Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY MARILYN!  HOPE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL DAY!  🎂🎂

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB AND VICKI!  🎂🎂🎂>p>

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

SAFE TRAVELS!

🎄🎄

Steve Jetton

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

  I think she's saying, "this is for Steve."  I think the rest of you are in good shape, though.

Allida Frisch (Altemus)

Happy Holidays everyone! May this be your merriest one yet! 🎄🎄

Milan Jackson

Merry Christmas Class of 1964 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSAN!

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN!  HAVE A GREAT DAY.  🎂🎂🎂

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE!  HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!  🎂🎂🎂

Marvin Theobald

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  Here is wishing a very Happy New Year to the BHS Class of 64.  

Linda - A previous post indicated you were having your knee replacement surgery Dec 1.  Assuming it was done, how are you getting along?  Hopefully it went well and you are ready to come up and go ice skating this winter.

Milan - I hope your treatments are going well and wish you a speedy recovery.

Below is a statement I saw recently that makes me wonder how many of us put it into practice.

LIFE is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW!  What a ride".

You may relate to a statement that I love to recite to younger people.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Milan Jackson

Happy New Year to the members of BHS Class of 1964 from an old friend. 

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Hi everyone and Happy New Year 2017!

I'm  back from surgery.   It sucked BIG time!  They shouldn't be giving that knee replacement until they have it simplified!

I'm back at work to keep myself occupied!

Blessings to us all!

Linda Elias

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Hello Ya'll,

Well, it's been, I think around 20 months since I last entered anything on this site.  I did look at it briefly about a month ago I guess.  With the new year, I decided I would get back on the site and try to at least keep up somewhat.  My thanks to those who wished me a Happy B-Day, and, I would wish those who I have missed.  However, I see we have sort of an official Birthday Wish girl in Suzi Denton (Merritt).  Thank you Suzi.

Before I go any further, my condolences to any and all those who have lost friends or loved ones in the past 20 months.  Unfortunately, I know this feeling.  In these past months, I have lost a good friend in Bob Griffith, Pat Summers husband, two very close wonderful friends, an Uncle who was like my brother since I was 5, and a young man who I watched grow up from the age of about 7.  This all started about 20 months ago and had a greater impact on my life than I thought it would.  I just wasn't ready for my Uncle's passing.  And the young man was my neighbor.  He was killed 2 weeks before his first child was to be born by a young man who was on parole.  He had stolen a car and ran a red light at around 100 mph during the police chase and hit my friend.  His pregnant wife was in the car with him.  I went to the trial and all that.  So, it just wasn't a good time for me back then.

Anyway, we all know of things like this.  Life must move forward.  I was beyond happiness with the CUBBIES.  In my family, you had no choice but to be a Cub & Bear fan from day one.  I think I spent the whole first week after the Series calling every Cardinal fan I knew. Ha! Ha!  I may never get that chance again.  It was so WONDERFUL though.  In the past I have mentioned I had a inside tie to the Cubs & Bears.  Well, my Uncle that passed was that tie.  How tight was he?  His ashes were spread from the left field line to the right field line in Wrigley.  They even watered them in after they were spread.  How Cool.  And, my cousin sent me pictures of it.

Let's see.  Joe Long.  I hope you are getting around on those bionic legs.  I think you have had more leg operations than Hampton, (with the Bears), had.  And he had a lot.  Linda.  It just takes time.  I'm sure you'll be glad you did this in a few months.  You're just to used to being busy busy.  And, by the way.  Our weather here has been absolutely crazy for the last year.  Just like yours.  Summer in the winter.  Trees & plants don't know what to do most of the time.  I mowed my yard a week ago.  Geez!

Now.  In all this time the wife and I celebrated our 50th. and 51st. Anniversary.  I know, I know.  How did that happen?    Our Grand Boys are starting to really grow up.  It's Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Boxing,(yes, boxing), and all the school activities.  But, at least they do very well in school.  I'm not so sure I agree with all the technology today.  But, it's here to stay.

I'm running out of space right now.  I'm going to start a new page to talk about a couple things.  I have some updates on my family, myself, and some advise for a all of you.  I still have family and friends in B/N.  Some of these people may or may not know some things.  And, I just don't want anyone to get some wrong or misleading info.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

I know some will find this boring, but, it is something to read and it doesn't take really too long.

I'm not a Doctor for sure.  Nor am I even close to being any kind of expert.   That being said, I have read many books and articles on cancer.  Some of you may or may not remember that I had cancer back in 1993.  My survival rate back then was bertween 10% to 20%.  I went through just about a year of three operations, chemo, and radiation.  That was 23 years ago.  In January of 2000, my wife had breast cancer.  Went through a masectomy, chemo, and reconstruction.

