Iowa City West High Class of 1973
Home of the Trojans
Hey Dave
My Father, when asked what was his favorite holiday meal was he would quickly say:
Roast Goose with stuffing, potatoes and gravy and Plum Pie.
He really meant it and until we moved into the city, we had it. Sadly, the recipe has not been saved.
He thought Turkey was overrated.
Merry Christmas and Happy new Year to everyone!
held within this world appearance
caught within the lines that bind us
my being shines through it
my being stays sunlit
though the world in which we live
goes on, and on, and on, and on
still our love shines on through it all
our love shines on
even though the darkness seems heavy
love still shines on
though illusion is so strong dear
know the truth beyond illusion
know the truth beyond this world
and save your light dear
your light dear
your being
your love dear
your being
held within this world appearance
caught within the lines that bind us
my being shines through it
my being stays sunlit
stays sunlit
stays sunlit
This is why I live in Idaho!
This is a mama moose and her yearling in my back yard.
Skate skied yesterday. It was fantastic, especially for November 13th! Happy winter, everyone! Yahoo!!
Here’s Mark’s latest creation. Lyrics are below. Enjoy!
I was born on an Island, used to hang out at the beach every day
I was born on an Island, we used to play at the beach every day
Get hot, jump in the water,
Cool down, lie in the sun (repeats)
Then came a time when my world fell apart, tuning in and turning on, gave me a start,
Read the Gita, read Vasistha, chasing the light,
Realizing bliss eternal, hey you know it feels all right
I’ll never go back
Get hot, jump in the water,
Cool down, lie in the sun (repeats)
Beloved mother, wife, sister and grandma, Barbara Ann Bode Muller died on April 17th, 2022, Minneapolis Minnesota.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri on 10/28/29 to Loretto and Clem Bode, Barb moved with her family to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she attended Mount Mercy high school and college. After graduating from Mount Mercy in 1949, Barb taught fourth grade at Sacred Heart in Oelwein, Iowa.
On June 9, 1951, Barb married Thomas F. Muller in Cedar Rapids. They celebrated 53+ years together, also living in Iowa Falls, Anamosa and Manchester, Iowa. While raising her family she restarted her career as a librarian at Manchester Public Library during the late 60s. After moving to Coralville, Iowa in 1970 she worked for a short time at the Coralville Public Library and then at McGurk Myers as a payment clerk. Barbara retired as a Surgery Billing Clerk from University of Iowa Hospitals.
Barbara was an integral part of a loving marriage and a supportive partner. During time spent raising her family and working, indoors, Barbara was an avid reader and greatly enjoyed the New Yorker and Atlantic magazines. She followed politics closely and always had Iowa Public Radio on in the background. Outdoors, she loved gardening, and she had a special amazement for the great creations of nature and humankind. Her love of nature and especially birds was passed down to her children.
Another part of Barbara’s legacy was her excellent cooking. Honorable mentions are, Texas Sheet Cake, Brownies (no frosting necessary!) and Aunt Selma’s Best Oatmeal Cookies. Barbara was understanding and sympathetic to the underdog. Somewhat melancholy, humble almost to a fault, and always full of gratitude. If you were a “sweetheart”, “sweet pea”, “spirit” or a “rabbit” you were in her magic circle.
She will be missed greatly by her family and loved ones. Survivors include children: Tom Jr. (Tricia), Sara, John (Aida), and Paul. Sisters, Mary Ellen (Jim), Ginny (Tim), brothers Phillip (Jan), and Kevin. Sister-in-law, Nancy (David). Grandchildren: Ian, Laura, Brianna, Meggan and Evan. Special nieces: Julie Browning (Bruce) and Kim Newcomb (Steve), and favorite son-in-law, Doug Smith. Barbara was preceded in death by husband, Tom Muller, brother David Bode and Clem and Loretto Bode.
The family would like to express extra gratitude to Bonnie and Eric Weldon for their above and beyond care of Mom at her home in Iowa City. In Richfield, Minnesota we are grateful to the Pines and Havenwood facilities. We are especially grateful for the Memory Care staff at Havenwood for their loving attention to Barbara.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the charity of your choice. Inurnment for Barbara and Tom is scheduled for 2pm, Saturday, October 8th, 2022, Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Judy (Becker) Bryant shared her reflections on her summer in Europe with us.
