2015 NEWSLETTER

A. B. Barthle family
2015 Newsletter!


August		FACEBOOK EDITION		Agnes

From Margie:

THANK YOU DAN & ALL OF YOUR ELF HELPERS

Over the years you have kept us in touch with family over the miles. Our family has grown and I am positive that Dad & Mom are proud to have had something to do with this.

A lot has happened within the Denney family this year. Early in the year, Jessica and Allen sold their beautiful home in Dade City, purchased 10 acres on Old Saint Joe Road with plans to build early next year. In the meantime they and their 2 daughters, Emma & Nora are staying with me. It is good to have ‘this ole house’ alive again.

In April, Emma & Nora were baptized here at Sacred Heart Church. There were four generations in attendance on this special occasion.

June was our annual vacation week at Lake Weir. This is always a fun week with the family.

August & September I had cataract surgeries. Now I can see again and the colors are sooooo beautiful. My health continues to be very good. At my age, I take only 2 prescriptions each day.

October was Jake & Ashley’s wedding at the Florida Pioneer Museum. What a special event. Ashley, we welcome you into our family.

November 22, 2015 I was honored at the Catherdal of St. Jude, in St. Petersburg and received the 2015 St. Jude Medal for our parish here at Sacred Heart. Bishop Robert Lynch presented me with the Medal.

Now it is December and I send my love to all. I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, and a Blessed New Year.

From Lisa and family:

May God Bless You All,

What a year! Everyone is healthy & happy so we are very thankful for that.

Last April we took a trip to NY as a family and stayed in Manhattan. We toured Rockefeller Center, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square ect. We ate in several popular restaurants, checked out some street vendors and had NY Pretzels and Cheesecake. We saw the Broadway Show Aladdin and had a terrific time together for about 5 days. I have to give a shout out to the 9/11 Memorial & especially the Museum. Words cannot even describe the emotions I went through on that tour. Even now trying to think about what I can say about it - words escape me. I’ll suffice it to say that it was an incredibly powerful and moving experience. I felt like it affected my whole being. Please give yourself lots of time to visit the museum.

Katie graduated in June and the biggest surprise of all was that Mike & Melinda came up unexpectedly to join in the wonderful celebration. It’s was one of the best surprises of my life!! Thank you Mike and Melinda! Alan’s mother & sister and her family joined us as well.

We went to Florida in July for Rachael’s wedding reception and Katie attended her wedding as a bride’s maid. She was the first of the next generation to get married. Our best wishes to Jared & Rachael!

The third week of August we went to Six Flags in New Jersey & checked out the Luray Caverns in VA on our way to get Katie settled into her choice for college, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte – UNCC. Becca was able to join us on the trip and we had a really nice time! Katie’s major is psychology. She seems to be off to a fabulous start and the school seems to be a good fit for her. We visited her at the end of September for the parent’s weekend. And, we were also able to stop by for an overnight on our way to Florida in mid-October for a reunion on my Mom’s side of the family. I’ve been unable for years to make this reunion due to all Katie’s fall cheer competitions. The reunion was a good time and it was especially nice to catch up with relatives that I have not seen in a couple of decades.

We wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a Wonderful year to come!

Lisa, Alan, Becca & Katie

From Teresa and family:

Greetings to All,

I hope everyone is healthy and having a wonderful Christmas season so far. Just a quick update from the Goodmon family:

              Caleb is still based in Lafayette, but working in Texas most of the time. He managed to miss all the horrific weather that plagued that area this year, which was quite an amazing feat, as he went from town to town all over the state. God is good. Erin holds down the fort for him, and takes care of her two, Gabby and Julius, and goes to nursing school while he’s gone for six weeks at a time.

              Jessica finally moved into a big house just after Christmas last year, so she got the elbow room that she was hoping for, but alas, she and Jay are no longer together. She is now in Plant City staying with a friend just down the street from where I work. She lives across the street from the family I work for – small world. Happily, she works in the same building I do, so we have our lunches together. She walks to work in the mornings, and I drop her off home in the evenings. The friend she is staying with has a three-year-old daughter whom Jessica is happy to spoil.

              I’m still enjoying my home and flowering shrubs. I still work for the Verner family Monday thru Friday, so I have the weekends off except for a Saturday morning once or twice a month to do the books for a friend. And I can visit with Mom on Sundays.

              Thanks to Uncle Dan for keeping us all in touch, and to everyone for keeping us updated. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Love from, Teresa, Jessica and Caleb

From Mike and family:

Hello Guys!

We can't believe our daughter Jennifer De Jesus Barthle is already in her last year of High School and is a senior. She will graduate in 2016. She went to her first Homecoming weekend this year and she had a good time. She plays on the Varsity basketball team and works a part time job. She has not yet decided which college she wants to go to.

Lily Hannah Barthle is in her last year at the Middle School. She played basketball again this year and hopes to continue when she goes to the High School next year and plays more sports. My wife Sandra has had a very rough year. It makes her a strong person every day. Her father, her second father and her best friend all passed away this year. It has been very emotional! She realizes everyone has to die when their time comes but it is still very hard. She is still working at the U.S.P.S. It has been almost 27 years now.

