40 | Labor Day greetings to all! I hope you had a good summer and are looking forward to all the renewed activities that come with fall. The June weather here-- when this is being written--has been weird. One week we set an all-time heat record and the next week we were back to sweaters and blankets.

This is going to be a column of "No News!" I looked eagerly at a batch of the yellow News Forms sent from the magazine only to find too many terse comments. Fred Newcomb offered only, "Retirement complete," and Jerry Payton, DVM '40, said only, "Catching my second wind." Frank Juliano and Al Lotz just said, "Retired," and Jean Titterton Lewis provided,"No news." John Shaul, PhD '52, and John Dwyer just gave new addresses. And Kathryn "Carrie"Moore Ring and Bob Ray said absolutely nothing! Come on, Guys and Dolls, you can do better!

Ed Griffin did provide some news.He attends the Kiwanis Club meetings and plays tennis three times a week.My reaction to that is, "Wow!"My knees barely keep me walking! Ed's wife died in 1992 and he still lives at the same address.He visits his son and his daughter for holidays, alternating between Virginia and Kansas.He has two great-grandsons, one in California and one in Kansas. Thanks, Ed, for all that news. I hope it inspires some of the rest of you!

Hopefully the next column will have more news. I have a little I've held back as a starter, but I could use lots more! -- Ellen Ford, 300 Westminster Canterbury Dr., #416, Winchester, VA 22603; tel., (540) 665-5788.

41 | In response to our pleas, seven male classmates duly mailed in News Forms to the Alumni Office in time for this issue of Cornell Alumni Magazine, for which many thanks. They were put in an envelope by the Class Notes Editor and mailed to me, same as usual. However, this time they never arrived! My wife,Willie Ann, had gone off to Lexington, KY, to visit her sisters and had notified the Post Office to forward her mail. She hasn't received any mail for two weeks now, but neither have I! The P.O. can't imagine where either her mail or mine is, but, they say, "it should be delivered eventually." I'm not holding my breath till it arrives--if ever!

The really bad part of this is that we don't know who the seven guys are. If we did, I'd call you and apologize. The missing forms were very likely received at the magazine during the months of April or May. If you figure to be one of the authors, please resubmit.We'll all be very grateful. Also, I shall guard with my life against this ever happening again!

There is one bit of news, obtained in another way.My co-correspondent Shirley received a letter last May from Joan Heath Melville, daughter of classmate Bob Heath, which she sent on to me. Joan had read in Shirley's column of Cornell's custom during reunion of putting a rose in a vase at the Sage Chapel "Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance" in honor of each newly deceased classmate. She wondered whether her dad had been so remembered.

Shirley replied with a nice letter and described the rose procedure in detail, ending with the assurance that if Joan wanted to go to the 2007 Reunion and honor her dad in this way she would be warmly welcomed. Joan wrote back recently, saying she had done exactly what Shirley had suggested, and the experience had been most rewarding. They had even chosen the "Evening Song," her dad's favorite, for the attendees to sing. Not only had Joan's dad attended Cornell, but her grandfather, Raymond Heath 1911, her husband Whinfield Melville '63, ME '68, and three children ('95, '96, and '09) had as well.

As always, please send in more news. -- Warner Lansing, 6065 Verde Trl. S., Apt. G310, Boca Raton, FL 33433; tel., (561) 487-2008; e-mail, wlansing@bellsouth.net.

As I begin to write this report, I can't help remembering our reunion last year and all the bittersweet memories it provokes. But aren't we lucky to have these ties to Cornell and to each other! Thanks to the 11 of you who sent in 2007 News Forms, I now have "material" to report.

Ruth Kessel Butterly is a resident of New York City and has been a volunteer at the famed 42nd Street Library for many years. It is one of the great libraries of the world and Ruth works at the information desk and in the Art and Architecture Division. She invites us all to visit when in NYC--I can't imagine a better guide to library treasures. Other New Yorkers heard from include Dorothy Newman Seligman, Somers, NY, whose upbeat report states that she and husband Donald are "busy, happy, and in good health."Donald is semi-retired and, says Dorothy, "works only when we have nothing we'd rather be doing." Congratulations on your lifestyle and the birth of your first great-grandchild-- whose grandfather is their son John '68.

