1999 Summer

Happy 1999, the year most of us turn 60! Ouch!!! Thanks so much to all of you that

sent in news. It is great hearing from you, now I'll pass it on....

Change in address:

M a r y b e t h S m i t h H u n t D o n a l d A r m s t r o n g

330 Wo o d s i d e Dr. #122 5532 S . M a r i n e Dr.

S a l i n a s , C A . 9 3 9 0 1 Te m p e , A Z . 8 5 2 8 3

'News from Bill Perez...Bill has been a salesman for Driscoll Strawberry Associates

here in Watsonville for 4 years. Two of the years he was the Blackberry Category

Manager. Bill has worked closely with George Cowles (Georgeann's father) & is very

impressed with his knowledge of blackberries. It was a pleasure getting to know him &

he has freely answered all of Bill's questions. Georgeann's son, John Eiskamp, Jr., is a

blackberry & raspberry grower for Dirscoll. He started working with his grandfather, Mr.

Cowles before going on his own. Terre Skillicom's nephew, Steve Skillicorn, is also a

blackberry grower for Driscoll. Their season starts in mid May & goes through October.

Bill has really enjoyed working with these growers during the season. Bill started

selling produce in 1968. His first sales job was selling artichokes for Boggiatto Packing

Co. in Castroville.

'Peggy O'Farrell & her husband Glenn had a wonderful Hawaiian vacation in

March. They enjoyed Kona the most. The weather was much better. Kauai & Kona are

both beautiful. They loved the tropical & all the flowers that grow wild along the roads

& the sunny warm sandy beaches. In Kona they stayed at the Konaloa. It has three

pools that were never crowded. One thing they noticed in their condo was a framed

picture of the Watsonville Register Pajaronian, dated, Jan. 10, 1994. The headline

read, Tom Johnson Buys 51% of Marty Franich Ford. At one time Peggy's Dad was the

top sales-man for Ford. After their trip it was back to their home in Alaska & snow. They

had snow this year since Christmas. Spring was a very welcomed site.

'Dorothy Skillicorn (Terre's mother) was honored by the Boy Scouts. This was

the first time that the Boy Scouts had chosen a woman to receive their "Good Scout

Award." The paper reported that is was fitting that a woman of Mrs. Skillicon's stature &

character would be recognized by the Boy Scouts for the contribution that she has

made to scouting & to the residents of Pajaro Valley. I would like to add to that, all that

she has meant to the class of '57. Thank you, Mrs. Skillicorn, you are loved by many.

'News from Deanna Beckwith...Dee has 2 children, Deborah & Marty & six grand

children. Dee has been single for the last 20 years. She has lived in various parts of

California & in Hawaii. She will soon leave for Oregon to live & care for her mother,

who had a stroke. Dee's father died 4 years ago & her brother David died 5 years ago.

Over the years, she has been compiling living history & stories that she plans to write a

series of short stories for adults & children. She is presently working for Pacific Bell &

living in Monterey. She lives a very quiet life, but manages to enjoy an occasional

dinner or theatre date with friends. For those who remember....she still sings as often

as possible in chorus work or solo.

'Jane Sullivan writes...My family is growing! Their daughter Julie gave birth to their

second son, Luke on Oct. 16th ( missed Jane's birthday by 11 hours). He weighed in at

9 lbs. 9 oz., a possible future 49er. Daughter Suzanne, gave birth to Christie in May.

Jane now has 5 grandchildren. Jane & her husband Ross, had a great trip to Ireland &

spent several days in London on the way home. Some sad news...Jane's brother

John, died Nov. 9. He had been in ill health for sometime. He was in the Class of '53.

'Betty Sue & her husband Allen put 9000 miles on their RV traveling around the US

in seven weeks. They stopped in Clifton, Texas to visit Bev Clements & her family & in

Altanta, Georgia to see Marilyn Bogisich & her husband Ed Furtado (WHS grad). It was

great fun meeting their families & seeing their lovely homes. One highlight was UP

(Upper Peninsula) in Michigan. The Mackinaw Island was beautiful. No cars to pollute

the Island, just bicycles & horse drawn carriages for transportion. First time we had

ever seen a UPS delivery carriage.

