OPELIKA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1952
December 2004
NEWSLETTER
& HOLIDAY GREETINGS!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
My family wishes you and your family a Pleasant, Prosperous, and Happy 2005. See you in June.
It
has been about a year since my last newsletter. For the latest news about classmates
and class activities, please visit our class website. I will try to publish a
hard copy more often in 2005 for those of you without Internet access.
Website News
http://www.opelikahs1952.com
Our
Class of 1952 website continues to grow. We currently have over 150 pages with
400 plus images. There are about 25 classmates with e-mail addresses that visit
often. The site includes 30 personal webpages many with current “Mini Bios”
of each classmate. We also have several personal “Scrapbooks”. The recent addition of “Snapshots of the 50’s” is still being developed. Anyone with pictures from our high school days are encouraged to send them to me for
publishing on the web. There is a Webmaster contact form on the website or you
can call me for mailing instructions at 1-800-743-3126.
A “Discount e-Store” is now available for you to shop. The
new website URL is:
http://www.ohs-emall.com
This
new site provides you with a shopping destination with over 3000 items at deep discount prices. A large percentage of the profits will go to a “Reunion Fund” for future class reunions. I encourage you to use the company store (so to speak). If you have yet to visit YOUR website, do
so soon. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Reunion 2005
The
53rd reunion is scheduled for three days, June 17, 18, and 19. Reservations
have been made for Saturday, June 18, at Springvilla park lodge – 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This outing will allow for more socializing than just a dinner. More
information will be provided early in 2005.
In Memoriam
I am sad to report that since my
last newsletter, we have lost more classmates. Wildflowers were planted in Resurrection
Garden to honor the life of:
Margaret Askew
Ray Tucker
Gaynell Spates – Deaves
Some News
Jack Bankston and Fred Wells have moved back to Opelika. Charles James was found living in Wedowee. We are still unable
to locate: Yancy Bryant, Minnie Conway, Gaynell Macon and June Thomas-Rogers.
If you have any information about these classmates, please contact me.
A personal note
Ina
and I have had a very good year. In the last 12 months we have traveled to: Prague, Vienna, and the Dominican Republic.
What a great time of life, to be healthy and being able to travel. As
you read this Christmas Greeting/Newsletter, we will be in Vienna enjoying the holidays with family and friends. We are both looking forward to returning to Opelika in June for the 53rd class reunion.
Jess
(Arnold) Akins
=====================================
OPELIKA HIGH SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
CLASS OF 1952
October 2003
Our continuing mission is to provide current information about our
class members and their families. This Newsletter will be published quarterly, or as often as necessary to keep everyone informed
about our activities. We hope to improve communications among our classmates.
This Newsletter
can be found online @:
http://www.opelikahs1952.com
To receive this
newsletter by email, access our Autoresponder @:
newsletter@opelikahs1952.com
SUMMER IS OVER!!!
The summer of 2003 was full
of events for the class of 52. Many of us attended
the long-awaited (51st) reunion. Which everyone agreed was a resounding success, and vowed to meet again in 2005.
Ina and I really enjoyed the reunion and the trip to Opelika.
We have also located most of our classmates, many were not
heard from in several years. We still have a few that we are unable to contact for various reasons. I ask your assistance
in locating the following members.
June Thomas – Rogers
Charles James
Ray Tucker
Gaynell Macon
Minnie Conway
The July Newsletter was sent via snail mail to everyone on
the class roster with the exception of those of you who have an email address. Newsletters to June Thomas-Rogers and Charles
James were returned undeliverable. The last address for June Thomas-Rogers was in California. The last address for Charles
James was in Alabama. Jeff Whatley sent me a note from his new address, as the newsletter was forwarded to him, and the class
roster has been corrected. If you need a copy, just let me know.
NEXT REUNION
On the website, I listed all the suggestions I received
about the next reunion. I recently got an email from Nancy Henderson-McLeod, stating that she had no interest in attending
a reunion that combined other OHS classes. You are encouraged to send me your comments and suggestions. I will pass them on
to the organizing committee at the appropriate time.
I have no new information to report at this time. I was told that it is way too early
to make any plans. I will report reunion information as soon as it comes available.
CLASS WEBSITE
The class website now has over 90 pages and about 160 images. We are getting a lot of
visitors and comments from other classes. We are fast becoming a “Destination Site” for people that no longer live in the Opelika area.
In addition to our young, attractive and interesting images from the 1952 Zig-Zag, we
have included many images from classes 1950, 51, 53, 54 and 55. There is also a class reunion picture from classes 1946, 47
and 48 combined.
We have about 25 classmates with hyperlink email address on the class roster page, allowing
visitors to send them an email. There are about 30 “personal webpages”, with current pictures, many with mini-bio’s
outlining their activities since graduation. There are also several scrapbooks.
Kudo’s
to Henry Stern (class of 1950) for his sharing of the many images
of the Opelika area. THANKS HENRY!
