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Edited & Published By
Marlene Rieb Oehlrich
Created By
George Kane
Over the Hill,
Always Draggin Tale
March, 2013 Fourth Issue
Letter from the Editor
Sorry this issue took so long to publish. Our
daughter gave one of her kidneys to our
oldest son – certainly a wonderful gift that
will bond them closely forever.
Steven and Missy Oehlrich
She is getting married at the end of the
month in Brazil and the planning has been a
great deal of fun, but certainly overwhelming.
I really enjoy compiling the newsletter for
everyone to read and I also didn’t want to
disappoint any of you!!
Missy and soon to be husband Joao
Al
Table of Contents:
The Walking Club: Pgs. 2 – 4
Mike Lug Page 5
American Bandstand Pgs 5 - 6
George Kane Pgs. 6 - 8
Gail Koch Katencamp Pgs 8 - 10
Carol Beyer Byrne Pgs 10 - 11
Ted and Ruth Rolfe Pgs 11 – 13
Linda Partrick Page 14
Reunions Pgs 14 - 15
Kate Latvis McCavitt Page 15 - 16
Photos pgs 16 - 17
Alaska Update Page 17
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I thank you for all your wonderful words of
appreciation and input. It’s been so nice to
reminisce and get my readers caught up with
what people have been doing.
Enjoy – Your editor, Marlene
Opening of Storm King
Mountain for Walkers
By George Kane
Sally Duffy, Jane Harkinson, Jeanne Marquis Lug, Larry
Barbieri, Steve Della Vedova
August 5, 2012 was the first day Rt. 218 was
closed to traffic from 10 am until 3 pm. Six
of my high school classmates and I ventured
up the scenic mountain roadway along with
tens of other walkers and bicyclers. The
starting time was delayed a bit due to
coordinating difficulties but it was definitely
worth the wait. The walking experience is so
much different than driving across this
winding, narrow, old highway. There was just
so much more to absorb and photograph as we
looked up the steep rocks and down to the
railroad tracks. Along the roadway we
investigated the remains of the Civilian
Conservation Corps (CCC) camp buildings. I
couldn’t help but wonder if my uncles had
slept here while working on mountain projects
in 1939.
It was a sweaty, tiring experience and we
carried plenty of water to keep hydrated.
The only negative part of our adventure was
the disgusting sight of debris and trash left
along the highway or thrown over the steep
embankments. This included furniture,
bathroom commodes, tires, glass bottles,
Styrofoam containers, plastic bags and plastic
bottles. One of the organizers of this day's
event mentioned that paper bags would be
available in the future for anyone that wanted
to collect refuse. Being environmentalists
ourselves we applauded this effort.
We all agreed that most people don't realize
what a treasure we have here in the Hudson
Valley. Kudos to those organizers who worked
hard for several years to have this famous
roadway open to pedestrian and bicycle
traffic from now until Nov.
Jane Harkinson, Sally Duffy, Jeanne Marquis Lug, Steve DellaVedova, and Larry Barbieri
The Walking Club
By Sally Duffy Bryant
It started out in March as The Walking Club
but as we have walked and talked for the last
eight months, it has clearly become so much
more. We have become very comfortable
with each other and marvel that although we
weren't necessarily friends in high school we
have come to enjoy each other's company and
interests.
We look forward to our walks together. Many
of our walks end at the Hudson Cafe where
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we share a cup of coffee and more
conversation. In addition, we are beginning to
share each other’s events together - recently
a lecture on the CCC camps and also a wine
and cheese party. Both were sponsored by
the Historical Society.
Our core group of walkers has been 10 strong.
George Kane and I started out on the first
walk alone but were soon joined by Peggy
Wojehowski, Stephen Della Vedova. and
sometimes his wife Joyce. Larry Barberi was
the next to join the group. Over time Jeannie
Marquis Lug and Mike Lug, Jane Harkinson
and Gale Koch became regulars. From time to
time we have drop-ins who join us. These have
included Stuart Mitsch, Barbara Navarra,
Sarah Johnston and her husband Wes, Cheryl
Caudy Gould and Bill Gould, Warren Mumford,
Nancy James, and most recently Anne Stahle.
We especially had fun when Nancy James
joined us. Using her Geo-System, we searched
for hidden treasures on one of our walks at
the reservoir. (Nancy and Larry found 2 out
of 3).
