After graduating from DCS in 1972, Dick Harper attended Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where he earned an engineering degree.  He was lucky enough to be able to return to this area to begin his career with Transelco, Inc., in Dresden.  (Transelco was eventually merged with Ferro Corporation, a multi-national manufacturer of ceramics and specialty materials based in Cleveland.)  His responsibilities at Transelco (now Ferro Electronic Materials) have changed over the years from environmental and safety engineering to process engineering to his current assignment in which he oversees quality programs (ISO 9000) for two Ferro plants.

Dick married wife Lisa, a Long Island native, in 1982, and the couple now have two children, five-year-old daughter Morgan and son Drew, 2 1/2.  Together Dick and Lisa operate a wholesale greenhouse business and a horse boarding stable at their home, a 140-year-old gothic house on four acres in the town of Benton near Penn Yan. Dick is an EMT instructor and volunteer wth the local ambulance corps.  He enjoys stained glass work and surfing the web.

In addition to Dick's 24-year career with Ferro and their home-based business ventures, the couple have recently opened a retail operation called The Fire Shop at two sites, one in downtown Penn Yan and the other on Saturdays at the Windmill Farm and Craft Market.  There they sell fire, police and EMS gifts and supplies.  You can e-mail the Harpers at windyvista@aol.com or check out their web site at www.pennyanfireshop.com.   
 

Pictured above are Dick Harper ('72), his wife Lisa and camera-shy daughter Morgan at The Fire Shop booth at the Windmill Farm and Craft Market located between Dundee and Penn Yan.

[Editor's Note:  Your editor spent more than thirty years with Transelco/Ferro in Dresden and as a consequence worked closely with Dick throughout much of his career there.  I can personally attest to Dick's varied talents, unceasing dedication and determination.   As the company's local quality "gadfly", Dick had to convince literally everyone else in the organization of the importance of his mission and enlist their cooperation.  He managed to do this with gentle, good-natured but persistent prodding.  In so doing Dick also earned the respect of both his bosses and co-workers.]

[05/31/01] 

Mary Faucett Lapham ('34) of Riverview, Florida, tells us that " . . . Florida is lovely, but Dundee, Crystal Valley and the Finger Lakes can't be beat."  Mary's husband passed away last September; the couple had been married just short of sixty years.  They had six children (one deceased), twelve grand-children and five great grand-children. Four of their children earned college degrees, including two MS degrees.  Currently six of the couple's grand-children are enrolled in college.  Mary enjoys crafts, growing roses and traveling.  [05/31/01]   

Jerome M. (Jerry) Blaine, Jr. ('61) and wife Noranne will be traveling from their home in Huntsville, Alabama, to attend the DCS alumni reunion this year [as well as, we presume, the Class of 1961 40th reunion on June 23rd.]  The couple have five children.  Jerry obtained a BS in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University in 1966.  In 1974 he earned an MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.  Jerry is now retired after 32 years service with the federal government.  His last position was chief of test and evaluation for the patriot missile system.  Currently Jerry works part time as a consultant for missile defense testing.  He is active in the local church and enjoys gardening as a hobby. 

Bob Brimmer ('51) served with the U.S. Navy in California following graduation.  Upon completion of his tour of duty Bob worked for a time as a milk delivery man for Dairylea in Elmira.  He subsequently embarked on a thirty-two year career with the New York State Department of Corrections, where he served at various times at Sing Sing, Attica and Elmira, until his retirement in 1990. Following retirement from this position with the state, he served as county jail administrator for Cayuga County for three years, retiring once again in 1997.
 

An e-mail from Scott A. Backer ('83) tells us that he worked as a mechanic and then a welder following graduation.  He is now a deputy with the Yates County sheriff's office.  Scott has two kids, Cory and Sonya, both of whom attend DCS.  Scott points out that his children represent the the fourth generation of Backers to attend Dundee Central School.  His uncle Fred D. Backer graduated in 1958 and father Don Backer graduated in 1959.

See our Membership Roster page if you would like to contact Scott.  [05/20/01]

Gert Hinson Benson ('40) graduated with a nursing degree in 1946 and continued in that profession until her retirement in 1984.  She is now a "Court Watcher" for Monroe County, where she lives, and also does volunteer work during community events.  Gert still likes to hike and to travel when possible.  Two years ago she fell and broke her left leg, but it has mended well, and she now walks without the aid of a cane except in bad weather.

Gert was saddened by the death of her brother Bob Hinson in October of last year.  As many of you know, Bob was the founder and long-time owner of the former Penn Yan Express.

Gert, who resides in the city of Rochester, enjoys returning regularly to this area to visit friends in Dundee and in Lakemont, where she lived while attending school here.

Your editor has met Gert on more than one occasion, and she is a delightful free spirit with the energy of someone half her age.  She expects to attend Reunion 2001.  Read more about her in our Recollections section, and check the Membership Roster, if you would like to get in touch.  [05/17/01] 

Mary Carr Baughman ('71) obtained an AA degree in liberal arts from Corning Community College and went on to earn a BA in psychology from SUNY Geneseo.  She has been married for the past 22 years to Roy Baughman, a native of Casper, Wyoming, where she now lives.  The couple have two children:  Daughter Sara, twenty years old, will be a junior at the University of Wyoming, and son Garth, seventeen, will be a senior in high school in Casper.