In Upstate New York, Laurine Raiber Sutter, MS '49, and husband John moved in 2004 to the Nottingham, described as "Syracuse's Premier Living Community on 90 Lovely Wooded Acres." Over 200 seniors live there, many accomplished in various fields. One of their joys is having a daughter who lives five minutes away and another daughter not too far away in Pennsylvania.

I have written before about the far-reaching dimensions of Cornell, but the recent Human Ecology Magazine featured the close ties with Fort Drum, NY, and the military families there. Because my granddaughter is engaged to a captain in the 10th Mountain Division from there and due to be home from Afghanistan as I write, I was duly proud of my college and the help Cornell Extension is providing.

I'm certain we all thank our president, Jean Way Schoonover, for her card describing her interview with New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's mother, who teaches English literature at Hunter College at nearly 80 years of age.Marjorie Lee Treadwell says anyone under 80 is a "Junior" in her golf league.My hope is that everyone under 90 will be Juniors soon. In the meantime, stay tuned to all the advances concerning memory loss, especially the research described in the January Cornell Chronicle on Alzheimer's.

According to my "unofficial" count, there are 130 women members of our class still with us, so I look forward to more news from 119 of you! -- Shirley Richards Sargent Darmer, 20 Haddington Lane, Delmar, NY 12054; e-mail, kid12054@aol.com.

42 | see the Reunion Report

43 | A loving and lovely letter from Christine Sexauer Simons '44 informs us of the death of her BWOH sister Marion Alice Sexauer Byrnes. She and Gordon, a graduate of the Cornell Navy Diesel Engineering Program, retired, golfed, and sailed in St. Petersburg, FL. "Sadly," writes Christine, "this bright, active, involved person was overtaken with Alzheimer's, the plague that forces family and friends into ‘the long goodbye.' A recent widow,Marion was moved by her children back to her longtime home base,Milwaukee, where she still remembered old friends. A unique facility within walking distance of her daughter Peggy was found. The staff related that even though she no longer recognized her real family,Marion remained integrated in her new family and never lost her cheerful, helpful way with others."

Frank and Ruth Russell Faulkner write that they have abandoned island life for Georgetown, TX, and that Mead Publishing has recently released Ruth's young adult novel, Jody, about a schoolgirl from Maryland whose father is an American Consul stationed in Lahore, Pakistan.

Come join me in welcoming to the Hill Alexandra Wait '10, daughter of Charles Wait '73, granddaughter of Jane (Adams) and the late Newman E. "Pete"Wait Jr., and great-granddaughter of Newman E.Wait, LLB 1912. Congratulate DuBois and Doris Holmes Jenkins '44, who also boast fourth-generation Cornellians. Two--count 'em-- two: Amanda '09 and Stephanie '10. Bob Ladd, you paying attention?

I e-mailed Leon Schwarzbaum thus: "Turns out nobody was overly vexed with me for broadcasting your autobiography (May/June 2007 issue). Seems there is a market for false modesty after all, but I think no real money in it. Charlie Harris--much funnier than either of us--wrote: ‘Incidentally, that last paragraph from the guy who wasn't and didn't was very self-effacing and funny. Keep him writing.'" Leon's response: "Surely, I can serve a fan and keep writing. I have much to be modest about, including being one of the best-known unknown writers in America. I write, among other things, ‘content' for textbooks, which is about as anonymous a gig as any researcher/writer can get. Should there be a continued clamor for more biographical material, let me know. Every day is a new adventure, starting with the joy of being able to get out of bed by myself."

This from BarbaraWahl Cate: "I know that you and Kurt Vonnegut '44 were bonded in a near lifelong friendship. You must be grieving.When the chain is broken we are diminished. I wish you would write about him in our '43 Notes. It's all about saying goodbye."