Lest I forget, one of our most important
group members is Charlie - Larry's beautiful
black lab. He has added a whole new dimension
to our walks. He is a people magnet. We
meet others with dogs, others without dogs
who respond to this friendly lab and children
who want to pet him. We love him! He usually
carries 2 to 4 sticks in his mouth which he
gathers just prior to joyously joining us on
our walks.
It is amazing how knowledgeable so many of
these walkers are. So many different areas
of interest are discussed and shared as we
walk each week. We have George Kane - our
master of record and poster memorabilia
along with veteran affairs. Stephen Della
Vedova knows a lot about trees and
everything out of doors - especially
mushrooms. George and Stephen introduced
me to Rose of Sharon which, frankly, coming
from Florida I had never heard of. I now plan
to plant it as a hedge in my mother's yard.
Not to leave out Jane Harkinson who know a
lot about everything - from all that affects
the Historical Society to all that is eco
friendly or unfriendly in our environment.
Jane is also adept at photography. She has
some fantastic photos she has taken on our
walks. Peggy Wojehowski appears quiet but
isn't. She has strong political beliefs that she
shares with Jane. (Oh guess who she supports
for president?) She loves to cook and goes
with her husband when he pans for gold.
Peggy comes from a large family. As we
walked it became apparent that there is still
a Wojehowski in every neighborhood. Gale
Koch keeps us informed on all that is
happening in the educational arena, how to get
rid of carpenter ants, and throwing Mary Kay
(yes she is still around) parties to ensure we
keep our skin looking young. (We try anyway.)
Larry is our guru of all that is creative. He
retired this summer and has become quite an
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accomplished photographer. He had an
exhibit hanging in Painter's Tavern with some
truly remarkable photos in it. (He even
worked with Anne Stahle to create her
Christmas card this year.) Jeannie Marquis is
an avid tea drinker who likes to do puzzles.
Mike Lug knows every cop in town.
Together they are art buffs. Lastly there is
me - I take pride in founding the Walking
Club although I have to give George credit
for keeping us on track. I am an expert on
telling everyone how we do things better in
Florida - don't you just love people like that?
Marlene will soon be able to take my place.
Our walks started out walking the
neighborhoods of Cornwall, Cornwall-on-
Hudson and Firthcliff. As we became more
adventurous we started walking at the
reservoir on Sundays. Then they opened Old
Storm King on Sundays for Hikers and Bikers.
We have really enjoyed walking 218. By
veering off the road into the surrounding
brush, we have discovered abandoned CCC
shelters, an old cemetery and the remains of
a stone building. We have tried to walk down
to the Hudson but have been stopped by the
debris that has piled up on the path to get
there. We have walked to Lee Gate several
times (about 6 miles round trip) but haven’t
made it to Washington Gate yet. We have
walked for about 8 months now. Some have
lost weight (though unfortunately not all),
some have lowered their blood pressure and
some have built up their stamina. These are
some of the physical changes that have taken
place. More importantly, however, are the
changes that have taken place in relating to
each other. It has been a truly rewarding
experience getting to know so many
classmates that I never had the opportunity
to know while I was in high school.
Through the winter, we will have to see how
things change, but hopefully, it doesn't end
our walks. At our age it is "Walk Don't Run",
but whatever you do don't stop moving!
If you are in town, please join us on our walks.
We walk 4 times a week on M,W,F, and
Sundays at 9 o'clock. We meet in lower
Cornwall Municipal Parking Lot on M and F. -
Town Hall on W. and Sun. Please join us as we
walk down both Memory Lane and into our
futures.
As an editor’s note the above photo shows the
walking club did continue this past winter.
George, Peggy Wojehowski, Warren Mumford,
Gail Koch, Sally Duffy, Steve Della Vedova
and shown kneeling with the club’s mascot
Charlie is his owner Larry Barbieri.
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We all mourn the untimely passing of Mike
Lug and send our sympathy to Jeanne Marquis
Lug. The following is his obituary:
Michael George Lug of Cornwall passed
away at home on Saturday, January 12,
2013 surrounded by his family and
friends. He was 64 years old.
Michael was born on May 4, 1948 in
Cornwall, NY. He was the son of the late
George Franklyn Lug and Barbara Ann
Mueller. Mike graduated from St. Thom-
as School in Cornwall in 1962, Cornwall
Central High School in 1966 and Marist
College in 1970, after which he taught
math and science at Sacred Heart
School in Newburgh. He spent the rest
of his career at Cornwall Central Middle
School teaching math and computers.
