I work through this Christmas, just as I have the majority of holidays over the last 15 years.Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
I work through this Christmas, just as I have the majority of holidays over the last 15 years.Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving

Monday, November 9, 2009
Family Reunion at the Class Reunion
From the Pacific Coast To The Fourth Coast In 2010
Old Friends Reunite on Facebook
Monday, October 26, 2009
Reunion Ticket Deposits Paid Now Aid In Our Overall Success

Greetings Classmates,
As we finalize the booking for our 30th class reunion at Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan on Saturday, November 20th, 2010, we need your help.
Whether you plan on attending or not, a $15 per person ticket deposit is needed in order to finalize our venue reservation. These deposits will be applied to your ticket purchase and the deposit is refundable if you later decide you are not attending the reunion.
Your early participation in our planning is a good indicator of how successful we are getting the word out.
Please send a check for $15 ($30 for a couple) made out to:
“Holly High Class of 80 Reunion Fund”
mailed to:
Holly High Class of 80 Reunion
c/o Wendy Liebert
140 N Main St
Zionsville, IN 46077
Please include your name, email address, (or mailing address if you don’t have an email) & phone number.
Send a check tomorrow and help the class of 1980 have a memorable reunion!
Big thanks!
The reunion committee:
Wendy Curtis Liebert-Class Historian
Dottie Rivers Knutson
Nancy Dryer Deeb-Class Secretary
Mark Grajcar-Class Treasurer & Reunion Treasurer
Jim Ferris
Kelly Mills Sherrill
Suzy Murphy Taggart
Jacqui Horchak Blackwood
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Save the Date, November 20th, 2010
We have great news. A venue and date for our 30th reunion has been decided. I will be adding important details to this site as we mold and shape the plans, as well as sending out emails when all is finalized.
Our 30th class reunion will be on:
Saturday, November 20th, 2010 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving.)
at the main lodge of Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan.
Camp Copneconic (cope-neck-con-ick or as I've been referring to as Camp Cope-neck-Harry Connick Jr. until I've committed it to my thick skull) is a 700 acre YMCA camp, approximately six miles north of downtown Fenton. They are a popular venue for receptions, conferences, fundraisers, and parties. They have an impressive in-house catering facility providing a wide selection party menu.
This will be a "Jeans & Jewels" (in some circles referred to "Denim & Diamonds" aka dressy casual) event. It was important to me that we welcome our 4th decade out of high school feeling comfortable and celebratory without the typical class reunion awkwardness.
Check back for more details over the next year and look out for emails. If you don't think I have your email address, please write me at fotonuvo1@yahoo.com
I am still in need of digital files of old photos from school and recent photos of you, your family, or fun times with other classmates over the years.
High-fives and hugs,
Wendy and the committee.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Indiana University "Home"coming

Yesterday, Nancy Dryer Deeb, her husband, and her parents, hosted a lovely tailgate across from the football stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. This is the first time Nancy, Melanie (Payne) and I have been at the same IU location at the same time...we've tried in the past...and finally succeed.
Although, it was a bit cool, the sun did try to break through a two-day shroud to help warm our smiling faces.
I tell these stories over and over again. I don't remember a lot, but I do remember moving to Holly as a very shy first-grader and Nancy being assigned as my "buddy" to show me the ins and outs of Holly Elementary. One time we went on a field trip and we were first in a long line of kids. I remember Nancy having the energy of 20 kids and dragging me by the hand all over the place with the rest of the class behind us like pairs of ducks.
The other great memory I have of Nancy was as cheerleaders and at practice one day, I told her to stand on my windows instead of my shoulders. It remained an inside joke for quite a while.
The story I tell of Melanie is her sleepover birthday party in 3rd grade. We all slept on the Payne family pontoon boat on Holly Lake. In the morning, we woke up to bright sun breaking through thick fog and were all wet from dew. We were not our best selves that morning...late night, ha!
Indiana University has room for more kids of the class of 1980; great people, wonderful campus, beautiful town. Go Hoosiers!
Have you met with classmates over the years and have photos? Please share! Send them to me at fotonuvo1@yahoo.com
Details of our 2010 reunion are not finalized, but we are close. Word coming in the near future.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
USS Blue Ridge & Classmate Thom Burke Make a Splash in Cairns, Australia
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Classmate Firefighters
On opposite ends of this great country we have:
Bob Lowande