Mary currently is project director for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) serving the northern half of the state of Wyoming.  Prior to her current position she was a counselor for several years at a private psychiatric facility, where Mary worked mainly with adolescents.  Her passions in life besides family are horses, gardening and cross-stitching.   Mary says she has already attained her lifetime goal by living on 80 acres with five horses, two dogs, two cats and nine geese!  She just LOVES living in Wyoming!
 

Luther Perkins ('46) and Lucyna Bartusiak ('46) were married on June 2, 1951, and so this year they will be celebrating their golden anniversary.  Following graduation, Luther attended Alfred State and graduated with a degree in rural engineering in 1948.  From 1950 through 1952 he served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  Lucyna graduated from Keuka College in 1950 with a dgree in nursing.  Some thirty years later in 1980 she earned an additional degree in education from Elmira College.  Lucyna retired in 1990 as nurse-teacher in the Hammondsport school system.  Meanwhile, Luther owned and operated a hardware business for some twenty-eight years.  He retired in 1995 as town assessor.

The Perkins remain very active in their adopted community of Hammondsport.  Both participate in and serve with the American Red Cross Disaster Services, the Glenn Curtiss Museum, Steuben County RSVP, Project Care and St. Gabriel's Catholic Church.  The couple have five children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

For Lucyna's thoughts about her days at DCS please see our Recollections page and check the Membership Roster, if you would like to get in touch with the Perkins.  [05/08/01]

An e-mail from Nelson Holcomb tell us that he " . . . moved to Arizona six years ago after eighteen in Alaska.  My feet got too cold, so I thought I would bake them for a change.  Just used my pool for the first time this year when our temperature hit 100+.

I'd really be interested in hearing from DCS alums, so you can freely pass out my information.  I guess, as we get older, nostalgia creeps up and we tend to want to assess our friendships, successes and mistakes."

Nelson sent a photo of himself with oldest daughter Tammi taken earlier this year in California.
 

Nelson can be reached via mail, e-mail, phone and FAX.  See our Membership Roster page for his information.  [05/07/01]

We received a brief e-mail from old friend and fellow classmate Richard Haff ('58), who now resides in Tacoma,Washington.  Rich tells us that he retired as an instructor pilot with the U.S. Air Force in 1982 and then went to work for Boeing, where he has been for the last 18 1/2 years.  Because he lives so far away, he finds it difficult to get back to the Dundee area, but Rich plans to retire next February, and he hopes to attend one of our future alumni reunions.  [04/07/01]

From Steve Knapp ('61):  "I am living in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia, with my girlfriend Nancy, our border collie Watson and two cats.  (I've been divorced for twenty years now.)  After several years of self-employment in a small graphics business and, before that, graduate school and world travel for a non-profit foundation, I am now employed at Managing Editor, Inc.  I write documentation, train and provide technical support for software for the publishing industry.  I'm traveling a lot in my work these days and hope to look up some of my old classmates as I do.  I make it back to Barrington and Dundee several times a year, staying with my uncle and aunt, Willie and Peggy Knapp, and vacationing at Keuka Lake.  My dad and sister Carolyn passed away in 1988.  My sister Phyllis Honsberger lives in San Clemente, Californis, as does my mother, who is now 83.

My three sons, Steve (29), Geoffrey (27) and Micah (24), live nearby.  Steve has taught special education and now works for UNISYS in wide-area network technical support.  Geoffrey currently works in construction, but he has completed broadcasting school and wants to work in radio.  Micah graduated from Penn State and is now in law school at Temple.

Recently I gave my baritone horn to my nephew and have taken up the bass and acoustic guitar.  Also, over the past few years I have been working a lot with my uncle Willie on various family and local history projects.  I also spend time doing geneology on my iMac.  Vacation this past year was spent in Montana and the Canadian Rockies and cross-country skiing in Jackson, Wyoming.

This past summer I saw a number of old DCS friends, including Joan Davis, Jack and Linda Holgate Fowler and Cindy Houck, when I 'crashed' my sister's Class of '59 reunion in Dundee.  (There were a few other crashers there too!)  I would enjoy e-mails from old friends in Dundee, especially from those in the class of '61."
 

An e-mail from Kimberly Garrett DeFisher ('83) tells us that she attended Herkimer County Community College after leaving DCS and earned an AAS degree there in 1985.  Following that Kimberly worked at a travel agency in Newark, New York for several years, and it was there she met her future husband Timothy DeFisher.  The couple have now been married for thirteen years and have three children:  Garrett Steven (12 years old), Amanda Morgan (eight years old) and Skeyler Paige (6 years old).  They have lived in western North Carolina for the past four years and own a log home on seven secluded acres.  "I work for the school system and love the area.  It's beautiful here," according to Kimberly!  "I must say that I miss some of my friends back in Dundee.  I'd love to hear from them soon."  (Kimberly's mailing address and e-mail address are listed on our Membership Roster page, if you would like to get in touch.)  [09/17/00]
 

An e-mail to Dona Teske from Kay and Dave Briggs ('61) of Davenport, Florida tells us that they expect to visit friends in the Dundee area in mid-July.  Even though the couple have lived in Florida for over ten years now, they still miss the people and friends in Dundee - and the beautiful summer weather too!  Dave graduated from DCS in 1961 and worked for Seneca Foods for 26 years.  On July 24, 1965, he married Kay Hotaling from Bradford.  The couple have two children, daughter Jennifer ('85) and son Bill ('86).  Bill and wife Angela presented the Briggs their only grandchildren, twin girls born in 1997.  Needless to say, grandpa and grandma spoil them rotten!  Dave and Kay moved to Florida in 1989, where Dave works part time in a local feed store and spends the rest of his time training and racing harness horses.  Kay is a nurse at the Florida Hospital in Kissimmee.  Their spare time is spent with their kids and grand-kids.  They would like any old friends passing through central Florida (they're only 20 miles from Disney World) to feel free to call or stop by to say hello.

