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HHS Early Years Newsletter 1 Summer 2012
Heidelberg High School Newsletter The Early Years, Classes of 1947 to 1965
Summer 2012
Our HHS Newsletter Has Lost a Mainstay
Bob Hines, class of ’54, is gone, felled by a stroke and days later a heart
attack. He was not only our treasurer and an integral part of the HHS Early
Years Board, but an indispensable collaborator, a tireless planner of HHS
reunions, and always a source of much-needed common sense. Bob was active
and slim and seemed utterly fit, and his mother is healthy in her mid-90s, so it
is all the more unexpected to lose him. His absence will be deeply felt. You’ll
see his name on almost every page of this issue. – Jan McLin Clayberg ’59
Luke Williams ’58 sent us Bob’s obituary: Robert “Bob”
Hines, retired architect and championship winning racecar
driver, peacefully passed away after a brief illness on April 14, 2012, in Reston, Virginia. He is survived by his
beloved wife of 46 years, Judy, his mother, Bernice, his children Lisa Blankenship and her husband Larry, Rob
Hines and his wife Amy, and four grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers, Alan and Mark Hines, and
was preceded in death by his father, Jack. In addition, Bob was the Treasurer of the HHS Early Years Alumni
Organization, chief newsletter address labeler and envelope stuffer, and provided the guidance for day to day
activities of the organization. Bob was instrumental in organizing and coordinating several reunions, for both
Heidelberg and Stuttgart, in the DC area, most recently the Class of 1960’s Fiftieth Anniversary in Reston. A
memorial service and reception were held on April 24, 2012 at Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods. In
lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to your favorite charity.
Luke adds, “Bob was one of the main forces behind the alumni group, both Heidelberg and
Stuttgarters. It is a great loss to the Heidelberg/Stuttgarters.”
How Bob Hines Resurrected the Early Years Organization by Dave Murphy ’53
I suspect that few of you know how instrumental Bob Hines ’54 was in resurrecting our organization and
providing for its continued existence.
As many of you know our Heidelberg High School Early Years organization was started many years ago by the
late Joan Dickson ’58 all by herself. From the beginning she did a grand job, keeping the mailing list, collecting stories,
publishing the newsletter, and collecting the funds to do it all. She worked informally and without any help. She faithfully
kept the funds she collected from us in a separate bank account.
When she died our little organization might have died with her but for Bob’s efforts to resurrect it. Joan was the
only one who could sign checks on the “Early Years” account. Her sole heir, her brother, made no claim to these funds,
and the attorney for Joan’s estate was willing to cooperate. The problem was to which person or to what entity should
these funds be given.
In early 2007 Bob called me and asked me to advise him regarding collection of the funds. I readily agreed. I
explained to Bob the various legal actions that might be taken. Bob was of the opinion that he would be able to collect the
funds with only gentle persuasion.
Bob soon made it clear to me that he wanted our organization to survive the death of any one person. Following
some discussion it was decided that our organization should be a Virginia Limited Liability Company (LLC). To maintain
exclusivity we needed a name for our LLC and a consistent internet domain name.
In March of 2007 Bob considered about a dozen domain names and settled on www.HHSearlyyears.com which
was duly reserved for us.
In Virginia an LLC needs only two organizers. That would be Bob and I. He and I had many phone conversations
and an extensive exchange of emails as a result of which a draft of “Articles of Organization” was prepared and eventually
approved by Bob. These Articles provided for: officers, a board of directors and most significantly open membership with
no requirement other than a desire to belong. The board was empowered to assess dues, but not required to do so.
I suggested to Bob that he be president, but he declined, preferring to retain the “power of the purse” as Treasurer.
HHS Early Years Newsletter 2 Summer 2012
He convinced the late Glenda Casey Petrini ’54 that she should be President. I agreed to serve as Secretary. Bob sent the
Articles and certain other documents to the appropriate Virginia office and the “HHS EARLY YEARS LLC” received
registration number S2179861.
When the attorney for Joan’s estate was informed of the registration he was satisfied. It was only a short time
before all Joan’s “Early Years” funds were in Bob’s hands. This was done without any legal action and at no cost to the
organization.
Bob continued to serve as Treasurer until his untimely passing. Bob’s foresight and efforts ensured that our LLC
survived Glenda’s passing and will surely survive his. Bob, I wish I could resurrect you just as you resurrected our
organization, but alas that is not possible. Maybe in the future I will be able to thank you personally. Dave
Bob Hines was also active in his neighborhood association and was its President for the past five years. Its obituary for
him tells of “his excellent negotiating skills”, from which the HHS Early Years LLC also benefited, and adds that “Bob
grew up in Minnesota, and attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence. A retired architect, he worked on the Air and
Space Museum, the CIA expansion, and other DC area buildings. After retiring, he started a home construction and
remodeling business, and worked on many Saffold houses [Bob lived on Saffold Way]. His special interests included
racing sports cars and collecting stamps.” Bob’s wife Judy is at 11151 Saffold Way, Reston, VA 20190, 703-471-4774.
