Remember Woolworth's?

It was great to mow a lawn for $3 and then ride on the bicycle to Woolworth's and get a banana split that only set you back 39¢!

Notes RE Ike and Classmates

Jan Butler Autry is quite ill having been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. She is in a wheelchair & is experiencing the later stages of this horrible disease. She & Gaylen Walding were buds at Bolton. She is my sister-in -law & sister to '67 Bolton grad Gerry Butler (my hubby). Her e-mail is Mustang1nana@aol.com
Thanks
Francine Vanderhoeven Butler

I have been following this awful saga from my family, some of whom is in the flooded area. My prayers are with you all and if I can do anything from Wisconsin/Minnesota, please let me know. Even though I missed the class reunion, I was thinking about it that whole weekend. I promise to come to the next.
Your ole classmate,
Ellen Fonville Latsch

Just to let you know. We have no power at our camp, so we are in Dallas at our oldest daughters. Love spending time with the grandkids...but it's not home. Hope to have the power back on soon and we can go home.
On a positive not. My wife Kay has had such a good time with all the reunion, that she is spearheading her 40th reunion. No one had done anything, so after ours she started sending out stuff, got some people involved and got them going. The reunion is next weekend, and we are looking forward to it. Hope it's as much fun as ya'll do...

George and Kay Dezendorf

General News and Solicitation of Ideas

Hello Classmates,
The blogspot has remained static since May, and surely there are news items and new photos that could be posted. If you would like to post items of general interest, do send a message and the User ID and password will be provided.
Besides just good news, and glad tidings, items bearing bad report could be of vital interest to us all. Spouses of 2 classmates passed away in recent days. Others are battling cancer of other serious conditions and diseases. Feel free to share this so that we as a group might share in the hardships as well as the better times.
As Gustav has seemingly set its sights on us, let us all collectively pray that God will protect us, will help us weather the storm, and will direct our actions so that we might help others.

Hallowed Grounds

See if you can spot differences in Bolton in 2008 from what you recall being its appearance in 1968.

We show up in lots of places

Old McDonald posting here....

Went to my wife's 40th reunion at Glenmora High on 4/25. They had 35 in their graduating class. There were yearbooks for '64 through '68. While perusing them, I found photos 2 of our fellow graduates who had attended school there, Charlie Burgin and Nancy Childree. Nancy attended our 30th reunion and recognized my wife. Our records show she lives in DeRidder with her husband from the class of '69, Chris Tidwell. Charlie's last known address is Jennings, LA.

Just a reminder, start right now if you haven't already and drum up support for our 45th reunion. No date has been set, but we need to miss March 31, 2013, weekend which will be Easter; however, the spring weather was truly nice. How about the week before or the week after?

Please Leave a Post

Please leave a post. Tell us:
What you do, have done, will be doing.
Your best memory from our days at Bolton
Your funniest memory.
Your ideas for the next reunion, or ideas for activities/projects/staying in touch.
Note the links to the side. Let us know if you have one and we'll add it.
If you need help leaving a post, e-mail us at boltonclassof68@yahoo.com

Pictorial remembrances by Barbara Sabel

No campfire, but Cumbaya feelings abound: Ms. Danny Lemoine, Elaine Germany, Bobby Smith, Linda Gabriel, Jim Ducote, Carlyss Sumner, Gary Dunn, Pat Grubb, PeeWee Hathorn, Charlotte Rozer, Oakley Pittman

YMCA seems easy enough to spell.

Some advanced students have made it all the way to "C"

Herding Hungry Bears

Bears assembled

Sarah Morse and Barbara Sabel seem to have been summoned to Mr. Taylor's office, again.

Dance lessons by Sarah 'Ginger Rogers' Morse

Girls just want to have FUN!!!!

Looks like the good ole days are still here!
Elaine Carr got down and dirty, but popped right back up!
Elaine Carr, Jan Wilkerson, PeeWee Hathorn, Jan Gremillion, Judy Jones, Paula Kees, Kathy Derbonne, Judy Pearce
Front: Judy Jones, Jan Gremillion,
Back: Kathy Derbonne, Barbara King, Nancy Kennington, Elaine Carr, Jo Ann Fendler, Patti Everitt, PeeWee Hathorn

Sitting: PeeWee Hathorn, Elaine Carr, Jan Gremillion, Judy Jones (sort of sitting), Jane Ann Yeager, Patty Brame

Standing: Patti Everitt, Judy Jones (sort of standing), Paula Kees, Jo Ann Fendler, Melinda Mikell, Ermine Chandler

and way in the back is Annie Hudson, Sis Ducote and Danny Spurgeon

Words from Others

Some classmates that could not attend have sent encouraging words and regrets, and we've heard from other well-wishers also.