As for me, I am doing good and still working a part time job. It was a very sad moment when my second father in-law passed away. I have known him for 27 years and he taught me a lot of things. He will always be missed. I thanked him for being in a father role for me. Anyway I can't believe my wife and I will be married for 25 years in 2016! We plan to go to Jamaica for our honeymoon and also for our children’s graduation gifts. I think that’s all for now.

Have a Wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Love,
Michael Barthle

From Melinda and family:

Hello -

Last May 9 - James and I went to visit my best friend Krista from Atlanta and her son Kirby at Melbourne. Kirby had a rock climbing tournament and he made it to 3rd place. He did a great job on "speed" climbing. We are so proud of him!!!

Last May 16 - James's had a class reunion for graduates of '60 - '69 - He saw his old friends and he saw a friend that he has not seen since he graduated high school. His friend did not notice James but James noticed him. They were able to chat quite a bit. It was good to see him and the others too.

Last June - Mike and I flew up to surprise Lisa and her family for Katie's graduation. We stayed there for several days. Mike and I discussed our plans of how to surprise Lisa and we were very happy that….. “Finally WE DID IT”…..YAY because she always surprises us every time. Ppbbfftt to you - Lisa.

July – Rachael’s bridal shower was beautiful and fun. Her reception was so different and nice, plus Rae is such a beautiful bride. Thank you for inviting us.

Nov - James was disappointed that he had to change his work schedule so he is no longer off on weekends.

Warren has already enrolled in college and will start classes next semester in Jan. Good Luck!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you,

Melinda, James and Warren

From Bonnie and family:

Hello to everyone.

Had another productive year for the Webb family. We added another horse to the farm (Banjo). The cows are doing good, chickens are doing good, bees are doing good, dogs doing good, and the cat too. We have been busy preparing to increase bee honey production next year. There is a lot of inventor preparation. Mike is still at the Haines City post office and Bonnie is still at the Auburndale post office. This summer we went on a tubing trip down Rainbow River with Sam & Jared. Mike put in for an Alligator hunt with the state of Florida, and got a 7 foot alligator in October. I am hoping to get a pair of shoes and a purse out of the hide. Mike has been playing golf with Jared at a different course every week. I have been card crafting once a month and making custom cards for birthdays and anniversaries for brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews, mothers, and in laws.

In February, Rachael got engaged to Jared Smith at Walt Disney World. In June Rachael flew up to New Hampshire to surprise Katie Berger for her high school graduation. Then Jared picked Rachael up on the way from his job in Indiana and they went to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit Bush Gardens. Then in July was the wedding and their honeymoon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In August, she went with Jared to his training for a job in Chester, Virginia for a week. Jared works for Caliper as a millwright, so he travels all over the country servicing power supply units for electric power plants. From September to October he was in Hopewell, Virginia on a job. In November through December he was in Dighton, Massachusetts. Rachael has started bike riding this year. She does about 3 to 6 miles a day and Jared plays golf about 1-2 times a week.

Samson’s is still with the same company, TGM. He is also traveling around the county and abroad. He is currently in Alaska. Previously he was in Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Chile, North Dakota, Michigan, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. Try nailing him down. Good luck! He likes working out at the gym and riding his motorcycle. He is also very into Clash of Clans with Fred, Sam, and many others. He got his own place in October, in Lakeland. He was home for Rachael's wedding as the best man in July. Hopefully he will be able to come home for Christmas.

Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year

THE WEBB's

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

From Dean and family:

2015 has been a great year for this Petters family. It started with a January trip to Universal in Orlando to watch Tony march through the park. Anne & I celebrated our 20th anniversary this year and are looking forward to at least another 20!

Tony had a great year. At his spring concert he was awarded the Patrick Gilmore award for outstanding Junior band member. His senior year started with his leading the St. Ignatius Wildcat Marching Band as Senior Drum Major. With concert season, Tony decided to pick up the oboe and is doing wonderfully well in learning how to play those dastardly double-reeds. He is now almost finished with his college search, with Kentucky being his first choice right now. Now he is just waiting for the financial packages to arrive.

Carrie has had a very busy year. She once again was in the honor band over the summer. Starting her 8th grade year, and her last at Our Lady of the Lake school, she was elected Student Body President and is the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. She also is on Power of the Pen. She still cantors once a month at the 8 AM Sunday mass and is in the process of choosing a high school - she is hoping to be a St Joseph Academy Jaguar this coming fall.

Anne is still working with the Euclid City Schools as the auxiliary unit clerk at Our Lady of the Lake. She still takes great care of us: she finished up her term as band booster President, she volunteered at both schools - a band mom and bookstore volunteer at Ignatius and room mom at Our Lady of the Lake. Then there's all the things she does to keep our home functioning!

I am still at NASA. I started the year working on the Asteroid Retrieval Mission and have now moved back to Orion Service module as the Propulsion Integration lead.