Recent Donations
Dr. Robert Springer ’52, Jim Brown ’55 and Carolyn Thune Knutson ’58 sent us generous donations with thanks and
news. Donations and encouragement to keep the newsletter coming also arrived from Donna Fox LeMon ’61, Carol
McManaway Stenson ’53, Carolyn Sartain ’54, Don Ide ’54, Jim Moyers ’54, Rick Davis ’55, William H. Tomlinson
’56, Pam Brundage Meek ’59, Lois Rentsch ’59, Cindy Beck Fox and Charles Rose, both ’61, and James Feindel ’58,
who notes he was in the same class as Joan Dickson and Luke Williams. Thanks so much to all!
However, there is a glitch: Bob Hines sent us these names (except Jim Brown and Charles Rose, whose
checks were still uncashed when they reached us), but after he died, his wife Judy found several checks, some made out to
Bob, some to HHS, and cashed them before realizing she had not written down who sent what or why; they may not all
have been for us. Anyone (except Jim Brown and Charles Rose) who sent us donations in 2012, please tell us, by e-mail if
possible, what amount you sent and when your check was cashed, so we can straighten things out with Judy Hines.
HHS Graduation on TV in 1952
Cob Bakken ’52 (February 14, 2012): Our 1952 graduation ceremony was held on the grounds of the Schloss and was
filmed by the Armed Forces Network (I think) and was shown on stateside TV. While surfing the web I found the film.
The site is www.criticalpast.com and search 1952 graduation. I passed the info to Jim Baker and others that I keep in
touch with, especially Jim Skelly who was pictured holding his diploma overlooking the city. I enjoy reading the
newsletters, thank you for your efforts. – Cob Bakken
PS from your editor: Everyone Cob names here are also class of ’52, and happily, all are on our mailing list.
Google “Heidelberg High School 1952 graduation castle” to find 11 videos, all silent. The longest shows the graduation
on June 2, 1952 and includes some of the shorter ones. Others dated May 1952 show students with the jaw of the
Heidelberg Man at the Kurpfälzisches Museum and entering an ornate door marked “German American Teenagers Club”
(on Bergheimer Straße? The snack bar was in that area around 1953-55). If you can identify anyone in these videos, let us
know. Asked about a closeup on June 3 of Jim Skelly’s diploma and his heavily bandaged thumb, Cob says, “I think the
story is that he cut it on the water fountain at the school or the dorm. He lives in Houston and comes to Colorado to ski
each winter. This year when we went to lunch with Bob Hess and Bob Springer I gave him the picture overlooking the city which I ordered from the web site. It was fun sharing the film with my wife, daughters and grandsons.”
It’s Official: HHS Is Closing Soon
In May 2012, Kara Mittenzwey (current faculty, as is her husband; he is not only faculty, but a member of HHS class
of 1991) told us that this is definite. The last graduating class at Heidelberg High School will be the class of 2013 – two
years sooner than previously announced. Until all the facilities now in Heidelberg finally close, there might still be a
Heidelberg “unit school” – classes K-12, a bit like a one-room schoolhouse – but HHS will be no more…. Kara is looking
into the early history of our school, and of course we pointed her to the HHS Early Years Newsletters on our website,
which include so many great memories of the earliest years of HHS sent in by our fellow HHSers.
HHS Early Years Newsletter 3 Summer 2012
An Informal HHS Reunion in South Carolina
From Scott Page ’65 (February 7, 2012): Jan, Bob, & Luke, Don’t know if Luke told you all yet, but, Saturday Feb 4th,
he and Sally met me and a BUNCH of HHS People at a GREAT little German Restaurant located in Prosperity, SC for a
fantastic evening, with fellow Heidelbergers and GREAT food. I’ll try and make this as brief as possible, but you do need
to know the entire story.
Michael (Mike) Cannon, Class of ’78 and Ms. Pat Glock Caves (NO, she is not related to the GLOCK Firearms
family - so, no discount), Class of ’75, are two people who put on stateside mini-reunions. They were also the major force
behind the recent (Oct. 2011) Homecoming Reunion back in Heidelberg. They have them a couple times a year, all over
the Southeast. Mike is also the one who found this place in Prosperity, and every couple months we have anywhere from
4-5-6 people to as many as 30-35 for dinner. It is a rousing good time. This past Saturday we had 20 people from 5
decades (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s). We also had 4 decades of Letter Jackets. Luke of course, shows up with his original
’58 jacket, and honestly, must have put it on and taken it off 20 times modeling it. It was the hit of the night.
