Welcome to the 1998 Newsletter for
the A. B. Barthle family!
Front cover
GREETINGS to ALL
From Margie:
This has been another great year for us. Jimmy & I are in great health. Our schedules are basicly the same this year as before. This is the time of the year Jimmy is selling his Naval Oranges. I am still at Crawler Rail & Roller Company.
It was good seeing most of you in July at the reunion. How quickly the family has grown. The pictures that Cinda & Ben took really turned out good as usual. Thanks for the great hospitality of Monica and Herman and the good weather from God, I think the 4th was a great success. Also, thanks to Melda & Jack for the Friday night get-together and everyone's help on Sunday to complete the weekend. Those of you that was not able to be with us, WE ALL MISSED YOU.
In September Jimmy and I left headed north for a vacation. Destination unknown! Our first stop was in Charleston, SC. We took a bus tour of the city. Saw a great number of colonial homes and Fort Sumter. On Sunday we went to Mass at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in old Charleston. Then we toured the U.S.S. Yorktown, which is the same class carrier that Jimmy was station in the Navy a few years ago. After leaving Charleston we headed to Greensboro, NC., on to Lynchburg, VA., then stopped at the Appomattox Court House Historial Park. Niagara Falls was our next destination. Then on along Lake Ontario and into Canada.
We came back across the border in Vermont and headed South into New Hampshire. We stopped for a short visit with Lisa, Alan and Katie. This was very relaxing to see someone we knew. Lisa fixed sandwichs and we sat on the porch. Ate and talked! They have a beautiful place. From here we headed to East Providence, RI to the Carla factory. For those of you that do not know of Carla, it is the company that manufactures the jewelry that Mary Beth and Gene sell. The owners had invited us to tour their factory. This was very interesting. It makes us appreciate the intricate work that goes into making a pair of good earrings.
About this time the hurricane Georges was beginning to make waves, so we headed South to Asheville, NC. We stopped and toured the Biltmore home. It was interesting to see how far advanced technology was in the early 1900 to those who could afford it. This was a good trip!
Steve, Mae and Chris are doing fine. Steve and Mae are both still with the Spring Hill Fire Department and very busy. They are looking for some country property. The area they're in is growing so fast and becoming congested. They hope to be able to move back to the country. In the meantime, they built a carport this year.
Chris was 10 years old this fall. He is looking forward to playing tackle football this next year. He is still making good grades in school. In fact he made the Honor Roll and was named Student of the Week. With Chris being a Scout and Steve and Mae are the leaders, there is always something going on. They still go camping a lot. Chris often brings Spencer when he comes to see us. Spencer loves to fish and catch frogs. Lori is now working in Lakeland at a college that teaches culinary arts, pilots and pilot mechanics.
Renee and Clark have just returned from Las Vegas. Clark had some meeting the first part of the week. Renee flew out Thursday to meet him and they both returned on Sunday. Besides working full time at the County Data Center, Renee is busy running two teenagers everywhere. Renee has always been afraid to fly. This was her year for a first. She flew to Atlanta with Mary Beth to take care of Elise while Mary Beth worked the Atlanta Jewelry Show. She then flew to Miami to take care of Elise again for Mary Beth to work the Miami Jewelry Show. So in less than six months she has made three flights.
Clark still works at Ogden Martin. This year he was elected General Manager of the Pasco County Fair Association. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Florida Federation of Fairs and Livestock Shows. They always say if you want something done, ask a busy person.
Jessica is a freshman and is involved in lots of things. President of the Progressive 4-H Club, Secretary of 4-H County Council, Member of the Key Club, Interact Club, FCA Club and the High School Band. She plays the Trumpet for marching season and the French Horn for concert season. She is raising a hog for the fair again this year.
Shawn is a senior and has been involved in Cross Country Running. He flags at the motorcycle race track and works parttime at A.B.C. Pizza. In his spare time he helps pick oranges. He plans to join the service upon graduation.
Mary Beth and Gene's big news this year was the arrival of Elizabeth Jenae (Elise) on May 6. Mary Beth has stayed home since Elise was born except for a few days that she has work locally. Gene has worked the rest of Florida and Georgia. They hired someone to work Alabama. Gene's Mother was here in October for a weekend. We had a nice visit with her at that time. Mary Beth may go back to work two or three days a week after the New Year. We'll see!
Duane and Kathleen are still busy with their two boys, the store, grove, cattle, and building their new home. Duane has built a cooker this year with his welder. He still helps cook at several events around the area. Kathleen is the leader for the Progressive 4-H Club, and a CCD teacher. Their new home is finally being built. The contractor is now waiting for the trusses to be delivered. It will be very nice when finished. The view of the woods, the bridge to the pond and the dock is beautiful and relaxing. Kathleen is landscaping this area now.
Bret and Jake are still at St Anthonys School. They both play ball and take piano lessons. Bret is helping Papa pick oranges. He also did some mowing of the field in front of our house this summer. He has helped Duane with some of the special cookouts. He is saving his money for a 10 speed bicycle. Today, he told me he is within $10. Bret is in 4-H and is raising a hog for the fair this year and Jake is raising plants. Jake helps Kathleen and likes to come visit. He especially likes to go see Aunt NaeNae who has a Nintendo. Both boys get good grades in school.
For an update on Jennifer, the detectives are still very busy with the investigation. They made three trips to Maine this year to question a man. The third time he was brought here before the grand jury. After two days of testimony he was released. Because of the headlines on these events, several more tips were turned in. This past week there was a search of a home near where she was found. We do not know if anything was found.
If I don't stop, Dan will not have enough room for your news which is the most important to us. At this time we send you our love and wish each of you,
A VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON. Love, Margie
From Joan:
Season's greetings to all! Can it possibly be that time again? Where does the time go? Not much has changed around here since last year. I am very much a creature of habit. I have the same address, same phone number, same job. I do have a little less hair. Wish I could say less of me. Unfortunately, that doesn't change either.
I do have two new grandchildren. Kevin was born to Fred and Janet last December 5th, too late for the newsletter. He was just a post script. He was a few weeks early and was plagued with respiratory problems for a while, but thank God, is doing well now. Jennifer, a real beauty, was born to Mike and Sandra on February 7th. They were both at the reunion in July. I am blessed with 12 beautiful grandchildren, 6 boys and 6 girls.
Speaking of the reunion, it was really nice to see everyone again! Can hardly wait for the next one. The decals were great. What fun we had ironing them on!
God bless and keep us all. May everyone have a Happy and prosperous New Year! Love Joan
From Lisa:
Hey guys, Whew, are the years ever getting shorter or what! Come to think of it I think I am too! Not a lot of changes this year. Same house, same kids, same husband. I guess I just feel blessed that he keeps deciding to come home after visiting all those exciting places. You know Omaha, Des Moines, & St. Louis. Just kidding, what I am really talking about is Milan, Paris, & Rome. Now you have to admit, we are pretty lucky he keeps deciding to come home. Actually we did have an addition to our family this year. His name is SHADOW. Shadow is a Flat-coated retriever. The experts tell us he should weigh in at 65 - 70 pounds when he is full grown. He is somewhat similar to the Golden Retriever but with finer features and a completely black coat. He has been a great addition to the family. And he and Katie are best friends. We did not have any immediate family from the Barthle side visit us this year. But were kept from complete despair by a surprise visit from Margie & Jimmy in September. It was wonderful to see them and to be able to visit for a while. Thank You Margie & Jimmy for coming, we loved it!!!
Alan is still at TWA and still flying the 757 & 767. The pilots finally got a working contract after a year in negotiations. Now they are waiting and hoping that the mechanics & flight attendants can workout their negotiations. To date they have not. Alan's maternal grandmother went to be with the Lord this year, she was 96. Her sister died a couple of years ago at the age of 99. I think the cold up here helps to preserve them. What do you think? Just a theory!
