Class Notes

NEWS OF 1955

NEWS OF 1954

From Helen Desh Woodbridge:

Shirley Beck Dutt and Bev Bell ’56 were at the President’s House on Founder’s Day 2002 to welcome alumnae of the old Moravian College for Women. Dottie Ruyak was a pourer at the reception table. Lois Lutz Geehr and Marian Wagner were among the many who filled the house. Pat Helfrich ’57 says she is especially glad to see this event continued from an idea she had years ago.

The gathering and Lovefeast in Peter Hall brought the past to life with a video of MCW days presented by Elizabeth Tyler Bugaighis ’87 and Jeanne Taccarino Guaraldo ’69.

At the luncheon in Clewell Dining Hall, the ’54 table had all seats occupied with our five smiling classmates (above) and two others: Lois’s husband, Fred, and Bob Schoenen, vice president for institutional advancement.

Dottie continues with her social work and activities in the Baltimore area, Shirley B. Dutt has been driving her car again, and Marian is considering how she’ll get to our 50th reunion from Meyerstown, near Reading. (Several years ago it took her a day to come by bus to Bethlehem.) We talked about Preserving Our Past (the video) and the ongoing effort to interview MCW grads. June Shafer Scholl ’51, a resident of Hanover Township, brought me and Janet Fabian Andre ’51. At Peter Hall, June was interviewed by Joe Castellano ’61.

After lunch, I met Marian and her sister in the Blue Parlor and talked there to Renee Johnson Dragotta ’56. Then Marian and I walked to South Campus and talked at the wall next to Countess Benigna. Later that afternoon we went to Payne Gallery (the old gym), where Rudy Ackerman, newly retired from the Art Department, gave a talk on student travels to European art centers. Because of the weather, the evening barbecue was moved from South Campus to the HUB. The photos I received from Joan Boise Wiley ’52 show Cas and me, Anne Enright ’52, Bev Bell, Eleanor Guidon Bissell ’52, and her guest Loretta Dickhout at our table. Anne, Eleanor, and I are classmates from Liberty High School, where we celebrated, along with Dottie Ruyak, our 50th reunion in 2000.

Saturday was a beautiful day for the Alumni Parade. The ’52 class was impressive with its large purple and gold banner, carried by Elaine Wagner Martinez ’52 and Peg Neuhauser Horst.

And the Class of ’47 Daisy Chain Gals with daisy chains on their heads were led by Helen Kanuskey Canfield. Those class members who were not there for the parade may be inspired to think about our 50th reunion—just two years away. I took many photos, sent many, and received enthusiastic notes from folks in other classes.

Dottie Ruyak, Marian Wagner, and I attended the luncheon in Johnston Hall after the morning events. We were at a table with Polly Rayner ’53 and Joan Landrock Schlegel ’55. Joan keeps up with her interests in history and antiques and is active with the Allentown Alumni Club.

Gerald Ihle ’54 grew up in Fountain Hill and graduated from the Theological School at Drew University. He retired in 1997 after 43 years as a pastor in the United Methodist Church of eastern Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Janet, live in Cape May, N.J., where he’s been writing. They have two sons, a daughter, and four grandsons. Gerald announces his newest book, See How Jesus Used Power, to be released in May by Winepress Publishing. The foreword contains remarks by William W. Matz ’50, dean emeritus of Moravian Theological Seminary, and Bishop Alfred Johnson of New Jersey Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church.

NEWS OF 1953
Reunion: May 30-31

NEWS OF 1952

From Gloria Abel Parkhill:

Our 2002 reunion had the best attendance ever. Just about every class member (or spouse) had a camera. I thank all who shared their photos with me.

One highlight was the traditional parade of reunion classes through the Main Street Campus and surrounding neighborhood. The 1952 parade banner was pictured on the inside back cover of the spring issue of Moravian College Magazine.

Bertie Knisely ’69, alumni affairs director, and a committee headed by class president Kathy Horwath Hartman collaborated (via conference call) on the design of the purple and gold class banner, which we carried to tea with the dean. Kathy, who lives in Hanover, N.H., and Lorry Pfeffer Wolfe, her neighbor in Strafford, Vt., made and transported the banner to Bethlehem.

Do you remember the YWCA teas in what some of us knew as the Rec Room and others as the George Washington Room? And the dean, who carried a small wicker basket containing, as a timer, an alarm clock with a very audible tick? Mary T. Pongracz portrayed the dean introducing each of us as we received our pins at the 50+ Club breakfast and induction ceremony.

Others on the planning committee included Joan Boise Wiley, Zora Martin Felton, Thelma West Everett, Anne Enright, and Xenia Lychos Filipos.

Grace Flath Bentzin, who lives in Watertown, Wis., had planned to be at the reunion but canceled when she realized that, as her congregation’s musician, she was scheduled to be in Bethlehem the next week for the synod held every other year by the Moravian Church in America’s Northern Province.