Now, to the crux of the email. At Luke’s suggestion, I would like to get a vote, and add these two people (Mike &
Pat) to our newsletter. Both of them can be contacted directly and they will contact “whoever” directly with info on the
next dinner or next reunion here in the Southeast. I know we (Early Years) must have people who just might want to
attend. I personally was very happy that Luke attended this past Saturday, mainly because I was no longer the “old guy” in
the room. Just kidding Luke…. Mike and Pat normally give people a couple months’ notice when and where the next
reunion is being held, hotel info, costs, T-shirts, hoodies, golf towels, etc. that are available. They have held them in
Raleigh/Fayetteville, have a big one coming up in May in Jacksonville, Florida. There is an OVERWHELMING number
of Heidelbergers, students as well as teachers, on Facebook. I know Luke says he is “techno challenged” but you can join,
never post anything, and just read. Luke, I know you can read, Bubba. Someone, anyone help me here. Good ideas, or ? ?
HHS mini-reunion at Gasthaus Elli in Prosperity, S.C., February 4, 2012:
Above left, Pat Glock Caves ’75 & Mike Cannon ’78 (Scott says they don’t know they’re not German); right, clockwise from top,
Luke Williams ’58, Jeanne Rolig Surprenant ’66, Mike Cannon ’78, Sally Irwin Williams ’59, and Scott Page ’65.
Following up on Luke’s and Scott’s suggestions: Looking to the future, the HHS Early Years board invited Pat and Mike (an HHS all-years board member) and the others
on the all-years board who were not already part of us – Bert Pearsall ’72, Emilie Doron ’96, Cindy Blackburn Hardy
’83, and Scott Woodward ’76 – to join our group, and all have accepted. Pat and Mike are helping us reach out to more
HHSers: Pat Glock Caves ’75 ([email protected]): All - I would be honored to be included in your group. I love
helping Lions meet up - as does Mike! The more we network, the more we can help old friends and classmates find each
other. Mike Cannon ’78 ([email protected]) offers advice on an HHS Early Years presence on Facebook: You can
go to Facebook and start a page only your group can see. For instance, I have a page for the class of ’78 but I left it open
and we have a few folks from other classes. Once you set up your page, when you log in to Facebook go straight to that
page. I’ll be glad help set it up. Friend me on Facebook. .... Go Lions! Pat adds: Mike is right - the private group pages
are pretty user friendly but we would both be happy to help you set it up. A number of other classes have done this as an
offshoot to the main pages which can be overwhelming. Of course Mike and I have to navigate the main pages ... we just
know too many dang Heidelberg Lions!!! NOT that this is a problem! Ha Ha!!! How blessed we are to have such a
diverse alumni community! I love that I have friends from so many decades! Not many schools can say the same!!! :-)
HHS Early Years Newsletter 4 Summer 2012
The whole group on February 4, 2012
A Second Informal HHS Reunion in South Carolina
Scott Page ’65 (February 26, 2012): Had dinner last night at http://schwabenhouse.com/index.php located in Greenville,
SC, a place that Luke Williams was kind enough to tell us all about. We had a total of 14 people show up, representing 5
decades of HHS Alumni - 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Food was GREAT and the friendship was even better than the
food. The restaurant is owned by a gentleman named Karl (good German name ) from Stuttgart and run by himself, his
sister, his daughter and his niece. If anyone is down in this area, they need to make it a point to stop and have lunch or
dinner. Two minutes after being there, the entire staff made us feel like we were the owners. FANTASTIC people.
THANKS go to Luke (he’s almost smiling here. . . ) for letting us all know about this place. . .we will go back. A
GREAT time was had by all. Anyone wishing to attend one of these dinners, it usually runs in the vicinity of $30 per
person including a couple biers. Contact me for future dinners and locations. Best, Scott [email protected]
February 25, 2012: Mike Cannon ’78 and Luke Williams ’58, and Scott Page ’65 and Jeanne Rolig Surprenant ’66
HHS Early Years Newsletter 5 Summer 2012
February 25, 2012, front to back, on the left, Mary
Chapin ’78, Luke Williams ’58, Sally Irwin Williams ’59, Kathy Rolig ’64; on the right, Scott
Page ’65 looking stupid [his words], Sara Slovacek
Greene ’87, Mark Greene, Mike Surprenant, and
Jeanne Rolig Surprenant ’66. Younguns farther
back are unidentified.
Now, more very sad news: On March 9, 2012, Scott Page died in a fire at
his home in Gaffney, SC. His voice, his
personality, and his enormous enthusiasm for
HHS people have been vividly present in every
issue of this newsletter since he joined us. He
will be sorely missed.
Bob Hines ’54, on hearing the news about Scott, said, “Very sorry to hear that. Scott and I have been trading
political jokes for the past 4 years when we met at the Overseas Brats reunions at Dulles and I usually heard from him
every day. He always looked forward to hearing anything about the class of 1965.”
