1925

Returning to Jacksonville at the end of March after a quick swing around southern Florida, your secretary and his wife look back with pleasure on visits with many '25ers and with regrets at missing many others. The state really shelters a lot of us these days and by and large takes good care of us.

We went south on the east coast, our calls starting with John and Ruth Packard in the Vero Beach home they built 21 years ago. It is easy to understand why they have stayed right there. Next were John and Ruth Hamilton in Tequesta, where we also met their son Jim and his three children, vacationing from their Texas home. Jim is a transatlantic pilot for Braniff. Missed Bob Cubbins in Tequesta.

Ben and Margo Werntz came over to Deerfield Beach from Pompano Beach for dinner. They came through a terrifying experience in early March with a tornado that shook their apartment building and blew a woman off a balcony to her death from another apartment in the same building.

In Delray Beach there was a short but pleasant visit with Curt and Marian Abel, and a miss with George and Fran Zahm.

Bob and Catherine Weinig were delightful hosts on a sunny Sunday in Port Royal. Bob keeps very busy with Citizen Inflation Fighters but still has time for round-the-world "ham" television.

Did not see Ross Beatty in Naples or FrankWallis of Marco Island. Frank had been very ill in the Naples hospital but Ellie reported that he was on the up-grade and improving.

Tubby Washburn in Fort Myers also had been through a hospital session after a serious back operation. Lambie told us on the phone that he was again up and around.

In Sarasota we attended one of the bimonthly Dartmouth lunches with Mott Garlock and George Newman present, plus about 35 from other classes. Had a good luncheon the next day with Don and Barbara Hunt and dinner with Mott and Helen Garlock. Also dropped in on George and Ginny Newman in their beautiful new home on the grounds of the Country Club of Sarasota. Talked with EdBurns, Bob Hardy, and Ken Nugent on the phone but did not get to see Eddie Griffin, Don Moore in Venice, or Bill Bunting in Bradenton.

And there are other classmates in or near some of these towns and more in other communities in the state. One of the latter is Dick Colton in Clearwater. Dick retired eight years ago from Lykes Brothers shipping company (he is still a director) and has been active in Rotary, in his church, as a director of the Clearwater Beach Bank, and as a trustee of his chief interest, the Morton F. Plant Hospital. This winter he was elected president of this board of trustees.

See you at reunion June 6-8.

China Maine 04926