Becca is as always doing good. She did get glasses as suspected and wears them all the time. She dropped the swim team this year for a couple of reasons. Mostly because this was the first year of having more than one teacher. New school, bigger work load and she is still talking about those horseback riding lessons in the spring or summer. She was a little nervous about the new school but has settled right in. Her first report card brought home all A's with a couple of B's. Her strong suits, Math, Science & Social Studies. Having plenty of time for the new puppy was another reason she decided not to swim this year. We have taken up walking the dog for a couple of miles at the time. It is a family affair and we all enjoy it.
Katie will be two in early December. What a joy she has been to all of us. She is saying and doing new things everyday. Mostly she says "Shadow Mere" for come here. As I said before, Shadow is her best buddy and they are so cute together. She is always crawling on him when he is sleeping, he never gets a break. But it cracked me up the other day, to see Katie asleep on the floor & watch Shadow come in the room and proceed to lay down and put his paws across her back. It was definitely payback time. Neither one really seems to mind very much. What a great dog to have around kids.
We love receiving emails & being able to keep up on the latest. We also love the humor to brighten our days. Our email address is: chillybergers@worldnet.att.net Our email address did change this year so be sure you have this latest one. I also have to say what a great time it was seeing everyone at the reunion. Oh Yea and Cinda I owe you a suntan lotion, I haven't forgotten. Or shall I just be sure to bring some to the next reunion? These reunions are worth more than gold to me, and I have quite an affinity for GOLD. We really appreciate everyones work to make these reunions happen!
We love you much and may God continue to care for each and every one of you! Lisa, Alan, Becca, & Katie
From Teresa:
Seasons greetings to all, This year really flew by. Once again we've moved. The house we were living in sold. I'm gonna hafta stop fixin' 'em up so nice. That's the second one in two and a half years. I move in and once I get it just like I want it, "wham"!, it sells. My friends say if it happens again, I should get cards made and go into business selling homes.
As some of you already know, Glenn moved to Georgia in January. That's why the children weren't at the gathering in July--they were visiting Dad. I was served papers in July and am currently in litigation. I will probably be divorced by the time the new year comes around. Though I believe in "one man-one woman for life" and do not desire to be divorced, under Florida law, there isn't much I can do about it. I've made a vow and intend to uphold it--either to be reconciled to my husband or remain as I am (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). This is a hard row to hoe, but God's grace is sufficient.
Jessica is in 9th grade and Caleb's in 7th in their home-education program. They're both doing well. Jessica began violin lessons this year and is excelling, according to her teacher. Caleb played well at "winter ball" and hopes to play in the spring. They both have kept up with piano and give me plenty of nice music to hear. They are now involved in a pilot program in which "clean cut teens who fell from heaven" (as quoted from the Tampa Tribune), teach integrity in the public schools. This came about from the state Legislature mandate last summer to include character training in the schools.
Several teams of home-educated teenagers have volunteered their time and energy to meet this need. The students are learning Attentiveness, Obedience, Truthfulness, etc. and loving it. The teen-teachers are having a blast investing themselves into the lives of others, and the school counselor, as well as, Representative Byrd are pleased with the results. We've gone from one class to many, and are being asked to go into other schools. It is wonderful to see young people using their great potential to impact others in a very positive and unselfish way that has lasting value. We are encouraged and blessed.
May God bless and keep each of you, and may your cup overflow with peace and happiness this holiday season and throughout the new year.
Love in Him, Teresa, Jessica and Caleb
From Sandra:
Hello Everyone, We are doing fine including our precious daughter Jennifer DeJesus Barthle born on February 7, 1998. She was 7 pounds and 11 ounces. The inches long were 19 1/2.
I never forget about Jennifer when she was crying and I tried to comfort her but still crying then somehow I saw Jennifer signed "MILK" in her sign language.
We got back home from Barthle's Family Reunion. We were thinking that we had blast time with you all on July 4th. It was experience for us. We thanked to Duane Denney for show us the land where Denneys area and the ponds also the family history. We would like to see you all again, except I wanted to go water ski again.
Last July 19th was a special moment for Jennifer to have baptism day. There were lots of families and friends who wanted to bless her. We are proud of Jennifer.
We love to read the family's newsletter and good to hear about you all!
We wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! Love, Mike, Sandra & family
From Jimmy:
Happy Holidays to you all!! We all enjoyed the Barthle's Family Reunion last July 4th. It was wonderful to see you all there.
PAH! (PAH is deaf slang for FINALLY!) We want you all to know that we have e-mail address. It is: mjwyoung@juno.com It is fun to use e-mail through our family and friends. We are members of Deaf Wings. Members are career professional workers and we took the Deafoween Event last Oct. 31. Warren was on the local news and won one of the costume prizes. He was dressed as Hercules. (cute!)
Warren is in kindergarten class this year and his school is the Lutheran Day School. He still attends that school since his first day of school when he was 3 years old. Last Sept., he got surgery to put tubes in both his ears. He has had ear infections since he was baby. Now he is much better and hears better too. He just pulled his lower tooth (his first one). He is five years old. When his tooth was pulled he was so excited, he said "I can't wait to get coins"....cute huh! He is ready to play t-ball or peewee baseball next February.
Melinda still works at VAMC and has worked there for more than seven years. She and Warren went to spend time with brother Mike and sister in law Sandra plus their precious baby Jennifer for one week. Wish we take Jennifer with us to go home.
I had a great vacation at Washington D.C. for 50th Fraternity Anniversary last sizzling June. I have not seen my alma mater since I graduated 23 years ago. I was thrilled to see Gallaudet campus again. On Friday, I spent the day on the campus, visited my old friends and the aged buildings where I used to go to class. and the Frat. room. That night all the brothers had a dinner and bonding meeting. On Saturday, a few of us rode on the subway to U.S. Holocaust memorial. It was a sorrowful history for them. I wish we had more time to visit other places. That night we had a large banquet. I was really happy to meet my brothers there. Overall, I lost my reading glasses and Melinda's camera. I am still with Florida School for the Deaf Alumni Association. We are planning to have huge 15th Anniversary Homecoming next year. I am also still working at my dental lab. It has been 18 years now.
Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! Love, Melinda, Jimmy & Warren
From Bonnie
Hello all: We had another good year this year. The trees are really doing good (thanks to all the rain we had) and we have ordered more. We bought a calf (Eulamae) in January and a goat (Billy boy) in May. In October we bought another calf (Pepsi Betty). In November we lost Billy-boy to either a coyote, dog or bobcat we don't really know. We also lost a rabbit to a stray dog.
In August Michael transferred to my post office in Haines City. He also works 5 days a week with a friend in the greenhouse business. He did really good at bowfishing this year. He caught more in a day than he did all summer. I stay busy with work and the kids.
Rachael just turned six and I am home educating her. She enjoys it. So far so good. Samson on the other hand doesn't have a chance with Rachael around. She is always dressing him up like a little girl. (She wanted a sister not a brother!)
We really enjoyed the 4th of July reunion. It was great seeing everyone. We love you all.
Take care and God Bless You Always! Bonnie B & family
From Sam:
Hello everyone from Carlene, Kyle and Sam. Carlene graduates next month. She currently spends most of her free time studying. I guess its not really free time is it? We are very proud of her and will enjoy having more time to spend with her. Earilier this year she took a position with Marriott in Orlando and it was very difficult for us with all the travel time. However in September she took a job with Clark Environmental. It is very close to home and that has been a big relief.
