IT SEEMS TO ME . . . (The Editor's Commentary) That we all may be getting "burned out" on THE CLASS OF 1944, and maybe we should cut the publishing and the connection down to ONCE A YEAR, or??? The response to the "flyer" we sent out about a 60th Reunion was a complete "DUD", and maybe the editor had 2 responses other than the "staff," and not all of them had ideas either...As you know, a newsletter is not much without the news input from the Class. I keep threatening to "Make Something Up," but that has ceased to scare y'all, too. SO, this spring I took a hiatus in order to get my rickety knee replaced, and to, hopefully, gather some NEWS. My knee is better than before, if not perfect, after 4 months of physical therapy and hours in water aerobics...but the news gathering has failed. I have a few new stories ...one from JEANNE BASSETT JONES in Palos Verdes CA...who is a proficient gardener of Begonias...and sent newspaper clippings and pictures to me last March. But since there was no Spring Issue...here she comes this fall...   I have some pictures and words about our Web Master's Scotland trip, and a few comments from the OSTERLINGS about living in a Real House!     Always, DARYL JAMES is in touch with political news and personal commentary, and the LOVES tell me about each and every trip, with promises of pictures to come.     BOB HILB gave me a sheaf of pages about his Company and their work with Habitat for Humanity...a worthy cause indeed! Then there's the Reader's Page! AND...I'm not even making a POLITICAL statement...surprised???     PEACE     PHL *     *     *     *     *     *     * Speaking of politics...(Ha...GOTCHA!) One of our "own" classmates wrote this next essay about voting and our 'obligations' thereof...a few years ago: The highlights..... "Women to rule at polls in the fall, survey shows"     " Voters go to polls, but Spoil Ballots"     "Get Ready to Vote"     "Recent Vote Results Show How to Lose an Election" "     With such headlines as these, newspapers are ever publicizing our elections. These [headlines] are not unusual in the United States. Yet, in what other country can people today choose their candidates to run this war? Germany virtually lost her voting privileges when Hitler came to power, and the same has been true in the other dictatorships. Even our allies are no exception. Churchill has not been re-elected during this war, and our neighbor Canada has been compelled to keep her present leaders. We all revere our right to elect those who govern us . We reject any movement that we feel leads to dictatorship. However, voting is neither a 'right' nor a 'privilege', it is a DUTY! (Ed. Note: this next will stun you!) Nevertheless, in our last presidential election. ONLY 80% of the qualified voters went to the polls, which left 20% who could theoretically have swung the election. (Ed. note: No Kidding!) Many people take the attitude that they aren't interested in politics, and think that voting should, therefore, be left to those who have a stake in it. Nevertheless, these same people will sit back and gripe about high taxes, government inefficiency, etc., and ask - "why isn't something done about it?" Primaries, especially, are neglected because they are termed 'unimportant'. However, in many instances, including our own County, electing is practically done at the Primary. True, Primaries have some serious drawbacks, in that no Presidential aspirant is required to file, and because of the multitude of candidates and offices involved. While the Presidency is the most important office we elect, it is certainly not the only one with which we should be concerned. With reference to the 'long ballot' (sic.) voters should remember that it would not be difficult to cast an intelligent ballot. Yet, 2/3 of our country's qualified voters failed to go to the polls last April. Further neglect might be cited in regard to local school board elections. Last spring, only 80 people from Lombard and Glen Ellyn bothered to vote for school board members! Needless to say, anyone who does not show enough interest to vote can hardly be justified in criticizing those in office. As one professor put it, the efficiency of our voting system should be judged not only by the number, but by the quality of the votes. For instance, there is a scramble for first place on the ballot simply because people are more inclined to check that candidate. In a certain town, one Boston Curtis was elected precinct committeeman. Boston Curtis is a MULE! More at home are the facts concerning our present Primaries. Polls proved that 4 out of 5 people favor an international organization after this war. But Illinois voters nominated a Senator and Representative having isolationist viewpoints! If Illinois is represented by isolationists, either those internationalists are not going to the polls, or voters are not familiar with the candidates' platforms. We have 10 million soldiers fighting this war. One of their main objectives is to assure us that we shall continue to elect our leaders. Winning the war will take soldiers, but winning the PEACE will take intelligent VOTERS. Ed. note: A remarkable commentary for those times, and just as important today.     