Karen and Jane surprised me by borrowing the Poinsettias off the front counter and coming back and serenading me with I Wish You A Merry Christmas.
Zona
P.S. To see the video of Zona being serenaded, click here. This takes you to my FaceBook page. Note: If you are not on FaceBook, you may not be able to view this.
Rose
December 22, 2011
The weekend of Nov. 12 Susan and I drove to San Diego to visit with David and Barbara Popejoy. On Saturday, Dave and Linda Dollins joined us for dinner. Here are a few pictures from that gathering for the BHS website.
Susan and Dave
December 9, 2011
I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone
a MERRY CHRISTMAS this year....
My way of saying that I am celebrating
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
So, if you, my classmates, agree with me,
please do the same.
And if you'll pass this on maybe we can prevent one more
American tradition from being lost in the sea of
"Political Correctness".
Karen Harsha
November 2, 2011
Dear friends and family,
Richard had a left thoracotomy plication of his diaphragm this morning, Nov. 1. He came through the operation very well. The surgeon's only concern is that his left diaphragm is "paper thin" and long-term it may not hold. Although we were told he might spend a day in intensive care, he went directly to his room from recovery. His nurse indicated he was doing better than most after this surgery.
He was very groggy during the day and in a fair amount of pain. (Morphine must be wonderful stuff!) He ate a "popsickle", a bowl of broth, and jello for supper. He is now cleared for a regular menu. His biggest complaint this evening was shoulder pain from the very unnatural angle his arm had to be positioned in during the surgery. The incision is probably contributing to that as it is just under his armpit and around to his back.
They have him on a heavy regimen of breathing activities---treatments and exercises. I think he wishes they would just go away and let him sleep. :-)
God has been very gracious to him, bringing him through remarkably well. We do not know how long he will be in the hospital but at least a few days.
Thank you for all your loving concern and your prayers.
Love to you all,
Alice Steljes
October 31, 2011
I wanted to express my gratitude for the beautiful card signed by so many old friends in our class after David's funeral. Click here for a favorite photo of David and me with our daughter, Jennifer, who is Executor of his estate and doing so well with a million details. Thank you, everyone.
Judy Rockwell Stein
October 21, 2011
Rose, I thought this tidbit from today's Pantagraph might interest a lot of our classmates as it involves Dave Dollins' sister.
From: "How Time Flies, compiled by Jack Keefe. Oct. 21, 1961: It's homecoming at Bloomington High School. Mary Lou Dollins ,705 E. Front St., was chosen as queen. Students stuffed tissue paper into chicken wire to make parade floats out of hay wagons. The football team beat Mattoon."
From me: I have seen Mary Lou many times and visited with her over the years, and I can assure one and all that age has not dimmed her beauty. My sister Nancy was a classmate and friend of Mary Lou's; unfortunately Nancy passed away in late April.
Jim Bennett
October 20, 2011
Hi Rose, maybe we need a separate section on the web site for our boy Tom Stock. In today's Pantagraph, "From Pages Past" compiled by Roger Cushman:
"50 years ago (1961): Indiana University sophomore Tom Stock, a BHS graduate, and IU coach James Councilman will give a clinic for the Bloomington-Normal Swim Club. Stock holds world records in the 200 and 400 meter backstroke events."
For our classmates who may not know, Stock was inducted into the BHS Hall of Fame last year.
Jim Bennett
October 18, 2011
Ruth Ann (Clark) and Don Morrison visited CA. recently. They came to see her sister in Sacramento and visit the National Parks in and around Yosemite. Susan and I were lucky enough to be able to visit with them in Sacramento one afternoon and evening. Click here for a picture of us visiting the Arboretum at Sacramento State University.
Dave & Susan Jones
October 17, 2011
In today's Pantagraph: Among 5 people inducted into Bloomington High School Hall of Fame is our own Mike Manahan.
"Manahan, class of 1960, taught physical education and coached wrestling. He has numerous state and local memberships and awards related to his work with wrestling programs." Way to go Mike !
