We joined the “modern world” last month and finally got internet. I’m still learning how to use it. Kim and I are still married. We moved back to Trojan country 4 winters ago with our 3 daughters. We are elated to be here. Our oldest daughter, Janey(14),just started at our old alma mater. Gwen (12) just started NW and Claire(9) is stuck all alone at the elementary school with no big sisters around. She got over that in 20 seconds. We bought a house on the same street where I spent many years growing up. Arnie and Julie, we live next door to the former O’Neill house.
During the last reunion I was working for some ritzy private school in Indiana as Food Service Director. Well boy does the pendulum swing… I have been working for almost 3 years now at a huge prison where I am an Inmate Work Supervisor in the Dietary Department. Talk about cultural immersion! I love my job and feel very protected wherever I go. Inside the walls, there are some great Correctional Officers and Staff who take security issues very seriously. It takes them less than 1 minute to get to the kitchen to help us if we need it. On the outside I have family members and friends who watch out for me. And if all else fails, God is on my side, too.
Kim is happy as a lark since he flushed his PhD plans down the toilet several years ago. He is teaching Math at a small town High School about 40 miles away from here. He did his student teaching at a boarding school in Kayenta, Arizona, on a huge Navajo Reservation. The Navajos have some beautiful concepts regarding time, respect, community.
This decade I am totally involved in community. I am always looking for ways to have more Coralville Pride. Pat Vaughn, this last summer I had the honor of sitting next to your sister on a “25th reunion” float for the Centennial Beauty Pageant a bunch of us Coralville girls were in long ago. It was very fun. We weren’t very good at throwing the candy at first. A couple of little boys got beaned in the head good by us. I got to have coffee at Bonnie Tappan Weldon’s house a few days ago. It was the high point of my week. She is like our class historian and it was so fun to reminisce with her. I hope she’ll let me do it again.
I hope our class can get it together to have a 30th reunion. I’ll help if you need me. I’ve seen other “old faces” around town that I have been very happy to run into. There are a few faces I am still looking for, but I’m afraid I don’t know what you look like anymore. It’s been like old home week since we’ve moved back. That’s all I have to say except, thank you David Gerlits for all of your hard work in setting up this fun web site.
Deb