Kyle started first grade this year. He spent his summer in Miami and Texas (Texas had a record heat wave while he was there). His Aunt Bonnie taught him to ride a horse this past spring. I found the internet and discovered my typing skills need a lot of work. I do like receiving e-mails and my address is: mombassa@gte.net Its the sending of emails I have a hard time with. Just ask my sister Lisa.
Carlene and I really enjoyed the reunion at Herman & Monicas. That is a great place to have it and I vote to have it there again.
Thats all for this year! Love, Carlene, Kyle, and Sam.
From Janet:
Hello and Happy New Year to everyone, I can't believe another year is past (already). We are all doing fine now after a scary start in 1998. As you all know we had an early addition to our family in December of 1997, and he was off to a rocky start, but in late Febuary he finally got everything right.
While he was in the hospital, having tests done to see why his breathing kept stopping and why his heart would keep stopping, his daddy (Fred) decided to injure his knee playing basketball with some of the teens from church (which we also, in our FREE time, help with). Needless to say he was down for a while. It was kind of funny, when people would stop in to see Kevin in the hospital, there would be Fred laying in the chair bed (which they gave us to sleep in) with his knee wrapped up and crutches close by. I think he decided to stay there so maybe the nurses would feel sorry for him and he could be waited on hand and foot along with Kevin. After everything with Kevin was better and we were back home to stay, Fred got the news that his knee would need surgery. So he set the date and went in for the surgery, which was just a few hours, and then he was back home that same day, with an IV and pain medication (of course) and also a home nurse that would come by once a day. So needless to say I was very busy between 3 kids and a husband who needed my undivided attention (you know how men are when they are sick). But come summer everything was back on track and going well. Fred was back on his feet and Kevin was just great.
Fred is still at Publix general merchandise warehouse, with Sam, and I am still at home. I do work about 2 nights a week doing candle parties for Partylite Inc. Kenny, now 5, started kindergarten this year and just loves school, Jenna, almost 3 now, wants to go to school so bad, she asks every morning "Am I 5 yet, can I go to school?", And Kevin, 11 months, is crawling all over the place. All in all it has been a good year.
We had a wonderful time at the family reunion back in July, and it was so nice seeing everyone again. Our prayers and love are with you all, and we hope you have a wonderful 1999.
The Fred Barthle gang! Fred, Janet, Kenny, Jenna, and Kevin
That is it from the Jim Barthle gang. We wish you the best of Holidays and ask the Lord to bless you all!!
From Mike Petters Family
Christmas 1998
Dear Friends and Family,
It seems like we just finished last year's Christmas letter, but here we are again! Time is like that - flies when you're having fun and all that. And like a carnival ride, it feels like we are going even faster at the end of this year's ride. Here's hoping that we can all find some time to reflect on the miracle of Christmas Morning, even as we manage the hustle and bustle of the season that is around us.
The Petters Family (Old Dominion Branch Office) has had a truly blessed year. We are fortunate to live close to Nancy's family, but were saddened in August, when Nancy's grandfather Floyd Briggs passed away. He was a remarkable man, and is sorely missed. Nancy's parents and sister Beth are doing well, and we see them often. They were able to be with us for Thanksgiving dinner, and we look forward to seeing them on Christmas Day in Franklin, and throughout the holidays. We were able to make it to Mike's family reunion in Florida on the Fourth of July, and were visited by Mike's brother Dean, his wife Anne, and son Tony in September. Mike's dad and Aunt Connie came to attend the Truman Commissioning in July, and Dad came back for a visit for Thanksgiving, which was a special treat for all of us (more on that later…). Mike's sister Susie, and her children Jennifer and Michael also dropped by on Thanksgiving.
Mike has continued his work in the Carrier Program at the shipyard. While some travel is a necessary part of his work, he manages to make the most of his excursions, actually dropping in on Susie and her children in Hawaii in January. His travel seems to pick up during baseball season, taking in six major league games this year. Something about McGwire's 527 ft HR in Busch Stadium in May (#14), and two World Series games in San Diego. Mike also managed to fly in the back seat of an F-18 in November, making three arrested landings and three catapult assisted takeoffs from the USS Harry Truman (which was delivered to the Navy by the shipyard in June). We wonder when he's going to get a real job! In October, we took delivery of the Calaloo, a 22-foot walkaround cuddy cabin cruiser. Mike's plan is to cruise the Chesapeake and teach the girls (and Nancy?) to ski like Floridians. We have already spent many hours in the Hampton Roads Harbor, and the nearby James River. Sarah's science project was another good excuse to take the boat out. But the cruise which will no doubt become legendary has to be Mike's excursion to the Outer Banks with his dad in November. It has been said that there are only two kinds of captains that go in and out of Oregon Inlet - those that have run aground, and those that will. Mike is the newest club member of the former, getting some fourteen hours of unplanned quality time with his dad on a sandbar in Old House Channel.Nancy was sorry that it happened, glad they were both OK, and thrilled that she wasn't there. All of us here wish each of you the very merriest of Christmases, and all the best for the New Year. We look forward to hearing from you all!
Nancy began the year continuing her work teaching French at home. As spring came, she began substituting at a local pre-school two days a week, teaching three year olds. This has turned into a regular position this fall (now three days a week). Threes are at the age where many parts of the puzzle of life are being unlocked, and Nancy particularly enjoys working with each of the children as they discover their own set of keys.
From Sarah:
Hello to all. This year has been great. I finished out 8th grade at my middle school in June. This summer, I attended 2 field hockey camps, a church camp (where I sprained my ankle) and went to Florida. I helped out at our area churches' Vacation Bible School. In August, we went to the beach for a week. I conditioned for the field hockey season, where I was elected captain. I started 9th grade at a new High School and I love it. My classes are all really good, and soon we're going on a trip to Pennsylvania.
From Caroline:
This year, I have done a lot of stuff. In the summer, I was on the swim team. I turned 9 on April 20. In September, I started fourth grade. On December 16th and 18th, my music enrichment class will give concerts (at my mom's pre-school and at our school) where we will sing and play the recorder. I will play "Silent Night" on the piano.
Mike, Nancy, Sarah and Caroline
From Bernie & Jennifer;
The year seems to have flown by.
January found us all healthy and in good spirits. In February, Bernie transferred to the MIS department at Aaron Rents as a Visual Basic and SQL Server programmer. Meanwhile he continued flying as a back-up Pilot at Helicopters, Inc.
Matthew played his second year of T-ball in the spring. He played mostly in the outfield, though he did get a few chances on the infield. At one point he had a five game hitting streak! During all the games the biggest fan was, of course the shortest one, Nathaniel. He so wanted to get out there and take his turn in the line-up! Despite their difference in age, Matthew and Nathaniel continued to grow closer in age, more like "partners in crime", I guess that is only normal.
Nathaniel had a wonderful Mickey Mouse Birthday party for his second year celebration and we were fortunate to have Cinda and Ben with us as well.
In May we celebrated Matthew's graduation from Pre-Kindergarten. He was adorable, blue slacks, white button-down and a very "conservative" tie. With that and hearing a group of 5 year olds singing Kool and the Gang's "Celebration". Life just doesn't get much better!!
We traveled to Florida for the 3rd (or was that second?) Family Reunion. It was a great trip, and a special thanks to Margie and Jimmy for hosting us.
Matthew still talks about the fact that Aunt Margie and Uncle Jimmy have a swimming pool and a tree house!!! Once again, how much better can life get?!
We had a great get together for Jennifer's Birthday (Susie's) with Connie, Clem (Pop Pop), Cinda, Ben, Susie and the rest of us in September. If there is a Barbie toy out there Jennifer doesn't have, I would be surprised!! It was a wonderful time for all of us.
Matthew started Kindergarten in August and we celebrated his sixth birthday at Discovery Zone with Jennifer and Michael there too, in October. He is playing basketball this winter.
