So sorry about the recent deaths of our friends. Bill Parker was such a nice person. Myrtle Akers (Mrs. Bill) wrote me yesterday about the death of Jean Akers, Bill’s sister. She was born and raised here. She married Wayne Massey who also lived in Norwood where we live now. They moved shortly after marriage as Wayne was a Navy boy. Myrtle and Bill now live in Nixa. They formerly lived in Norwood. Bill and I both graduated from Norwood the same year. That was 1942. Gary Norell lost his father, Kenneth. Gary’s wife Sharon is the president of the Macomb Sunshine Club. Mr. Norell was born in 1914. He had a very interesting life.
Joyce Ryan, my cousin Van’s wife, called me Friday and said she had a short time to live because of her emphysema. She is being cared for by Hospice. Van always came for a visit every summer. He is deceased now. She had stomach cancer a few years back. She needs your prayers. She says she can’t blame anyone but herself as she started smoking at an early age. I wish we would get through to these people that smoking is no good. When they get hooked on nicotine it’s a bad thing. People will try to take care of every health problem but still smoke. When I started teaching in 1942, you couldn’t get a job if you smoked. My granddaughter said “I know my teacher smokes, I smell it on her.”
The John Williams family had Thanksgiving dinner with Shawn Williams in her home. It was enjoyed by all.
I enjoyed seeing and visiting with Pat (Hylton) Jones at the beauty shop Friday. Pat and I go back quite a way. Her father Raymond was my teacher one year and Pat was my student four years. Joanne Gray and I are always at Teresa’s shop at the same time and visit with each other. Teresa is a good beautician. I guarantee it. Ha!
I talked to Ilene Greenfield this morning. It had been a while. So glad she is doing well. The last time I talked to her, she wasn’t very good. She had Thanksgiving with Paul and family.
News seems scarce. The weather is going to get cooler, they say. It was supposed to rain today, but I haven’t seen any. I slept in today, maybe it came early.