Jim Laatsch
Thom Burke

(April 20, 2009) PACIFIC OCEAN--Capt. Thom W. Burke USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) looks towards the horizon as Blue Ridge pulls into WHITE BEACH, Okinawa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew D. Jordan /Released)
BUSAN, Republic of Korea (Aug. 14, 2009) Capt. Thom W. Burke, commanding officer of the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), is welcomed to the Republic of Korea by Chon Yea Un, the daughter of a Republic of Korea naval officer. Blue Ridge is taking part in the 33rd annual joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2009, where Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines participate in computer-simulated command and control training. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bobbie G. Attaway/Released)
BUSAN, Republic of Korea (Aug. 14, 2009) -- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) Commanding Officer Capt. Thom W. Burke reaches for the hands of Chon Yea Un, the daughter of a Republic of Korea (ROK) naval officer, after being presented with flowers on the behalf of the ROK navy. Blue Ridge arrived in Busan in support of U.S. 7th Fleet, which is taking part in the joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) 2009. UFG is a combined/joint computer simulation driven exercise conducted annually. It demonstrates the Republic of Korea-U.S. interoperability, capabilities, and the U.S. commitment to defend Korea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cynthia Griggs /Released)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Chris Vaughan



Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Today's Lottery Numbers Are...
Old photographs like this are fun to look at for many reasons...today my reason is hair. Gosh, everyone has a lot of hair. (Factoid: five members of this team are part of our Facebook alumni group. You'll have to join to find out who.)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Dear Sue, Happy Birthday to Me (25th) & You (26th)...

The older I am, the more sappy nostalgic I become. I happy cry. Daily. Hallmark Hall of Fame movies? Forget it. I get the ugly face.
Sue Lau Hansen and I have been friends over 30 years. Just as I am finalizing child rearing, she is approaching it's peak. She and Jan have two adorable girls that I hate not seeing more. They, as well as Jan's family, always welcome me so warmly when I stop in for a visit. Again, not often enough. I hope to remedy that after Taylor is away at school.
Sue, love you. Happy 37th birthday.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Why I'm a New Fan of Facebook
Roger Yerian, Richard Seavey, and Gerald Baker in 1979.and one of the nicest guys in our Facebook group, Gerald Baker today.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Reunion Train in Colorado

Last Sunday, my daughter, Taylor, and I drove from Denver to Colorado Springs. We had lunch with Shawn & Sandy (Denton) Kelly and one of their two lovely daughters. After, Taylor and I drove to Manitou Springs for laughs and ice cream, followed by familiar and unfamiliar areas of CS. We met Suzy (Murphy) Taggart for dinner. I'm usually pretty sure what I want to write, but these two visits with old classmates and particularly my old friend, Shawn, who I had not seen since their wedding in 1984, have left me quite speechless.
My old classmate and new friend, Suzy, has agreed to join our reunion committee and I look forward to planning a great reunion.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Daddy's Girl
I asked Mary to write something about her dad for our reunion blog. Below are the photos and essay she sent me.
Doug Pinter
So what can I tell you about Doug Pinter? Well, after high school, he married Cheryl Greene, and they had two daughters, myself (Mary) and Rachel. He worked for many years as a Cat Scan Technician for Henry Ford Hospitals, but found his true passion in computers. He received a CNE certification and worked as a “computer guy” at Chrysler. In 2004 he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), and he passed away from complications of that disease in May of 2007. I guess that covers the basics.
To say that he was a great man wouldn’t be saying enough. He meant, and still means everything to me. He instilled in me the drive and faith to follow my passion. He told me once that if you follow your passion, you will never have just a “job”, because you will love what you are doing. My dad truly cared about people. It’s really a hard thing to find these days. I have heard so many stories in the past few years of how my dad has touched other people. He reminded people of their love for life and for their families. He loved HIS family. He meant so much to so many people, and still does. All he ever wanted to do was to touch other people, to make their day a little bit brighter. I know that even with that disease he felt certain people on his heart. He remembered that there were people who NEEDED his love and concern, and maybe through his example they would understand. He was my biggest fan. He drove me to every little activity in my life (and boy I had a lot of them growing up). He was always present at every concert, football game, tennis game……anything I had going on. He was a great example to me. He treated people with love and compassion. He always cared about every other person more than himself. He made other people want to do their best. He led by example. He wouldn’t tell others how to act or how to be, but he would show them. He was a man of great faith. He discovered great faith through the apostolic church. He believed it was his responsibility to show his family that God was very important, and being involved in church was as well. He wanted to win souls, and he strived to help the backslider. He was in the church Easter play for years and loved reaching out to people through it. He is someone to be looked up to. I have been blessed with a wonderful man to have called my father. He was there when no one else was. He made sure I knew that God could do miracles. Through his example I know what love is, I know what courage is, I know what passion is, and I know what it means to have faith. I’ve realized that he had the greatest faith of any man I’ve ever known. Even staring down the barrel of an incurable disease he had faith that it was for a reason. He pushed through with a smile on his face even in the hardest days. I know every day I will strive to follow in those footsteps. There is so much more I could say about him, so many stories I could tell. But in the end nothing will ever fully capture what an amazing person he was. And nothing will fill the void he left when he had to leave us.
Please, if you look back into your high school photos and find one where he is even standing in the background, or if you have a story to share about him, email them to lucky.lady01@yahoo.com . I am working on a scrapbook of pictures and stories of his life so that one day I will be able to show my children or grandchildren the man who taught me so much in such a short amount of time.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Classmate Success Story!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Melanie Payne Rocks

