More Time to Mail Survey

Butch Murdoch's workshop has been the meeting space for the '59 Reunion committee. It's a great space, but lots of work for Butch and Jackie to rearrange, set up tables and be prepared with something cooking on the grill. Committee members bring along extras and the meal makes the planning for the reunion even more fun.

Yesterday, Butch called to say that they have a family commitment and will need to change the date of the meeting. Now we will meet on August 21 at 7:00 to discuss where our 50th Reunion will be . . . and a few dozen other things.

So if you haven't answered the questions about reunion preferences on the newsletter survey and mailed them back to Harry Pund, you have a few more days!

We'll look for a sunset like this one which I saw on the drive out one evening.

We might even talk about a few old classmates.

Save The Date! October 20th

The Annual Reunion of ARC classes of the 5o's is being well-planned. The Murphey farm in Trenton is being readied. The souvenir booklet is filling up with photos, messages and ads although there's still room for your memorial, business ad or greeting. T-Shirts, hats and cups are being counted and reordered. Vendors for tents, chairs, porta-potties and Barbecue (along with banana puddin' this year) are standing by.

Invitations with all the details will be mailed in mid-August. The committee is hard at work!

This is your chance to see old friends from Richmond -- most of them older than you! Put it on your calendar.

Poodle skirts are not required!

A Time to Travel -- Update on Maxie and Judy

It has taken quite a while for Maxie and Judy Stubbs Terry to recover from their fabulous cruise to Alaska. I finally got a photo to share. (Yes, they traveled at the same time as the Pittman's but not on same cruise as I thought .) I asked Judy for a brief description and when she returned from her annual mission trip to Kentucky, she sent this note.

We are on the Yukon side of the sign welcoming us to Alaska. That bus ride was part of a tour from Skagway, another Gold Rush town. The whole trip was wonderful - a trip of a lifetime - and it will take the rest of our lifetime to pay for it! We cruised the Inside Passage and toured the interior on the train going from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Along the way we toured Denali National Park, and actually saw the peak of Mt. McKinley with no clouds in the way! We also saw the Alaska Pipeline. We saw all of the advertised wildlife except for Orca Whales - you had to go on a special expedition to see those. The glaciers were awesome - in Glacier Bay and also College Fjord.

As a Master Gardener, I was really interested in the plants and trees - they were HUGE in the rain forest, as expected, but also in Fairbanks. I guess it's because of the shortened growing season there. Fairbanks experiences the extremes in weather conditions - high summer temps around 80*, and winter ones as low a -60*. But I found a river I could really live on - during the summer season only! Most of the houses are very modest, but everybody has toys - 4 wheelers, airplanes, boats, etc. And the neatest thing in Fairbanks is the outlets in each parking space - to warm up all the systems in your car in the winter. It was our best vacation ever, and no other destination I can think of would even could close.

One of the lovely things about getting closer to our 50th class reunion is that we have more time to travel, to indulge in our personal interests and to enjoy the day. We do get squeezed in between grandchildren and older parents, but somehow, there is still time.

Let me hear from YOU . . . and send pictures!

Phillip Gray Burton Found the Joy in Life

This week, Don Patterson received an email from Evelyn Burton-Kelly, who contacted Don after finding the "59 Classics" in her father's mail. She wrote, "Daddy went to heaven on April 9 after a 4 month fight with Mesothelioma. Please include this in your next newsletter as notification to his former classmates." Don forwarded her email to me.

Even though we shared a homeroom, I checked my annual to make sure I was remembering Phillip correctly. Underneath his photo was this quote "To eat, to drink and to be merry." It seems this is the way he lived his life and that he made sure those around him enjoyed life as well as he.

I am finding more and more that those early traits stay with us for all our lives. It's one of the reasons reunions work; suddenly we are back in time with those same folks. They may look different on the outside, but inside we know them. It's too bad Phillip Burton will not be with us for the 50th Reunion to share his laughter and sense of humor. I have no doubt he would have once again made us all find the joy in the day.

Part of Phillip's Obituary from the AJC follows:
Phillip Gray Burton was met at the gates of Heaven on April 9, 2007 by his parents, Milton and Mazzie Burton and his step-son, Richard Drummond, Jr. Mr. Burton worked for SAIA Motor Freight for ten years and was retired from Yellow Freight System after 30 years of service. Preceded in death by his parents and step-son, he is survived by his wife, Mary Burton of Duluth; daughter, Evelyn Ann Burton Kelly and her husband James of Suwanee; sisters and brother-in-law, Faye B. and Pete Ogren of Lawrenceville, Betty Mayes of Kings Mountain, NC; and several nieces and nephews.