'Four more former students were inducted into the WHS Hall of Fame. The honors this

year went to Bruce Woolpert, Ray Belgard, Nita Gizdich & Eric Sundberg. They spoke

to the WHS Student Body telling them to get the best eduation you can, find work you

love, & to believe in themselves.

'Marilyn Stromberg spent 10 wonderful days in Hawaii on the beach, Kaanapali

Coast of Maui in December. She also welcomed two more grandchildren this past

year. Daughter, Stephanie had a girl, Gabriella in Sept. & son Kevin & his wife Toni,

had a boy, Jason in June. Kevin made a major decision to give up his job & stay home

to be "Mr. Mom." Marilyn has 5 grandchildren.

'Adrienne's retirement party was held at Severino's in Aptos. It was a gala affair with

172 well wishers attending including 12 from our WHS class; Sylvia, Kathy & Bud,

Terre, Phil, Grant, Betty Sue, Jack Marceron, Carolyn, Adrienne, Ed, Clarice & Mr. Ken

McCombs. For the program two of Adrienne's niece's sang, the ABC Trio sang &

Carolyn did her hilarious "Edith Ann" skit & we danced until midnight. Ed provided the

wine & he really enjoyed it.

*A little history about Whiskey Hill better known as Freedom, CA. In the late 1800's

Freedom was called Whiskey Hill, well known for its saloons & dance halls as well as

the bull & bear fights. It was a brawly, rowdy place, said local Watsonville historian,

Betty Lewis. Things have certainly changed since Whiskey Hill...those wild & woolly

days where booze flowed like water. A popular pastime to residents of Whiskey Hill

during the 1860's was watching a bear fight with a bull. Admission to the event was

$1.00 in the shade or 50 cents in the sun. The rowdiness found in Whiskey Hill didn't

bode well with the public officials in Watsonville, & in 1877 a vote was taken to change

the name of Whiskey Hill to one that was more civilized. The name Freedom was

selected amid other choices such as Smithville & Juliette. Now you know the rest of

the story.

'Pat Starbird's father, Frank "Bud" Starbird died at home following a brief illness. He

was employed with Granite Rock. He & his wife were travelers, having traveled the

world, visiting many countries. He leaves his wife Leona; two daughters, Patricia &

Barbara; two sons, Rod & Chuck; 18 grandchildren & 9 great-grandchildren.

'Beverly Clement's father died Dec. 11 at his home. He came to Watsonville as a

grocer in 1934. In 1946, he purchased the Fairway Market in Freedom, & in 1955, he

purchased Ron's Market in Salinas. He was an active member & president of the

Salinas North Lions. He leaves his wife Edith; a son, Ron & daughter Bev; 5 grand

children & 4 great-grandchildren.

'Janice Blohm's husband, Bob Soldo, Class of '55 died in January from

complications of multiple sclerosis. Bob was born in Chicago & moved with his family

to Watsonville when he was nine years old. He attended Monterey Peninsula College

& San Jose State. He was employed with KPAY in Chico & KSBW radio & television.

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1959, he was the spark that started the

Greater Monterey Bay Area Multiple Sclerosis Society. A new house was designed to

accommodate his wheelchair & allow him to take care of himself. He found it so

comfortable that he called Sunset Magazine. A picture of him in front of his house was

the lead picture for a six-page article. He leaves his wife Janice; stepmother, Ann

Soldo; a sister, Mary Ann. Bob's parents, Mildred & Andrew preceded him in'death.

'Mike Larkin's brother Emmett "Mick" died of scleroderma on April 18. He had

resided in our community his entire life. He was employed as a heavy equipment

operator & had been self-employed for 20 years. He leaves his wife, Sandra; a

daughter, Mary Ann; two brothers, Mike & John; 2 grandchildren.

'Jerry Baker's mother, Doris Baker died April 21. Mrs. Baker was born in Tulare, &

had resided in the Watsonville area for 75 years. She was a retired school teacher

with the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. She leaves her son, Jerry; daughter,

Donna; five grandchildren & two great- grandchildren.

'Jerry Baker's father, Robert Baker died May 25, a month after his wife's death. Mr.

