Class of 1970 Winter 2021 Class Note

First of all — and, most importantly — I want to thank all of you who jumped onto our Virtual 50th Reunion! I’m going to take the liberty of stealing some words from my friend, Carol Swaffield Ridlon: “I attended the Reunion. The best part was the social hour for our class. Actually there were people that I knew — there were only about 12 of us! But it was fun!” Carol listed off a few names like Patti Nebb Shaw, Sally Devereux Ellms, Helen Fortin McArdle, Frank Tonis, and Nancy Clark Gill — and went on to tell me that she watched a presentation on the new engineering building and a video about Stephen King’s ’87 Hon. L.H.D. book Hearts in Suspension. Still really bummed that we all couldn’t REALLY get together. Maybe someday, right?

Just a smidge about me. First – please note that I have changed my email address
(sudytgraham@gmail.com). Last year, 2020, was quite the year and I can hear most of you mutter, “That’s an understatement.” Here’s my rundown. My oldest daughter is facing a divorce, has three kids, is going back to school, and trying to figure out her future. My middle daughter (who lives close by) needs to work full time while going through nursing school. My youngest daughter (25) and her boyfriend are planning to move to Maine in May (she’s leaving me! Actually, she’s begging us to follow!).

hen there’s my husband, Chuck. On July 25th he was airlifted to a hospital in Grand Junction (four hours away). He was severely anemic due to bleeding ulcers and had rejected the blood they were trying to give him here. After tests and three doctors working together, they realized that it was his heart — and that he had been having heart attacks for some time. Not to elaborate, Chuck ended up having a triple heart bypass and valve repair. COVID added a whole new dimension. Yup — 2020 was quite the year!

I received a book in the mail a couple of weeks ago, just out of the blue! I was so excited when I saw what it was and whom it was from! Do any of you remember — a few columns back — my writing about a classmate who rode her horse from Bethel, ME to Jordan, MT? She wrote a book about the experience and sent me a copy! Thank you, Karla Edmunds Christensen! I cannot wait to lose myself in its pages! Big hug!

Here’s the name of Karla’s book (hoping that many of you will pick up a copy. I mean — how many of us have done something like this?): Horseback! Maine to Montana by Karla Christensen.

Lynn Hillman Furstrand ’80G sent us an interesting update. In 2009 she established her own school called The Hawley Institute, which serves both children and adults. I am going to go ahead and directly quote what Lynn wrote. “Every student is either from a foreign country or is the child of parents who are from a foreign country. I offer lots of ESL but also help in completing undergraduate or graduate degrees; passing the TOEFL, Cambridge, and other exams; achieving equity for students in the public schools. It is the most rewarding experience I have ever had.” Thank you for sending us an update, Lynn!
Please let us hear from you — how you are surviving all this craziness — and how you are doing (even if it’s just a sentence or two — well, maybe three or four)!