Associate Director of Orientation Programs.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Season's Greetings or is it Seasons Greetings?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Goal 1: 250 email addresses....
I've told twenty people....now if each of those twenty told two and those two told two more, by February we should have email contact with the majority of our class. To keep expenses down, I think it would be wonderful to have 95 percent of the reunion planned via the Internet.
In February, what classmates we don't have email addresses for, I'll be mailing postcards to. We have plenty of mailing addresses and phone numbers, but cold calling is never fun when you aren't in the mood to tell dozens of classmates that you ended up in Indiana being held against your will for the last twenty years. (You know I jest.)
Next, video. Years ago, I worked a class reunion. One of the alumni was into video production and visited a handful of classmates in what I'd call a "What are they doing now..." short film, projected on a large screen for all to see. It was lively and funny and bright; not to mention, caused the entire place to erupt with laughter. That is what I would like to do for our 30th. So....
Digital is the medium. If you have a digital video camera and are visiting your classmate friends in the next year and a half, please interview each other, or ask that someone interview you both together. Just a few minutes.
Use your imagination!
For right now...email addresses...don't make me cold call...
Air hugs,
Wendy & the committee (there is still plenty of room for more committee members. No meetings! You only need Internet and a phone!)
fotonuvo1@yahoo.com
1980 Holly Junior Miss Competition
(lower left clockwise to lower right) Susan Alexander, Cheryl Cichocki, Janet Malotte, Cheryl Green, Laurie Goodearl, Julie Miller, Michelle Tuson
I awoke this morning to find these lovely ladies in my inbox. This is exactly what this blog is about. Celebrating our memories with the sharing of images. Three snaps for Jim and Laurie (Goodearl) Ferris!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Forty...yes, forty years ago
My family didn't move to Holly until Valentine's Day 1969, so these school portraits would have been taken late in the school year. The average cost of a new home was $28k, median household income was $9K, a first-class postage stamp cost 6 cents and a gallon of gas set you back 35 cents.
Can anyone confirm that the upper right photo is Rex Brown? He once came over to play and threw my baton in the air and let it hit the ground, bending it in half.
I always that thought our principle, Mr. Mance had a kind face.
Lord, I've had bangs for 40 years.
Anyone with composites from Davisburg and Patterson Elementaries is welcome to send digital scans to me for the blog at fotonuvo1@yahoo.com .
I owe my mother this one....
To Wendy
From Mom
Christmas 1995
I really wanted you to have these pictures and there are more where they came from.
It's amazing how these pictures awaken so many happy memories. I have saved you a lot of old family pictures too and other albums will probably be forthcoming.
Always remember what a beautiful wonderful person you are and the children that is always in you.
Love,
Mom
I had completely forgotten about the album, as well as this black and white 8x10 from 1972.
The Holly Elementary Gymnastic Team (Fifth and sixth graders. I remember we once went to Davisburg Elementary during school hours and did a tumbling demonstration.)
(Top row, left to right) Janet Malotte, Crystal McCain, Theresa McWilliams, gym teacher, Cindy Baurer, Tammy Mix, Moe Flanigan, Stephanie Valek, Maggie Brooks. (Bottom row left to right) Linda Edick, Wendy Curtis, Deanne Carnes, Dee Wyckoff, Richard Hargis, Joe Fleckenstein, Kris Lussier, Jan Swartz, Nancy Dryer.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Candy "Pinky" Petroni
I had a flashback....and searched for photographic evidence...
Spring Break motel balcony, Daytona Beach, March 1980 (Left to right) Kim Bentley, Jenny Leach, Candy Petroni, Michele Tuson, Vickie Hillman
I remember when Candy brought her developed Spring Break photos to school, that most of them had one of her pinkie fingers blocking the lens because of the absence of pinkie knuckles. I remember her self-deprecation, her disappointment beneath the laughs. Bless her heart. Heart hug Candy.
