Sharon Barton Hewitt

I spent two years at KU (Rock Chalk Jayhawk) and have been married to Dave Hewitt and living in the Wichita area since 1963.

For 6 years, I worked in the country treasurer's office and then began traveling with my husband in 15 midwestern states as a manufacturer's rep for European motorcycle and accessory companies.

After 25 years, he retired, and I worked 3 more years as an accountant for an electrical engineering firm until I retired as well.

We have hosted 2 foreign exchange students for one school year each which was GREAT fun, and we have been to Italy to visit one of them since.

Our two passions for the last 10 years have been parenting/advocacy for children in foster care and support for the McPherson College's 4 year auto restoration program. We encouraged and assisted them in adding motorcycle restoration to this program and have tied our interest in children in foster care to this program by funding a camp and establishing an endowed scholarship.

We are active in Garden Plain Community Church, and enjoy attending sporting events, concerts, and a variety of cultural events at the local high schools as well as Wichita State and other nearby colleges.

Our main hobby for fun and fitness is riding bicycles whereby we have enjoyed taking MANY, MANY kids on fun adventures including self-contained overnight camping trips. We have a tandem, road bikes, and mountain bikes. I completed a group mountain bike tour from Oklahoma to Nebraska on dirt roads in 6 days. Whew!

The past 4 years we have helped with the Clearwater High School cross country team summer training proram. We participate as sponsor "coaches" on a 4 day trip where they alternate running and biking for approximately 45 miles a day. We aren't runners, but we ride along with them on our bikes offering performance and safety tips as well as encouragement. We also include activities such as swimming, hiking, sightseeing, air mattress jousting, and LOTS of eating.

When I moved to Kansas from Missouri my junior year in high school I said "I can't live here---it is flat, there are no trees, and it is ugly!" BUT, since I have been riding a bicycle, especially on the back roads, I have discovered that Kansas has spectacular sunsets, fabulous starry skies, a plethora of interesting wildlife and wildflowers, beauty in "nothingness", and it ain't flat!!!

When I found out I was moving to Topeka at the end of my sophomore year, I was VERY sad to leave my friends, but the Highland Park Scotties welcomed me, and I have great memories of those two years.

I joined "cake decorating" club to get acquainted--man was I bad at that! I was much better at Drill Team and loved performing at those games. My favorite teacher was Miss Baskett, and I still remember things she taught us such as "people are finished, cakes are done!"

I remember my fear playing "Malaguena" on the piano at the state music festival, and my pleasure accompanying Camilla Fletcher as she sang a beautiful solo.

I remember a sleepover where we crammed about 10 girls into my parents' Morris Minor, I remember the excitement over some of those cool Chevies that the guys had and envying Cheryl Mize's Nash Metropolitan convertible. I remember fun swimming parties at my house, but especially the disastrous one where I bleached my hair blonde with straight peroxide, then swam in the chlorine causing my hair to turn green. My Mom then insisted that I get a perm and it frizzed so badly I had to have it cut to about an inch long, and I was humiliated beyond belief!

I remember spending cherished time the summer after graduation with our good friend and classmate Ann Houdyshell, and the extreme sadness that we all felt at her passing. I also fondly remember all the fun that we had with Katie Alderson and am so sorry that she is no longer with us.

Looking forward to viewing the profiles on the website and the reunion. Thanks to all who are responsible for putting this together--I know it takes an unbelievable amount of time and is a labor of love.