Betty passed away unexpectedly on January 27, 2012. She is greatly missed by all of us.

After graduating from AHS, I went to Texas Womans University for my degree in Nursing. During my sophomore year, the Army came calling and offered to pay for the rest of my degree in return for 3 years of service in the Army Nurse Corps. In December before graduation, I was sworn in at the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and a new adventure began. I did Basic at Fort Sam Houston and reported to Fort Benning, GA in Dec 1963. The Army decided that I liked small installations and short assignments, so I moved to Fort Riley, KS the following Dec and then on to Okinawa the Dec after that. Fort Dix, NJ came 18 months later, following which I was offered a Masters in Hygiene at Tulane Univ Sch of Public Health & Tropical Medicine after only 2 years at Fort Dix.

I was in New Orleans for 1 year and then found myself headed for Asmara, Ethiopia (a listening post on top of a mountain) for another 18 month tour. Finally, upon returning from Ethiopia, I was assigned at Fort Hood for 4 wonderful years. I finished my 20 years with 18 months at Fort Bragg, NC and 3 years back where I started at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. I retired in 1981 as a Lieutenant Colonel. I built a home in Granbury and moved my mother (65) and grandmother (95) to live with me. After my grandmother died at 99 years, I went back to work in nursing as a school nurse and retired in 2006 from Kennedale ISD.

My mother had a stroke in 1997 and I was able to keep her here at home with the help of a wonderful caregiver who worked days while I was in Kennedale and I provided her care nights and weekends. She died following gallbladder surgery in 2001. Through the years, I have enjoyed fishing, waterskiing, silk flower arranging (did weddings for a nephew and a niece), genealogy, photography, singing in a church choir, travel and computers.

I have a genealogy website which accounts for almost 1400 members from both sides of my family tree and includes 9 generations. When I travel, I follow my trips with a photographic slide show on a web site. This allows me to share my travel with all my friends.

I had a rough year in 2006 during which I had 4 hospitalizations, 3 surgeries and my 2nd and 3rd experience of having an early cancer diagnosis. Since then I have had two additional surgeries for adhesions, but have a clear bill of health in the cancer department. Praise God. Breast, kidney and colon are enough for one person. The marvelous thing is that ALL 3 were diagnosed early, by accident, and were treatable with surgery alone.

There's not much more to say. I am happily retired in a house on Lake Granbury and look forward to each trip - the planning, the travel and the photo journal afterwards. I share my home with a dog (Buddy), and a cat (Socks) I share with Rowenia Ely when she is next door on weekends.

In discussion about where we were born:

I finally decided to tell where I was born. My parents were living near Katemcy, Texas (Mason County) and everyone went to a ring game party at the community center on Christmas evening. Mom and dad went and played ring games (now we would dance). Mom went into labor and didn't make it home. They stopped at a relative's home nearby and sent to Mason for the country doctor. He tried, but could not make it because it was raining and the creek rose to the point he couldn't cross. My grandmother, who studied 'nursing' from a book, delivered me early in the morning of 26 Dec. I think they said the doctor made it the next day and determined that mother and baby were both fine.

In the fall of 1959, Julianne Connally, Judy Benson and i got on the train for Christian College (all girls' school in Colombia, Mo.) We lasted a year and couldn't wait to get back to a coed college. I went to Texas Tech and roomed with Onie Green and had too much fun(after the threat from my parents to bring grades up or come back to Abilene and go back to Waughs Drycleaning-such a hot and hard job-I got on the dean's list.)

After graduating from Tech at mid-term, went to Dallas and lucked into a job as Director of Cochran Chapel Special Care School (they were desperate for help and my degree was in Psychology and Sociology-also had worked at Abilene State School.) Think the school is still there.

At this point in time, decided I needed to learn what i was doing so went to the University of Denver for a MSW in clinical social work. Lived with Jenna Chapman and her roommates.(there are many stories there.) The first day of school met Vern my husband now of 45 years this month. Although engaged to a guy from Dallas at the time, took off the ring, broke the engagement and Vern and I married between our first and second years of grad school.(he loves for me to tell this story and beams as I tell it.) We lived in Denver 5 years with him working at Fort Logan MH Center and I was at Denver MH Center.

We moved to Amarillo in 1968 for a chief SW position at a psych hospital for my husband. Our first daughter was born there (Jennifer now lives in DC, is married to a wonderful man who is a colonel at the Pentagon-he served in Bosnia and Iraq. They have two precious girls 3 years and 5 years who we adore.) We moved to Waco in 1971 where our second daughter was born(Amanda lives in Austin and teaches 7th grade in Leander-keep her in your prayers.)

Vern became director of a new Psychiatric hospital and out-pt. clinic at Methodist Home and worked there 35 years. I also worked part-time at Methodist Home and began teaching at McLennan Community College. (Patricia and Judy, our University Center now has a contract with Tech so we are all excited about that.) Students can get their bachelor's and stay in Waco as professors come to campus or classes on internet or via teleconferences.

Have now been at the college for 36 years full time-also taught 5 or 6 summers in the grad school at Baylor. I love the community college as we have all ages (17-73), all educational backgrounds(GED to MA's and all ethnic backgrounds.) By the way, I teach mental health, social work, and addictions.(license in alcohol and drug counseling -not to use but help those who do.) Every year think will retire but my students are so neat (love their stories of recovery) and love them. They have promised me a Hov-A-Round if need be. Also the college lets me work part-time at community agencies which i love. (A&D groups with adolescents at the psych hospital, children's groups, etc.)