When I gave birth to my daughter, Taylor, she was screaming and her hands were clenched in tiny fists with her pinkies extended straight out. I remember being in a patient PANIC while I waited to hold her so that I could confirm that she had all of her fingers and toes. Remembering Candy and her comedic timing, her wit, kept me from blowing a postpartum gasket in the delivery room. Thanks Candy.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Fresh from the vault...
Remember Sagebrush jeans? As I recall, you went to the Sagebrush store and there were walls of bins filled with various sizes and shapes of Levis jeans. Long before the pre-wash days, those new Levis from the Sagebrush store could stand up in the corner on their own. They were like wearing blue sandpaper. I always hated needing a new pair because of the commitment involved. You had a relationship with your jeans back then.
I don't remember a lot of details from 1976, but I do remember how I felt. Naivete is often a blessing.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
1990 Called......
My Crazy Imaginary Dinner Party
Occasionally, over the years, Richard Hargis and his famous red & white Coke hat and jacket just pop into my consciousness like a strange 70's slide show. This kid could work a room. He was intoxicating before I even knew what intoxication was. Fun, hyper and just plain fun; he ran the show. He was a lead man, the likes of Peter Frampton and Roger Daltrey.
Recently, I saw Richard's name on one of the commercial classmate sites. I'm hoping that someone will get word to him that he's got an open invitation to my imaginary dinner party. He'll be sitting between Condoleezza Rice and Mike Rowe.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Earliest Photograph I Have....
Here's a start. (Back row, left to right) Karen VanWagner, Cindy Ormiston, Vickee Vanconant, Becky Waller, Wendy Curtis, Janice Ashley.
I need help with the (middle row, left to right)Don't know, Jan Irwin, don't know, Kelly Mills, Nancy Dryer, don't know.
(Front row, left to right) Heather Vaughn, Janie Mendez, Natalie Summers, Janet Malotte, Sandi Wilmer.
"Icon" You Say Leroy Murley?
(Ranger Leroy Murley takes a break at the park.)
How lucky were we to be taught by this man? For many years, Kim Bentley, Scott Steele, and I, enjoyed his personality all year round as we all worked at Groveland Oaks for many summers. If anyone knows how he is doing, please share. Perhaps a greeting card drive is in order.
I realize that all of us had different experiences growing up in Holly. That is why your participation is so important!!!! I want to hear from you. Send your photos to fotonuvo1@yahoo.com and tell me the story behind them!
Marty
In middle school, I was crazy about Marty Krueger. I couldn't get enough of him. I remember signing up for bowling (I hate bowling) just to get an extra hour with him.
Sure he had an attitude, but that was just Marty...always brutally honest. I remember praying that he would stop treating me like just "one of the boys."
One thing about Marty, although he'd hate to admit it, he loved his friends and strived to be a good son. He was beautiful.
We miss you Marty.
Holly Elementary at Camp Has-Been-A-Wreck
(Top row, left to right) Elaine Reeves, Kim Bentley, Dee Dee Wyckoff. (Middle row) Bev Roos. (Bottom row, left to right) Deanna Carnes, Nancy Dryer, Kelly Mills.
I love photography. Always have. My parents bought their first camera, a Polaroid Land, in the mid-60's and just took off. My family and I have books and books and boxes of images. I'm so grateful to have them...because my memory fades a tiny bit everyday.
If you are interested in receiving email about our 30 year reunion, please write me at fotonuvo1@yahoo.com and I will put you on the list. I will also accept digital scans of old photos at this address. So please share! I'll put your photos in the blog!
I will be sharing links on this site to websites featuring our classmates; some of you are blowing my mind!!!
Please send the link to this blog to our fellow classmates. Early participation by as many folks as we can gather will only make our next reunion greater.
Feel free to leave a comment (you do not have to subscribe to blogger) by clicking on comments and follow the directions. I will be monitoring all comments until we are well on our way. Please leave your name.
So pour yourself some coffee (or a night cap), get comfy and let's dish about an earlier time.