Rose
October 17, 2011
Memorial for David by Judy Rockwell Stein
My companion of 52 years, and ex-husband, father of our two children, David Stein, passed away on October 10th, at St. Francis Medical Center after an extensive heart surgery. David and I spent most of our time together in the past five decades in a close friendship in which we traveled many places and helped each other with everything. In the past three years, I have been his nurse and his medical encyclopedia.
| We stayed at the OSF hospitality home in Peoria,IL, The Family House, on East Nebraska there for two days a few blocks from the hospital. It is a beautiful new hotel just opened in June built entirely from donations. David's heart surgeon, Dr. Dale Geiss, had donated the land for it, constructed along a timber of trees at the quiet end of the street with the river visible through the woods and the sound of tugboats sometimes drifting up.. On Thursday Oct. 6th at 5 a.m. we were driven over to the hospital by a hospital security car. David had trouble breathing that previous Sunday so I took him to the emergency room where they put him on oxygen from a portable tank, which made it hard to move around. He was admitted at 5:30 and taken to surgery at 7:30 a.m. They had a lighted board on the wall of colors in the lounge which indicated David's heart valve replacement surgery began at 7:30, a green line of reporting his status. It was supposed to last 6 - 8 hours. Those hours came and went. Our daughter Jennifer and my sister Peggy were with me. Every two hours a chaplain would come out and say the same thing, "Still attached to the heart bypass machine, they are working away." The hours with that 7:30 a.m. beginning surgery on the board stretched into 12 hours, 14 hours, when even the girls at the nurses' desk went home, and we were left alone in the long cardiac lounge until 10 p.m. The janitor came in and said they were turning off the lights at 11, so we moved up to the lounge of the ICU unit where the nurses came out and told us they were still waiting for him to come up. We pushed small sofa's together and made beds at midnight. Still no word. At 1 a.m. the chaplain told us to meet with Dr. Geiss and led the way. The surgery had been 17 hours long. It had been a disaster surgery. The old quadruple heart surgery build-up from seven years ago had attached to the breast bone, so when it was cut again, they had to cut away and clean the heart for hours before any valve could be replaced. During that time they had to use the defib electric paddles to shock him, and it jolted the breastbones so hard it ripped a hole in the right ventricle of the heart. The bleeding was tremendous before he could get it sewn shut. His blood pressure could not be stablilized. The valves were replaced in the evening, but his condition was Extremely Critical, and then an even worse risk when next morning, Friday, they had to take him back into surgery to open his abdomen to relieve the fluid bulid-up. He lasted through the weekend going down steadily on many machines including lung and heart to keep him alive, and by Monday the 10th there was no hope, his pressure was going too low, and his face was getting darker.. I had been staying at the Family House alone, with my daughter driving over each day, and that Monday morning the doctor told me to ask her to come over to Peoria quickly. He predicted D would be gone by 1 p.m, it was actually 2:54 p.m. when the machines let him go. The funeral was Saturday, the 15th, with so many old friends. He had said throughout the last year of so many hospital admissions that his goal was to reach age 70. He missed it by one month. In our graduating class, Susan Bicket Jones' sister Margaret is married to the brother of our daughter's former husband Bruce Williams., who has remained a close friend of our family and helped Jennifer tremendously this past week. Our son Jonathan came down from Chicago and spoke at the funeral. David's death was a shock for all, as this surgery was to make him stronger so we could travel more, the next trip a paddleboat journey down the Mississippi.. I was glad he never regained consciousness to discover he never would be strong again. I am grateful for his loving heart. |
September 24, 2011
Our sympathies go out to Janet Warrick Wilcox. She notified us her father passed away this week. He lived in Bloomington.
September 23, 2011
It's been almost a year since our fantastic 50th Class Reunion. If you happen to be in Bloomington on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, at CJ's restaurant (old airport) please join the class for lunch just for a mini 51st get together. Please email Zona or myself if you can come. Response is needed by Oct. 15th.
Rose
September 16, 2011
Want to test your memory from "back in the day"? Go to You know you grew up in or around Bloomington-Normal when you remember.... on FaceBook.
