Category: Bio

 Sophia (Butts) Befort

I started working at Central National Bank in June after graduation, worked until 1966 when our daughter Stephanie was born and Greg in 1969, stayed home until they both were in school.

I then went back part time and later started full time in the accounting department, where I worked until I retired in January, 2007 a total of 42 years. I am enjoying every day of retirement, doing the things I want and when I want to do them.

Bob and I were married June 1964, meeting on a blind date in 1960. He grew up in Lyons, Kansas and attended college in Kansas. He moved to Enid in January, 1964 beings we were getting married in June. He went to work at Vance and has worked under many different contractors. He hasn’t decided to retire yet. We celebrated our 46th anniversary in June.

Stephanie and Greg graduated from EHS. Stephanie went a semester to OSU, quit to marry Charles Garis from Garber, where they live. They have three children Luke 21, Sara 18 and Jacob 15. She graduated from NOC then continued her education full time and graduated from OSU with a teaching degree in secondary math and currently teaching in Ponca City.

Greg lives in Okmulgee, where his wife Deanne is from and they have a daughter Ariel, 17. He attended Okmulgee OSU Tech, graduating with a degree in Auto Technology. He worked for Stuart Pontiac until he moved to Okmulgee when he and Deanne married.

Our greatest joy is being with our kids and grandkids.

With my brother and two sisters being deceased Bob & I try to be here for my nieces and nephews.

I joined Beta Sigma Phi I 1960. It is a sorority for young women that weren’t in college. I have held several different offices and in May I received my 50 years of membership. I’m a charter member of Downtown Enid AMBUCS. I have held several offices and during the year 2008-2009 I served as District 5-B Governor. I just finished my second year on the Scholarship

Committee, which we meet the first week end of June in North Carolina to review applications from students wanting a scholarship to become a physical therapist, occupational therapist, hearing audiology, speech therapists or such other fields of therapy. The week end is busy, but when all is done, you have a rewarding feeling that you made it possible to help someone fulfill their dream of becoming a therapists.

 PATRICIA KELLEY BRESS

After graduation I went to EBC. After that I joined the Army, WAC. Hardest thing I ever did. After basic I was stationed at Ft MacArthur
in San Pedro, CA which is near Los Angeles. Met my husband Larry Bress and we were married 43 1/2 years before he passed away in April 2006. We lived in Germany, California, Idaho, Washington, Arkansas & Colorado while he was in the army and then construction.

I worked as an Interior Designer then as an insurance agent before retirement in 2006. I have 2 daughters, Vanessa & Suzanna. Both married and I have 5 grand children with one on the way.

Suzanna is due on Oct 7 so I may not make the reunionunless she goes early. I will miss seeing all of you. My dad Roy Kelley still lives inEnid with his wife Ann and will be 94 in Sept so I will be there for his birthday. He is the oldest retired firemen in Enid and Okla.

RALPH JAMES HANEY

I attended Oklahoma State Tech at Okmulgee for one year,  then  founded A-1 Electric Motor Service.  I entered involuntary    military service in August of ’67.  I was an electronics instructor at Fort Sill, OK, obtaining the rank of Specialist 4th Class (E4), and received several letters of commendation for service.

I returned from military service to resume command of A-1 Electric Motor Service, and married Marilyn Arnold in March of ’68. We opened the machine shop division in ’69.   I became president of A-1 Electric Supply, Inc. and its divisions, A-1 Electric Motor Service and Mid-American Machine and Flame Spray in 1973 and became a victim of the Enid Flood in October of that same year.

Through the years, I have performed numerous projects of note, including the automated electric train at Richill’s Cafeteria,  the complete rebuilding of a large electric generator in north central Algeria, North Africa, the design and construction of auditorium and stage lighting for Easter Pageants and worship services at Enid First Baptist Church, the design and construction of many components and subassemblies for the wire drawing industry allowing the wire drawing lines to show a doubling of production speed, and the design and supply of many industrial electrical systems.

I completely lost my eyesight in 1986, and married my second wife, Mary Haney, in 1989.  I was technical advisor for the Lexington Passion Play, Lexington, Kentucky, from 1992- 1994.

I closed the shop and retired in 1995 with 13 employees at the shop’s closing.  There had been as many as 29 employees at one time.

I have served as president of the Enid-Garfield Kiwanis Club.  I was a founding member and president of the Enid Model Railroad and Historical Association.  At present, I am president of the Oklahoma Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Association, and serve on the Board of Directors of the Lifelong Learning Institute, and the Board of Directors of the Sandra Beasley Independent  Living  Center.  I also serve on the Oklahoma State Governor’s Advisory Council to the Oklahoma Office of Disability Concerns.