As 2015 draws to a close, we everyone reading this has a healthy and happy new year!

Anne, Dean, Tony and Carrie

From Brian and family:

Another exciting and busy year in Montgomery for the Petters clan.

For Brian, this has been a challenging year. Due to being laid off in late 2014, he spent most of the year trying to decide what direction to go in. Early in the year, he investigated buying a franchise, but decided against that particular one. Then, he served part-time as the treasurer for a mayoral candidate, who unfortunately lost. Since that didn’t come to any job, he is now looking at another business opportunity and working on his real estate license. Of course, all that free time meant that he could spend time as Scoutmaster and all of the travel over the summer to get Leo to the Naval Academy, attend his Jesuit High 30-year reunion and get everyone to the family reunion at the lake (it took two trips). Here’s hoping the professional fortunes change in 2016.

Vicki continues teaching 8th grade science at Montgomery Catholic, and accompanying the St. Bede choir on the weekends. She enjoyed meeting her sister and parents for her birthday in Mobile for lunch, having her parents come in May for Leo’s graduation, seeing Tim’s family and Jack and Melda for Brian’s reunion, and getting together at the lake in July. With the boys’ lives undergoing big changes, she is excited to see their future.

John continues his education at the University of Montevallo in the graduate program. Along with classes at the education and math departments, he is also getting field experience as a student-teacher. His internship (and final semester at Montevallo) begins in January.

Ben is still taking classes at Auburn to finish his degree; he plans to graduate in May. He performed as a member of the Auburn University Marching Band for the last time on Wednesday, but will still be in the basketball pep band and hopes to find a local concert band when he graduates. He had an internship over the summer with Ingalls Shipbuilding that he really enjoyed, which was made all the more exciting when they offered him a job pending graduation. While this year was rough academically, he has high hopes for the near future.

Leo finished his high school career, graduating from Montgomery Catholic as Valedictorian. At the start of July, he became a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. He had a rough start during Plebe Summer, but he found his groove once the academic year started. He became involved in a number of extracurricular activities such as the Knights of Columbus and the Junior Varsity Offshore Sailing Team. Every day is a challenge at the Academy, but he’s really starting to enjoy it. It was quite a treat for him to see Mike, Nancy, Susie, and Redding at the Army-Navy game.

Henry is still doing well academically, starting his sophomore year at MCPS. He still participates in the band (where he has learned bari sax and clarinet to go with bassoon), Science Olympiad, mock trial, and other extracurricular activities. Being alone in the house has not been easy, but he has managed to stay happy and continue on with life. He will be getting his learner’s permit soon.

From Connie and Thom:

Seasons Greetings from Wesley Chapel Connie & Thom Wishing all a Very Merry Christmas.
In July, Margie and I went to see Cinda and had quilts quilted. It was a good trip up and back.
I am still recovering from Hernia Repair surgery that I had in late October, I had a set back in early November ( infection in a port where they had an opening for the Robotic surgery.) another 6 days in the Hospital. all total 18 days in hospital beds, including time in Rehab, has left me rather weak.
Don't have many plans for the Holidays.
Thom is still working at Sea World Entertainment (Busch Gardens) in transportation.
Hope you all have a Wonderful New Year.
Love to All

From Mary and family:

Hope this is finding all well, Here goes the events of the year it started out with I had surgery on my Left knee we first thought it was a bakers cyst that came back but it was not I messed up Meniscal had it done in Feb. was out of work for a few weeks and had P.T. but otherwise it is ok for now the ACL was showing some damage but the doctor and I don’t want to rush in doing that one now..

Then of course all is well helped Tiffany and her fiancée (Jason yes ring and all no date yet) move from an apartment to a house it is a very nice place very close to Beach..

Then in June we had a Joyful day the 18th at 1:17am in the morning we had a new little boy join our family, Tiffany & Jason had Oliver Eric Walker. And if you are on Facebook you will see pictures of him and his big brother Hogan.

And then July was mess I fell and messed up my neck, found out have C5, C6 cervical vertebrae out of line have gone and seen doctors and still not sure what we will do…

Chris and I have been working 2 jobs so you may have seen Chris at the Home Depot (2nd job) and he is still with Ross..

As for me I have gone back to work at Publix, (after being retired almost 3 years,)

And Joe is Still with Publix. And still doing well.

Otherwise not much else happening in my house,

We had Mom have Surgery in Oct. the day before Grand Opening at my New Publix in Dade City and we checked on her and prayed and she has had her ups and downs and we try to be there the best we can with our love and prayers.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Mary, Joe, Chris

From Amy and family:

Happy Holidays!

Not much has changed around the Johnson, Carr and Hoy households in 2015.

Nichole and Kendyl

Nichole started school this summer to earn her degree in Medical Assistant she should graduate in September of 2016. She is working fulltime at Beyond Learning Childcare and goes to school fulltime. She loves to talk and run around. She loves popcorn and marshadoughs (for those who don’t speak 2 yr old that is marshmallows)

Baylee

Baylee got her first job this year she is a hostess at the Cracker Barrel in Wesley Chapel. She also got her first car to go along with that job. She is a senior in high school and will graduate from Wesley Chapel High in June of 2016.

