Chpebuh Nation 2019 Jottings

   

Linda Garst Gupta, Cate Whitcomb and Dr. Lee Feierabend - all of us are serving on the the Christian Medical College Ludhiana USA Board -  taken at our meeting in Chicago in August 2019.

Cate Whitcomb was in India March 2019 and had visits with Deepak Dayal, Arun Kapur and Barbi Bygg Mahajan in Delhi.  Pictured in the "selfie" are Deepak and Cate at one of the 5-star havelis on the road between Dehli and Madhuban.

Pictured are Rajan Kose, Phil DeVol, John Chaffee and Ruth Morris at an Ohio gathering in the spring of 2019.

Evelyn Bryant Pitts:  Retired from teaching math at Washburn University where I had taught for about 30 years and was awarded Emeritus status in April.  I am happy that my son and his family live only about 20 minutes from us, so now that I am retired, my husband Dan and I can see our son and his wife and our granddaughters more often. The granddaughters are  5 years, 3 years and a two month old.  We are also have been able to drive to Chicago to see my daughter and her husband more often. 

        Claire Blickenstaff Beery retired from college teaching and celebrated by taking husband Bill, daughter Zoë and three friends to India for a month in October, including a magnificent week in Mussoorie.  Everyone found “their India” and Claire loved being tour guide.




       

Sherry Sergeant Cox We along with everyone else have been extremely busy this year so did not have a chance to get back with you yet.  I did want to respond to your email a little first before writing out my sentence about this years' activities. You did tell us about your mom's passing already because I remembered thinking I was so glad to have had the chance to visit with her in Madison 3 years ago when we went to see Steve's mom. Also I have talked to Linda Gupta and she told me about your new position. Congratulations!  Linda and Ashwini are planning to be here in Oklahoma next month and hope to see them for a couple days. I was going to get a picture of the 4 of us to send you for the Quad. Would mid September be too late to send that to you?  However, I will go ahead and tell you what we have been up to.   This is going to be a run-on sentence so you decide how much you can include.  January I had cataract surgery, no more contacts or glasses; February, 3rd granddaughter Caroline born; June - Steve total knee replacement surgery, now working part time as on Social Security; July - Honduras mission trip; September - both daughters moving, Sarah and Tony to Germany and Stephanie and family out to 30 acres in the country.  Otherwise, we're doing great!  Will try to get that picture sent to you as soon as they visit and see if it makes it in. Hard to believe it's been 3 years since our reunion, do you think we'll try again in 2?  Have a good fall.

Linda (Gamble) McKendry. Not retired, just retreaded... like a good tire to keep running! Managing a partnership with my sister, Susan Unger, and marketing our Sun Catcher Pendants.  www.jesmicjewelry.com  Still taking on leasehold improvements mini-commercial projects from time to time as a consultant... writing a book called, "Done-With-Dementia: Keeping Your Parents Together" that's at the editors, and loving face painting for kids at an active, popular Farmer's Market and other events. Yes!  Still married to Jim who had a vascular by-pass that was successful so we are looking forward to some R&R that comes before all these other things! Grand children are old enough to make me a Great Grandma, but no pressure!  Life is good and so is God!    

       Kathy Coleman York:  There is really nothing new from me this year. We do plan on selling our place in Florida this winter as it will free up money for more travels! Take care, Kathy

       Warren Rees: January 23, I had total replacement knee replacement of my left knee. Surgery went well but rehab was difficult it was May 3^rd before I was able to get the peddles to go all the way around on the recumbent bike. I had to get a manipulation once, and then the rehab therapist discharged me because There was still no progress and she was afraid that the insurance company would refuse payment and they would have to charge me had some blisters around the edge of my bandages which I assumed were an allergic reaction to adhesive. On August 13^th I had my right knee replaced. I made sure that they knew about my allergy to some types of adhesives, so they didn’t use any adhesive bandages, turned out the allergic reaction was not from adhesives but was fracture blisters. I won’t go into detail if you are not familiar with fracture details but google will show you some pictures of what they look like. I had blisters all over my lower leg, and they are almost dried out, but the plus is that I have almost no pain from the knee surgery and only a little aggravation from the fracture blisters. 13 days after the surgery I did a mile in 5 minutes on the recumbent bike. Hope to be off opioids by the week end and driving sometime next week.

        Miriam Haqq Prabakhar: My father passed away on May 20th. I went to the States about five days before that. The funeral was in Minnesota, with family and some close friends.  He was going to be 99 in September, so by God's grace he had a full life and was alert till the end. He was in the hospital for four days before his passing. He served with Dr. Billy Graham till he was 80 preaching in various parts of India. 

My eldest son, changed jobs and is now in Seattle, so I had a chance to visit. Seattle which is really beautiful and enjoyed time with my two grandsons. 

At the end of July my youngest son and I enjoyed a tour of Italy for ten days.  It was great. A lot of walking which  was good for my health as well!!   

Hoping that you had a great summer. With my prayers, 

       Don Camp: We’re still living in the DC area but I’m continuing to work in New York in the fall as South Asia area advisor at the US Mission to the UN.   Once that is over, we’re tentatively planning a family trip to India in January- probably not Mussoorie though.  Then focusing on helping to plan my 50th college reunion at Carleton College in June.   If you really want to know more about me, check out http://www.donaldcamp.guru

       Phil Schoonmaker: Hi Cathy, https://msteinert.com/staff/phil-schoonmaker/

 All is well. Thanks!

  

        Mary Ellen (Fritschle) Noggle-In January my precious dad went home to the Lord. He just missed his 101st birthday. I was with him and it was sweet and peaceful. The Lord was very present and even the hospice nurse remarked on how different it was to anything she had experienced before. God is indeed good, right Linda? We were very close and I have been adjusting to life without his presence. My children and grandchildren are doing well and what a great joy and gift they are. I hope and pray you are all doing well. You are often in my thoughts. Mary

Me with my grandchildren-all girls!