I now am enjoying retirement and a woodworking hobby involving numerous hand tools and power  tools, and (believe it or not), I still have both hands and all my fingers!

ANNETTE RAHM FLOYD

After graduating from high school in 1960, I attended Phillips University, graduating with two degrees (BM and BME) in 1964.    Because I had begun university classes after my junior year in high school, and because I attended summer classes, I was able to graduate with the two degrees in four years.  The following year I taught elementary music at Bella Vista School in Clovis, New Mexico.

In 1964, I went to Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, to begin an MA in music theory.  I studied piano as my major instrument and organ as a minor.  There I met Monte Floyd who was working on a PhD in composition.  Monte is from Oklahoma City, and we probably competed against each other at Tri-State Music Festival and performed in the same massed bands even though we did not meet until someone introduced us because we were both from Oklahoma.

We were married in June, 1966, and completed our degrees at Eastman.  In 1968, Monte accepted a teaching position at St. Mary’s College for Women in South Bend, Indiana (across the street from Notre Dame).  While in Indiana, two children were born:  Amy in 1969 and Sarah in 1971.

In 1971, Monte accepted a teaching position at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  We moved to Saskatoon where I taught piano and class piano at the university.  I also continued teaching private piano lessons (something I had begun when I was in high school).   I also played organ and directed choirs for church (another thing I had begun while in Enid.)

In 1974, I left the university to teach music and band in public school.  I taught until June, 2006.  Two more daughters were born:  Laura in 1979 and Jennifer in 1981.  We continued to live in Canada because we thought it was a safe place to raise our children and we have good lives here.  Three of the four daughters have moved back to the US.

In addition to teaching, I play oboe in a community orchestra.  I am a member of the Saskatoon Composers’ Performance Society, and regularly play the piano part on music written very recently by local composers.  I have performed at the Palais des Paps in Avignon, France, and in Lodz, Poland, as well as many places in Canada and the US.  I have recorded for CBC Saskatchewan.  Even though I have retired from public school teaching, I continue to perform.

I have been involved in volunteer work:  most recently on the Board of Directors of the Saskatoon Symphony.

We have two grandchildren:  Adam who is three and Reah (by the time of this reunion) close to a year.  We would really like to be at the reunion, but our daughter Sarah will be expecting twins in October.  We will plan to be in Philadelphia for that event.  If the twins arrive early, we will come to Enid for the reunion.

Annette (Rahm) Floyd (annettefloyd.blogspot.com)

JOHN HATFIELD

I graduated from OSU in 1966 with a BSEE. Quinda and I moved to Greenville, Texas where I went to work as an RF design engineer.  We moved to the Fort Forth area in the early 70s where I worked in various engineering and Director of engineering capacities.  I moved into Information Technology Management with Motorola in Fort Worth in the mid 80s and retired to a semi-retirement consulting business of my own in 2001.  We had 2 kids along the way both of whom are grown and working in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

We are proud grandparents of 2 wonderful kids.  I still like to play golf and now that I’m fully retired, play as often as I can.  I like to read and have done some for-myself-only writing.  And of course photography is still a big part of my life.  Two years ago, we moved from our home of 32 years in North Richland Hills, TX to one closer to our grandkids.  Our new home is in Forney, TX.  The grandkids are in Rowlett a mostly bedroom community on the east side of Dallas and around easy driving minutes away.  Most recently, I’m working on an item on my bucket list.  I’m working on playing classical acoustic guitar.

These are shots I took as school photographer in our senior year some or all of which are in the annual – I can’t remember for sure.  I sent these to Lee Hoover when he produced the class of 1960 web page several years ago.  You could get copies of these by pointing to each one separately and right clicking your mouse and doing a save as or, depending on how you intend to display them, just provide this link although you probably should get Lee’s permission to do so first.

Also, check the vintage pictures at this link: 

http://weba.viawest.net/users/lhoover/images/slidesho.htm

DAVID DOW

After high school graduation, Vernon Chodrick and I joined the U.S. Army on the “buddy plan” to see the world and make our marks in life. Instead, I spent three years serving Uncle Sam stationed in sunny southern California just a few miles from Disneyland. After my tour of duty, I went on to college and met my future wife, Carol, through Campus Crusade for Christ. We were married in May 1965 and started our family while living in smogsville. In 1980 we moved our family to Colorado for a slower pace of life. I lost Carol to cancer in 1995 and finished raising the last two of our six, yes (6) kids before retiring from Raytheon Corp in 2002. I worked as a sub-contractor for the Air Force in the area of satellite intelligence for the last 18 years of my career. I retired in June 2002 and moved back to the fatherland having been away for 42 years. In 2004 I met and married my wife, Marianne, who had also been widowed several years earlier. We currently live in Broken Arrow, OK and keep very busy with our combined 18 grandchildren and attempting to complete restoration of a 1963 Chevy Nova. We truly enjoy maintaining our home and small acreage, our church family, wonderful friends, and traveling.