Mike also graduated from Orange County
Police Academy in 1989 and was a part-
time police officer in Cornwall-on-Hudson
and Marlboro and Court Officer for
Marlboro court. He was a certified
International TASER instructor. Over
the years Mike was active in Little
League, Boy Scout Troop 17 of Newburgh
and Troop 258 of Cornwall, was a
dispatcher for the New Windsor Police
Department and also was on the New
Windsor Police Auxiliary.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years
Jeanne Marquis; sons, Jeremy (Jean) and
Matthew (Janis Kenderdine); grandsons,
James and Andrew; brothers, Raymond
(Teresa) and George (Helen); aunt, Anna
LaRusso; nieces, nephew, and many
cousins.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made
to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan
Counties, 800 Stonybrook Court,
Newburgh, NY 12550 or Hudson Valley
Food Bank, 195 Hudson St., Cornwall-on-
Hudson, NY 12520.
George asked if anyone had actually been
on American Bandstand and only Wendy
Maxson responded. She said that her
brother and sister actually appeared on the
show. So she wrote this short blurb up for
possible use in the newsletter.
My brother hasn't shed any light on his
experience on American Bandstand, but my
sister shared what she remembered. I think
we were living in New Hope, PA during this
time. She got to be on American Bandstand
twice - in the1957-58 time frame. She can't
remember how she got tickets or how much
they cost-if anything. They went by bus from
the school. Once they arrived, they sat on
the bleachers amid the "regulars." What was
most vivid for her was how small the studio
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actually was. There wasn't much room to
dance and everyone was elbow to elbow, but
she got to dance next to Justin, one of the
regulars. She was so excited when she got
home because some friends who had watched
the episode saw her on TV. (But alas, she
didn't get her big break). If there was a
guest performer either time, she doesn't
remember who. She said she remembers Dick
Clark being very nice and shorter in stature
than she thought he would be. This brought
back some fun memories for her.
Hope this is what you were looking for!
Blessings, Wendy
Wendy Maxson Zeller & Sarah Johnston
Marsh
Secondary Market Sales
by George Kane
I just celebrated my 13th anniversary selling
on e-bay. I started selling on-line to
supplement store revenues while operating my
retail store in Austin, Tx from 1998 until
2002. The store had recently moved from an
indoor mall location to three miles down the
street to a retro strip center. The change in
clientele was much more dramatic than
expected. Sales were down
considerably despite new types of
advertisements, mail outs and sidewalk sales.
So it was an easy decision to move into e-
commerce, especially since I had a retro shop
with the largest selection of used vinyl
records and posters in the metroplex.
Back in the early years of e-bay, there were
less buyers and sellers and some items could
command high prices. This has changed
dramatically in the last 5-7 years. There are
approximately 25 million sellers worldwide on
e-bay (including those that have several user
ids). This factor alone has changed the
selling prices of merchandise offered not only
in the US but across the globe. Similar items
are offered not only from state to state but
country to country. This particularly holds
true with new merchandise, which I am rarely
involved. My sales are generated from used
or new old stock (NOS) inventory.
At one time, I could supplement my store
income by uploading fewer items and retaining
high revenues with fat profit margins. Now,
the competition is so great that “rare” items
are no longer “rare or scarce.” Sellers from
all over the world can come together on one
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internet site and sell the same goods at very
competitive prices. For example, early Elvis
Presley merchandise can be seen regularly not
only on e-bay but on several internet sites at
a variety of prices. Of course there are
other factors that come into play including
condition, edition sizes, fads and the
economy. But selling is still about supply and
demand. Limited supply can mean
higher prices if there is a high demand. You
may have experienced the “Power Ranger”
rage in the mid 1990s. That was the craziest
retail fad I’ve seen in the last 20 years.
However, if supply is unlimited this will
generally drive the price down. As examples,
you may remember the “Furby” and “Ty Beanie
Baby” crazes of the 1990’s as well. On the
secondary market these items could cost
hundreds of dollars from the “willing and
eager parents” (to satisfy the demands of
their children). However, once the
manufactures met the supply, prices spiraled
downward.
Since my retail store closed in 2002, my
income is solely depended on e-bay sales.
Retailers expect peaks and valleys during any
given year and this holds true for e-commerce
as well. In my business of primarily vinyl
records, entertainment related posters and
old books there are definitely ups and downs
related to holidays, events, and the seasons.
However, I feel the primary factor is
discretionary income. I have been an investor
of sorts or more accurately a speculator. I’ve
purchased a huge inventory over the last 20
years that keeps on selling. I purchased
inventory for the future, in many cases in
large lots at low prices that have increased in
considerable value.
