Natalie Rundle Garvis

I haven’t been back to Sioux City since the last reunion because my parents retired to Arizona. Since I saw everybody 10 years ago, a lot has happened. We were in Atlanta and I worked at MCI while Denny, my husband, went to Georgia State for his PhD in Management. Denny got an offer to teach at Washington and Lee University in Lexington. I thought Lexington would be a great move until I realized that it was in Virginia, I didn’t even know that there WAS a Lexington, Virginia. Since there was no other place to work in the town (pop. 8,000) or Rockbridge County (pop. 35,000), I telecommuted with MCI in Atlanta, which became WorldCom, which imploded in 2002 and filed bankruptcy. And no, I did not work in the accounting department.

After a summer off, I was corporate controller at a small manufacturing company (Sayre) that stitched military insignia for all service branches. Two years later I went to The George C. Marshall Foundation as Director of Finance and Administration. Two years later I am at the University where I plan to stay. The learning curve gets tougher the older you grow :-) I love my current job and have great co-workers and benefits.

Over the years I have grown to appreciate a small town, too. We get to travel enough that I do not feel too isolated. For the most part, I am glad that our kids get to grow-up with the small town experience. The kids have seen Iowa and Missouri on vacations and say it is too flat. I still miss it sometimes. The Midwest, especially Iowa, is a special place.

Now that two of my kids are in high school and one on the way to high school, I have tried to block from memory stories that I don’t want the kids to hear until they are older. However, for the sake of reunions and old times, my fondest memories are from sports, like basketball team with Lynn, Danita, Sue, Mary, Debbie, and Stacey. Like golf team with Lynn. Like swim team and volleyball.

Like sr. year drill team (what was I thinking!). Like BYO at the CYO. Like parties at the dunes. Like hanging at the river or on someone’s boat (Bruce?). Like debate team with Lisa and Brad. Like summer Colorado trips with Robin, Brad, and Bruce. Like my first high school “date” with Mike. Like sr. breakfast at War Eagle’s Grave. Like all of my first jobs –at Taco John’s (do they still exist?) McDonald’s, Holiday Inn, and detasseling corn (try to explain that to a southerner).

Like, like, like - now I do sound like my kids. See you all soon!