Ruth Carl Barnes ('62), now living in Elmira with husband John and youngest daughter Joni, e-mails us that she enjoys reading about fellow alumni and viewing the pictures on the DCSAA web site.  The couple have four other children all living in the Elmira area except for Dollie, who resides in Richmond Virginia with her husband and her own two children.  Ruth and John have a total of twelve grand-children, and Ruth tells us that she takes care of one of them, two-year-old Comeron, on a daily basis:
"He keeps me feeling young, active and full of joy.  Grand children have a way about them that do that to me.  They are a blessing to me, and so is my youngest daughter."
Youngest daughter Joni, about to turn sixteen, attends Twin Tier Baptist High in Breesport, New York.  Ruth's husband John runs his own business, Canopy Home Improvement, in Elmira, while Ruth operates as an independent distributor for Nest Family.com, which supplies quality educational, character building and child safety products.  You can check out Ruth's product line on her own web site:  http://www.nestfamily.com/rabarnes.  (Ruth has promised to send along some pictures of herself and her family.)

Top row:  Laura Larson, Harvey Wilkin, Waddy Kic, John Clark, Ivan Horton, Harold Wilkin, Bertha Yaeger
Middle row:  Frances Disbrow, Kenneth Hall, Agnes Bartusiak, Raymond Kent, Alice Kic, Raymond Snook, Nelda Burton
Front row:  Francis Crans, Mary Roberts, Boyd Turner, Charles Burns, Ruth Chadwick, Douglas Miles

Bruce Paddock of Port Charlotte, Florida, sends us an e-mail in which he asks if anyone can provide a list of all those graduating with the very first class from Dundee Central School.  (Can anyone help Bruce?)  He continues:

"After graduating from DCHS in 1938 (I think - maybe it was 1939, because, as I recall, we were the first class to graduate from the new central school), I worked for Proctor and Gamble for about a year, along with Leslie Coons, who was my best friend for years.  Unfortunately I have lost track of him.  I remember William Boardman, who also resides in Florida.  As I recall, he was valedictorian of our class. I also fondly remember Isadora Ide, who I think graduated a year later.

Then I attended and graduated from Elmira Aviation Ground School, and that landed me in Connecticut working in a defense plant until it closed.  Incidentally, I was turned down for service in the army, navy and even the coast guard due to a bad wrist suffered in a fall when I was only eleven years old.  Oh yes, I also married a girl from Deep River while living in Connecticut.  Then we moved to Rochester, New York, where I worked for another defense plant there, and subsequently for DuPont, which had a stand-by plant in Dresden, New York.  After that most defense plants were closing down.

Then, in 1945, I obtained a job at Goulds Pumps, Inc., in Seneca Falls, New York, that launched my career in corporate sales, which I held for the next thirty-eight years.  We were transferred many times during those thirty-eight years, starting in Seneca Falls, then Atlanta, then Raleigh, North Carolina, to Madison Heights, Virginia, and then to Lynchburg, Virginia.  From Virginia I was transferred to the New York metropolitan area where I spent the next twenty years.  The company finally had mercy on me and moved me out of the New York City area to our Orlando, Florida office, where I could enjoy a little slower life.  I finally settled in Port Charlotte and retired in 1983.

The next seven years saw my marriage break up, and I was off on another venture.  In 1990, at age seventy, I went back to school, this time in Unity Village, Missouri, just south of Kansas City.  I graduated from the Unity School of Religious Studies in 1993 and obtained my license in 1995.  I taught regularly for several years and still do on a limited basis.  I still take part on occasion as guest speaker at Sunday services in my church in Venice, Florida.

I spend a lot of time at my computer writing lessons, doing e-mail and surfing the internet.  Aside from that I just live an ordinary retired life, whatever that is, not doing much of anything useful."

(Bruce can be reached at (941) 743-7672 or by e-mail:  bruce@isni.net.) 

Dorothy J. Symonds ('37) of Rock Stream sends us the following historical perspective on earlier alumni activities:

"I graduated in 1937, the last class of Dundee High School before centralization.  The class of 1938 was the first one under centralization and is often neglected, because people use the building of the new school for the 1939 class as the first.  Those who were involved know how the first year classes [under centralization] were in all kinds of buildings around town - just thought to remind you of that.

My aunt and mother and their friends started the early high school alumni group, with classes of 1908 to 1912 [and] so on.  After I returned home to live in 1974 (and often before that) I helped with food and serving at the picnics, which were held at various homes or at the Rock Stream hall.  After that they held their gatherings at the school cafeteria.  I seemed to be in charge of the kitchen helpers.  We did all our own work, bringing dishes to pass and furnishing meat, beverages and special anniversary cakes.  We took up a collection to pay for the food we purchased.  We did this for years, but those who helped with the work moved, wore out or died, leaving few left to do it.