The biggest crisis in our lives has been Vern's health. In 1994, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the lymph nodes and had a heart attack the same day(not a good day.) Since his prognosis was zip - we relied totally on God's guidance. Thanks to many, many prayers and alternative medicines, he is cancer free today after 15 years. We made contact with a biochemist-nutritionist in Austin who was extremely helpful - on a very strict diet for 10 years. (in fact 3 years into visits with biochemist we met Lance Armstrong in his office- he had just been diagnosed and looked awful.) During all this ordeal initially, Dottie Mize called me every night for 6 weeks while I cried, cussed,etc. Still miss her so much-what a friend.

To sum up, the word I would use is gratitude. So grateful to have grown up in Abilene-West Texas is so dear, grateful for teachers at AHS as they provided a really good foundation (even though I did not take advantage of it), and so grateful for friends and memories of AHS. Hope to be at the reunion for one night and see all of you there. Have enjoyed stories of your lives sooooo much. Class of '59 is one to be proud of!

Martha

In college I took a lot of math courses 21 hours as an under graduate and 18 hours in graduate school. My other majors were Industrial Arts and Education. I was granted a BSE from Abilene Christian and taught Math Algebra I through Trigonometry; the next year I was the principal at the 8 grade school in Buffalo Gap. My dad talked me into quitting teaching and working at Frazier Ford in Baird. NCR Corp. hired me in December 1968 and decided to locate me in Dallas. During that day and time many of the computer companies looked for Math majors to become computer programmers. I worked directly for NCR as a system engineer for 25 years, Math skills were very important in the ability to build programming applications for the old style main frame computers.

In August 1963 Kathy Callaway and I were married. Kathy was a graduate of Hatch Valley High School and grew up in Rincon, NM. Kathy attended Abilene Christian for three years and Texas Tech while I taught at Lorenzo. When we moved to Buffalo Gap she graduated from Abilene Christian at Christmas and went to work for the Taylor County Schools teaching at Elmdale 1 day a week and Lawn 4 days a week. Our daughter Fawn Elizabeth Frazier (now Fawn Walker) was born in November 1965 at Hendricks Hospital. Our son Larry Todd Frazier was also born in Hendricks Hospital in May 1968. We have 4 living grand children Kayden 10, Kolton 8, Shane 14, and Lee 25.

Kathy left teaching and went in to Real Estate when the children started grade school. The sales of homes and business properties allowed her the flexible schedule for the children. Kathy is currently an associate Broker at Prudential Lone Star Realtors. She sells property all over the DFW area.

After graduating AHS a semester early (not because I was smart, just wanted to go to college), I enrolled in Texas Tech in the spring of '59. On November 23, 1960, I married Don Watkins (he was a year ahead of us at AHS). Don and I continued our education at Tech until he graduated in 1962 and we moved to the small farming community outside of Lubbock by the name of Ralls. I quit Tech just one year short of graduating, STUPID!

Don farmed his uncle's land in Ralls, raising cotton, wheat and grain. This was quite a change for both of us, having never lived in a small town and never having farmed. However, it proved to be a good life for us and our family which began on January 14, 1966 with the birth of our first daughter. Then on May 1, 1967 we were blessed with another daughter. Don wanted a boy to carry on the Watkins name, so on May 9, 1969 we were again blessed with another daughter. We decided that God wanted us to have a chorus line rather than a football team, so we were content with our family of 3 girls.

Things went well until November, 1975 when Don was in an automobile accident and was killed. The girls were 6, 8 and 9 years of age. What now? In March of 1977 we moved to Lubbock and started a new life. I worked at Lubbock National Bank as a personal banker. After the girls graduated high school, they all attended Texas Tech. After graduating Tech each of them migrated to the Dallas area. My youngest daughter married first and blessed me with two wonderful grand-daughters, now 19 and 17 years of age.

The girls finally convinced me that I should move to the Metroplex to be closer to them and the grandchildren. So, on May 14, 1991, one day before my 50th birthday, I made another life change and moved to Fort Worth, where I worked for a company that offered residential housing for mentally challenged persons. I was head of Human Resources for the company. I worked there until 1996.

In the meantime, my other two daughters married and I now have four more grand-daughters and one grand-son (finally got a boy). Another life change came for me in May of 1995 when I met Bill Skipping. What a wonderful man! We were married four months later. Bill and I live in Dallas, where he is a commercial developer and I am a homemaker and grandmother. Grandchildren are GREAT!!!

Then in July of 2003, a parent's worst fear occurred with the death of my youngest daughter at the age of 34. As so many of you know, this is the greatest loss that life can dish out. We thank God that we had her the time that we did and look forward to seeing her again one day. We feel blessed in so many ways and are thankful that we live close to our kids and grandkids. Maybe one day Bill will retire (I doubt it) and we will be able to do some of the things we like to do such as travel. Only time will tell, until then we keep enjoying each other and the precious grandchildren. LIFE IS GOOD!

Carolyn Freeman Skipping

JIM FREEMAN

I was born in New Mexico and moved all over West Texas as a young boy. My parents divorced in 1948 and we moved to Abilene. There my Mother met and married my Hero 'Pop' Bill Nixon. I always worked since I was fourteen, usually twenty or more hours a week.

After graduation I attended HSU but withdrew and moved to Houston. I married a little Italian girl named Kitty Comardo. We had three beautiful girls. I enrolled at the University of Houston but was never degreed. I worked as a building designer and was a designer member of the AIBD and TIBD. I had my own design business designing houses and apartments. I also was a home builder at that time.

I became interested in engineering in 1976 and moved back to Abilene and worked for Tippit and Gee on North Sixth. We bought the old Bailey house in Clyde and moved it to three lots we bought. We spent three years remodeling the house. We then moved back to Houston.