      Karen Smyres Wolner:  After traveling to India in the spring of 2018 and then China last fall, this has a pretty quiet year. John and I spend time on home projects,  grandchildren and feeling the pains of arthritis! Hoping to make some trips in the next year. 

     Frances Hilliard Dawson: This last year seems to have been a little of this and a little of that: trip to Spain, several to see daughter and family in Calgary, including hikes in Rockies (see picture); celebrations of friends’ milestones and for some support of their life end challenges; joy for Somali ‘daughter’ (a new Canadian) and her growing family and every day challenges and beauty. Getting back to more scheduled volunteering in the autumn. 

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     Becky Hill Cord:  I am still living in the wilds of Texas - disheartening with their love of guns. Sometimes it is scary just going to a shopping center with people carrying guns - now like good Christians they just passed a law to carry guns in church - such the times we live in. I continue to substitute teach, do Bible School crafts and write editorials to our Congressmen who seem not to actually know the law. My heart is dismayed at Christians willing to sell their souls for this President - I thought the means justifying the ends was for Russia not the USA. Sorry - I do have much joy in my granddaughter, children and friends - and when it is quiet out here.

       Richard Friedericks and Suzy McCulloch:  Two highlights for this past year - my novel, Windhorse Warrior, was published by Niyogi Books India and has been well received so far. Over Christmas we went on a Princess Cruise in New Zealand and Australia with our son Ethan and his family. Ethan’s wife Jody is Creative Director for Princess Cruises so we got a discount. 

 Mid-summer eve. Watching the sunset at North Beach in Port Townsend. Yes we are all bundled up in the summer! Left to right: back row - David (son) and Stacey (daughter-in-law) front row - Julie McCulloch (David’s wife ’70), our daughter Elizabeth with Elkie and Adelle, Finley (David & Stacey’s daughter, one of twins), Suzy, Richard, Kai and Maya (Ethan’s kids visiting on their own from LA), and Tsai with Dutchy (Tsai is the other twin).

Other than those two events, life goes on. We had six of our seven grandchildren with us at one time for a week over the summer. Then we drove four of them to Portland and after dropping two of them off continued down to Los Angeles with the other two. We stopped at Crater Lake and Lassen National Parks. On the way back from LA we stopped to see Claire (Blickenstaff) Beery and her husband Bill. 

We’ve had several visitors come through Port Townsend including Woodstock friends. We are delighted that Marg Groff (’67) and Mark Wagner (’67) have moved to Port Townsend.  

Richard and Suzy

      John Chaffee:   Compared to last year, which featured a two-week Chaffee family group (16 in all) of China, this year has been relatively quiet. I continue to enjoy my teaching and related work at Binghamton University too much to want to retire, especially since it allows me to travel, for work -- three trips to China since the tour, mainly for conferences -- and pleasure, the latter in the form of almost two weeks touring around northern Wales and southern Scotland with my London-based son, Philip. I am also singing a lot, both with my Episcopal church choir and in a couple of local groups. 

      Janet Edlefsen:  We’ve had a good and healthy year, still dividing our time between our home in Seattle and the boat we keep 80 miles north of here.  This has been my first year of full retirement and I find I’m enjoying it even more than expected.  The gift of time!

     Raj Yudisthar Isar: Only thing new this year is that we are now living in Lisbon, no longer spending 7 months of the year in Goa.  But I've lost track of whether or not I sent in any news last year.  In case I didn't, how about the following:

"Raj” Isar is now living in Lisbon, Portugal, where his work as the Education Director for the Geneva-based Aga Khan Trust for Culture keeps him busy; he continues to do some teaching, notably at The American University of Paris and Ahmedabad University."

Thanks for the news you sent and my condolences for your Mom's passing.  Your Ludhiana responsibility must be a really interesting challenge. 

      Fritz Goeth: this year’s saga started on about 15 April when my company called and asked if I were interested in coming back as a temporary employee for a few weeks.  Keep in mind that I retired, the first time, in Feb 2014.  So I made an appointment for 1 May, had lunch with a couple of young guys I’ve worked with for 30 years and said, yes, I’ll do your project.

 That very evening I was playing basketball in the driveway with the grandson and ruptured my achilles.  Called my company the next day and asked if they wanted to wait for me to recover a bit or go on to the next guy on their list.  They said they’d wait.  Surgery on 9 May, 4 weeks in a cast, 6 more weeks in a walking boot, and rehab since then.  Pretty much go where and do what I want but still not a lot of strength in that calf.

 And the project at work continues.

I assistant coached the grandson’s Little League baseball this spring and have been coerced into assistant coaching the tackle football team this fall.

And the work with the young people of Oregon who want to go to West Point continues.  Retirement may be in the future one of these days, but not this week…

Hope all is well with Chpebuh nation and thanks for doing this for us.   Fritz

Ruth Yoder Dyal: My news!  Adopted another rescue dog, now have 2 to keep me company!  Still working full time, still doing deliveries and surgery, and loving it.  Travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia this Spring-my goal, Ankor Wat surpassed my expectations.  This summer it was Norway, the Faroe and Shetland Islands, and Iceland that I found fascinating-incredible history I had not expected.  Son Jamie is in a Pediatric Cardiology fellowship at Emory, and Jon is working with CDC out of Atlanta-next week leaving for Democratic Republic of Congo to do Ebola research for a month.  Wonderful to finally have them both based in the same place.  Please come visit if you come to Florida,  this house has lots of room!!  Thanks for all your work, Cate