Amy and John

Amy and John are doing well they celebrated 3 yrs of marriage this past June. Amy started working a Small World Pediatrics in January. John is still with McDonald’s he has just moved the location on Bruce B Downs and Cross Creek Blvd.

Amy

I’m still working for Frost Management going on 28 yrs this Feb. Had to have new sod laid in the front yard. Learn how to fix my sprinkler system all by myself. I have been helping Nichole take care of Kendyl so she can go to school.

That pretty much sums up our uneventful 2015. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2016!

Much love to all
Amy, Nichole, Kendyl, Baylee, Amy and John

From Joe:

Well this has been quite a busy year. Sherri and I found a beautiful 16 acre spread we call our “Acres of Blessings” in Newton a very small town in Southwest Georgia. The house was built in 1938 and we are only the third owners. We bought it in Feb and made the move in May. After settling in we rescued a German Shepherd mix dog (Diogee) to keep Miles company on the property. The week before Thanksgiving both dogs were making a ruckus at the pool so I went to investigate and found a small dog barely treading water. I cautiously got him out and took him in the house to dry off. Chewie is a yorkie /papillon mix. He was very scared and emaciated. We took him to the vet and had him checked for a chip, vaccinations up to date and he was given a medications for his scratched eyes. He has become a very sweet and playful puppy and a member of our family. We have truly been blessed. We have had many visitors and our house is always open if you need to escape for a while.
God bless you all and we hope to see you soon.

From Kathy and family:

Greetings from the Himes Family,

We have had a good year so far. Sierra is in the 11th grade and doing very well making straight A’s. Last Christmas she got a pick-up truck and loves it. She volunteered at the hospital over the summer and enjoyed working in the physical therapy department. Hunter transferred to Mease Countryside in April as a PCT (patient care tech). He works the night shift. I am really not sure how he does it but he is young and says he can handle it. He is also taking classes at PHSC. I am still working at ST. Josephs Hospital. I also have one semester left to earn my BSN. Our family has had a few rough months recently when mom went in for a hernia repair that turned out to be more extensive than originally thought and after a few complications is now thankfully on the road to recovery. Thank you to all for your prayers.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2016.

Love you all, Kathy, Hunter and Sierra

From Dan and Barbara:

2015 Danbar Newsletter

As I am writing our activities during 2015 The Dan Barthle RV found its way out west to southern California. We are in hopes of selling our house as soon as our tenant’s lease is up. There are over 200 homes for sale in the small town of Ridgecrest which puts us at the end of a long list of sellers! You just never know what kind of homes sell fast so we are still optimistic!

I will begin this by Thanking God for our life, freedom and family! May God bless all the families that were affected by the latest terrorist attack in San Bernardino, CA. One of the victims that were shot was Julie Swan (maiden name) who graduated with our daughter Laurie in 1983. Julie was shot 3 times but she is recovering nicely from her wounds, and with God’s help He will help Julie and her family to get through this whole ordeal. I cannot even imagine going through something like this and I pray that no one else will have to!

The first half of our year was filled with doctor’s appointments and surgeries. I have been having problems with heal pain for quite a while and decided to go to a podiatrist to see what was going on! I won’t bore you with everything that was diagnosed but with xrays, a couple of MRI’s and wearing a boot for 2 months I had to have a surgical procedure to force a healing of the area between the heel and the plantar facia. It all stemmed from constant pounding of my heel when walking the 4 miles every morning while listening to walking music with a fast beat! Well I had to give up the aerobic walking and will get a bike and also when available I use the elliptical machine at the gym. I still have heel pain and am procrastinating going back to the doctor.

During the heel thing I noticed that my vision was getting pretty distorted. I went to my regular ophthalmologist thinking I needed new glasses and was in for a surprise. She suspected my right eye had a hole in the macular and she sent me to a macular/retina institute where it was confirmed that I would need surgery. I never heard of such a thing but was glad it could be corrected!! What an experience that was but again I won’t bore you with the details. One of the side effects of this surgery is the forming of a cataract and when I get back to Florida I will look forward to another surgery to correct that. Enough already!!!!

I am glad to report that Dan is in great shape and very healthy. He has given me such great care while recovering from all this. I also thank God for him every single day!!

In April Cinda came down to Florida and all the siblings were able to get together for lunch. What a special treat to see everyone as it has been a long time since all of us were together. It was so much fun to visit and share family stories and what everyone has been doing lately. Love you all so much! We need to do this more often!

In May our Grandson Nick flew to Florida with his girlfriend Nicole to attend Nicole’s cousins wedding. They stayed with us a couple of days and we drove up to Saint Joe and were able to visit with Ralph and Margie. Thank you both for spending time with all of us! At the end of October Nick and Nicole flew down again to attend Nick’s OMA (Grandmother) over in Satellite Beach, Florida. It was Oma’s 80th birthday and all of her family would be there. We were able to spend an afternoon with Nick and Nicole before they headed over to Oma’s.

