|
MAIL
CALL
January 6
(a
memory from Pat Trahan to Sandy Ellis)
I just remembered a funny story when the preacher's wife was miffed at you.
Remember the oxford button up shirts that had a loop on the back? Everyone was
always tempted to pull them. This particular Sunday at our CYF meeting, you
pulled Jim Wright's loop and it tore the shirt all the way down. I've
never forgotten that, even though not everyone thought it was funny, I thought
it was!
Patknox@hotmail.com
Sandy's response:
That was for him breaking my front tooth in the fellowship hall!
sandymac811@sbcglobal.net
January 8
from Terry Watson in Richardson
My wife, daughter and I went to Santa Fe, NM for Christmas.
We had gone there with my mom a few years ago.
It brought back many memories.
I am gradually heading into retirement from Kimley Horn.
I am working a few days a week now.
fwatson26@gmail.com
January 16
from Fred McCarty in Kingwood
I am doing well, and I have all my home repairs completed post-Harvey, so things
are back to normal here. I am looking forward to the 50th Re-union, and l know
it will be a great event as it always has been.
fmccrun@aol.com
January, 2018
from Jack Etheredge in Bridge City
I'm retiring January 28 from Total. Like nearly everyone I know who is retired,
l should be in good shape financially. My children are grown responsible
parents. Some of that is, l like to think, is from good upbringing but honestly
we have been lucky. I'm happy and have no resentment toward anyone. I've had a
good life and have more than l deserve in many ways.
thejet68@hotmail.com
WEBSITE DONATION
We received TWO donations this month from classmates.
Terry Watson
wrote, “Please use the enclosed check for the website.
I always enjoy it. Please
thank Mike for me.”
Fred McCarty
wrote, “I want to thank you and Mike again for all that you do to help us stay
together as a class. The website updates and your Newsletters always are read as
soon as I receive them. Although I thought I had made a donation to the TJHS1968
website last year, my records do not indicate that. Therefore, I am sending you
a check in the US mail to cover my donations for 2017 and 2018.
Thank you both for your generous contributions but especially for your undying
support.
MARDI GRAS PORT ARTHUR
26th annual event
February 9-11
Downtown Procter Street
2018
Highlights
•
Ms. Mardi Gras Pageant
•
Carnival Rides
•
Concerts
•
Parades
•
Food Vendors
•
Arts & Crafts
•
Kids Zone – Games & Costumed Characters
•
Street Entertainment
•
Clydesdales
www.mardigrasportarthur.com
REUNION NEWS
Our committee meetings are getting heavy with all the decisions we are making
for this 50th reunion event coming up July 27-29.
We are beyond excited to have our SOCIAL at the Museum of the Gulf
Coast on our first night, Friday, July 27th.
The
Museum of the Gulf Coast, located in
Port Arthur, Texas,
specializes in Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast history. Its most notable exhibits
are a gallery of
Robert Rauschenberg's
artworks and a Music Hall of Fame honoring performers from the region; featured
in the latter are artifacts of
Janis
Joplin's
youth. The museum is sponsored and administered by the Port Arthur Historical
Society, and is the descendant of the original Port Arthur Museum chartered by
the state in 1964. The administration of the museum is done in partnership with
Lamar State College-Port Arthur
and the City of Port Arthur. You
can find out more about the museum on Facebook.
The
museum will offer an opportunity for classmates to gather and move around while
enjoying the exhibits (some are traveling or changing exhibits).
We will have bar areas and a food area with finger foods.
The museum is located at 700 Procter but the entrance is on Lakeshore Dr.
next to the police station. We will
have one or possibly two golf carts to help any classmates that need a short
ride in the parking lots. Tables
will be set up in and around the museum for your convenience.
The
committee and caterers will be setting up from 5 pm to 7 pm, so please don't
come early. We will still be very
busy. You will have plenty of time
to check us out later. The SOCIAL will be held from 7pm to 11pm.
Dress casual and be ready to mingle and reminisce with your classmates.
We can't wait to see you all there.
I
will write more about the REUNION in the next NEWSLETTER.
INFORMATION NEEDED:
For
some crazy reason we can not seem to remember the date of our 25th
reunion which was held at St. Peter's Church Reception Hall in Groves on
Taft Ave. Please check around for
any pictures, memorabilia, etc. that possibly have the weekend dates on it.
We are stumped right now.
But, it is important that we find the date.
Let me hear from all you “sleuths” out there.
E-MAIL CHANGES
While trying to update the class spreadsheet, we are finding many, many e-mail
changes. I know lots are retiring
and will no longer have their work e-mail addresses that you provided to us many
years ago. We don't want to “lose”
you or keep you out of the loop.
Send your changes to me. Also, if
you have a classmate friend that you stay in touch with that doesn't seem to
ever HEAR FROM US, we might not have their updated contact information.
Please help us out.
NEWS
FROM THE HOMEFRONT
It
has been awhile, but we finally saw our granddaughter play high school soccer in
her freshman year. The weather,
committee meeting conflicts, ice storms, snow, and life had gotten in the way.
It was a proud moment when we finally saw her in uniform and on the
field. Being on the high school
soccer team has always been her goal since she was small.
Proud of you #6!