One of the best investments I made was the
100 “Future Kill” movie posters at $15 each. I
immediately began selling these at $95 and
eventually sold the last few for more than
$250 each. On the other hand, there have
been some bad investments as well. Barbie
dolls reached their peak in the mid 1990’s
after the Christmas doll for 1995 peaked
around $150. Mattel destroyed the secondary
market with a first time strategy of issuing
“raincheck” certificates when store
inventories were unavailable. Stores also got
wise and limited the number of items
purchased per person. These type of actions
crushed future sales of the University
Barbies that I bought in bulk. Anyone in the
market for a University of Ohio Barbie? On
the bright side, for the most part, my
merchandise is durable which can stand the
test of age if stored properly. I’ve often told
my friends to “respect your product.”
Many of you may not realize that secondary
retail selling is not new to me. I first
ventured into sales as the 100th anniversary
of the Civil War began back in 1959. I was
already interested in this tumultuous period
of American history so it was a natural for me
to begin selling used books and magazines via
mail order at the age of 12. I began by
subscribing to Civil War Times Illustrated and
buying up collections of magazines and
reselling them through the same magazine.
Then I expanded into paperback books and
American History Illustrated magazines.
The profits began to flow and I was hooked.
Even while I maintained a full time job, as
operations supervisor, at the student union
building at the University of Texas in Austin,
I maintained a mail order list of 800
customers solely for Fleetwood Mac and
8
Stevie Nicks merchandise. At the time, there
were few computers and no internet. For at
least two years my mail order sales matched
my salary. This was one of two factors that
made the decision easier to resign from the
university. The other factor was a sermon by
my pastor concerning living your dreams
before it’s too late. You see, I always
dreamed of having a retail store especially
after being the CCHS store manager and
working for Al Weiss clothes in Newburgh.
During my lifetime, I have only worked for
several companies but those challenges have
given me the opportunities to advance not
only my work skills but life skills. I’ve been a
laborer for my father, a deli employee at
Shop Rite, a clothing salesman, an IBM
department clerk, a supervisor at Green Fan
Co. in Beacon, a student supervisor at UT and
later working up the ranks to become
operations supervisor of five departments
with almost 60 employees. These
all around experiences made it much easier
for me to open a retail store with a close
friend in Nov 1993. Undoubtedly, my business
education at Dutchess Community College and
at the University of Texas played an
important role for me to successfully go out
on my own.
I can honestly say that my CCHS retail
instructor Mr. Robert Lacourse laid the
foundation for retail sales and Mr. Albert
Weiss assisted with the knowledge of
customer/employee relations and quality
service. They took a special interest in
developing my skills and I am deeply in debt
to both men.
Gail Koch Katencamp
Hello, everyone, it is nice to be able to extend
this note to all of you and say “thanks” for
making my senior year, my first and only year
at CCHS, a happy one. After a rough few
days (after all, I did come from NFA and that
had been a summer of some troubled times),
you gave me a chance to be part of your
graduating class. I will be forever grateful
for the friendships and the many wonderful
memories. You taught me to believe in my
ability to make friends and easily adjust to a
new school – what a great experience the year
before beginning college; for a basically shy
person, there could have been no greater gift.
When so many of us were leaving town to
begin the next chapter of our lives, serving
their country or going away to school, knowing
how to be “the new kid on the block” helped
prepare me for this next step on my journey.
But, before I began my college education,
there were a few other things I learned
during my year at CCHS! Things like how to
survive a long bus ride, what a drive-in movie
is really for and how to have more than one
friend at a time. I remember good times at
football and basketball games and learned
they are more fun when you go with friends.
And what about our class trip to NYC – that
was great, I saw my first wino, got offered
money for what? … and the bus ride home was
a real eye-opener! What was that running
down the center aisle, anyway?
I attended SUNY Oswego to become a
teacher, using the scholarship CCHS awarded
me at our graduation. I graduated in 1969
with a degree in Elementary Education. That
was a time when Orange County desperately
needed teachers as our communities were
growing and new schools were being built. I
9
was hired by the Monroe-Woodbury Central
School District and began teaching that
September in a new school, Central Valley
Elementary. My first assignment was to
teach 6th grade and two days prior to the
beginning of school, my assignment was
changed to kindergarten! The room was not
ready and neither was I. I had prepared all
summer to teach 6th graders so I was a
nervous wreck. Fortunately for me, I was
given a partner to work with who had a few
years experience. We became good friends;
her parents had a summer home in
Mountainville and now that we are both
retired, we celebrate the end of each school
year with a lunch and a chance to laugh and
reminisce about the “good ole’ days – when
the most important thing we did was survive
the day and all of our students went home in
one piece and happy.”