Truth is, Kurt didn't really consider himself a Cornellian. He had it thrust upon him when he hit the big time. Actually he fared better and was happier at the U. of Chicago studying--after the war--anthropology instead of chemistry, graduating instead of being sent home on probation and with pneumonia. I sorely miss the man. A true friend and a good writer. They don't come more kindly.Watching him interact with my graduate grandchildren at dinner over the past several years, I grasped clearly how and why-- in addition to his writings--he was a hero to each ensuing generation. His recent lament: "The biggest truth I face now--what is probably making me unfunny for the remainder of my life--is that I don't think people give a damn whether the planet goes on or not."

Believe me, dear reader, he was always funny, but never for the sake of being funny. And on March 8, three days before his fatal fall, he sent me his silk-screen rendition of the Rosewater Fire Company badge, with the creed: "I can't imagine a more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine," and in pencil: "For Miller Harris, in thanks for his intelligent kindnesses going back more than sixty years now. KV 3/8/07."

In late April there assembled, among others, at New York's Hotel Algonquin: the fireman who saved his life a few years ago when he fell asleep smoking, the ghost of Dorothy Parker, Calvin Trillin, Knox Burger, and mygoodself. The mission: to remember and celebrate Kurt's life. Prominently displayed on a table of memorabilia was a DU houseparty photo sent to me by Marge Hannan Antell '45, BS '47, and then on to Kurt: Bob, LLB '48, and Marge in the upper right hand corner; Kurt in the foreground prone, in white tie, tails, dirty white bucks.He was delighted--truly delighted--to receive it. One teenage grandson arrived at the wake shod in new white bucks, already a family tradition. MC'd by son/pediatrician/novelist Mark, Kurt's seven children spoke, each upbeat and funny; a five-piece jazz band played blues and performed a slo-mo New Orleans funeral march; we sang gospels. The lone downer: Kurt wasn't there to sing and laugh and cough. vS.Miller Harris, P.O. Box 164, Spinnerstown, PA, 18968; e-mail, millerharris@netcarrier.com.

44 | It's summertime and concert time--especially outdoor ones. The season at Wolf Trap, VA (D.C. area) began with a US Marine Band performance on Memorial Day and ended with a half-hour fireworks display.We went over by bus. That's Falcons Landing news. Some residents spend weeks away at summer retreats. '44ers must do the same, but they haven't told us. News is scarce. As received:

ReneeWolf Steinberg writes, "Oh, the stories I have to tell my grandchildren and great-grands--and they listen." Lois Serby Rubaii is "proud to be a Cornell graduate in the Great Class of '44." She regained her health thanks to her six adult children, neighbors, and friends. Virginia Oakes Tyler wrote from Rochester, NY, of a broken wrist. "Are we getting old and fragile?"And Barbara Palmer Stewart, MS '48, reports her husband confined to a wheelchair.

On a brighter note, Betty Timmerman Thompson lives in Sun City, AZ, where she is an active member of a Delta Gamma alumnae chapter. Eleanor Bloomfield Scholl announced the arrival of a fifth great-grand and a sixth expected. Peter Tolins, MD '47, of Walnut Creek, CA, writes,"Nothing much--illness, survival, grandchildren."He sees Bob Greenburg, LLB '48, when Bob visits his son and family frequently. Fred Hannah of Tiburon, CA, is still enjoying life after a stroke.

Alice Garmezy, widow of Bob, wants to receive the magazine. She and their daughters are fine. Clara Ellen Gerould, widow of Walter, reminisces about many happy Cornell events and reports a new name: Van Dorm. She married a neighbor, MIT Class of '37, with many nearby relatives. She is an avid gardener. Janet Elwin Starr '46, widow of James, MS '48, appreciates complimentary membership in '44. They have joined many of the Kestens' cruises. Parveen McNair and three of her children have lived in Annapolis, MD, since Fred died in '03. She mentioned that four generations of McNairs attended the Naval Academy. Fred failed the eye test--he was red-green color-blind and could not use his appointment. Cornell welcomed him.He was a varsity boxer, tennis player, and member of SAE for two years until WWII intervened. Ed Carman was his best friend. Parveen would like to attend D.C. '44 events.

