class75

This month, we had a very special guest attend our dinner meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Fish, Chemistry teacher during our junior senior year came to the dinner under an invitation from Mick Burk to come visit the classmates. With Mr. Fish was his wife Patsy Moore-Gatts Fish. Mick met Mr. Fish again at a program for the Grave Creek Mound where Mr. Fish was the Vice President of the Northern Panhandle Historical Society. Another familiar face Ed Coster is the President of that society.
Anyway, after the meeting, Mick approached Mr. Fish, who prefers to be called "Bob" now, with reflections of the days spent in Chemistry class stinking up the second floor of school. A specific memory of those days was sitting in that classroom and watching John Glenn make the historical "First American Flight" into space on Friendship 7 that February 20th of 1962.
One of the many stories he told us was of the trouble he and Bill Barnhart (Class of 1963) got into once with Mr. Goodwin, Principal, when they filled the second floor with cigar smoke from an experiment they were working on about the effects of tobacco smoke. Bill and Mick were neighborhood friends so the story was important to him for reasons to send it to Billy Dan, now Dr. William D. Barnhart M.D. M.B.A., FACP of Mt. Sinai Hospital Medical Center in Chicago, IL.
Posted here is the Orospolitan picture of the staff member, Mr. Robert Harold Fish, a picture of he and Patsy at the dinner meeting, and a small video clip as he passes greetings to his former students.

M.H.S. Orospolitan, 1962 page 9

Patsy and Bob Fish, June 4, 2013

Click HERE to link to the video clip.
TURN UP THE VOLUMN on your system

Now for the news that many have been waiting to hear about Donna Best Durbin and her eye exam. Dave told Mick that when the doctor in Philadelphia told her that the eye no longer had the cancer, she jumped up, whooped, and gave the doctor a big hug. (Can you not blame her for such a reaction?) We were so pleased to hear of the doctor's findings and we join Donna in a whoop!!
Donna remains to have problems with her vision as she continues vision therapy and may have to have surgery on a cataract later which is something that many of us will have to deal with in the future.

Donna Best and Dave Durbin
Donna is teasing Dave about having a flake of confetti on his shirt.
Notice the sparkle back in Donna's eyes?

Louie Howard and Barb Brown Stern.

Louie Howard sat across from Patsy Fish and visited with her. His unbelievable memory told stories of times, relatives, and common acquaintances that she remembered. Mick was saying to Susan that we couldn't disagree with his stories because we could not remember back that far. Patsy said, "Well what he says is true when talking about what she remembers".

Joyce Shaw and Skeeter Anderson

Skeeter Anderson sat beside Mr. Fish at the dinner. Skeeter and Mick were the only ones there that had Mr. Fish as a teacher. But Mr. Fish knew several by name and faces from back then. Mr. Fish was looking at the printout of last month and saw Sharon Richmond Van Scyoc and recognized her and spoke of a relation status with that family.

Skeeter and Bob had many conversations as Mr. Fish still likes to talk and visit. Of course, Skeeter can tell a good line as well. I think they enjoyed each other at dinner.

After Skeeter read the printout from last month, he corrected Mick's story by saying that his car was a 1951 Ford. He also said that the police stopped him to ask where his hood was and warned him to get it fixed. The hood had opened while driving past King Cole south of Moundsville and came back an broke the sun visor above the windshield on Skeeter's car. Skeeter also talked some more about the other cars recalled in last month's dialog.
Dale Allen added from his email response, "I miss the King Boy and FF with gravy from the KIng Cole. Also Ray Richie's white 60 Fury with 2 four barrels. I too loved Roger's Crown Victoria. We were lucky, beautiful cars and the best girls in the world in Moundsville. Class, Man!!!!"

Carol Perkins Martin and Gary Church

Gary Church was a little late getting to the dinner and his far end seat had been taken so he sat near the doorway. His seat was beside Carol Perkins Martin who was without grand daughter Paige this month. So she had to deal with Gary and his humor.

Gary did a super job covering Donna and Mick as meeting recorder last month. We appreciate him assuming that obligation for the benefit of us all as we try to maintain contact in spite of the world getting in the way sometimes.

