Month: September 2010

After high school graduation, I attended OSU, completed an associate degree in the College of Business, and then married Roy James from Hillsdale, OK, in 1962. During his career as an Air Force fighter pilot, we lived in 11 locations throughout the US and also lived near Oxford, England and then transferred to Madrid, Spain. I like to travel and have lived in or visited 39 of the US states and 11 European countries and am very thankful I have had these opportunities. We divorced in 1984 while he was stationed in Tampa, FL. I returned to college and completed the College of Business Administration BS and MBA degrees at the University of South Florida. I continued living in Tampa, worked at the USAA Insurance Corporation, and participated in numerous community volunteer activities, including the public activities for second Tampa SuperBowl. When USAA opened their Phoenix, AZ office, I transferred to Phoenix in January 2003 and continued volunteer activities, including the Phoenix Super Bowl. I retired in November 2006 and remain in Phoenix. Yes, it definitely gets very hot here in the summers! I had a hard time adjusting to the desert life after living in FL for 25 years but have come to appreciate the beauty of the desert in springtime and the year around beauty and majesty and mystery of the high country. I’ve explored most of Arizona, southern UT, and northwestern NM. I’ve planned a trip next spring into southwestern NM and another trip next fall back to my favorite national and state parks and monuments and out of the way places in northern AZ and southern UT.Our son, Michael, lives in GA and is a deputy sheriff. I enjoy visiting with them and plan to move to their area within the next couple of years.

I recently had knee surgery and must continue wearing the knee & leg immobilizer brace 24/7 for several more weeks so my activities have been extremely curtailed until I can resume driving in about 2 more months. Unfortunately, this also means that I’m not able to attend our class’ 50th reunion. I’ve enjoyed reading the bios and hope that everyone has a great time at the reunion. Sharon Adams James 9/18/2010

I married Bob Christensen out of high school, he joined the army where he was transferred to New Jersey to school at Fort Monmouth.  Our first son Randy was born there, our next son Robert Scott was born in Enid.  Randy passed away at the age of two from a brain tumor and is buried at the Enid cemetery.  We then moved to Maryland where our twins were born, a daughter, Sheri and a son, Terry.  Later we divorced.I re-married my second husband Ron Rackey, we lived in Maryland.  I had two more children a daughter, Heather and a son Ronald Carver.   Other than birthing babies… I have been busy as well, just to let you know!  :>)  I have mastered many other talents along the way.  I became a hairdresser for several years;  I am a floral designer, owned and operated my own florist as well.  I am an artist, I paint in oils, watercolors and sculpt.  Refinish furniture, wallpaper, landscape, sew and even have my own tools.  I love hardware stores. My second husband and I later divorced as well.

I then found my sole mate, Jim Govenides, in 1980 we were married…  my heart and life was finally at peace.  I found what truelove was truly about at last.  The man I would love forever.  We lived and worked side by side, he owned a clothing store named “Gentleman Jim’s,”  and I then became a ‘Haberdasher.’  He was active on City Counsel so I learned much about politics and how the “Good ole boy’s,” and how that system worked as well.

I later took over running the store operations as Jim had an opportunity to become a Vice President with a development company, based on the condition I took total control of the store.  Along with the store we had three kids still in college and the hours were long and hard.  On September 16, 1990 Jim had a massive heart attack and died in my arms at the age of 47.  We had just bought a new home in May, he had no insurance, his six figure job was gone, I closed the store the store dropped to nothing, three kids in college.  Lost everything.  It’s twenty years later, I have survived.  I am the granddaughter of pioneers, I have a darling Victorian cottage (The house and I are in a constant state of renovation, and I am never sure who is winning : I am a hands on renovator.  I work for Stafford County Public Schools; I have been a member of the Stafford Rotary one year I was honored with receiving ‘Rotarian of the Year,’ went to Honduras on a mission trip three years ago.  I moonlight some doing interior decorating.   My children:  Robert Scott is a Captain on the Great Lakes, he has three children, Rigil who is joining the Navy, Rochelle who in in the ROTC nursing program at Marquette University, and Randy who is going to the Air Force.
My daughter Sheri is a manager of a uniform store in Columbus, Georgia, she has a daughter who graduated from Mary Washington University and works for Geico, and a son Michael in Huntsville, Alabama.  My son Terry lives in Utah has a ‘Handyman” business to support him when he isn’t writing music.  Terry lost his wife to cancer, but found  anew love Celia and just married and so I inherited two new grandchildren, Nathan 14  and Rhanna 10, both classical violinist.  My youngest daughter Heather lives in Richmond she is in sales, Nicholas 10, Hannah 7 and Isabelle.  Then last, but far from least my son Ronald Carver, he is employed by Em2 as a salesman, he lives here in Fredericksburg and has one son, Carver Cain.  There you have it mates, my life is full, and blessed, as I hope it is with each of you as well.

Linda Raye Carver Govenides

After high school I went to work for Doc McKay @ Public Drug. When he retired I went to California for a year. After I returned I went to work for Dr. Fred Entriken.In 1969 I married Stanley Baldwin (class of 62). He was teaching school at Waller Jr. High. In 1971 we move to Ardmore, OK. In 1976 we bought a small family restaurant. I love to cook and spent many hours perfecting my recipe’s for our restaurant. In 1986 we bought another small drive-in restaurant and 8 rental properties. We are still daily involved in our business and retirement doesn’t seem likely.

We have one son, Thomas, he practiced law for 12 years and also was trust officer and legal council for a large bank. He now is a Judge for Carter County. Our daughter-in-law, ( Carey) helps us at the restaurant’s. We have one granddaughter, Ireland, she is 9 years old and lights up our life with joy.