If you would like to email Evelyn and her family, contact me or simply click on comments below. If you would like to see all obituaries which have been posted, see labels below and click on obits.

It Arrived This Week!

The latest edition of "59 Classics" is in mailboxes across the country. The committee has tried very hard to keep the addresses updated, thanks to Mary Gahnz Usher's great efforts. If you didn't get one . . . you've moved, the committee hasn't found you yet or someone else is reading yours. Get in touch with the committee or email me ASAP.

The newsletter contains a survey about what you'd like planned for the 50th Reunion, bits of news about classmates, an article from Jane Bass Moxley on the Girls' Days Out and info from Robert Murphey about how to get your company advertised, your friends memorialized or your class congratulated in the next "Lost in the Fifties" souvenir booklet.

Congratulations to the committee for an excellent edition of "59 Classics."

A update from Donna Andrews Pittman

Donna has been really good about emailing classmates, forwarding fun things and showing interest in what's happening with the rest of us. I asked if I could share this update.

For the last year, she and husband Joe have struggled with his health, much of it unexplained, the beginning coming at the time of last year's planned trip to Alaska. This year, they rescheduled the cruise and, shortly before the trip, he received a diagnosis of "pre-leukemia ( Myloedysplasia of bone marrow, which means,the bone marrow has completely stopped making white and red blood cells and he has no immune system at all.)" With the encouragement of his oncologist, they decided to make the trip. In June, Joe entered the hospital for surgery and was there for 26 days for partial removal of his malignant left kidney with complications and more surgeries. Donna writes that "he isn't doing well at all..weak and lost 100 pounds..we still need prayers....."

With all that, she still has time to think about the approaching 50th class reunion and adds "remember how we use to sign those "opinion Books".....Lord how I used to love to get hold of one during class....and see who liked who...ha ha." Oh. She sent along this new photo as well.

June Meeting - Lost in the 50s BBQ

Lost In The 50s Chairman, Robert Murphey reports on the last month's meeting for the annual BBQ:

Our last meeting was primarily covering Ads for our 2007 Booklet. To date, we have 14 ads paid totaling $1,900.00. We need $5,000.00 to break even. We also discussed having free popcorn this year instead of boiled peanuts.

The Martinez Fire Dept. has allowed us to use their community room on the fourth Tuesday each month for our meetings. Next meeting is July 24th at 7:00 PM.

This group really gets down to the nitty-gritty on the details -- just one reason this is such a great event.

Jimmy is UGA VI !?!

I got this email from Cheryl Melton . . .

Hi Everyone,

I thought you might be interested in seeing a funny photo of Jimmy that appears in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution! Go to ajc.com and click on "sports" and then "uga." He hasn't seen it yet; I can't wait to show him the photo and caption. Cheryl

. . . so I followed the link and this is what I found.

Jimmy Melton sits in UGA VI's dog house on Saturday during Countdown to Kickoff. Thousands of fans attended the charity event where they got a chance to get autographs and meet past and present Bulldogs players.

I asked Cheryl for permission to share it here. She wrote back that he would gladly autograph copies at the fall BBQ in Trenton!

Although I didn't recognize other fans in the other photos of the event, you might.
http://www.ajc.com/uga/content/sports/uga/index.html

Ray Maddox Painted What We Remember

I had a long conversation with Ray a couple of years ago -- two artists who vowed to get together and talk about our work face to face. We never had that afternoon. For that I am sorry.

Although Ray had painted for many years, he began to paint seriously in oils and pastels after moving to the Carolina Low Country coast a few years ago. He and his wife Pati, a potter, shared a studio space at their home and often shared the exhibiting spotlight. He was a good representational artist whose work was colored by his memories of vacations as a boy. He said. "It is not enough to simply capture a scene on canvas. That can be done with a camera and film. The artist should make the viewer a participant. The viewer should feel, ‘I’ve seen this place. I’ve been there. I know it.’"' *from Ray's bio.

