Thomas M. Cordell

I'm afraid I haven't been on this site too much... at least until recently.  The email notifications triggered by these Message Forum posts have rekindled many old memories and brought me back several times to this web site.  I also see that I have some messages that are in at least one case over a year old.  My apologies.  I will try to return the kind and thoughtful notes that I recently discovered. 

I looked at the list of missing classmates and wondered whatever happened to Joe King.  I'm pretty sure he was in our class, but I didn't see him in either the classmate profiles or the missing classmates.  Does anybody know?

Steve C. Blake

Joe King did not graduate with us. He was kicked out of Reynolds our sophomore year for fighting. He finished high school at Northwest high. He was offered a full football scholarship to the University of South Carolina. I do not think he made it past the first week. He lived here in Winston until the 70's then I do not know what happened to him. It is my understanding that he was served time and may be still is at the South Carolina prision in Columbia. May be some others can offer more current information

Thomas M. Cordell

Steve, thanks for your's and George Woods responses to my query regarding Joe King.  I guess the years are catching up with me!  I remember Joe but did not remember him getting kicked out of school in the 10th grade.  Take care and hope that you and your family are doing well.

Terryll J. Brewer (Gilliam)

Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season. Bright blessings to all.

Harriet Nanzetta (Clark)

Times at CRYSTAL LAKE were always so much fun!  I remember my mother driving my sisters and me out there....waaaaay out in the boonies...when I was too young to drive. And now we live a couple of miles beyond where Crystal Lake was, and it doesn't seem far out at all!!

That huge sundae at FARMERS' DAIRY was called "The Kitchen Sink."  My parents used to take us there when report cards came out, and we were treated to a "report card sundae" if our grades were good. 

Does anybody remember TRIANGLE PIZZAS? I think they were the first pizzas I had ever had, and, at least in my memories, they were the best! 

My sister, Carole, and I were just talking a couple of nights ago about MRS. KAPP, the way she twirled her beads, her beautiful and precise handwriting, and learning diagramming from her. Carole said she still diagrams sentences if they are complex, and loved diagramming in high school. I remember that gerunds were put up on a little pedestal when diagrammed. (I thiink.) 

I'd love to have you visit my FACEBOOK page. I'm there every day, and love making connections with friends that way. I'm listed as "Harriet Nanzetta Clark" and also as "Harriet Nanzetta Meehan Clark."

Wishing you happiness, hope and health in the new year, and a very merry Christmas, too!

Dianne Church (Church)

For those of you who went to Old Town School, I have posted the sheets of class photos for the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades.  I know some of you went to the Old Town Reunion last year and I wish I could have made it, but had to choose between the Old Town Reunion and the RJR Reunion in the fall.  Some of the people you might see are Pam Bain, the Lineback Boys (Jerry and Don), Jewell Hill, and others.  Enjoy.  You will find them under the Early Years old photos in my picture gallery.  Dianne Church

Kathleen Traylor (Sink)

What fun to look at these old pictures!  I did recognize several of our RJR classmates.  Were we ever really that young? Thank you for posting these, Dianne.

Terryll J. Brewer (Gilliam)

When our class graduated in 1962, it was known to be the largest graduating class at RJR; just wondering if we still hold that record. Anyone know?

Marilyn Elsie Miller (Morris)

Tried to post this last week-end but put it in the wrong place.  Happy Easter! I can't complain about becoming 70 today to this group. Seems, and feels, like way older than being "in my 60's". Hey, I can still do the Dancing Boots moves, as long as it's in the water aerobics class. Like that Highland Fling thing we did, and the "horses" we rode the year we marched for the Redskins halftime.  Hope all of you are having a wonderful Spring.

Paul Licker

I wanted to congratulate all of us this year.  We are mostly turning 70 (I'm guessing half of us at least are already 70) and this is an accomplishment, especially if (1) we are doing the turns, as Marilyn is, by ourselves and (2) we are smiling with at least some of our own teeth.  Seriously, congratuations, classmates.  I hope to see many, many of you at our 60th, when we can contemplate turning 80!

Nancy Crews (Ash)

I used to love Crystal Lake too with all the music and dancing from the upstairs!  We've lived in FL, KY, CA, and now Shreveport, LA but 10 yrs. ago we did find what used to be Crystal Lake but (for those who don't know), it is not public anymore and is surrounded with apartments or condos. 

Hope we have a reunion sooner than the 60th year so we can all attend!

Dianne Church (Church)

I agree with Paul, I think we all are to be congratulated on looking so good.  It is really nice to know so many other people who have just turned or about to turn 70 this year.  I celebrated in April for several weeks and am surprised and delighted to have lived this long, seen this much, and be able to live a very happy and active life.  Congratulations to all you classmates on turning 70 this year. 

Dianne Church (Church)

I loved Crystal Lake and it was there I had my first bag of potato sticks!  What a treat to lie in the sun (working on that tan), jump into the lake and stand under the fountain.  Summers would not have been the same without that lake.  I was sorry to hear it is no longer used by all the young people in the community.  Weren't we lucky to grow up when we did (in a very different world) and have the opportunities available to us? 