Among responses to the Alumni Weekend survey were best wishes for a successful reunion from Barbara Faucett Van Keuren and Sally Woodward Ross. Other survey responses will be reported as space is available because the opportunity to tell us about your lives seems to have opened the floodgates.

In addition to those on the committee, classmates in attendance included Frances Webber Horton, Elaine Wagner Martinez, Ruth Treut Schlecht, Alice Schofer Durner, Joan Savon Rudd, Jeannette Rhoads Nesbit, Peg Neuhauser Horst, Dolores McIntire DeLeon, Martha Marossy Collins, Verna Lunglhofer Cowin, Rita Kelly Haberle, Eleanor Guidon Bissell, Evelyn Buss Conover, and myself.

From the Men of 1952:

Joe Garin sent this letter about the 50th reunion of the men’s class:

Fifty years have passed! Can you believe it? We had a wonderful time listening to stories told by members of the class of ’52 when we gathered in the halls of the New Moravian. I say “new” because there’s a lot more to the campus than we ever had back in ’52. You can be proud to say you graduated from Moravian College, and it’s interesting to see how many children and grandchildren of class members have chosen to attend Moravian.

It was exciting to see how classmates have changed and to hear about their achievements and families, as well as to listen to their recollections of 50 years ago. It seemed like yesterday when we spoke of Sam Zeller, Bob Snyder, Raymond Haupert, and other members of the faculty. Former classes coming together on Reunion Day added to the atmosphere of camaraderie. Great food and beverages, music, and the traditional parade, as well as tours of the ever-growing campus, filled our hearts with pride.

Alumni House deserves recognition for the efficient way the events were planned. We send special thanks to the 50+ Club and the committee for the 50+ pins and gifts, and also to Moravian’s president, Ervin J. Rokke, for posing with each of us for a personal picture.

Members of the Class of ’52 who attended were Carl Case, Donald Cohen, James Conahan, Nevin Cope, Robert Gordon, Dale Grove, Steve Herczeg, Robert Kaster, Frank Kessler, Richard Manning, Bernard Mittemeyer, William Palenchar, John Seifert, Roy Sturm, John Williams, and myself.

From the Alumni House:

Liberty High School honored Zora Martin Felton and Bernie Mittemeyer with Alumni of Distinction Awards at a banquet earlier this year. Zora also was elected a member of the National Visionary Leadership Project in Washington, D.C.

NEWS OF 1951

From Carol Buechner McMullen:

I attended Founder’s Day, where I met June Shafer Scholl, Janet Fabian Andre, Polly Rayner ’53, and Peg Loveless Browne ’47. The program at the Lovefeast, “Preserving Our Past: Oral Histories from Moravian College for Women: 1913-1954,” was most interesting, with a videotape of interviews, comments, and pictures of people, places and events that brought back memories of our student days.

Nancy Oplinger Dover wrote of her 26-day trip to Florida with her husband, Ed. They visited some of Nancy’s Hellertown High classmates, including Ruth Hershour Taylor ’50. Ed is the author of The Long Way Home, the true story of a commercial airplane caught in New Zealand on December 7, 1941, and signed books at the International Pan Am Flight School in Miami. After this, they visited many of the state parks, seeing manatees at Homosassa State Park, countless alligators, and unusual birds in the Everglades.

Nancy had an e-mail from Sylvia Lambert ’61, who had read about Nancy’s ditch walks in Albuquerque, N.M. Sylvia was planning a trip to that city with a square-dance group and requested a ditch walk, which Nancy arranged for them.

To end on a sad note, my husband, Randy McMullen (Lehigh ’50), died April 9 after a heart attack. Always a difficult time, as too many of you know, but I’m adjusting as well as possible. My thanks to all who wrote; your kindness is much appreciated.

From the Alumni House:

The late Mike Loupos was honored by Liberty High School and was given an Alumni of Distinction Award.

NEWS OF 1950

NEWS OF 1949

The Class of 1952 Women gathered for their portrait at Alumni Weekend 2002. Front row, holding the banner: Evelyn Buss Conover, Gloria Abel Parkhill, Elaine Wagner Martinez. Second row: Dolores McIntire DeLeon, Eleanor Guidon Bissell, Joan Savon Rudd, Martha Marossy Collins, Rita Kelly Haberle. Third row: Alice Schofer Durner, Thelma West Everett, Joan Boise Wiley, Anne Enright, Frances Webber Horton. Fourth row: Zora Martin Felton, Xenia Lychos Filipos, Margaret Neuhauser Horst, Ruth Treut Schlecht, Jeannette Rhoads Nesbit, Kathryn Horwath Hartman.

Photo: Christmas City Studios