Class of 1961        45th Reunion NEWS

WOW!!!! WHAT A GREAT TIME WE ALL HAD AT OUR 45TH CLASS REUNION. THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME, IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS.

 

I'VE HAD TO TAKE A FEW DAYS TO JUST LET MY MEMORIES GATHER. AND WHAT MEMORIES THEY ARE. FROM THE MINUTE YOU WALKED IN THE ROOM, IT WAS TOTAL JUBILATION FOR ME.

 

WE HAD 6 FIRST TIMERS TO ATTEND , THEY ARE SANDRA HOMESLEY WEST, BARBARA FORTSON GATHRIGHT, CAROLYN DUNN ENGLAND, MERLE CURBO LEMOND AND LEE OLA CAMERON SMITH. MIKE DICKEY WOULD HAVE MADE IT 7 HAD HE BEEN ABLE TO COME. MIKE HAD 5 STINTS PUT IN ON WEDNESDAY AND WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND. WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED COMING AND WANT TO COME AGAIN.

 

TO JOHN DAVIS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY ON THE CLASS BOOKLET. WHAT A GREAT JOB HE DID. THANKS TO ALL WHO RETURNED YOUR PROFILES,83 OF YOU. JOHN HAD 60 BOOKLETS PRINTED AND WE SOLD ALL OF THEM AND SOME FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO COME. AND TO HAVE THE BOOKLET DEDICATED TO ME WAS A SURPRISE AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHAT AN HONOR.

 

THE JORDAN RIVER JUBILEE WAS OUTSTANDING WITH THEIR MEDLEY OF 50'S SONGS. THANKS TO TOM, PATTIE JORDAN, TOM, ANN ALLEN FOR BRINGING BACK THE ERA OF GOOD TIMES. AND THOSE WHO DANCED WAS FUN TO SEE, ESPECIALLY IM SURE ,WHEN LAWRENCE CAME TO GET ME TO DANCE AND THEN LEFT ME BREATHLESS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.

 

AND TO OUR CAROLE SMITH, WHAT A PROGRAM SHE PUT TOGETHER IN JUST A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. HER "GRANDMA" WAS A HIT WITH ALL HER STORIES OF DIFFERENT CLASSMATES. FROM PAM SPENCER'S MARILYN MONROE WHO DID A GREAT JOB AT WORKING THE ROOM SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR "OCTOBER BIRTHDAY BABIES", CLARK MURRAY, CAROLYN MASTERS, JOHN THOMAS TAYLOR, JUDY STANKE MURPHREE AND WE ADDED TOM ALLEN JUST TO PUZZLE HIM. GREAT JOB PAM!!  AND THEN THERE'S RONNEY MOORE WHO WAS OUR "OCTOBER FOOL" AND SUCH A GOOD SPORT. TO SONDRA POWELL AND DONN GERMAN FOR COMING THE FURTHEST.

 

EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES THEY WERE IN WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT A GREAT IDEA OF CAROLE'S TO DO THAT. STORIES OF OUR "THREE STOOGES", TO TOM FINES TOMATO JUICE STORY. I WISH THERE WAS TIME TO HEAR EVERYONE'S STORY OF MEMORIES.

 

FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS WAS ESPECIALLY A NICE WAY TO KICK OFF THE REUNION WEEK END. JUST TIME TO VISIT ,LAUGH, EAT AND ENJOY FRIENDS AND FELLOWSHIP. DENNIS AND DANIEL BLOOM STOPPED BY LONG ENOUGH TO SAY HELLO TO ALL AS THEY WERE FLYING OUT THAT NIGHT TO ATLANTA FOR A MEETING THE NEXT DAY. REALLY APPRECIATE THEM TAKING TIME FOR US.

 

DON GERMAN TOOK SOME REALLY GOOD PICTURES OF THE WEEKEND. I HOPE TO HAVE THEM POSTED ON THE WEB SITE BEFORE LONG. ANYONE ELSE WHO TOOK PICTURES, I WOULD APPRECIATE COPIES FROM YOU TO ADD TO THE NOTEBOOKS. I HOPE YOU GOT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE NOTEBOOKS DISPLAYED SATURDAY NIGHT. LOTS OF CLASS HISTORY IN THEM.

 

WE ALSO HAD A MOMENT TO HONOR OUR CLASSMATES WHO HAVE PASSED ON. THEY HAD AN IMPACT ON THIS CLASS OF 1961 AND ARE WORTH REMEMBERING. DARRELL STREET READ EACH NAME (40) AS WE LIGHT A MEMORY CANDLE.

 

TO DONNA MCBRIDE REESING, WHO WORKED ON THE BUFFET DINNER. THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT. THANK YOU DONNA.

 

I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAD A PART IN PUTTING THIS 45TH REUNION TOGETHER. FROM THE FIRST MEETING TO CARRYING OUT THE LAST BOX. I WOULD MENTION THEM ALL BUT AFRAID I WOULD LEAVE SOMEONE OUT. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.

 

THIS REUNION AS WITH ALL REUNION, ITS NOT ABOUT ME---ITS ABOUT YOU.

YOU ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE THESE REUNIONS POSSIBLE. YOUR EFFORT TO COME AND MAKE IT A SUCCESS IS THE REASON I DO WHAT I HAVE DONE ALL THESE YEARS---FOR YOU. TO RECONNECT, VISIT, HAVE FUN AND ENJOY AND TAKE LOTS OF MEMORIES BACK WITH YOU.

 

SONDRA POWELL CADENHEAD WILL BE TAKING CHARGE OF PLANNING THE 50TH REUNION. I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT SONDRA AND HER COMMITTEE WILL PLAN FOR US.

 

IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE A PART OF MAKING MEMORIES FOR YOU. YOU HAVE SHARED YOUR STORIES, YOUR JOYS ,YOUR PAIN AND I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. IT HAS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE FOR ME. I ALWAYS KNEW THIS WAS A SPECIAL CLASS AND YOU MAKE ME PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS 1960-61 CLASS.

 

FROM ME TO YOU-------FAVORITE PEOPLE

                                     FAVORITE PLACES

                      FAVORITE MEMORIES OF THE PAST

                                    THESE ARE THE JOYS

                                        OF A LIFETIME

                      THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT LAST.

 

LOVE YOU ALL,

SHERRY ABBOTT MANLEY

Photo of the 2006 reunion group with the exception of 3 or 4 who are missing from the picture although they were at the lunch Saturday. Camera shy, I guess. There are also a few hiding behind someone. We missed all of you who could not be with us. We all really enjoyed our time together at the different events. The few of you who paid but had to miss can have some consolation in the knowledge that what wasn't paid on the food guarantee at the country club was forwarded along with all our registration surplus plus the attendees' very generous donations to the new committee for our 50th Class of '59 Reunion. They're off to a great start. If you weren't there but would like to donate, send your checks made out to Beverly Williams and mail to her at 2714 Carriage Lane, Carrollton, TX 75006-4732.

 

Information bits and pieces:

There were 57 on Friday night, 39 of them were classmates.  Robert Wetzel donated the left-over pizzas to the Loaves and Fishes Ministry in our name for which we received a thank-you note. Thanks, Robert.

There were 60 at lunch on Saturday, 42 of whom were classmates.