Two of Scott’s oldest friends, Bob and Lynda Flowers both HHS ’65, remember Scott this way: “Scott Page
was larger than life. A soldier, a husband, a father, and a friend. He cared deeply for his family and his friends. It was not
unusual to get a call from Scott out of the blue just to check on you and see how you were doing. He kept us all up to
speed on all things Heidelberg and was the catalyst for getting ’65 into the early years. Scott never complained about his
physical maladies, he was more concerned with how everyone else was feeling. As a teenager he was full of fun and
mischief and that young exuberance stayed with him to the end. We will miss his smile, his calls and the opportunity to
spend time with him. The HB’s and HB wannabes will miss him terribly.”
Luke Williams ’58 sent
this photo of the
attendees at Scott’s
memorial dinner on
April 14 at Zur Elli’s in
Prosperity, SC: Back, L
to R: Shari Ivey
(Scott’s youngest
daughter), Mary
Chapin ’78, Mike
Cannon ’78, Kathy
Smith-Edwards ’76,
Sara Slovacek Greene
’87, Mark Greene, Lori
(Scott’s oldest
daughter), Mike
Surprenant, and Lori’s
husband. Front, L to R:
Luke Williams ’58,
Sally Irwin Williams
’59, Kathy Crawford,
Scott’s two grand-
children, and Jeanne
Rolig Surprenant ’66.
Changes in the Early Years Board: With Bob Hines and Scott Page both gone, the board voted unanimously to
appoint Joan Wauchope Orvis ’51 as Treasurer, to replace Bob; Bobbi Jacquot Jackson ’63 as Vice President and
Kathy Truex ’62 as Assistant Treasurer, to replace Joan Orvis in those two positions; and Hugh Richeson ’65, to replace
Scott as representative for the class of ’65. We still need a backup for our HHS Early Years Webmaster, Lin Banks.
Volunteers, please! Contact [email protected] or any of us whose addresses are shown at the end on page 10.
HHS Early Years Newsletter 6 Summer 2012
Life at HHS, and Life After HHS
Jim Brown ’55 (April 2012 to Bob Hines): Where does one start after not keeping up with your own history? As a late
arrival from the US in Oct of 1954 I was slipped into the class of 1955 at that point. After a really great year of “catching
up” (beer drinking 101, skiing, the Rote Ochse, glee club and travel to Paris with the French class etc.) with all the kids
that had been there for years, I found out (what a shock!) at graduation that none of the Ivy League colleges wanted me,
nor did any other schools. Five high schools in 4 years had not produced much of an academic record, or more accurately,
had produced a very spotty one and neither did I do well on the SATs, surprise surprise. So, I planned on U of Md in
Munich, drinking beer, chasing girls, not much studying, travelling all over, skiing every week end and maybe going to U
of Md later. My father had other plans however and I found myself high up in the Swiss Alps, at a school only reachable
in winter by cogwheel railway. No beer, no girls, serious studying, no travel and lights out at 10 PM and up at 6 AM. It
was like I had joined the Swiss Army. However, after 7 months of “academic repair” in math, languages (German, Italian,
and French) and some other courses I took the SATs again and raised all the scores by 100 points, applied to colleges
again, and just went back to my folks who had moved again to a new post in Germany.
To compress this a bit, I did get admitted to Harvard class of 1960 while I was actually in Turkey. Majored in
ancient Greek and far eastern history, was commissioned a Second Lt in the Army, and wound up in the Infantry in Berlin
in 1961 when the Wall went up as one of the first officers in charge of “Checkpoint Charlie”. While on duty one freezing
cold night in February of 1962 I caught a page of the Stars and Stripes blowing down Friedrichstrasse and read it under a
streetlight about 0200 hrs in the morning with ice crystals falling on the paper. On the last page was a small 2 inch article
naming the newest casualties in the Vietnam War. I read the name of my best friend and Harvard roommate’s name there
under that lamplight in the middle of the Cold War. I wondered what the chances were of picking up that particular page
of the paper at that point in time as it happened to blow by the checkpoint that cold night, and freezing tears ran down my
cheek as I figured that was Lew’s way of making sure I knew he was dead. He was the 25th US soldier killed, a Chinese
linguist and a Psy war guy. His plane went down and I have never been able to find any details about it.
The rest of my army career was certainly exciting with Vietnam, Korea, Latin America, Europe and other places
as well. After the infantry I went into Military Intelligence, they had air-conditioned trucks in the SIGINT business, so
that looked good to me! One short marriage to a German lady, only lasted while I was in RVN, and then another 20 years
later to a Korean lady I met on the phone while stationed in Seoul and talking to her boss at Lucky Gold Star. So far she
has not thrown me out and we have a really fantastic daughter who is smarter than I am in almost everything and is now in
her Plebe year in West Point.
As for me, I retired as a Colonel with 28 years service, sold boats for a while in MD and then went into govt
contracting in the DC area, and then to the Florida Keys where I had bought a house in 1982 before I got married. I was
then asked to go to work at Southern Command in Miami and finally retired from that in 2011 when the contract went
away. In the meantime my body had been falling apart at a high rate of speed, I now have a pacemaker, total knee
replacement, neck and lower back issues, a blood disease called Polycythemia Vera which can kill you (the opposite of
leukemia) but so far kept under control with chemo and blood draining as required. As the old Russian saying goes, “that
which does not kill you makes you stronger”; so far it’s working!