That was just a tid bit.  This is an update.  This past July my wife had a ruptured disc with an inflammed sciatic nerve.  She's fine now after several injections.  Our Son-n-Law had a Liver transplant this past September.  What a learning experience.  Just went back to work.  He also had testicular cancer in the mid 90's.  I'll give ya'll the short story on myself.  This past July I had Mohs surgery.  I've had at least 20 of these before.  It's to remove a skin cancer that a Dermatologist can't do.  As I said, I've had 20+ of these.  No problem.  I have no idea if any of you have ever had this done.  This time there were serious problems.  It turns out this was a metastatic basal cell.  Basal cell is the most common skin cancer and the easiest to treat.  However, basal cell is only metastatic in somewhere between 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 300,000 cases.  Yes, those numbers are real.  So, I've been on oral chemo for 97 straight days.  I had a pet scan last Wed..  So, we shall see.  I still have 18 more days of oral chemo no matter what.  The drug I take is very new and pretty much the only one there is for this.  At least I'm special.  Since I have a Dermatologist, Mohs surgeon, and three oncologist's tracking me all the time.  I'm of great interest, since only two of them have ever even seen this before.  And the five of them have about 200 yrs. experience.

So, Suzi.  I see you have been on a journey and I'm so happy your done and doing well.  Now Milan.  I see you are on your own journey right now.  I know it's not fun, but it beats the alternative.  We really need you around for a long while yet.  It sounds like you have a good support group.  You know the whole class of "64" is praying for you every day.  But the main thing is to stay very positive.  Everyday Doctor's find more and more ways to treat every kind of cancer there is.  I know the Doctor's answer a lot of questions.  But if you ever have a question of any kind, feel free to contact me, and I'll tell what I've experienced, that might help you.

Now for all the rest of you.  If you have ANYTHING that seems abnormal or not quite right, see a Doctor.  We're all getting older, not younger.  Things just happen.  Things wear out.  I've seen things that can happen by just waiting a few months longer.  Please.  See a Doctor.  Ask questions.  If you don't.  The cure will be much worse than the fear of not going.

Bye now and sorry I took up so much space.  Live every day to the fullest.  It's the cycle of life.  And, we're all just visiting.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Allida:  So pleased to read that you are on the mend.   That had to be frightening!  Bless you.

Rod and Milan:  Blessings to you both!  I hope your treatment will arrest your issues.

Happy New Year!

Linda

Michael (Mike) Franks

Marvin, thanks for passing on those statements concerning aging. I totally agree. We can't do too much about the physical part of our age, but we can keep a positive state of mind.

I'd love to be 30 again, but since I can't, I'll just act like I am and go down swinging!

Michael (Mike) Franks

Does anyone have any information on our classmate, Mike Smedley?

The last time Mike and I talked, he was working at State Farm, but that has been many years ago.

Milan Jackson

I show Mike at either 605 E. Walnut, Bloomington or 1611 Baumgart Dr. Normal.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Pat Summers Griffith:

I am so sorry to hear of your husband's death.  May he rest in Peace.

Bless you and your family.

Linda Bristow Elias

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Rod, I'm so sorry you and your family have been thru so much.  Prayers to you and your family.  🙏🏻🙏🏻/p>

As for the Cubbies I was thrilled to death to finally see them win a World Series!!  My husband bought me really nice jacket for Christmas.  Pretty good because he's a Cardinal fan.

Allida Frisch (Altemus)

Pat Summers Griffith so sorry to hear about your husband's passing. Prayers for you and your family.                  

Linda I am sorry that your knee surgery was so rough. Here is hoping that you will be better than new in no time.                                                                                                                                                                      

Prod sorry for the recent health problems you and your family have experienced. May 2017 be better for everyone!

Larry Cotton

Hello EVERYONE!

​    I have been following you all for many years, so I thought I would finally hop on and say HI!, I am still in California. I have retired a few times, but can not stay away from the mountains. I have been back working at Yosemite National Park, a place I love dearly. I, too, have been fighting stage 4 prostrate cancer for five years. They had given me three years to live in 2012. I said "No Way~!" My treatment included Lupron shots for the first thre years in order to block the spread from my Liph-noids, Last year they coated my white blood cells with Provenge. Next they put me on Zytiga, a drug that has killed cancer cells in melanoma. I told my Doctors these drugs are only a small part of survival. The best treatment has been a positve attitude and lots and lots of exercise. I feel great! I hike and backpack, workout daily, smile a lot, and try to out-do all of these young kids that work for me!  Thanks Milan for all your work on this sight. Good luck on your cancer fight. Thanks to all of you who have shared your lives.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Larry Cotton:

Wow!  Good for you.  Glad you wrote too!

At this stage of life we have many things in common.  When we share here, we are communicating with old friends!  So pleased to see you participating.  Happy 2017.

May your FORCE always be with you!

Linda Bristow Elias

Allida Frisch (Altemus)

Larry, glad you defied your doctor's predictions on your cancer. Keep fighting. Good to hear from you.

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON!  HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY!🎂🎂