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Diane Cunningham (Wann ('72))

Hey Johnny, I hope you and everyone else are getting some rain.  No rain in Chappell Hill! Dad got rain in Oak Forest today. 

Those of you with siblings in my class, we are having our 50th in September!  Looking forward to that and to your Fall gathering in October.

All of you on vacation, we need some stories

Do a rain dance!

Diane

Susan Howard (Bowman)

Mary Weidner (Williams)

Johnny, my husband and I plan on being at the Fall Fling!

Mary Weidner (Williams)

Johnny, my husband and I plan on being at the Fall Fling!

Johnny Sheffield

Thanks mary

look forward to seeing you both.

johnny

Bennie Schielack

Dianne, hope you received a deluge from the current storms, and some additional rain before the low heads toward Corpus.  

Catching up after not reading anything on here for a couple of months.  Just a thought on ending up in a hospital in a foreign land . . . . . Insurance coverage or universal health care provided by the citizens via government of the visiting country ? ? ? ? ?

Two things happened to me at about the same time.  Preface this by saying I always enjoyed a variety of music, but "rock n roll" and other "pop" styles never impressed me.  I enjoy the Dixieland we played in band, big band music, classical and show tunes.  Jazz is OK, but I really enjoy "march" music and country music.  

I was surviving a divorce while working in the computer industry.  I spent a lot of time dealing with people via phone and when dealing with people in New York and other locations in the North, it seemed that NO ONE could understand my name.  Everyone wanted to call me Vinnie instead of Bennie so I changed the usage to Ben.  

Ben is the name I have been known by ever since.  During the same period of time, I began to search for new activities for a single person.  I walked into a dance hall country bar one Saturday evening and found a "flyer" discussing C & W dance lessons.  I showed up the next day, at that same club and began a career in an activity I fell in love with.  Dancing changed my entire personality and life style.  I continued my dance education until about 5 years ago, just prior to enduring a partial knee replacement.  Slowed me down for a couple of months, but Covid shut my dance teaching career and social floor time down completely.  Just slowly getting back into the grove.  A little Smooth Ballroom but mostly C & W when we can get to town.

Just an aside, one evening, I was out at a place called "The Rose On Richmond" and ran into someone from Waltrip, maybe from our class.  I do not recall who it was, but I did enjoy a conversation sitting at the bar before the dance floor called me.

May God bless us with health and if you are in Texas, RAIN.  I spend an hour or two each day watering pots, beds and lawns.

Go, Coogs . . . . . looking forward to college football and basketball.

Another aside, I do believe our little get together band, who crashed a Ram basketball game at Delmar gym (we swore we were the official pep band for our BB team), was the very first BB pep band in HISD.  

Jimmie Sue Roach (Nation)

Johnny, Please add my name to the list for the Oct. get together. I will be bringing my friend, Sandra, with me. Looking forward to seeing everyone. 

Wayne Lake

Vinnie from the Wharton Bronx, I also took dance classes many moons ago but about the only thing that stuck was basic 2 step and only then if my partner was quick/adept enough to avoid my stumbling 2 left feet and size 12 boots (one time she was a bit slow to respond, hollered and came up beating on my chest). I never mastered polka, waltz, fox trot, jitterbug etc but did have fun making a fool of myself doing the tango aka Groucho. Dancing keeps you  young, I remember an instructor saying, you only look old when you sit down and seeing a guy at the SPJST @ 15^th and Beall that kept an O2 tank at the his table to charge up his lungs when the band stopped playing music.    

Johnny from Fayette Co, thanks for organizing the BBQ. I hope to meet up with Frank Lynn and Bradley Seals and drive in – no commitment from Frank or Bradley though.

Anybody from Anywhere, I am also challenged wrt computer skills, can you give me step by step instructions on how to include a saved picture in the body of a post. You can send it to my email: wtlgonefishin@gmail.com.

Currently enjoying reading ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ by David Grann, a very well written history about the Osage tribe of NW Oklahoma who became rich from oil $ discovered in the 1920’s and were consequently murdered.    

Aransas finally got 3+” rain after about a 3 month drought.

From the North country, wtl  

Ronna Brand

Hi Eveyone.  I hope all of you have seen at least some rain from last week's scattered rain.  I got 3 1/2 inches and was so thankful to get it!!!

I will be attending the fall BBQ and am really looking forward to seeing all my Waltrip friends - what a blessing we have in this site that keeps us all connected.  See you there!!

Don Ellisor

I will be attending the gathering . I hope to get the time and place right this time. One feels really foolish when you arrive three hours late. I don't do late very well ever.

Johnny Sheffield

Hi everyone

look forward to seeing Don and Shirley 

Wayne , ronna and Jimmie sue and Sandra at the fall fling. 
it will be a fun time for all of us, 

hard to believe that in 2 more years , it will be our 60th reunion.

Johnny 

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

It is with great, great sadness that I have to pass on the news that John Adams passed away in Baytown Methodist ICU last evening.  He was admitted over a week ago with pneumonia and his condition worsened along with the ravages of the cancer he's been fighting for a few years.  Lynell Carapezza Johnson visited with John yesterday morning and she's been in contact with John's remaining family.  John's niece will give us information about his memorial service and I will post that when it's finalized.  

Scotty Croom

we have had rain nearly every day in daphne area....keeps temps down,but makes it steamy...sorry to hear about john adams passing...remember when he came to black in late 50's...he was his own person,but was sucessful in home mortgage business...he lost some of his soul whem mary lou passed away..rip john..

