Elizabeth Anderson Comer
410-243-2626
ecomer@eacarchaeology.com

Ann Barber wrote, “The fall was very exciting! Elizabeth’s boyfriend proposed while they were vacationing in Italy. They’ve decided to have their wedding September 2016 after buying a house in November. And, I had a fabulous trip to South Africa. The first week we stayed at Zulu Nyala Safari Lodge. Seeing the animals in the wild was more exciting than I could have imagined. Then, we flew to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls and then back to South Africa to Cape Town for a week. We had a great driver who took us to see everything we wanted. The sights and people were amazing. It’s a long flight, but well worth it. It was the trip of a life time. The winter here in New Hampshire has been filled with snow and cold. Bring on spring!” Ruthann Melching Arneson, P’12 sent this news, “After nearly 20 years as an education specialist for the local Head Start agency here in Huntington, W.Va., I left in June to take a position at Marshall Univ.  I am now an assistant professor in early childhood education. I am still working on finishing my doctorate in curriculum and instruction, but hope to finish that by the end of the year. My husband has been at Marshall in the College of Education for 28 years. We are enjoying working together. My daughter Emma is finishing her master’s degree in biology at Marshall after graduating from Hood in 2012. Our son Ethan is doing well as a junior in high school.” Dale Hilgartner Cirillo wrote, “In my life, we’ve had some changes… on Oct 21, 2014, my youngest son Matthew and his wife Cara had a little girl, Layla Brynn Cirillo! She is our first granddaughter and quite adorable! In June 2014, my eldest son Jonathan and his family Christi, Nathanael, Joseph and Samuel came back from a Navy Tour in Japan! They are now in Chesapeake and loving all the snow that they are getting at the coast!  My father Colonel Peter Louis Hilgartner died January 8, 2015. He was ready to go be with the Lord in heaven! We had him 87-years on this earth and we were very blessed!!! His memorial service was amazing with 10 relatives, son, grandsons, nephews and son-in-laws being honorary pall bearers. His funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honors, will be at the end of June. We are looking forward to great weather and a lovely service at the Old Post Chapel. Jim and I continue to live outside Warrenton. I am now a teaching assistant in an ID, intellectual disabilities class in Marshall, Va. I love Marshall Middle School and the students and staff! Jim and I live in a 100+ year old house on Grace Episcopal Church Casanova’s property. We have some chickens, a few guinea fowl and we love to work in our vegetable gardens! We have a lovely congregation and live in a beautiful area! I hope all is going well with everyone! Blessings!” I (Elizabeth Anderson Comer) am still conducting archaeological projects and working as a volunteer at the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society just north of Frederick. Margaret received her MPhil from Cambridge Univ. in January and we had a great time observing the ancient traditions that are part of the ceremony. She is a Gates Cambridge scholar, so she will be returning in the fall for her Ph.D.  Jacob is also there getting an MPhil in land economy. He joined the rowing team and has been trying to explain “bumps” to me…. since the Cam is too narrow for boats to race side by side, they bump each other to advance! Anne is finishing her senior year at the Baltimore School for the Arts and trying to decide where to go next year. This past weekend we got to hear her sing as part of the 2015 High School Honors Choir at Carnegie Hall. Very exciting!!! Send some news my way so we can keep up the class of 1977 tradition of never missing a column!