Dear Classmates,
I have enjoyed reading the updates from all of you. I have been in the Hot-ltanta area for the past 26 years and recently retired from a 35 year teaching career which started in Canton, NY, then Rochester, NY, on to Munising, Michigan (I was a Yooper for 5 years) and finally a big move to Woodstock, Georgia and suburb of Atlanta.
If you ever get to Marietta, Georgia, check out the Marietta Square as my handprints are there on the Cobb County walk of Teachers of the Year. It was the highlight of my career as the district is the second largest in Georgia and one of the largest in the US.
Who’d have thought that a poor country girl could have traveled so far? Call me at: 770-928-2088 or email us at: bruanie@bellsouth.net. We are at home:
1042 Avery Creek Drive, Woodstock, GA 30188.
The pictures are of us in the Alaskan Wilderness, the Alaskan glaciers, White Water Rafting, and cross country skiing in NH.
Bruce Stokes, my best friend and husband of 35 years (the only thing older than our marriage is our canoe he bought that before we were married), and I have two beautiful adult children. Our oldest is Nathan Stokes, a computer engineer, who followed in his dad’s footsteps and went to Clarkson and is now living in Syracuse, NY working for Syracuse Research Corp. He gets to test equipment in Black Hawk helicopters. Our daughter, Heather Stokes Wurst, a chemical engineer from arch rival RPI, is working for Merck in Pennsylvania. It’s a bit ironical that both of our children now live in the north - a role reversal? Heather has been married for two years and sometime in the future I expect to be a grandmother. I understand that it is just fabulous. My daughter kids me about having substitute grandchildren, especially when I go to my friend’s house and play with her one year old twins.
I will not be able to attend the reunion, as much as I would like to. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March of 2006, and I am presently in my second round of chemotherapy trying to keep it at bay. It has been quite a journey for my family and I know that I am blessed.
Last summer, my daughter and her husband asked us to join them in a camping trip to Alaska. I had just finished my chemo and we met them in Anchorage and had an absolutely fabulous trip hiking, cycling, and camping. We stayed at Wonder Lake (a five hour ride on a school bus) and hunted for the elusive Denali. To our surprise, the clouds broke for a mere 10 minutes and we marveled at her size and beauty.
Over Labor Day, my very adventurous sister, invited us to go White Water rafting on the Ocoee River and we had a blast. We have reserved our spot for this year! This past Christmas, we stayed with Nathan in Syracuse and he drove us in a blinding snowstorm to the White Mountains where we met my daughter and son-in-law and his family. After an absence of 26 years without cross country skiing, I picked up the rhythm with ease. Only once did a tree and I have a falling out.
It’s hard trying to catch up for 40 years. What was even harder was the fact that my brother Robert, who still runs Martin’s Gas Station, called me one day and asked if I was going to attend the reunion. I said what reunion? He declared it was my 40th from high school, as someone stopped in the gas station and asked him. I accused him of begin crazy as I didn’t believe it had been 40 years until I did the math. Retirement is wonderful if you keep yourself busy with family, friends, reading, quilting, and traveling. Sometimes, I wonder where I found time to work!
I hope that everyone has a great time reminiscing (that’s another sign of our advancing years). I know that over the past 40 years, I have been blessed with a wonderful and caring family and group of friends. Remember, life is precious!
Sincerely,
Janie Elizabeth Martin Stokes
The i’m Talkathon starts 6/24/08. For now, give amongst yourselves. Learn More
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