Zooming with the Aces, #2

February 17, 2022 at 2:00 p.m., CST

Fred Elder welcomed 18 members of the Class of 1960 to our second Zoom session. They joined us from all parts of the country – both coasts, sunny South, snowy North, and our Heartland homeland.

New participants told us about their last 60 years in two minutes or less. All participants shared with us the projects and plans they are happy about pursuing in 2022.

To watch a video of this 60-minute session, contact Fred Elder (elder@engr.wisc.edu).

Participants, All Listening Intently: Top/Row 1 – Fred Elder, Marilyn Tompkins Bellert, Tom Tatlock, Dan Tontz. Row 2 – Glenna Stearman Park, Skip Granger, Mary Lancaster Curtis, Charlie Briscoe. Row 3 – Lee Ayres, David Robinson, Diane Rusch Zinn, Calvin Ross. Row 4 – Linda Soderberg McKay, Carolyn Wharton Holloway, David Kroenlein. Not pictured: Barbara Hammond, Pearline Blackmon Smith, Ron Haun. Next time, we will encourage everyone to smile for the camera!

Tom Tatlock, Appleton, WI, since 1978. Married to Andrea; twin sons, 5 grandsons. Recently moved with Andrea into a continuum of care facility. Graduated from KU Medical School and practiced psychiatry in Appleton until a fall from a ladder in 1999, when he suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in involuntary early retirement. After recovering, he became a full-time grocery shopper, meal planner, cook and volunteer for the next 20 years. “At least it was something tangible to do.” His extensive volunteer commitments focus on education and advocacy for people with brain injuries, including the related area of homelessness. More than 50% of homeless people have had brain injuries, which often preceded their homelessness.

Looking forward to 2022: Tom plans to write a story for the website about his travels. He is working on and looking forward to renewal of a grant that supports activities to address brain injuries, homelessness, and domestic violence.

Learn more about Tom in “1960 Aces with Careers in Healthcare.”

Skip Granger, Sun Lakes, AZ. Married to Mary Ann for 48 years. Two children, two grandkids. “My biggest issue is trying to figure out what to do when I grow up.” Skip asked Alexa to alert him when his two minutes were up. She did, and he stopped talking! Skip graduated from KU and has continued to be active with Sigma Nu, writing regular newsletters for his fraternity brothers.  He graduated from KU Law School, but learned quickly that he did not want to practice law. He next worked in the travel industry as a tour director, first in Hawaii, then to San Francisco, which he really enjoyed. He reconnected with Mary Ann at the Pan American Airways office. Pressure to support his growing family motivated him to a career in venture capital. Later, he and his partners launched a successful winery. These days, Skip and Mary Ann live in a community where he can swim every day at a pool just minutes away. Due to mobility limitations, he travels to the pool by golf cart.

Looking forward to 2022:  Travel, travel, travel. They have really missed traveling in the past two  years and are planning a week in Las Vegas soon. He hopes that COVID finally settles down so they can get back on the road again.

Skip’s most recent story for the website is “My Life in Wine.”

Mary Lancaster Curtis, St. John, KS. Two children; remarried for 41 years to man with two more children. They have a large blended family including 3 great-grandkids born in 2021.  Mary and her husband live on a farm in Stafford County, halfway between Pratt and St. John. She worked for CPA firms in Wichita and later in Stafford County. She retired from a position with Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism. Travel, a passion, has taken her to all seven continents and all U.S. states. At home, she is a quilter, also a passion. Her husband fell recently, and she is now fully engaged in caring for him. In response to our conversation about being 80, Mary advised that she had been 80 since January 4, 2022. “It didn’t hurt and it’s wonderful!”

Charlie Briscoe, Roanoke, VA.  Married 56 years, 2 children and grandchildren living in Arkansas and Indiana. “I had such a good time at Indiana University that they invited me to drop out. I went on to Ark City Junior College and enjoyed it.”  While working as a youth pastor, he spotted a very pretty girl in a trio that was visiting from the church’s college and decided that he should be where she was. After marrying, they moved to West Virginia, where they worked as VISTA volunteers, going house to house and teaching people practical things such as where to place their wells and how to cook without lard. Charlie’s vocation for most of his life has been in churches, often as a music director, and he has also worked as a school teacher and coach.  Charlie’s son played professional basketball in Europe and is now a college athletic director. His daughter has a good job and is doing well. He and his wife have served in many states and are now living happily in Virginia

Looking forward to 2022: Charlie will continue spending a lot of the year announcing track meets. This will be his 48th year.  With his wife, Charlie organizes a softball tournament that will include 65 teams from 15 states this year.  During 43 years of holding this tournament, they have raised substantial funds for mission work, $50K last year. Every few years, he and his wife visit the mission in South America, which he hopes to do again.