I then worked on mechanical design for offshore platforms. In 1980 I went back to work for myself as a contractor for Conoco. I worked on my own contract for Conoco for ten years. Then Conoco hired me as a direct employee. It was a dream job. I was responsible for the preliminary and detailed design of the mechanical portion of the jobs as well as fabrication, installation and start-up of the platforms. Most of the work was overseas. We lived in Dubai during one year. Kitty and I were like fish out of water. She is the center of her family and hated being away. We were apart after that my work taking me to Ecuador, Russia and Venezuela. Those were the times I missed my family I like coming home every night. While working in Venezuela we flew back and forth every other week. That lasted for two years. I was then offered to transfer to Conoco Venezuela. I then decided to retire instead, that was 1995. Kitty designed a geodesic dome home and found us a lot on the beach at Sargent. We fabricated the house in our back yard and hauled it to the beach. We did all the building ourselves, hiring only roofers and a part time vinyl siding installer. Vinyl is great on the beach anything metal corrodes quickly. We have lived here since 1996 except for a sabbatical of one year to take care of two of our grandchildren.

I am President of the local water board and also operate the system. I am looking forward to losing the water operator's job. It's time to concentrate on fishing, going dancing, walking on the beach and such. We are 'old school' we like playing 42 with friends.

Discussing chickens and growing up on farms:

I also grew up knowing about chickens, my grandmother raised them and I watched her ring necks and also chop them off. I even tried to ring one off and could not. I loved gathering the eggs, but there were some you had to be careful not to get pecked. That was a time growing up with fresh eggs, vegetables, and fruit from the garden to go with our wonderful fried chicken. I loved the era we grew up in.

My dad raised rabbits and I helped take care of them, they were like pets to me. Almost weekly we had fried rabbit and it was very much like eating fried chicken. Has anyone eaten rabbit? That is my chicken and rabbit story.

Vivian

I also married a "good one"(airman that is). ...found him in church where Patsy Corley probably met hers. She was in our youth group at First Assembly of God. I learned this year that she was very ill and that her husband recently passed away--maybe it was her older sister's husband (Myrna). Bill and I were married almost 42 years before his death in 2002. My dad approved of the marriage, but not of my move to Houston away from family. Have been here ever since, although we talked about moving back to Abilene before he became ill. Lots of good memories from Abilene.

Barbara Glaze Cowen Musings about music:

Hi, James...I'll write this note on the group mail because it seems that music in general seems to havetouched the lives of so many. My dad played mandolin with a group on a local radio station in east Texas (no formal study), so "ear playing" ran in the family. We bought our first old upright piano in Abilene when I was 8 yrs. old, and I took lessons from our pastor's wife, Virginia Estes (mother of Paul Estes, our classmate). She gave me a solid foundation in basics and harmony which I put to use in accompanying in Sunday School, later church auditoriums, by the end of my first year of study....so it was "hands on" application from the beginning (something that is so lacking for many students today, OPPORTUNITY!).

I studied with many different teachers over the years during the course of our many moves (the old upright piano always traveled with us). My sister actually had a better ear than I, so we played piano and organ together for revivals at different churches in the Abilene area. She never wanted to read music, but could quickly "pick up" on anything she heard and developed a unique "gospel" style. The famous Gatlin brothers often came to Sunday afternoon sings at our First Assembly of God church in Abilene (still there). We were taken to every gospel all night sings in Knoxville, Tn. as kids, so that style of religious music was engrained into us.

I was in my teens before "classical music" became a part of my musical thinking. At age 15, I was teaching beginning theory classes for Mrs. Estes in the youth hall of our church, which sparked an interest in teaching. Somehow, people had the idea that my natural ability for improvising could be easily taught. I found that not to be true...so began formal education in pedagogy...which I will expand on in a later personal e-mail, James ( I have a student coming). One final thought about Abilene days. With my first paycheck (and others) from the Reporter News, I purchased an Estey organ from the local Abilene music store. Mom and Dad replaced the old upright with a new Jansen console from the same store. By the way....I'm still teaching on the first piano I bought here in Houston 48 years ago, although I have the luxury of my 6'3" Kawaii walnut Grand piano for personal use (also special students working on contest music). Music has always been and will continue to be my passion in life! Thanks for listening to my story.

Comments on 911:

I was also cooking breakfast when my husband called to me to come to the TV. I saw the actual 2nd crash and witnessed the astonishment and shock of the reporters....later learned that my oldest son-in-law (pilot for United Airlines) had traded his trip to Washington, D.C. with another pilot....he was scheduled to fly the one hijacked that day. Needless to say, my grandchildren and all were so traumatized by the events, they were, and still are, in counseling. Their dad did not fly for several weeks and considered retiring, but is now back flying. He lost several crew friends that day. The reality that he could have been on that plane will live with us forever. My middle daughter and her husband work for another airline (pilot and flight attendant) and their children were also traumatized, begging them not to fly. Everyone seems to be doing well at this point....of course we have the upcoming anniversary of 9-11....amazing how SO MANY lives are affected by the actions of SO FEW......

All....I would like to share a poem I wrote in memory of my beloved mom (Winnie Glaze Caldwell) and husband Bill. For all who have lost someone dear, especially at this time for Judy's family.....

Winds of time blow silently

Stirring cherished memories

Of days gone by

Some sweet, some sad

But, Oh! for a moment

Aren't we glad!

Our lives were touched

By those so dear

Now gone, but forever near!

