BITBURG BARON SCROLL FALL 2004

 

page 6

Gill Wright Conner '64 was found a few months ago and tells me she is very thankful to be found and now able to find friends she never thought she would hear from again.  She has been able to catch up with Dee Dee Thrower Spock, Louise Cavnaugh Brooker, Phil Lockhart and a few others she is looking forward to catching up with everyone at the next reunion. 

 

Gill has one daughter who has been doing TV commercials and print ads since she was 5. After graduating from high school, she moved to New York and worked on soap operas for about 5 years until her father became ill.

 

After her husband died Gill spent some time in Portland and had her first ride on a Harley.  Shortly after that she bought her first bike and has been an avid rider ever since.  She currently owns a 1996 Dyna Low Rider, chromed out, and travels extensively on it.  She has been to Sturgis twice (largest motorcycle rally in the world) and last August went on a 2500-mile trip around the Great Lakes and Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At the age of 57 she says she enjoys the scenery, not the need for speed.

 

Gill has passed on the following news about some of our classmates.  Louise Cavnaugh Booker ’64 is a Physician’s Assistant and is married to an orthopedic surgeon and Yvonne Herrera ’64 just got married.  Louise and Yvonne, if you are reading this, we hope to see you at the next reunion.  Phil Lockhart ’64 has taken a contract job in Kirkut, Bagdad, and gets his first R&R in October.  Gill is hoping to be able to meet up with him in London at that time.

Kenny Clasen ’64 was elected, in June as Commander of the American Legion for the State of Colorado.  He represents 23,000 veterans (Legionnaires) in Colorado.  Ken will be doing a lot of traveling to Indianapolis, Washington DC and throughout Colorado during the next year.  His number one focus will be on veterans’ rights and benefits.  He will also be visiting VA hospitals and nursing homes in Colorado.  Ken says he never thought he would be in this position, but he is enjoying every minute of it.  Ken and his wife, Sandy, are now the proud great grandparents of a bouncing baby boy.

Tom Hayes '69 found us!  After Spangdahlem Middle School '63-'64 – (“WOW - flash memory of Mr. Birch in 8th Grade history and baseball practice!”), Tom attended BHS from '65-'67 and then departed for Texas.  “Oh the memories! Wrestling for Coach McCoy, walking past the French Kassern on the way to the Pizzeria downtown.”  Tom attended (via baseball) and graduated from St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, and went on to grad school at the University of Texas. He was commissioned in the USAF and flew, but never managed to PCS back to Germany.  He almost made it “but was slightly hampered by the fact my wife, the USAF pilot, had a career going too and there wasn't anything there for her at the time.”  Tom spent “way too much time in the Middle East and PACAF” and retired from USAF in 1996.  He is happily married with two sons (one a LT with 3rd ID at Ft. Stewart, GA and the other in ROTC at Old Dominion University.  Tom has been employed at Boeing as an analyst since and is living in the Puget Sound area of WA.

Nancy Daniel Hodson ’64 is unable to coordinate the 2006 reunion. Camille Hitch Smith ’64 has submitted to some arm twisting and will host the next reunion, which will be held somewhere in Georgia. Camille started high school in Rantoul, Illinois and arrived in Bitburg in January 1963.  Camille spent the year after graduation in Bitburg before returning to Chicago in June 1965.  Shortly after returning to the States she married and had 3 children, and then moved to Georgia in 1972.  After a divorce and second marriage, she had another child.  These four children “have grown to be the most wonderful people I know” and have blessed Camille with four grandchildren.  Camille, whose passion is photography, was our primary photographer at the 2000 reunion and took many of the pictures for the 2003 reunion.  She has also served as the class rep for the Class of ’64.  She is very excited about taking on this task and says she knows she will be getting lots of help from the BHS Alumni Association members to make the 2006 Reunion a huge success.  Anyone living in Georgia or surrounding states who would like to be involved in the planning of the next reunion, please contact Camille.  A site has not been selected at this time, so if you have any suggestions or contacts please let her know.

Joy Wilbert Erskine '70 is currently serving an LDS Church mission in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her husband, Bob.  They are one of five couples working there to digitize the Church of Scotland Kirk records for the National Archives of Scotland, which is making the records available on the Internet.  Joy and Bob will be in Edinburgh until June 2005 and then will move back to Cambridge, Ohio.