Charlie wrote about his life for this website. See “My Music Journey.“

Lee Ayres, Fresno, CA. Lee has lived in California for 45 years. First marriage, 26 years; 3 children, 11 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. His second marriage, to Shelley, recently reached another 26 years. Lee attended KU, was a Sigma Chi, and learned about the field of city management, “a career where you could actually do things.” He served as a city manager in Kansas, Florida, Georgia, and California. Next, he worked in real estate for 25 years in partnership with Gene Carter. Then, he transitioned into other public service, most recently as CEO of Tree Fresno, a non-profit, that has planted huge numbers of trees throughout the region. Philosophically, as he reflects on his life, he thinks about his religious development. He became more of an independent study person, one who believes in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man – with all the challenges that brings. 

Looking forward to 2022: Lee is working pro bono on a project in the remarkable town of Allensworth, CA, founded in 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth, a Civil War veteran.  The principal at Allensworth School asked Tree Fresno to plant trees. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as the town needed substantial first steps before it needed new trees. This year lee will be working on developing an Allensworth Community Plan. This has turned out to require involvement across the region. An official with Water Resource Management told him that Allensworth faced the most acute water challenges within the San Joaquin Valley, which is one of the world’s breadbaskets. The population is incredibly diverse, and so are the problems. Lee’s working group is hoping that the Allensworth State Historic Park can be developed into a national tourism attraction. Lee has also consulted with the organization co-founded by Linda Soderberg McKay, Character Plus, and anticipates using their programs in the community.

Lee’s most recent website articles are “Border Tour,” Part One and Part Two.

Pearline Blackmon Smith, Wichita. One son, 58, and a granddaughter 25. “I’m doing OK. Just me and my dog Gracie; she’s a schnauzer.” Pearline’s first husband died in 1988, and she moved back to Wichita from California in 1993.  She then married a much older man, who, she says “thought I was young, and – well, he messed up and we divorced.” She lives in Bel Air and is happy; two of her sisters live in Wichita. She is president of the local United Methodist Women and a member of the Great Plains Methodist Conference Committee.  I’m in pretty good health, although having lots of dental work. I enjoy my bowling league. Sometimes I stop by Panera and find Jake there with his East High buddies.”

Fred Elder noted that Pearline had been very helpful in locating classmates and encouraging them to tell their stories for the website. Pearline added, “I found Gerald Burton in Oklahoma and enjoyed talking to him.  Quite a few of us used to get together once a month, but that stopped during the pandemic. I know people whose email and post office addresses you don’t have and will get those to you.”

David Kroenlein, on the James River near Williamsburg, VA. Married to Dorothy, a wonderful woman, for 54 years; 5 children, 9 grandchildren. During the pandemic, they moved back and forth between a home on the James River and their home in Scarsdale, NY. David left Wichita when he went to college in the East and had minimal contact with classmates except for a memorable Atlantic City reunion with Dave Miller, Rick Mittelstadt, Larry Statham, and Tom Hutchinson. Since then, he has reconnected with more classmates. He practiced law in New York for 35 years and has been active in the Scarsdale community, from coaching his kids athletics teams to working in local government. He served as mayor of Scarsdale for two years, including during the 9-11 crisis. During his term as mayor, he led a coalition that tackled relationship violence and created programs that provided a forum to talk about and understand healthy relationships. Those programs have continued for 20 years. His most significant activities have been, and continue to be, with his church, which is active in social justice issues. Many years ago, at a meeting of new members of the church, he renewed his friendship with Carol Kendall Dalton, who was also active in the Presbyterian church. His children and grandchildren live in New York, Virginia, Colorado, and California, so he and Dorothy get to travel often to visit them. They also take care of their nearby grandchildren, and attends their school functions and sporting events.

Looking forward to 2022: David really enjoys Barb Hammond’s contributions to the website, especially her wonderful cartoons. He anticipates participating in a new church project – the sponsorship of an Afghan refugee family. They are working with White Plains synagogue to help the Afghan family settle into their new home in Yonkers and get acclimated to their new community. “That will be exciting.”

David has been a frequent contributor to the website. His two most recent stories are “Recollections of a Naval Supply Officer” and “Let’s Go to the Videotape: Remembering 9-11.”

Carolyn Wharton Holloway, Salt Lake City, UT, had technical difficulties. We could see her during part of the call, but lost her entirely part-way through. We hope she will join our next Zoom call on March 17.

Carolyn wrote about her career as an educator. See “To Teach is to Learn.”

 

 

Returning Zoomers: Here’s what they look forward to in 2022.

Calvin Ross – Lives in the northeast corner of Tennessee, between Virginia and North Carolina. He loves to ski with grandchildren and hopes to join them next month as they are just one hour away in western North Carolina.  He is anticipating right hip replacement surgery this year, thanks to years of putting the shot, with a problem shoulder as well.  He will be 80 on April 16 and is hoping for a celebration in Asheville, NC with all his family.  No doubt the fire department will arrive as he attempts to blow out 80 candles.  He hopes he doesn’t suffer a cardiac arrest from the effort.

Calvin has written poetry, a biographical sketch, and stories for the website. His most popular story is “It Happened with Mryna and Me in her Garage.”

Linda Soderberg McKay, St. Louis, MO. Her hope for her 80^th birthday is a family reunion. Her four daughters and husbands, 15 grandchildren, plus two new wives for grandsons will gather in Newport Beach, CA. “I told them it’s not just about my birthday. Everybody gets their own birthday cake. It will be a miracle if everyone gets there. ”

Linda’s most recent website story is “My Oh-Oh Nash Rambler.”