Mildred Bond French and Don are still active on Hilton Head Island. They were moving into the Cypress Apartments in the Plantation. Charles Weiss of Norwich, CT, claims four children (two Cornellians) and eight grands. Daughter Audrey is an eye doctor in San Diego, and son Mark is a pediatrician in Chicago. Andrew '71 is an attorney, and Nathan '80 and his wife Shelley (Goldstein) '79 are in real estate and shipping. Joyce Tamres Brenner was still living in New York City and loving it. Her grandchildren are off to college in '07. Taylor Keller, BME '47, of Pittsford, NY, boasts of 58 years of marriage and a reunion with old Army friend Joaquin "Keen" de la Roza '43, BME '47, whom he hadn't seen in 50 years. Clifford Earl of Bluffton, SC, celebrated his 84th birthday with his brother Dick '43, BS '46, and wife Bobbie (Johnson) '42.

Marjory UnderwoodMarker writes of her husband's death. "The second time one loses a partner is just as bad as the first time." Zelda Guttman Damashek describes moving from Scarsdale to White Plains, NY, in 2005 and her husband's death four months later.

DurlandWeale, MS '53, of Addison, NY, enjoys "lawns, garden,Model T Ford, and grandchildren."He looks forward to the '09 reunion gathering. v Nancy Torlinski Rundell, 20540 Falcons Landing Cir., #4404, Sterling, VA 20165.

45 | We're still receiving memories of Pearl Harbor Day. Priscilla Okie Alexander, MA '48 (New Haven, CT) recalls that she and a carful of friends heard the news while headed to Syracuse in the blue Mercury convertible of crew star Mario Cuniberti '42 to attend a lecture by Christian Science Monitor reporter Saville Davis. In 1958 she was hired by that newspaper and found out that Davis did know about the attack, but it didn't affect his presentation at all. Pat also had other reminiscences, such as that the father of her prep school classmate at Friends Academy in Overbrook, PA, was the one who broadcast the famous message, "Air raid Pearl Harbor; this is no drill!"

Our classmates have again been active in attending CAU events.William Berley, BS Ag '48 (NYC) went on the London Theatre trip; Richard Legge (Pittsford, NY) and Minette Leister, widow of our lamented past-president Ed Leister, and who is really an honorary class member, along with daughter Carol Leister '84, tripped to the Mohonk Mountain House for a weekend seminar on the 2006 midterm elections.

This column is short because the returns from our class's spring mailing haven't arrived at my doorstep yet (stay tuned!).Meanwhile I will bore you with some personal stuff. The Atlantic Shores Retirement Co-op, of which I am now president, has about 600 residents, of which many are Navy retirees. One of them is my best friend, a World War II submarine skipper who was awarded a Navy Cross, along with his USNA classmate Rear Admiral Mike Rindskopf, a great guy and another Navy Cross holder, who is also president of his retirement co-op in Annapolis. He visited us last month and we held a mini-reunion, as well as discussing business matters of mutual interest. Good fun and of mutual benefit.

We here are neighbors of the Navy's East Coast master jet base, Oceana Naval Air Station (I'm fortunate to be a five-minute drive from a huge commissary and Navy Exchange), and the F-18 Hornets fly by regularly. I have heard some complaints about jet noise, but in reply quote one of our fellows who says, "I don't hear jet noise, I hear the sound of freedom." v Prentice Cushing Jr., 713 Fleet Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23454; tel., (757) 716-2401; e-mail, Cushcu45@wmconnect.com.

46 | Menko Rose (Carmel, CA; menk@comcast.net) enjoys gardening, cryptograms, swimming, and his dogs.He and Helen have four daughters who have produced four grandsons. One reason he stays extremely busy in his retirement is his concern for his progeny and for all occupants of planet Earth.Menko works through World Federalism toward abolishing war and genocide and to respond to the challenges to our environment, health, and poverty. He was recently elected chairperson of the board of directors of the Ashburn Inst. for the Study of Global Federalism and Democracy (www.ashburninstitute.org).Menko would love e-mails from fellow Cornellians Mort Bildner and Art Bach and from anyone interested in learning more about World Federalism and the Ashburn Inst.

