It has occurred to us that we might be missing some classmates who are not Interneters and we are concerned.  Maybe we can get the word out to everybody so that, if they are not Internet Ready, they can arrange to obtain a printout.  One other possibility is that Ronnie Berwick may decide to continue with his version of the Gusher.  Ronnie has said that he might try to put the two versions together if he gets a chance.

We are also hopeful that a variety of classmates will contribute to this new GreenieGusherOnline so that the burden of production will be shared.  John and I have already asked for input from a number of individuals and right now we are asking everybody to help.  We want to share not only news, but also things like SPHS stories, profiles of classmates, photographs, and features that pertain to South Park.  We will try to be as professional as we can, so send us your stuff and we will make every effort operate privately and confidentially to get your ideas and your stuff into the GreenieGusherOnline. Write to me, please at dcmarshall@eee.org

September 11 has brought us all a new life.  I know that we all will be working toward the future to ensure that the good life will continue for us and for all of those who are coming along who did not have the good fortune to be a member of the Class of 1954.  My best to you all in dealing with the aftermath of the terrorist attack.

Due to the attack, Ann and I had to cancel a two-week tour that had been scheduled way back.  The result was that we both had fourteen free days dropped on us.  For Ann who is not planning on retiring until year-end, it meant that she found some time to get her office in perfect shape for those who will replace her.  Do you believe that?  Ann is good but not that good.  Well, she will be able to use the time to good advantage.  And, for me?  Two weeks is just not enough time added to my schedule to make a difference.  My ability to squander time is too well developed.  It will only take about a week for me to squander fourteen days.  I would have to wish for more like two months of extra time in order to get anything done.  However, I have found some time to sit down at the computer and give a shot at getting the Gusher restarted.  John Watson and I decided on a new Gusher back in January when he was out here being treated.  So here goes nothing.

Moby, to those of us who knew Moby back when, has provided a lead story for the first issue of the GreenieGusherOnline.  I have tried unsuccessfully to call him Pat and he has graciously given me permission to stay with Moby.  Moby wrote this recently to say that his doctors have told him that he has won in his fight against cancer.  MOBY IS NOW FREE OF CANCER!  Oh!  Wow!  Give him an email whether you know him well or not. Moby joined the SPHS crowd when we started to Lamar.  His long hours on the curb at the Pig Stand showed that he met our standards and he has paid his dues many times over since then.

Moby’s work has taken him around the country but his family home has always been in Kingwood.  Moby and his wife, Marian, almost a Greenie, have two children.  After a long absence, on the September 24 Moby returned to his work with Kellog-Brown & Root in Mobile.  WAY TO GO, MOBY.  CONGRATULATIONS!

2018 Hidden Creek, Kingwood, Texas 77339

Phone 281 358 4447

Gerald reached his sixty-fifth in December and as you would expect, he retired from his long time position with a Nacogdoches bank.  What you may not have expected, however, is that in July, without taking a break, Gerald started a new career with Northstar Bank of Texas in Denton.  He is the Senior Credit Officer (Well, they got the senior part right).  Is this a record, or what?  Gerald learned a lot at old South Park.  Of course, he also matriculated at Lamar U. and LSU, but somewhere along the way he missed out on how to end a successful career.  Will you please send him your suggestions on quitting? Margaret Ann will appreciate whatever help you can provide.

Gerald and Margaret Ann sold their house in good old Nacogdoch and, except for a few boxes that Margaret Ann needs to open, are settled into a new house in Denton.  Some of you know that their daughters live nearby in Dallas and Fort Worth.  Gerald is a grandfather twice times (Gerald is part Cajun).  Congratulations to Gerald and Condolences to Margaret Ann.  Hey, Gerald.  What are you doing with all of the moola?  A loan anybody?

A little story:  When I graduated from Lamar I found that I had managed to learn quite a bit about ball, a little about girls and not much else.  I was rejected by the military because of my back injury.  Rejected not just once, but twice, if you want to know how desperate I was for something to do.  When I learned that Gerald and John Prejean were heading for the masters program at LSU, I knew that I had found my way.  The only difference in them and me was a few grade points but I talked LSU into letting me in on probation.  John was married and had it made but Gerald and I did it the hard way.

