1920
Among the high spots of a trip now in progress through our country's wide open spaces was the locating of The Voice with the Smile in Davenport, lowa. The Voice is Mrs. EdLindsay, born Elizabeth (Stewart), known as "Tibby" to her friends. Deprived of a chance to see her by scanty between-train time in Davenport, we developed a firm determination, as the telephone interview progressed, to register Tibby as 1920's Lady of the Month.
Miss Stewart became Mrs. Lindsay in June, 1930. The family has since grown to five, and the three children (their mother's absorbing interest) are Jimmy, 13, in intermediate school, Margaret, 9, in fourth grade, and Ann, 5, in kindergarten. Time was—and maybe still is—when Mrs. L. was quite a tennis player; Ed probably takes the pride that many of the rest of us do in the cups his wife has won. But nowadays she prefers to ride horseback with the kids, and she has a Dartmouth wife's love for winter sports. On occasion the Lindsays have gone as far as St. Paul for skiing and skating. Other times they reverse the field and head south (as they are doing while this is being written) but again it may be a winter sports hangover that takes them to a secluded Florida spot known as Lake Placid.
Tibby Lindsay is as good a wife as she is a mother. She says the kids "are bright, like their father;" and adds that Ed "is as handsome as ever." A brief stop at Ed's office brought a cordial reception and confirmed his wife's comment about his appearance. That particular day he was presiding over a directors' and stockholders' meeting of the Southern Lumber Company. However, in case the three children should take after their mother, they are likely to be interested in church work, education, social service and music. Davenport folks speak of Tibby with real liking and admiration. They respect her for the church work she does as Sunday School teacher and as chairman of the women's group in the Presbyterian Church; for her sharing with Ed of his major interest in the University of Dubuque; for her service on the board of St. Luke's Hospital; and for the work she does every winter with the Civic Music Board to make certain that fine music finds its way to the Tri-City area. Future Twenty reunions will be made brighter if the likes of Tibby Lindsay will grace such occasions with their presence.
Other phone calls along the way have turned up important grist for the 1920 mill. True Loeblein of Kent, Ohio, was persuaded to report on what happened to him through the war years. He traveled all over the country in the service of the Navy, ending up near home in the Cleveland office of the Bureau of Ships, and retiring with the rank of lieutenant commander USNR, in January, 1946. Then True and his brother, who had likewise been in the service, started again "slaving at the business," Troeblein, Inc., furniture manufacturers of Kent. True has his older boy Bill attending the local Kent State University and putting in part-time licks at the family business, while the second son Bob is in his second year at University School outside Cleveland. Daughter Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gressard, has a two-year-old daughter of her own, the fifth in an unbroken line of Elizabeths, and that of course makes True one of the handful of grandpappys in 1920.
Paul Giffin, "giving" with modest relucance on the doings of his family, tells of a Hanover visit last August. This was her first trip to the Plain for wife Lucile (Perry), but some research in the Baker Library developed the fact that her great-great-grandfather was.a classmate of none other than Daniel Webster. Paul's 17-year-old, 6*4" son Bob, senior in Grosse Pointe High, will be ready for college this coming fall.
In Toledo the Dartmouths were out in full force on the night of January 22, with 1920 represented by Ted Weis, Stan Newcomer and Dick Pearson. Ted, as a matter of fact, was using this grave occasion to hand down the reins of the Toledo Association presidency to a younger man. Words of high praise went around the table concerning the grand job he did at the time of the Toledo-Dartmouth basketball game, when the locals are said to have routed out the biggest gathering in their history. Dana and Mrs. Eaton, for example, came on for the affair from Chicago; Dick Watts left his big brood up in Adrian and drove down for an evening with the boys. Ex-president Weis is proud of daughter Betty, who is enjoying Wellesley a lot and was to get her first taste of Dartmouth at this year's Winter Carnival. The Red Tillsons, Wellesley Hills residents, have held permanent open house for Betty Weis, and have come to think of her as a member of their own family.
The Inquiring Reporter picked up some hearsay stuff at the Toledo meeting. DonSmith, who used to hold the rank of major, is said to be a full year out of the army and to be selling plywood now for the Davis Plywood Cos. Don travels a lot in his business. FrostMitchell, at last accounts, was with United States Employment Service (USES). FrancisTrent (recently established address at 515 Hackett Road, Toledo) is reported to be selling building supplies. The absence of all three from the meeting was regretted.
Not long after the turn of the New Year a distinguished-looking gentleman was found taking his ease at the Dartmouth Club in New York. Under pressure he revealed his identity as Johnny Bedford of Clarksville, Ga., another of the class grandfathers, nation-wide traveler and lumber-buyer extraordinary. John is a well-known figure in the lumber business. He moves all over the place, taking orders and finding mills to fill them. As this is written he has doubtless made his way (by automobile) to the far Northwest, but that trip comes on the heels of a delightful month's holiday in December at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where the whole Bedford tribe congregatedJohn and his wife, the 15-year-old son who goes to Westtown School, and daughter with two-year-old grandson.
Word of another "wanderer" comes via Paul Richter in a letter from Ted Bliss:
I'll leave the ramifications of our wanderings until later. We are now living, in Maryland, temporarily in Baltimore, while our old house in Monkton is in the final throes of repair. The place, an old brick farmhouse, sits in the midst of its thirty-three point 85 acres, all located in My Lady's Manor in Baltimore County about 25 miles northeast of the city. A lovely spot, fine people, and the peace and quiet that so many millions would like to enjoy in this upset world. Our daughter Jean came home to us from the army only last week. She has spent the last two years in a hospital unit of the WAC and did a really fine job, we are told. Little Nancy, well and happy, attends a public school not far from our place, and during the free hours drives us crazy with her very vocal adoration of horse flesh. She is reported to be a natural horse-woman and loves to ride about our rolling country.
Also in the mailbag is a letter from JimParkes, telling what we were curious to know about his release from the Navy:
I stayed in the Naval Reserve after the last war and in 1940 finally reached the rank of lieutenant commander. In August 1941 the Navy called me back to active duty, which duty lasted until October 22, 1945, a period of about 50 months. My last assignment was to the staff of General Mac Arthur, and that was the most interesting and best I've ever had. I came out of the service with the same rank and am no longer connected with the Navy in any way. I have returned to my business as a fuel dealer in Shrewsbury, N. J., and have again taken up my work as a county official on the Board of Freeholders of Monmouth County.
Additional to the above is an important piece of Parkes family news; namely, that daughter Jessie I. Parkes, senior at Smith, is engaged to Courtland Van R. Halsey of Rumson, N. J., a Rutgers undergraduate.
Our respects to the Worcester Daily Telegram, which on January 16 brought welcome word of the activity of Ken Amsden in connection with the annual business meeting of Tatnuck Congregational Church. Ken was appointed a member of the Boy Scout Troop committee and also was named as one of the ushers of the church. Mrs, Amsden is an active member of the music committee.
The passing of Bob Morse on January 24 was sad news indeed for the class. The next issue will carry Bob's obituary, written by a close friend who has seen him frequently in recent years.
Secretary, Blind Brook Lodge, Rye 17, N. Y. Treasurer, 1 Windmill Lane, Arlington 74, Mass.
ANNUAL NEW YORK DINNER, APRIL 16 HOTEL COMMODORE AT 6:30 P.M.