So I have had my years at this. I would have let it go, as we had included invitations to central school classes, but few locals respond.  If you have a new group, go to it!  I have had my turn.  I attended my 60th [reunion] in 1997 and was honored for my years of service."

Old friend and fellow classmate Bob Hunt ('58) advises that he will be unable to attend the 2000 reunion:  "On that date I'll be starting my second week of a cross-country bicycle trip, leaving June 18th from Seattle and bicycling 4000+ miles in nine weeks, ending in Boston on August 19th.  Great way to see the country and celebrate one's 60th year on planet Earth."  Bob tells us that he will be riding with a group called CycleAmerica, and their itinerary can be found on the web site http://www.cycleamerica.com.  At last count there were 36 riders signed up for the cross-country trek, and Bob indicates that he may be able to e-mail us accounts of his progess, as well as photographs he takes along the way.

Following graduation in 1958, Bob spent four years at Clarkson College of Technology, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. His first job was with the Department of Water Resources in California, but he soon returned to his native state to accept a position with the New York State Department of Transportation in Hornell.  Bob passed the professional engineering exam in 1967 and served as Resident Engineer for Steuben/Chemung Counties from 1967 through 1973.  He resigned his position with the DOT in 1973 and started his own business, Hunt Engineers.  Working out of the basement of his home, Bob was the firm's only employee for a couple of years, but much greater success was in his future.  Over the following 22 years the company grew to 120+ employees with offices in both Corning, New York, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.  In 1995, Bob sold the company to his employees, and the firm survives as Hunt Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors in Corning and as the Larson Design Group in Williamsport.

Bob married the former Cindy Wood of Fairport on July 11, 1964.  Cindy attended SUNY Potsdam while Bob was at nearby Clarkson.  The couple made their home in Hornell from 1964 through 1967.  In 1969 they built a new home in Addison, New York, near Pinnacle State Park.  The couple had two daughters:  Elizabeth, born 11/01/69, and Kimberly, born 02/19/71.  Both daughters are now married, with Elizabeth living in the Corning area, while Kimberly lives near Rochester.  On August 5, 1999 their first grandchild arrived.  Of his grand-daughter Bob says " . . . it is true . . . grandchildren are so great, you should have them first!"  In 1997, after his retirement, Bob and Cindy moved to Cindy's hometown of Fairport where Bob says they enjoy life very much.

During his years in the Southern Tier Bob was active in many area organizations, including the Corning Chamber of Commerce, United Way, the Boy Scouts and Rotary International.  He was selected Small Businessman of the Year in 1987, president of the Corning Rotary Club in 1984 and District Governor in 1994-95.  Both Bob and wife Cindy remain active members of Rotary in Fairport, and over the years they have hosted many Rotarians from all over the world.  In return they have traveled to some twenty-two different countries to visit and stay with fellow Rotarians. They have attended weddings on four continents through friendships made in the organization.  In addition, the couple have hosted several exchange students.  Obviously, Rotary has and continues to be a very positive influence in their family.

Besides Rotary, however, Bob enjoys skiing, bicycling, gardening, cooking and, of course, family.  As is the case with so many who retire, Bob agrees that he is " . . . busier now than when I was working."  

Mary Jones Wesley ('57) is working as a nurse in the Independent Living for Seniors program at Via Health System in Rochester, New York, where she currently resides.  Mary says that she hopes to hear more about her classmates on the web site.

Isadora Ide ('40) was recently honored as Citizen of the Week by her local newspaper The Southtown Citizen in an article which we reproduce below.  Following graduation, Isadora attended the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and then did graduate work at the University of Buffalo.  She started her career teaching vocal music at Morris, New York. Teaching positions followed at Alexandria Bay, New York, and Orchard Park, New York, where Isadora currently resides.  She retired from teaching while holding a position in the West Seneca, New York, school system.

In 1951, Isadora married William R. Ullrich in Dundee.  The couple had no children, and her husband passed away in 1994.  Isadora's brother, Beekman B. Ide ('31), is currently in a nursing home in Fullerton, California, suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

[Isadora plans to attend the 2000 DCS Alumni Association reunion and has also made a generous additional monetary contribution in support of DCSAA activities.  Editor]
 
 

An e-mail from Johnnie Craig ('51), now residing in Rock Stream, tells us that he went to work for the New York Central Railroad in the summer of 1951 following graduation.  He was drafted in March 1953 and served with the army until March 1955.  That spring he returned to his job with the railroad and continued in that position until retiring on disability in 1986.  In 1971, Johnnie moved from Dundee to his present home in Rock Stream.
 

