WELCOME
Time for another set of Class Notes. This one will be shorter than the last, since I have not gotten a lot of news from all of you out there. Send in your latest happenings or word of your families.
WEDDING BELLS
On the fifth of May Bill Slavins married Meredith Lynn Hamilton in Stewartstown, WV. Received a lovely announcement of the good news. Congratulations all round.
NEWS FROM PHOENIX
Al & Bettie Crawford got the good news that their granddaughter Katie Richardson will enter West Point with the Class of '16. Katie is a recruited swimmer as well as graduating third in her class at Chandler High. Al & Bettie took her to West Point last October to let her see the place.
Al also reported that he and Bettie have "decluttered" and downsized from their Paradise Valley home of 27 years to move into a retirement community north of Phoenix. They still will be spending summers in the summer home nearby.
FOUNDERS DAY OUT WEST
Got this picture from Bill Waddell taken at the recent Founders Day lunch in Los Angeles, CA. Bill is on the right. That is Jack Kulpa on the left. Bill also had dinner with Jack & Marcia.
Jack Kulpa and Bill Waddell
GRANDCHILD NEWS
The grandson of Manley Rogers, Lt. Graham Burgess, left Italy in June with the 1/503rd Infantry for a 10 month deployment in Afghanistan.
Larry & Betty Wray Lodewick recently hosted their granddaughter-in-law Kim and two great grandchildren Mackenzie (5) and Tom (1) at the Lodewick home in Alexandria, VA. Their grandson Capt. Robert Lodewick '04 is with the 101st Airborne Div. in Afghanistan. Meanwhile the rest of the family is living at Ft. McCoy, WI.
Meanwhile John & Ann Streit reported that their grandson Zeke Bradford, a recent USAFA grad, is undergoing pilot training at Shephard AFB.
On a sadder note Volney & Janet Warner attended a gathering of athletes in the Haig Room atop the new Library. Included were the coach and some members of the Women's Handball Team of which their granddaughter Laura '03 was a member. You will recall she was killed in Afghanistan in '05, having chosen to be with troops rather than pursue a position on the Olympic handball team.
DICK NEWTON RETIRES
No, not our Dick Newton but his son LtG. Richard Newton III USAFA '74. Many of you will remember him as a guest speaker at both our 55th and 60th Reunions. He retired as the Asst. Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He even mentioned the Class of '50 in his retirement speech. That has brought to a close 66 years of active duty for the combined father and son. Marilyn Cody has been a long time friend of the family and managed to attend the retirement ceremony. The picture shows her on the left with young Dick. Ruth & Dick are on the right.
Dick Newton but his son LtG. Richard Newton III, Ruth and Marilyn Cody.
TRAVELING WITH THE JACOBSONS
Earlier this year Jake & Ann headed south from their farm in Hamilton, VA. First stop was in Winter Park, FL for a visit with their daughter Marie Johnston and her husband Robert. They lunched with Andy Byers and were later joined by Sam & Ruth Stapleton and Ben & Malvene Lewis.
From there they were off to Miami to catch a cruise of the Western Caribbean. Enroute they managed a dinner with Mort Ray.
If that was not enough, in May they headed to Cambridge, MA for their grandaughter's graduation from Harvard, then to Glen Elg, MD for grandson Graham's high school graduation. He is off to Columbia Univ. having been named one of the top four high school saxophone players in the US.
Add to that trips to New York City to see granddaughter Dana dance with the NYC Ballet Company and you have a very busy Spring for the Jacobsons.
PROLIFIC EDDIE RAMOS
Eddie sent me a number of his latest books: Unsolicited Advice; Another Ending, another Beginning; SONA; and 111111-111 FVRWOW. He is certainly a very active person both in The Philippines and in the whole Pacific region. I would be glad to share any these books with any of you. Just let me know.
LAST ROLL CALL
Unfortunately we got late word on some deaths in past years.
Earl Johnston died on 29 June 2010, while his wife Betty Jean died on 9 May 2011.
Chris Chandler's wife Rosebel died on 15 Mar 2011. In Tyler, TX. Chris lives at 708 Bentley Court, Tyler, TX 75703.
Bob Miller died 1 April 2011. Last address I had for him is 265 Heritage Commons St., Grand Rapids, MI 30165.
Paul Triem died on 15 April in Eugene OR. He is survived by his wife Eleanor, two sons - Mike and Joe - and a daughter Susie. Eleanor can be reached at PO Box 5555, Eugene OR 97405.