Author....Barbara (Glaze) Cowen

October 2002

DAVID F. GRAY, JR. Captain - United States Air Force Shot Down: January 23, 1967 Released: March 4, 1973

I was born on June 26, 1941 in Findley, Ohio. We lived in many places and I enjoyed the life of an Air Force brat. In 1959 I graduated from high school in Abilene, Texas. I then attended the University of Florida where I studied Building Construction. I married Lynda Gourlie after she had earned her B.S. in nursing. She worked until I completed my degree. After pilot and combat crew training I was assigned to the 497TFS at Ubon, Thailand. I arrived there on Jan. 4, 1967 and after three combat missions was shot down and captured. This ended forever my career of world's greatest fighter pilot.

Due to ejection, I had several back fractures. While in captivity I also had a ruptured sinus, gall bladder disease, and developed nutritive amblyopia. I was tortured with ropes and denied sleep.

While living in ten different prisons (New Guy Village, Lil Vegas, Sontay, Faith, Hope, Dogpatch, Dirty Bird, Trolly Tracks) my contribution, if any, was to play the court jester - trying to provide entertainment. I also enjoyed studying - language, math, and history. I studied four languages- French, Spanish, German and Russian. Naturally I did poorly in all. I coordinated the geography and travelogue programs and was also the quiz master. Jon Reynolds and I were presenting an exhaustive history of World War I when we were moved. I participated in choir and religious services. Trying to entertain I told about eight movies and was the recipient of the 1971 award for the "most forgettable area". My brilliant, but lengthy, original story about China was so honored because no one could remember the title. Weekly over a two-month period Dick "King Dog" Brenneman and I performed a skit called "Frat Man and Rock". It was based on a skit by Dave Hatcher and Denver Key called "Fat Man and Ox" (which was based on Batman).

In May 1972 about 200 of us moved to Camp Dogpatch where we mostly lived in groups of 20. In my building seven of us were locked in a room at night. To combat boredom I told a story based on "A Stone for Danny Fisher" by Harold Robbins. After seven evenings the story should have ended, but due to popular request I continued the story via improvisation. Thus the POW soap opera was born. The seven of us participated jointly in casting the characters (over 100 in all). As storyteller I tried to reflect the wishes of the group regarding the plot. The story had heroes, goats and sex symbols galore. Danny Fisher, the central figure, was Steve McQueen. During the course of the 120 plus episodes we were the worlds greatest: prizefighter (Golden Gloves champ), actor (two Oscars in one year), tycoon (Howard Hughes began as his assistant), pilot (air races champion, test pilot, combat ace in China, England, the Med and the Pacific) and lover (our fighter pilot alter-ego had more women than Mickey Rooney and Tommy Mansville). Planning the story and sorting out the characters in my mind, occupied most of my time from June to Oct. 1972. I believe that the story had a profound effect on all of us. I believe that many of us had, over the years, adopted the view that our wives would be unchanged perfect things - like a crystal figurine. The inevitable changes in our wives wrought by time and suffering might have had a shattering effect on such idealistic images, had not some realistic evaluations occurred. I hope the personal relationships in my story helped us to initiate this update in our thinking. The entertainment value was, of course, the main purpose. The story was never completed because we moved around to align us by shoot down date. Something was up!

In Oct. 72 we saw our first US magazines (1970 sports issues). Peace was at hand. The guards were almost friendly and the medical treatment and food improved as the Linebacker 11 offensive was bringing Hanoi to its knees. Finally late in January it happened - back to Hanoi 20 or more on each truck. Six weeks later my group was released. Our departure from Gia Lam airport and arrival at Clark in the Philippines was a fantasy of delight. Many of us cried that day. It was a very, very emotional time. Our first telephone calls home were wonderful for me, but some of the others heard bad news. Divorce and its crushing effect on one's friends caused our first free days to be difficult.

Captain David Baldwin was my escort officer. We had been together in pilot and combat crew training and in Thailand. He'd been rescued when Col. Dick Vogel was captured. Dave was my brain for the five days we were together.

While at Clark I got only six hours of sleep and after four days I met my wife Lynda at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. I arrived home on March 7, 1973. Lynda and I along with debriefers and the medical staff, spent the next 15 days talking non-stop. We then flew to Mac Dill enroute to our condominium in Treasure Island, Florida. A week later we traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla. (my parents's home) for "Capt. David Gray Day." I gave speeches, rode in a parade, was given the key to the city, and threw the first pitch at an Astros-Expos exhibition game. It was a great but hectic day. On our tenth anniversary, April 28th, Lynda and I were remarried in San Francisco. We wrote our own ceremony and included the same people that had been in our first wedding. This occurred the weekend of the Son Tay POW/Raiders Reunion hosted by H. Ross Perot. In May we attended the White House fete and in June we attended the Dallas Salute for Viet Vets. After giving a July 4th speech in St. Petersburg, I entered the hospital for surgery. This gave me about six weeks to recuperate for the River Rats Reunion in Las Vegas. Finally in September I went back to work - flight recurrency training at Randolph AFB. During the most difficult months that followed my release I've at times had to use all the strength and faith I possess: So many things have changed - I had to change also. It was hard, but now life has a new meaning. The frenzy of readjustment has abated. I, like the nation, have endured these hard times recently culminating in the resignation of our President. Yet I still have profound faith and confidence in America. I believe that our sustaining values - religion, humanity and patriotism - will ensure our continued freedom.

April 1997 Since his release, Lt. Col. Gray has attended the University of West Florida, for an MBA w/computer science option. He was an "outstanding graduate." The Air War College followed in 1985 where he was again "outstanding graduate."

He was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and 3 Meritorious Service Medals, as well as the P.O.W. Medal.

David Gray retired from the United States Air Force in 1993 as a Lt. Colonel. David is a former Vice President of NAM-POWs Inc., and for the last four years has been a board member of the National League of POW/MIA Families. He keeps busy as a professional vender at Veteran's events, air shows etc. David and Jean have two sons, Bo and Scott, and three grandchildren - Chimere, Christopher, and Royal. They reside in Florida.