John Eckerson (Akron, NY) continues to sing in his church choir and serve as town and village historian. However, he's abandoned his '68 Harley Electra Glide motorcycle. His son now rides it daily to work in Pittsburgh. John is a member of the Torch Club, a professional lunch group meeting monthly with excellent speakers. During the past several years, he has enjoyed touring Holland, Bavaria, and Israel.

Peter Verna, MS '48 (Charlotte, NC; jmichaelv@myway.com) works 80 hours a week as a consulting engineer. He's building a 22-story condo and designing other structures, and testifies about once a month as an expert witness. Recently, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Inst. conferred on Pete its prestigious Titan of the Industry award. Pete and Anne successfully raise bees and continue to produce and thrive on their own organic vegetables. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary by retracing Lewis and Clark's search for a water route to the Pacific. Pete treasures his education and football experience at Cornell. Not only was he the lightest first-string guard in major college football at 142 pounds, but one of the best. The Associated Press named him Guard of the Week for his game against Penn in November 1944.

James Johnstone, BEE '45 (Wynnewood, PA; jjnbb@comcast.net) sends greetings to his classmates.He still plays and enjoys golf and tennis and is seriously into digital photography. Jim makes numerous trips from Philadelphia to Dallas to enjoy his namesake grandson more than 75 years his junior. His great peeve was a computer crash while following Microsoft's instructions on downloading a "security fix."At press time, he had mailed a smoking complaint to Bill Gates. [Jim, please advise us of the outcome.]

TO PUBLISH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, e-mail it to me. Include your name and city and state of residence. Send news to: -- Paul Levine, 31 Chicory Lane, San Carlos, CA 94070; tel., (650) 592-5273; e-mail, PBL22@cornell.edu. Class website, http://classof46.alumni.cornell.edu.

There's not much news this time, so I'll need HELP for the upcoming columns.Write or call my phone number below.

I heard from Cornell's Adult University (CAU) that two classmates attended last year's sessions. Our Men's correspondent, Paul Levine, attended the pre-reunion class last June on Presidential Leadership from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush. He told us about it at reunion. Phyllis Stapley Tuddenham attended two courses, the May 2006 one on the London Theatre and the August 2006 one on Santa Fe.

Just after I sent the last article, Mary Lou Rutan Snowden called to tell me of the death of her husband in March 2007.Mary Lou traveled alone all the way from Wisconsin for our 60th Reunion, as Harry was too ill.

As I wrote this in June,my husband, Phil Kennedy '47, ME '48, was just home from the hospital recuperating from a double hernia operation. I have been taking cortisone shots and going to therapy for pain in the rotator cuffs of both shoulders. Oh, the joy of being a senior senior citizen. Our youngest grandson's graduation from the U. of New Hampshire and his commissioning in the Air Force took place on a rainy weekend in May.We watched the football-field festivities (including speeches by former presidents Bill Clinton and the first George Bush) on a big-screen TV at the ice hockey arena. -- Elinor Baier Kennedy, 9 Reading Dr., Apt. 302,Wernersville, PA 19565; tel., (610) 927-8777.

47 | see the Reunion Report

48 | William Seymour Jr.,Myrtle Beach, SC: "Live here in winter. Summer finds wife Helen and me in Hillsdale, Columbia County.We travel with a senior group, ‘Young at Hearters'--daytrips and five-day sightseeing tours. I garden, keep honey bees, and go to family and school reunions (Carmel H.S.)."