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Ray's obituary follows:

Retired Sales Manager BEAUFORT, S.C. - Entered into rest Friday, July 06, 2007 at University Hospital, Mr. Raymond D. "Ray" Maddox, 65, husband of Pati True Maddox. Mr. Maddox was a native of Augusta, had lived in New Orleans for 10 years and Beaufort for the last 6 years. He was a retired Sales Manager in the Chemical Industry and a retired Teacher with Beaufort Academy. Mr. Maddox was also a Low Country Artist. Family members in addition to his wife include his mother: Janie Richards Maddox of Augusta; daughters and sons-in-law: Kimberly Maddox and Jon Utley of Salt Lake City, UT, Melanie Maddox of Atlanta, Julie and Michael Sanders of Greenville, TN; son and daughter-in-law: Charles and Dominique Giordano of New Orleans; sister and brother-in-law: DiAnne Maddox Gay and Ray Gay of Charleston, SC; brother and sister-in-law: Ronald Charles and Greta Maddox of St. Helena Island, SC and 15 grandchildren. A Celebration of Mr. Maddox life will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Beaufort Art Association, PO Box 625, Beaufort, SC 29901. Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Sign the guestbook at AugustaChronicle.com

Road Angels

I'm always glad to see news of old classmates which is happy.
Today's Augusta Chronicle has photos of Charles Durand and his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray split-window coupe before the First Friday car show in Downtown Augusta. Nobody does cars better than Charles and, yeah, he still has great legs.

You have to click here to see the legs. . .
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/070707/met_134983.shtml

Charlie Harris Storms the Gates Again

This week, Charlie Harris died. He was not a 59 Musketeer, but many of us knew him when he was on the winning football teams in earlier years. I have occasionally run into him and have heard the whispers "he's an ex-con, you know" about his time in prison and his crazy actions which put him there and the quiet comments "he's a hard worker in his church."

But I also learned that he was a hard-drinking buddy of my uncle before he stormed the gates of the Augusta National Golf Club in his old blue pickup to see President Reagan about his concerns for American Workers and overseas jobs. I learned that after he stood before our classmate Judge Dudley Bowen to hear his charges and later served a portion of his sentence, he began a prison ministry which he continued after he became a regular citizen again. I learned that he was a quietly respected member of his community who could always be counted on.

I'm glad I had a chance to get to know the adult Charlie Harris. I'm sure he's storming another Gate this week. This time, I don't think he'll need to take hostages to see The Big Guy.

Addendum: 7/26/07 This week I visited my sister and passed by the church where my Story great-grandparents are buried. I thought this photo needed to be added to Charlie's obituary. AAB

Charlie's Obituary
APPLING, Ga. - Entered rest Wednesday, July 4, 2007, Mr. Charles R. "Charlie" Harris, 68, beloved husband of Eleanor Harris for 47 years. Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM, Saturday, July 7, 2007, at Dunn's Chapel United Methodist Church, Appling, Ga., with the Reverend Jeffrey Freehof officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Mr. Harris, was born in Newberry, South Carolina to the late Harry Raymond Harris and Almena Harris. He was a retired Millwright from Austin Industries. He was an avid sportsman and loved hunting, fishing, and football. He was devoted to his family and friends and lived his life to the fullest. He graduated from Richmond Academy where he was a star football player with scholarships offered, but was unable to continue due to injury his senior year. He did later play semi-pro ball with the Augusta Eagles. Mr. Harris was a good Christian man who touched many lives with his testimony. He was a member of Dunn's Chapel United Methodist Church where he served as Sunday School teacher and Lay Leader of the church. In addition to his wife, survivors include his children, Sandra H. Vandeventer, Evans, Bonnie H. Bussey and husband, Scott, Grovetown, Charlene H. Fulcher and husband, Carlton, Appling, and Ramsey R. Harris, Augusta; grandchildren, John J. McDaniel, Jr., Amber Bussey, Brent Bussey; and Morgan Fulcher; brother, Michael L. Harris and wife Peggy, Appling; sister Harriett Garrison and husband Butch, Evans; his mother, Eulalie Sales, of California; and brother, Russell Remero, California. He was predeceased by brother John Curtis Harris. Pallbearers will be Fred Richard Bussey, John McDaniel, Ray Fulcher, Ernie Hammond, Jack L. Fitzgerald, and Steve Hutchins. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Charlie's memory to Dunn's Chapel United Methodist Church, 6563 Ridge Road, Appling, Ga. 30802. Mr. Harris will lie-in-state at the church one hour prior to the service. Friends may call at the residence. Visitation will be held Friday evening from 7 to 9 PM at Starling Funeral Home, Hwy 78, Harlem, Ga. -

Related story in Augusta Chronicle
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/070707/met_134992.shtml
1983 Story in Time Magazine

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921354,00.html