Can anyone guess which Classmate wrote it?? *     *     *     *     *     *     * JEANNE BASSETT JONES From the Gardening Section of the Palos Verdes Estates' DAILY BREEZE "PVE resident, Jeanne Jones is the first to admit she's bonkers over begonias. The truth is, she's never met a plant she didn't like...it's just that she loves begonias best. Her home garden, lath house and driveway are all habitats for begonias and other shade-loving plants. With 250 begonias in her front courtyard and about 500 (each a different variety) under a 700 sq.ft. shade house in the back yard, Jones' hobby, more than once has been mistaken for a nursery. 'Every now and then, a new mail person on the route will ask if he or she can buy some plants, but no plants are ever sold here', she says. However, she does grow plants from cuttings taken in February, and grows them into plants to be sold at the American Begonia Society's Annual Show and Sale. Jones says that most people think of begonias as those red, pink or white bedding type (semperflorens) you see in nurseries, but begonias are far more interesting than that." In her note to us, Jeanne wrote that she and husband ,Wally, both had bouts with cancer in 2003, which made the year traumatic for both of them. Also, they planned to attend our 2002 reunion, but shortly before, her dear cousin Winnie Wimpress passed away. Plus, she did not approve of our hotel choice, as it was on property that was hers from the Churchill Land Grant until the state of Illinois claimed it in 'eminent domain' for the highway, and then used some of it for the hotel...not fair, she believes! The Jones have 3 boys all within 12 miles of them, and 6 Grandkids, the youngest, a freshman in High School . They have traveled and cruised a lot, but have no reason to return to GE, she says. Her brother sold his farm and everything is gone to condos. She can't bear to see it! (Well, we all have our feelings about the old neighborhood, and that's Okay...) But, she offered to come down to B. I. and argue politics with me sometime!    YAY! *     *     *     *     *     *     * CLASSMATE NEWS (This will be 'old' news to you who sent it, delayed by the editor's time gap) *     *     * JENNY SWALLEN GROENIG writes as of last March... "Any news of a planned 60th reunion? Surely there will be one in GE! I hope so anyway. We just returned from two months at Lake Havasu City. We were stopped by roads closed due to snow for 2 days in Oregon on the way down, and arrived with the flu (in spite of the shots) so lost most of January. Dave made up for it by golfing in February. The day we arrived home (Spokane) was blizzardy, but now have crocus blooming. Hope that spring is really coming. LET ME KNOW RE A REUNION!" (Well, Jen, as you know, there wasn't one...but who knows this year ??? Ed.) *     *     * April brought this from BOB HILB after they arrived home from Palm Desert... "On April 17th the annual 'Buck-um' game took place at 175 Brandon Ave., Glen Ellyn, the home of 'SNUB' PRITCHARD. A dozen players showed up for the gala event. 'Boz' Pritchard was unable to make the trip due to health problems. The game opened with a moment of silent prayer for the Players who have joined the great buck-um game in the sky. Some remembered were JOHN COBURN, SOX HOWELL, TRAVER TOMBERLIN, BILL WHITE, SAM ROHM, and JOHN POPE. The attendees were: 'HERK' BARR, 'LAFFY ' BAUM, 'SNOOP' (Bob) TOOHEY, 'ROPER' POPE, BIRCH MUSSELMAN, JOE CARLTON, DON KENNARD, JACK LANCASTER, LARRY MAHONEY, DON NICHOLS, and BOB HILB. The game had all the appearances of an afternoon at the 'retirement' home. After each hand, the big questions were the same: 'Whose deal is it?', 'Didn't I just deal that hand?', 'Where's the bathroom?', 'Where's the beer?', 'The pot's short; who didn't ante?'.... All in all, the game was a success, and the group relived lots of the good old days. Everyone is looking forward to next year's game!" (Gee, BOB...who won that pot?? Ed.) *     *     * ED KETT sent this along last May: "Greetings from Winfield! ( The last time that word was used , Uncle Sam invited me to join the service!) I am enclosing an Obit from the local newspaper of PHYLLIS CURTIS (nee LINDSTRAND), who they say graduated from Glenbard in 1944, but is not familiar to me." (Ed. note: her birth is reported as 1924.. She may have been in an earlier class?) ED says they entertain their grandchildren every Sunday when they come over for Grandma's hot waffles, and all the added attention they get here! Ed's Poem... SPRING PARADE ENDOWED WITH SUBTLE GREENERY OF ATTIRE THE SOMBER SCENERY NO LONGER PLAIN AND DRAB BRIGHTENS UP THE LANDSCAPE WITHOUT DELAY FROM BALD, SCRAGGY, DREARY NAKED ARRAYS TREES NO LONGER HANG BARE LIMBS IN SHAME PRISTINE BUDS OF LEAVES APPEAR SHADE QUIETLY DIMS THE SUNS RAYS PLEDGING A COOL INVITING SUMMERS CORDIAL STAY LAWNS REBOUND WITH A SWELLING FURY STATING A CASE FOR FLOURISHING COVER COMING ALIVE IN A SEA OF GREEN GRASS PLEASING THE MOST PICKY PROPRIETOR SEEDS OF SPRING SPOUT OFF IN RICH ACCORD BLOOMS STRUT NEW FINERY IN LIVING COLOR PEEPING OUT CAUTIOUSLY IN THE FERTILE SOIL DECLARING SPRING HAS SPRUNG AGAIN FOR ALL TO SEE (Ed. note...Another case for doing my job more often!     Just pretend it's spring.) (Webmaster's note: As usual, the Newsletter is divided into a number of pages.)     Next page Fall 2004 Newsletter:   Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4 Newsletter Home Page