METRO OWLS UPDATE~ Received from Linda Short Burnett: Hi. It is time again for our monthly get-together. We had a small turn out last first Sat. and are anxious to see everyone in the area. Please make an effort to join us this Sat., Nov. 2nd. Please encourage those you know are in the area to meet with us. Things will probably start getting hectic for many the first of Dec. so this may be the best chance for visiting for several months.
Those who have visited so far are Jackye Havenhill, Pam Havenhill Massey, Wilbur Lancaster, Ray and Kay Fell, Teed Boyd, Marlin and Judy Morris and Marlin's mother. David and Anne McFadden and Amy McFadden, Shirley Harris Halydier, Barbara Stiles Hancock, Jim Whitehead, Rata Jo Teele Stephens, George and Millie Dixon, Eva Hicks Lee, Finn Watkins, James Munn, Tom King and Linda Short Burnett.
Mark your calendar and join us at Lubys in Grapevine at 12:30 on Nov. 2nd. (Ed Note: We all owe Linda a big Thank You for organizing these get togethers. Thanks, for sharing with the OwlSpirit)

NIFTY FIFTIES UPDATE~ Received from Margaret Nossent Nixon:The Nifty 50's met today at Zentner's Steak House in San Angelo. It was decided that the luncheons would not be held in November, nor December. They will resume January 25, 2003. Those in attendance were:
BIG LAKE: Donald & Mary Ann Barbee Meroney
ATWATER, CA.: Bob Meroney
EASTLAND, TX: Charles & Carol Chamberlain
BUCHANAN DAM, TX: George & Diana Lea Salyer Dykes
SAN ANGELO: Kay Weatherby Ellis, Grace Owens Buckbee, Gerald Owen, Max & Margaret Nossent Nixon. (Ed Note: Thanks, Margaret, for your update)

The following entries were posted to the Guestbook. Don't the comments reinforce what we all know about Big Lake?
Friday 07/19/2002 11:56:24pm
Name: Judy Bishop
Maiden Name: Bryan
E-Mail Address: amosb@ipa.net
City/Country: Searcy, Arkansas
RCHS Alumni?: no
Year Graduated?: a long time ago
Comments: I just saw "The Rookie" and was trying to see if there really was a Big Lake, Texas. This is a WONDERFUL website somebody has put together. What a nice bunch of people you must be! What is that song playing on the page with the recipes? And the photograph of the sunset is gorgeous. Judy

Sunday 09/08/2002 1:14:37am
Name: Peggy Fisher
Mailing Address: PO Box 1406
City/Country: Cypress TX 77410
RCHS Alumni?: No
Year Graduated?: 1965 Reagan High School in Houston
Comments: I recently viewed THE ROOKIE about Jim Morris and his dream of pitching baseball in the major leagues. How refreshing it was to find a community of loving people and true friends that supported and showed their pride in their town hero. I also teach school and I appreciated the true teacher's spirit shown by Jim Morris in THE ROOKIE. You have a super community !

From Diane Massey Secord, ' 64: I just returned from a training class in Jacksonville FL and had a chance to visit with John Cox (Ratliff), ' 63, . We laughed and reminisced about RCHS over some good ol Mexican food (and Dos Equis, of course). John retired several years ago and has taken up a second career. He is working with children in a neighborhood child center. He shared the story that he did with his children what Mrs Esther Wilson did with all of her classes: set the table with fine china and sterling and teach which fork to use when. He said that he had had several children come up to him and thank him for teaching them. And if Mrs Wilson were here, we would be thanking her too. He is also teaching golf. Coach Bird would be proud. Charles and I plan to return to Jacksonville and take a few lessons from him.

From Ben Vandergriff, ' 54, in reply to an e request for any news or memory: "Don't Get Me Started!!" The first memory I had when I read your note was that on the nite of our graduation ceremony, as we left the assembly hall and poured out of the school building entrance, Charles Martin, Jackie Holmes, Ralph Way, Terry Farley, Robert Sewell, Danny Nnewbrough, Kenneth Keener, Donald Meroney and I all had tears in our eyes for the page we all sensed we had turned in our lives.... BUT THE GIRLS! Sondra Thompson, Mary Ann Barbee, Sandra McIntyre, Sandra Cope and other wonderful girls I can no longer remember, were laughing and shouting and pumping their fists in the air in excited anticipation of what the future held..... Well, Here we are, after a lifetime of glorious memories that seemed to only take a second.... and as the girls look back at what RCHS and Big Lake gave to each of us, I suspect there might be a few tears for that carefree time in our lives. I loved it....and when I call up your fantastic website with the picture and music, all of the symptoms of old age (well...not all. I have to keep my specs on) melt away... and I'm back there again.

Maurine Werst died Saturday, August 31, 2002. Surviving her are sons, John Werst, ' 63, and David Werst, ' 66. She is also survived by her husband, Mike Werst. Burial services were 2 PM, September 3, 2002. Mr Werst was the publisher and editor of the Big Lake Wildcat. Upon his retirment, David Werst assumed the editing and publishing duties. This editor's memory of Maurine Werst was her encouragement of the Owl's Hoot staff to try their hand at other avenues of reporting. She is one whose encouragement was remembered when this web site was just a quiet "I think I can, I think I can".

Received from Bobbie Boyd Smalley, ' 64: Louis Lee Farr died last Sunday (Aug. 18) in Austin. He was buried in Pflugerville. Grandsons were pallbearers: Ross Taylor (Herbie and Penny's, ' 60, son), Louis Lee Farr V (Bud and Annis's, ' 62, son) , Jeff Farr (Phil & Billie's, ' 66, son), Zac Farr (Phil & Billie's), Laura's husband, Dr. Kurt Knauth (Bud and Annis's daughter). A third son, William Baucus Farr, graduated from RCHS in 1964.

Another awesome picture from Sam Douglas, ' 70. And, visual proof that West Texas has a certain beauty found no where else.