I will tell you some about my life since AHS. It's not as exciting as many I've read, but it's been fine. I went to Texas Tech, roomed with Linda Gorsuch one year, then Martha Fox. Loved them both. I married Bill Morris in 1962, he was a Lt. in the Air Force and we were off to the huge town of Smyrna Tenn., just out of Nashville. A shock to my Texas soul, had giant trees and everything was green.

We moved to VA. in 1964, and our daughter, Joi, was born there. Bill had planned to be a career military pilot, he flew C130's, but when he missed all the milestones of her first year, decided to fly for TWA instead. He got out just as Vietnam got really serious.

We then moved to Kansas City, MO. and have been in MO since. Our son, Greg was born in 1968. We moved out of the city in 1972, with just a few acres for a cow, horse, city type stuff. Then Bill got the cattle bug. We moved again and had a little over 200 acres and raised Brangus Cattle for 16 yrs. At least I raised cattle while Bill was having dinner in Paris, Rome, London, etc. It was a good place to raise our kids so it worked out fine. Joi ended up being State FFA Secretary, and both we really involved with the cattle.

After Joi and Greg were gone off to college, we sold the farm and moved to beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, and I love it. Bill flew for a few years, but retired early, before the American takeover. We lived on the Lake for several years, did all the boating and fun things, then Bill had several back surgeries and a minor heart attack so we built a house up on the bluff and have a view of about 2 miles of water. Along the way, I learned to play golf so we could play together when we traveled. He had to quit, but I became an addict. I'm not that great, but I do love it, play at least 3, sometimes 4 days a week.

I now have three wonderful grandchildren, Joi has two boys, Josh is 13, Micah is 10, and Greg has a daughter Sebrina, 13 also. The boys live in Santa Monica CA, but Sebrina is right here. I love that. We now spend our winters in South Padre, and we love the little community there. We also travel to CA. to see the Joi and family two or three times a year, and try to take one trip with friends. We have a busy, and pretty happy life. I am involved with my Church, and volunteer at the local food pantry one week a month, we do a lot with the local Elks Lodge and enjoy that. I guess that's about all.

My only great struggle was with breast cancer almost 23 years ago. Turns out it was genetic and my daughter was also positive. I did proactive surgery 2 years ago and so did she. It's difficult, but I think we both did the right thing. She has written a book about Braca gene, should be out this winter. Probably TMI for the group.

I will really miss seeing everybody, will look forward receiving the memory book.

Onie (Green) Morris

This is a short version of life since graduation.

I attended TCU where I decided to major in religion. Following graduation in 1963, I continued on at the seminary there, Brite Divinity School. While at Brite, I worked one summer in Yellowstone National Park with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP). The following summer, 1966, I was scheduled to work in Yosimite, but my mother died in May. I needed to take care of the legal stuff including selling her house, so I decided to work in Big Bend National Park for a year beginning in Sept instead. After that year, I returned to Brite and finished my degree. I then went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the summer, Shenandoah National Park for the fall color season and Everglades National Park for the winter season. Then I returned to Big Bend the summer of 1969. The First Christian Church in Alpine, TX called me to be their pastor that fall, and I was there four years.

Then I received a call from the Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and moved to Indianapolis in Nov 1973 to begin my ministry there. Little did I know I would be there thirty years!

I had leased an apartment in Indy and after I arrived I became acquainted with the young lady next door. A year and one half later we were married. Susan is a native of Lafayette, IN. We have two children, a son who just turned 30 and lives in town and a daughter with special needs who is 27 and lives with us. We have been in same neighborhood for 33 years and the same house for 27.

While with the Pension Fund I traveled about the US visiting with ministers and lay church employees about the Pension Plan, health care program and other benefit programs. We did make one trip to Australia and New Zealand for a church convention. While I did make 3 or 4 of the previous AHS reunions, I had to miss at least two because of conflicts with church meetings.

I missed the 45th reunion becasue I was in the process of getting on the heart transplant waiting list. In May, 2005, I went into the hospital with congestive heart failure. I was there six weeks when I received the call that a heart was available. On July 4, 2005, I received "a young man's heart". It is doing very well, and I had a good four year check up. I feel extremely blessed to have a second birthday to celebrate.

In retirement I am doing several things with the church, and we spend three months in the winter in Sanibel, FL. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in October.

What a great idea! Nice to hear from you all. A quick update on me: Tom and I will have been married 50 years in November 2009. We have one child (Thomas Corbin) living with family in The Colony near Dallas. We have two granddaughters, Kendall (age 14) and Mackenzie (age 12). Corby and his wife Allison are chemists working for the same lab in Dallas. Corby is an forensic toxicoligist; Allison is a customer laiason. In 1982, I graduated from Angelo State University with a degree in English, with a double minor (Business and German.) I was working for GTE Data Services as a technical writer, going to class before work, after work, and at night. Tom had been working for National Cash Register, which was sold to AT&T in l994. He had been working for 31 years, and we decided we had worked enough. So, in 1994, when both of us were 54, Tom retired, and I just quit. We have a small pecan orchard on a creek, and we spend some time there. Stephanie, thanks for thinking of me.

Tom and I retired in 1994, the year our first grandchild was born. We were both 54 years old, and Tom had worked for NCR/At&T for 31 years, and I had worked for GTE/ Verizon for about 20 years. Tom was a customer service engineer, and I was a systems analyst in the Computer Sciences Department of Verizon. For several years, I had been teaching user- friendly data retrieval languages, so that people in our accounting, engineering, and customer services groups could retrieve and arrange data from the mainframe and compose their own reports. I sometimes travelled to Dallas, San Diego, Chicago, St.Louis, or Tampa to teach or to learn.

