August 10, 2004

 

Dear Christy and Class of "84",

 

The past couple of weeks have been a real pleasure for Pat and me due to your thoughtfulness by including us in your reunion celebration.  Our son Pat was a member, in our estimation, of the best class to come out of Liberty Union High School. 

 

You have been so generous by sharing your memories of Pat with us.  We have heard some funny stories and some sweet ones too...and each story brought us some laughter and some tears.  You have also sent us a beautiful floral arrangement, a lovely poem, and lots of love.

 

Words are not quite enough.  However, I hope a thank you will do...and with those words we send our warmest wishes to each of you. 

 

God Bless you all,

 

Pat and Sharon Cook

 

For those of you who haven't heard it, here is the poem.

 

There are so many things in life,
that most of us don't understand.
The child that you hold dear to your heart,
is now in God's hands.
As we gather together on this our 20 year class reunion day,
we want you to know that we fondly remember Pat with this bouquet.

In Loving Memory,  The LUHS Class of 1984

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August 9, 2004

 

Dear Class of 84,

 

I wanted to send a letter, not only to those who were able to attend, but also to those who could not. I’m not sure if I can put into words what "happened" at this "homecoming, but I will try.

 

First of all, I think the volume of emails that were exchanged in the approximate six months prior to the reunion went a long way in reconnecting everyone. So many were so excited to see each other, you could almost feel it in the air. It truly was more like a homecoming and less like a reunion.

 

One thing I noticed as I looked around, whether it be at Rick Ellas’s place on Friday night or at Johnson Park on Saturday afternoon or especially at the alley on Saturday night, was that everyone was trying to make time to talk to everyone. There were no "clicks", just fellow classmates, reconnecting with old classmates and making new friends. Everyone who attended came away with a definite feeling that we should NOT lose touch with each other again and that we should do this more often. I have been overwhelmed with emails/calls since the reunion commenting on how much fun everyone had and how glad they were that they were "talked into" coming. The only other word I can use to describe what happened that night is "magical"! I don’t think there was a person that attended that didn’t have some very hard goodbyes to say at the end of the evening.

 

 

As a direct result of the feelings expressed by those who did attend, we are now going to a yearly format. The dates will be similar to this year’s date, since it seems as though it was a pretty good choice for everyone. We’re looking at a time of about 7pm. Keep in mind, there won’t be decorations until the 25 year. (I’m getting too old!) But there are already many people on board from out of town for the yearly format, so please try to plan your schedule accordingly. The overwhelming majority says they would like to keep the format relaxed as it was this year. So as it stands right now, the meeting place for the 25 year homecoming will be Johnson Park at around noon and then Starlite Lanes at 7pm for the 25th year reunion. (We will be "fine tuning" the alley night in order for people to be able to have conversations!) This year we all started to meet at Rick Ellas’s place (VIP Lounge in Gahanna) on Friday night and that was a huge success as well. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

The dates (Saturdays) for the yearly homecomings are as follows at Starlite Lanes:

 

July 23, 2005

July 22, 2006

July 28, 2007

July 26, 2008

 

and the 25 year reunion will be July 24 and 25, 2009. I’ll be bold here and say this–with 5 years notice, scheduling shouldn’t be a problem!

 

I also want to take this opportunity to make sure that everyone has my information so you can let me know of any address changes, etc. If you have an email, please let me know. You DON’T KNOW what you are missing by not being on the group list. The email list, by far, went a long way getting everyone reconnected and making it easier for everyone to do so. My information is as follows:

 

Christy Young Ford

114 Holder Road

Baltimore, OH 43105

740-862-5352

 

cford114@columbus.rr.com

 

Although we had an absolutely awesome turnout, I figure with 5 years notice, it can only get better. Kim Crist took a fantastic picture of the overall crowd at our reunion and it is printed on the back for your enjoyment. That picture alone I feel speaks volumes.

 

Another item I wanted to mention is that traditionally here in Baltimore for the past at least 15 years, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is a "big night" at the bowling alley. It is the only time you’ll ever see a big turnout there, that would come close to what we had in July. Our turnout was by far the largest crowd the bowling has ever had in it’s history. This night however is a combination of many classes, but a good time as well.

 

Here’s hoping to see more of you in the coming years and EVERYONE at the 25 year reunion. I figure it this way, if Cheech can join us from Japan, I think most of us can make it from the outskirts of town?

 

Please feel free to call/write/email me anytime. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to organize this reunion. It was definitely an amazing experience that I won’t ever forget.

 

Christy Young Ford

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August 31. 2005

Hey all!

I wanted to take a moment and let you know about something that has happened as a result of Hurricane Katrina to a dear friend of mine and a former classmate of ours, Vernon Snider. He lives(lived) in Slidell, LA. I can tell you that I've known Vernon for 35 years. He is the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back. I can't tell you enough about what special people the Snider family really are. As a result of this hurricane, Vernon informed me today that he and his family have lost everything they own. At this point, Vernon is in total shock. To lose everything you have worked your entire life in a blink of an eye is unimaginable to most of us! Their home is now about ten feet under water and they will not be able to even return to their home for approximately four-five weeks at current estimates. When they do return, Lord only knows what they are faced with. At present, Vernon estimates that he is probably going to be about $70K underinsured. Vernon and his family will be in Baltimore by the first of next week. They will probably be staying with my family and I for a few days until they are able to secure an apartment for the time they have to be away from their home and/or decide what they are going to do.

My reason for writing you is to plea for your help in showing Vernon "just what Baltimore and its alumni are all about". This family desperately needs your help! First and foremost, I ask for your prayers for this family. Secondly, I'm asking you to reach out to your family, your church and your friends for their help. Thirdly, I'm hoping to secure for his family at the very least some clothing for his children, Kyle and Rachel, as well as his wife Sharee! The children wear size 7 (Kyle) and size 8 (Rachel). His wife Sharee wears size 10. Christy is going to be setting up an account at Fairfield National Bank in Baltimore tomorrow in the Vernon Snider family name. Funds donated can be used for clothing, food, apartment expenses, and for whatever else the family needs. Funds can also be donated online, via paypal to cford114@columbus.rr.com. This is Christy's account and she thought this might make it easier for those who wanted to donate to do so. Using paypal, you can make donations via your credit card if you so choose or directly from your bank account. As with Amy's benefit, you will receive a receipt for all funds donated. Christy informs me that if she sets up the account at Fairfield National to be able to receive donations at ALL locations, then the only receipt you will have will be the one they give you when you make the donation. With everyone's help in this effort, as with Amy's benefit, I know we can do great things for this family.

Any questions can be directed to me at (740) 862-4814 or (614) 834-9900. You can also call Christy at (740) 862-5352 or (740) 808-6218. Donations can be dropped off either at 1890 W. Market Street (my house) or 114 Holder Road (Christy's house)

Thanks for all your help!

Your friend,

Rick Ellas

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