Saturday, August 22, 2015

TVHS CLASS OF 1964 51st REUNION

GOOD MORNING, CLASS OF '64

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Ready for the Crowd

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Organizing the Food - Janet (Kittle) McCloud, Gary Channell waiting to dig in, Judy (Ware) Primavero greeting folks, Larry See telling a tall tale, Sharon (Shreve) Armstrong listening in...

Tygarts Valley High School Class of 1964 51st Class Reunion
(Viewing is much better on YouTube)


Tygarts Valley High School Class of 1964’s 51st Reunion Gathering in Valley Head

On August 15, the Tygarts Valley High School Class of 1964 gathered at the Community Center in Valley Head for their 51st Class Reunion. The class had been invited to Valley Head during their 50th Class Reunion, in 2014, by class member George Coussoule and his wife Sue.

On arrival at the Community Center, class members were signed in by fellow classmate Judy (Ware) Primavero. Judy presented each class member with a TVHS Class of 1964 bookmark memento for their 51st Class Reunion.

The first nine class members to arrive at the reunion gathering were given packaged gifts contributed to the 51st Reunion by TVHS Class of 1964 classmate Rebecca (Cox) Magee. Illness kept Becky from attending, but she was remembered and missed by her classmates. Becky included a note in each package stating, “I will definitely be in attendance with my heart and soul.”

Class members welcomed former classmate Charles Church and his wife Carolyn to their gathering and hope to see them again. The Class of 1964 extends an open invitation to other former classmates at future events.

Tables for the reunion were decorated in red and white plaid picnic cloth. Placed on the tables were white vases holding handmade red and white gingham fabric flowers used during the 50th Class Reunion in 2014.

Also, on each table was a collection of quotes compiled into a booklet, “Miscellaneous Musings from the March of Time”, by classmate Larry See. Class members enjoyed reading and discussing such musings as “Isn’t getting older great? I no longer get frustrated from forgetting things because I can’t remember what I forgot!”

After the lunch blessing by Larry See, the class enjoyed a meal of fried chicken, baked ham, meatballs with sauce, Smokies with sauce, potato and macaroni salads, fruits and vegetables with dips, cherry and peach pies, peanut butter cake and other assorted desserts.

The lemonade served on the beverage table became a requested recipe by class members. The recipe comes from the cooking blog Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate at southernplate.com.
The recipe is as follows:
Old Fashioned Lemonade
· 1 cup water (more will be added later)
· 1 3/4 cups sugar
· 1 1/2 cups bottled lemon juice
(RealLemon bottled lemon juice was used but the Southern Plate cook used Great Value from Walmart.)
1. Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and bring just close to a boil.
2. Stir constantly until all sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear.
3. Fill a 2 quart pitcher with cold water to a depth of 2-3 inches.
4. Add lemon juice and sugar water.
5. Stir.
6. Add enough water to fill pitcher the remainder of the way.
7. Serve over ice and store any remaining lemonade in the fridge.





At the end of the meal the class surprised David Matthew with a birthday cake. David was born on August 15, many years ago. Ralph Hogan led the class in singing “Happy Birthday” to David, their friend and classmate. Some birthday cake went home to be shared with David’s grandson.


During a brief class meeting the memorial honoring classmate Randall Arbogast, who died of wounds during the Vietnam War, was discussed. Fred L. Ware, Jr. had spoken with Randall’s sister, Kayleen (Arbogast) Dunsmoor, also a member of the TVHS Class of 1964, who informed him that another death certificate was required for the memorial dedication to proceed. Although a death certificate had already been sent, another copy will be mailed. The class will be kept informed as the effort to honor Randall progresses.

Janet (Kittle) McCloud spoke of contacts with class members unable to attend the 2015 reunion who sent their regrets: Sheryl (Hawkins) Birdsinger who was visiting a family member in another area of the state, William “Bill” Doner who has been in the United Kingdom since January, Anna Grace (Casto) Huston who had just arrived in South Carolina from a trip across country and Faye Ellen (Smith) Watson who had to cancel her plans at the last minute.

Classmate Gary Channell gave the Class of 1964 treasurer’s report. He informed the class that all outstanding bills will be paid, and that the class remains solvent for another year.

At the end of the meeting class members David Matthew and Richard Judy agreed to secure a location for the Class of 1964’s 2016 reunion gathering. Information will be mailed to class members in early 2016 informing them of the reunion plans for the third weekend in August of 2016.

Before departing, the class played several games of Bingo. Many nice gifts were won by some lucky Bingo players. The top Bingo winners of the afternoon were Allen and Sharon (Shreve) Armstrong with four bingo wins between them. They took home an insulated food keeper contributed by Danny and Janet (Kittle) McCloud and a Christmas Nativity which was hand painted and restored by classmate Larry See. Their wins also included a book, The Bathroom Reader, contributed by George and Sue Coussoule and a ceramic angel. An engraved Class of 1964 mug, contributed by Beverly (Currence) Hammonds, was also won by the couple.

Other multiple winners were Mary (Shiflett) Wamsley and Sharon Matthew, wife of David. Mary won a stand-on-its-own handmade gingerbread doll and a t-shirt contributed by Larry and Sally See. The t-shirt was imprinted with the phrase “I was born in the USA….Many years ago”. Sharon won a handmade autumn wreath and a basket of books containing reading snacks and a book light.