Our
second granddaughter is working really hard to learn all the dances for her
drill team WINTER SHOW which is at the end of this month.
She is in the 7th grade at Henderson Middle School in Sour
Lake in the Hardin Jefferson ISD. She is planning to try out for captain for her
8th grade year. Her
school was flooded and will need to be demolished.
The middle school mixed with the high
school for a few months until the district was able to complete portable
buildings for them to have school in for the next few years until a bond issue
can be passed to build a new facility.
My
daughter is back in her home after her home was also flooded in Lumberton.
She has gotten most of her furniture and all the flooring now.
It just needs the pictures to be hung and rugs on the floor.
Good job, Stacy.
My
brother, Danny Boy, is finally seeing the end of the tunnel on his remodeling
after getting flooded in Friendswood.
They have been living on the second floor of their home even though
everything up there is pretty much covered with sheets.
They are lucky, though, instead of having to live in a trailer or motel
as so many around here in SE Texas are having to do.
I am
excited to go see my sister, Gerry, Monday.
I haven't seen her since she was in the hospital a couple of months ago.
I hope she remembers me.
Sometimes does, sometimes doesn't.
It really doesn't matter much, though.
We seem to always connect.
I am
so proud of Murphy. He is enrolled
in the RCIA program which is the Adult class for those wanting to turn Catholic.
Murphy and I married in St. Joseph Catholic Church 45 years ago this
coming July. I told him at that
time that I would never push the issue of him turning Catholic.
He was raised Lutheran but chose to go to the Catholic church with me and
our daughter all these years. He
made the decision on his own and will “graduate” on Holy Saturday at the Easter
vigil mass. He and I go to lessons
every Thursday and then he goes for half of the mass on Sundays.
He is gung ho. While
attending classes, I have been re-learning so much that I had forgotten from my
catechism classes in my youth. We
are both enjoying this process.
Now,
it is time to pat ME on the back!!!
February 1st was my 38th cancer survivor
anniversary. It seems a lifetime
ago, but yet even conversations that went on then are fresh in my mind.
My 40 year old only child was just 2½ years old then.
Murphy worked shift at the Texaco and he was a wreck.
I was so lucky to have my mom and sister help out.
It was a long trek with the thyroid cancer surgery paralyzing my right
vocal cord. That caused me not to
be able to teach for the next 4 months until school was out for the summer.
I took Radioactive Iodine orally twice to try to kill cells that still
remained. Other surgery was needed
to remove more cancer that had radiated to the neck and shoulder.
Due to the extensive surgery to remove many, many cancerous nodules, I
have to this day, nerve damage to my neck, shoulder and arm. I need rotator cuff
surgery but the doctor doesn't feel that it would improve anything.
I have also had several throat surgeries to help improve my voice which
now my friends don't seem to notice a problem. It
is usually those that do not know me that say, “Oh, you have it, too?”
I usually just say, YES! I
actually had to quit teaching in 1999 because my voice had been abused enough.
I still go to a voice specialist in Houston who checks on a granuloma
that has grown in my throat. So
far, so good. Now, this reunion
will be a culprit, again. Trying to
talk over noise or talking too much will wear this old voice out.
But, it doesn't bother Murphy when I get my temporary laryngitis.
It gives him a BREAK!!!
SUPPORT
Randy Blanchard
had to have rotator cuff surgery on the same shoulder that had previously had
the same issue. Hope this time it
works!
3810
Lexington
Port
Arthur, TX 77642
Arleen “Becky” Morgan Jackson
also just had rotator cuff surgery.
beckyjackson@gt.rr.com
6245
Jenny Lane
Lumberton, TX 77657
Joyce Marceaux's
husband, Ronnie Abate, is having prostate surgery iat Methodist Hospital
in Houston on February 20. He has
previously battled cancer and had a successful lung transplant.
The family is asking prayers that the surgery does not find cancer in the
lymph nodes.
Abate.joyce@yahoo.com
6305
Marble Falls Dr.
Lumberton, TX 77657
Sandra Garsea Broussard's
granddaughter, Katelynn, underwent ankle surgery.
She had several issues and finally surgery was the next option.
sandrabroussard@yahoo.com
2640
66th St.
Port
Arthur, TX 77640
CONDOLENCES
Yet
another classmate gone too soon
ALAN FOLEY
July 6,
1950 – January 7, 2018
RIP
Coach Ken Barland
(TJ
faculty member)
1933-2018
Paul
Colletti
(death of his mother, Jo Colletti)
1921-2018
paul.colletti@gmail.com
3730
5th St.
Fort
Worth, TX 76107
David Aleman
(death of his brother, Carlos “Tinky” Aleman)
dgaleman@gccisd.net
7007
Hot Creek Trace
Atascocita, TX 77346
(Please take the time to read the obituaries in the OBITUARY section on the
front page of the website.)
Enjoy this new month of February. I
remember teaching first graders for 30 years and February was filled with fun
days. We studied about Groundhog
Day, Abraham Lincoln, Valentine's Day, George Washington and then we started
also having Black History Month and that was all in the shortest month of the
year.
Stay in touch and contact a classmate,
Linda
DeCuir McFadden
7699 Boardwalk
Lumberton, TX 77657
|