Regina (Sue) Petersen (Koppenhoefer)

Regina (Sue) Petersen (Koppenhoefer)

the one I finished and mailed later

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

Sue, what a neat idea for those guys.  I bet your husband was/is really proud of you.   In one of your pictures, I thought that was your Mom standing there.  You really look like her.

Mel,  I hope you are doing ok in Chicago.   Do you live around where the trouble is downtown?

Marvin, It's hard to believe our 55th reunion was a year ago this coming weekend.  What a fast and crazy year it has been.   I guess you didn't get much response for a picnic for a mini reunion?   I thought if everybody brought their own food, and we could social distance with our own chairs it would be a nice get together.  Liz and I did that at Miller Park, I think, back in May,  so we could finally see each other.

James (Jim) Rookus

SUE... I'm speechless... except to state ... AMAZING ! ! !  You are one special lady!   Is Steve the guy in the middle with thumbs up?   Also wondering about how many hours you put into the making of each quilt...  From say an average one to a complicated one ? 

Regina (Sue) Petersen (Koppenhoefer)

Jim - Thank you.  I don't know exactly how long a quilt takes me, but I'm guessing for these quilts maybe a month each working off and on.  I always put the date I finish the quilt on the label - if I was organized I would put the start and finish date.  Steve is second from the left in the picture.  I've never met any of the guys so not sure who is who.

Sandy - Thank you.  Yes, I've been told I look like my Mother.  And I would be up for a socially distanced picnic too.  I told Marv I would bring the potato salad - haha.

Wendy Stephens (Cullen)

Those quilts are wonderful, Sue.  
 

my son and family just got two puppies.  I am meeting them this afternoon but here is a picture.  The Mom was a dachshund.  Nobody knows about the Dad.  Thanks Marv if you would turn the picture for me! (Sorry it took so long - MT)

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Sue, those guys must think you are a super star. The quilts themselves are beautiful, but what you have done is filled with purpose that goes way beyond that. Anyone who loves their craft knows what it means to put it to good use. And you are among the best. A true artist. Thank you for sharing the story with us.

Sandy, thanks for asking. Happy to report that I am fine. The looting on May 30th was on my doorstep. This time a new pizza restaurant two blocks away had windows smashed with bricks. My neighbor and I just returned from Binny's Spirits to buy wine and it was closed. Turned out a mob was organized and looted 3 Binny's stores, including the one I went to and one in a shopping mall next to the gallery where I had my last big exhibit. It's all too close to home, but this is organized crime using social media to incite looting. Chicago is under curfew tonight. We'll see what happens.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Sue:  Your quilts are beautiful!  They are works of art and I'm sure were each a labor of love!

Love and Blessings to you and your family!    I pray everyone is safe, happy and healthy!

Linda Bristow Elias

Elizabeth Spillman (Alex)

Sue, your quilts are just beautiful, such talent !   They will become a keepsake for anyone who receives them.

Mel, I am so glad you and friends are safe, that is a little too close for comfort.

I enjoy all the post and learning so much about the "Class of 64 "

Marv, it was so good talking to you, glad we are on the same page about the reunions..

Take care and be safe everyone..  Hope we can get together in the future..

 Liz

David Long

Happy Birthday, Marsha!  Hope you're having a wonderful, fun filled day.  Here's a little tune for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs5vUfddkT8

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

David Long

Greetings and Felicitations BHS Raiders Class of "64!

Marvin Theobald

The website has been pretty quiet lately. I have had several distractions lately but am trying to keep up. Maybe you will find this story of interest. During my tour in Vietnam in 1967-68 my parents were members of the Church of God in Bloomington where Nancy Weavers Dad was the minister at the time. People in the church kept asking if there was anything they could do for me. There was nothing I wanted them to do for me but I had learned about an orphanage near Saigon that was for kids whose parents had been killed in the war. I suggested if they wanted to do something they could send things from a list I had made for the orphanage. I soon received three very large boxes filled with all of the things I had suggested. I arranged through an Army Chaplin to make a delivery to the orphanage in May 1968.

It was one of the most memorable experiences of my year in Vietnam. We were given a tour of the orphanage and got to spend time with the orphans and staff. Few people know that at the time there was a lot of Catholic presence in Vietnam. This orphanage was a Catholic affiliated facility. The kids were amazingly happy and excited. Below are some photos I took during our visit.