Vivian Hoffman Miller (aka author Vivian Grey), Haverford, PA; "I still lecture on creative writing at U. of Pennsylvania and lead workshops. I'm on the faculty of Long Beach Island Art Foundation, play tennis, hike, row, and play bridge, and think outside the box when it comes to age number. Recent trips have been to Copper Canyon and Mexico."Dorothy HirschhornMcGrath, Ft. Lauderdale, FL:"My name is now Hertz. I married Robert C. Hertz, having met him at the Garden State Retirement Home.We will continue to live here and enjoy the salubrious climate and loving each other."

Louis Fisher,MBA '50, Berkeley, CA: "Oddly, I still work when I feel like it at Cell Crete Corp. (aerated concrete)--short hours, no responsibilities. I do a fair amount of opera, symphony, theatre, and some political activity. I went from a Rockefeller Republican to a moderate ‘Clinton Democrat,' but as the GOP gets more ‘conservative,' I find myself becoming more and more ‘liberal,' following Newton's principle, ‘for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,' etc.Went to Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Moscow via canals. Big country! Lots of construction! Today's problem is people who do not obtain uncensored information so they can vote and make decisions on facts rather than rumors, emotions, or propaganda. Solution: get rid of 30-second ads and shouters, and make TV political ads three minutes minimum."

Robert Trimpi, Gloucester Pt.,VA: "At present, I'm distinguished research associate at NASA Research Center, Langley. In my spare time I'm consulting, boating, investing, and not sleeping. Fondest Cornell memory is being captain of the soccer team in '46 and '47. In past years I've traveled (business) to nine foreign countries, with the most trips to Russia and England. Last thing I remember doing is trying to remember where I left my eyeglasses.Would rather be water skiing."Mary Ann Grammer Byers, Orchard Park, NY: "Play bridge, read. Fondest Cornell memory is when I met my husband John '46, BA '49. Recently traveled to Alaska and to see grandson Sean at US Naval Academy.My 80th birthday party was snowed out in February '06 in Buffalo."

Oriole Hoffman Peterfreund, NYC: "I'm a retired senior psychologist at the Henry Ittleson Center for Child Research. I also volunteer at a local public school, attend pottery class at the ‘Y,' enjoy museums, theatre, and concerts, spend time with grandchildren, and travel. Today's problem is peace.We need reasonable men to find solutions to problems without resorting to arms. One of my three children is a graduate Cornell engineer; the other two are Yalies. Five grandchildren range from 6 to 22."

Sam Seltzer, NYC: "I'm retired and now mentor start-up companies. Fondest Cornell memory is the Personal Enterprise Program--Start-up and Growth! Recently traveled to China,Mongolia, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Kenya, Tanzania, Argentina, and Chile.Would like to be working on development programs for US-China understanding. I'm now an appointed Cornell presidential counselor." Nancy Hauers Doyle, Dover, MA: "I traveled with a friend to Egypt, South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia in 2005-06. Too bad to have to work so long to do these things."

Alan Van Poznak, MD '52, Tenafly, NJ: "Happily retired for the last eight years after 52 years at NY Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, where I was professor of anesthesiology and pharmacology. I also had an adjunct professorship at the NYS College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca. For 20 years I recorded the excellent music and phenomenal improvisations of Dr. Gerre Hancock at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in NYC and am converting the original tapes to CDs. Fondest Cornell memory is the chimes and the organ in Sage Chapel.Most of my recent travels have been to doctors and dentists, but I get to the gym twice a day, where my three principal exercises are reading, watching TV, and talking. I also swim a bit. Today's problem is a sense of alienation and drift from the eternal purpose of the universe and the Creator."

Dana Keller, P.E., Ralston, NE:"My wife is deceased; I'm single, but dating. I'm a consulting electrical engineer to several electrical contractors. I also belong to a men's Bible study fellowship and several dance clubs. Fondest memory is Phi Kappa Sigma activities and Omaha Cornell Club. I've traveled to 12 countries in the past 11 years, most recently to the Caribbean and a coast-to-coast train ride in Canada. I'm a Community of Christ elder and do considerable church work.Would like to be playing golf."

