......LHS News......
Originally sent December 30

Yours truly received an unexpected visit from 'Santa' on Christmas Day. No beard or red suit, but a gift none-the-less that I was excited to receive! Fellow '59 classmate Sam Joyner knocked on my door Christmas afternoon & presented me with a lovely, vintage, 8 x 10 glossy of the 'Big House' (name we came to call the house) where I and my siblings grew up - #1 Ft. Sill Blvd. He acquired it at the English auction recently. Sam was down from Tulsa to visit with friends and I so appreciate him taking the time to bring it to me. Love the picture, but good to visit with Sam too!

Opal (Wiley) Thurman sent some stories from her daughter who teaches in public school....wow!
Wish I could print them all but lengthy...suffice to say...not the way it was in 'our day'.

Snow....." It's really lovely :-) Neighbors have cleaned our driveway and walks for at least 2 weeks now, but we'll still be having a white Christmas as the white stuff is everywhere. Also, Happy New Year!"
Susan (Hankins) Ellington


Memories beget memories.....

"I remember the Old South or Cowen's Cafateria. My mother used to pick me up at lunch from Washington grade school, and take me to eat there. They had a nice large banquet room upstairs. Different organizations had meetings there. Virginia Zorger's [married name Wertz] Dance School often had students entertain for these organizations. I was in a dance group with Shirley Parker, Judy Guyll, and Pheobe Burnett. We were an acrobatic team. Judy Guyll was also a fantastic tap dancer."
Dorothy (Dawson) DeMoro

"Thank you so much for bringing old Lawton back to me, when I return I travel the old down district and think of the things that were. My family enjoyed the OLD South Cafeteria and really enjoyed another favorite, Wades Cafe on Second St. Mom and Dad would take is there on Sat. as a treat for cleaning the shop. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from the Frozen North -10 degrees."
Bruce Knowles
btw......Bruce lives in Alaska

"My aunt worked at the cafeteria in the '50's as a cashier and lived next door in a little efficiency apartment. My dad and I would go to the cafeteria for dinner many nights when my mother worked late and couldn't prepare dinner. I loved the place."
Connie Pollner

..."You mentioned the English family in your last email. I went to grade school with Ellen and used to go to her house to play. We lived on Dearborn not far from where they lived. I guess this must have been when I went to Washington. I was always so impressed with that big white house and usually there was a maid there that would fix snacks for us. I remember one time we played school in her room or maybe it was just the playroom, but there were lots and lots of dolls all sitting out on the floor and they were the students. I'm sure Ellen would have graduated in 57 if she had stayed in Lawton. I never knew where she went to school when she left Lawton. Haven't thought about her in years. It's always good
to hear about people from your past."
Marilyn (Gordon) Smith

Doug Waddle Gerald, class '64, lives in Anchorage and recently had business reasons to be in DC. He wrote a great 'letter' about the experiences [fun part of the trip] he had and sites he visited. Wife was able to join him also. Seems he has business there every so often. His comments, sent to a third party, were very interesting and too long to use all here but will share this one....

...." one highlight of the trip, which I almost forgot to mention was that the first Friday I was there, singer Andrea Bocelli held a one night concert at the Verizon Center. The lead attorney bought a block of tickets to see his performance; between myself, the legal staff, and some of the experts, there were ten of us. Now I'm not an opera fan generally, but was completely awestruck by his talent."
Wow! Great trip indeed!

Also, emails from: (I know I'll miss someone).....Bill Gentry, Gordon Griswold, Luther Green, Peggy (Stockton), LaRue (Locke) Hogate, Wesley Best, Frankie (Ingraham) Kinderman, Nino Martinez (think he found pix of '55 class ring),
Gale McCray, Paul Gross, Ron Jones, Mitch Braley, Mike Wyant, Richard Densley, Ben Ansley, Lewis Chandler, Dan Glascock, Randy Moncrief.
Always enjoy hearing from classmates!

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Dee (Vanderpool) Glass, '52, will be resuming chemo treatments next week for ovarian and bladder cancer. I visited with Dee just before Christmas and she was upbeat and hanging in there.
I know she would appreciate your prayers.

Very sorry to report the passing of Mary Sue (Grimes) Ott, 73, of Lawton. Sue passed on December 27 after a long battle with cancer. She was LHS class 1956.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 28 years, Col. William H. Ott, Sr., and a brother David Grimes. She is survived by a daughter Dana; a son William, Jr,; several grandchildren and extended family.
Services will be TODAY, 2:00pm Friday December 30, Centenary United Methodist church with burial at Post Cemetery, Ft. Sill.
Extended obit and guest book at:

I know our thoughts and prayers are always with those who have lost loved ones and those undergoing treatment.

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Possibly last 'news' for the year and I want to wish each of you a fun but safe New Years eve celebration and a blest New Year in 2012.

Here is link to my fav rendition of the classic Old years end.......best to all. Georgia

Never a Christmas Morning,
never the old year ends, but someone
thinks of someone, Old Days,
Old Times, Old Friends.
Happy New Year ~ 2012!