Rose
September 9, 2011
Here's a lot of interesting reading - Bloomington's District 87 TImeline of Events
Rose
September 9, 2011
The highlite of our summer was a week in Vail. We stayed with Allen's cousin, toured the area, and enjoyed eating at many fine restaurants. The weather in the mountains was so refreshing....no humidity (like Cincinnati) and cool evenings!!!
Keep up your good work with the web site, Rose. Greatly appreciated!
Lucinda Butler Dohan
Click here for photo Lucinda sent in---scroll to bottom of the page
September 7, 2011
I'm a published authoress on the 'Net! I wrote an article for the Aliners Owners Club rally for the Central Great Lakes Region of which Norm and I are members. It is now on the AOC website for the world to read.
Rose Nelson Robeson
August 1, 2011
I had so much fun at the reunion last year.....I have returned to Bloomington and having fun with an old high school sweetie. We have been boating on the river, horse back riding and playing tennis.
I have been an A.C.E. certified personal trainer since '94... I will be available for in home training...if interested call 309 275 9947 or e-mail mjhfitness@yahoo.com
Janie Carter Hubbard
July 30, 2011
I am waiting for Dolores, Linda, and Marcia to tell me when they all 3 are planning to get together. I will be calling Linda - she is still local, maybe we can set a date.
I plan to ride the Santa Fe Chief into Galesburg either with the shuttle or Linda picking me up so there is a little planning involved. The train does stop in my little town to pick up and discharge passengers. We only get two trains a day, the eastbound Amtrak, and the westbound Amtrak (no freights). The train station is about 6 blocks from my house. It is a small town of 14,000 people. Many are artists and creative people who passed through once or twice and loved it and came to live here by choice. The other half have 100 years of family history here and may still live in the same house their parents lived in. My house was built in 1895 and is a work in progress even today.
And I sure do miss dad. He was mentally sharp to the end, but had lost lots of weight. At the cemetery Dad was given a 21-gun salute as he was a WWII veteran and they presented his flag to me as the oldest surviving child. I was so touched We girls will re-visit his and Mom's graves in August.
I am so glad I finally can respond on this new computer.
Barbara Buttry Dorris
July 29, 2011
My summer is going well. I will be visiting Illinois this August for the first time since Dad died just before our reunion last year. I will see my 3 sisters for a short time. It will be nice to visit again but I hope it is not too hot there. It runs 80 degrees here in the summer. We finally got some rain. I have been walking up to an hour at the gym every morning. I finished my fan quilt during the spring college quilting class. I also discovered Sudoku puzzles, thanks to my sister Linda in LeRoy. Maybe I'll see some of you guys when I come to visit. Keep in touch,
Barbara Dorris
July 28, 2011
Well not a lot has been happening as my health is not allowing me to do anything. We had to cancel our yearly trip to Mercer, Wisconsin because the cabin is not wheelchair accessible and I would not be able to make the trip in one day and we would have to stay almost an hour away in a handicap motel. Too too expensive and too much driving. I went to the boys football practice games. Went to a coin show and bought 3 Mercury dimes I've been wanting. I have been getting better. Paul and Jordan left for New Mexico and Camp Philmont to go Mountain climbing for 10 days, Becky and Dylan leave for Florida on Sunday for a week.
Richard Steljes
July 25, 2011
Yes, it has been hot this summer even though it took forever to warm up initially.
We went to SanDiego first part of this month for our Grandaughter's husband's graduation from basic training of the Marines. Very impressive. I'm so proud of him.
They came back here for his leave and was able to visit with lots of friends, co-workers, and family. It was good to have them here for the 10 days which flew by and now I am experiencing an "empty nest syndrome".
We are planning to reschedule our trip to Yellowstone which we were unable to take last fall because of my treatment. We also have reservations made for our annual trip to Sanibel in January since my last scan came back with good results.
Glad to see the rain this a.m. I need to get back to the gardens at the lake in LeRoy before the weeds take over. Hopefully, I'll grab these next couple of cooler days and use them to my advantage.
Hope everyone is having a great summer.