After my first year teaching, I had saved a
little money to get my own apartment, so I
moved to Monroe. My partner teacher and
her husband helped me move and brought
their friend, Ed, to help us. Truth be told,
that was the first day I met the man I
wanted to marry. He helped me move into my
first apartment, and we have spent every day
together every since! We married in
November 1970, and 42 years later, he is still
my best friend. Ed had been home from Viet
Nam for just over a year when we met, and
was putting himself through college and
working full-time. After Ed finished his
degree, I went back to school, getting my
Masters to maintain my certification within
the 5 years allotted by New York State; that
was in 1973. In 1974, our first son was born,
and the second one in 1976; and, now we are
the proud grandparents of 3 grandsons. I
guess my life was supposed to be filled with
lots of men to love! (If the shoe fits……)
In 1987, I received a second Master’s in
Administration from Pace University. In
1989, Monroe-Woodbury started a Staff
Development program for helping senior
teachers keep current with new practices and
pedagogy. The program was also being
created to help new staff begin their career -
having a place to feel safe making mistakes
and learning. Workshops were offered to all
employees, administrators, teachers,
cafeteria workers, bus drivers, etc. I was
hired to be its first Director. To say that it
was a rewarding position is an understatement
– it was an opportunity to be involved in
research, new strategies for teaching and
opportunities for learning outside the box of
the classroom. I participated in New York
State’s Staff Development Consortium and
met people from Long Island to the Thousand
Islands, all working to keep good teachers
perfecting their skills and growing in their
profession while preparing novices to enter
the classroom prepared to be successful.
As much as I enjoyed the energy and
enthusiasm found in Staff Development, I
missed the kids and the daily contact with
being part of a school family. So, 5 years
later, in 1994, I became an Assistant Principal
and in 2000, an elementary principal. Guess
where? At the school I first started teaching
in 1969. Now, however, the name had been
changed from Central Valley to Smith Clove
Elementary. I was very fortunate to spend
38 years in a place I loved, and allowed to
grow where I was “first planted.”
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We lived in Monroe for 17 years and moved to
our home in Mountainville in 1987. It seems
as if the last 25 years have gone by so
quickly. We have so much to be thankful for –
including reconnecting with some of the 1965
er’s who formed a walking club. Although I
didn’t have time in our senior year to meet
everyone, walking around town has given me a
second chance to reconnect with old friends
and make new ones. One of our classmates
did their student teaching in my school – that
was an honor I will always cherish as she was
one of my first friends in Cornwall!
If we all live another 43 years, and I’m asked
to write again, evenings in the woods at Storm
King Art Center, nights at Patsy’s, Pete and
Dolly’s, special visitors to Oswego, weekend
trips to Easton, Pa., Woodstock ’69, just
might be part of more memories to share. If
you share any of these memories with me, I
hope you will always remember with love and
laughter, our times together.
Thanks to George, for his persistence and
devotion to helping all of us make connections;
my retirement has included a chance to spend
time with some of you. Life is short, friends
are important and sharing time with others is
a gift we give ourselves. I look forward to
many more walks, talks, lunches and coffee
chats to help make our life’s journeys special.
Hope to see more of you very soon.
Forty seven years in one Paragraph
By Carol Beyer Byrne
I guess my library career was predictable
from an early age. You probably don’t find
too many 7 year-olds playing “library.” My
junior high and high school years in library
club, with Mrs. Clark as my role model,
further convinced me of my future career.
After graduating from SUNY Albany I went
to Rutgers for my library degree. My first
jobs were in public libraries in New Jersey
where I specialized in reference. In 1974 I
met my husband Tom. Not rushing into
things, we eventually got official in 1984.
11
During the 70s I became interested in Canada
and traveled there often. This familiarity
paid
off in 1980 when I got a job in the library of
the Canadian Consulate in New York, first as
supervisor of the reference unit and then as
director. It was fast-paced and challenging
but had some perks like lots of parties and
duty-free goodies. After 9 years I was ready
for something mellower and the commute
from New Jersey was very tiring. I took a
job as Director of the Wood-Ridge Public
Library in New Jersey. It might be of
interest to Joan Lau that the original part of
the library had been the Brinckerhoff
homestead, dating from 1792. I did find
Joan’s name among the descendants listed in
the genealogical record of the family. In
1992 I finally convinced Tom to leave New
Jersey. It was time
for more nature and less concrete. We moved
to Ithaca and then Vestal. My career
underwent a fairly drastic change when I
became a medical librarian in a teaching
hospital. It was a fairly steep learning curve
at first but eventually was very rewarding.
