09/09/04 - NNHS Newsletter - September Tidbits - Part I

Dear Friends and Schoolmates,

This is another one of those letters I'm splitting into installments. So ya know all that cool stuff I promised? Well, I still didn't
get to it, AND I received even more. Well, that'll just give you something else to anticipate.

From Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 09/08/04:

Carol,
It is becoming clear that last minute attendees cannot wait for a form to arrive by snail mail.
Accordingly, it is necessary to post the Class of 1964 Form on the site.
Thanks,
Dave

Certainly! Here you are, David:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion2004.html

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/Class-64-Res-Form.html - for Members of the Class of 1964

With time growing so short, it is becoming critical that all these forms are returned to David so that final preparations
can be made for the Spectacular Spectacular. And no, I am not exaggerating, and no, it is not just so much hype. Just
download your forms, fill them out, enclose your check, and send them off to Dave. In six weeks you'll see for yourself.

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/re-64-2004-actual-form.html - for Members of All Other Classes

Go look again. Make sure you see your name:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion2004-attending.html

Thanks, Dave!

From Richie Allen ('66) of VA - 09/08/04:

Arnie Mull ('64) passed away at 10:30 this morning ....... Wednesday Sept 8th .

From Sandi Bateman Chestnut ('65) of VA - 09/08/04

Hi, Carol,

As you can see, Richie asked me to pass this along to you. I'm sure his obituary will be in the Daily Press
in the next day or so. We just barely got back from Jacksonville, FL this afternoon and he told me about this.
Also, I found out the reason no one could find Arnie's picture in the yearbooks is he moved to NC midway
through high school and then moved back later to work in the shipyard. According to Richie, he knew him
from North End. He also told us that Arnie's daughter lives in Seattle, and is pregnant with her third child.
Yesterday, she and her husband and kids were in a car accident in Seattle, and her husband has a serious
head injury. It sounds like this family really needs a lot of prayers.

Arnold LeMond "Arnie" Mull

NEWPORT NEWS - Arnold 'Arnie' LeMond Mull, 58, husband of Judy Mull, died Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004. The family
will gather at 2 p.m. Saturday at Denbigh Baptist Church for visitation. Arrangements by Berceuse Funeral and Cremation
Traditions.

Published in the Daily Press on 9/9/2004.

Sigh. Thanks, Richie and Sandi. Wayne Stokes ('65) of VA told me that Arnie had taken a turn for the worse a few days ago.
This is a very sad and stressful time for their family, and we'll keep them all in our prayers.

From Sandi Bateman Chestnut ('65) of VA - 09/08/04:

And for some good news, Dale and I have our third grandchild and first granddaughter, born last Friday,
Sept 3rd at 3:53 PM to Dale's son, Kelly and his wife, Angela. Her name is Sienna Riley Chestnut and she
weighed 7 lbs 10 oz. at birth.   Except for the hurricane, no power, cold showers, no telephone and no cell
phone service for 48 hours, our trip was not bad until we tried to get home yesterday. Since we had no way
to communicate with the outside world, we had no idea that the weather would be so bad. We could only
drive about 30 MPH on I-95 most of the way and ended up stopping overnight at a hotel in Lumberton, NC.
We finally made it home safely this afternoon. We were disappointed that we didn't get to see our other
grandson and his parents that live in Sarasota, FL, but it would have been pretty much impossible to drive
5 hours through the middle of the state, where Hurricane Frances left a lot of damage in that area.   It was
so tempting to try it, but were afraid we'd run into some problems with the flooding, trees down, etc. Now
we're heading for Winston-Salem on Friday for our #1 grandson's first birthday. It's hard to believe a year
ago, we didn't have any grandchildren and now we have three, but I doubt that we'll ever catch you, Carol!
Will talk to you more later.

Love,

Sandi

OHHH, Sandi! How precious! I think it's safe to say that few people on earth today who love and appreciate fresh little
newborn more than I. That's probably why I collected so many of them myself. Fortunately for me, I still like them all even
now that they're grown! HA-HA-HA-HA!

Congratulations on your new little doll baby!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/news.html

From Jean Poole Burton ('64) of UT - 09/06/04:


Becky in Arches, Utah

WOW - how lovely - both your daughter AND the scenery! Utah is one of my very favorite places. Thanks, Jean!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/news.html

From Craig Miller ('63) of FL - 09/07/04:

As a totally middle-aged "crazy", I must decline on the upcoming reunion. Thanks for asking. Our
world-cup champion adult flag football team is playing in Florida State Ranking Tournament that weekend
in Fort Lauderdale.

Hey, Craig! We're disappointed that you’ll not be there in October, but congratulations on your accomplishments with your team!
That’s fabulous! Do keep us posted!

From Brian Beachum ('72) of VA - 09/08/04:

Carol,
In regard to the article on the J. S. Darling Oyster Company in Hampton - The stadium for Thorpe Junior High School,
on the corner of Kecoughtan Road and Victoria Boulevard, was named Darling Stadium for the Darling Oyster Company that
was near the school. Just a bit of "Stomping Ground" trivia. Thanks to Dave (Spriggs - '64 of VA) for the great photo find.
Brian

Thanks, Brian. I started to mention Darling Stadium myself, but I didn't know if it was named for the company or for the man
for whom the company was named. And who among you can nitpick as well as I? Giggles!!