The following article appeared in the April 5, 2000 edition of the Dundee Observer:
 

Perry Howland ('61) now lives on a twelve acre farm in the town of Williamson, Wayne County, near the village of Pultneyville, New York, where he is active in the local historical society and the First Baptist Church of Williamson.  Perry serves or has served on the town zoning board, planning board, fire commission and the Wayne County Agriculture Protection Board.  Perry and wife Dorothy have four acres of apples on their farm, but teaching has provided their principal livelihood since he graduated from SUNY Brockport in 1965.  In 1971 Perry earned his MS in Education from the same institution.  He  taught social studies at Hilton Central School from 1965 until 1967 and at Wayne Central School from 1967 until 1997.  On July 11, 1964, Perry married the former Dorothy M. Henry.  Their son Jeremy Matthew was born on April 13, 1968, and a daughter Catherine Lydia joined the family on May 23, 1970.  On August 8, 1998, Catherine married Joseph F. Kozan.  (Perry has provided a recent picture of himself and his family which we include here, and you can read about his early years in Dundee in our Recollections section.)
 
 

Donna Bodine Treat ('61) now resides in Goose Creek, South Carolina, with husband Gary.  Donna left DCS at the end of eighth grade and subsequently graduated from Penn Yan Academy in 1961.  After graduation Donna attended Alfred Tech for one and a half years, and it was there that she met her husband to be.  She began her career by accepting a position as teller for Lincoln Rochester (bank) in Penn Yan and then transferred to their Midtown Plaza office in Rochester, where she worked until the birth of their son in 1965.  In 1967 a daughter joined the growing family.  It was during the interim period that Donna worked at Marine Midland (bank) in Lima, New York, where the family then resided.  This was followed by a move to Honeoye Falls and and the State Bank of Honeoye Falls, where she eventually became head teller, after the local bank became part of the Citicorp group.  Donna wound up her career in banking with Columbia Bank in Honeoye Falls, and it was while living in that community that a second daughter was born.  Donna left banking to take a position in sales and marketing with Microtech Corporation, but that company eventually moved to Massachusetts.  Donna chose to stay in New York, so tried her hand in real estate for a year.  She eventually began working for the Honeoye Valley Family Practice as a medical secretary, where she stayed until retiring in 1998, when her husband took early retirement from Kodak. The couple subsequently relocated to South Carolina.  Donna tells us that their ninth grandchild is expected this May!  (See an earlier entry from Donna in this section (below) and her thoughts about going to school at DCS in our Recollections section.) 

Rose Marie Waite ('79) reports that she has been married to Dale Easling ('77) for twenty years.  Their daughter April was born in 1988.  Rosie, as she is affectionately called by her friends, has owned and operated the Village Shop Chop, our local barber shop for the past seven years.  Prior to establishing the business Rosie worked for the Dundee Observer selling advertising.

Whenever they can get away, Rosie and Dale enjoy camping.  Besides taking good care of her family, including lunching and shopping trips with her mother, Rosie enjoys crafts and redecorating (painting and wallpapering.)  You can find Rosie's thoughts on growing up in Dundee on our Recollections page and her address in the Membership Roster, if you would like to get in touch.

Since the early 70's Barbara Dobbin Sweet ('61) has made the Hudson Valley area her home.  After attending RIT and Alfred University, she started her career with IBM in Owego, New York, while at the time residing in Binghamton. During her tenure at IBM Owego, Barbara played in the IBM band.  In 1970 she transferred to the IBM Kingston facility, which is located on the west side of the Hudson River.  That year she also met and married Herb Sweet, who was also employed at IBM Kingston.  They both continued to work for IBM at the Kingston and Poughkeepsie, New York, facilities until retiring in the mid-90's.  While at IBM Barbara held several different positions in engineering and in programming and administration.  One of her last assignments was consultant to IBM employees from Japan who were working at the Poughkeepsie facility.

In the mid-70's Barbara and Herb had a home built in Hyde Park, New York, midway between Kingston and Poughkeepsie.  Hyde Park is a very historic town that has three National Historic Sites:  Franklin D. Roosevelt's home, Eleanor Roosevelt's home and one of the homes once owned by the Vanderbilt family.  Since retirement Barbara has spent one day a week as coordinator of the volunteers at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum.  There she comes in contact with many of the letters written to and by the President and Eleanor, as well as voice recordings, photos, film and video of all the President's activities.  In her capacity Barbara meets people from all over the world who come to the library to do research.

After retirement Barbara and Herb spent several years on the Hyde Park Masterplan Committee, developing a comprehensive plan for the community and the necessary zoning to accompany the plan.  Barbara has recently been named to the editorial advisory board of a magazine entitled "Planning Commissioners' Journal".  Barb and Herb are also family budget counselors with Cornell Cooperative Extension for Dutchess County, and Barbara devotes considerable time to the Town of Hyde Park Historical Society, where she has served as secretary since the early 90's.  In addition, Barbara now teaches a course on the internet at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

In the late 1970's Barbara earned her FCC licence in amateur radio (WA2KCL, advanced class).  In pursuit of this hobby she has traveled to several Caribbean islands as a result of contacts with other radio amateurs residing on the islands.  She has represented VITA (Volunteers in Technical Assistance) and Partners of the Americas in projects on the islands involving emergency preparedness for fire and police.  Barb and Herb, also a licensed amateur radio operator, are both members of two local amateur radio clubs and have held various offices over the last twenty years.  Both have also been appointed Official Emergency Stations by the American Radio Relay League.

And finally, if all these activities were not enough to keep them busy, in 1993 Barb and Herb were both extras in the movie "The Road to Wellville" starring Anthony Hopkins!  The movie was filmed at historic Mohonk Mountain House just outside New Paltz.