Virginia (Shoulders) Hogan, another multiple Bingo winner, took home a spring basket with matching green, yellow and white crocheted afghan. She also won a bottle of fine wine and a handmade fabric Christmas wreath with attached snowman that had been donated back to the game by Tom Zirkle. Judy (Ware) Primavero won some homemade jellies - blackberry, black raspberry and red raspberry - from the kitchen of David Matthew. Tabu cologne was also a Bingo win for Judy.

An interesting Bingo win for Dairel Arbogast was an envelope of lottery tickets. Danny McCloud’s win was a Second Amendment sign, contributed by Larry See, which will hang in the McCloud cabin on Kittle Creek. Sally See, wife of Larry, won a ceramic fragrance warmer with vanilla cookie crunch scent. Janet (Kittle) McCloud took home a West Virginia quarter paperweight and two potholders contributed by Judy (Ware) Primavero.

Calling the Bingo games was George Coussoule. George was assisted by Fred L. Ware, Jr. who selected gifts for the games and delivered them to the winning Bingo players. Sue Coussoule distributed the Bingo playing cards and markers.

The Tygarts Valley High School Class of 1964 enjoyed their time together in the upper valley and appreciated their invitation to meet at the Valley Head Community Center. The Class of 1964’s 51st Class Reunion ended with classmates wishing one another well in the coming year and looking forward to meeting again on Saturday, August 20, 2016.

Attending the TVHS Class of 1964’s 51st Class Reunion were: Dairel Arbogast, Gary and Carolyn (Corley) Channell, George and Sue Coussoule, Beverly (Currence) Hammonds, Jerry Haddix, Ralph and Virginia “Boots” (Shoulders) Hogan, Richard Judy, David and Sharon Matthew, Danny and Janet (Kittle) McCloud, Larry and Sally See, Charles and Mary (Shiflett) Wamsley, Allen and Sharon (Shreve) Armstrong, Bob and Edna Mae (Stalnaker) Tacy, Fred and Patricia (McCauley) Ware, Judy (Ware) Primavero, Tom Zirkle and Charles and Carolyn Church.

TVHS CLASS OF 1964 51st CLASS REUNION by Slidely Slideshow

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

WARE'S RIDGE TOUR WITH LARRY

GOOD MORNING, CLASS OF '64


Announcing an Expertly Guided 
Grand Tour of Ware's Ridge

Expert Guide
Larry See

 See the sights mentioned in Larry's book "How We Got By".
Excerpts from his book have been posted on this blog.

If interested in the tour call Larry at
304-435-4765.

The tour will meet at the 
Valley Head School at 
10:30am on August 15.

The tour is that famous place known as Ware's Ridge so beautifully described in that famous book called "How We Got By" by your classmate Larry See. (If you can read that with a straight face, you're a lot better poker player than the one who wrote it!)

Seriously, a few people have expressed an interest in seeing Ware's Ridge. If anyone would like to see it, Larry will be glad to show you around before the reunion.

Major attractions include the house where Larry's grandfather had his general store and grain mill. That's where he lost his shirt and had to move to the mountain. 

You will also see the sites of two one room school buildings. Larry, Karen Spencer, Edsel Riggleman and Don Ware all matriculated a year or two in one of them. The sites are very impressive, if you like brush.

You will see the place where F.E. "June" Runner went down on his knees in the creek to try to keep a casket from begin dropped into the water. With a vivid imagination you can almost "see" the house and foot bridge there.

You'll see the place where Larry was born and grew up. Sadly, the historical marker is not yet installed. Again, very impressive, if you like brush and briars.

You'll see where the grape arbors were, the ones that Larry stole grapes from while walking home from the school bus. Sweetest grapes he ever tasted - perhaps because they were stolen?

You'll see the place where Larry was attacked by a rabid fox on June 20, 1963. Another very impressive crop of brush.

You will see the most consistent crop ever raised on that farm - a big old pile of rocks picked from the fields.

You'll see the ridge covered with "beanie" rocks, rocks formed by the surf on an ancient sea shore. Might even be able to get a souvenir beanie rock (if we don't get caught!)

In short, you will see a lot of places where school houses, houses, and barns once stood. The only thing that looks like it did 50 years ago is the cemetery. It is a beautiful, well maintained cemetery.

If anyone is interested, call me at 304-435-4765.
We'll meet in front fo the Valley Head School at 10:30am on August 15. 

The only walking will be looking at the cemetery. (If anyone wants to walk a half mile or so, you can see the place where Larry missed a huge whitetail buck, 5 times, at 45 yards. His shots topped several trees, starting a promising career as a tree trimmer.) 

If no on calls, the Grand Tour will be canceled due to underwhelming interest. You will just have to catch it in the television documentary or the Hollywood movie which should happen very soon, at least as soon as the book is published, that is if any publisher can be persuaded to publish it.

On second thought, if you want to see Ware's Ridge, you probably shouldn't wait for the movie!

Larry 
 
Ware's Ridge Farm
Home of Ralph & Betty Ware
Above Valley Head, WV
on Logan Run
(Ware Family & Friend's Reunion
Sunday, Labor Day Weekend)