Happy Holidays from Your Class of '57 "Quadruplets"

Better late than never, as the old saying goes, so, from the four of us (Judy, John, Norma, and Wayne), I want to wish you a very happy, healthy 2008; and, belatedly but nonetheless sincere, I hope your Christmas was full of love and joy.

I received cards, notes, letters, pictures, and even a calendar from you this Christmas, and I thank each and every one of you for remembering me. Each piece of correspondence was yet another trip down memory lane for me, something that was bittersweet this year, as I lost my brother, Dave, to pancreatic cancer December 8. But since he was always one to enjoy the holidays to their fullest, I took my cue from him and celebrated a wonderful Christmas with Don and my 2 stepkids.

Among the letters I received was one from Jim and Joanna Myhre (missed you at the reunion!). In it, Joanna said Jim was enjoying a new and unexpected adventure by playing Santa Claus. Seems he let his beard grow during a CA trip; from that time on, everyone urged him to become St. Nick; and so he did. Joanna said that as of the date she was writing the Christmas letter, Jim still had 21 appearances scheduled before Christmas. While it's too late this year, keep Jim in mind for your holiday events in 2008. Remember --- Santa's sleigh goes around the world in 24 hours, so a trip to wherever you need him to play Santa should be nothing for Jim to pull off.

Yet Another "John" Report

It's been almost a month since I told you of John Spencer's upcoming back surgery, and I can finally report the happy outcome to you. The surgery was successful (the surgeon had to remove more bone spurs), and John is no longer suffering sciatic nerve problems. But now that those problems are gone, John is dismayed to learn all his original, long-term aches and pains are still with him. Seems like the extreme pains he was having masked all the other "old" ones. I told him he'd have to get used to being "normal", since what he described are "aging" pains shared by many of us 57ers.

Granddaughter 0f Betty Staub Lass Makes Generous Donation

Received the following e-mail from Betty Staub Lass. I don't know about you, but I agree that Betty's granddaughter is one very special, not to mention cute, young lady.

"Hi classmates,
My granddaughter, Dani Karas, has been growing her hair for 4 years. She's 9 years old. She got her hair cut this past week and donated the hair to Locks of Love.
They make wigs for Chemo patients. I think she's pretty special.
Betty (Staub) Lass"

The picture on the left is "Before" her haircut, the one on the right is "After".

More Surgery for John

At first it seemed all John Spencer's back problems had been solved by the surgery he had in September. Then suddenly, his back was worse than it had ever been. After some consultations with his surgeon and some more MRIs, John has learned that one of the repairs his MD made wasn't successful. So now it's more surgery for John on Monday, November 26 (out-patient, this time). Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers; and let's all hope his doc finally gets it right this time.

"Hello" From and an Alpaca For Lynne Rutherford Ramsey

Lynne Rutherford Ramsey contacted us with the following:

"Rutherford Hill Farm in the Western North Carolina foothills announces the arrival of Kiko, a male, purebred Huacaya alpaca (shown here with Lynne and his mom). He arrived in the pasture at noon on November 5 weighing 14 lbs. 12 oz. and 22” high at the shoulders. Within 1 hour he was nursing and experimenting with four very long and uncooperative legs.

It was a long wait for Kiko, gestation is supposed to be 11 months but he waited a full 12 months from breeding to landing - the vet attributes the delay to the extreme stress of the freakish summer heat wave and severe drought. During the drought I spent endless time and energy dragging hundreds of feet of hoses around the farm keeping selected areas alive, priorities were pasturage and the vegetable garden...the flowers outside the back porch were an emotional priority. Drought is depressing! My well is tapped into an underground river so I am not apt to run out of water, but getting it to the right places is difficult.
I had fully insulated the barn and with the addition of an air conditioner, we survived the 46-day heat crisis (alpacas are cold weather/mountain animals). November is now beautifully cold/normal and we are experiencing the peak of Autumn color on the mountainsides.
Other than this (hopefully) unusual summer, I love farm life: fresh eggs, abundant herb garden, fresh veggies, lots of animals, and a senior center nearby in my township where I learn the history and lore of the area from people whose ancestors actually fought in the Civil War (for the South, of course) My great grandfather was an ambulance driver for the Union Army but they all generously welcome me, seniors are like that, have you noticed?
Hi to everyone in Class of ‘57. Emails welcome and visitors welcome."