Kimberly Sherbine tells us in her e-mail that she graduated from DCS in 1983 as Kimberly Lockwood.  She is now residing in Jamestown, New York, and Kimberly indicates in her message that she " . . . is hoping to hook up with some of my old classmates."   (That's one of the main reasons for this web site - to bring old classmates and friends together.)  You can find Kimberly's mailing and e-mail addresses in the Membership Roster section.  Why not get in touch with her.

We had a very nice note from Lucy Dennis ('31) who now lives in Arlington, Texas.  She is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo and taught school in New York State for thirty years. Lucy and Lyman Dennis were married for fifty-nine years, but Lucy has been a widow since 1995.  After retiring from teaching she taught piano for eighteen years.  Counted cross-stitch and organ playing are her current hobbies.  Lucy plans to return to Dundee in 2001 for the reunion of her class of 1931!  The Dennis family included three children:  Nancy, an art teacher retiring this year; Paul, who has retired from the computer business; and Jim, assistant chief pilot for Southwest Airlines.  Lucy has five grand-children and three great grand-children.  If you would like to drop Lucy a line, you can find her address in the Membership Roster section.

Our friend Harold Wilkin ('32) tells us a bit about his career at General Motors and how he started in that direction even before graduation.  As a sophomore in Dundee High School in 1929 Harold learned about an annual Fisher Body coach building contest sponsored by General Motors.  After spending a year working on his model, he submitted his first entry in 1930.  While he did not win that first year, after rebuilding the under carriage of his model and submitting the improved version the following year, he placed first in metal craft and second in paint craft in New York State.  The following year Harold rebuilt the body of the coach, entered the contest again and again placed first in the state in metal craft. During this period apparently his only serious competition came from his twin brother Harvey, who was doing almost as well as Harold in the competition.  Below is a photo of the winning coach after some restoration about twenty years ago.

     Click on image for an enlarged version
 

       Harold and Harvey with their competing entries
 

Harold's involvement with the GM Fisher Body competition while in high school was prelude to his future education and career, both as it turned out, also with General Motors.  He attended the General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan, in a coop program rotating between school and on-the-job training at GM Plant 23.  He graduated in 1938 with a degree in business administration with a major in tool and die engineering and design.  Upon graduation Harold began working at the GM Research Building in Detroit and later moved to the GM Research Center in Warren, Michigan.  He spent the rest of his career there, eventually becoming Assistant Director of Die Engineering, responsible for design and construction of dies for forming sheet metal parts for all GM products.  During the war years this group of some 1000 GM employees was involved with similar activities relating to production of tanks, armaments and aircraft under various government contracts.

    Harold Wilkin at the controls of his amateur radio station
 
Harold has pursued a variety of interests and hobbies over the years, inluding silver smithing, lapidary work, rock hunting, golf, photography and personal computing.  The photo above shows Harold at the controls of his amateur radio station K8EGD while he was living in Michigan.  His latest interest is learning computer drafting using Auto Sketch, a CAD program.

We had a very nice note this week from Donna Bodine Treat ('61), who now resides in Goose Creek, South Carolina.  She has enjoyed previous reunions and hopes to attend again this year, at least for an hour or two, although she does have a possible conflict.  Donna reports that she is currently a grandmother of seven, and number eight is scheduled for arrival in the fall.  She is a retired medical secretary, while husband Gary is a Kodak retiree.  The couple moved to South Carolina recently and are still trying to adjust to the new surroundings.  Their youngest daughter and her family live nearby, which is making the transition a bit easier.  Donna's son-in-law is doing his residency in neurosurgery in Charleston.  She sends warmest greetings to all her classmates just in case she can't make the reunion this year. If you would like to get in touch with Donna, check our Membership Roster page for her address.

A brief note from Geraldine Jaeger indicates that she can't make the reunion this year, but she hopes it may be possible in the future.  Geraldine lost her husband in January and is scheduled for macular eye surgery on June 16th, so this year has not been kind to her thus far.  If you'd like to send a card or other words of encouragement to Geraldine, you can find her address on our Membership Roster page.

We had a most pleasant visit in person with Gert Hinson Benson ('40) on May 22nd.  Gert, who now calls Rochester home, was in the area researching the history of Lakemont, where she grew up, and working on plans for a gathering of Lakemont natives scheduled for this August.  Gert promised to return with various photographs and other memorabilia from her school days in Dundee which will be of interest to alumni.  Those of you who are old enough may remember that Gert's brother Bob Hinson owned and operated Penn Yan Express for many years.  You can find Gert's address on the Membership Roster page, if you would like to contact her.

"Hello Highlanders!
        Living on the West Coast keeps us away - it would be fun to be there [at the reunion], but not       possible.
          Remembering - how our years at DCS were truly a "golden age" - so we have a job to do, to care about our kids - and get back to loving them first instead of ourselves!  Dundee has changed a lot over the years - the question is, how can we all move forward in the decency set by Mr. Depew, Don Wallace, John Clark, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Deller - and many others - Clarence Sebring - so many to thank and remember.  God bless you all."

