Jack Sears

Hi All,

Unfortunately I will have to cancel from attending this reunion. Long story short: pacemaker installed this Thursday September 8. Low heart rate developed into a heart rhythm problem (I think they said 3rd degree heart block). Felt like I was going to pass out 3-4 times just sitting in a chair. Never happened. ER zipped me up to ICU for observation. They tweaked my blood pressure meds. Got down to the wire when the pacemaker guy said: looks good. No gadget. Pop the champagne corks. Ten minutes later, the Boss Cardiologist came in my room examining my real time monitors: oops, there it goes again. Missing beats. Squigly lines are no good. Rate all over the place. 30bpm to 70bpm. Back & forth. Sigh. 

Pretty quick in/out, local anathesia procedure. Recovery is pretty much isolated to the incision and the wires going into the heart: 4-6 weeks. Gotta kinda baby that area for a while. I can drive, but they want me to stick around town close to my new cardiologist and electro-physiologist for follow-ups until they are sure the new gadget is fully sorted.

I now have a new app on my iPhone. When I get the Bluetooth wand interface from Medtronic, I can upload data from the gadget to my iPhone to my doctors weekly. If they see something, they can have me come in. But, I already have three post-operation follow-ups face to face in the next three weeks on the calendar. 

Feeling great with the steady blood flow. Humming right along. 

I was really looking forward to seeing all of you. 

Please donate my sandwiches to Joe Roberts. He looks very malnourished on his Facebook pictures. LOL.

Cheers

Jack

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

GEEZ JACK.....sorry to hear you're not going to make it back for the reunion, but glad to hear you're on the right track now. Things come up unexpectedly that we have no control over. I'll miss seeing you, can't remember the last time I did see you, come to think of it. Take care of yourself & come back to FM whenever you can make it, you never know when a small group could get together to eat out & visit. 

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

Sounds like you've had some rather scary times of late Jack.  Bill and I sure will miss being able to catch up with you at the Reunion !  You would probably recognize Bill, but physically, he's at his lightest weight in over 50 years (even Navy Boot Camp days) and has been sporting the fully bald head for over 4 years now - there was so little hair still growing on his head he decided to keep his head shaved and now sports a "chrome dome" that is full of his beautiful freckles !!!!  I have heard many stories about you fellows at Joe Robert's cabin on the river - some pretty wild times during those high school days ! 

Please take care of yourself, as we are sure you are a perfect patient with your pacemaker, and if you ever get to Eastern North Carolina, let us know - would love to see you !

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

Boo Hoo Hoo Jack Sears! I am so sad you are not coming to the reunion, however, I am so glad you are getting great medical treatment and please just do what the doctors tell you to do and get well. If you ever want to come down to FM just let me know and I will get a few classmates together to have lunch. Take care, and please know what the Class of 1961 will miss you!

Cyndy Day (Savage)

Jack I am so sorry but it sounds like they are taking good care of you and you have no choice but do as they say.  You will be missed and thought of often.  God Bless and maybe we can all get together again.  You are now officially on our prayer list at the Savages.

Bill Orr

Hi folks!

Jack, Hope you get well soon. Would like to beat you at poker. $10,000 stakes. Like I used to play in Lawton Oklahoma in 1967. I was so concerned about the situation  until I learned that the police chief, Mayor and Federal marshall were playing at the table, In my appartment. Can you believe. I won and was shipped out to Viet Nam the next week. Used the money to buy my mother a new car. 

My doctor wants me to do the face peel again and to do an arm and hand peel at the same time. I've decided  not do it. To hell with it. Enough is enough!. Let me be!

As for everyone else. Enjoy the reunion. Eat, drink and enjoy yourself. For you shitheads who keep to yourselfs -  go out and meet everyone. Take the time to meet and greet everyone present and seriously learn something about them. Break up the klicks and freely mingle. You will really enjoy yourself.

Wish I could be there!

Your friend,

Bill Orr 

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

To Bill Orr,  Well, I learned something about you from your last post that I never would have guesed from high school days - BIG TIME GAMBLER !!!!  You go GUY !!!

