Dee Sites Johnke shares her story

Dee graduated from Manchester College with a music degree.  She taught music in Indiana, Illinois and Montana.  She met her husband, Jim, while they were both teachers in Winifred, MT. He was a math teacher. She has also been a church choir director and church pianist for numerous churches over the years. She sang with the Magic City Singers in Billings, MT and has played clarinet with the Billings Community Band for years.

She and Jim live on the ranch/farm where he grew up in the center of Montana. The ranch is on the plains, east of the Rocky Mountains above a cliff called rim rocks. They have raised cattle, sheep and grain in addition to three talented children. David is a band director, following in his Mother’s footsteps, Linda  lives in Germany and works for the Manheim National Theater as a set designer and costume assistant. Tracy is mother to Leif, lives in Washington DC and works for Dow-Jones Market Watch Radio.  In retirement, Jim does remodeling and house painting—that’s when he isn’t involved with local and district level Lions Club activities.

Dee and Jim have traveled extensively in the US as well as traveled to Germany, where one daughter lives and to Washington DC where the other daughter lives.

Dee and Grandson, Leif

                         

Mick, Linda, Dee, Jim, David, Aaron, Leif, Tracy

Photos from our 25th Reunion

While I was searching for some old photos, I came across the ones from our 25th Reunion. If others of you have some from other reunions, please send them to me, either hard copy or digital.  What I have done with these is take a digital photo of the original, then the file is accessible for use on the web.  You could do the same with your camera and then send to me at joycemiles@aol.com.

Have no memory of what Nancy Beam Wible was doing, but Stan Beery was the target.

 This was after how many drinks???? Joyce Beery, Janet Purdy and Lois Ulrey

                               Ann Urschel Hapner, Esther Taylor Staley Hassing, Joyce Beery Miles

         Chris Beery (Stan’s wife), Carolyn Coon Crist and Judy Vandermark Judjahn

Steve Stitt Shares a Part of his Life

Finally was able to make a connection with Steve. He and his wife, Jill, live in Elkhart. While employed, Steve was in electromechanical research and development.  He is now retired.  Little known fact is that in the mid to late 60’s, he worked for a US Intelligence organization. He and Jill have traveled in USA, Canada, Great Britain, Asia, Middle East and Hispanola.   He and Jill won’t we attending the reunion as they have a family commitment in Michigan, bus he did send this photo.  Good old Steve still has that twinkle in his eyes and just spells trouble.  Thanks for sharing a piece of your life with us.

Gary Montel keeps Manchester College Alumni running at full speed.

Gary Montel has been working at Manchester College as an Alumni Administrator for over 20 years.  He graduated from Manchester with a degree in accounting and has worked previously in the health care field.  He and his wife Dee are spending weekends in Columbus, OH with son and daughter-in law and 3 month premature baby daughter.  She is thriving and almost weighs 2 #.  He promises that he will send some more photos one of these days.  Until he does, we will use this one from the Manchester College website.  Now we can see why Becky Meyers Naragon  once said Gary won the award for the most improved from our 1961 Class days. Oh, you have aged so well.  We could only wish that all of us were so fortunate! 

News from Lois Ulrey Jones

Lois and Fred returned from a vacation in Grand Cayman Islands which turned into a 2 week trip after Fred was diagnosed with blood clots in his leg.   They remind us that for long plane trips, get up and walk around or pay the consequences.  Lois shared these photos.

The child is Elena Diaz, my daughter Sarah's 3 year old daughter, taken during our 1 week  ocean vacation July 2010 at Bethany Beach. 

                              

                   Lois and Joyce at the all school reunion at MHS in June 2010  Lois and Fred at Fred’s 50th Class Reunion last summer.

More news from the frozen tundra

Hugh has updated us on his latest from the cold north of Ontario.  The temperatures must have finally been right as the sugaring looks to be in full swing. 

             Hugh and Carol on the left and their neighbors on the right.

  Gathering the sap.    Loading the sap to take to the sugar shack featured below. The long night’s boil to make that fabulous maple syrup.

Filtering the finished product. 

                 Now where are the pancakes!

Max Hammonds and Cari Jo share photos

It would come as no surprise to most of our classmates that Max has led quite a varied life since he left Manchester High School in 1961.  The photos they are sharing give just a little hint of all they have been involved in over the years.

           This is way too serious, Max.  This was the author photo used for Max’s latest book:  The Indomitable Gertrude Green, a book about a nurse in China in 1936-1941.

Max and Cari Jo with a Greek food booth.

Max is still in the drama business—acting and writing and probably singing.