In the middle of July we left Florida on a trip to visit with our Grandson Evan at Fort Bragg in North Carolina before he would be getting out of the army. On the way we stopped to see Cinda and Ben. Margie and Connie were also at Cinda’s working on their quilting projects. We had so much fun at this mini family reunion! Thank you so much Cinda and Ben for hosting us for a day and the nice visit with everyone. By the way the quilts were beautiful!

We had a great time visiting with Evan and met his girlfriend Taylor who we instantly fell in love with! Very sweet southern gal!! They are now back in Colorado where Evan bought a home in Monument just north of Colorado Springs. We are so proud of him!

In September I flew to New York to visit with Laurie and family before Dan and I headed to California. Laurie surprised me with a trip to the city to see “Finding Never land“ on Broadway. What an amazing musical starring Matthew Morrison from Glee fame. He played the Glee teacher in the Television show. We had so much fun with dinner and the show!

We left Central Florida on the 5th of November so we could attend the “The Blue Angel” homecoming airshow which was on the 6th of Nov in Pensacola, Florida. It is the last show of their season. We attended as Alumni and had a great time with VIP seating etc. We never get tired of watching the Blues!

After leaving Florida we then started our cross country trip west to California. Our son Danny was coming states side to take some classes. Flying in from Hawaii he was able to stop in Colorado to visit with Evan.

He then went on to NY where Laurie picked him up at the airport so he could spent the weekend with her family before driving him down to the city late Sunday for his classes. Then he travel on to Dallas for another week of classes. He then flew into Los Angeles and drove up to Ridgecrest for a few days visiting with us and some of his friends there. Hope we get to see more of Danny in 2016. We are so proud of him and the work he does on Kwajalein Island.

In a few days I will be flying to NY for Christmas. It will be a total surprise to Grandson Nick and the Girls. They didn’t think they would see me till Spring after we got back from California! I can’t wait to see their little faces when I show up! They were pretty upset when they found out I wouldn’t be there this year for Christmas. Surprise!!!!!!

Dan and I wish everyone a “Very Merry Christmas” and a “Blessed New Year”.

PS: Dan was a little disappointed that he would not be the first one in twenty-five years to read all the inputs to the family newsletter. But with the help of Laurie, no, Laurie did all the work in putting the Facebook groups together. I just made some suggestions in hopes the future of the newsletter would be self sustaining. To put it in his words, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU OVER THE LAST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND SHARING YOUR YEARLY NEWS WITH THE A. B. BARTHLE FAMILIES.

From Cinda and Ben:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone from the Rawlings!

2015 began with visits from one of Ben’s band director buddies from “way back”. Denzil taught band at Brunswick High School, and Ben taught at one of the Brunswick (GA) middle schools. One of Ben and Denzil’s former students, Theresa, even joined us for lunch one day at Jim N’ Nicks, our favorite local barbeque.

We enjoyed a week with Millie, our granddaughter, for her winter break in February. Besides enjoying Millie’s home baked pretzels and her love of playing CLUE, one of our favorite activities was visiting the Tellus Museum about 40 minutes north of Atlanta.

Early in March, a friend of mine, Dianne, inquired about the possibility of restoring a baby quilt that had been made for her by her great grandmother. Upon inspection, it was obvious, that it was well-beyond any hope of restoration. Having loved the quilt and having hoped for a future grandchild one day that might enjoy it, she inquired about the possibility of making a reproduction. I agreed that I would be open to the idea, so she and I hit one of the local quilt shops, vintage quilt in hand, to look for matching fabrics.

It took until September for me to actually begin the recreation of the baby quilt, but with Ben’s help, I was able to complete the project shortly after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, I learned that Dianne is scheduled to become a grandmother in mid-January 2016, so … just in time!

Back to March: We had a wonderful time being tourists in Atlanta (something we almost never do!) when Alexa and Ryan (and Callie, the granddog) came to visit during Ryan’s spring break. We went to the Aquarium, the World of Coke, an IMAX movie at Fernbank Museum, a tour of CNN studios, and the College Football Hall of Fame. Ryan is a soccer and Lacrosse player, but you should have seen him kicking a football through the uprights in the end zone of the football field at the end of that tour!

In April, another of Ben’s band director buddies, Mickey, and his wife, Marcia, made a quick stopover with us while they were in the Atlanta area. This is when we learned that there would be a reunion of all the band directors from Ben’s former middle school (There were only three from 1968 until 2004.) So in September, we traveled to Brunswick for a fun weekend of renewing acquaintances from many of Ben’s former students. What a trip down memory lane. It was amazing how many students came. Ben had left Brunswick 40 years ago!

Also in April, Ben and I were able to have a quick lunch date with Jennifer Petters, who happened to be in our neck of the woods for work. It’s amazing that she and Bernie live in the same metro area as we, but we almost never get to see each other. Hope we can connect more in 2016.