Regina (Sue) Petersen (Koppenhoefer)

Loved the pictures and story, Marv!  How wonderful that you and your church were able to make a difference for children in a war torn country!

Jack Keefe

Marvin, that's a touching photo essay. Do you have contact with any of these kids today? It's sad to think some of them might not have survived the war. But others may have grown up to lead successful lives and raise great families of their own, all due in part to the contributions your church made.  

Jack Keefe

This is our new webmaster, kicking off Free-for-All Friday. For the past week or ten days he has been buiding a new web on our patio. The web is down by 8 am each morning; then after dark he's back at it. My wife, who hates spiders, tried to knock him off with a deluge of Raid but the aerosol can malfunctioned so this guy is still with us. He's about 1.5 inches long, and we believe he's a brown recluse spider.  

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

 Well, Jack, as far as pictures go that picture of the spider is fantastic!   A really good look at it, up close and personal.   

I'm sure you probably know this, but if that is a brown recluse spider their bite is very bad for humans.  I worked with a girl that had been biten and she almost lost her hand.  It looked like her flesh was eating away in all areas, not just where the bite was.  If your wife doesn't know about their bite, better not tell her this story.  It will really freak her out.

I walked into a spider web this morning when I took my dog out.  But if it was the same spider that I knocked down, with a broom, a couple of days ago, he is a little guy.  No matter how small, I still don't want to share my deck with him.  

David Brock

As for spiders--Generally the smaller the spider, the bigger the bite.  Brown Recluse have name RECLUSE for a reason--they really don't want to be seen or bothered.  Most people get bitten by accident.  Regardles of the reason for the bite--it can be a real bad experience.

James (Jim) Rookus

MARV .... what a great memory to share the rewarding  involvement with those orphans ... just think that those kids are in their 60's now .... would be interesting to see if any way to track down any of them through the agency.  Could any have wound up adopted by service men and raised in the USA ?  
Be on the look out for that " Webmaster" of Jack's ....  he might be trying to take over your BHS Alumni position!

Wendy Stephens (Cullen)

This critter was hanging out in my laundry room sink this morning.  About an inch and a half diameter.

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Marvin Theobald

Jack - That is a remarkable photo of the spider. A little research has me convinced your “friend” is a Spotted Orb-weaver spider. It is a very docile, non-aggressive spider that will flee at the first sign of a threat. They are not dangerous to people or pets, and are actually quite beneficial because they will catch and eat a lot of pest-type insects. While they do sometimes feast on other prey, their main source of food is always spiders. I would take good care of it as a pet. It may very well eat that brown recluse you are concerned about and save your life. Maybe this info will convince Janet to keep it around – hopefully it is not too late.

Wendy I believe your “friend” is a common Wolf Spider. They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They do not attack, and you have to trap them and provoke them to get them to bite, so there is absolutely no reason to kill them. If you see a wolf spider outdoors, you should leave it alone. They are harmless and, indeed, provide valuable pest control around our homes and yards because they eat pest insects Brown Recluse Spiders.

Maybe we should establish a “Be Kind to Good Spiders Week”. You are lucky to have such good friends.

Joan Pease (Clark)

Free-for-all Friday: When the pandemic began and life changed, I looked where I could for serenity. I found this picture taken in 1967 in Berkeley on a friend's terrace. Because I remember the moment, I can 'channel' that serenity again. I've been using this as my Facebook profile picture to remind me of simpler times. (Other parts of that summer are a happy blur, but this moment is clear!)

Marvin Theobald

Jack and Jim - I cannot tell you how many times I have wondered what became of the kids in that orphanage. I try to think they grew up and had long happy lives. Curiosity has caused me to spend the past couple of hours trying to determine what became of the orphanage. While I don't know exactly where it was or it's name I have been able to find info that with some effort may give me a path to finding out. I will see what turns up but it will take a while and may be a dead end.

Marvin Theobald

Joan - I like the idea of remembering simpler times. Maybe they just seemed simpler because we did not know any better yet. The more we know the less simple things are or so it seems.

Pop quiz! Can you identify the classmate in this fourth grade photo?