Happy 2009

New Year's Eve in Sydney, Australia

It's Jan 1 there, so let's celebrate!

Enjoy some nice cards from

Judy Van Hagen 

Al and Diane Urbanckas 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to us all!

A Year Goes By

As this year ends, watch one go by in 40 seconds.

Moving

On Jan 12, 2009,

the '58 website moves
to a new address.

Boston Charlie

From Walt Kelly's Pogo Website

Of the many ways to express holiday sentiment,

one of my favorites is Walt Kelly's parody

of the traditional English carol,

Deck the halls with boughs of holly.

Kelly's version begins:

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,

Walla Walla Wash., an' Kalamazoo!

The rest you may read at the Pogo site.

And if you want to hear the tune, 

here's a scene from a movie we like to see

every year at this time.

Jim Taylor

Our classmate, Jim Taylor, died on Thursday, Dec 11 2008, at Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown, KY. 

Jim was born in Springfield and attended Stuart grade school. In the 50th Reunion book, he wrote that his favorite memories of SHS were faculty members Lenore Ashinhust, Marguerite Zimmerman, and Jack Turner. He was also fond of formal dances, the Alamo, and the Tick-Tock Inn.

Jim married his high school sweetheart, Carol Schroeder Taylor, also a '58 classmate. He was a former manager of O'Charley's and credit manager of Sears. He was an avid fisherman and lover of horses.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gail and Edith Barnett Taylor; and a brother, William Taylor. He is survived by his wife, Carol Taylor of Elizabethtown; a daughter, Laura Taylor and John of Elizabethtown; a brother, David Taylor of Chicago; a sister, Frances Myerscough of Springfield; two grandchildren, Preston and Ian Taylor, both of Elizabethtown; and several nieces and nephews.

Condolences may be expressed online at Brown Funeral Home in Elizabethtown, which is in charge of arrangements. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Season's Greetings

Diane Gurgens Urbanckas enjoyed the story on elder ball and sent a picture of her Mom, who will be 88 on Jan 23. Here she is with Santa at the 2007 Christmas Pops concert of the Springfield Symphony, held each year at UIS. They make a good match, in their red and black velvet, of course recalling our SHS colors as well.

In another picture, Diane appears with the art and environment committee at St. Jude Church after they finished decorating the Advent wreath. She and I got to speculating on the little sphere that appears in the picture's center. Some folks think these are spirits; Diane says a speck of dust, and I say it's a flash reflection on the shutter, just before it closed. She was using a timer.

What do you think? Let's hear some comments.

Elder Ball

Photo by Don Treeger 

Basketball is now a sport of choice among seniors, it seems. This lady is ready to sink a free throw in an Elder Olympics contest held in Agawam, MA. One 93-year-old made three consecutive shots, all from her wheel chair.

Today the NY Times has a feature story on Ken Mink, 73, who plays guard on the varsity team for Lambuth University in Jackson, TN. He's a crowd favorite, and they call him "Our Medicare Man."

Obvious moral to '58s: it's never too late--get out your sneakers and hustle!

Twelve Days

A week from today, Dec 14, we begin the 12-day countdown to Dec 25.

Here's a partridge in a pear tree, to anticipate that day.

Dave and Hedva Kobes have sent a Jaquie Lawson greeting card.

It reminds us of all our carols, trees, and gifts through the years.

Merry Christmas.

Larry Keafer

OMAHA, Ark. - A Celebration of Life service will be held for Larry Gene Keafer 68, of Omaha, Ark., from 12 - 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008, at the Illinois Baptist State Association, Springfield. Burial will be at a later date in the Rochester Cemetery, Rochester.

Mr. Keafer passed away Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at Skaggs Community Health Center in Branson, Mo. Cremation was under the direction of Snapp-Bearden Funeral Home in Branson, Mo.

Larry was born Sept. 24, 1940, in Danville, to Arthur and Eugenia (Miller) Keafer. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1958. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Larry married Toni Ford on Jan. 6, 1962, in Springfield.

Larry worked for the state of Illinois as a project manager of construction projects. He was a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Omaha, Ark., the National Rife Association, Ducks Unlimited, and a life member of the North American Hunting Club. He and Toni moved to Omaha, Ark., from Chatham.

He is survived by his wife, Toni of Omaha, Ark.; two sons, Chris (wife, Joyce) Keafer of Midlothian, Texas, and Chad (wife, Pam) Keafer of Omaha, Ark.; two brothers, Eugene Peck of Oakland, Calif., and Mike (wife Diana) Keafer of Rochester; a sister, Joan Jett of Tucson, Ariz.; three grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society for Lung Cancer, Heartland Division; 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64105. Friends may sign a guestbook at the SJR site.