1957 Notes for 2015
The first to respond was Margaret “Peggy” Shawn Scanlan, SND. Graduated from Trinity in 1959, but she started with 1957, part of our class. As a day student, she felt at home in the smoker: Brown bag lunches and bridge playing. In 1955 Peggy entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and is celebrated her 60th Jubilee this past year and is hoping to attend our 60th Reunion in one year. “As I’ve read and heard about my 1957 classmates during these years, I celebrate with gratitude their lives of faithfulness and love.”
Betsy Ross Berg Jachman, shares family news. John and Betsy took a two week trip to Hemer, Germany in October, 2014, to help Myra (John’s sister) celebrate her 75th birthday. Her granddaughter Alex, took Myra, Paul, John and Betsy on a four-day Hamburg tour! Betsy is looking forward to our 60th Class Reunion. Betsy’s granddaughter, Molly, worked for “Teach for America” in Prince Georges County, MD, while completing her MA from Johns Hopkins University and my granddaughter Violet started her “Teach for America” program in New Orleans this past July.
Eleanor “Beebe” Sopkovich last trip included a Holland America cruise from Harwich, England, to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar, plus an additional week in the Cotswolds with the in-laws, and the chance to visit the magnificent cathedrals at Wells and Worcester and the charming Cotswold villages.
Marie Theresa Castro Sullivan writes she has not been coming to the reunions (except the 50th).Widowed twice by the time she was 36, she moved to Savannah, GA 20 years ago when her daughter married there. Thirteen years ago Marie re-married and all has been well ever since. “I taught math in a private school in New York and later became the business manager before coming down to Savannah and I believe,” she writes, “I could NOT have been able to do so if she had not gone to Trinity. I gained lots of strength from my religion”. She is looking forward to our next reunion.
Mary Donahue Merrell wrote a short note stating that except that for old age aches and pains,she and Ed are in good health and not much new in New Hampshire.
I had an unexpected luncheon with Maryan Kiernan Herr. She was in the DC area visiting a high school classmate, Joan Benzinger from Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit New Jersey– 66 years ago! Maryan also had tea with Sr. Mary Florence Hayes, SND. She shared that she is still President of ZIWA (Zurich International Women’s Association). Max and Maryan have four children with families living in Germany, and the United States; and one family was on their way to Beirut, Lebanon. She and Max are living in a lovely garden apartment overlooking the lake of Zurich in Ruschlikon and would love to hear from any ‘57ers coming her way.
Mary Lou Kenney Duncan wrote that her sister Ellen died last November after a short illness and that Polly Collins Mazzio died last January. Our condolences. She escaped to Florida for three months from the terrible winter in New England. Also glad to hear that Mary Lou sees Sheila Dwyer Wilson on the Cape and that Sheila is well.
Another New England note came from Mary Lynn Graf Furth. She and her family travel from Lake Forest Ill. to Litchfield, Maine for 3 months in the summer. How nice, with family around.
Nancy McFadden Rubery and her three sisters rented a house at Fernandina Beach on the Atlantic in northern Florida this past March. It was a successful Sister Trip and all our spouses happily joined us for two weeks. We took turns preparing meals and reading books on the deck overlooking the beach and kept busy doing nothing. Last May, Nancy and Paul made their yearly trip to western Ireland. Good news, Pat Souhan Karpinski still plays a mean game of bridge and reads tons of books. An alternative to a lengthy trip to The Holy Land is a book by James Martin S.J Jesus: A Pilgrimage. was suggested.
Kathleen Meehan Smith and John still live in Bluffton, SC. Herbie had a great-grandchild born in March 2013. After a few family trips to Chicago, New Jersey, Maryland, and Austin Texas, Herbie and John’s travels have been curtailed because of health issues.
Bernadette Wortman Bailey wrote that she spent five days with Road Scholar (since the Elderhostel name is retired) on the San Antonio Riverwalk but the weather was cool and the beginning of a very rainy Texas month. She loved the days of lectures about Texas as she had wondered why she never visited Mary Grace Heck when Esther Hanley Tobin and Jolyne Rocereto Dalzell did. She was planning a ten-day Christmas cruise of the Caribbean for my 80th with sisters and brothers as we Wortman siblings have turned 65, 70, 75, and 80 during 2015. Happy 80th to most of us!
Mary Gill Bowman wrote she is well but definitely slowing down. She had a beautiful 80th birthday with 74 present (children, grandkids, great grandkids, siblings and their families). It was a great reunion for all of us. Harold is now on hospice care but doing better than expected. Same house, two dogs and her 19 year old grandson. I heard from Tere Losa Saenz and saw photos of her with her children. She hasn’t changed or aged a bit–just as beautiful as ever. She also talked a few times to Joann Yeip Hanley. She is in assisted living in Durham/Charlotte, NC area and is alert, busy and seems to be doing quite well. Stay well, enjoy your planned trips.
Wilda Marraffino Vanek wote greetings from one post-surgical to another. Mine, in mid-May, was on the heart– what my engineer brother jokingly called a “valve job.” Two months later, I am doing fairly well, though not well enough to follow through on travel plans we had for this summer. Furthermore, three of our five children and their families live here in the area, and were all wonderfully helpful during my hospital stay and on my return home. We feel so thankful for this blessing and for being able to follow the lives of our eight grandchildren. We are indeed very richly blessed! My husband Jaroslav turned 85 last April. I am glad to be able to be there for him. I hope I can hang on and be there in 2017. P.S. Have you been following Trinity in the news media, and very specially, the interview circulated by email, between Presidents Pat Maguire and Sister Margaret? I am very proud of our once good little college, and its now larger mission!”