I second your motion that at this reunion, don't hold back at talking with EVERYONE who's there - life is too short at our age and all of our classmates have some interesting tales to possibly reveal about themselves. 

I hope you get your wish to one day sit at a poker table with Jack Sears - may the better "joker" win !!!  From what my husband tells me, there were some fairly wild poker games played at Joe Robert's family's river cabin "back in the day".   Something about Jack Sears being taken outside in the cold and snow ????

Won't be long now - looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing some really good times at our Reunion.

Sandy Matthews

Jack Sears

Thanks all for all the kind thoughts. Good technology and medical care is working for me.

Sandra, ya, Roberts cabin, winter it was, huge pot I scooped, then dumped in the snow by the rascals who lost  lol  

Poker beast Orr? My heavens young man, you sound formidable. I would be fun to get a game together. My heads up game is above average, but I mostly play tournament No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. I need to put in more time on the cash game variant. 

Brad Wiedmann

Jack,  Sorry to hear you not able to attend our 55th due to health. Take care of yourself. Liked your comment about giving your sandwiches to Joe R. Been a long time since I saw you, but seem to remember you winning some $ at Turtle Lake, WI, up in my neck of the woods. 

Darla Qualls (Dennison)

I know some of you have heard but I will not be able to attend this year's reunion either.  I was looking forward to catching up with everyone but guess that will have to wait till the next one.  Danielle, one of my twin granddaughters has been recuited to play volleyball for TCU next year and of course the college picked that weekend to have the recuits fly in and introduce them at the volleyball and football games on October 1.  I mean, 52 to pick from and they had to pick that one.  Anyway Grandma can't miss that, family first and she is so excited to be coming to school here and be by me, only 20 minutes.  Hopefully, Cassidy, her twin sister, will be here too.  She is also an excellent player but doesn't want to play in college so we will see.

Sorry about your problems, Jack but sounds like you are heading in the right direction.  Sorry for you to Bill as that doesn't sound like fun at all.  I've always been a huge sun worshiper too and am now paying the price with 7 Mohs procedures so far.  Isn't getting old fun?? - but hey, it beats the alternative.  

I hope you will all consider having another reunion in 2 years this time as we aren't getting any younger, only in our minds.  I'll miss seeing all of you, but have lots of fun and post pictures.  Janet says she'll buy me a class picture then I can photoshop me in.  HA!  Enjoy and if you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area give me a call.  I'm still in Colleyville.  Take care!  Hugs, Darla

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

Thank you Darla for your update. I agree with Darla that we probably should start having reunions every 2 years as we seem to be dropping like flies. We could make it a one day reunion on a Saturday and meet for dinner somewhere and everyone pay for their own meal and that way nobody would have to be responsible for the money and paying the bills. I'd be interested in what you all think. I don't think we should wait until we are all 78 years old. Did I just say that we will be 78 years old in five years.  SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! GOOD GRIEF. Hard to believe. Take care everyone and if there is anyone out there that would still like to attend the reunion please call me immediately.! 319-470-3477!!!

Jack Sears

Brad and Darla- thanks for the good thoughts. I feel fantastic. The two year idea is a good one. 

Brad, yes I won the St Croix WI Turtle Lake Heartland Poker Tour main event in 2006. My first year of tournament poker. I was very very lucky to win. After that, I thought poker was easy & I would be hanging with the pros. I've spent the last ten years understanding the reality of probability, random distributions and variance. I did cash in two World Series of Poker events this June for about $7K total. That felt good. But nothing major like the Turtle Lake televised win  

Charlie LaFrenz

Sharon,  Your 2 year get together is a great idea.  I'm in!

Also, Thursday, Jack and Cathy (Cornell) Klein came for a visit, and we all went out to dinner.  Spent several hours talking about the good old days.  Cathy is doing great, but Jack has had some heart problems, and has trouble with stairs.  Most of us probably remember Cathy as a cheer leader, and Jack as our champion gymnist and diver.  He won first in state on the high bar  if I remember correctly.  Amazing how much we change in only 50 some years.  

