1932

A special feature of the last mini was Bill Lieson's playing of some compact discs devoted exclusively to the Big Band era. Listening to the Dorsey, Ellington, Artie Shaw and Miller bands, as well as hearing the voices of Crosby, Doris Day, Ruth Etting, et al., brought back a lot of fond memories. This set the proper mood for everyone to sing along with Dobbie Allen at the piano. She has an inexhaustible repertoire of songs of our generation.

The mini has become a multi-generation gathering since the 1999 reunion was enhanced by the Bob Mattox and Art Allen families. Why don't you make preliminary plans to bring your family, as well as your self,to what is going to be a great 2000 mini? Dick Olmsted has let us know that the 2000 mini will feature the Harvard game. In addition to playing piano at our class gatherings, Dobbie plays weekly for residents of local nursing homes, patients at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and members of her church. She reports that some of the shut-ins sing along and even harmonize on some numbers.

Down in Florida, Midge and JohnSheldon are living a quiet life at Longwood, a retirement community. June Fox lives across the road from them. June makes biannual trips to Texas to visit her son, and an annual summer trip north to visit old friends, including Ellie and me. We always look forward to her cheerful presence.

Over on the west coast of Florida, JoeByram is swimming in his Naples pool rather than golfing. He and Eleanor frequently see Gina Wentworth.

Scraggy Neck Road, Box 111 Catumet,MA 02534