I had also been going to Angelo State University on my own time, and in 1981 I graduated with a degree in English. Both companies offered early retirement options in 1994, and we decided we had worked enough.

We spend most of our time working or relaxing on the land; and we like to travel, mostly by car. We went to Europe in 1984; Tom had a brother who was a helicopter pilot working off-shore near Angola, Africa. He worked three weeks in Africa and then was off work for three weeks. He and his wife had an apartment in Brussels and they spent his time off there. We were invited to come for a visit.

We took all our vacation time off and went over there for about 4 weeks. We toured by car, driving up the Rhine Valley, across to the Tyrol region of Austria, then to Munich and down the other side of the Rhine. We spent most of our time visiting cathedrals and castles and seeking out Renaissance architecture and works of art. Back in Brussels, we took a quick tour of the low countries and then drove over to Paris. We had a great time.

Tom had colon cancer in 2001. He prefers to travel by car rather than by air since that time. Neither of us work any longer. I read and paint, and have been trying to learn to play a dulcimer, which is a stringed instrument something like a guitar, except the melody is carried on only one string; the other three or four strings are drones. Traditionally, a guitar pick or stick is used to strum the strings, and a feather is used for the melody. The sound is reminiscent of bagpipes. The dulcimer dates from the Renaissance era and survived the migration of Europeans to America. They are still made and used in the Smoky Mountains. I bought mine on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I take it by fits and starts, depending on the condition of my arthritic hands. I don't have a good ear, nor much talent; but it is said that my grandfather Harlow could play any musical instrument he ever saw. He played the harmonica mostly, but once my dad took a fiddle to the farm, and my granddad picked it up and played all the folksongs we could think of. Enough already. Now its your turn. Tell us all about you.

We owe the following information regarding Charles Harrison to our own Cowboy John Compere. Congratulations to Chuck and his wife, Lorna Tucker Harrison, who is another of our 1959 grads.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- (Edited for posting on website.)

8/31/09 Texas Tech Hall of Fame/Hall of Honor Inductees Announced Posted: Aug 31, 2009 6:46 PM CDT

LUBBOCK, Texas - Seven former Red Raider athletes are slated for induction into the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor during the Texas Tech-Texas A&M football weekend Oct. 23-24. Comprising the Hall of Fame class are women's basketball player Angie Braziel, baseball players Keith Ginter and Chuck Harrison and football players Doug McCutchen, Bake Turner and Terry Turner.

The Hall of Honor class consists of a single member, former men's basketball letterwinner and coach Charlie Lynch.

The Athletic Hall of Honor has been the single entity used to honor letterwinners and non-letterwinners for their accomplishments and contributions to Red Raider athletics since 1961. This year's induction marks the second year of the separation of the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Honor and the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2004, the Hall of Legacy was created by the Red Raider Athletic Department to honor individuals and corporations who have provided extraordinary financial support to Texas Tech athletics. The Athletic Hall of Fame will recognize those athletes who earned entry through outstanding athletic performances. The Athletic Hall of Honor will reward those who make significant non-financial contributions to Tech athletics. The 150 previous inductees into the Athletic Hall of Honor have been retroactively assigned to Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor on the basis of contributions.

2009 marks the fifth year that the Double T Association, the athletic letterwinners organization at Texas Tech, is handling the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame/Hall of Honor voting and induction ceremony. An organization for all varsity letterwinners, the DTA's current membership conducted the 2009 Hall of Fame/Hall of Honor nominations and voting.

Braziel was named 1st team All-American in '99 by U.S. Basketball Writers Association and WBB News Service, and 2nd team All-American by Associated Press and WBB Journal. She was the Big 12 Player of the Year, 1st team All-Big 12 and Big 12 post-season tourney MVP in '99. A 2nd team All-Big 12 performer in '98, the juco transfer from Odessa College was also named to the All-Big 12 Tourney team in '98. Her 17.4 career points per game is third in school lists. Only Sheryl Swoopes scored more points as a Lady Raider among two-year players. A '99 graduate of Texas Tech, Braziel lives in Odessa and is in her first year as head girls basketball coach at Odessa Permian High School.

Ginter came to Texas Tech from Cypress College. He was named 1st team All-American as a junior in '97 by Collegiate Baseball, Sporting News, ABCA, and NCBWA. He was the '97 Big 12 Player of the Year and was twice a member of the 1st team All-Big 12 squad. Twice named to the ABCA All-Region VI team, his career featured a then-school record 29-game hitting streak. He has played in the big leagues with Houston, Milwaukee and Oakland, and most recently spent 2009 with the Charlotte Knights, the AAA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Harrison was initially attracted to Tech as a football player, but it was on the baseball diamond where he made his mark. He led the nation in home runs per game and slugging percentage in '61, and re-wrote the school record books in the process. He played in the pre-SWC era so no all-conference awards were given. However, he was considered to be the first truly great baseball player in school history as evidenced by him being the first Red Raider to play in the major leagues with Houston and Kansas City. A two-year letterwinner on the football team as a sophomore and junior, the '67 graduate of Texas Tech now resides in Abilene.

McCutchen led the SWC in rushing in '70 with 1,068 yards, becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher for the Red Raiders and only the 5th in SWC history. Named 1st team All-SWC as a sophomore in '70, his 2,222 career yardage total was second only to Donny Anderson at the time and remains 9th on the TTU career rushing yardage list. After a career as a high school football coach, the '73 graduate of Texas Tech is now the athletic director for San Angelo ISD.