The last weekend in April, I was able to take a quick trip to Florida for my godchild, Leah’s, First Communion. On fairly short notice, I was able to round up all my siblings to meet for lunch in Dade City at “A Matter of Taste” Restaurant on Saturday, the day before. What a special time both these events were. Thank you Melda and Jack for a quick tour of The Farm. Thank you Margie, for hosting me overnight! And thank you Rebecca and Travis for letting me be there with all of you for Leah’s special day!

I had become friends with Beth back in the early 70s when we worked together as programmers for Delta’s reservation system. Her husband, John, was working on his law degree at Emory University at the time. We remained friends ever since, even though they moved back to Birmingham, MI as soon as John completed his degree, where he practiced labor law. As they neared retirement, they thought of leaving the brutal Michigan winters and decided upon relocating to Skidaway Island, outside Savannah. We had the pleasure of seeing them as they traveled through ATL this year, and had the chance to visit them again at their new home on Skidaway which was on the way to Brunswick for Ben’s band reunion event.

Millie came to Smyrna for her two weeks of swim lessons in early June. Following the conclusion of the lessons, we took a “Day of Rides” through Atlanta…we took the car to the airport parking lot, a shuttlebus to the airport to catch the rapid rail (Marta) into Atlanta, the streetcar to ride the city’s 5-story Ferris Wheel, the glass elevator to the 73rd floor of the SunDial Restaurant at the Peachtree Plaza Hotel, back to the 7-story escalator down into the underground Marta station, back on the train to the airport, and then the shuttle back to our car.

Later in June, we went to see Millie perform with a community theater group, The Henry Players, in a performance of A Little Princess. She is certainly developing her love of and her gift for the stage!

Also that month, we had a Rawlings family luncheon reunion. Ben’s brother, Tom, and his wife, Mary, were visiting Mary’s relatives in ATL, so we all met up “in the middle” (Calhoun, GA) with his sister, Betsy, and her husband, Bob, who live in Chattanooga, TN.

In July, Margie and Connie, came to Atlanta for a visit, and to get their latest quilt tops quilted, Connie’s “Nine-Patch” and Margie’s “Wind Catcher”. What a fun time that was. Dan and Barbara, were able to stop by during this time, too, as they were on their way to North Carolina to see their grandson, Evan. Thanks to you all for coming and for sharing your time and your beautiful quilts with us!

Speaking of Connie, she was instrumental in acquiring a larger cutting mat (quilting tool) for Ben and me, so I drove to Albany, GA one day in September to meet up with her to pick it up. Connie had driven to Albany to visit Joe and Sherri at their new home, so we all had a nice lunch together. Thanks, Joe and Sherri! It was so great to meet Sherri and to catch up with Joe a bit, too. And Connie, thanks for the big new mat. It has been a blessing, for sure.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Charlotte with Ben’s girls and their families. Thank you Alexa and Chris for hosting us. In addition to the great food and fun visiting, we had a meaningful time enacting a little pageant of the first Thanksgiving, thanks to the girls’ mother and her husband for all the work putting the play and props together. We had fabulous weather, and consequently, we had an audience of about 10 people this year! (We usually have no audience at all.) And we so look forward to heading back to Charlotte for Christmas again this year.

A very special thanks to Dan and Barbara for twenty-five years of keeping our families together in such a meaningful way with the AB Barthle Family Newsletter. Words can never do credit to the gratitude we feel for this gift you have given us and to the legacy of Agnes and August Barthle. We love you!

Ben and I wish you all a very special holiday season, and all the best for and in 2016. Come see us! Love to all!

From Monica and Herman:

Merry Christmas to all!! Best wishes for all the blessings He brings!

We have had a busy year, a year filled with blessings and challenges! Sometimes challenges are blessings!

Herman's health remains good and we are thankful. He still works every day and still thinks about retiring. For our anniversary I gave him a Garmin Vivofit2 to see how many steps he takes daily. Most days he is well over 10,000 steps…sometimes without our morning walk!

We are spending more time with children and grandchildren! The little ones and the not so little ones are growing up so fast! The grown up ones are growing in wisdom and are true blessings to us! They never forget to tell us to call if we need anything! We appreciate them so much!

After sewing very little for the last decade, I’ve had a chance to do some quilting again this year. How I enjoy it! I decided to work on more accuracy and found some ladies on websites that have been extremely helpful. One of my favorites is Donna Poster. She has videos on YouTube and QuiltWithDonna.com. Very good tips and tricks for beginners and those of us starting over! Another favorite is Missouri Star Quilt Company! So many incredible (and fun) ideas! My favorite is Bonnie Hunter who has Quiltville.com and Quiltville.blogspot.com. She is a travelling scrap quilting teacher and blogger. Her website has many free quilt patterns, tip and techniques, and even has Quilt Cam. During Quilt Cam she sews on her own projects and teaches as she goes. What an inspiration!