In December, Bernie received a full-time Pilot position with Helicopters, Inc. and left Aaron Rents after nearly four years. He has spent many years and "paid his dues" to get to this opportunity. We are thrilled and I feel personally, it is long awaited and well deserved. I am so very proud of him. Integrity and determination do pay off!
We want to send our best wishes to everyone for this Holiday Season and the New Year to come.
From Tim and Clem:
Céad Mile Fálte! A Thousand Welcomes!
The theme of 1998 for the St. Joe branch of the Petters clan has been TRAVEL.
The year began last Thanksgiving with Dad's trip to Hawaii with Aunt Connie to Hawaii. By all accounts they had a marvelous time, even though it rained the entire time they were there. Susie and the kids greatly enjoyed hosting their mainland visitors.
February had Tim and Dad visiting Dean in Ohio to welcome the newest member of the clan, Tony. Both took the opportunity to tell Anne's family enough embarrassing stories about Dean to keep them in blackmail material for years to come.
July was turnabout as we hosted the Petters branch of the Barthle Family Reunion. Many new friendships between cousins were started, which we all hope will be kept and built upon for many years. We also hosted Susie as she relocated her family to Alabama. Dad helped Susie go to New Orleans to pick up her truck, as it was shipped to the mainland.
August took Tim to the Emerald Isle. Visiting Ireland has long been his dream, ever since Aunt Cinda took Grandma there so many years ago. He spent a week in Ennis with a tour group from Notre Dame Alumni Association. And yes, Tim DID get to kiss the Blarney Stone.
In October Susie came to visit again. Now that she is stateside we look forward to her frequent visits home.
November saw both our heroes traveling in different directions. Tim met Brian in Chicago and took him to the LSU - Notre Dame football game. Brian toured the campus as Tim recounted stories from his days as a student. It has to be said that Tim was slightly happier with the outcome of an extremely close, hard fought game. (Brian, PLEASE send me those photos so I can put them on my website.)
For Thanksgiving Dad traveled to Newport News. He spent two weeks with Mike's family. Dad especially enjoyed going with Mike on Mike's new boat as they faced uncharted hazards to navigation. It looks like Dad traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday is becoming a Tradition.
(Bernie and Brian, we owe each of you a visit so consider this a warning. Tim still has a Delta pass for a free flight as he was bumped to a later flight while returning from Ireland.)
Any of you can visit us here in Florida whenever you want by browsing Tim's web page at http://home1.gte.net/tpetters. Let him know what you think of the page and what you'd like to see there.
Tim and Clem.
From Susie:
This last year has been full of excitement and adventure for us...Dad and Aunt Connie made our Thanksgiving extra special last year as we had a block dinner on our little Hawaiian street. Good food and lots of great stories. Christmas in Hawaii is different than anywhere else, from Santa arriving by canoe, or Tug Boat, to palm trees as the decorated norm, it will not be forgotten in any near future. In Feburary after an exercise on the Big Island, I was able to ride the Army's watercraft back through the Island chain to Oahu. The whales were breeching, it was a crystal clear night, they had fireworks over Maui and I even got to see the Southern Cross, unbelievable experience. In March, Mike and I took the kids to the Volcanoes on the Big Isand, it was flowing and quite the view. The kids and I flew back to the mainland in June and joined the family for the big reunion...WOW what a great time!! July brought us to Maxwell Air Force Base, for school. The Air Force certainly knows how to treat families. I am in class about 5 hours a day, and have lots of mommy time with the kids, something I haven't had in recent years. The kids are enjoying it all, with soccer, dance and tumbling all frequent events. Mike returned to the mainland in August via California and took 45 days to travel across the great nation, visiting the Grand Canyon and just taking his time enjoying all the great countryside. We just went to Newport News to celebrate Thanksgiving with Mike and his folks, he is stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia. We had a great time. I am waiting for my new assignment, expect it will be Scott AFB in St Louis, in June, but nothing is definate yet, as I do not have orders yet... We want to take this opportunity to wish all of you the best of holiday greetings. We love you all, and feel extremely blessed to be a part of this family!!!
Susie, Mike, Jennifer and Michael
From Dean:
Greetings from Dayton, Ohio!!
This has been an extremely busy year for our family. Anne and I have been truly blessed with Tony. He seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his first year and can't wait to get on with his second. He is just starting to walk, but so far, he doesn't see the point... crawling around gets him where he wants to go.
This year started with Tony's baptism in February. Dad, Tim and Aunt Connie made the trip and thankfully brought some mild weather with them. After the baptism, we had a party for our friends and families that lasted well into the afternoon. Dad (et al) had to be back at the airport by 6 pm. so they had to leave a little early, but it sure was great seeing them again!
In July, Anne, Tony and I made the trip down to San Antonio for the Barthle Family Reunion. It was great to see everyone again! The reunion was also the first time since mom passed away that the Petters clan got back together! One problem with living across the eastern US is that we don't get to see much of each other...
At the beginning of September, we went to Nags Head for a much needed vacation. On the way, we stopped in on Mike, Nancy and the kids for a couple nights. It was awesome seeing them again, even though we had just been together 2 months previously. We then spent a week on the beach. Tony absolutely loved the beach, although he couldn't understand why the waves kept running from him. So he decided to chase after them! He was so funny to watch and not once complained about a faceful of salt water or a diaper full of sand. If we ever get the scanner working again, I have a ton of pictures to upload to our web page.
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, Anne and I were busy preparing for Tony's first birthday party, held at his Grammy's and Grampy's in Cleveland. He really enjoyed the chocolate cake and ice cream! That was, until it got in his eyes. He also loved ripping the paper off of his birthday packages and is now busy playing with his new toys!
It has been an awesome year for us! And also incredibly busy. It is hard to believe that Tony is already 1 year old; he has changed so much this year! As I am sure all the parents out there know, our lives have changed in so many ways this year. Tony has brought us incredible joy. We are truly blessed!
Dean, Anne and Tony
From Brian
Hi, everyone! May the hope of Christ’s coming bring you peace amid the hectic rush of the season.
We moved onto Barksdale AFB in early April of this year, and appreciate the extra room. The boys love the second story and, for a duplex, the house is roomy. We like the neighborhood, too; the boys have made many new friends and so have we.
John is 7 1/2 and is homelearning in the first grade. He has made great progress in reading just in the three months we’ve been doing it. Because of his artistic abilities, his cursive handwriting looks very good for his age, too. He and Ben are both interested in many animals, especially ocean life, so they really enjoyed our trip to the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans in October.
Ben will be 6 at the end of December, and is almost as tall as John. He is taking Religion class at home with John, but is not in school yet. He has had a sinus infection since March (we think) and has been plagued with nasal drip and a congested throat since summertime. Despite this, his spirits are still good, and he is not plagued with a constant headache or sore throat. He’s almost finished with his third round of antibiotics, and if it are unsuccessful, he will need his sinus drained. So we ask your prayers for his recovery.
Leo is almost 20 months, and is so sweet. Everything he says starts with “Mamma, ...”. He is navigating the stairs pretty well, and learning to climb on outside equipment. He colors while we’re doing homeschooling, and he asks Vicki to draw a ga-ga (shark) or wa-wa (whale). Every time she turns the microwave on, he thinks she’s cooking him a gu-gu (hot dog). He’s learned how to turn the computer and the TV on (he’s a Petters).
Vicki is really enjoying homeschooling John. On the weekends she plays Masses at two churches other than ours, and she’s enjoying that. Brian is teaching her the joys of E-mail thanks to Tim’s donation of a computer.
