Gratitude V

The Location Team!

Many of you know that this reunion had its beginnings on FaceBook....     Just fooling around one evening, yearbook in hand, trying to see who I could find.   As soon as there were a few of us all "friended-up," talk of a reunion began.   And there were immediate offers of help which I gladly accepted! 

Many thanks go to the team that found you all and I mean ALL!   These folks managed to get physical addresses on everyone of our classmates, telephone numbers on most, and best of all, email addresses!  

Vickie Vanderlick Methvin           Mike "Thunderbuck" Conolly                  Lynn Gravel

Bobby Campo                             Caroline Noone Mott                                Ginger Thiels

And a special thanks to my genealogist/private eye Mary David Baker!  She took on the toughest cases, even writing to distant relatives of one classmate whose married name was unknown to us for months, had no immediate family left in Louisiana, and sadly, was deceased.

The Registration Team

A special thanks to those who gave up hours and hours of football-watching and visiting to work our registration desk Saturday.   Betty Jo and Bob Campo, and Janie Pias have my undying gratitude for welcoming all of you and working with the Bistro to get a head count!   There may have been others that pitched in on this selfless task, and I thank you, too.  

And, kudos to Janie for pinch-hitting on several last minute deliveries!  Picking up our yummy cake at the bakery and delivering it to the Bistro and bringing Marilyn McStay in from the airport...   two sweet surprises!

Gordon Gremillion

Thanks ever so much, Gordon, for your last minute acceptance of responsibility for the Saturday morning tour of Menard.   Without you, those who wanted to see the old haunt would not have known what to do!  Nor would the school have had someone so very pleasant to work with...  by time for the tour, my head was already spinning with Silent Auction items, televisions, boxes of name tags.     You really lifted a burden from my shoulders and I understand that everyone had a swell time!

Contributors to the Silent Auction

Omigosh!  Did we have some wonderful auction items, or what!   I already mentioned Bobby and Betty Jo Campo and that awesome guitar, the lap quilt and man's tray, and Frances Ward Johanson and her beautifully crafted jewelry, but there are so many more to thank!

Thanks to Tommy Faulk for donating a giclee' print of his watercolor work, "The Gathering."  Tommy is our own Gennie Faulk's brother and a 1972 Graduate of Menard.  You can read about Tommy in Alexandria's "Cenla Focus" at www.cenlafocus.com

Joe and Bettye Hebert's daughter did the work on the lovely "1969" etched wine glasses!   Thanks to her and to her parents for donating such a wonderful commemorative items that I know someone is enjoying!.

Thanks to Rosie Randall Williams for beautiful artwork!   We knew she could sing, but what a wonderful, newly found talent Rosie has discovered in her retirement and shared with us!

Ginger Thiels donated the "Granny" rocking chair with the fleur de lis cutout work on the back.  Wasn't that a neat thing?!    It sure would have looked good on my porch.  Ginger's brother-in-law made it...  It got a good workout Friday afternoon as a part of our float decor....    sat on by none other than our own Sister Ann!

Thanks to George Tullier for bringing us a taste of the mid-West in his "Beer Nuts Basket."  What a yummy treat for football watching...   I don't know who won it, but there are several folks I can imagine in their dens munching during football games!

Double or nothing, Captain John "Freddy" Wolf!!!!   Thank you, thank you, thank you for the ever so popular fishing trip in the Galveston Bay!  And for offering a second trip on the spur of the moment.   I wish you all could have heard the details of the trip...   not only are you able to fish all day, but what you catch gets cleaned and cooked for you at a restaurant on the bay.  All part of the package.   Of course, the best part is a day with Freddy!

And Many Thanks to Parc England and the Bistro on the Bayou!

Didn't they host a wonderful event for us!   They donated a dinner for two to the silent auction and here's something you may not know....   they suggested we use HB Smith for our music, and when I declined in order to maximize contributions to the "Nun Fund,"  they offered to pay for half of HB's charge....  and did!

I think we all had a wonderful time at their facilities, and hope you'll consider using them when you have need of a party place or hotel.   Just so you know, they charged us by the person, regardless of the amount of time we used their restaurant.  Neat, huh?  

...and don't forget to use Phillips Signs who donated out Memorial poster for Sunday Mass....   and Trotter's Electronics and Appliances who cut us a mighty nice deal on the big screen TV...  too bad I wasn't able to share the PowerPoint presentations I had planned to show on it, but that wasn't their fault!