In 1989 we took an extended road trip in the
West and felt a strong attraction. During the
90s most of our trips were in the West, with
Boulder as our main go-to place where we’d
often start and end our vacations. In 2000
we decided to make the big move while we
were still able to take advantage of the
extensive hiking and biking
trails. We haven’t regretted it. My library
career ended back in a public library as a
reference librarian. We’ve both been retired
since last year. I couldn’t give up libraries
completely so I’m hangin’ out in the Boulder
Public Library as a volunteer.
Ted and Ruth Swenson Rolfe
April 1962, the Rolfe family moved to
Cornwall NY. I met Ruth a couple months
later at a Cornwall Baptist Church picnic that
was held at the Swenson home on Angola
Road. I lived just a little further up Angola
Road next to the old roller skating rink. Ruth
and I became great friends. I used to walk
down to see her and she would be up in one of
the big maple trees in front of her house
when I got there. We both liked to climb
trees and hike in the woods back then. Later,
we “went steady” which continued through our
senior year. We got engaged towards the end
of our senior year and Mrs. Rosenthal held a
surprise engagement party for us during one
of the history classes. We were really
honored when our classmates voted us the
class sweethearts of the class of 65.
Our marriage took place October 8, 1966 at
the Cornwall Baptist Church, and we will be
married 46 years this coming October. We
have two daughters, a son, thirteen
12
grandchildren ages 7 to 25 and one 3 year old
great grandson. We love and enjoy them
all. One of our 13 year old granddaughters
recently said to us, “When you two first met,
did you feel anything special? Did you know
at first sight that you were always going to
be together?” We both laughed and told her
of course! It was like a lightning bolt had hit
us.
We first lived in a summer house right behind
the main farm house on the Swenson farm off
Angola Road. Ruth’s grandfather bought this
farm back in the early 1900s. Ruth’s father,
his two sisters, as well as Glen Swenson and
Dean Swenson’s fathers grew up on this farm
and each was given land to build their home
when they got married.
There was no bathroom in the summer house
and we had to use the outhouse….it was a 3
seater :o). When we first moved in, it had no
running water in the house, so Ruth’s dad ran
a pipe from the well outside to the kitchen
sink and installed an old fashion hand pump on
the sink. He also was able to install a small
septic system with a toilet in the one closet
so we didn’t have to continue using the
outhouse. It was kind of neat and we have
fond memories of those first 6 months that
we lived there. A few years later, the farm
house was sold to Jack and Trudy Devitt. At
that time they were the owners of Devitt’s
Agway. Remember Eggbert? They turned the
summer house into a pool house after they
built a swimming pool next to it. Over the
years we became quite good friends with the
Devitts.
Next we lived in one of the apartments across
the street on Angola road. I took some
computer classes and got a job working in the
computer center at Orange County Community
College in Middletown. Soon, we moved to
Westbrookville, NY and lived there for the
next 6 years. Ruth’s parents retired and
moved to Florida and Ruth and I bought their
house now on Erin Court, off Angola Road in
Cornwall. We lived there until July 2005,
when we sold the house and moved to Rocky
Mount, NC.
Our daughter Brenda works in sales at one of
the local stores, has six children and lives
with her family here in the Rocky Mount area.
Our daughter Chrissie is a nurse at the VA
hospital in Albany, NY. She has two children
and they live in Albany, NY.
Our son Dan is a pastor. He has been the
pastor of Servants Heart Fellowship church in
Rocky Mount for the past 11 years. It is a
non-denominational Christian church. They
have five children. Ruth and I have always
been active church members, where ever we
lived but it has been really fun to be a part of
a church where our son is the pastor. He is
very well liked and respected.
Ruth was a stay-at-home mom until the kids
were in their teens. During that time she
took care of a number of neighbor children at
our home while the parents worked. She
helped take care of a woman who had
Parkinson’s disease and also another woman
who had Alzheimer’s disease. Then she
worked at several places at different times
including; Robert Halls, US Post Office
distribution center at Stewart, Caldor’s,
Jones Farm and Butterhill Day Care.
