Jaynie Drummond (Davis)

So sorry to hear this sad sad news.. he was always such a sweet pleasant guy.  Blessings to his family.. Peace and love,

Jaynie

Marcia Conley (Davis)

It is always sad to hear someone we know and many grew up with has passed on.  It is like a piece of us has been taken.  I joined the Richardson group in the 4th grade.  I remember him as a quiet personality.  I viewed the webpage and AWESOME is the only word I can think of to describe his art.  Truely a great artist has left us.

Melinda Lang (Bachman)

Thanks Sharon for the email address.  Don't know if his family has access to the forum so sent and email.          His art was fantastic!  I remember one year he attended a class reunion and gave out calendars he designed.

Nan Nelson (Hays)

Here is Felix's obit in Fort Madison Daily Democrat.  Hope it can be read. His name is misspelled more than once.  03/28/19

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

Nancy Hayes,  Thank you for posting Felix's obituary - I was not able to read the small print well enough, so just went onto the Evening Democrat recent obituary site and found it there.  Whoever wrote this lovely remembrance surely captured the essence of his life.  We can all be proud that we grew up with this fine man !!!!  He left the world a magnificent legacy in his art work - may we all remember to stop and "feel" the beauty around us.

Nan Nelson (Hays)

You are welcome Sandy...I was hoping everyone could zoom in enough to be able to read it. Glad you could go on the newspaper site & bring it up.  Not really an obituary but nice tribute... to be sure!

Cyndy Day (Savage)

Thank you Nancy, this means so much

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

I’m posting a photo of the class luncheon today at the River Rock Restsurant! We had a great time and great food! This luncheon is the First Friday if each month unless other wise notified and usually at 11:30! You would need to let Nancy Nelson Hays if you are coming! The names of the people in the photo are posted on messenger on Facebook ! EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Brad Wiedmann

Great class luncheon photo, Sharon.  Thanls for posting

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

CLASSMATES:  We have lost another classmate. Alexandra Keith has passed away in her sleep last night in Fairfax Station, Va. She said that she was going to attend our next reunion but that isn't going to happen. A lesson to all of us that tomorrow is not promised so we must not put off today what we really want to do.

May Alexandra Rest in Peace! The following is information about her funeral. 

The funeral service for Alexandra Keith will be held on Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Temple B'nai Shalom, 7612 Old Ox Road, Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039. Followed by burial at King David Memorial Gardens, 7482 Lee Hwy, Falls Church, VA 22042. All thos who knew Sandy and wish to pay their respects are invited to join the family for a reception following the burial at  The Flanagan Residence, 10510 Pohick Court, Fairfax Station, VA. 20120. In lieu of flowers, Sandy requested that donations be made either to Friends of Thailand(www.friendsofthailand.org/donate/main.html) or Planned Parenthood (www.plannedparenthood.org.)

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

FYI: We have now lost 35 members (that we know of) of the Class of 1961 out of 151 members. Time waits for no man. 

Nan Nelson (Hays)

Nan Nelson (Hays)

Several members of class of 61 met today at the River Rock Restaurant in Fort Madison for our June luncheon.

Lots of catching up was done . A good connection among us!  Below is photo!

Nancy

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

Sorry I missed the luncheon but I'm in CO enjoying great girlfriends, Melinda Backman, Sandi Philips, & Susie Vacilek. We went to the top of Rocky Mtn. National Park. The snow was 30' high. Pictures will follow on face book.

Nan Nelson (Hays)

Happy you are having great time with classmates...especially in CO.  Hope to seeing you & Sandi in July.  Melinda, wish you were closer!

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

Bill and I are so appreciative of the postings on our class Message Forum and the pictures that often accompany the posts.  You all that are local to the Fort Madison area or close by enough and make the effort to gather once a month and break bread and fellowship together are truly special people  - maintaining that relationship that for many goes back past our high school years !!!  It's great to see your faces and feel your presence !!!  Thank you to Nancy Hayes for her organization of this event and we hope to see lots of you at our 60th reunion !!!  All is well here in eastern North Carolina - God is GOOD !!!!  Bill continues to enjoy golf with his buddies about 3 times a week and also stays busy here in our retirement community, helping with a group of veterans.  We have had the priviledge of establishing a friendship with a World War II veteran - Dr. Earl Trevathean.  He was a pharmacist mate on ship off the coast of Europe, bringing home sailors at age 18 !!!  He returned to his home state and went on to college and medical school and eventaully became a pediatric neuro-surgeon.  He is almost 95 years old & still going strong !  Our age is going to be tested here in just a couple months - our new house, being built here in Cypress Glen, is scheduled to be finished by the end of August and we will finally be moving in !!!!  It's been so much fun picking out paint colors, lighting fixtures, kitchen cabinets and tile and counter tops, some new Sunroom furniture and accent pieces - thought that when Bill reitred in 2003 and we moved south, that I had decorated my last home.  I don't relish all that packing up and unpacking, and my back surgery of 2014 is giving me some painful issues again - BUT, we will manage !!!  We had a great 2 week trip to Ireland in late April/early May and loved seeing that lushious green countryside - so many castles still standing - felt like we learned lots about Ireland's complicated history and politics - plus visited a couple Irish Whiskey manufacturers (Jamison and Tullamore) and of course, spent a lovely afternoon touring Guiness Beer - Ireland's most famouns brewery !  I even tried to learn a few steps with the Irish River Dance performers - the mind was willing, but the body didn't quite keep up !!!

