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Can it be that fifty years have passed since we graduated from Oberlin High School? I am sure a couple of decades (at least) must have been added to the calculations, because I certainly don't feel that old! It doesn't seem that long ago that I graduated from Oberlin College and began teaching at Milwaukee-Downer College in the Physical Education Department with another Oberlin College grad from the class of 1918. It was a wonderful place to start my professional career, and I stayed there six years, earning my Masters Degree from New York University during the summers.
In 1962 I moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to DeKalb, Illinois and began teaching in the Physical Education Department at Northern Illinois University. It was a huge change - from a small women's college to a growing (11,000) land grant university, and I was surprised I lasted the year. However we were growing rapidly, and there were many opportunities to teach and coach a wide range of activities, and so I stayed.
Thirty years later I took early retirement from NIU and since have spent most summers at my Priest Lake cabin in Northern Idaho. I still winter in Illinois and am fortunate to share lodgings with an NIU colleague, where I coordinate a 4 dog household while she is busy at the university.
I am pleased that the reunion timing is now rather than next year, as I am normally in Idaho by mid May. However, I had planned to leave later this year, and if all goes well I should be in Oberlin to share in all the festivities before driving on to Cleveland to spend some time with my niece and nephew. Keith Williams called me when he discovered we live not more that 30 miles away from each other. Initially we thought of driving together, but now his plans are somewhat indefinite. Hopefully things will work out for all of us, so we can share some good times together as we try to recognize each other and to remember that far back!
We owe a great big thanks to Martha and Louise and all their helpers for pulling this reunion together. It won't be long now, and I am hoping I can find my way back after nearly thirty years since my last visit.