From Sherry Mitchum Baker ('65) of VA - 09/08/65:

What is your e-mail address to make donation for website thru paypal? Thanks for all you do.

Hey, Sherry! At last! An easy question! It's the same as my regular address: NNHS65@nc.rr.com

Thanks so much! It's my great privilege to do....um.... whatever it is I do. Giggles!

From Cathy Slusser Hudson ('64) of VA - 09/08/64:

Hi Carol : Glad to see that Joe (Madagan - '57) and the rest of our Florida classmates made it through.
Would you let Joe know that I like his notes in the newsletters, especially the updates on the storm.
I have two cousins living in the Tampa area one is in Wesley Chapel.
Thanks, Cathy

AHA! Another one for the Small World Department! Thanks, Cathy! I very much enjoy Joe's notes myself. He's a jewel -
as are you all.

From Joe Wingo ('65) of NC - 09/08/04:

Carol,
Please let Bobby Turpin ('58 of VA) know, just for the record, that I feel like I can
safely claim a large part of NNHS whether or not Parkview/Briarfield is ever mentioned
in the newsletter or not. For those of us who grew up there, memories are just as deep
and vivid as any. And further, that area turned out more than a few rocks upon which
the Class of '65's foundation was built. The point to remember is simply that ours was
a diverse class covering a broad section of the city and that made us even greater; hence,
we should actively encourage correspondence from all of our classmates.
Thanks
Joe

Thanks, Joe! It's good to hear from you! I think - I hope - that we're all on the same wave-length here. So while it sometimes
may appear that we're favoring one section over another, the simple truth is that while some of us may be chattier than others, and
some of us may be more verbose than others, we're all TYPHOON-bred with blue and gold blood, and we all adore and respect
one another. What an amazing group y'all are!

Curiously, I've found that often one of the things that's hardest for me to remember sometimes is where people lived and where
they went to elementary school. I'm not sure why this is. I seem to remember the strangest things after all these years.

From Rochelle Spooner ('63) of NY - 09/09/04:

Dear Carol
I also went to Briarfield Elementary. My teachers were Mrs. Rowell, Mrs. Woodward and Mrs. Bevan. I lived
in Arlington Apartments. What a flashback. Those years were not so happy. I moved to 1601 Roanoke Avenue and took
the CRT to NNHS...love rochelle

Thanks, Rochelle! Mrs. Rowell was of course the mother of Thommy ('64) and Van ('65).

We don't have Arlington Apartments listed on "Our Old Apartments". Hmmm. Another fine mess I hafta fix...

But the good news is that the elementary school pages are growing! If I save the rest of this Newsletter for tomorrow, I might even
have time to start moving them, because wait'll you see what Tommy Flax ('64) of VA sent us! (Thanks again, Tommy!)

From Rosalee Wills Jecmenek ('65) of TX - 09/09/04:

Thanks so much for posting my special request, Carol...you are a rare gem!! We all appreciate you
so very much!!! Lots of love, Rosalee

Why, certainly, Rosalee! I even bought her a card myself while I was out. Now if I can only mange to not lose it the way
I did the ones I bought for Brownie and her mama last spring. They haven't turned up yet - and they were so perfect, too....

From Renee Helterbran Benton ('59) of VA - 09/09/04:

Thank you, Carol, for sharing your fond memories of Julius and his trumpet. Yes, indeed, he gave many stellar performances
on his trumpet. Julius shared his musical genes with all three of our daughters, as well as our granddaughter. Our daughter,
Kristi, and granddaughter Kendall both play THE (yes, Julius') trumpet exceptionally well. Sherri plays clarinet (gee, I wonder
where those genes came from??!!) and Julie plays all the mallet instruments. All four of them are active in their church orchestra
in northern Virginia. Julius very proudly attended all of their performances until this year.

Julius was certainly gifted in the trumpet department. Not only could he play written music, but he could play by ear as well. He
used to amaze me by listening to anything on the radio and tell me who the trumpet player was on the tune -- even if the guy was
not the main artist on the recording. He used to also point out whenever any player was out of tune or played a wrong note -- Julius
had perfect pitch. He continued to play in the Jett Rollo Orchestra locally for almost 20 years after graduation. In fact, he was playing
at the Fort Eustis Officer's Club with Jett the night that our oldest daughter, Sherri, was born. My mother called him when the doctor
said she was ready to make her debut -- and he made it to Dixie Hospital from Fort Eustis in 20 minutes, flat -- yes, he did get there
before she arrived. The nurses were so impressed that he greeted his daughter in a tuxedo!!

Julius' idol has always been jazz trumpet player, Maynard Ferguson. He met him many years ago and they became friends. Whenever
we attended a performance (and there were MANY), Maynard always stopped and introduced him as his favorite shipbuilder! One
of Julius' prize possessions was Maynard's home phone number which he carried around in his wallet along with a photo of the two
of them. We now have this photo blown up and on the wall in his room.