The time in Heidelberg was one of the best times of my life so far. If we do have a reunion in 2013 there I hope to
make it!
Rick Davis ’55 (February 2012): The Rickster, HHS ’55, is still around though moving at a considerably slower pace.
Since ’55 I spent 7 years in the AF in air defense with stationing in Morocco, Germany, and Ft. Lee, VA, before being
retired due to a knee injury playing football for my squadron. I had been training in Florida on my leaves to be a deep sea
diver but the gimpy leg caused me to look for less physically demanding ways to make a living, first working as a line
mechanic for VW and then to the Corcoran School of Art in DC to study advertising art. From there, to GWU where I
graduated with a BFA. After that, 29½ years in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s visual arts branch,
the last 10 as the department’s art director before retiring in ’97.
I’ve been married for the past 46 years to the same young lady, Ann, and we have 2 sons, Michael who works for
North Face and Andy our surfer dude who is settling down in Newport, RI, where he works for a marina keeping the
owners of huge yachts happy. Every fall he helps sail a 100 ft. sailing yacht to the Caribbean for a lady of means. We live
in Alexandria, VA, where we’ve been for the past 46 years. Ann suffered a stroke about 6 years ago and her only
noticeable problem is that she now suffers from aphasia which causes us to avoid new situations.
Attached is a check which I hope will defray some of your expenses producing and mailing the HHS Newsletter. I
genuinely enjoy hearing of my old classmates’ doings. I have fond memories of the craziness we had over there. If anyone
runs into Laurie Romans ask him about the wet camping trip we went on with Seymore Gilman in the forest a good
distance up in the hills behind his house. The plot includes an angry father (his) chasing after us to retrieve his biers that
HHS Early Years Newsletter 7 Summer 2012
Laurie had stuffed in his knapsack, insufficient gas in the camp stove, a half-cooked steak, and a pistol which sent bullets
whizzing through the woods. I hope you are all well. Rick Davis ’55
A Quick Side Trip Down Memory Lane by Tony Donovan – Class of 1960
It was only by accident that I graduated from HHS. After all, my family didn’t reside in Germany (they were in
Pakistan), and we weren’t even military (we were State Department). My early high school roots went back to CAS (Cairo
American School) and KAS (Karachi American School*), sister institutions to HHS, but a million miles away. But as luck
would have it, after touring Europe on a Lambretta scooter during the summer of 1959, it was decided that my brother Joe
and I should head for Heidelberg where our uncle**, stationed in Heidelberg at the time, had agreed to take us in for the
school year. So it was goodbye to Karachi and hello to Heidelberg.
I don’t imagine anyone really remembers me. After all, I attended HHS only for the senior year and that took
place, hard as it is to believe, more than half a century ago. Still, I retain some memories. I remember the most famous
“couple” at the time. I forget the girl’s name but the guy had a last name of Lamar, as I recall. A good friend was someone
called, I believe, Randy Bayliss, but other than that, it’s all sort of a blur. My cousins, Billy and Ann Donovan, both
several years younger than I was, also attended HHS, although I’m not sure they actually graduated from HHS, but
someone may remember them.
The first (and nearly the last) teachers that I learned to admire were the social studies teacher Miss Kay (never
knew her first name [Dorothy – Ed.]) and of course, the unforgettable English and Latin teacher Miss Virginia Fowlkes,
of whom books could be written.
If anyone does remember me, most likely it’s because I found myself in the impossible situation of becoming
Miss Fowlkes’s “teacher’s pet” overnight. No doubt this was because, as a fluent Spanish speaker, I could pronounce
Latin nearly like Cicero. Needless to say, I was never forgiven for this transgression by my classmates. (Got As in both
Latin and English, by the way). These days, whenever I open an internet account and I’m asked - for identification
purposes - who my favorite teacher was, guess whose name I put down.
And that’s about it. There was a tall algebra teacher with big eyes and blond hair whom I feared because I feared
algebra (and still do). And there was a German teacher for whom we often filled out questionnaires because she needed
data for her PhD degree or something like that. Then it was off to Madison and Berkeley for college, the 60s were upon us
and it was childhood’s end.
Since then, I’ve worked for the states of California and Wisconsin in various positions and spent a year working
for the Immigration Service in Detroit, but most of my working years have been spent here in Saudi Arabia where I’m still
teaching at a local university, wedged between the US Consulate and the HQ of the giant oil company ARAMCO. Why
I’m still here (I first came here in 1974), I can’t answer, but among my 120 or so colleagues, I’m the only one working
full time and drawing Social Security at the same time. Brothers and sister are scattered here and there in the US and we
put Mom in a nursing home a couple of years back, so things are winding down for us now.
I never did return to Heidelberg since I graduated in June of 1960, but I continue to remember it as a special place.
