1994
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LOOKING BACK ON 1994 Mary Ethel and Walt (Gale) when not teaching school on Long Island divided their weekends and summer months between renovating their Shelter Island house and taking trips that included a visit to Tampa in February and two weeks in Washington state with David and Phyllis in August. David and Phyllis are adjusting to permanent living in their home in Gig Harbor, Washington, after moving from place to place around the world. David retired from the Army in April after 23 years of service. He is practicing medicine on the west coast. Phyllis is working on her dissertation, the only thing lacking towards a Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology. Barbara, Hugh, and Miriah (Gibson) are in Searcy. Barbara and Miriah both work at the Wal-Mart Supercenter while Hugh is with Best Buy in North Little Rock. Barbara flew with Mary to New York in March to help Mary Ethel observe her 50th birthday. David and Phyllis joined them there. Barbara and Hugh have a VW van (antique vintage) in which they have camped out several nights in different parts of the state. Mark is in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he works and is building a house. He visited Searcy in April to pick up a trailer and move his MG that he has had since he was a teenager. Son Greg is an 18-year-old senior at Searcy High; he is editor this year of the school yearbook. Flash - on October 21 Mark quietly married Janice Powell, also of Waynesboro. The family is delighted. Jonathan and Marlene with Carly, Jordan, and Hannah, are in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Jonathan works for the South American division of Whirlpool and makes frequent trips to Brazil. Robin and Mark (Kirk) with Ashley, Alan, and Allie are in Tampa, Florida where they moved into their newly-built house in March. They all visited in Searcy in July. J. D. and Mary continue to wonder how they stay so busy despite "retirement". Mary travelled to Tampa by train in May with long-time friend, Frances Smith of Memphis.
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1995
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| LOOKING BACK ON 1995 Mary Ethel and Walt (Gale) spent some of their leisure time learning to use their new roller blades (Christmas gifts to each other) and taking long bike rides. Mary Ethel came to Searcy in October for Homecoming - her 30th anniversary of graduation from Harding. David and Phyllis are gratefully adjusting to living in their permanent home in Gig Harbor, Washington. David practices medicine with a group of doctors in Tacoma. Phyllis is approaching her goal of a Ph.D. degree in Psychology. Barbara and Hugh (Gibson) took a Caribbean cruise in September; Hugh won it for sales at Best Buy. Barbara and Mary took a train trip in May to visit Robin in Tampa. Miriah was married in February to Jesse Schmidt. They live in Searcy. Mark and Janice came to Searcy from Virginia in June to see Greg graduate with honors from Searcy High. He is now a freshman at Harding University. Jonathan, Marlene, and children (Carly, Jordan, and Hannah), came through Searcy on their way to visit David in Washington state in June. Jonathan still takes frequent business trips to different South American countries for Whirlpool. Robin, Mark (Kirk) and children (Ashley, Alan, and Allie), survived the wettest hurricane season in years for Tampa, Florida, but it didn't dampen their enjoyment of their frequent trips to Disney World that is so convenient to them. Mary spent a stressful summer during J.D:s last illness before his death on August 16. All of the family came to Searcy to plan and participate in an inspirational memorial service. Mary Ethel, Jonathan, and Robin visited at different times in the fall to do what they could to bring some order out of a lifetime's accumulation of books, files, and papers. |
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