Start with what was left of a 1950 Starlite Coupe that Baton Rouge had never seen the likes of before.  Then, put Gerald and I into the freshmen dorms under the seats at Tiger Stadium.  Our dorm room was a little crude but it was great for practicing tennis or handball.  I will be forever thankful to Gerald for sleeping in the top bunk and for teaching me to read all of the Sunday papers.  Our favorite was the Times Picayune.  Gerald read them first then he threw them down to me.  This continued until the floor was about a foot deep. We thought that we had died and gone to Heaven.

Gerald went on from his Masters to a CPA Certificate and a top ranking from a top banking school.  Hey, I must have been a pretty good roommate.  The Studebaker, by the way, expired before the finish.  We thumbed our way back and forth the last semester.

3201 Herring Court, Denton, Texas 76205

Phone 940 591 1460

(There is more to this story.  Elma Jean Tribble married a fellow by the name of Don Market.  Don went to school at Lamar and was from Groves.  When we got to LSU Jean and Don were there too.  Small world?  Anyway, there was our, and your, Jean, PHT.  Gerald and I got well acquainted with Don Market and by a great coincidence, some years later when Ann, Melissa, Elaine, most of Steve, and I moved to Baton Rouge for my doctorate, Don and Jean were there also.  We moved in August and Steve was born in October.

I have had several opportunities to keep up with Don and Jean.  Naturally, I would wish for more.  However, John Prejean and I, did a lousy job of keeping up with each other.  We had our chances but blew them when we were neighbors in Westbury in Houston.

Maybe the GreenieGusherOnline will help us do some reuniting.  Let’s set up a section for those that we are wanting to hear from.  Who should we include?)

A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL

I have been fortunate to visit Beaumont regularly for the last few years.  My older sister, Bettie, and my older brother, Bobby, have not been in good health.  Checking up on family is a good excuse to visit with our class members.  Often when I am there Ronny Walker gets a golf game together and Orelia, Mary Ann, and Virginia create a mini reunion dinner.  Maybe with the help of the GreenieGusherOnline, we can expand get-togethers of this sort.  Let’s try.

I was there on June 14th.  Luther Laminack, John Watson and I had a plan to go to visit Moby.  Moby was telling us that he was getting better but we were not too sure.  So it happened.  We did not exactly go to see Moby for he decided to meet us in Beaumont so as not to inconvenience us.  Do you know Moby?  We met and headed for Joe the barber.  Joe was not busy and we exchanged true stories for a long while. Have you seen the fabulous barbershop photothat John and Mildred put together for us?  You can’t miss it on the web site.

We left Joe’s for Lake Charles. Whose idea?  How many of you know about Luther’s addiction to the tables and machines?  It was, however, my idea to go by way of the causeway so that I could see Cameron.  I had worked there the summer of our junior year but I had never returned.  On the way we had a ball eating lunch under the Rainbow Bridge.  Actually, we had a ball every moment after we met.  A ball?  Well, if you want to call telling wild stories a ball.  The talk never stopped, though I hate to say that the truth never made an appearance.  I am not going anywhere with that bunch again unless they all pledge to stick to the truth.

John rode shotgun which was quite distrubing to Lamo.  And, I did my best to collect gas money from each of them.  I got no money and I am not driving any more.  Some things never change.

The visit to the boats was very fun for me though I am too tight with my money to be a gambler.  I did enjoy helping those guys lose money, however.  We were late getting back to Beaumont What a special day!

I should quit swinging a golf club until I learn how but I cannot resist going out with the guys.  They are very hard on me but I can put up with most anything to be with them.  I can remember golfers James, Bennie and Ronny and Dale Parmley.  Lots of fun ending with a lunch at Doug Nelson’s.  Ed’s brother, Doug, serves great meals out near the golf course.  Doug, who some of us played ball with, joined us, and we had Lamo, Moby and John, as well.  (Doug reports that Ed is doing well in LA.)

How many of you know what a great golfer Bennie Pattison is?  It is a treat just to see that Bennie, who mastered all of the other sports that he played, also mastered golf.

We had a great dinner with Beaumont area classmates on the night of June 15.  There were not a lot of speeches but we all did a lot of catching up.  The people that were there seemed to be:

Note that you can now see for sure who attended this gala by looking for the photos on this Web Site.

Another mini reunion was held at Mary Ann’s on April 29.  You can find our more about this get together by looking for the photos on this Web Site.