Marilyn Dinkel Fry writes that her children and grandchildren will be coming to Virginia to celebrate Marilyn’s 80thbirthday in July, The kids have arranged a “whoop-de-do” in her honor with all eight grandchildren in attendance. Marilyn is doing okay- walking “funny” due to arthritis.
Eleanor O’Neil English is still living in Paradise Valley, AZ and is in pretty good health. Her children are scattered with her youngest, Susan, living with her and her son near-by and the other daughter living in St. Louis, Dallas and McKinney, TX. She is still involved with RCIA at her church. “It is very interesting hearing these new comers tell how God has called them.”
Zoe Marhoefer Keithley wrote that her novel, “The Calling of Mother Adelli” was a finalist in the recent Indie Contest, and is still selling on line at Amazon and Create Space. Reviews on Amazon have been outstanding! (“Take a look!”) The story is of the boarding school Zoie, her mother and sister attended. Her next novel, “The Gathering Back”, set in the 1100’s A.D. in England and the Second Crusade, has two beautiful love stories, and hopefully will be on Amazon and Kindle for Christmas! If anyone knows of a literary or movie agent, or has entre to a publishing house, she could use the help! Her children and grandchildren are dancing the dance of life we all know so well; and surround her with love, laughter, care and pride! Love to all ‘57ers! You’re the best!!!”
Tom Kelly soldiers on to share a poem of Ginny Kelly entitled MEDITATIONS.
WHEN I GROW COLD, ALONE, AND WALK INTO THE YEARS OF OLD,
…I WILL FIND A PLACE TO LEAN MY FACE INTO THE SUN; WHENEVER I
GROW COLD, I’LL PULL THE YEARS GONE BY AROUND ME AND FEEL
THEIR WARMTH BENEATH THE SUN; THE PEACE I’LL HOLD WILL BE FOR
ALL ETERNITY, KNOWING THAT EVERYTHING I CAME TO DO IS FINALLY DONE.
A second poem is An EARLY MORNING RAIN, the opening and closing stanzas.
A LIGHT AND LOVELY RAIN FILLS MY BRAIN
AND WASHES DOWN THE YEARS OF PEOPLE I HAVE
KNOWN AND LOVED, WHO LIVE WITHIN MY HEART…
OH, GENTLE MORNING, RAIN DOWN INTO MY THOUGHTS…
THAT TURN ME BACK TO SLEEP AND LET ME WEAVE
TOGETHER THE FABRIC OF MY DREAMS,
WHERE THEY ALL BEGAN AND WHAT THEY HAVE BECOME
IN THE MIST OF MORNING RAIN, IN THE SOFTNESS OF THE DAWN.
Tom felt these two poems are a tribute to Ginny’s classmates who have passed away, especially those who have suffered or are now suffering from Alzheimer’s. Ginny has just been placed in Hospice which has boosted her care. We just celebrated her 80th birthday with the West Coast contingent. Last July, her friend Bob Redford paid her a visit. It was a great kindness.
As my writing year draws to a close, the Washington contingent was invited for lunch at the home of Gloria Hewitt Wills in McLean, VA. Mary Lou Hurney Oswald, Agnes Renehan Collins, Sr. Mary Florence Hayes, and Melissa. Gloria told us about her five children including Olivia Kane, whom I knew when she worked for Admissions at Trinity, daughter-in-law of Annette Pieslak Kane ‛54. Gloria planned to go to Longboat Key, FL last January. Agnes told us she was able to have a wonderful visit with Mary Jane Gallagher Sweet in Rhode Island before Mary Jane passed away. Agnes stays busy with eighteen grandchildren and the Alzheimer’s Association as a teacher and support group leader. Sr. Mary Hayes stated that after 47 years teaching at Trinity she retired to become a full-time archivist for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, which she is enjoying. Mary Lou and Rudy took their youngest granddaughter on her own teenage trip to Iceland while she and Rudy are still able to walk. They have 11 grandchildren and have taken all of them on a grand trip since 1999, otherwise they keep busy with bridge and meals on wheels and were looking forward to our 60th. As for me, my knee replacement surgery has turned out very well. The rehab, which was long and painful, made the difference. Two themes have come in several letters. One is that many of us have approached 80 this year and secondly our faith is strong. Our love and thankfulness for Trinity came out in several letters. Thank you all who sent letters or emails to me.
Both Agnes Collins and Mary Lou Oswald have offered to help with our 60th Reunion May 2017. Since our 60thReunion will be coming up in 2017, think about a trip to Washington in late May 2017. Several of you sent class contributions to me and I will pass them on. Others said they sent the check directly to Trinity, which is great. These contributions will help at reunion time. Checks should be made payable to:
AATC Class of 1957 and mailed directly to:
Alumnae Association at Trinity Washington
University 125 Michigan Ave NE
Washington DC 20017-2017.
Fondly,
Melissa Twigg Hyland
email: melissathyland@gmail.com