William "Hoot" Gibson, Danville, GA: "Present day job is executing orders from my wife, Barbara (fixing the domestic infrastructure). I also read, walk, and play bocce ball. Fondest Cornell memory was returning to Cornell after WWII and meeting Barbara.Would rather, right now, be lying on the beach in Hawaii or the Caribbean. Have fun!" -- Bob Persons, 102 Reid Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050; phone and fax, (516) 767-1776.

49 | Hi, I'm back! Many thanks to Dick Keegan for all he has done for our class and Cornell! We appreciate those many miles traveled, meetings attended and chaired, notes written, phone calls made, football games and parties enjoyed--all for the Big Red! Good thing you married an understanding Cornellian--thanks to you, too, Joan Noden Keegan '50.

Jack Gilbert, '49 President, sent me the obituary notices for Whitney Balliett, BA '51, renowned New Yorker jazz critic for more than 40 years, who died Feb. 1, '07.What other '49er has his death reported in the Ithaca Journal, the New York Times, and the Wall St. Journal? Whitney certainly had a way with words and made us all see jazz and its musicians as vital, exciting, and full of surprises.

Carl Schwarzer writes that sliding on a luge sled can be a lifelong hobby. It's his 25th year officiating at national and Olympic luge competitions. He was race director for the Annual Masters Race, where ages 30 to 70 competed.He says that staying alive now is as much work as a steady job was. Guess Jack Gilbert would agree--"Lots of time spent going to doctors, paying their bills, and picking up pills at the pharmacy." BUT they planned a 35-day cruise on the Holland American ship Marsdam, visiting 20 ports this past summer.

BettyWeaverWerner has been taking care of her husband, who fractured his back in two places last Christmas. She enjoys reading and quilts for a nursery, children's home, and nursing home. Stephen Profilet sings in various chorales, takes courses via recordings, and writes critical letters to the editor on political topics. Now that he is widowed he is remembering "that gorgeous girl I worked with at the Straight.Why did I let her go?" If you fit the bill, give him a call!

Sy Brines, BA '51, is still teaching at college and is now a consultant to a substance and alcohol abuse clinic, after going back to school in his late 70s. Jan Rus retired and remembers fondly his football time at Cornell. He hears from Bob Dean several times a year.

Martha Bogan Smith is trying to organize and sort out her house. She's in the DAR and chats with her son and daughter often, but is still adjusting to the loss of her husband Jack '43, PhD '51, in '05. Lois Bergen Abbott sadly lost Frank '42, MPA '49, from complications of skin cancer on Aug. 17 '06. Eighteen family members were together in July with Frank for a "precious weekend reunion" at a nearby Colorado mountain retreat. She has had great support from their five living children, the church community, and Boulder friends. She's active in the church, some politics, and a little continuing research in developmental biology.

Marilyn Olsen Baurle (Dryden, NY) is involved in Cornell theatre, IC theatre, lots of bridge, computer Solitaire, Scrabble, knitting, reading, and visiting her daughter and family, including their great-great-grandchild. Her fondest memories of Cornell are "1) orchestra (viola) and 2) currying show cows and washing tails."Most have listed life in the dorms or houses. Ruth Samuels Hanft remembers the music room in the Straight. She is VP of the League of Women Voters, on the Program and Finance Committee of the United Way, and a trustee on the congregation board of the UJFC. She loves opera, concerts, dinner out, and travel--she went to St.Martin last February and Israel in April. John R. Jones is exercising, reading, doing yard work, and into community activities including the Grand Blanc library board.

Thanks to the following for their donations to the Plantations: Howard Loomis, MBA '50, Jack and IngerMolmen Gilbert, Carl Schwarzer, James and Tony Hallinan Ottobre, Dick and Joan Noden Keegan, and George Rogalsky.

Have you had any firsts? I rode on the back of a motorcycle and went up in a helicopter. The latter was disappointing, except when we banked for the return trip. Now is the time to call those classmates you want to hear from. Glad to furnish phone numbers and/or addresses. -- Mary Heisler Allison, 1812 Puerto Bello Dr., The Villages, FL 32159; tel., (352) 259-0203.