At work, Brian went from the Weapons School to the Communications Squadron for a month, then to the Maintenance Squadron as Squadron Section Commander. He is in for a job change sometime next year and an almost certain move. We will keep everyone posted.
We have been blessed to celebrate our first decade of married life together this December. God willing, we will be together for six more. God has blessed us abundantly this year, and we hope He has done the same for you. Our prayer for all of you is to experience the gift of faith and the joy of living in the Spirit of God all year round, and especially at Christmastime.
Love, Brian and Vicki and gang
From Connie,
Greeting from Land O Lakes, it is hard to believe that another year has gone by. I have had a busy year. This time last year I was working during the week and teaching a sixth grade CCD class on Monday nights. Well things have changed this year instead of continuing with teaching CCD classes this fall, I decided to go back to College. Since I had some education benefits available to me that I needed to take advantage of before the time limit ran out. ( What I have is 45 months of full time education, that has to be used within ten years.) What this translates to is 90 months at half time) So I went to Pasco Hernando Community Collage to get the ball rolling. At the present I am going for a BS degree in Small Business Management. Late August, I started classes in Prealgebra class and Collage Keyboarding I, we have only six more class meetings left in this semester. So far I am very pleased with my grades. I have also gotten registered for the next term, to start in January. I have classes twice weekly. Then I only have 47 more hours to take to get this degree. So far so good.
I am still working at the Landscape Nursery the rest of the week, and also taking care of my yard work around the house. All of this keeps me busy.
In March I sold the Honda ( That was Mom's) and bought an S-10 Chevy Pick up (Purple). I sure do like the truck, especially since I do my own yard work, now I 'm able to haul off all the yard trimming's whenever I have them.
In July, I want to thank Melda, Monica and Margie for the wonderful "Family Weekend" they did a great job hosting so many of the Family. In Late July, Clem and I went to New Port News, VA for the commissioning of the USS Harry S. Truman, aircraft carrier. It was a good trip, the hospitality was great. Thanks to Mike, Nancy, Sarah and Caroline.
In September, we spent a weekend in Atlanta, attended a Braves Game, and Jennifer Davidson's Birthday party at Bernie and Jennifer's. I got to spend some quality time with Cinda that weekend. It was about that time of the year Thom called and reported he had been awarded Lester Coggins - Driver of the Month award for the month of July. He must be doing something right. Then it was sometime last month that they asked him if he would be interested in being a Driver Trainer for them. So when he had a couple of days home earlier this month when he went back he is now officially an Driver Trainer for Lester Coggins. I know he will make a good trainer for the new trainees.
We only had one addition to the family this year and that was Baylee Alexis Carr ( Joe and Amy) now it is Joe and the Girls. We are expecting another Grandbaby around the first of the year. ( Kathy and Kelly Himes ) Hunter is getting so big. It is hard to look at him and think he is only three. He is tall enough to be 4 or 5 years old.
From Marie:
Things are much quieter this year than last. I am staying busy with the two children and working. I am still working for Fireman's Fund Insurance Company in the Mail and Supply room.
This past week I had to have some surgery on my left wrist, due to a problem with the tendons, as a result of repetitive motion in my work.
Chris and Tiffany were Baptized at Easter time. Chris also made his First communion at that time. Ralph and Paula were their God Parents. Thanks for your love and support.
Chris is doing real good in (would you believe) seventh grade this year. He has made the honor roll, again this year. He is getting so big too, almost as big as his Mom.
Tiffany is doing good in school this year too. She is our Celebrity this year, she had her picture in the newspaper. In relation to the Buddy System they have at school, where the fifth graders help the Kindergartners with their school projects and to help this age group to get to their buses.
In my spare time I try to keep up with the professional sports, especially Football and Baseball. ( Somebody has to in this household ) since Dad's not here to keep mom posted of the plays as they take place.
From Amy (Joe's Family)
Seasons Greetings! We hope everyone has had a great year. We've had allot happen in the last year. We'll give you a brief run down of what has happened in the Carr household in 1998.
To start with Joe and I had a beautiful baby girl named Baylee Alexis in April. We will be celebrating our second wedding anniversary in December. Joe has changed jobs. He now is working at Macdill Air Force Base on active duty orders. He says it's better than being on active duty because he doesn't have to do any traveling. I just recently celebrated ten years with Frost Management.
Amy started the fourth grade this year. She's involved in the Can Heads (recycling club), Media helper and Chorus. She has her first concert in December. The Can Heads all went to the Pasco County Recycling Plant to see how the whole process works. She also received great marks on her first report card of the year.
Nichole started kindergarten this year. She was placed in the upper level of kindergarten. She's enjoying the whole learning environment. She also received great marks on her very first report card. She learned to ride a two wheeler this spring.
Baylee is now seven months old. She has learned to crawl, sit up and pull up on furniture. She currently has two teeth (bottom gum). We believe she'll be walking or almost walking by Christmas.
We really enjoyed seeing and meeting everyone in July. It was a great weekend.
We hope everyone has had a wonderful year filled with love and happiness.
Joe, Amy, Amy, Nichole and Baylee
From Jerry, Kelly, Jessica & Noah
Hello everyone, another year has passed. Jerry is still working for Sheppard Electric, but the company has split and there is a new owner. Jerry seems to like the new owner. I still work for Cigna Health Care in the Provider relations department. Jessica is 5 yrs. old and in Kindergarten and still has not learned that she has to learn not to play. Noah is 2 yrs. old and is going to take after daddy in the gracefulness area, we really think he is going to be an ER child. We lost our dog of 11 years this year, and we all miss him a lot. We took our first family vacation out of state this year, we went to Cherokee, North Carolina and camped in a KOA, went horse back riding, hiked to the water fall, played in the river, went to the casino (lost money), we all hated to leave, the kids cried when we had to start home. Jerry is still looking for a place to go hunting he would like to get on a lease or with a hunt club. Well, this is all that has happened, so all that is left is to say I hope next year and all the years to follow are just as wonderful.
With all our love, God Bless. Jerry, Kelly, Jessica and Noah Carr
From Kathy & Kelly Himes, Justin, Hunter and (baby) Sierra, (Birthdate to follow)
Happy Holiday's everyone, It was great to see everyone at the July weekend. It is nice to know we are a part of such a wonderful group of people.
Hunter is growing so fast, he is such a character, we asked him if he knew everything and he replied " I don't know everything but I know a lot of things,"
Justin is doing great in school. He got all "A's" and one "B". He played football this year in Lutz. (He played left guard, he's such a big boy they were double teaming him.)
This year Kelly went to Texas hunting, he did very well he got a total of 4 deer, (including a 10 point white tail deer), and two hogs. His business is continuing to do very well.
I have been with Aetna for twelve years now, and in October, I was promoted to the Personnel Department. This position is very exciting and never a dull moment.
We are expecting a baby around the first of the year (Doc sazes it's to be a girl) With all the boys in the house it will be nice to have little girl around.
We wish everyone the best for the New Year, and hope to see everyone soon.
From Thom:
He's on the road now and I don't know when he'll be home again. Usually he gets home about every three weeks or so.
We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas filled with love and happiness of New Years........
With Love..... The Connie Carr Family
From Laurie
"What a year"! First thing after Christmas we: Mom, Dad, Danny, Nick, Tony (Nick's Dad) and myself, went skiing at Mammoth Mountain. It is only about three hours north of Ridgecrest.
Dad was still working in Lake Charles then, and had to be back to work by January 5th. He was working anywhere from 60 to 70 hours a week. It was not hard work so he did not mind (Well, he did not have any of his woodworking equipment there). April 8th-13th (Easter weekend) he came home again. The next time he came home was for Memorial Day weekend (May 20th-25th).