About a year or so ago, Maynard was playing a performance in Virginia Beach. When he learned how close Julius' nursing home was,
he had our daughters bring Julius to the afternoon rehearsal for a private performance just for him. What astounded everyone was that
Julius didn't know where he was being taken, but the minute he spotted Maynard, he walked right up to him and said, "I know who you
are, you're Maynard Ferguson!" Needless to say, he enjoyed the outing.

Gosh, I didn't mean to ramble on like that, but your reflections were so heartwarming they just got me to thinking back myself.

A special thanks to Evelyn (Fryer Fish - '58 of TX) and Bobby (Turpin - '58 of VA), too, for their kind remembrances. I look forward
to seeing Bobby at the Memory Walk on September 18th. I hope others will join us as well and become part of The Benton Bunch for the
occasion. Kristi has already had Benton Bunch T-shirts printed for us, so we'll be easy to spot.

Please list my email for anyone who wants to contact me: rben10@aol.com

Renee

Thanks, Renee! I personally LOVE longer letters!

I remember the source of Sherri's clarinet-playing genes, too!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/band.html

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/band-58.html

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/band-59.html

We wish you all the best with the Memory Walk. Give Julius our love.

From Linda (Boatright) Fitzgerald ('66) of FL - 09/09/04:

You talk about not wearing jeans to church... but I'll promise you this... if you are in central FL and the air conditioning is out and
you are working in the nursery with about a dozen crying, hot babies, you will be wearing shorts to church and letting those babies
go around with diapers and shirts. God doesn't mind, especially when He is so very glad to have people join in when they are just
visiting Orlando and looking for a place to worship! Sometimes, because of the hurricanes, we have had to meet outside, because
we couldn't get inside the building, but at least we were able to get together. Shorts, jeans, or dress... at least we are able to go!
Linda

I wondered (AFTER I posted it!) how many toes I was gonna step on with my 3-1/2" heels crack! Sorry, Linda! Just call me
an old fuddy-duddy!

When we moved here from Illinois 2-1/2 years ago, my sister (Eleanor Buckley Nowitzky - '59) kept telling me, "This is North
Carolina. We do things differently here."

Sho' nuff, by and large, most of the women at our church dress quite casually, and wear flip-flops - or at least flats - and laugh wildly
if someone mentions panty hose, as though the quaintest of thoughts and rarest of memories has just been broached.

But not I. I still dress up. You see, you must remember my two personal dress codes:
1. "The REAL ME is artificial."
2. "I'm never REALLY comfortable unless I'm at least moderately UN-comfortable."

I am she who actually discovered invisible pantyhose which can be worn under my bathing suit! Yea, verily! I'm the one who back
in the days before they invented panty hose wore a heavily-boned waist-cinching garter belt and stockings under everything - at all times -
whenever I ventured out in public - even under Bermuda shorts and knee socks! I credit the Super-Duper Waist-Cinching Garter Belt
with my 22" waist of yore. It was never allowed to grow beyond that point. I was horrified enough that it advanced beyond the 18" it had
been in seventh grade!

Ah, the good old days...

I remember a wedding on a very, very hot Saturday in June of '63. No, Jimmy-Jimmy, I cannot recall whose wedding it was, but I
remember the important part - what I was wearing! YES! And I was wearing Eleanor's lovely pale pink Dacron dress with the fitted
bodice and softly gathered skirt (and 3" heels, of course!) And underneath the dress and petticoats, the Super-Duper Waist-Cinching
Garter Belt.

For some reason, they decided to throw INSTANT rice after the ceremony - in the heat - everywhere - while we waited outside the
church for quite some time. Having been duly showered myself with several large dousings of this stuff, I became aware that I was
mighty uncomfortable, but it would have been unseemly, unladylike, and downright (GASP!) tacky to allude to such a thing (or even
to the heat itself!) so I just kept smiling.

When I arrived back home, and was at last able to escape the bondage of my clothing, I found that underneath it all, I had acquired
enough fully-cooked rice for a healthy meal.

Somehow I wasn't hungry. Must've been the heat.

Y'all take care of each other.

Love to all, Carol

==============================================

NNHS CLASS OF '65 WEB SITE: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com
PERSONAL WEB SITE: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/cluckmeat

"I only have two kinds of days: happy and hysterically happy."

==============================================

September Song

Anderson and Weill

Oh, it's a long, long while
From May to December
But the days grow short
When you reach September
When the autumn weather
Turns the leaves to flame
One hasn't got time
For the waiting game

Oh, the days dwindle down
To a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days
I'll spend with you
These precious days
I'll spend with you

"September Song" midi and lyrics courtesy of http://www.smickandsmodoo.com/aaa/lyrics/septsong.htm - 09/09/04

Autumn Leaves divider line clip art courtesy of http://webclipart.miningco.com/library/Thanks/blclip56f.htm - 09/09/04

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