I worked in the computer field from 1967–
2007. Held many positions during my career,
including, computer operator,
programmer, data processing
manager, Assistant Director of a computer
service bureau in NYC, director of MIS,
computer consultant, applications developer
and during the last 10 years of my career, a
contracting IT specialist working at IBM in
Fishkill, NY and Raleigh, NC. I was one of
those who eventually lost their job to
“outsourcing”. My job went to China in 2007
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and in fact I was asked to train my Chinese
counterpart during the last three months
that I worked at IBM. It was really kind of
interesting. IBM was letting us work out of
our homes and at 7:00 in the morning I would
log onto the IBM intranet. It was 7:00 in the
evening in China and he would log on from
there. Even though we were half the world
apart I could see his screen and he could see
mine. We talked through the phone using the
IBM connection. We worked together from
7:00 am to 10:00 am ET each day and it was
just like we were sitting next to each
other. We became pretty good friends.
Ruth and I are now somewhat retired. We
draw social security and a pension but we are
really not ready to actually retire yet and I
have held some different jobs since I left
IBM in 2007. The bad economy in the last
few years has really kept a lot of people out
of work down here. However, Ruth and have
always been very family oriented and we are
really enjoying the time we are getting now to
spend with our grandkids. We go to lots of
school events, birthday parties and other
events that they are into. We usually have a
family night every month at our house where
everyone gets together to eat, play games and
just have fun.
We are both animal lovers, especially
Ruth. We now have 9 cats that stay in the
house and 2 dogs that are both inside and
outside. All the cats were stray’s at one time
that came around our house in Cornwall. As
the stray cats started to multiply, Ruth
started to work with the local animal shelters
and was able to find homes for many of
them. Nine found homes with us and we
brought them down with us when we moved to
NC. It was an interesting trip. Each cat had
their own carrier. Nine cat carriers stacked
up in the back of our Highlander. It looked
like a traveling motel. They weren’t real
happy. I tell everyone that Ruth feeds
anything that moves in our yard except
snakes. She really hates snakes but loves
animals.
That’s a quick summary of our life so far. We
are doing pretty good as we head into our
“golden years”. You know more aches and
pains when ibuprofen becomes your
friend? The memory slows down…why’d I come
in here again? However, on the good side,
just think of all the great benefits likes
senior discounts at Dunkin Donuts, Medicare
and we get to belong to AARP.
Thank you for letting us share this. We hope
all our classmates are doing well as we all
move into those golden years together.
Photos below from the
Valentine’s Day luncheon 2013
Sarah Johnston, Jeanne Marquis Lug, Ellen Kinsler, Jane
Harkinson, Tom McCardle, Sandy Pedersen, Diane Edgar, Barbara Navarra, Jo Ann Lester and Bob Maucher
Cheryl Caudy, Pat Keegan, Jane Harkinson, Diane Edgar, Ellen
Kinsler, Carol Koch Caswell, Sally Duffy, Barbara Navarra, Jo
Ann Lester, Jeanne Marquis Lug, Sandy Pedersen, Nancy James Rathbun, Peg Wojehowski, Sarah Johnston Marsh, Gail Koch
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Laird Duryee and Dane Denick in California
Letter from Linda Partrick
(Patrick with an R) Weyant
Dear friends,
Have I changed that much Too! No way --but
guess what -- it only gets better!
Looking at all the photos that George sends
brings such great memories and feelings. I'm
that 16 year old who stood next to Sandy
Purvis in all the class lineups. I'm the one
who no one asked to the proms--well maybe
once when Joe Sterling asked me. God rest
his soul. I'm the one that was extremely shy.
Well guess what--not shy anymore!! Howdy
y'all from Austin Texas. I moved down here
last year and have been busy. A wedding
(daughter Mandy), a shoulder replacement,
and a Grandson! Phew!! Next year the other
daughter will have Grandbaby #2. They just
waited till I moved here so I could baby-sit!
A flood of good feelings arise when seeing all
of your faces. The school bus rides, the
summer beach trips with the girls,
being in classes for years with you guys. Wow
it's all good. Then the crush I had for Mark.
Wow he was hot!!
Then I grew up and got married, did my job as
a bookkeeper until 2010, had 2 girls, raised
them as a single Mom, and now get the reward
of Grandchildren. Bad and good times but
mainly good. It's great to have someone like
our George to keep all of us informed. I
thank him for remaining such a good friend.
Enjoy your gatherings and live a wonderful
life.
High School Reunions
Submitted by Linda Partrick
Every five years, as summertime nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
"A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
Make plans to attend without fail."
I'll never forget the first time we met;
We tried so hard to impress.
