1900
A Christmas letter from Elizabeth Gaffiney, George Tong's daughter, tells of the success of George Jr., a student at Dartmouth, who was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year, and was graduated last June "summa cum laude." Currently he is doing graduate work in physics at Stanford University. It should be added that brother Edward at Yale and sister Betty Jean at Stanford are equally brilliant in their respective scientific fields, geology and chemistry. Grandfather George must look with great approval on the academic success of his three grandchildren.
Some members of the 1900 family who have crossed the octogenarian age line are showing, as is to be expected of such a virile class as 1900, a remarkable degree of sprightliness. Mrs. Eaton, widow of PaEaton, at age 87 goes up and down stairs under her own power a number of times a day. Her son says: "More times than her doctor or I like for her to do, but her New England independence is such that if we remonstrated too much she might increase the number of stair climbs that she does get away with." Then too Charlotte, widow of Chan Sanborn, every' year makes the long trip from Tilton, N. H., to Ohio and Texas to visit her daughters and their families. The past summer accompanied by Miriam's family she, with some apologies to stiff knees, climbed, by gondola, Wildcat Mountain and thoroughly enjoyed the panoramic view from the top. Her car is housed during the Tilton winter, and although her driving license expires in February, she expects in the spring to take again the test required by state law in order to get her license renewed. She apparently has no dread of this test and expects to pass it with flying colors.
Alice Proctor, widow of Charlie Proctor, shows a deal of vigor for one of her years. In late November on a bitterly cold Sunday she walked from her home to church and back again, a distance of about two miles. It begins to look as if she were getting in trim for some more extended expedition. Your secretary has to admit to being a bit slow on the uptake. He has just found out that Alice, for more than a year, has been a great-grandmother. Her granddaughter Nancy is the mother of the new little girl. Nancy, a graduate of the University of Colorado, married Russell Cary '54 and lives in Colorado. She and her husband are ski enthusiasts as is Nancy's father, Charles Proctor Jr. '28. Thus this baby girl inherits considerable skiing proficiency. Alice's other granddaughter of this family, Margaret, is also a graduate of the University of Colorado, and is now teaching in the public school system of San Jose, Calif. Her grade class of 22 contains seven Mexicans, one Negro, and fourteen assorted whites. It looks as if in this case the problem of integration is virtually solved, for under the skillful guidance of Margaret peace and harmony reign.
Ethel Woodman, widow of Dr. Jim Woodman, has quite recovered from her incapacitating accident of over a year ago, and can now carry on her normal activities. She writes me that all her children and grandchildren are now located in New England. James in Concord, N. H., Everett in New London, N. H., and Dorothy, who has recently moved from New Jersey, in Framinaham Center, Mass. Ethel feels that she "most fortunate to have all her children and their families so close at hand. Two of her grandchildren are in college; one, Jim's daughter a sophomore at Wheaton, and the other, Everett's daughter, a freshman
I regret to report the death on Dec. 9 of Bessie Tirrell, Cut Tirrell's wife. Funeral services were held Dec. 12, and burial was in the local cemetery. Bessie was a gallant lady who had endured with rare courage for many years a restrictive invalidism. During the last three years she had grown steadily worse and her condition was such that she was moved to a nursing home on Dec. 4 where she passed away in her sleep. Before illness incapacitated her Bessie was very active in church work, in the Shrine Ladies' Club, the American Women's Club, and other useful community affairs. Then too she loved to entertain in her own home and to keep at all times open house. The high regard in which she was held is attested by the profusion of flowers at the funeral service. The class extends deep sympathy to Cut and his family in their bereavement.
Alice Rankin, widow of Walter Rankin, has experienced another tragic family blow. In November her youngest son, Kenneth, suffered a stroke, and after some weeks at the Littleton, N. H., Hospital he was taken by ambulance to the New England Medical Rehabilitation Center in Boston. At last report there was not much hope held out for improvement. Alice has had a great burden to bear in 1963, and our hearts go out to her in deep sympathy.
News has just been received that Hod Cristy has had a severe accident. Some weeks ago he slipped and fell fracturing a vertebra in his neck. He is now a patient at the Worcester, Mass., Memorial Hospital. He and Mrs. Cristy expected to go to Florida in early January, but owing to Hod's hospitalization this trip has necessarily been given up. We sincerely hope that Hod will soon be on the way to complete recovery.
Secretary and Treasurer Box 714, Hanover, N. H.