As classmates may recall, I taught a 6-week summer course as part of my university’s Study Abroad program in Florence, Italy. We added two weeks on the front end to visit London, Paris, and a couple places in Switzerland.
Sharp-eyed viewers will note that I’m wearing the same shirt in several photos. We packed light with one shared suitcase, so I wore a few outfits in rotation and washed clothes frequently. Nonetheless, we managed to bring home exotic pastas (e.g., some dyed black with squid ink) and bottles of limoncello for our sons.
We had the opportunity to take weekend trips to Rome, Pompeii, Pisa, Venice, and Seina. But mostly we explored some of the amazing museums, cathedrals/churches, and markets of Florence, despite record temperatures.
Favorite museums? The Archaeological Museum and the Galileo Museum. Favorite gelato flavors? Lavender and fig. Favorite meals? Pizza, various dishes with octopus, and pizza. Favorite religious items: shrines to Mary on almost every street and reliquaries in almost every church. Food was remarkably cheap and the produce was flavorful. Trains (including bullet trains) were easy to book and afforded views of fields of sunflowers, terraces with grapes and olives, mountains, and villages with Roman walls and homes in earth tones. Needless to say, we took a huge number of photos.
Our classmate Jackie (Dague) Nicholson attended the 2022 Kalona Bluegrass Festival, and shared quite a few videos of our beloved troubadour and banjoist Paul Roberts. Paul performed with the groups The McPunk Brothers, The Great Bluegrass Herons, and Banjoy.
The McPunk Brothers include Paul on Banjo, Keith Yoder on Mandolin and Guitar (Paul’s cousin), Daryl Yoder on Bass (Paul’s cousin and Keith’s brother), Mark Wilson (married to Paul’s cousin Janet Lackender Wilson).
The Great Bluegrass Herons include Paul Roberts on banjo, Julie Roberts (Paul’s wife) on bass fiddle, Mark Wilson (on guitar) and Janet (Lackender) Wilson (vocals) from the West High Class of 1972.
Banjoy includes Paul Roberts on bass fiddle, Bob Black on banjo, Christi Black on guitar, Mark Wilson on guitar, and Tom Schaefer on fiddle.
Classmate Sue Hansen shared this update with us. Please hold Sue in your thoughts in whatever way is right for you.
I have some news that I’ve shared with family and some friends. Many of you know I’ve had a challenging year, losing my mom then my brother unexpectedly. I’ve also had several other family deaths. In May, when my brother died, I had a severe UTI that took many days to clear enough to further test. My great doctor further tested with a CT scan, referring me to specialists in Iowa City. After having a MRI and other tests, I learned I have a barely functioning kidney complicated by a mass on top. Is it cancer? We don’t know yet
So this week on Tuesday I’ll have a Covid test, followed by removal of my kidney and mass on Wednesday July 27th at 12:30 PM. It’s a four hour surgery, 1 night in the hospital and no lifting for a month. My sister and I have been working hard to finish both estates prior to my surgery. I doubt if that will happen but at least most of the lifting and hard work will be done. Please keep me in your thoughts as I go through another challenge. Thank you and much love❤
Judy (Becker) Bryant shared four pictures of her visit to two of the many spectacular sites in Florence Italy.
Judy invites us to step into her time machine during this visit, showing us photos of her visits in 2022 and in 1964, when she was just a wee lassie. Her photo of the Fountain of Neptune from 1964 includes her brother Craig (Class of ’74), then an even wee-er laddie. (You can find Craig and Judy peeking over the word “Neptune” in the caption).
Enjoy!
Dave,
We enjoyed unusually great weather for our week in London and survived the transport strike with no issues. In addition to seeing the Tower of London and marching bands at Buckingham Palace, we attended a choral service at St James Cathedral, had dinner with a college friend at a posh club on Pall Mall, took a boat on the Thames, and had other adventures.
A short visit to Paris included the Louvre and a boat ride on the Seine. In Switzerland we stayed in Montreux on Lake Geneva and Zermatt with clear views of the Matterhorn. Arrived in Florence yesterday afternoon. Faculty and students have orientation today and classes begin tomorrow.
Judy