Baker was 91. He was born in Watsonville & was a retired Assistant Postmaster here

in Watsonville. He was a life member of the Elks Lodge, the Wave Masters Model &

Flying Club. His hobby was radio control model airplanes.

'Jim Ludden's father, Dr. Jerome Ludden, Jr. died May 28. Dr. Ludden & his wife, Dr.

Ruth Frary, came to Watsonville in 1939, establishing their medical practice here. He

was a former chief of staff of our hospital. Dr. Ludden is survived by his son Jim of

Seattle, WA.: a daughter Bette, recently returned to Watsonville; one granddaughter &

two great-grandchildren.

'Norma Williamson's father, Sidney Williamson died May 31. He was 93. Mr.

Williamson was born in Fresno & worked as a heavy equipment operator until his

retirement. He leaves two daughters, Norma & Judi; two sons, David & Al; three

grandchildren & six great-grandchildren.

'Bud & Kathy (Crossno) Mann took in the sights of Rome, Venice, Florence,

Switzerland & Germany during a three week trip in April & May. They met many

friendly people on the trains, enjoyed the delicious food, wine, a Rhine Cruise & a visit

to the Mercedes Benz factory in Stuttgart. But the highlight of the trip was making

ravioli in a Tuscan Villa, & they have photos to prove it. The Manns have four

grandchildren, all under three that keep them busy as does their orchard, their tree

brokerage business, the Ag History Project (Bud's a Director), & the County Office of

Education (Kathy's a Trustee). And every so often they man the Information Desk at

Twin Lakes Church in Aptos; come say hello.

'Charlene Corrigan's twin daughter's, Carin & Claire graduated from college on

the same day but different colleges miles apart. A real dilemma for their Mother. Carin

graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, & received the #1 Outstanding Senior English

Award at Pomona College in Claremont, CA. She had a double major in English &

French. She plans to teach English on the High School level & further her education .

Claire received her degree in Government & French from Smith College in North

Hampton, Mass. Her long range plans will be to receive a law degree. In August,

Claire will leave for Paris to work with UNESCO, helping Africian nations that are

emerging into our economic world. Claire's second grade teacher was Mrs. Adrienne

Marmo Fagalde & her Aptos High history teacher was Mr. Allen Bjur ( Betty Sue

Henry's husband).The twins have been such outstanding students, we congratulate

them on their accomplishments.

'Bob D'Anna married Pamela Cochran, January 9th in Modesto. They have five

children & seven grandchildren. Bob's son Glen was married in April & both couples

spent their honeymoon in Kauai. As many of you may remember, Bob worked for

Johnson Stationary during high school repairing typewriters. He later used those skills

in the Navy, 1957-1976 & now in his own business called Bob's Instrument Calibra

tion Co. Congratulations to our newest groom.

'Mike Larkin is restoring a 1949 Ford. It will be a driver The '49 is really going to

look great parked next to his gorgeous 1957 Chevy convertible.

'Did you know that the roller coaster at the Boardwalk, known as the Giant Dipper is

celebrating its 75th birthday this year? During its 75 years, more than 45 million

people have ridden the Giant Dipper at speeds up to 55 mph.

'Carolyn Pettus moved to the Napa Valley in 1989. She is a realtor for Reality

Executives. Carolyn never thought that she would be working 7 days a week, but as

in all of No. Cal & many parts of the Country, Real Estate is booming. It soulds like an

agent's dream, to have more buyers than sellers, but in actuality it's very stressful as

Carolyn's clients have money to buy & there is nothing to sell them. So many people

are trying to locate in the Napa Valley (either primary or second homes), & because of

their basically slow growth policy, supply & demand are not in agreement. It's a great

place to invest....the Bay Area will always need its playground & where better to have it

than the greatest wine region in America. When Carolyn isn't selling property, she

keeps busy with her 2 daughters & 4 grandchildren. Carolyn's mother, Mrs. Lily Pettus

moved to Napa to be near Carolyn 2 years ago.

'Marilyn Bogisich, her husband Ed & daughter Debra & two brothers Guy & Rand

had a great time at Hilton Head. Having her brother Randall with them was like having

their own personal trainer. It was up early & walking on the beach while he ran. They

played alot of tennis & golf, & went biking. They must not have a Mall there, right

Marilyn?