Links are posted for 2 classmates, Robert Daniel and Eddie Edwards. Please visit these to learn of the good things these fellows are doing and how God has blessed their lives.

Also a word from Garrah Halford Peters:
It looks like everyone had a GREAT time! I’m sorry I couldn’t make it but Easter weekend is our annual retreat for my children and their families. The remarks given by everyone on the blog are all people I would have loved to have seen again!
I’ll try my best to make the next one if it doesn’t fall on Easter!
Garrah Peters

We heard too from the Class of '67:
As a "67 guaduate, I really enjoyed ya'lls website and photos. We had our 40th last June and it was great seeing everyone. We talked about having other classes come to our 45th and I hope so as I knew many in ya'lls class and my sister was in the class of '66. Hope to see ya'll then...
Becky Buckner Kraft (beckykraft49@bellsouth.net)
Childersburg, Alabama

Reunion

To The Reunion Committee:
Thanks so much for the wonderful time. It was a thrill to see all the folks after 40 years. It was a trip to walk into the community center and have Lynn Davis recognize me.
It was such great fun to be able to walk through the school after all these years. What was interesting was how little the school has changed and how the memories of walking the halls came back in a instant.
Don and I had a great time. I was sick on the way home to New York, but it was worth every moment for the wonderful time I had at the reunion.
Once again thanks so such for all the time that you invested in the Reunion.
Love to All
Sarah Morse Meurer

A good time was had by ALL

We are pleased to present some of the testimonials from those attending our reunion (hopefully the editing has not altered any meaning)

Thanks to the committee for the wonderful time we had at the reunion. I know it must have been a hard endeavor to put this reunion together. At first it was hard to recognize some but as you look closer the friendship of warmth and love overcomes the forgetfulness of us all. Again Doris and I had a wonderful time.
Bobby Barron

Thanks to Kenny, Marvin, and the committee for the work they did in putting together the reunion. Great job! The food was great, the music was great, and the company was fantastic! The weekend was a BLAST!. I am so glad I didn't miss it. I just wish everyone had started dancing earlier. It was nice seeing everyone.
Elaine Germany Sheffer

Thanks to everyone who made this event possible. You're efforts & hard work are proof that we were & still are a great group with a unique connection. Let's hold on to this as long as we can!
Seeing everyone reminded me of good times past, present & future.
Love each & every one of you!
Francine (Vanderhoeven) Butler

Likewise.our thanks to the committee, great job. Looking forward to the next one. I'll be there. I already started looking for people who were not there this time so I can make sure they will be for the next one.
George Dezendorf

I must take a moment to give a great big thank you and a note of appreciation to all the work you all did in preparing for our weekend. It was fun having it in the spring because the weather was beautiful and I loved being across the street from the party - the location was perfect. What a great pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful class. I am sure that there are other stories of happiness and success out there that we haven't even heard about, but we are an impressive group. I do not believe I have ever been surrounded by such a great company of beautiful people! It was a blast! I just thought we were awesome back then, now I know that we are! Please convey my thanks to the entire committee for a job well done.
You are all Groovy!
Love,
Peewee (Claudia Hathorn)

Hi everyone! I just wanted to thank the committee for a wonderful job on planning the reunion. It was great seeing the Class of '68 and catching up on 40 years!
I know I had a good time because Monday morning I had to have 20cc's of fluid drained from my left knee. I guess I'm not as young as I think I am. This DOB disease is awful. (Date Of Birth).
Paula Kees Cooper

Some pictures I took at the reunion. I had a great time. You all on the planning committee did a wonderful job. It just gets better every year! Hope to see you in 5! I want to thank everyone also for being so friendly to my sister who tagged along with me. Thank you for all your hospitality.
Thank you all, again,Pat Grubb Benger

And, as you well know, I had more fun that at anytime in my entire LIFE. There was so much love, laughter, tears and hugs. Everything and all the time went by so fast, it darn near made me cry. Everything was perfect.
Thanks for everything. There was so much love between us and among us. It is my favorite life experience.. You'll just never know how much it meant to everyone. I well up with tears of happiness and gratefulness and then say my prayers for ALL of us, each night.
Love, Elaine C. (Elaine Carr)