On June 15th he got a call from Rebecca Higgins, she was in New Iberian, that's just south of Lafayette, Louisiana. He was able to meet up with her in Crowley, that is about half way between where she was and Lake Charles for dinner. It's Great to be able to meet up with family like that when both are away from home.
It was the 4th of July weekend when he was able to get away from work again. And what a great weekend! Our thanks to Uncle Herman & Aunt Monica for having the reunion at their place. And our thanks for Everyone's contribution.
After returning to Lake Charles, Dad had about three weeks left on the project he was working on. July 27th was his last day at work in Louisiana. So the weekend was used to pack up for the trip home to California. He managed to leave by noon on Monday. However, before heading west he spent two nights in Pensacola visiting with friends and seeing the sights, then on to Median, Mississippi for the night (Dinner and a tour of the town, lots of old houses, well not so many after Sherman went through).
Atlanta was the next stop; he spent two days and three nights at Uncle Ben & Aunt Cinda's. What great hosts they are, his visit was too short.
On to Shreveport, Louisiana to see Brian, Vicki & family for the afternoon. They fed him, and talked him into staying the night.
It is now Monday again; he left about 5am to get an early start, so he would be in Edmond, Oklahoma before it got too late. Well he made it past Dallas in good time, so he made Edmond by mid-afternoon. Ken & Sara showed him a very good time. They went to the Cowboy Museum. Just as with all the past days he started the day of travel again at 5am.
This time on to Denver, to visit with an old friend he worked with at China Lake, but his timing was not the best, well depending how you look at it. His friend's wife had just given birth to their son about an hour before his arrival (The baby was about two weeks early). Even though, dad did get a chance to visit with his friend for about half an hour before heading out to Grand Junction for the night.
Then he headed for home the next day, getting home about 8:30pm. Once at home he was trying to catch up on things around the house. Once the house was in order he was able to start cutting up wood again, and getting ready for Santa's Artshop, a craft show the first weekend of December (He has participated in the show for many, many years).
Once he was stocked up, he left for a reunion in Pensacola with his old Navy buddies (The Blue Angles), on November 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th.
He figured since he was that close to central Florida and having some spare time, he would wonder down and had several wonderful visits with Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Margie, Aunt Connie, Uncle Jack & Aunt Melda, Uncle Herman & Aunt Monica, and Uncle Ralph & Aunt Paula.
Then "westward ho", with a stop in Lake Charles for two days, just before making a two day road trip back to California.
He had received a message from another friend he served with in the Navy; he was in Palm Desert on vacation. Reaching Palm Desert late in the day, he spent the night and had a nice visit with his friend (he had not seen him for over 33 years).
Then the next day he surprised me at work and took me lunch, all before getting home on Wednesday, November 18th. Dad sure has traveled a lot this year, I expect next year to be somewhat the same.
We (Mom, Dad, Danny, Nicholas, JR and myself) had a good time Thanksgiving Day at our friends, The Pearls (we have had Thanksgiving Dinner there over the past several years), the weather was great, very mild, no rain (until the next day).
Mom's been very busy with work and exercises (a lot) to keep the stress down. She has spent quite a bit of time with all the grandchildren too! She tries to rest in between! She has been on travel a lot this year; Pensacola, San Diego, and now White Sands. She went to New York in July to help my Grandmother; Grandma had broken her hip a few weeks earlier that month. Mom has been searching the net to find out about her Italian Grandparents. She is collecting little bits here and there. Mom has gotten quite involved in doing crafts such as "Creative Memories". She also took a Photo Class up at the community college. Mom is quite the photographer, she is really good at it (A good camera would help though). Mom asks herself a lot why she choose being a Contract Specialist as her life career. It is becoming more and more difficult and stressful to do her job with the government cutting jobs left and right, and the ever changing laws to follow governing contracts. She is plain tired!
Being more south, in Southern California has grown on Nick and I. I am really enjoying being closer to life. Although contrary to belief a retirement community is quite alive. The "Active Seniors" are really "Feisty Seniors". This year has been a very busy year for us all I am sure. I have had quite an exciting year. This year I met my best friend: JR. He has made a huge impact in my life. He and Nicholas get along great too. Most of you met him at the reunion. I was really glad that he came with me to meet all of you. He was not quite sure what he had gotten into until Friday night when the groves of my family started to poor in. I tried to prepare him, but how do you prepare someone about the family you yourself don't know too much about except what I have read in the "News Letters" every year. I was so excited to see everyone this year. I look forward to the next Family Reunion. I am still employed with Mediacom as the Office Manager for the Sun City and Valley Center offices. Mediacom is the fastest- growing privately owned company in the TV/Internet cable industry. We are number 18; we have achieved this in only 2 1/2 years. The company had its First Annual Managers Conference this year. I got to fly to Newark and drive to Middletown, NY. Boy was that exciting! I had never been to Jersey, now I know why! The best thing about the trip was that JR was able to go too. He recently became a Mediacom employee. JR is "Director of Internet Service for the Western Region". Which includes Arizona, Nevada, and California. Mediacom now owns two Internet Service Providers: RidgeNet and Inland Net. JR will be busy next year building two more ISPs for Mediacom. Nicholas is in the second grade and doing great. He still likes school. He has a friend named Jason who wanted to be mentioned in this letter. Nicholas has made several trips just this year to Florida. Once with JR and I to the reunion and once with his dad to visit his Oma and Opa. He will going there again for Christmas.
From Danny:
I can't believe how fast the year has gone by. Evan is getting older by the minute and he has started Kindergarten this year. He seems to enjoy the teacher and the class. As for me, I am starting my third year with the OAO Corporation under the Network Services Division as a Network Control Technician, supporting the Navy at China Lake. I changed positions with the company in April, moving from the Installations group to the Management group. The new position comes with more responsibility, spending time on call and lots of overtime. The position did not come with a pay increase, but the experience will pay off in the future. We monitor, repair, and maintain the communications network at China Lake and Pt. Mugu, as well as the Wide Area Network Links on and off center. Apart from the Computer Communications, I have been working with Low Bit Rate Video Systems, which is Video Teleconference Systems using Digital Telephone Technology to communicate (Remember The Jetsons?). It's a lot of fun and saves the government a lot of money on travel. I can't complain about the opportunities I have been given at work. I have been sent to a few classes this year, including Certified VideoConference Training in Los Angeles, and two other classes on Network Encryption Systems at Motorola in Scottsdale, Arizona. Really neat stuff! I am planning on working here at least until the contract ends in September 2000. Other than work I have been spending time with Evan and playing music on the side with a band called Station Street.
We all hope you all had a good year. And hope next year will show you the same enjoyment. HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
WITH LOVE FROM THE CALIFORNIA BARTHLES
Cinda and Ben
Happy Holidays, Everyone! Hope your '98 was great! 1997 had a perfect ending with Sara and Ken's visit in December. And 1998 was a super year!
Melda and Jack invited us to their class reunion in February. They invited lots of folks from classes a year ahead and a year behind theirs. It was terrific seeing so many people from our past. And Melda's class is such a groovy group! Ralph and Paula did a wonderful job hosting us (and Caesar) for the event since Lake Higgins was in full swing down on Bearss Ave.
We got Caesar through his cataract surgery (last December) and recovery without major incident. The five months of eye drops (some before and some after the surgery) were challenging, but we found that a tablespoon of straight tuna was a great bribing substance. Guess he had his fill, though, because now he doesn't want tuna at all anymore!
Pretty astounding to realize this, but we made it to only one Braves game here in ATL all year. And that was thanks to Jennifer and Bernie putting together a mini get-together which included Susie, Jennifer, and Michael Davidson , Connie, Clem, and us as well as Matthew and Nathaniel, of course. What a fun time!