We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.
It was quite an affair; the whole class was
there.
It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined and we dined and we acted refined,
And everyone thought it was swell.
The men all conversed about who had been
first to achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine
houses and how beautiful their children
became.
The homecoming queen, who once had been
lean, now weighed in at one-ninety-six.
The jocks who were there had all lost their
hair,
And the cheerleaders could no more do kicks.
No one had heard about the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who'd always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.
The boy we'd decreed "most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest;
Shows you can be wrong now and then.
They awarded a prize to one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
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Another was given to the grad who had driven
the farthest to attend the feast.
They took a class picture, a curious mixture
of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties. Tall,
short or skinny, the style was the mini; You
never saw so many thighs.
At our next get-together, no one cared
whether they impressed their classmates or
not. The mood was informal, a whole lot more
normal;
By this time we'd all gone to pot.
It was held out-of-doors, at the lake shores;
We ate hamburgers, coleslaw and beans.
Then most of us lay around in the shade,
In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans.
By the fortieth year, it was abundantly clear,
we were definitely over the hill.
Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of
bed, and be home in time for their pill.
And now I can't wait; they've just set the
date; Our fiftieth is coming, I'm told.
It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
At the shady Rest Home for the old.
Repairs have been made on my hearing aid;
My pacemaker's been turned up on high.
My wheelchair is oiled, my teeth have been
boiled;
And I've bought a new wig and glass eye.
I'm feeling quite hearty, I'm ready to party;
I'll dance 'til the dawn's early light. It'll be
lots of fun; I just hope there's one other
person who gets there that night.
Kate (Kathy) Latvis McCavitt
In her previous lifetime this time around,
about four years ago, she owned a corporate
Project Management company for about
sixteen years and stressed over enterprise
voice and data installations which were hot
beds of things busting and going wrong.
Enough! She decided one day to do something
she actually wanted to do. Risking her reason
for it, she took her art to a full time
adventure. You can read about her work on
her website at www.bodyofwork.us
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The following is an email from Kathy to
George when he found her on-line.
Well Holy Cow!
Hi George…what a fabulous surprise. The “Hi
Kathy” threw me off for a second….I changed
my name around 1979 and am now a “Kate”, as
you probably guessed by my Email address.
I have kicked myself several times for
neglecting to stay in touch with Marge Sausa
after she miraculously helped me insert my
dying mother into the Massachusetts
Medicare/Medicaid program in record time. I
owe her a debt of gratitude for that;
although my mom died a few months later, she
was able to be closer to my other siblings too,
throughout her decline. I’ve been a California
girl since 1985. I occasionally looked for
classmates on-line and even called the CCHS
school district but they were unable to point
me in any fruitful direction. It is delightful
that you all have reconnected.
I absolutely loved seeing some of the pictures
you sent, although I need an accompanying list
of names. Funny how some of us change
dramatically (how we think others see us) and
some look just the same (when we look at
ourselves in the mirror).
I’d love to get to one of the reunions one of
these days…..thank you for writing and I am
glad Marge passed along my information.
Very best regards
Kate McCavitt
(formerly Kathy Latvis)
Photos from the Hudson River Cruise,
October 17, 2012
Steve Della Vedova, Steve Clark, Pat Cohen. Sally Duffy, Larry
Barbieri, Peg Wojekowski, and Marge Sausa
Gale Koch, Peg Wojehowski, Barbara Koment Garay
Jackie Clouser Fare, Karl Najork, George Kane
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Photos From the Christmas Pot Luck
Get Together at Larry Barbieri’s
Home
Art Quinlan, Roy Bourne
Roy Barley, Cheryl Caudy Gould, Jane Harkinson, Joe O’Rourke, Steve DellaVedova, George Kane, Peg Wojehowski, Nancy James,
Pat Keegan Cohen, Barbara Navarra, Sarah Johnston, Sally Duffy
Barbara Navarra and Sandy Pedersen Flemming
Sharon Kinsler Barley, Bill and Cheryl Gould, Gale Koch and Ed Katencamp
Alaska Cruise Update We leave May 28 from Fairbanks for Denali
National Park for the land portion of our trip
and board our ship on June 3rd in Seward for
the cruise. Our trip ends at Vancouver on
June 9th. Want to join us? Contact Holland
America for their 13 day Classic Denali
package. Attending are Pete and Marlene
Oehlrich, Dale Kipp Conklin and husband Matt,
and Barbara Navarra and her daughter
Bethany.
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