Best regards….Tony Donovan, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
* Karachi American School (KAS) has a web page and reunions similar to what HHS has although KAS has
always been a tiny place compared to HHS.
**Col. William N. Donovan, MD (deceased) wrote a book “P.O.W. in the Pacific” about his capture and
imprisonment during WW2. Still available through the usual internet bookstores.
More Memories and Updates
Margaret Raymond Peck ’47 (February 18, 2012): The newsletter mentioned my new address, but the newsletter itself
was sent to my old address and forwarded to me here. How do I correct that? [It should be fixed as of this issue. – Ed.]
We like our new place very well, altho it was a pain to downsize. Our kids all came down to help! Best regards, Margaret
Carolyn (“Cookie”) Akin Gray ’48 (February 20, 2010): We have moved! Jim and I are HOME in Vermont once more!
Being near our sweethearts is even better than the Florida sunshine!! Wonderful newsletter – so professional – thank you.
PS Peggy Johnson is class of ’48! [OOOPS - we put Peggy in ’47 in the Spring 2012 issue.]
Hi, Bob, Jacquie Robinette Davis, in Heidelberg ’46-47 here. I need to give you my new mailing address [still in San
Antonio]. Love reading the newsletter even tho I don’t know many of the folks....guess there are not too many of us
ancient ones left.....thanks....Jacquie [she’s class of ’48]
HHS Early Years Newsletter 8 Summer 2012
Bob Springer ’52 (February 16, 2012 to Bob Hines): I always seem to enjoy reading the newsletter when it comes so I
appreciate the efforts of you and the others who keep it going. I was particularly interested in the last edition since it
included the lengthy memorial of Keith Walters and more on Will Roosma, both of whom I knew well. I would like to
write a short note to both Alta Walters and Gary Roosma, so I want to know if you have addresses. For my purpose e-
mail addresses would suffice [sent – Ed]. I enclose a check to help with the expenses of continuing the newsletter and
thank you and the others once more.
Al Howard ’53 (February 13, 2012): I saw Patsy McInerney [Whitaker]’s note in the newsletter [she is class of ’50] and
wanted to shoot her a quick note. We lived about 1/2 block away in Esslingen in 1949. She was a Senior at HHS and I was
a freshman at Stuttgart Jr Hi. She had a slumber party with about 6 or 7 girls from Heidelberg and I ended up bringing out
a radio and dancing in the street with all of them. Talk about a big deal for a freshman - man I was living high.
Bill Henning ’53 (February 20, 2012): Thanks for all you do in helping to publish the HHS Newsletter. It is a real service
to the alumni! Stirs up a lot of good memories and news about good times with good friends. After graduation from HHS
in 1953, I spent a year in the Army, two years at West Point, graduated from the Univ. of Miami with a business degree,
and spent almost fifty years with a banking organization in Atlanta. Married a girl from South Carolina, raised two sons
and five grandchildren here. I am fortunate to have good health. We built a log cabin in the North Georgia mountains
where we spend most weekends. I would love to hear from old Heidelberg friends. Keep up the good work! [Bill is at 560
Tanacrest Circle, Atlanta, GA 30328]
Carol McManaway Stenson ’53 (Feb.26, 2012): I love getting the Heidelberg newsletter. It is funny how we re-connect
so easily after 60 years! We moved into a condo in town after 45 years braving Idaho’s snows in the mountains. Then,
this year – no snow. Go figure! Use check any way you see fit. Any way I can help from Idaho? [email protected]
Evelyn James ’54 (May 20, 2012, with a new e-mail address, [email protected]): You all do such a wonderful job on
the newsletter and thank you. Spoke w/Catherine and Glen [Mease ’54] recently and they are holding their own as we all
are. Hope this finds you and yours well and happy. Take care and stay safe.
Jimmy Holland ’54 (March 3, 2012): Jeanette and I would like to pass along our relief that our Grandson, SP4 Jason
Reese returned safely an unharmed, thank God, from Iraq in December, 2011 to his base in Fairbanks, Alaska (Ft.
Wainright) after an 11 month deployment. Some of his comments to us were really revealing as to the disdain the Iraqis
have, not only for Americans, but also for each other! Tribal hatred has been going on for thousands years and no solution
in sight. Tribal distrust will not allow them to work with each other, no matter the reason! Jason is happy and thankful to
be home with his wife Denise and 3 children, Bekah, Noah and Saleh.
Jim Moyers ’54 (February 21, 2012): Yo Bob: First off, enclosed is a check to help cover postage and other expenses
incurred with respect to the loyal HAHS ministry you provide.’Tis greatly appreciated, I assure you.