The total amount of space available on the website is 70 mgs. We are currently using a
little over 63 mgs. Therefore, the amount of new Opelika area images will now be limited.
The current images of Opelika, Pepperell and the surrounding area will be rotated with newer images on a monthly or
quarterly basis. This will enhance our website and make it more interesting to
visitors. There will ALWAYS be room for any member of the class to have their own personal
webpage and/or scrapbook. The website is YOURS, it was published for you, it
is for your personal use, so visit when you can. If you would like a personal webpage or scrapbook, just contact the webmaster.
A new webpage, “What’s New”, is now posted on the navigation page
of the website. This will give you a list of new images or pages that have been
added recently, and make the changes easier to find. No emails will be sent announcing new pages or changes.
MEMBER
UPDATES
This section is devoted to recent information about some of our classmates.
Bob Boland reports on his grandson, Dustin.
“My grandson, Dustin, who is age 15 won the
Gold metal for racquetball for 15 and also 16 and under in the Georgia Junior Olympic Summer Games. I also believe it
is very important to teach your children and grandchildren sports that they can use all the rest of there lives. In fact it
is never too late. I started playing handball and racquetball at age 28 and my bride Margie started at 67 and we
both are in the best physical condition now since we were young.” Bob
Margaret Askew.
I am always getting requests
for updates on Margaret’s condition. Here is a report that I received recently
from her brother, Jerrell.
“I'm
sorry I haven't kept you friends apprised of sister Margaret's condition but things have been rather busy lately. I'll try
to do better. I'd promise but it might make me sound like a politician with some of their high-minded promises.
Margaret
has been in a catch-22 situation lately. Her last chemo at UAB was over two months ago and she has been unable to have another
because of a red blood cell problem. In order to safely administer the chemo you must >have a blood cell count in the 50,000
range so we've been told. Her first test 8 weeks ago was only 5,000.She has been getting almost weekly injections of Procrit,
a red blood cell creating serum, but without much success. Her count last Friday was only 16,000.She is scheduled to go to
Birmingham next Wednesday (17th) to meet with Dr. Ferrero, head of oncology, for some tests and conversation. The nurses call
her weekly and encourage her and they admit to not understanding why the slow ascension of her count. She tells me that she
is eating lots of red meat, veggies and all the things one is supposed to eat to increase the count production but it isn't
working very well. She feels very good, has energy and appetite and continues to lead a reasonably normal life but to the
staff it is a real mystery as to why she feels so good. To most folks a count that low would leave them lethargic and exhausted.
I suspect we all, because of our advancing ages, feel some of those symptoms and we're pretty healthy.
Next week is a big
test for her to go through. Prayers and thoughts would be nice. Thank you all for being the best thing money can't buy. True
friendship. I'm sure it's not an unknown quality for most OHS grads.
I had a message from "Doshie" Golden this week. I
hope you can pass on all this to our friends.
By the way I remember playing football with you when I was a sophomore and
you and Robert Boland were seniors. If Robert would block better we'd have all been better running backs :-)
That was a direct quote from Ed Spear. Remember him??
God bless you all
Jerrell '54 OHS”
Here is another update from Jerrell , dated September 24, 2003.
Hope everyone receives this heads up about sister Margaret
I just talked with her ten minutes ago after she
arrived home from UAB. She had chemotherapy yesterday, today and will again tomorrow. She is having to travel each day because the Drs. realized she needed something sooner
than anticipated. She was never able to get her red blood cell count to 5.0 so
they decided to bring her on anyway. She made it to 2.3 but that was the best
she could do.
She told me that the Drs. were encouraged by what appears to be a lessening of activity on
the part of the leukemia cells. They appear to be sluggish or ,in some cases, totally inactive. We take that to be a positive. She will return October 21,22,
and 23 for another round and a CAT scan to check the lungs. It all sounds encouraging
but you never know. If you're drowning and a leaky rowboat passes.................well
to you it probably looks like the Queen Mary!
She said she was very tired and was going to shower, take a zofram for nausea and hit the sack. Let's hope her night is good.
Thanks to everyone for caring about a sweet lady.
Jerrell
Billie Simpson-Hudmon.
It was reported earlier this year, that Billie is very ill. I have no information on her condition. Your prayers are needed.
You are encouraged to send a “Get Well” card. If you need an address,
contact me for a copy of the class roster.
Some Closing Comments
I would like to express my thanks to the people (requested to remain anomyous) that
helps me with proofreading the text of this newsletter. I am grateful for their efforts.
I am sure that I speak for the entire class of 1952.
PUBLISHED
COMMENTS
IF you have an item that you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send your requests to:
NEWSLETTER, PO Box 2033 Cinnaminson, New Jersey 08077. You can also email your comments to: webmaster@opelikahs1952.com .
UNTIL NEXT TIME !!!
See you in 2005??
Jess Akins – Publisher
