Joni Brown (Schmitt)

Thomas, thank you so much for getting in touch with our class to have the opportunity to share our memories of your sweet wife Lisa.  

I had classes with Lisa and remember her to be very sweet, soft-spoken and a very kind classmate.  I don't have lots of specific memories, but one that has stayed with me.  At the time, the YMCA had an organization for girls called Tri-Hi-Y.  I really can't remember the primary purpose of this organization, but I do recall doing some service projects, monthly meetings, and a Youth in Government emphasis where we went to the state capitol in Austin for a few days and did 'mock' activities in the Legislative, Senate, and Judicial branches of government to familiarize ourselves with the details of those duties.  

I remember specifically one of our monthly meetings at Lisa's home.  That year, I was the chaplain of the Tri-Hi-Y group which meant that I was responsible for giving a short devotional & prayer at the end of the meeting.  Strangley enough, I remember the story I used that night at Lisa's house and some thought it was touching, some laughed uncomfortably.  It was a hard thing for me to do in front of my peers since I was not as strong a Christian as I knew I should be and not all the girls were comfortable with public prayer or even thinking of anything deep or thought provoking.  Anyway, when I had finished, Lisa was one who came to encourage me and tell me I did a good job.  It is such a short memory, but obviously meant a lot to me to be able to remember it all these years later.

To me, it shows what a compassionate heart she had and what an encourager she was to fellow believers.  Any time her name is mentioned, I always think of what a sweet and gentle person she was.  I am sorry she was not a part of your family's lives for longer than she was, but I know, as believers in Christ, we will see our loved ones again and it will be for eternity.  

Susan Hunt (Evans)

Lisa was very dear to me.  She and I were college roommates at Texas Tech our freshman year in Stangel dorm.  She was always fun loving and laughed a lot.  We had a great first year at Tech, going to football games, running around with friends and taking silly pictures of each other.   I remember taking a picture of her with her shower cap on and face wet with water, so her retaliation was to take a picture of me in my underwear. LOL! (I still have those pictures!)

Lisa was a strong Christian early in her life and was a great spiritual inspiration to me.  We had many late night talks about Jesus in our dorm room.  She also told me that she might not live a long life, because of her blood disease.  She was, nonethless, very upbeat and positive, and was determined to live her life to its fullest no matter how long it was.

The last time I saw her was at a wedding shower in 1981.  Her firstborn was just a baby, and she brought him in his little carrier to the shower.  I still have those pictures from that event, and every now and then, when I run across them, I see her and think of her sweet spirit and how sad it is that she didn't get to see him grow into manhood.  What a great person! 

Carol Ditto (Rudd)

Lisa and I went to Grace Church together. The thing I rememebr most about her was she NEVER talked bad about anyone. All girls have high school drama--who you like, who doesn't like you, who is talking about you, blah, blah. blah, but Lisa was never part of that. Also a sweetie; never part of the "ugly group" of girls.

Kelly King

I was in Thespians with Lisa, and also during our junior year I asked her if she would be my 'running mate' in my bid to become President of the Writer's Club.  We attended Grace Church together during this time as well. I have a few fond memories of her that might be enjoyable to you and your children. 

First, let me be honest.  Although I am sure it was a laughing matter for many of my classmates, I had a crush on Lisa.  I knew she was way out of my league, but she had such a joyous personality and was such a lovely person altogether.  As was mentioned in one of the previous comments, she never had an unkind word for anyone that I ever heard.  You just could not help but love her kind heart.  And of course, she was just beautiful! I never had the temerity to tell her how I felt about her, but I think she probably knew, and endured that foolishness with such good grace.

First, a fond memory.  In Thespians we had frequent opportunities to compete in poetry and prose readings as well as short '1 act plays', which were most often just a readers digest version of a short play.  Lisa and I worked together on one that if I recall correctly was named 'Butterflies are Free'.  The synopsis was basically a couple in love (or married, time dims some details) and he was in Viet Namn fighting in the rice paddies and writing letters back and forth was their mode of communication and the approach of the skit was the reading of the letters. In the final scene, she is reading a letter facing the audience while seated in a chair, and behind her, I am conducting a 'death scene' where I get shot, fall to the floor, and die.  Simple, really.  But stage fright, panic, brain lock, whatever - she suddenly stopped reciting the 'letter' (which was in the real world nothing more than blank pages, so, for HER, no help there).  SHE has forgotten her next line!!!  This is DRAMA!  It happened to me one crucial time when we were doing 'Wizard of Oz', wherein I was the Wizard and it was a 3 day run for our Children's Theatre production.  Just froze up.  One of the other actors on stage verbalized the line in a quiet voice that only we on stage could hear and I carried on from there, so I know the feeling. 

Only one problem.  We're sitting in a standard high school sized classroom, performing this skit to an audience of our competitors, the closest of which were maybe 6 feet from us.  And I am laying face down on the carpet, behind her while she is sitting in the chair.  I had just succumbed to the ravages of war.  I am DEAD, FACE DOWN, EYES CLOSED.  And she is frozen.

The silence went on as I waited for her to pick up the line from her now panicked memory.  But alas.  No line.

So I raised up my head, fed her her line...and promptly went back to being dead!

Although it was a drama, we certainly got the largest crowd reaction, as EVERYBODY, judge included, busted out laughing!  Of course, we didn't 'win', as far as the competitive side went.  But we won the crowd.  What more could you ask for!!! LOL!

Finally, in the Creative Writer's Club direction.  We won the election.  I had some ideas that would hopefully help the others in the club strengthen their writing, and Lisa and her parents once allowed us to conduct one of these experimental 'sessions' at her house.  The idea was to have someone perform musically, someone read a poem, have someone read some prose, Lisa even suggested having a classmate (I believe his last name was Dvorken) play the guitair outside at a bonfire they let us assemble on the property out back of the mansion.  Lisa played a classical piece on the baby grand they had in their sitting room.  I think I read something, utilizing those things we learned in drama.  Then we had a 'creative time' where everyone just wrote whatever was moving within their muse.  Some asked if it was necessary to have everything rhymed and tight, and I explained that,'No. The purpose is to get yourself used to hearing the muse and committing something to paper that you can come back to later. Sometimes these things come all at once.  Sometimes it might take several settings, but the important thing is to start.' 

This whole experience seemed to have a positive effect on numerous of the group, some of whom continued writing.  None became Larry McMurtry famous, but the writing continued for several of them, some of whom would later tell one or the other of us about that day on 'Bluebonnet Hill' and what it meant for them.  We also published an annual literary arts magazine called Pen Prints.  That year (1973) in which Lisa and I presided over this group of creative souls was the first year that the publication completely sold out!  I attribute much of that success to Lisa's organizational skills, and that wondrous love that her friends held for her as she held for them.  If Lisa was involved with it, whatever it was, it was bound to be a success!

To you sir, I humbly offer that you must be such a very special person in and of yourself to have captured the heart of this shining star that left us all too soon.  To your children, your mother was a wonderful person, and her time with you was unbelievably short.  But I pray that her wonderful spirit of love for everyone she met has been handed down to you.  She will be waiting to greet you on that day!  Maranatha, as we all used to say at Grace Church...which means...Our Lord Comes!!!!

Joni Brown (Schmitt)

Tom Seltzer-We received the following note from one who knew Lisa in college.  In hopes that he may be able to help you and your sons with some more memories, I am including his note:

Best Wishes to you all.

JONI SCHMITT