Jane Haid Srail and Norma Deardorff Plummer Reunite

The following e-mail was received from Norma Deardorff Plummer:

"During the middle of October, Jane Haid Srail traveled from her home in Statesville, NC to visit Norma Deardorff Plummer in Downers Grove in order to pursue their common interest in genealogy. They spent two days in Bureau County, IL (about 80 miles from DG) researching relatives who lived there during the 1800's and another day making use of the research facilities at Chicago's Newberry Library. They further indulged their nostalgia trip with one evening seeing a movie at the Tivoli and another at the Downers Grove Museum participating in a program presented by three local merchants about historical downtown Downers business district. They also attended a new exhibit at the museum on the history of all the DG schools."

Shortly after receiving this communique from Norma, these "before and after" pics were received. Taken almost 50 years apart, these pictures show 2 women who have been the closest of friends virtually their entire lives. The older of the pictures was taken on Easter, 1946. While the most recent was to have been taken during Jane's 2007 visit, it's actually a picture taken 2 years ago; none were taken this trip due to "memory problems" (interpret that any way you wish).

William Kubes Passes Away

I received the following e-mail from Norma Deardorff Plummer:


"I hate being the purveyor of more bad news, but we've lost another one of our classmates. The following obituary appeared in the 10/25/07 issue of the Downers Grove Sun Newspaper:

Willard D. Kubes

Willard D. Kubes, 68, of Downers Grove died Friday, Oct. 19, 2007, in Downers Grove. He was born Feb. 3, 1939, in Oak Park.

He was an Illinois Farmers Insurance Agent for 45 years and a member of the Lisle Lions Club, treasurer and committee member for Lisle's Eyes to the Skies event and a police and fire commissioner for Lisle.

Survivors include two daughters, Lori Budmir and Debra (husband Jeff) Oster; a son, Tech Sgt. Matthew (wife Rebecca) Kubes; eight grandchildren; two brothers, Kenneth and Raymond; a sister, Barbara Rogers; and his father, Willard Kubes Sr.

Visitation and services took place Monday, Oct. 22, at Hallowell and James Funeral Home in Downers Grove. Interment was private.

Memorials may be directed to First United Methodist Church, 1032 Maple Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60515; or Gift of Hope Donor Network, 660 N. Industrial Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126.

---

On a personal note, a friend of mine is friends with Bill's brother Ken. He was able to tell me that Bill's wife passed away a couple of years ago and believed that Bill died of cancer. He was able to give me Ken's address & phone in the event anyone wishes more information: 10 Liberty Lane Ct., Bolingbrook, IL 60439 (phone: 1/630-739-7332).

The information in our reunion directory was Bill's work address."


Our sympathy goes out to his family and friends; we share their loss.

San Diego Area Wildfires

Our classmate, Gloria (Baux) Klein, lives in Ramona, CA, one of the towns evacuated because of wildfires in that area. We're asking you to please remember Gloria and her family (along with all other residents) in your thoughts and prayers, that they manage to come thru this terrible experience unscathed. If we learn any more about this, we'll let you know.

Guess Who??

See if you can figure out who these classmates are?

Vybirals and Rondeaus Travel

Ray and Marilyn Vybiral with Gordon and Allene (Rudolph) Rondeau (shown here)traveled together October 1-3 on a bus/boat trip, highlighted by a 100-mile cruise on the Mississippi River from Davenport, IA to Dubuque, IA. A tour of an automobile museum on the 400-mile bus ride on the way to the river and a tour of a river boat museum on the bus ride back home gave this foursome many good memories of a great autumn get-away.
By the way, the first picture is none other than Ray Vybiral, pictured assisting the captain with getting the boat thru the locks. Way to go, Ray!

Hugs

Apparently, I have amused more than a few people, because I sign all e-mails "Hugs, Me". But please read the following, which was submitted by John Spencer. Don't you agree giving or sending "HUGS" is a wonderful thing to do?


HUGGING

Hugging is healthy: It helps our body's immune system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it is invigorating, it is rejuvenating, has no unpleasant side effects, and it is nothing less than a miracle drug.

Hugging is all natural: It is organic, naturally sweet, no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificail ingredients and 100 percent wholesome.

Hugging is practically perfect: There are no moveable parts, no batteries to wear out, no periodic checkups, low energy consumption, high energy yield, inflationproof,non-fattening, no monthly payments, no insurance requirements, theftproof, non-taxable, non-polluting, and , of course, fully returnable.

Donna Schuenemann Prucha Passes Away

We received the following E-mail from Norma Deardorff Plummer yesterday:

I'm sad to report that we've lost another one of our classmates. The Downers Grove newspaper published an obituary for Donna Schuenemann Prucha last week. Although Donna didn't attend our 50th reunion, she did submit information and request a copy of our directory. The obituary read as follows: "Sandwich (Illinois) resident Donna M. Prucha, 68, died Sept. 4, 2007 in her home. Services will be held Sept. 30 in Wildwood Community Club House, 1 Birch Drive, Sandwich. Interment will be private. Mrs. Prucha was a board member of Fox Valley Older Adults. She enjoyed gardening and spending time with her family. Survivors include one daughter, Christine Contrino; two sons, Charles (Lori) Prucha and Boyd (Jocelyn) Prucha; two sisters, Carol Crow and Elizabeth Cryer; and eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Krankovitch. Arrangements were handled by Burkhart-Eighner Funeral Home, Sandwich."

