the Little Brown Jug track. I fail to remember just who was driving the cart, but she fell out. My father, Marilyn, and I ran out to the middle of the race track, trying to stop the pony from killing herself. As she rounded the turn the pony saw me – now she’s running straight at me because she finally recognizes someone. Somehow, I was able to jump out of the way and grab her reins. Now this crazy pony is running and I am being dragged down the home stretch. Out of nowhere my father grabbed the other rein and put a stop to this exercise. Never, never again did we hitch that pony. If I ever see Elaine again, I’m sure this subject will come up.
Isn't it great how one thing triggers (oh, a pun) the next? Thanks, Karen and Dallas, for good memories.
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OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
Sandy Patrick Woods
Betsey Ingraham Rhame
Dick Burns
Ray Downing
Dennis Jackson
These birthdays were listed in the class directory. If I have overlooked anyone, please let me know.