Bake Turner led the Red Raiders in receiving yards as a sophomore in '59 with a school record 444 yards, before being converted to running back his last two years. He left Tech the school record-holder for career punt return yards. He also punted for three years. He played in the Blue-Gray game following his senior year before embarking on a nine-year NFL career highlighted by a Super Bowl ring with the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. A member of the Texas Tech track team as well, he finished 4th in the SWC in Long Jump and 220 Hurdles as a senior and set the school record in the javelin. He now resides in Alpine, Texas.

Jerry Turner was a consensus All-SWC center and Honorable Mention All-American in '67. In the classroom he was an honorable mention Academic All-American. As a junior, he was 2nd team All-SWC in a season marred by injury in the A&M game. A three-year starter at center, he played in the Gator Bowl as a sophomore. He was honored his senior year by being named co-captain and recipient of the Pete Cawthon Award, the Golden Helmet Award for best lineman and the team Sportsmanship Award. He was described by head coach JT King as "best blocker we've had since EJ Holub" and played in the Shriners North-South game following senior year. In '84 he was named by Dave Campbell as the center on the Silver Anniversary Texas Tech team. A '68 alumnus of Texas Tech, he later graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Law and now practices law in Austin.

Lynch was a three-year letterwinner in basketball in the late '50s. He played on the first Red Raider Southwest Conference basketball team. He was the third leading scorer on the team as a junior and senior and for his efforts was honored with 2nd team All-District VI as a junior. He served as assistant basketball coach at TTU under Gene Gibson for much of the 1960s. Lynch passed away in January. The seven will bring the number to 150 people who have been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame/Hall of Honor since its inception in 1961.

After 24 years of marriage, she wanted a divorce and I did not try to change her mind. That occurred in Lubbock while I was a manager for GE Medical Systems with a territory of responsibility of half the western part of Texas and the southern 1/3 of New Mexico. Just had too much ground to cover, gone most of the time and we were both unhappy with our marriage so the split came.

I got a job in Fresno, a. taking care of the x-ray equipment for the St Agnes hospital, radiology dept and special procedure dept. A very demanding job. That is where I met Connie, who became my blue ribbon-trophy wife. Had a wonderful life with her for 19 years. I started a business doing what I had done for GE, selling, servicing and consulting for x-ray needs for various hospitals and medical facilities in the local area. Took my trophy wife with me on out of town trips and she became my helper. We were only apart for about 8 or 9 days during that 19 yrs time. I started a medical equipment business. Had that business for over 12 years before it was time to retire. We bought a place in the mountains, 12 miles from the entrance to Yosemite Nat. Park, 4 miles from a recreation lake which we frequented pretty often. The name of the town is Oakhurst and has some of the nicest people - typical of a small 13,000 population town.

After living in retirement for only 2 years, Connie was diagnosed with (non Smoking) lung cancer. I took care of her from start to finish. I was with her and felt her last heart beat and was cheek to cheek with her on the last breath. Hard to get the image out of my mind but I am trying to go on in this very lonely world.

I have some really wonderful friends that have acted as a support group for me. They were actually Connie's long time friends and they accepted me. We are still communicating and occasionally visit each other. Connie's family has kept me as a family member, which I really appreciated. They are great people.

Well, I am tired of being by myself and have resorted to checking out eHarmony. There are a few thoroughbreds that are available. I am communicating with some of them now don't know if I will make an arrangement or not. Distance and money make such a difference. I cashed in my saving to buy a few more months of Connie's life since insurance would not pay for the good stuff; so I am working on social security. Hard to have any extras that way but since it is only me at this time I don't mind.

I can't work right now, am recovering from a round of surgeries that started with a shoulder replacement in Nov of '09. Then I had both knees replaced (same time) in early 2010 and wound up with a MRSA infection and had to be opened up for an antibiotic flush. Had to do an infusion of powerful antibiotics (Vancomycin) for 8 weeks. After that I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had it surgically removed in May. Will have to have my other shoulder replaced soon, before Medicare doesn't cover it. Well, that's about it folks - good to be in contact with you guys again. Know of any single queens looking to come to Ca. Just kidding. (sort of)

Keep in touch, be safe and have fun

Tom

Spouse: Kitty (Kincaid) Hunter

Address: 11314 Coloma Lane, Houston, TX 77024

Children: Hadley (36) and Derek (32)

Grands: Blake (6), Courtney (4) and Jesse (1)

Phone: 713 984-0742

Schools: University of Texas-Austin BA, University of Vienna, Stanford MBA

Occupation: Retired vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase-Texas

Memory:Firing rockets the year after Sputnik and going to the National Science Fair.

Marching in the band on the frozen field at the 1959 Cotton Bowl. We practiced in an airplane hanger because of the weather and a trombone player from another school marched into a grease pit.

Passion: I have been heavily involved with Houston Grand Opera for years. We also spend time at our ranch near Frederiscksburg. It seems like we travel all over the world the rest of the time.

The summer following graduation from high school I worked on the summer staff at the Glorieta Baptist Encampment in Glorieta, New Mexico (in the mountains 20 miles east of Santa Fe. In the Fall of 1959, I enrolled at Hardin-Simmons; then, attended Baylor University the Spring and Fall semesters, 1960 where James Queen was my roommate. The summer after my Freshman year I worked for the City of Austin Sanitation Department on the back of a garbage truck. I learned real fast that one way or another, I was going to finish college and not do that for the rest of my life. However, I was probably in the best shape physically I have ever been in. For some reason just before end of mid-term my Sophomore year at Baylor, I felt the need to return to Abilene for the Spring, 1961 semester and transferred back to Hardin-Simmons. Three months later, my dad died fighting a fire in Abilene. At that time, he was Captain of the Fire Department where he had served for over 20 years and was planning to retire in six months. He was only 46. So, in order to finish college it was necessary for me to go to work full-time. I went to work for Lewis Wheat and Sons in Abilene, driving a butane truck and servicing oil rigs within a 100 mile radius of Abilene. I went to school in the mornings, and drove the truck from about 1:00 pm until sometimes 8 or 9 pm. During the summer I would work two shifts and sometimes put in 80-100 hours per week. It took me an extra year, but I was the first one in my family to graduate from College. The summer between my Senior year, I signed up with the Marines to complete 8 weeks of Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. Unfortunately, I was injured 6 weeks into the program and received a medical discharge. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise as I was to graduate from helicopter school at the beginning of 1967 which was at the height of Vietnam.