Wayne Lake

Like watchin’ LLWS. Texas still alive and play Tennessee tomorrow. Geaux Pearland. wtl

Teddie Jordan

So sorry to learn of John's passing. He was an old friend and always made me laugh! We attended the service for Dear Mary Lou at their church over in Baytown and their lady minister talked about Mary Lou's life and love for John..One thing she said that made me chuckle was that she said  Mary Lou told her that John had  proposed marriage to Mary Lou on their very first date! 😃 That is pure John, but Mary Lou said she was taken aback at first and took more time to get to know this "New", guy and that they married about a year later.

Rest In Peace John and Mary Lou!

Teddie Jordan

And Wayne I have enjoyed watching the Little League World Series playoffs too, and Root hard for Pearland. And Walter Etie and I talk on the back channel about how watching these games takes us right back to our days at age 11 and 12 playing for the Oaks Dad's Club National league champion Indians and a couple of years later at ages 14 and 15 both playing on the Pony League Indians At the American Legion club field on Judiway!
 

Old Memories are among an old man's best blessings. 

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

John Adams' family has set his memorial service for Tuesday, August 30 at St. Mark's Methodist Church, 3811 N. Main Street, Baytown, TX 77521.

Visitation will begin at 10:00am and the service at 11:00am.

Cards may be sent to John's niece, Teresa Smith, @ 1012 N. Hunting Tower Run, Montgomery, TX 77316

Bill Traill

 Rest In Peace to both of you love birds 🐦 

Lynn Wren (Burkhardt)

Message from Jimmie Lee regarding funeral arrangements for John Adams.

John Philip Adams, 77, of Baytown, Texas passed away after valiantly fighting cancer for eight years. He went home to his heavenly father late in the night of August 22, 2022, with hospice care calling his death at 12:30 am on August 23,2022. He is preceded in death by his wife Mary Lou. He was born in Houston, TX on March 26, 1945, to Michael and Margaret Adams. John was a graduate of Waltrip High School and attended Texas State University. He went on to a career in commercial real estate. He was married to Mary Lou for 51 years and they rescued numerous dogs and cats in that time. John and Mary Lou were long-term members, of St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Baytown and later on long-term members of First Methodist Houston where they were very active. John leaves behind numerous relatives including his niece Teresa, her husband Frank and their children Frank, Nicholas, Alexander and Erick.

Services will be held at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 3811 N. Main St. Baytown, TX, Tuesday August 30th with visitation starting at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Cancer Society or an animal rescue group of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.navarrefuneralhome.comfor the Adams family.

Wayne Lake

Sad to hearthe news  about the loss of John Adams, didn’t know him well but I remember he always had a quick smile on his face, just like his good friend Richard McCauley both Marines - they just don’t make’em like those two every day. I knew Richard better than John as he lived near me in the 70’s and 80’s and his boys and mine went to Stratford High School about the same time. Semper Fi Amigos RIP – you are missed.

Been reading/listening to Richard Leider (U of MN, PBS, writes for AARP, walking safaris in Tanzania, written several books, etc.) as he has interesting thoughts on aging/longevity, health, happiness, purpose of life, giving, work, career, importance of friendship and other heavy stuff most of it beyond my realm of consciousness. Listening to a pod cast of his, a couple of things he said  really struck a chord with me such as the importance of having friends that you can really talk to and, according to him, you can add 7 ½ years to your life by discovering your gift(s) and then giving/sharing them with others. He says he’s gonna have Simon and Garfunkle’s ‘Old Friends’ – ‘sat on their park bench like bookends’ played at his funeral and it’s great tune but I’m thinkin’ maybe for my final playlist, I’ll request Roger Miller’s version of Old Friends with Willie and Ray Price………’Old Friends, Lord when my all work is done, bless my life and grant me one, Old Friend, at least one Old Friend’……….

So now I’m feverishly trying to figure out how to improve from the imperfect and somewhat selfish me of the past 76 years to a wannabe me with a gift (if I can actually find one) to give to others so I can add some time – only thing, so far I guess I’ve earned enough credits for maybe an extra 3-4 days if I’m lucky and they grade on the curve.

I have always enjoyed listening to music without much thought but lately, I have been focusing on the lyrics, especially those from some of my favorite singer/songwriters such as Willie, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Buffett, Merle Haggard, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson and Guy Clark to name a few) and I think I am gaining a much better appreciation – better late than never.         

I hope to see many of my Old Friends in October at the BBQ, wtl

Patricia Williamson (Williams)

Happy birthday Barbara   

Scotty Croom

sharon and i plan to at bbq fling next month...i have gotten out and motivate w/walker..looking forward to seeing everyone...

Scotty Croom

my sister,georgia croom owens passed away last nite due to lung/throat cancer complications in georgetown,tx.   memorial service may be mon. oct 10 in morning..so, we will not be able to come for bbq fling in late oct.

Teddie Jordan

Scotty, I am shocked to and saddened to read of Georgia's passing. I remember her all of the way back and she was always so sweet. I didn't know about her cancer. God Bless her and her family. 
Rest In Peace Georgia. 
And I can only feel for how hard this must be on your dear Mom! So sorry. 

Johnny Sheffield

Scotty , sorry to hear about your sister Georgia passing. 
prayers go out to you and your family. 
Gods blessings be with you all.