RETIREMENT NEWS

After 28 1/2 years with Fresno School Dist., NANCY WYNNE Van Galder has put the

chalk back into the box for the last time. With the closing of school, Nancy joined the

ranks of the retired. Her most recent assignment, which spanned 14 years, was at

Duncan Polytechnical High School where she taught Accounting, Microcomputer

Accounting, & English Language Development to 2nd language learners. Past duties

with FUSD included teaching math in a middle school, working as a classified

employee as a high school financial secretary. Although Nancy still found the class

room challenging & rewarding, the retirement of her husband, from CSU, Fresno, 11/2

years ago influenced her decision to join him in "doing whatever we want, whenever

we want!" These flexible "lesson plans" will allow them to spend more time with their 5

grandchildren, & visit Nancy's mom more frequently in Watsonville. Also in Watson

ville, & now a member of the Bjur family, is Nancy's 1955 Chevy! Retirement will give

her & Bob the opportunity to watch the restoration progress as Allen brings "The

Queen" back to life. The lure of travel beckons, with far-away places sounding rather

intriguing, as long as the road leads back to grandchildren who are growing too

quickly. Congratulations Nancy on a career well done!

DICK HARDY, Student Body President, 1956-57, retired from teaching in the Math

Dept. at WHS, Jan., 1999. Dick was a graduate of San Fransico State University with a

double major in PE & Education. After graduation, he served in the Army for 2 years at

Fort Ord, as lifeguard. He started his teaching career at Aromas Elementary School &

later transferred to WHS. Dick was the asst. varsity football coach at WHS for many

years. In the summer, he taught many of our children to swim at the WHS swimming

pool. Dick married Carol Erickson, Class of 1960, they have three children & four

grandchildren. Their son Rick, will marry Carrie Arthur, July 31, 1999. Dick & Carol

have their own business called Hardy's Miniatures & Antiques. Carol is very well

known for her talent in creating miniatures. Dick assists her in this business. Dick

enjoys golfing every Thursday with Bob Osborn, Allen Bjur & the newest member to

join the group, Ed Fagalde. A trip to Maine is planned for the month of June.

MY RETIREMENT

by:ADRIENNE

Were there tears? You bet. But only during the last month & only when my second

grade class said, "Good morning Mrs. Fagalde", recited the flag salute & sang a

patriotic song. That's when it hit me that I would no longer be hearing those babyish

voices & looking at those cute faces. They were quite alarmed the first time I burst into

tears but quickly gave me sympathetic hugs & reassured me that they would never

forget me.

Oh my, after 37 years of teaching the school district gave me an engraved flower vase.

Dick Hardy got one too. Aren't we lucky?

Actually I was very lucky. My long career enabled me to do something I really loved. I

taught literally hundreds of children, enacted with hundreds of parents & worked with

numerous teachers & administrators.

I was a mentor teacher for two years serving on the Performing & Visual Arts team.

This meant I trained other teachers how to teach music in their classrooms. This was a

job I continued at my own school as music has always been one of my big loves. (I

have many memories regarding music starting at age five when I was in rhythm band

with Jimmy Whyte. We both wanted the drum so I had to push & hit him a little in order

to get it. I apologize Jimmy, for my bad manners of 55 years ago! Another memory is of

walking barefoot down Third St. with Clarice on our way to piano lessons after class at

WHS. And of course there are the ABC Trio memories of all the fun Betty, Carolyn & I

have had).

I've seen many changes in education both good & bad. I participated in double

sessions, extended day reading & the 1973 teacher's strike. I would love to say more

about my career but Ed said I'm getting boring so I'll stop.

Upcoming plans for Ed & me include three months at our Lake Almanor cabin & then a

trip to the southwest in Oct. We have many trips, projects & events planned for the

future so life for us should continue to be adventuresome & fun.

*Our next Newsletter will come out in November. If your name doesn't appear in this

issue, we really would love to hear from you in the next few months. How about

retirements, weddings, births, vacations??? Please send all information to Betty Bjur,

190 Bjur Drive, Watsonville, CA. 95076 or e-mail me at :

abbjur@telis.org

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