From Roving Reporter Wanda Wilson Ryals

Hi GREENIES, Just checking in with a little news I've gathered over the summer.

Shirley Carvell Green and I correspond some.  She seems to be feeling better. She is not slowing down and has a positive attitude.  She wrote recently that she still works in their office, baby-sits, looks after her mother's trips to the doctor and wants very much to work in her flowers.  Shirley has a lot of Faith and is a real precious friend.  She and I go so far back.  For sure we were in the first grade together along with James Robbins, Virginia McDaniel Hurley, Cecil Marie Anderson, Bowers and many others.  Those were the days!

Virginia McDaniel Hurley and hubby, Jay, recently took a cruise to Alaska.  Her brother DENNIS and his wife went also.  She wrote me about the great time they had. Write her, I'm sure she would love telling you about it.  Specially HIGH TEA.

Joy Towns Alexander and her husband, George, also took the Alaskan cruise this summer.  I had the pleasure of house sitting for them in Ruidoso, N.M. for two weeks while they were gone.  They have a lovely summer home in the mountains. Joy had to take her electric wheelchair and was so delighted with the wonderful service provided to her by the airways and ship.  They really enjoyed the trip.  Write her and get her to tell you about the clothes. It's funny!

Myrna Davis Manuel had water in her home during a recent BIG flood in Beaumont.  She said it was fun sitting up in the middle of her bed with water about 2 or 3 inches all over her house.  She waited there for her children to come rescue her.  Myrna is doing fine now.  After much renovation she feels like she has a new house. I called her during the last big rain and asked her if she was putting sand bags out.

Gerald Buckley's wife, Pat, has had foot surgery and Gerald hasn't been writing e-mail as much as he used to.  Guess he is Chief Cook and Bottle Washer for a while.  We hope Pat is better now.  We miss hearing from Gerald out here.

Charlie "Chuck" Clifton is back home in DeSoto,Texas and retired for the time being.  He has traveled all over the world working for MOBIL OIL, aboard ship and he is very happy to stay at home now for a while.  I talked to him by phone recently.  He said he already had several job offers but wasn't going to get in a hurry to return to work.  Charlie hasn't changed one bit.  I guess that is what we all like about him.  I believe if he ever makes it to one of our reunions he might be voted with Annie Ruth as the classmates that have changed the least.  Charlie said he hopes to be back on-line in the near future.

One last item of interest.  Did y'all know "THE JUDGE" is online now?  Ronny Walker, what a hoot!  He is trying, bless his heart, but Mr. Lively would really roll his eyes at this guy's typing.  That's okay Ronny.  You just keep on trying.  We enjoyed your notes and look forward to hearing from you again.  REMEMBER:Rome wasn't built in a day.  If we didn't love you, we wouldn't tease you, dear friend.

kyrwmr40@aol.com..write me everyone..I BRAKE FOR E-MAIL..Wanda

As I reflect back over the past year and a half I can't help but remember the trying times and the victories won, and of those who shared their successes with me and also of those who are no longer with us who have gone on to a better place.  In April of 2000 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  After considering the options given to me by doctors in Beaumont and at MDAnderson, I did some extensive research and found information about proton radiation treatments at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, CA. LLUMC is the only facility in the world with an accelerator for proton beam radiation treating patients.  They are actually splitting atoms and separating the protons from the neutrons.  After seeing their statistics and looking at their cure rate, I found they are ahead of their field.  There are several units currently being installed in the US (Florida, Ohio, Texas and others), however, it will be 2003 before the one at MDAnderson will be ready to start treating patients, and also of interest, they will be receiving their training from LLUMC.  The MDAnderson unit will be a $100 Million facility and when completed it will be the largest in the world.

I will be glad to talk with anyone who might be facing the decision on a type of treatment for any kind of tumor.  When I began treatments at LLMC they were treating 100 patients a day and had a waiting list, now they are treating over150 patients a day, around the clock each weekday. There are patients from all over the US, and the world, and the staff at LLUMC hope more people will be able to take advantage of these treatments when the new units are and up and running across the country.  Bennie Marie Pipkin Deaton asked me to talk to one of her friends about LLMC.  He and his brother-in law were both scheduled for surgery the following Monday.  They canceled their surgeries and are now home and doing great after going to LLMC for proton treatments.