We did make it to one other Braves game in Tampa over the Fourth of July weekend. Got to watch a noontime game in air-conditioned comfort at Tropicana Field with Connie and Dan. We could even wave to Ralph and Paula across the stadium (with help from binoculars, of course!)
Speaking of the Fourth of July, it was terrific to see everyone again. Monica and Herman are the perfect host and hostess with the most wonderful location for an event with as many people as we pull in for family reunions. Thanks to everyone for making it so much fun!
We did a couple other weekend trips as well. Lexi and Chris moved to Chicago, so we flew up one weekend to see them. Then we managed to get Ben's brother, Tom, and his wife, Mary, to go with us for a weekend visit to their family in Pennsylvania. Tom had grown up in Pennsylvania, but had not been back in many years. It was fun hearing him talk about all the pranks he pulled here and there.
Tom and Mary retired from their government programming jobs last December and moved to Lake Oconee. Lake Oconee is a 15 year old man-made lake half way between Atlanta and Augusta. It is a beautiful place with many fabulous homes lining the approximately 300 miles of shoreline. Tom and Mary have built their retirement home there (doing most of the work themselves) in the last year.
We were lucky enough to have Dan stop by on his way from Lake Charles to California. Right on the way! Thanks for coming to see us!
Other than that, one or the other (or both) of us has spend a lot of weekends trying to make deadlines related to work projects. It's the nature of the business, but with Y2K almost upon us, we expect to have even more pressure timelines in the coming year.
Here's wishing everyone a Very Merry as well as a Safe and Happy 1999! Come see us!
Love, Cinda and Ben
Melda:
Merry Christmas to everyone!
It was fun seeing so many of you at our July 4th weekend reunion. We appreciate the effort all of you made to make it a great success. Can't believe how many little ones there are--our family is growing so fast. We're proud of all of you! We also enjoyed Dan's surprise visit in early November--he's so special and we appreciate all his efforts in keeping us in touch.
Jack and I had four flooding episodes resulting from the El Niño year. Other than losing a few outdoor plants, we had no permanent damage, as the water never got into the house (only the garage). Florida weather has been dry for the last few weeks however. We continue to follow USF basketball and USF
Rebecca has had an exciting year. She and Travis (True) became engaged in August and are planning a wedding in April, 1999. Having worked as a computer consultant for an Orlando company for the last year, she recently accepted a similar position with another software company based in Ft. Lauderdale. Travis is a civil engineer and is studying for certification in Microsoft software. He anticipates sitting for his PE (professional engineer) exam next Fall. In addition to their "real" jobs, Rebecca and Travis started True Technology, Inc., selling and networking computers for small offices. football. In addition, this year we followed the inaugural season of the Devil Ray's by attending a portion of their home games. Recently, we have been busy spiffing up our house with inside paint, etc. Our moving plans continue to be on hold.
Rob, in his junior year at USF, lives in an apartment off campus and continues his role as head manager for the Men's Basketball team. As I write, he is flying to Milwaukee for a game tomorrow night against Marquette. This past year in addition to working basketball camps in the off-season, when USF hosted the New York Nets as they practiced for the NBA playoffs, Rob was in the midst of coordinating between the Nets and the Sun Dome. He is looking forward to being the practice coordinator for the Final Four in St. Petersburg, Florida, in March, 1999. We enjoy seeing Rob several times a week when he drops his laundry off or comes by for dinner.
Hope all of you enjoy good health and prosperity in the new year! May God bless each of you and please keep in touch!
Love, Jack, Melda, Rebecca and Rob
From Monica;
Greetings to all:
This year Bill has continued to keep us very busy with FFA and his public speaking competitions. He also entered plants in the Pasco County Fair, which was a very educational experience for all of us! Boy do I have a greater appreciation now of those steers and hogs that the youngsters grow for the fair! They really do have a lot of paperwork to fill out! Many thanks to all the family members who so graciously supported us in that project!
Joe continues to practice his guitar and has learned a lot of songs. Fortunately some of the oldies are being brought back, so I can recognize some of the tunes. He really enjoys playing, and has even worked out some of his own compositions. Joe also enjoys working out at the gym, and we have recently renewed our commitment to strengthen body, soul and spirit.
Herman went to Colorado in early October and although he didn't kill anything, he said it was the most spectacular scenery he has ever seen! The leaves were so golden they were just breathtaking.
I continue to love my job at the electric coop. I am involved in the "Goodie Committee", which sponsors lunches about once a month from the proceeds of the vending machines. We also have an annual Christmas Party where everyone gets either a steak or chicken dinner, and gets to pick a gift. It is a lot of work and a lot of fun. I have learned a lot from working with these great people.
One of the highlights of this year was the Family Reunion! It was such a joy to have so many family members adjust their schedules to give us all the opportunity to get caught up with one another. I was amazed that there are so many new little people! What a joy that was for me! It was so wonderful to see nearly everyone there! Thanks so much!
The week before the Reunion, Shelley announced that she was getting married in late August, so immediately after the reunion, we started working toward the next celebration! As usual, it seems that just in the nick of time we got everything pulled together and had a lovely day.
From Shelley
Hello Out There! I cannot believe that Christmas is here AGAIN! Where does the time go? Wal-mart maybe. Anyway, This has been a year of wonderful life changes. I have gotten a new boss at work, adjusted accordingly, resigned to go to school full time, and oh yeah gotten married. Let me start by saying what an honor it was to have so many friends and family members attend my wedding. Your generosity was overwhelming to say the least.
For those of you who did not know, December 31st, 1997 Diane Cooper (Heiler) sold Cooper & Associates to her right hand "man" and friend, Katherine H. Britton. This instituted a number of changes for me as office manager as well as an adjustment period for everyone. I finished my pre-requisites at Pasco Hernando in March and decided to apply to the Associate Degree Registered Nursing program at PHCC in May. I received notification of my acceptance into this select program on June 1st. Resigning from Cooper was very hard as I was leaving a group of great friends. However, I was excited to be finally living my dream of nursing school. Now I'm a week before finals and long for Christmas break in ways many of you remember all too well.
On August 28th, 1998 I married Darrell D. Oliver, Jr.(Birthday January 27th). We had a wonderful outside wedding at Mom & Herman's house. It was a dream come true. The weather was beautiful and I did not have a nervous break down over all the details. I was very nervous, and very sure this was exactly what I wanted. I am really enjoying being married. The ups and downs can be trying but anything worth having is worth working for.
DJ decided to change companies in May of this year and got a job as track press operator at Linder Industrial Machinery Incorporated in Plant City. He is still doing the same type of work he was doing at Crawler only he got a $4.00 an hour raise to start and two raises since then. That's the only way we survive with me not working. He also has a lot more opportunity for advancement. He has been told that they will gladly send him to Komatsu mechanic school after his one year anniversary. This means he can get certified as a Komatsu certified mechanic and get a large pay increase. He loves his job although he would prefer morning shift to afternoon/evening shift. As he gains seniority he can move to mornings. He has been hunting a few times this year but hasn't gotten anything yet. He would like to go more but there is just no time. So anyway all is well with him.
Luke has started 1st grade at St. Anthony's with Ms. Milan. They seem to like to butt heads a lot. However, it is sure to be a productive year. Luke has had to cut back on his extra curricular activities due to lack of time due to my busy school schedule. We hope to get him back into baseball and 4-H next year. Luke has had a number of big excitements this year but I think one of the most exciting is that we are getting all our ducks in a row for DJ to legally adopt him. He wants to be an Oliver too. Well it's time to go I hear my finals review calling my name.
Here is wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas from all of us on Missionary Road.