Many of you know that I was confined to bed during the 2nd and 3rd grade with a life-threatening illness and at one time was not expected to live. Close to the time I was about to recover, the doctor told me that I probably would not be able to be very active in anything very physical, especially any type of athletics. In my mind, I remember saying to myself, 'That's what you think'. I was able to return to school my 4th grade year and started playing football my 5th grade year. By my 9th grade year, I had broken so many bones, my doctor told me I absolutely could not play football any more. So in the 9th grade I got involved in band; however, lettered in basketball, track and baseball that year. And, as most of you know, I focused my attention to band during my high school years. However, just before my Senior year at Hardin-Simmons, I decided that I had to play football one more time. So I walked-on at Hardin-Simmons and played on the Junior Varsity my Senior year. I ended my football days the last week of the season by breaking my collar bone. Some of us are just 'hard-headed'.

In May, 1964 I graduated from Hardin-Simmons with a degree in Physical Education and Communications. That summer I was hired by the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville to serve as Director of Recreation for the Glorieta Conference Center in Glorieta, New Mexico. I was in charge of the recreation activities for an average of 2,000 attendees per week during the summer. I met my first wife there and we married at the end of the summer. I had accepted a teaching position with the Dallas Independent School District where I taught physical education and coached for a year. At the end of the school year I accepted a job with the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department to be one of four District Supervisors. I was responsible for the Northwest quadrant of the City. My son John Christopher (Chris) was born in Dallas in 1965; and, my daughter Kimberly Wynn was born in Dallas in 1966. Chris is a lawyer/lobbyist with Brown-McCarroll in Austin and has a 16 year old son. Kimberly lives in San Antonio and has a 4 year old daughter.

In 1969, I was offered and accepted a Superintendent's position with the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department where I was responsible for all of the Community Centers, recreation and athletic programs and facilities in the City. The morning I reported to City Hall, there were a group of protesters marching around the building making demands about one of the parks. Little did I know that in two hours I would have to sit down with the group's leaders and try to resolve the issues leading to the protest. When I met with them, I explained that it was my first day on the job and I had no idea where Eastwood Park was but I would meet with them on the site and listen to all of their complaints. We did that and their complaints were very legitimate. I formed a representative committee to work with us, got them to agree to close the facilities for a year so we could make the improvement and we re-opened with a big celebration. Over the four years I was there, I also had the 'pleasure' of negotiating with the Brown Berets and People's Party II to avoid two different riots in the parks. What an experience!

In 1970 I was appointed to be the Executive Director of the 50 year-old Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF). T.A.A.F is to City Parks and Recreation Department what U.I.L is to the School Districts. When I began that assignment there were 65 member cities in the organization and by 1979 the membership had increased to 160 cities. In 1979 I convinced the Board that in order for it to grow to its full potential, they needed to hire a full-time Executive Director which they did. Since then, that organization now conducts the largest annual amateur athletic competition in the State, The State Games of Texas.

From 1966 through 1974 I was a member of the Southwest Football Officials Association and the Southwest Basketball Officials Association where I started by officiating pee-wee games and over the years graduated to 4A high school games.

In 1974 I accepted a Superintendent's position with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department where I served for five years. During my Parks and Recreation tenures I served as President of the Texas Recreation and Park Society; served for 13 years as a volunteer for Texas Special Olympics. Then I served on the Texas Special Olympics Board of Directors for 4 years and as Chairman of the Board for two terms.

In 1979 I made a major career change. And, for the next 15 years, I served as Vice President of Business Development for an engineering firm; an architectural firm; and, a large general contractor.

In 1981, my wife of seventeen years told me when I came in from work one day, that she had decided she wanted a career instead of a marriage. At that time our kids were 16 and 15. In 1982 I met Jan on a river boat outing on Lake Austin and we have been together ever since. In 1984 we married and are about to celebrate our 26th anniversary. When I met Jan, she had a five year old daughter (and I thought I was through raising kids). But I have virtually raised Kristin and she has been like my own. She now has three boys, 7, 5 and 20 months and we just found out she is expecting again. In June this year she finished her course work for her PhD at Indiana University. Her husband completed his PhD this year and accepted a professorship in Grand Rapids, MI this Fall.

In 1993, I ventured out on my own, opening a sales training and consulting practice which I continued for 6 years until one of my clients made me an offer I couldn't refuse. In 1999 I went to work for Armstrong Moving & Storage, an agent of United Van Lines as Director of Business Development. And, over the past 10 years I have managed sales for our 7 offices: 5 in Texas (Austin, Lubbock, Midland, San Antonio and El Paso); and, 2 in Colorado (Colorado Springs and Fort Collins). About a year ago I gave up my management role. We moved back to our home at Canyon Lake and I work from my home office.

My primary hobbies over the years have been sailing, racquetball, golf and gardening.

For most of you this is probably a totally different side of me that you would have ever imagined. I have been totally blessed by the many experience I have had since high school graduation. And, who know what is to come!