Sincere apologies that this information was not included in the Commentary.
Martha Flowers Herbert writes that she visited Augusta Burn Center for the 4th anniversary of her burn and saw many of the folks involved in her recovery; her Burn surgeon, nurses from the ICU and others from the 2 floors of her extended stay. She got to see her therapists and was able to witness to and inspire patients presently undergoing treatment. She records that it was an extremely rewarding day for her to “show off” how well she’s doing and to be able to tell them all thanks for working on her. Martha had a visit with Gayle and George Sawyer and talked to Candee Scott Craven recently. She was at Lake Junaluska, NC for the 4th of July for a huge Herbert family reunion …35 family members were able to attend this year …from California, Florida, Vermont, Texas, Virginia, Maryland Georgia, SC and NC. Her truck gets “all 4th-ed out” and is in the Junaluska parade…which they have won several times! Huge family fun! Then there was an annual beach trip, with 15 relatives piled in a huge house at Litchfield. Martha still quilts, and knocks around in her yard when it is not too hot. Her most fun quilt lately was a “sign in quilt” for her veterinarian’s wedding. Even her 4 dogs and Duncan, the cat “signed” their paw prints. It was made with alternating blocks of white, teal, and navy. No regular sign in book for her!! Martha has been having fun with Violet….”bet she has done things with me that you would not expose her to……swamp adventures, a parade, burn hospital, the museum for our quilt show….stuff that would make Dean Mills flip!”. Martha says “See you in April!”
Ginny French Lyles writes that It is hard to believe that we have a “milestone” reunion coming up. She enjoyed reading about Gayle’s trip to Alaska and said that she would have loved to join “Miss Violet”, Gayle and the others on that trip. Ginny is having a hard time getting used to the new Coker University name on the Commentary. Even her daughter made a comment about how strange it looks when she saw it on her coffee table.
Ginny misses living in Hartsville but does enjoy being involved with her 2 grandchildren in Summerville, S.C. She volunteers at their school and picks them up from school 2 to 3 days a week. They belong to Ginny’s daughter Sarah, who is a CPA and partner with Dixon, Hughes, Goodman, LLP Accounting and Bookkeeping in Charleston, SC. Her grandson Asa is in 7th grade this year and is very active in football, basketball and baseball.
Evie, Ginny’s granddaughter, is in the 5th grade this year. She is on the B-team cheer leading squad and cheers at her brother’s football games. She also plays hand bells and sings in the choir at her school. She also enjoys playing basketball. They both attend Pinewood Preparatory School in Summerville. Ginny retired from teaching in 2010 but really misses it. She’s even thought about going back. She took care of her in-laws in Hartsville until they passed away in 2012 and 2013. Then she decided to move to Summerville but visits Hartsville often for allergy shots, doctor appointments and to visit family and friends. She is hoping to make the 2020 reunion in the spring and looks forward to seeing everyone.
Myra Cato Coffey along with Connie White Boleman, Beth Abrams Jones, Nell Cutts Daniels, enjoyed a great week at Holden Beach in April. They missed Suzette and Lucy. This has become a yearly tradition for them followed by a fall trip to Black Mountain. Actually, there have been only a few years that they have missed getting together since leaving Coker. Then in May, Myra and three life-long friends spent 10 days in London and Paris. They enjoyed trips to Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor, Dover, Calais, Versailles, and Giverny. It was a wonderful trip! Myra is looking forward to seeing everyone at our 50th Reunion!
Jane Brown Riechmanncomments that her son Rob, his wife Tina, Jane and husband Mark visited San Francisco and Yosemite in early September. While visiting Alcatraz, Jane found Violet had been detained there because she had come back to Coker campus late (9:05 PM) from a date with a Hartsville Harry on a weeknight. She was able to ‘spring’ Violet from Alcatraz and she accompanied them to Yosemite. They all had a wonderful time. The rest of her family (son Tim, wife Kate and daughter Nora) were supposed to accompany them on the ‘every other year’ family trip but due to the impending birth of a grandson as well as the unsure path of Hurricane Dorian, those three remained home. So their big news is the birth of that grandson, Shepherd (Shep) Kelly Riechmann, on Friday, September 20, 2019. At birth he was 8 pounds, 7 ounces and 19 inches. So far, big sister Nora does not seem too impressed! Looking forward to our 50th! Jane has her 1K saved and ready. Hope other classmates do as well. How impressive it would be to have at least 25K to donate to Coker.
Judie (Cooper) Camak has retired after 30 years as a Financial Advisor and CFP (Certified Financial Planner), starting at A.G. Edwards and ending at Stifel. She loved every minute of it and will keep her CFP active. Now she is figuring out what she am going to do when she grows up … only thing she knows is spending time with her children and grandchildren, working puzzles, playing golf and spending time at their house at Wild Dunes … totally open to suggestions from us retirees.
Candee Constable Craven and Scott and Gayle Buckheister Sawyer and George renewed a long-established friendship to celebrate their respective 50th anniversaries with a 17-day land tour and cruise in Alaska and British Columbia, from Fairbanks to Vancouver. Traveling with two biology professors, George (botany) and Scott (wildlife) felt like two weeks in a college classroom, only better! Shrinking Violet went, too. See the Coker eletter from August for a picture of Candee, Gayle and Violet and the Hubbard Glacier. Our most exciting event? Our hotel sustained a kitchen fire the first night of the trip and we not allowed back to our rooms or belongings for two days. Lesson learned: Take a tooth brush, phone charger and hair spray when you leave the hotel for an excursion. Sorry, Dean Mills, we did the best we could.
Linda Smith Bradford and Gray invited Gayle Buckheister Sawyer and George to share four days of touring transportation museums and riding historic trains with them in NC and TN. George and Linda are connoisseurs of rail history. “Who’d a thunk!” Highlights: Being with friends on a new adventure and riding in historic rail cars, pulled by old electric and steam engines through some of the most beautiful river and mountainous scenery in both states. Shrinking Violet went, too. Look for pictures of Linda, Gayle and Violet in the next newsletter.
Where in the world is (Flat) Shrinking Violet?
Where are you going between now and our reunion? Show more than 50 years of Class of 1970 spirit and take Shrinking Violet with you! So far, Violet has been in Hartsville—several times, North Carolina–three times, Tennessee, Alaska and California. Have you scrolled through the Alumni eNewsletter articles to find Violet and your classmates on their travels? Brenda Stewart’s emails have a downloadable copy of Violet for you to put in your suitcase. The Coker Alumni website (https://www.coker.edu/resources/alumni/) has a downloadable picture, as well. If you do not have a way to print a picture at home or at a drug store, email Gayle Sawyer (sawyerg@winthrop.edu) and she will snail mail an 8 x 10 picture to you for your trip.
Alumni 50th Reunion Reminder for the Class of 1970, April 17 and 18, 2020
Our committee is working hard on our once-in-a-lifetime, one and only 50th reunion. Start making plans and we hope to have a wonderful turn out!
Rooms have been reserved for our class at the Mantissa Hotel (843-917-0669) and the Hampton Inn (843-332-2128). Ask for the Coker Alumni Class of ’70 group rate. Be sure to reserve a room before March 6.