Dona Gaston Teske, DCSAA vice president for '98-'99 and president for the current year, graduated in 1961 and promptly joined the ranks of MOM - or domestic engineer.  In this job she married, had two daughters ('62 and '63) and attended beauty school while living in Rochester, Minnesota, in the late '60's.  Upon returning to New York State in the early 70's she became an antique dealer;  the education in that pursuit she says was REMARKABLE!  After losing her business partner to cancer, she found that a "real job" was a better idea for maintaining a steady income.  Currently she works (right next door to her home) at a community residence for the Finger Lakes DDSO, caring for developmentally disabled folks.  She is convinced that the patience learned in her days as a domestic engineer prepared her well for her present duties.  Dona's picture, address and e-mail address appear on our Membership Roster page.

From Anna Brown Clark ('35):  "After I graduated I attended the Grigg Business School in Corning.  Before I graduated from there I met my future husband Richard Clark.  We were married August 22, 1937, at my home in Himrod by the Rev. Francis Johnson.  I had one son Herbert who attended Alfred Tech and graduated in June of 1960.  The following month he married, but he was killed in November of 1961 in a freak accident while working for a contractor.  His wife Lista gave birth to a daughter named Janice Maureen on March 24, 1962, which would have been Herbert's 24th birthday.  Janice also graduated from Alfred Tech, as an accountant, and eventually married and had daughters Sarah, Janice and Renee Hope. I have been a widow since 1987, when my husband died of Parkinson's disease.  Before my husband became ill and had to retire, we visted all fifty states, as well as Brazil, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Australia, the Figi Islands, Tahiti and Samoa.  I worked for Corning, Inc., for 43 years, retiring in 1995 as a certified professional secretary.  My grand-daughter's husband Larry races at Woodhull and at Black Rock in Dundee."  (You can find Anna's address on the Membership Roster page, and the picture below shows grand-daughter Janice, husband Larry and Anna's three great grand-daughters.) 
 
    (Click on picture to enlarge.)

Bonnie Gottshall Edwards ('60) sends along her wishes for everyone to " . . . have a nice reunion."  She is returning to the area in July ('99) just a bit too late to attend this year's festivities.  However, if you'd like to get in touch, Bonnie sends along her address, phone number and e-mail address, all of which may be found in the Membership Roster section.

We just received a very generous contribution in support of the DCSAA from Dr. Willard Boardman ('39) of Winter Park, FL, along with the following letter:

"I appreciated the information concerning the Dundee Central School Alumni Association and know it took a considerable amount of effort to put these things together, but it will be most interesting to see the end result.  I look forward to learning more about the past and the present, since I have not had the occasion to be back very often.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to enjoy the reunion set for June, especially since it would be my 60th, but we will be visiting our daughter who should be adding a new grand-daughter to our family about then.  This is my oldest daughter who is on the faculty at Brown University School of Medicine, where she is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  Our middle daughter Lisa is now Consultant in Gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  She is the proud mother of Hanna, now five years old.  Our youngest daughter Amy is on the faculty of the University of South Florida School of Medicine, where she is also Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  The recent addition to the family was a boy, William (Will), who was greeted with great elation, since you note the predominance of the female to this point.  I should mention that our oldest daughter is Lori.

Jean and I are enjoying our retirement here in Winter Park after I retired in 1988, having practiced cardiology in the Orlando area for thirty years, plus being able to participate in so many of the exciting developments in the field, as well as to see the area undergo all the many changes, especially with Disney World.  It has been a wonderful place to be and raise our family of which we have been most proud.

This should be a start as to where I am, but I will look forward to hearing more about the school and its graduates, as well as the beautiful area in which I spent those early years.  Again, may I express my thanks for all your efforts.

Sincerely,
Willard Boardman"

[Many thanks for your kind words of encouragement and the generous contribution to the Association.  Please let us know if there are any area views you would like added to the Digital Gallery.  Editor]

Marlene Kelly McDaniel sends along these thoughts on life and her story since leaving DCS with the class of 1958:

"It's strange to think of the choices we've made along the way - some good, some bad.  One choice that I made when I was 33, though, has definitely been the very best and that was accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.  Since becoming a Christian, life has not necessarily been easier but definitely more meaningful and peaceful.

My children, as I'm sure with most of you, have been the best part of my life.  Michael, Sheri Debra (my adopted step-daughter) and Kevin are all, thank God, doing well in life. Kevin, the 'baby', and his wife are expecting a little girl in September, and that will make me a grandma for the seventh time.  That's not counting the four that my husband Charles' two boys have.  Charles and I were married in 1974.  He was a math/computer instructor at a high school and also part-time at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida.  He is now a statistical analyst and part-time instructor here in South Carolina at Greenville Tech.

I have been fortunate enough to see a good deal of this great country, as well as staying in Germany for 3 1/2 years and visiting Paris, Rome, Luxembourg and the tip of Austria.  I even landed in Ireland for about half an hour, as John F. Kennedy's plane was leaving Frankfurt at the time we were to have landed there.  Also, our daughter Debra married a Canadian wheat farmer, so we have visited Saskatchewan several times.  In all of my travels, I dare say, I have never seen any place much more beautiful than the Finger Lakes Region (with the exception of Austria).  Could it be I'm just a bit prejudiced?  I lived about thirty years of my life in Florida and spent about half that time wanting to leave.

My 'career' has consisted mostly of secretarial jobs, as I took a business course in high school.  I've also put in some years as a teacher's aid.  My last job was as administrative assistant at a funeral home in Orlando, which (believe it or not) I enjoyed very much. 