I want to thank you and the reunion committee for a wonderful and memorable weekend. I so appreciate all of your hard work and cannot tell you how great it was to see all of my classmates. No matter how many years pass between my visits to Alexandria you all hold a special place in my heart. I am proud to be a member of the Bolton Class of '68. Please pass this message on to all of our friends.
Fondly,Jo-Ann (Fendler Lipman)

We just got home yesterday afternoon. We stopped at a few places along the way. Again, thank you for everything. You really did a lot to make this 40 year reunion happen. It was great and everything was perfect. I am still going through all the e-mails. All the pictures are great. Can't wait for the next one in 5 years.
Your classmate pal,
Barbara (Sabel) Holloway

Thanks very much to you and the committee! Noelie and I really enjoyed
the reunion and getting to see everyone again. Thanks again!
Best regards,
Mike Day

'Let the good times roll' and they did! Thank you, reunion committee, for the great job you did to make the reunion weekend such fun. Seeing old friends, sharing stories and remembrances, catching up on the latest news (40 years later)....a wonderful experience I hope to repeat in 5 years.
Your hard work and diligence putting the event together is greatly appreciated by all of us.
Sincerely,
Nancy Kennington Crow

Observations by Pat Grubb

Here are a few of Pat Grubb's favorite photos from the 40th reunion. Notice the dance floor. Some classmates are spelling YMCA; the others do not know how to spell it.

Reunion 2008, Link of "Photos by Paula"

162 great photos by Paula (wonder how she was in so many of them):
http://photo.walgreens.com/share/p=501271206667627966/l=20433062/g=4786531/cobrandOid=1009/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
Me thinks you gotta sign up to see them. Here is our Bolton common user ID per chance you don't have one yet:

User ID = boltonclassof68@yahoo.com
Password = cumtux1968

Don't go ordering prescriptions on this account.

Bit thanks to Paula Kees Cooper for sharing these with us.

Easter Weekend, Good Friday, Setup and Evening Gathering

Many took a tour of Bolton at 10 AM and found things exactly as we had left them, if you count escalators not running and no air conditioning. Noon had things ready at the community center for lunch and fat chewing. Here are a few photos:

Easter Weekend 2008, Good Saturday Noon

Here are a few snapshots of our initial gathering and signing in on Friday night. There were a few votes for individuals that changed the least, but we just could not judge who changed the most. Try to recognize them, click on the photo for the full image and most names are part of the photo name which you can see in the address bar:

Easter Weekend, 2008

Click on Group Photo for full size view

You should have been there. On Easter weekend about 75 class members and many spouses joined together to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the J. W. Bolton High School Class of 1968. We had 3 great gatherings and shared great memories, great food and beverages, and renewed and made new acquaintances. A group photo is shown here, more snapshots later. Let us hear from you at boltonclassof68@yahoo.com.




Bolton Class of 1968, Reunion 2008 First Row, Sitting on floor, left to right:Kathy Derbonne, Patty Brame, Jane Anne Yeager, Jan Gremillion, Judy Jones, Jo Ann Fendler, Pat Grubb, Nancy Kennington, Annie Hudson, Cindy Carter, Melinda Mikell, Paula Kees, Judy Pearce, Charlotte Rosier Second Row, Sitting in Chairs, left to right:Ermine Chandler, Zelma Broussard, Karen Fisher, Phyllis Dodge, Patti Everitt, PeeWee Hathorn, Elaine Carr, Barbara King, Sis Ducote, Barbara Sabel, Sherri Sprinkle, Sarah Morse, Francine Vanderhoeven, Hope Hargis, Gail King Third and Fourth Rows, all standing on floor, left to right:Betty Ann Laningham, Nannette Wolff, Darrell Blair, Elaine Germany, Marvin McDonald, Francis Galloway, Linda Gabriel, Oakley Pittman, Lynn Davis, George Dezendorf, Danny Lemoine, Jack Douglas, Anthony Mangun, Carl Dunn, Charlie Nunnally, Stephen Irving, Bobby Barron, Danny Spurgeon, Brad Lowther, Mike Day, Bill Maxey, Gervais Compton, Bob Geddie, Kenny Murphy, David Ross Top Row, on stage, left to right:Jack Breithaupt, Tim Brocato, Gary Barth, Taylor Thompson, Hammond Scott, Frank Medica, Neal Levanda, Gary Dunn