I have stayed involved with Bible studies and watercolor classes. The Lord has richly blest our lives.

After graduating from Enid High in 1960, I went to OSU for the next 2 years.  After my freshman year there, I met Richard Songer and we married in August of 1962.  We then moved to Wichita, KS where we still live, recently celebrating our 48th anniversary. My husband and I have owned and operated a graphic design business for the past 37 years.  After being a commercial artist and graphic designer himself,  Richard now strictly deals with the management of our company. I’ve done all the accounting and taxes all these years, except for the year-end tax returns which our CPA handles for us. I had no idea at the time how important those bookkeeping classes at Enid High with Mr. Lynch would be for me.  We’re hoping to retire before too much longer, but have found it’s harder to get out of a business than it was to get into it in the first place. It’s been very good to us, but we now hope for more of a personal life, including some vacation time.  That’s been hard to come by all these years.We have been blessed with 3 children. Jennifer, 43 is now married to Jim Roman, a banker, and they live in Wichita. They have 3 great girls, Lyndsey, 17, Lauren, 13, and Kylie 10.  Our son, Jeff, 40, is in the Financial Dept at Kansas City Southern Railway and is married to Ann, who is a partner in Shook, Hardy and & Bacon law firm in KS City.   They have a 3 yr old daughter, Amelia, and a 7 month old  little son, Jacob, aka Jake.  Our youngest daughter, Melissa (Missy), 33,  is married to Brock Ainsworth —no children yet.  Both our daughters are teachers.  Jennifer is an all day pre-K teacher of 4 yr olds in the Wichita Public School system.  Missy is a Special-Ed teacher in grades K-2 in KS City, where Jeff and his family also live. Jennifer graduated from Wichita State University, and Jeff and Missy both graduated from KU.   I’ve loved being able to do part of my job at home, which has allowed me to be home with our children when they were young, and then part time with our grandchildren too.

It just doesn’t seem possible that so many years have now gone by. I’ll not be able to attend the reunion, much as I would like to. I’ve recently reconnected with some of our classmates via email  (jansonger@aol.com) and loved “catching up” with all of you.  Many thanks to all of you who have worked so hard to establish this web site, and made so many efforts for the reunion!  Please know I so appreciate the time and effort you have all put in to making it possible for the rest of us to reconnect with our former classmates and friends. I’ve loved reading the bios from several of you and would love to hear from you as well.  Please know I have so many fond memories of the Class of 1960 and wish you all good health and much happiness always!

I have read with envy (I mean, INTEREST) your fascinating biographies on the
EHS website.  I’m sure you are excited to read mine, so for better or for worse,
here it is:
After graduation I was tired of chasing boys, so I quickly married the love
of my life, Donnie (“Honey”) Law.  Donnie taught school for a while, but soon
got sick of it, and undertook his life’s calling:  tuning pianos!  Immediately
after establishing his business, Donnie went stone deaf, but fortunately created
a new innovative tuning method: tuning by “feel”.  He has written three
textbooks on the subject, and was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame of
Piano Tuners by Feel.  You can probably find a copy of Donnie’s acclaimed
textbook, “Tickling the Ivories for Fun and Profit” in the waiting room of your
dentist’s office, as you try to keep your mind off your next extraction.
Meanwhile, I was busy having kids.  After the little buggers turned 14,
they disappeared, and we haven’t seen them since (not that we’ve looked too
hard).  Therefore, I don’t have any grandkids THAT I KNOW OF!
(If you happen to run into any of ’em, ask ’em to text me the following message:
“Granny, Where Art Thou?”.
I might contact them, if I decide they’re for real, and not just some down ‘n
outers, trying to scam old people.)
At any rate, after my “mother instinct phase” played itself out, I took up
music teachin’ and choir directin’
(Pardon my French, I mean TEACHING and DIRECTING—-I did get SOME education at
EHS!).  I’ve been teaching in order to save up enough money to support my latest
hobby:  CATS!  Since we have moved into our new abode (an art deco one room
shack), we have been raising cats for fun and dinner.
As far as our cultural experiences go, Donnie Honey and I have traveled
extensively across the contiguous 46 (or is it 47?) states via motorcycle (him,
drivin’) and side car (me, sittin’).  Our favorite destination was to the Grand
Canyon, although it was a little hairy going down it in the side car.
I’ve been thinkin’ lately about retiring, but Donnie Honey and I are about
ready to celebrate our 75th year of wedded bliss, and I want to save up enough
for a big blowout!  (I hear we can rent the Salvation Army indoor pool, which
will hold 100 of our closest friends, for cheap!)
See ya at the reunion.  I’ll be the one with three of my own teeth (I’m
savin’ up the big bucks for a genuine partial!).Happy reminiscing,

Suzy Hockmeyer Law

 

Education:
Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Phillips University, 1965 .
Master of Music in Piano Performance, University of Kansas, 1966 .
Doctoral Candidacy Diploma in Musical Arts, University of Washington, 1977 .
Post Graduate Studies at Indiana University; University of Tulsa;
Van Cliburn Piano Institute

 

Professional Activities: .
Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Oral Roberts University,
1967 to present (yes, I am in my 44th year of teaching at ORU).
President, Tulsa Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, International Professional Music Fraternity .
Member of Music Teachers National Association, Oklahoma Music Teachers Association and
Tulsa Music Teachers Association .
Solo and Duo-piano recitalist; Accompanist and Chamber music pianist; Concerto soloist and
orchestral pianist

Family:  Parents have moved to Heaven .
Brother, Edward, retired from Southwestern Bell/ATT and lives in Tulsa.