Keep posting every one !  All enjoy hearing what everyone is up to these days.  Hope the Mighty Mississippi gets back to its normal level soon - Riverview Park will have a whole new layer of soil with this year's flood !!!!

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

Thank you Sandy for your post and informative narrative I wish more people would follow suit! Again I say “PEOPLE” please write and tell us what you are doing!

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

Sandi Philips, Melinda Bachman & I are enjoying our last day in Estes Park, CO. We flly home tomorrow. It has been the most relaxing 5 days we've had for a long time. We were busy doing nothing. We had late nights of yakking & catching up with each other. We shopped, ate out, had drinks. Saturday Susie Vacilek came up from Denver & spent the day with us. Invited Diane Zarlengo also, but she couldn't make it. Susie guided us through Rocky Mtn. National Park & we took lots of pics of Elk...& also had to wait for a herd crossin the road about a mile from our condo. It was so good to all get together, we talked & talked...imagine that!!! We found several great places to eat, so if someone is heading out this way, we can make recommendations.Even saw a guy from my Hamilton, where I live, small world. This afternoon we drove by the famous Stanley Hotel, & sat out on the top deck of Estes Brewery, had beverages, & soaked up the sun. We've had fabulous weather & a beautiful condo.

Linda, Melinda & Sandi

William (Bill) Patrigo

I noted that Mad Magazine is going into retirement. That made me recall that when I was once ill Jack Sears and Bill Boomer walked to my home and gave me an issue of Mad Magazine. That was not only a kind gesture, but thereafter significantly changed my sense of humor. This recollection also makes me recognize how the seemingly very small acts of others in our class routinely influenced the rest.

Nan Nelson (Hays)

Thanks Bill for sharing this memory recollection.  May all of us reflect on times when we were on the receiving end of an act of kindness. When opportunity arises to be " kind to someone" may we do so. What it does for you will equal what is received! God bless!

Lynda Beattie (Boomer)

This is Bill Boomer:

1.  Thank you for your note -- what memories of 60 years ago!!

2.  Lynda Beattie and I have been married 54 years -- we got married right after college -- we now live in Macomb, Illinois,  which is about an hour east of Ft. Madison -- we are both retired -- Lynda was a high school English and psychology teacher, and I was a professor of special education (adolescents with behavior disorders).

3.  FMHS '61 classmates in the area get together once a month for lunch -- we're meeting this Friday, July 12 -- it is nice to see people and get caught up on their lives.

4.  Something funny -- recently I said to Betty McClinthen, she is very pretty and a very nice girl, "Betty, you look just like you did in high school."  She said, "Oh, my God -- I looked liked this in high school!!  No wonder I never had a date!!"  Of course, like any good politician, I didn't apoligize and quickly denied I ever said it. 

5.  I think that you and I are among the few who didn't become lifers at DuPont -- Bill Mathews, Don Leach, and David Brown all made a career at DuPont -- I'm sure that there are others I can't think of.

I hope you will stay touch.  Bill & Lynda Boomer

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

This note is in response to what Bill Boomer recently posted - the other fellow that worked his entire career for DuPont was Joe Roberts - believe he was also in sales, like Don Leach.  From what I understand, Joe now lives in Marshall, Michigan - a widower, after his sweet wife, Linda Young, a Ft. Madison Aquinas grad, past away a couple years ago.  Joe has a daughter, son-in-law, and 2 grandsons who live either in Marshall or very close by.  I do believe he may be coming to the 60th Class Reunion.  There was also a female classmate who worked for DuPont - but just for a short time - Patsy Cordrey Van Pelt - she was a secretary/administrative assistant in the office and worked for my dad, who was the office manager during that time period.  I just remember Dad speaking so highly of her - he thought she was one of the best he'd ever had there !

Brad Wiedmann

Well, Mr Bill Boomer.  You ought to do very well interacting with our class these days since you were a Professor who worked with adolescents with behavior issues?  Anyway, good to read your post.  Definitely hope to see you and Lynda at our our 60th.  I hope I do make it to one of the luncheons on the first Friday of the month.

Jerry Rees

Bill & Linda (or Linda & Bill),

Congratulations on your 54th anniversary!  You may recall that I was there--at Danforth Chapel on the University of Kansas Campus.  I also remember your reception at that grand old mansion on Mass Street.  Everytinme I dirve by that block I think of you both.

We visit Lawrene occasionally.  Our daughter Jamie (a 4th generation Jayhawk) lives in Lawrence and commmutes to her work at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City KS, where she is curator of their medical museum and assistant librarian of their old books library.

Will you BOTH be coming to the 60th reunion?  Or will Bill cop out as before?

Blessings, Jerry (and Sallie)

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

Just read that our Freshman year Home Ec. teacher passed away. Marilyn Simmons taught 2 years in Ft. Mad. She married Dr. E. L.  Wallace in May of 1960 & they moved to Davenport, IA. He was an Osteopath. Just a bit of interesting info...who remembers her???