Marilyn Hadden
July 25, 2011
Hi all,
This is Darlene Collins Leon. We have purchases a travel trailer and an F150 Ford Lariat truck to tow it. We have gone to Sherando Lake in the George Washington National Forrest a few times now. I'll put a photo of the Fishing Lake at Sherando in with
a couple others. I have obtained my Virginia Lifetime Fishing License. The lake is stocked with trout and other fish. After June 15th a special annual trout license is no longer needed. Being near the water and fishing is so relaxing.
Our plans are to go to Marlboro, Mass. for my husbands' National Guild of Hypnotist Annual Convention Aug 12-14. He is speaking at a couple sessions.
From there to NY to see our children and our prior neighbors and family and friends in NYC.
We do hope all of you are doing well and, if you are retired, enjoying retirement. I retired from nursing after 47 years. I can say I loved my nursing career. I am now able to practice my Massage Therapy a little more now that I'm not working in nursing. The massage practice is definitely part time.
I'm looking now for opportunities to volunteer. I've done English as a Second language and also Literacy Volunteering.
Have a great summer.
Darlene and Andy Leon
July 25, 2011
2011 has been a busy time for the Kocher clan. In May Bob and I went to England and France to participate in a classic car rally with the Writer's Guild in England. We met in England, crossed the Channel on a gigantic ferry, and drove through northern France for several days, seeing lots of beautiful signts and staying at a lovely place called the Chateau. Unfortunately my 93-year-old mother died while we were there. Over Memorial Day we came back to Blloomington for her memorial service. On the brighter side, we sold our pontoon boat, travel trailer, pickup and scooter and bought a new RV to travel around in. We took our first shakedown trip to Indy in June and are going out again this next weekend to southern Ohio and Indiana. This summer our 3.5 year old grandson picked up a two-wheel bike and rode it without training wheels on his first try! This weekend several grandchildren were here for the weekend and we attended my company's family picnic and had a great time despite the hot weather.
Connie Lucas Kocher
July 24, 2011
While enjoying, again, the YouTube video of Miss Selk singing at piano last Christmas, I notice there is also a video of Miss Selk at her Roast for her 90th birthday in April. Go visit this link - guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
Miss Selk birthday roast - April 2011
Rose
July 24, 2011
I just took a 12 day cruise of Norway which went to the furthest point north before the North Pole. The last town was called Honisvag and we visited the North Cape which is the last point of land before the North Pole. I am in Greece now at our home on the island of Lefkada. My son, daughter-in-law and 4 years old grandson are here as well as my sister, Jane (Wallace) Isenburgand my 14 year old granddaughter, Alexis Kloiber. I can't do anything about pictures from here but will try when I get home after August 20th.
Nancy Wallace Lazaris
July 23, 2011
Check out "Photo Gallery" section, "Jr. Yr. homerooms" page. I've just added our Jr. year homeroom yearbook photos. Find your homeroom teacher to see your homeroom classmates Have fun. This should be especially fun for those that have lost their Junior year yearbooks or just haven't looked at it for a long time.
Rose
July 20, 2011
It's been a long HOT summer here in Central Illinois, if you don't live here to know it. Norm and I have been out and about some this Spring/Summer. In May, we took a camping trip to North Carolina to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery just off the Blue Ridge Parkway for about a week. Pretty country but we flatlanders are always glad to get back to the flat roads and corn fields of Illinois. A month later we camped just over the weekend with a small group from our church at COMLARA (Lake Evergreen - just east of Lake Bloomington). Two days later we took off again for Sparta in southern Illinois to be part of the national rally for the Aliner Owner's Club. It was fun to be with 200+ other people with a love of the cute little Aliner camper but the weather was less than desirable. It was hot, windy and stormy. Not an ideal campground in our eyes - ie no trees or shade at all and it was 90 degrees. Thank goodness there was a wonderful building we had our meetings and meals. The event was at the World Shooting and Recreation Complex - a former strip mine.
For the time being we are enjoying staying home in air conditioned comfort. We will soon join our fellow Aliner owners for this region of country only in Shipshewana, IN.
Rose