I wouldn’t object a bit if you sent my copy of the newsletter to my email address. If I were to change emails or
kick the bucket (which is inevitable for us all), you would know post haste if I hadn’t alerted you. If it comes back as
undeliverable and I hadn’t advised you, then you’d be fairly safe in assuming my demise. For my blanket emails, I append
a group moniker as a prefix to the last name, thus facilitating the email correspondence. If you choose to go the email
route for me and others, that might be a way to simplify it for you. Obviously, you gotta do what’s the most practical for
you. Snail mail receipt of the newsletter works for me also. For years I was classified as an Economist in my Federal
Reserve job; our children (half in jest, all in earnest) characterized economists as chintzy types. Cora (also an Economist)
and I took such epithets as compliments! Ergo, my cost saving comments above.
I have a general observation about the newsletter. Everything about it is so well written! While I’m sure you and
others do more than a little redacting, the writing styles are so very different that I gotta attribute a lot of credit to the ones
submitting the articles. Look, I know many attorneys (naming just some professionals) who have difficulty writing
complete sentences. I love to read so it’s a great joy to read the interesting submissions to the HAHS newsletter and not
have to wonder what the %$#@ is being said! Mazel tov to all!! Cheerio, Jim
Joe Orth ’54 (February 28, 2012): FYI, I still communicate with Bud Crego, Don Ide, and occasionally with Glen
Mease [all class of ’54]. We were all roommates at HHS in 1952 and ’53.
Ellie Smith Fox ’55 (February 2012): There are not enough words to describe how much I enjoy and appreciate all your
work to edit and publish our Early Years Newsletter. You, Bob, Rita and Luke are terrific! [Unsolicited plug: Ellie’s card
had a stunning Heidelberg crest (copyright 2010) painted by Deb Hickins, at [email protected] – Ed.]
HHS Early Years Newsletter 9 Summer 2012
Bob Hobson ’55 (February 21, 2012): Just got the newest HHS Newsletter which was forwarded to me from my old
address. I was class of ’55 but was only in Heidelberg from ’53 to ’54 for my Junior year. I knew Mark Smith and Don
Parsons [both’55]. Mark and I ended up at VMI and Don went to Texas A&M. Thanks for making the change for me.
William H. Tomlinson ’56 (March 14, 2012): Hi, Bob, Thanks so much for the work you and the BOD are doing to
keep Joan’s dream alive. I am putting a donation in the mail and requesting a correction to my address. It is 488 Greystone
Lane (e vs a). Also not to be confusing, my HHS name is listed as William (Bill) Capers (1956). Due to long ago
legalese my official name today is William Tomlinson. Again my thanks to you and the envelope stuffing crew.
Carolyn Thune Knutson ’58 (March 2012): Roger and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary this year so we are using it as
an excuse for a cruise from Istanbul to Naples, Italy, our 5th Road Scholar trip. Last fall we traveled to the Galapagos
Islands, Machu Picchu, and the Amazonian rain forest. Our two daughters and their families are in Boise, ID and the San
Francisco Bay area so that entails some travel also. To survive the dark and rainy Oregon winters we go to Hawaii for 6
weeks. Our kids enjoy visiting us there. Closer to home we enjoy seeing friends, tennis, hiking in the beautiful Columbia
Gorge and Cascade mountains, and birding. I enjoy the newsletter and if you are in the area, call or email us.
Pam Brundage Meek ’59 (February 29, 2012): I am so enjoying the HHS Newsletter – keep up the good work. It is
amazing to think that some of us have stayed in contact for more than 50 years. We all have such fond memories of our
HHS days and you all continue to enlighten us! Thank you.
Wulf (Robert) Lindenau ’60 (left) is the Commander-General of the Military Order of Foreign
Wars of the USA. When asked if we could use the photo of him from the website, he answered:
Sure - you may copy the photo if you want, and be prepared for feedback with comments... “jee
gads...who is that??”....if you place the photo, add the web site (www.MOFWUS.org) and a
comment that the Military Order of Foreign Wars is open to all active military, officers who
retired, their children (as Hereditary members) and any one of direct lineage (e.g. grandfather,
great grandfather, etc...) of an officer in one of our foreign conflicts, back to the Revolutionary
War. If interested to join please contact me at [email protected]. I shall send your message to
my sister Suzanne and my brother John [on our HHS mailing list with bad addresses], and ask that
they contact you. Regards, Wulf (formerly known as Robert W. Zedler-Lindenau)
An Annual HHS Reunion, This Year in Florida by Luke Williams ’58
The annual Heidelberg Memorial Weekend Reunion was held in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on May 25-28, 2012. In
attendance were thirty-three graduates and a like number of Spousal Support Group members.
Friday evening was the Blue & Gold Bierfest, dinner and dancing. Saturday featured a beach party (Jax Beach after
all), followed by a Gilligan’s Island Party with cocktails and dinner. The highlight of the evening’s entertainment was the
organizing hosts leading the alumni in the Heidelberg version of the Gilligan’s island theme song, complete with
costumes. The Awards and Raffle drawings followed to honor the various feats and accomplishments of those brave
enough to attend.