We have seen many of our friends and relatives graduate from this life this year and we’ve welcomed some new family members! I thank each of you for keeping us in the loop as these times arrive. I’m grateful for the times we have gotten together, in person, in email, in prayer.

May God bless each of you this Christmas Season and in the coming New Year!

Love,
Herman and Monica

From Shelley and family:

Christmas Eve 2015: The house is clean... Ok, the living room is clean... The rest is still in process... This year has been busy, busy, busy... Sooooo, here is a quick rundown on everyone’s adventures... Darrell continues in his position as Air Compressor Technician for Air Centers of Florida. He has continued to arm wrestle with good outcomes. Little Sarah loves telling people that her daddy is famous, because you can find his name online and watch him on YouTube. Darrell has started turning wood this year. He has turned out some beautiful pens, with the first one being a gift to me for my birthday last month. Santa is going to support his future wood endeavors , shhhhh don’t tell. J

I Continue working at Sacred Heart Early Childhood Center as the Young Two’s Teacher. I love college football (ROLL TIDE), hunting, fishing, reading, and just spending time with family. I have worked hard to increase my exercise, correct my crappy eating habits, and get my weight under control this year. Little Sarah and I even did a Black Light Run in Tampa. Seeing my brother Bill at the gym is a total bonus too! Earlier this month I underwent a total hysterectomy, but I am doing great and go back to work on Monday. I can’t resume my regular running and exercise schedule just yet, but I am looking forward to getting back to it next month. I have enjoyed sewing and doing lots of crafty stuff with my down time over the past few weeks and hope to do more of that throughout 2016. J

Luke continues working multiple jobs simultaneously, that’s just how he rolls. He is currently: Fulltime Ranch Foreman for Rowland Cattle Company, Live On Ranch Manager for Jimbo and Sarabeth (Barthle) Simmons, Assistant Ranch Manager for Kirkland Ranch, Hog Trapper for Melda & Jack Higgins and half of Pasco County, Hay Guru Extraordinaire, oh yeah and then he has his side jobs and his volunteer work with the Pasco County Hog Committee (I get tired just listening to his many adventures). Sarah Denney continues to be Luke’s Love, fulltime Sidekick, and Awesome Support Staff, as well as working for Rowland Truck Lines, a fulltime Accounting Studentat Saint Leo University, and Assistant Ranch Manager of Kirkland Ranch for her mom Betsy(Yup, they are very well suited :). Luke and Sarah are proud to announce that they have officially started their own herd this year with the purchase of a heifer calf named Crème Brule, a bull calf whose name escapes me, and a new ranch truck. Congratulations you two on the creation of the Oliver Cattle Company! Lastly, this morning Darrell, Luke, and Hunter went hunting, and Luke decided it was hog day... So he got THREE! Show off J

Hunter has had a very busy year. He completed his 2015 hog project and finished up at Pasco Middle School in the band and on the Hoonor Roll. He had a long summer of watching Sarah. Then in August, Hunter began his high school career at Pasco High School. He played Junior Varsity football in the positions of Special Teams (Kick Off) and Defensive Back under his favorite lucky number 29. He didn’t get as much playing time as he would have liked, but learned a lot, and is well positioned for next year. He has acquired his new pigs for his 2016 Pasco Count Fair project. Floppy Pig and Sloppy Pig are already getting huge. Piggy diet rations here you come. Hunter followed up football, by starting wrestling season practices, but after a compound concussion from a practice incident followed by a self inflicted crash and burn incident, he missed a week of school and elected not to compete this wrestling season. Hunter has continued to do well acedemically and particpate in the Pasco High Jazz band. He has enjoyed catching lots of good fish this year with many nice fish, as well as several 6- 8 pound bass. He has been hunting a couple of times so far this season without success, but I am sure that wont last much longer. In his spare time he has been working for Luke and other local ranchers spraying soda apples, completing grinding jobs, and working hay. Needless to say, he is enjoying his teen years. His sidekick for most adventures remains the one and only Michael Mills. Lastly, he turns 15 in 5 days... He is so ready to drive. After years of driving anything with wheels on everything but the road, I have few concerns about his ability to start this next phase of his life. J

Sarah is currently in the third grade at San Antonio Elementary under the leadership of Ms. Lori Larkin. She has also had a very busy year too. Sarah has enjoyed attending the SAES Father-Daughter dance the last few years with Darrell.
Darrell takes such good care of his date, he provides a corsage, he holds the door, and he dances with even though he doesn’t like to dance. They have a blast and make lots of wonderful memories that can never be duplicated. She finished up her first year of ballet at Sally Blackwood Studiosand participated in the year end dance recital program, a musical rendition of the Wizard of Oz. Sarah said she enjoyed spending time at the studio with her cousins Megan and Jayden, but decided that she wanted to try her hand at soccer instead of returning to ballet. She has really enjoyed the sport of soccer, although her parents will admit to being completely clueless about the game.
She has continued to have two really good friends Saige Monk and Miranda Hanley. Miranda is moving to Tennessee over the Christmas break, so Sarah is really bummed about it, but the three have BFF (Best Friends Forever) necklaces and have elected to become pen pals so that they can stay in touch. Ahhh life before social media! J Last, but not least, our Rascal Dog... He will turn 11 in January and is starting to show signs of aging... Nothing critical at this point, we just notice the little changes starting to add up... Here is too another year of trouble free beagle mischief...