Susan Wilson and Mick Burk

Susan Wilson Burk has been active in the Marshall County Animal Rescue League since it started over 35 yeas ago . She had been assisting with the preparation of the summer fund raiser Yard Sale and today stopped by in-between off moments for dinner as she and Mick had not been to the dinners for three months. She was to go back and help after the dinner as well. The experience has been an interesting and rewarding one for her as she has been instrumental in monitoring the finances so the league could expand services for the animals and animal owners in the county. At times, it takes a lot of work behind the scenes just to get things to go off just right. There are times when she even volunteers Mick for obligations as well. Since they have their own pets, they don't "foster" as many as they use to but still "watch pets" from time to time.

Mick had his lap top computer with him so after he spoke about Mr. Fish he then spoke of the issue with the power point program that he could not get posted last month. The program from Terry and Judy Clark Shimp was then emailed to all on our mailing list. Sallie Gill Yourkovich, Nifty Wilson, Linda Brady Kerns, and Donna Best Durbin emailed back a response to the program. Gary Church said that he watched it online. They all found it worthy so Mick asked if he could show it at the dinner when he had the speaking floor. Mick ran the computer from behind while Susan read the captions on each frame of the show from the front for those that were far away. Mick was able to observe the facial expressions, nodding heads of agreement, and pleasure in the eyes of those that recognized the pictures with a profound expression of familiarity and joy. All found the gift from the Shimps worthy and expressed gratitude for their efforts of sharing the trip down memory lane.
Don "Jim" Young has sent Mick another "memory game" or test that Mick was going to present to the dinner crowd but things started falling apart and people needed to get on with the evening so we'll have to do that game later. As most of us have learned, that "free time" in retirement is a myth. Most are busier or as busy now as when they had the structured life of "work". We "work" now but we just don't get paid accordingly for it anymore, ha.
Reports on those classmates in a medical state of concern. Six cards were passed around to be signed individually for those that we knew needed an encouraging word from old friends. Joyce Shaw Anderson told of Roger Wade dealing with a blood issue. Ruthie Hunter Wilson remains on our minds as she continues therapy and building strength. Linda McWhortor Tennant is another we needed to let know that the classmates care for her even through her battle. Rick and Carol Baumberger have been on our minds for several months as their son faces further complications with his health battle. Now the issue is growing worse and complicated, the Baumbergers needed to hear from us as we prayed with them for Divine courage. Everyone asks about John "Buster" Hummell and of his battle with his health issue. Buster is the kind of guy that doesn't seek that kind of attention but nevertheless we must let him know that his old friends are still here with him as he deals with that issue. Buster sent a card to Donna a few month ago speaking of the appreciation for our cards and concerns. And also there was our class advisor Toni Jo Mason living in Florida at in a facility to attend to her health issues. We rememeber her patience of us during that phase of youth in high school.
To all these we send the message that these classmates are not forgotten and remain in our minds and prayers as we seek the Divine Presence be made known in each issue. May each receive a measure of peace in knowing we still very much care. If you know of others, let us know so we can include them in our mailing and prayers.

Mick has been in contact with several from the Class of 1963 ( ie: Jim Stultz, Butch Inclan, Bill Barnhart) that are having their 50th Year Reunion this August at Grand Vue like we did last year. If you know any from that class, please encourage them to make the effort to reconnect with old classmate friends. Look at the number of classmates we lost since last summer and or have been confined with health issues that can no longer visit with us.

Thoughts come to Mick as he ponders that time since the Class of 1962 reunion and the specail gift that Nifty had to offer the football players and fans. Knowing that Matt Scales, Mick's friend since 6th grade, had a chance to see the game film before he passed just a few weeks after getting the DVD makes every effort worthy from then on to reconnect. We never know when our number will be called or an infliction takes us out of the game, so we need to just make a little effort to maintain the connections while we are able.

Come to our dinners, email us, call, write, or somehow stay connected with other classmate friends. Even sending responses to these updates allow others to see that the connection is there.

The next scheduled meeting returns back to Perkin's restaurant
on JULY 2, 2013 @ 6:00 pm.
We hope to hold to the regular schedule of the First Tuesday of the month
so you will always know when the gatherings are and can join us.
We hope that you stay in touch and visit with us whenever you can in person, online, by telephone, or by snail mail.
REMEMBER THE AUGUST MEETING IS A PICNIC AT BARB'S.