LYNN MEECH

I attended Phillips Univ. 4 years, played baseball. I joined the union in 1964 and retired from the pipefitters union in western Wa. in 1999. I worked as a pipefitter welder in 9 states, including 6 nuclear powerhouses. I make my home in Longview, Wa.  Did a lot of hunting, fishing, and still ride a motorcycle.  Have 4 children,3 girls and a boy, all in their 30’s now. Two girls are college grads. Carrie from Univ.of Portland , and Bobbie a grad of Scripps in L.A. and has a Masters in music from Cal State. She was the S.W. Wa. high school artist of the year as a concert pianist.  She teaches classical piano in L.A.  Sarah is pursuing a country music singing  career in Nashville. Shay was a good all around athlete and a talented artist and welder. He has a  lowrider car business in Longview and does the hydraulics and all .    Take Care,    Lynn

DARLENE McCOY (DECKER) WOODRUFF

SUGEE (WILSON) GAMMON

I graduated from Enid High in 1960, got married to Roger Gammon, this June we will be married 50yrs. We had 2 boys, Rocky, and Ricky, in 1963 we moved to Denver, Co where we lived for 18yrs, I worked for 47 Dr’s and set up a scheduling center in the hospital there and work for 17yrs with those Dr’s.

Then we moved to Casle Rock, Co where I started managing properties, then from there we moved to Calif, lived there and I worked in Syntax Labs, and Rog worked for HP, then from there we moved all over the US, we have lived in every state in the US, and have done a lot of things, we moved to Az about 10yrs ago from GA and built a beautiful home 5100sq ft Santa Fe our dream home. In 2005 we founded a PT Cruiser Club, and we have owned over 6 PT we have 2 of them now being showing all over the US from West Coast to East Coast and it has been written up in a Magazine called Cruiser Quarterly and I also did write ups for the Magazine, and we still run the club if you are interested you can go up on our website azcactuscruiser.com and on the home page is a picture of our club members and our home. We put on one of the biggest PT Cruisers car shows in Laughlin, NV on in Mar. Next one will be Mar 17-20 2011.

Then we have one we put on call PT Roundup in the Desert in Scottsdale, AZ in Feb 4,5 2011. This will be our 7th yr. So this is just some of the things that Rog and I do, Roger is retired and does lots of work on our PT’s. His garage is 1800 sq ft, and has a hoist in it so that he can work on the cars. And I still manage 47 homes in our area of Queen Creek, AZ.

So if any of you come our way give us a call and come out we would love to see you. Our home is always open. As I do a lot of Spiritual work and I’m a healer. I have people from all over the world that come to see me. —Love and Light —Sugee/Roger Gammon–  If you are down our way give us a call.

JOYCE LEE (QUICK) STEVENS

I have lived in Enid since graduation in 1960; having moved to Enid in junior high, from my ancestral roots in the St. Louis, Missouri area.   I now have new roots planted here, seasoned with time; family and memories.

I married Leon Stevens on October 22, 1961. He has been in the carpet contracting business for 49 years now. (Stevens Floor Covering) He graduated from Carrier High School in 1961.
We have three children, eleven grandchildren, one great grandchild and one grandchild deceased.
all three of my children graduated from Enid High School as did one of my grandchildren in 2010.
At this time I have 2 other grandchildren at Enid High School.

Our children are Tami Stevens Henry (Steve); Tommy Stevens (Elaine); and Timi Stevens Wood Tim).
Other grandchildren are: Hunter, Storm, Tommy II, Starri, Tiffany, Nash, Keeley, Branson, Brady, Blake, Briley Hope, Great Grandchild Kentley, and deceased grandchild Journey Brooke.
We have been blessed, as each one is a special gift from the Lord.
I have been staying active in the community by being involved in church, volunteer work in different places, nursing homes, hospitals, Enid Cemetery, etc.

I am now on the board of Enid Cemetery, having served in two capacities as treasurer and President.
I also have my own personal care and needs business. “Cottage Charm Care” –A Handle with Care –A Handle with Prayer Service.
This is such a great joy and a wonderful opportunity for me, as my heart is to always help others.
It is a very fulfilling life.  I also carry a minister’s license which helps me to more involved with their care, if need be.
My goals are to always put the Lord first, then family, and then helping others and the Community.
I desire to continue to learn and grow as I walk day by day on my life’s journey.