Merry Christmas from the Oliver Family!
Darrell, Shelley, Luke, Sarah D, Hunter, Little Sarah, Rascal Dog, Sloppy Pig, and Floppy Pig

From Mandi and family:

2015 has been a year blessings…

At the beginning of the year, Megan turned 7, completed her first year in ballet, first grade, learned to ride a bicycle, then a dirt bike. She is continues to develop her swimming and diving skills. She is definitely a Florida girl at heart and loves to be in the water any chance she gets. In the Fall, she started second grade and is lucky enough that her buddy Emma Gaskin is in her class. Megan has started her second year in ballet and has added acrobatics to her schedule. Megan will be making her First Communion in May 2016 and we cannot wait to watch her make this important step forward in Faith. She is blossoming into a smart and sassy, caring and compassionate young lady.

Chase started the year by completing his 6th grade and his first year in the Cambridge Programme at Pasco Middle School. He loves the challenge and learning new things. He is now continuing his hard work in the 7th grade and Cambridge Programme. He is officially a teenager and has recently added karate to his schedule. Chase is also still active as an Alter Server at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. We are blessed to have this smart, witty, caring young man in our lives.

Deep breathe…and we have Lane. Lane had a big year for growth. At the beginning of the year, he successfully completed all of the state mandated testing to continue his studies in his electricity class. This completes year 1 of a 4 year program he is taking at Pasco High School in addition to his regular studies. When he completes this program he will be ready to take the state test to become a certified electrician. He isn’t sure if he wants to be an electrician but it is an excellent Plan B or just to know when he has his own home. Then this Fall he started the 10th grade, year 2 of electrics and started his first job. He works part time at St Leo Abbey Golf Course. He enjoys the challenge of working for someone besides his parents and making money now that he has a vehicle to keep on the road. Lane turned 16 in November and we were blessed to be able to purchase a used truck for him to use to get to school, work and start his road to independence. We are incredibly proud of the responsible, smart, funny young man Lane is becoming.

Billy is still with Mosaic and is going through the challenges of management changes. He still enjoys taking the boat out fishing whenever possible, however we are realizing those trips are fewer and far between with the kids schedules filling up. In addition to fishing, Billy and our elderly neighbor have become partners in a hay business. We have baled and stored 1,000 square bales and sold around 300 square bales and 50 round rolls over the summer. As if that wasn’t enough to keep us busy, we are just completing phase 1 of a 3 phase project at our house. Billy’s workshop is almost complete, then onto converting the garage into a home office and another bedroom, and then upgrades the kitchen. Whew…that made me tired just thinking about it all.

As for me, I will be celebrating my 15th anniversary with Aon in January. I was recently promoted to be the manager of the Consultants in the Interactive Solutions & Technology team. I am excited and nervous about taking on this new role. I have high expectations for this team and I am proud I will get to help develop their skills. My job is very stressful, however I love the flexibility my job provides me. It enables me to attend school functions, volunteer for special occasions, chaperone fieldtrips, get Megan to ballet/acro, Chase to karate, plus be available when Mom or Papa need a ride to an appt. I am really thankful for gainful employment and a flexible schedule.

Special thanks to my Mom for helping us with the kids on the mornings I do have to make a quick trip for work. I hope you enjoy these mornings as much as my kids do.

We wish you and yours a wonderful and blessed 2016!

-The Milam Family

Mandi, Billy, Lane, Chase & Megan

From Ralph and Paula:

2015 Newsletter

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to All, 2015 has been a busy year, mostly full of work and church events.
In late June, the company that Paula works for, sold the Kia dealership. It was HUGE! And it was very hectic leading up to the sale, as well as after. Anyway, the deal was completed and as time passes, the dust is settling, and Paula has more time to deal with the two Gulf Coast Tractor stores that are still owned by her company.
Early July found Paula and I going to spend a few days with the Petters and Briggs clan at Lake Gaston, NC. A special thanks for including us to Nancy and Mike, we really enjoy spending time with everyone. Watching the next generation grow up is fun and enlightening. Another group of over achievers for sure.
In September, our combined church choirs performed a concert at Holy Name Priory’s monthly fundraiser in their new facilities. For about an hour that Sunday afternoon, we were rock stars!!! Allegedly, we helped them raise a tidy sum of money. Later that month, Paula and Wendy (her cousin) traveled to the USF vs. Maryland football game (at Maryland). The Bulls didn’t fare so well on the scoreboard, but it was a fun trip just the same. October was the national meeting for Kubota in Atlanta. It was only for two days, and then back to reality for Paula.
We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.
Love to all,
Paula and Ralph

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