Marcia Conley (Davis)

Count me in for every 2 years!  I am looking forward to seeing everyone in a couple of weeks.  Yes, Sharon, we are in the 70+ age group.  Never hit home until a month ago when I was at a income tax national conference and someone asked me how long I had been doing taxes - and I said 50 years!  I started doing taxes in 1966.  You would have thought the person asking was going to go get me a wheelchair or something!  That person had to be in their mid-40's!  I thought to myself "someday, honey, you will be old, too"!

Cyndy Day (Savage)

I like the idea of every two years and a single day, a simple get together, this would also give more opportunities for us.  With health issues, grandchildren, etc. every two years perhaps it would be different friends each time but more opportunity, it's a great idea Sharon.

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

THANKS FOR THE KUDOS YOU GUYS BUT I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THE IDEA OF HAVING A CLASS REUNION EVERY TW0 YEARS. IT WAS DARLA QUALLS DENNISON. SHE LAUGHED WHEN SHE SUGGESTED IT AND SAID, '' LOOK AT ME SUGGESTING EVERY TWO YEARS AND I'M NOT EVEN COMING THIS YEAR!!''. SHE HAS A CONFLICT THIS YEAR SO WE WILL FORGIVE HER AND MAYBE WE MIGHT EVEN MAKE HER THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REUNION IN TWO YEARS. HA!HA!

Brad Wiedmann

Every two years for a day sounds good. Any day, but Sunday, ought to be a candidate. It's not like work schedules are a major issue. Saturday is probably the best choice, however.

Darla Qualls (Dennison)

Nice try Sharon!  I will take credit for the idea however you do such a good job as chairperson I would never want to take that title away from you.  Again, I really hate missing this one so take lots of pictures and post so I can see all the fun I missed.

Bill Orr

Hi Folks,

There is a mysterious Santa loose in our class. There was a knock at my door and when I answered I found a package sent to Bill Orr from Class Santa.

Was it a surprise? Yes ! It was a three pack of Sterzings. Can you believe that a class Mate has tried to make my situation better. I really appreaciate it.

The point being that maybe some others in our class could benefit from a similar good deed.

Just a thought!

Thanks Santa!  

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

Received an email from Patty (Burgund) Marsh saying she isn't able to make it to the reunion. Her husband has Parkinson's Desease & she feels it's unsafe for her to leave him for any length of time. He falls a lot & injures himself. Our class needs to pray for Patty & her husband. It's hard being a caregiver 24/7. A call or a card with encouraging words means so much. Hoping for support for them. 

Patsy Cordray (VanPelt)

Hi Classmates,

I've been thinking of all of you going to our 55th reunion and wish you safe travels and a great time!  Please take lots of pics and post for those of us who can't be there!  Bill, I also received a box of Sterzings from Santa and was thrilled!  We must have been good this year! ha  I know my Santa's name and he couldn't be more kind, thoughtful and caring!  Thank you more than you realize CHARLIE!  YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

We will miss you Patsy and Bill and Gary and Darla and Jack and we will talk about you in only fond terms. I do want to take this opportunity to tell all of you that Martha Machen Humphrey just emailed me that Neal Humphrey passed away yesterday and she will forward me further details about his passing. May God Bless Martha and her family and May Neal Rest in Peace. 

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

My deepest sympathy goes out to you Martha, loosing your mate is undescribable. My heart is heavy for you dear. May God lift you up & hold you in His arms, & may you be surrounded with family & friends during your time of loss. Take care of yourself.....Linda 

Sharon Tincher (Scholl-Nabulsi)

Hey, a shout out to all who attended the 55th Reunion of the Class of 1961. Great seeing everyone and hope to see you all in two years. We have decided that we shouldn't wait 5 years for another get together as we are to an age where we are losing our classmates to fregquently, like 10 since our 50th. So mark your calenders for the Spring of 2018. Have a great Fall and Winter and keep in touch on the MESSAGE FORUM! I really appreciate everyone who made the effort to attend the 55th Reunion.

Nan Nelson (Hays)

Heartfelt thanks Sharon for all you have done to make our reunion happen !