Class of ‘66
New and Improved
“Ole” Timer Yellow Jacket
Volume 1 Issue
4
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I received this
email from Sammy Joyner’s family this morning, April 29th .
Just
wanted to let you know that Sam Joyner passed away last night at 6:31pm.
He was admitted to the University of Penn Hospital on Sunday because he had
recently been diagnosed with melanoma. He is returning to Bartow and will
be buried with his family.
Ginger
Menges Stewart writes that she spent 3 weeks in Japan on an educational study
trip and also met a friend in Hawaii for a week after Christmas. Sounds like she had a great time and is
enjoying life to the fullest. All of
her children are grown, one attorney, one in construction and one elementary
teacher, just like Mom. Ginger is also
enjoying her last 4 years till retirement, guess we are all getting close to
that and some of us have already retired.
Speaking
of retirements, here is another one, Gwen Williams Sutton.
I
couldn’t have written this letter without congratulating Adrian Jackson on
being elected to Bartow’s City Commission as a new commissioner. This just proves that the Class of ’66 still
has what it takes. Looking forward to
great things with Adrian on the Commission since Bartow is growing. Badcock is moving to a larger store, we’re
also getting a Fred’s Market Restaurant, Office Depot, Pizza Palace and a
Firehouse Subs.. No telling what all
we’ll have when we have our 45th reunion, so start making plans now
to return to Bartow in 2011.
Many
of you knew and remember Bo Sutton, he was in the Class of ’67 , thought I’d
let you know he passed away in March.
It’s hard to imagine that we are at the age where we see more and more
deaths of our family and friends.
They
held the dedication for Summerlin Park at Wilson Lake last week behind the High
school. I’ve attached a picture of the
entrance sign listing the donors for the park where you’ll see the Class of ’66
listed. We used the money we made off
the drawings at our reunion for this.
There were other classes that contributed to this project so I was
really excited to see our class listed there.
Class
of 1966 is listed on the right side about half way down the middle.
Construction
has begun on the George W. Harris Memorial Sports Complex at Bartow High
School. The plans include a new
concession stand, restrooms, new entrance and a top of the line home
stadium. I’ve heard that there will be
a tunnel in the stadium for the team to run through onto the field just like
the pros. Somehow they will connect the
baseball and girls softball fields all together with the stadium. I’ll try to get pictures for you along the
way as things progress and keep you updated.
Bartow
is also getting a new girls youth softball complex on 555. I think all the fields
all over Polk County have been updated and we are the last ones. Girls youth softball big business and our
own Don Stratton is the head of NSA Girls Softball in Florida. It’s a shame they didn’t have this when we
were young, I think a lot of us would have loved to have played softball
instead of sandlock baseball in the fields of Bartow. In fields that no longer exist, they all have houses or duplexes
on them.
I
want to welcome Catherine Newkerk, Donald Schupp and Clifford Lewis to my email
list and as new viewers of our web page.
Thanks guys for joining us………..
Speaking
of Donald Schupp, he writes that he missed our reunion since he was in Alaska
with his wife while she walked the Mayor’s Midnight Marathon for Leukemia
raising $8,000.00. He was there to
support her, wonder why he didn’t walk, maybe we should ask him this at the
next reunion. He is now a DoD civilian
and just returned from a 4 month deployment in Afghanistan, glad he is home
safe and sound. Sounds like he got
around over there and saw lots of the country, soon he will have worked for the
federal government for 35 years. I know
that feeling, working for the school board for 33 years myself. He and Adrian will have lots to talk about
at the next reunion. These days he
lives on a small horse farm in Warrenton, Virginia with his family. He and Bobby Crawford should get together
and compare notes on their horse farms, aren’t daughters wonderful? Hey, Donald I hope I got all this correct,
sorry if I messed up somewhere.
BIG
NEWS: Highland City is getting a
shopping center with a Publix!!! Land
has been cleared and construction started behind the post office and fire
department.
The
Bartow Relay For Life was awesome! The
goal set by the American Cancer Society for Bartow to raise was $185,000.00,
the committee wanted to raise $200,000.00 and we actually raised $235,000.00
and still counting. Thanks to all of
you who sent donations for our team, SI Grads, we raised approximately
$3,800.00 and had a good time while doing it.
We once again held the largest and best Relay in Polk County and have
actually raised more money than most of the central Florida Relays.
In
closing I just learned we’ve lost yet another great teacher, Mrs. Ogla Dozier,
died this week at the age of 100. I had
not realized she was that old, yet looking back I guess she really was, after
all we will be 60 next year!! Thanks AJ
for the reminding me of this fact.
Remember
to send me news and if I have incorrectly written anything in this letter,
please let me know so it can be corrected.
Looking forward to hearing from
any and hopefully all of you. Remember
to check out the web site ever so often, I’m trying to keep it updated, www.si66.com. Thanks
to Autumn, my best friend for all her patience with me while teaching me how to
update a web page, etc. Thanks, Autumn
for all you do and all your help, for all this I love you.