Sunday lunch was hosted at the Schnitzel Haus, schnitzel, of course,
and Spatenbrau. The Oom-Pah band provided many favorites, Ich hab’
mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren, Ein Prosit, Hofbrau Haus, Mein Hut,
Edelweiss, and the Huhn Tanz. Needless to say, a good time was had by
all.
About two that afternoon Beryl decided to show up. The Beach Police
spent the rest of the day, and into the evening, running the surfers off. The
dinner out was cancelled in favor of a Pizza Party at the hotel.
Farewells on Monday and a drive home in the rain. Good luck to those
who flew in and wanted to leave.
The plan for next year’s Memorial Weekend Reunion is for the Dallas
area. Letter Jackets on Parade: left to right, Luke Williams, ’58, Veronica
Rockwell, ’78, Mike Cannon, ’78, Joanne Weiss, ’78, Laurie Scott-
Davis, ’79, and Donald Davis, ’79.
HHS Early Years Newsletter 10 Summer 2012
Class of ’62 Looking to its 50th
Hi Bob--this is Nancy Heard Birchmeier from the class of ’62! Just got done reading the latest newsletter which I really
look forward to during the year. I was so glad to get the info about Bill Jones and you mentioned in there that you had
sent him some info about planning a reunion. Howard Burd and I are definitely looking at the possibility of doing this
sometime in the fall for our class. Could you please send me the same info you sent Bill about reunion planning? Also, do
you have a way to send me names, addresses and emails of anyone from our class who receives the newsletter or has been
in touch about a reunion? Anything you can do to help us reach out to as many of our classmates as possible would be
greatly appreciated. And if anyone contacts you in the next several months, please forward their names to me. I think I
will be the one to keep the master list on my computer. I will keep you updated as to what may be happening also so you
can answer any questions that may come your way. [She wrote Bob Hines on February 22, 2012. We sent her reunion
planning pointers and addresses from our master list for the class of ’62. Contact her at [email protected].]
Lost AND Found: Sarah Simmons Everitt ’47 was in our master list also as Sarah P. Everitt ’48, both in Jacksonville,
FL, but the last newsletter came back undelivered. Thanks to Jane Simmons Bond and Bill Bond, both class of ’49, we
now know Sarah is class of ’47, and we have her address. They say that despite a couple of strokes, she is doing fairly
well. Sarah and Jane are both in the dorm picture from LIFE magazine in 1947 that was in our Spring 2010 issue. W. Hue
Rainey ’61 wrote to us (February 13, 2012): Today Barbara Gay called me about you not being able to locate me. I’m
still in the same area. Hope that brings me back in contact and thank you for your concern. I enjoy reading about those
special years of my life. Please let me know if there is anything I can provide.
Lost (last known location): Mildred Burks Hartman, faculty, Vero Beach, Florida; Albert W. Payne, Jr. ’61,
Springfield, VA 22150; Paul Lashmet ’65, Kansas City, KS; and Karen Lee-Pennoyer Curnow ’65, Las Vegas, NV.
Another Death in the Family: Helen Jordon Heffernan ’51, October 8, 2011; her sister Marylou let us know.
Heidelberg American High School All-Years Association 2012 Elections
Congratulations and thanks to those elected as officers and board members of our All-Years Association: President
Bert Pearsall ’72, VP Heidi Goldman ’87, Secretary Brigitt Steakley Smith ’79, and Treasurer Bob Flores ’71, and for
the Board of Directors Keith Folsom ’76, Shel Snodgrass Polzin ’87, Mike Goldman ’70, Luke Williams ’58, Heather
Michels Leiendecker ’90, and Mike Cannon ’78. The all-years website is at www.heidelberghighschool.com.
Corrections to Our Spring 2012 issue
As Cookie Akin Gray ’48 reminds us, Peggy Johnson Thurman is class of ’48, not ’47.
In some copies, Alta Walters, who wrote the beautiful memoir of her father Keith Walters, was “Waters”.
And we asked for submissions for the “Fall 2912” issue; we should all live so long!
Thanks to Spring 2012 envelope stuffers: Bob Hines ’54, Bob Muschamp ’54, Steve Johnson ’55, and
Kathy Truex ’62.
This newsletter was founded in 1983 by Joan Dickson ’58, who edited it devotedly until she died in
in 2006. Glenda Casey Petrini ’54 succeeded her as editor until her own death in 2007. Past issues
of this newsletter since 2003 are posted at www.HHSearlyyears.com.
Please send items to the editor by January 15, 2013 (sooner is better) for inclusion in the Spring 2013 issue.
We may publish another issue in 2012 as well, because many more wonderful memories and stories are already on
hand, along with new addresses, for which we don’t have space this time.
Rita Wycoff Zener Joan Wauchope Orvis Jan McLin Clayberg Luke Williams
President Treasurer Editor Archivist
3001 Veazey Terrace NW 14479 St. German Drive 5316 Little Falls Road #425 103 Linwood Court
Washington, DC 20008 Centreville, VA 20121 Arlington, VA 22207 Simpsonville, SC 29681
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