 

David Robinson, Wichita KS, where it is snowing today.  David admits to being a whiner, but says that is because he has nothing to whine about. He is happy and  is proud that he’s not on any medications.  He will be 80 in July and is planning a trip with two best friends to visit Falling Water in western Pennsylvania.  As a Frank Lloyd Wright admirer and a volunteer at the Allen house in College Hill, he is really looking forward to seeing Falling Water. With travel in mind, he is concerned about people going crazy on airplanes.

In November, David wrote about his Vietnam War experience, in “Dream Job in DaNang?!”  His short profile is in “Zooming with the Aces #1″.

Barbara Hammond, Wichita KS. Thanks to David for the compliment. She was hoping for a big 80th celebration in April at the Fresh Air Baby Camp/Little House with family and friends. Her daughter is unable to come from Maine until June, so she will have her birthday celebration then. Her grandson is graduating from community college in May, more reason for celebration. Barb says she is quite well. She goes to Silver Sneakers exercise class on Mondays and Fridays, partly due to the hilarious teacher, Collette. “She gets me to class. I drag myself there because of her.”

Barb is a prolific artist and author. This week on the website, we published her first venture into journalism, “Interview with Elfrieda Shellenberger.“

Dan Tontz, Dallas, TX.  Dan is looking forward to his grandniece’s graduation from Mississippi State University in May and hoping for a family reunion there. He is at high risk for COVID due to asthma and respiratory issues and says he will probably be the last person to stop wearing a mask. He is hoping that by May he and his daughter can make the car trip to Starkville, MS. He is happy with life despite current restrictions. He notes, this is better than any of the alternatives! His blessings include good health and a nice place to live.  

Dan recently sent us a moving story about his father’s near-death experiences in World War II, “My Dad’s Survival Story.”

Glenna Stearman Park, Montgomery Village, MD – Glenna concedes that her plans for 2022 are mostly self-absorbed. She is reading, a book or so a month, and painting daily in her sunroom with her dog for company.  Within a span of five years, she experienced a heart attack, cancer,  arthritis, and several surgeries. One result was losing control of her hands. She has invented a new aesthetic that she calls “Crusty Edge,” referring to her inability to draw a clear line. She is working on very small geometric paintings to discipline her shaky hand. Recently, she has moved beyond lines and squares to paint more diagonal patterns.  Following a color assignment that she taught to her students, she is using only three colors – red, blue, yellow- and whatever colors she chooses to mix from those three. She showed us a dozen examples of her bright and cheerful geometric paintings. We could not detect the crusty edges. She says she will next work on very large canvases with “Folk Realist” subjects. 

Glenna launched the website’s stories about The Cars We Drove with “New Drivers and Car Envy.” 

Ron Haun, Aurora, CO. Ron and Colleen are planning on doing some traveling in the next year, including to Wyoming and Dakotas. They will also be going to the top of Pikes Peak for the first time, even though they have lived in Colorado since 1999. Ron recently moved to the Denver area, a shock to the system after many years in Gunnison. Ron says he will never get used to the Denver traffic. “People here are crazy.” Today, he is looking at six inches of new snow, which won’t make driving any more sane.

In December, the website published Ron’s story, “A Traveling Christmas Remembrance,” which contains a priceless photo of two of our classmates.

Marilyn Tompkins Bellert, Sycamore, IL. For her 75th, Marilyn traveled to Africa and trekked through jungles to visit a family of gorillas, a life-changing experience. For her 80th, she and Gary will visit the Dordogne region in southwest France with family members. She is looking forward to a celebration that does not involve trekking or jungles, but includes good food, good wines, and beautiful country. She also anticipates more happy times getting better acquainted with classmates and working on their stories for this website. 

Most recently, Marilyn wrote “A Family in Wartime” about her unconventional father in World War II and “Doug Walton, Internationally-acclaimed Artist.”

Diane Rusch Zinn, Lawrence, KS.  “This is a special year for our family. Dick and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary in January. Our daughter will be 60 and I will be 80.” She is hoping for a great event to celebrate the milestones. In March, Diane and Dick are going to Houston to visit Lin Lamme, (class of ’59) a friend for 65 years, the World War II museum, and for the first time, on to New Orleans.

Diane creates the Gallery page’s collections of photos and artwork. Up next: The Cars We Drove, more than 50 photos of favorite and/or memorable cars sent by our classmates. She wrote several stories in November about family members who served in World War II. See “Captain Leonard Rusch.”

Fred Elder, Madison, WI. Zooming from his son’s home in Park Ridge, IL. Responding to David Kroenlein’s involvement with an Afghan refugee family, Fred noted that Camp McCoy, which is near his home in Madison originally housed 13,000 refugees. They have now all been placed across the country. He hopes they will find welcome and support in their new communities and will become strong American citizens.

Fred’s most recent website stories documented his arduous hike across the north of England, “Coast to Coast,” First Half and Second Half.”