Love, Shelley, DJ, and Luke
From Natalie:
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! Well we had a very active year at the Helms' Hillside Hide-away. The house is STILL under construction. We still need to finish the dining and laundry rooms. I really should have taken the advice of many people when they said NEVER move in until it's finished. It's so easy to put things off.
Tyler turned 3 in September. He loves the new house even though half is off limits. He's up to about 40 lbs. and too big for me to haul around on my hip. He learned his ABC's about two weeks ago. I'm so proud. He always tells me that it's time to do his homework. So we get his puzzles out and play for a while. Mandi was here this weekend and she came over to see the house. When she got there Tyler ran to the Christmas tree and picked up her gift and said, "These are your stickers that my Mom bought you!" I tried to explain to him you're not supposed to tell people what's in the present, but he just couldn't understand.
Chris got offered a job at C.F. Industries. That's a phosphate plant in Plant City. He makes a lot more money and works a lot less. They work 3 days on, three days off on twelve-hour shifts. He fills the train cars and semi's that carry the fertilizer all over the United States. He works with his Dad, who has worked there for over 30 years, so he has some one to talk about work with. We're finally getting rid of his Dodge Dakota. It has over 200,000 miles on it and I keep looking for a white flag to pop out. Plant City is about 30 miles one way from our house so it doesn't take long to run up miles.
I had a crazy year as always. After we moved in to the new house in December, I stayed home and worked on finishing it until April. In April my best friend from high school's Mother got killed in a car accident. She was coming home from Brooksville about 10pm and hit the side of a semi trailer that had backed across the road. It happened about 1/4 of a mile east of Grandma's house. My friend inherited her Mom's foliage company. So I went to work for her for about six months to help her straighten out the books and help her with her two boys (1yr and 3 1/2 months). After she got back on her feet I started staying home again. Boy did I miss being home! Chris and I took up riding 4 wheelers, so we cleared some woods on the back of our property and made a track. Tyler loves to ride with his Daddy! Mainly my year consisted of finishing the house and trying to decorate the part that's already done (thanks to every one who had basket parties and must remain nameless so Chris doesn't know who to hurt). I guess that's all that really happened this year at our house.
Have a safe and Happy New Year!! Natalie, Chris and Tyler Helms
Greetings from Fort Bragg, North Carolina :)
Excuse me, but has another year passed ALREADY? A lot has happened with me, so I don't know where to start. Last everyone heard I was in Arizona. Well, I finished my training (of 6 months) in Arizona at the end of March. Mom was able to fly out for a couple days to see me graduate. I was given a 4 day pass to visit. So, we went skiing and snowboarding, with a couple of my friends. What a blast. At the beginning of March some Airborne Recruiters came out to Fort Huachuca, Az and had 15 slots for Airborne. I trained real hard and was selected along with 14 guys. I was SO excited. I left Arizona and went to Fort Benning, Georgia. Then I went through 3 weeks of intensive training. I graduated Airborne School in late April. In my platoon we started out with about 150 people (22 females). My platoon graduated 110 people (1 female = ME :)). Mom was very proud and nervous, to think of her "baby" jumping out of perfectly good aircraft. But she's hanging in there. I think she's more scared of me jumping than I am. After Airborne school, I got to come for a few days to get my belongings. I got a loan from the bank and bought my very first car, a 98 Ford Mustang. Her name is Sassy, just because she is and she's candy apple red! I packed up Sassy and off we went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina (Home of the AIRBORNE). I'm now in 1st Battalion 82nd Aviation, 82nd Airborne Division. WEH-WEE. I got to my new unit in the beginning of May and since then have been to many places. I have been to California doing a counter-drug mission, which was very successful!!! I was so good, I received a promotion to PFC (Private First Class). I went to Korea, for more Intel training. Korea is definitely a different world. I was happy when I got to come back to the US. But I wasn't home for long when I was sent somewhere else. I was sent to the "lovely" (yeah right) Fort Polk, La. It was a month long field problem, and rained everyday. The temp got down into the 30's. It was just miserable. I had a couple talks with God and told him that he said it wouldn't rain for 40 days again. I also told him 39 1/2 was close enough. So the day we left the field the sun came out and it was a nice sunny day at 78 degrees. We were all very happy to be out of the field. I'm back at Fort Bragg and the everyday grind. But I'm keeping up. I am unable to come home for Christmas this year but am spending it with someone very special to me.
I met Jared Grimes in Arizona, last November. He went skiing with us, and Mom loved him from the get go. She knew I loved him even before I knew I did. How do Moms do that? We left Arizona and went to Airborne school together. I couldn't have made it without him. He gives me strength, just by being beside me. We graduated Airborne school together and are now at Fort Bragg together. Our schedules are both so crazy, but we still find time to be together. We took a short trip to the beach in October. He's NEVER seen the ocean, so it was exciting. We both managed to get off work for Thanksgiving and came down to Florida. He got to meet the Zoo Crew and my friends. He received the seal of approval by everyone. Jared is 22 and is from Missouri. Jared is the youngest of 3 boys, and has never been around little kids before. What a shock to have Luke and Tyler at the same time. They all hit it off great. He was the human jungle gym. Now Luke is always asking on the phone where is Jared? I think Jared has made a new friend. That's all that has happened this year, nothing much. (hahaha) Until next year,
I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Christmas. And a Safe and Happy 1999.
MY LOVE ALWAYS, MANDI
Monica:
Thank you so much for all your love and prayers throughout the year. We could never make it without each of you!
May you have the peace and joy of Christmas in your hearts throughout this season, and may you have God's blessings throughout the coming year!
Love, Herman, Monica, Joe and Bill & Familys
From Ralph and Paula:
Season's Greetings to All, Another year has zipped by… The spring started with the Inaugural Season for our Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although the final season record was typical for a first year team, we sure had a lot of fun along the way.
In April, we put our house in Land O'Lakes up for sale. Although it only took four months to get a suitable offer, it seemed like a long time. Between fixing the little things there and fixing the big things here, our schedule was pretty hectic for a while. All in all, we moved in October and this house is getting better each day. There are still several big projects to be done.
The summer was highlighted by the family reunion at Herman & Monica's. It was great to see everyone. Sure glad everyone is faithful to attend these events. Thanks to Monica & Herman for hosting the big day, Margie & Jimmy for the Sunday Brunch, and Melda & Dan for getting it all started.
Kelly Himes and friends rebuilt the big pond here on the property in December. As of this writing it's not complete, but it looks great. Sure will be good to have it again.
We didn't do any traveling this year (kind of busy) but we were lucky to see and visit with you all at the reunion.
The animal update for this year is that we adopted another cat (or did he adopt us?) last December. K.C (short for Kitty Cat) has quite a personality and lives to torment Christine. She holds her ground though and often takes a swat at him. They keep us busy and are a lot of fun.
That is about it for this year. We hope you all have a happy and safe New Year in 1999.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Old Homestead.
Love, Ralph and Paula
From Cousin Sara
1998 has not been the best of years... In January, both of Ken's parents had lengthly hospitalizations, followed by placement in a nursing center in their home town of Enid, OK. Spring was wet & cool; summer hot & dry. Temps reached 100 in late May and stayed there or above `til late September. Little moisture; 2 storms in the period, both with tornadoes! One missed us by less than a mile! Hauled water & feed to our cattle until we sold them in September. Now the fall is wet & below normal temps. Can we blame all this on "EL NINO"? Missy, my little Schnauzer, joined Judge in doggie heaven this fall. But something GOOD did happen this year - Cousin Dan stopped for a visit on his way back to California!! And we did enjoy our heli-hiking in the Canadian Rockies this fall. Now Ken & lab dog, Rica are settling into hunting season and I'm back into genealogy again. Hope for a happy holiday season for the whole family - and a kinder & gentler year in 1999! Love, Sara
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