Barbara Maly Fish
Barb2fish@yahoo.com

Fifty members of the Class of 1964 converged on Frederick for our 50^th reunion and a good time was had by all. We talked, laughed, reminisced, and even shed a few tears as we traveled back to those happy times more than 50 years ago. On behalf of all the attendees, I send thanks to Kate Jenks Powell, Betsey Covel, Marylou Herrmann Foley, and Barbi Haun Morris for their organizational skills. Thanks too to Harriet LeSourd Wise, who hosted all of us in her beautiful garden just a few blocks away from the campus. Kate not only contributed her own talents, but she also volunteered those of her children. Rev. Becky Powell Hoover led the worship service that ended the weekend while Bill Powell played the organ. Becky gave a very moving sermon; if you would like a copy please let me know and I will send one to you. At that Chapel service, Barbi and Joan Emann Whitten read the names of all of our classmates who have died since graduation, 27 names in all. The most recent was Penny Fettner Kopscik, who died in February after a long struggle with ovarian cancer.  Melanie Lathrop Hoffman bravely attended several reunion events, then passed away several days later on June 12, of pancreatic cancer. At the reunion, we also learned that Karen Kuechenmeister Lehrhaupt’s husband, Michael, had died in March. I know that all of you join me in sending the sympathy of the class to these families.

We also learned that Barbi Haun Morris would soon begin chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. In a recent email, Carolyn Felin Fidler, a breast cancer survivor, posed an interesting question to me: How many women in our class have been treated for breast cancer? Statistics show that 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer over their lifetimes. Is that number valid for our class? I can’t do a totally scientific survey, but send me a message if that diagnosis has been part of your life story. Send me the year, too, if you don’t mind, and I will share what I learn with everyone in the class.

Carolyn also said that she had to miss the reunion because of hip replacement surgery. She and husband Nevin celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary recently with a transatlantic trip on the Queen Mary and visits to Scotland and England. She and twin sister Kathy both have the travel bug. Between them, they have visited all 7 continents and at least 40 countries. Kathy also is a Master Gardener and an Art Smart volunteer in the local schools in Allentown, PA, where she lives.

Another intrepid traveler in our class is Sue Lyeth Sternfeld, who, a week after the reunion, left with her daughter Karen for a 6-week voyage on the sailboat Lord Nelson from Recife, Brazil to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ship is especially outfitted to accommodate people with physical limitations, such as Sue’s daughter Karen, who uses a wheelchair. Photos on the ship’s website show people in wheelchairs up in the rigging, something which Karen hopes to do.

Family obligations kept Sue Hapgood Satterfield at home in Nelson County, VA instead of at our reunion. She and husband Bob continue to love life on their little farm, in spite of being the sole staff and caretakers for horses, dogs, cats, gardens, and pastures of grass and hay. They lead and organize the hunting year
and weekly rides for Rita Mae Brown’s fox hunt club, while spending as much time as they can with their children, grandchildren, friends and family in KY, NC, GA, and Richmond VA. They welcome houseguests to explore with them the Brew Ridge Trail, which includes dozens of wineries, distilleries, and craft breweries. When she wrote, Sue and Bob were about to embark on a 2-week trip to Spain and France with 14 people (including 7 actors) ranging in age from 2 to 82. The group will explore the food, wine, and art of the Basque and Burgundy regions.

Like Sue, Mary Moore Shoemaker examined the reunion photos sent by the college and asked herself, “Who are all these old ladies?” Mary assures us that she looks exactly the same as she did 50 years ago! She and husband Doug continue to enjoy good health and lots of activities to keep themselves busy. Doug works part-time at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, while Mary volunteers with Riverfest, an annual celebration to educate people on environmental issues, and the Center for Coldwaters Restoration, a group that focuses on economic development around the water resources in Waynesboro, VA. All of the Shoemakers’ children and grandchildren live within an hour from their home.

Ruth Kaiser Port and husband Bob recently celebrated their 48^th anniversary. In June, their son Eric, his wife, and two Norwegian friends visited for a week from Norway, where Eric has lived since his marriage in 2008. Their daughter Lorinda and her family visited at the same time. Ruth, completely retired since 2006, participates in several community Bible study groups, as well as riding as often as possible her Kentucky Saddle Horse, Crockett. Keeping up with their grandchildren’s activities also is a priority for the Ports. Lorinda’s oldest in in college, the next is in high school, and the youngest is in middle school. Ruth says that her “spare” time is spent on her hobbies: biking, reading, gardening, traveling, painting, and camping.