Classmates, have a wonderful summer and enjoy the fruits of all your years.  It would be nice if you would write in during the summer and share your vacations and trips with us.  Love to hear about other people's trips, since I enjoy travel as well.  So far, my two planned trips are to (1) Wash., D.C. last week of May to attend a former boss's retirement party.  We intend to be tourists, go to all my favorite restaurants and museums and enjoy history, and (2) a trip to visit my sister in MA (grad from RJR in 1958) and they have tickets for us to visit Tanglewood for a concert.  Lots of lobster and seafood are waiting for me.  Let's hear from you about your fun trips.

Mabel (Beth) Bayless

Just finished a 4 day conference on family history sponsored by the National genealogy Society. There were over 2200 people attending , not counting vendors. Picked up some ideas for tracking down some of those elusive ancestors. One of the nicest things was that it was held in Richmond which meant about a 20 minute drive. Next year it will be in St. Louis.

Going to Boise this summer to meet my new grandniece, Sarah Paige Bailey. She is the daughter of my older nephew Andrew and his wonderful wife, Kathy. Other than that trip, I plan to stay home, tend my garden and remodel a bathroom.

Hope everyone is in good health and will have a great summer.

Terryll J. Brewer (Gilliam)

Not planning any travel this summer. I live less than 15 minutes drive from Hanging Rock and Moore's Springs, so that will be as far as I go. Just finished having my front porch remodeled and also had a "catio" built on the back so my cats could go outside without being in any danger. I had a great carpenter who built it exactly the way I wanted. Now that I have my front porch remodeled, I'll have more room for planters, so the summer will be spent tending lots of flowers. Hope everyone has a wonderful summer.

Paul Licker

OK, here goes.  First a drive to Chicago to visit our grandson and his attendants (i.e., parents).  Then off to the UK to visit my mother-in-law and celebrate her belated 90th birthday.  A wedding in the south of France follows after which we'll celebrate our 20th anniversary with a Mediterranean cruise (Mallorca, Malta, Sicily, Rome, Florence) and will round things out with a week again in the UK visiting friends who hopefully will be amazed that I've turned 70.  I'm amazed, so they should be too!  Back to Chicago for another session with the smaller of those in the attached photo and back home to battle the garden which will have had a month to do what gardens do best when unsupervised.

Dianne Church (Church)

Tom McKenzie:  Welcome to the RJR Forum.  We hope you will write on your profile (pictures, please) and let us know what your life has been like and share your summer plans with us.  Many of us stay in touch on the Forum and we hope you will join us.

Bonnie Forrest (Boles)

I am not very good with posting. I tried to update photo and it is sideways:-) I do not do too well with Facebook either :-) I did post a good photo of my precious grandchildren! :-) I will keep trying. I am better with the telephone.

Carol Mowery (Willis)

You are beautiful sideways or any way.  

Jimmie R. Vestal

While at Reynolds, I performed in a band, Tommy Hailey & The Monotones.  We performed at the Carolina Theater Saturday morning Kiddie Shows, for Dick Bennick's Hi Fi Club dances, at the Hilllcrest Super Club, the Mountain Springs Restaurant, and other bookings.

My songs can be heard on TouchTunes and AMI digital jukeboxes throughout the U.S. 

They are at such places at Applebee’s restaurants, franchise-owned Bennigan’s, Baja Sol, Ben & Jerry’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hollister, Papa Gino’s, TGI Fridays, WOW Wingery & Café, AMF bowling centers, and independent mom and pop bars, saloons, taverns, and pubs.

http://www.mytouchtunes.com/artist/101342/jimmie-vestal.html

You can also use the MyTouchTunes link to locate jukeboxes in your city.

I spend a lot of time on Facebook, so please "friend me" there.  http://www.facebook.com/jimmie.vestal

Videos of mine can be found on Vimeo and You Tube. 

Are any of you involvled in music or creating videos?

Marilyn Elsie Miller (Morris)

Not quite related to this thread, but I posted a picture of the Dancing Boots in my photos, which you might enjoy.  I submitted a "Post Announcement" but it doesn't look like it's monitored often.  I'm really glad to have this site, not expecting anyone to do constant administration.

Anita Hauser (Ogburn)

Marilyn,

Sorry that your announcement was not posted.  Because of the  way that the site is constructed, posting an announcement will displace all the print in the main body of the home page.  You may post your pictures in the photo gallery for all to see or ask Paul Licker to help you post the photo in the message forum.

Anita

Marilyn Elsie Miller (Morris)

Thanks, Anita!  I'm going in for neck surgery this week, and while I don't expect any complications, I will be on painkillers for a while and will get back to the computer eventually.  I'll try to post the picture of the Dancing Boots then.  We were cute then, thought we knew everything at that age!  Boy, were we fooled.

Marilyn Elsie Miller (Morris)

My surgery went fine, and recuperation is going well so far.  I have already regained the strenghth in my left hand that had weakened.  Now I just need to take it easy and recuperate.  I do appreciate everyone's good wishes.

Jim Blackburn

Marilyn, great news about your surgery!  Congratulations!  Hope you continue to get better!

Jim