Our deepest sympathy goes out to her family and friends; we share their loss.

John's Surgery a Success

John Spencer underwent 3 1/2 hours of back surgery late Monday, yet was able to walk out of the hospital and return home on Tuesday. For the first time in some 40+ years, he is free of pain and has a right leg that works properly. His limitations for a while remind me of my favorite sandwich: BLT, which in John's case means no Bending, Lifting, Twisting. But the doc assures him he'll be in great shape in time for ski season. Thanks to Ann for sending out an e-mail assuring all of John's well-being -- and thanks to all of you for your good thoughts and prayers for John. They seem to have done the trick!

Change in Surgery Date

John Spencer is NOT having surgery tomorrow. Seems his surgeon was injured in an accident, and rather than operate on John's spine balancing on 1 leg, the doc opted to postpone John's surgery until September 17 at 2PM. That gives you ample time to let John know you're thinking about him and sending him good wishes.

John Spencer to Have Surgery

It's been quite a wait for him, but at long last, John Spencer is having back surgery Friday morning, September 7, in Aspen Colorado. His surgeon will be working on John's L3&4 and L4&5 vertabrae, removing all bone spurs necessary to leave sufficient room for John's spinal cord and sciatic nerve. If all goes as planned, John will walk out of the hospital Saturday morning with no pains in his legs (a long-awaited dream), just a sore back from the surgery. He will be able to again drive in about 4 days and play golf in about 4-6 weeks (which is amazing since he can't play golf-- the miracles of surgery today!). The best news is he'll be able to ski this winter. If you're so inclined, drop an e-mail note to John, send him a card, or just keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Happy Labor Day!

Yes, we're still here, and we're still trying to get this up and running.

Tomorrow is Labor Day (9/3), and fall is right around the corner. Personally, I can't wait; August in the Ozarks has been even more insufferable than usual, with excessive heat and humidity ---- and I don't know about you, but as I get older, I am less able to tolerate 100'+ days with almost matching humidity. I keep suggesting to Don we get a summer home in Canada, but so far, all my suggesting has fallen on deaf ears.

The many communications we received right after the reunion have become merely a trickle now. I guess the euphoria from so many memories can only last so long, but it sure was nice while it lasted. I hope you'll all gear up to forward to one of the 4 of us any and all news of classmembers with whom you're in contact. If you're not sure of facts, let us know; after the fun of locating almost all members of our class in advance of the reunion, we've become pretty good at verifying information. Also, if you move, change e-mail addresses, change your phone number, whatever, please just contact one of the 4 of us with this info, so we can keep the class records updated.

Guess that's about it for tonight. Please let us hear from you!

Welcome to the DGHS Class of '57 Newsletter

After some discussion with Norma Deardorff Plummer (the person responsible for this turn of events), Wayne Malon (who denied any knowledge of blogs, fearing he'd get stuck with this, I think), and John Spencer (who claimed he only knew how to mail newsletters), this on-line newsletter came to fruition. Keep in mind that none of us, mostly me, have no idea what we're doing or how we're doing it or what we're going to be doing. This is indeed a work in progress.

It is our hope to provide you with constant news of our classmates. But in order to do that, we're relying on you to provide us with the information. Who has a new great grandbaby? Who took a wonderful trip to Antarctica? Who drove a dogsled? Who is ill? In the hospital? Who has moved? We're looking for any and all info about our classmates that we can share with the rest of the class in this electronic newsletter. Send all the gossip you have to either Norma, Wayne, John, or me (Judy VanSelow Engelthaler), and we'll see that the word is spread thru-out the class.

We're also asking for your suggestions and thoughts about what you'd like to see in the "publication". So please don't be bashful --- contact one of us with your thoughts about this. By the way, we cannot publish addresses, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses --- and it goes without saying that anything obscene, nasty, insulting, etc. is not welcome in the newsletter.

As soon as we figure out how to accept comments on newsletter items, we'll allow you to get your 2 cents published. But for now, you'll have to settle for contacting one of the 4 of us by e-mail or snail-mail. Please help us with this since it's YOUR newsletter; it belongs to all members of the DGHS class of '57.

We're looking forward to hearing from you!