My dream now is to have some acreage and a home in the mountains (probably North Carolina) with my dog Lad, a handsome Samoyed, my 'fat cat' Cricket, my mom (who lives with us) and, oh yes, of course my husband Charles.  Hopefully, my children, grandchildren and friends will visit often.  But whatever the future brings, I'm thankful for so much and happy to be able to attend this alumni reunion to share some memories with those who were so much a part of my life - way back when . . ."

Marlene Kelly McDaniel ('58), husband Charles and Dona Gaston Teske ('61) at the DCSAA reunion

[You can read Marlene's reflections on her years at DCS in the 50's in our Recollections section.  Editor]

Doris Tetor Allen reports that she graduated from DCS in 1959 and now lives in Homer, New York.  She retired from SUNY Cortland in October of 1998 but has returned to work at the college on a half-time basis.  You can find her mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address on our Membership Roster page, if you would like to get in touch with Doris.

Fanny Sturup Hand of Security, Colorado, attended our recent reunion along with her two sisters, Inger Sturup Hogan and Neena Sturup Nagell.  She writes at length about her life since leaving Dundee and also provides us with a couple of photographs of plays in which she participated.  She believes that the plays were staged at the Baptist church on Seneca Street in the late 30's or very early 40's.

"I graduated in 1937 in Bemus Point, New York, but I needed a few more credits before I got my diploma.  My sister Inger got a job in Dundee, so I finished my schooling here.  I worked for Andy Anderson who operated a drug store on the corner in those years.  Eventually my mother and younger sister Neena joined us in Dundee.
Later we lived in Rochester, and I worked in a factory there making bomb tail fuses during the war.  In 1944 I joined the army as a WAC and remained in service until October 1946.  When I returned to Rochester, I worked for Eastman Kodak.  While I was in the service I met this charming soldier named Buck Hand.  Four years later in 1950 we were married, so I quit Kodak and moved to Kansas where he lived. We lived there for 29 years.  I thought Kansas was a horrible state!  It was so hot and had no lakes.  Later they built many [artificial] lakes, so it was a little better.  When we took a vacation, we went to Colorado, and later, when Buck retired, we moved to Colorado. It was great to get away from Kansas with its heat and many tornadoes.
We now live here at Camp Chautauqua, New York, all summer long.  We lived here during the depression when we were little kids, and as I mentioned, I graduated at Bemus Point in 1937."

Fannie does not recall the names of the two ladies in back in the first picture below.  However, the five others, moving left to right, are Don Tetor, Carl Hallenbeck, Everett Todd, George Tetor and Fannie.
 

 

In the second picture, again from left to right, we find Cole Sebring, Betty Palmer, Gordon Carter,  Corte Spencer, Fanny Sturrup, Inger Sturrup, Virginia Crans, Don Tetor, Carl Hallenbeck and Margaret Howell.  Fannie says that her sister Inger not only acted in this play but also directed it.
 

David D. Garrett II ('80) tells us that he spent the first year or so after graduation traveling throughout the Finger Lakes providing artificial insemination services to dairy farmers in the region.  He then joined with his father in managing their own dairy herd for the next several years while at the same time developing his skills in the construction trade.  In 1987 Dave struck out on his own in the building business, and he continues to pursue this occupation as his principal source of income.  However, in 1993 Dave and his wife, the former Darlene DeWitt ('83), also purchased the Bradford Inn, which they continue to operate.  Dave and Darlene were married in 1984 and now have four children:  David Delmar Garrett III (born November 1987), Kelsey Lee (born November 1989), Kaylene (born November 1991) and Andrea (born  April 1994).  The family make their home in Bradford, and their address, telephone number and Dave's picture can be found on our Membership Roster page.  (Editor's note:  Dave finished the interior of our home and later built a log barn which we use as a workshop, and we can personally testify to the exceptional quality of his workmanship.)

An e-mail from Ralph Koons ('55) tells us that he is retiring after thirty-five years in the practice of law and is relocating to Orlando, Florida.  Ralph invites fellow alumni to call or visit when in the area. His address, phone number and e-mail address are all listed in our Membership Roster.

Noel E. Spears ('62) recently moved to Maywood, New Jersey, where he is in the process of making his new home wheelchair accessible.  Noel is currently disabled, but he has an extensive educational and career history. In 1982, he obtained an AAS in accounting from Bergan Community College followed by a BS in computer science/quantitative methods from Montclair State University in 1986.  In 1991, he earned an MBA in aerospace management from Fairleigh Dickensen University and finally, in 1996, an AAS in business computer programming from Bergan Community College - all in New Jersey.  Noel has worked for Richards Wilcox Manufacturing Company, Singer Guidance and Navigation (also known as Astronautics, Inc.) and United Parcel Service.

Noel's sister Madeline Verdi  ('75) currently lives in Dundee and works at WFLR, while his brother William Spears ('72) lives in Penn Yan.  Noel has championed the cause of the physically disabled with his own web site devoted to the subject:  http://www.wheelchair.org/.  Check it out.  He has a second site under construction (http://www.rocks-r-us.com), but this one is not yet on line.  Noel's AOL Instant Messenger screen name is "NoelSpears" and you can find his e-mail and  mailing address on our Membership Roster page.