’61 Class Holds Get-Together
The Class of 6W1 had a good turnout for their get-together in March, in-
cluding President Michael Rounds. The group met at Dave Miller’s home in
Thornton.
believe it is now April and time for another
article. I hope you are all well and have sur-
vived what has been a pretty mild winter, at
least in this area.
I had a phone call from Carol Kline,
Glenn’s wife, wondering when Alumni Day
is this year (June 3) and if the car show will
again be held. She has an ’82 Corvette that
she and Glenn owned and she wants to par-
ticipate again in the show. Always good to
hear from Carol, in fact it seems we almost
crossed paths when Karen and I were on the
West Coast last fall. So, how about the rest
of you hot rodders out there? Sure would be
great to see a contingent from 6W3 on the
front lawn. Remember when we were “not
allowed” to have a car, let alone drive on
campus! I think the faculty looked the other
way when we had a dance at the old gym,
realizing that some of us had a date for the
dance.
As I’ve mentioned before, Service Week
will be from May 15-19. A wonderful expe-
rience working with WTS students and con-
tributing to the community. I’m sure some
of you would enjoy the experience and profit
by working with students on a project. In a
previous article I used the term “cross pol-
linating.” This is exactly what you do, give
of your experience and receive from others.
Very rewarding.
Great to see that Williamson’s horticulture
students again represented the school very
well at the Philadelphia Flower Show this
year. They always do a fine job and certainly
have the campus looking first class all year.
For those of you who live in the area, on
May 5 at 6:30 there is a barbecue outing for
alumni and students at the gazebo on cam-
pus. Good food and a good time to recon-
nect.
In April, Karen and I will be joining our
high school alumni on a trip to New York
City for two days. Maybe I’ll see Mike Cer-
zullo on this trip. Mike and I were high
school classmates, but didn’t actually meet
each other until we came to Williamson. We
did have a very large high school class but
imagine our surprise when we realized we
were in the same graduating class. Hope to
see you, Mike.
Not much else to say other than don’t be
surprised if you get a call from me some day
just to say a hello and catch up. And as al-
ways, you can always call or email me. Re-
member…Alumni Day, June 3! So long until
next time.
Bob
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Norman Lepping
1741 Old Forty Foot Rd.
Harleysville, PA 19438
215-362-8255
[email protected]
Hi:
This is the first Sunday in April and the
grass is starting to turn a little greener, but
the daffodils, and day lilies really took a hit
with the recent snow we had. Critters have
chewed into underground wiring for my
outside garden lights and I’m in the pro-
cess of rewiring in conduit, hoping to finish
before I disturb the coming spring flowers.
Maybe the Litzkes had the right idea moving
to a 55 and older community.
There wasn’t much chatter from the class
this spring:
2-3-17 Cooper Yearicks: Norm, Sorry I
didn’t get back to you. I will try to get you
a writeup for the next time. That blue dish
does belong to Lois. We were wondering
what happened to it. We’ll pick it up on
the next picnic. Lois is going in March 12
to have her other hip replaced. Your OLD
buddy, Coop.
2-5-17 Loren Smith: I work part-time at
a retirement community as a driver. This
week I was taking a woman to a doctor’s ap-
pointment. Her name is Ellen Smiley, her
husband graduated in 3W3. Her nephew
Joel Smiley was 6W5. She also informed me
that you are married to her brother-in-law’s
daughter. (Carol’s dad, Bob Ziegler was class
rep for the 3W3 class, but not a relative). It’s
a small world. I have a new email address:
[email protected]. Needed to separate it
from Harriet’s. I was deleting her contacts
too many times. Smitty.
3-19-17 Darrell Sill: Yo, Norm, Well,
spring is upon us, but after a fairly mild win-
ter, things look OK in the future. I see where
you and Shoaf went to Shady Maple to rep-
resent 6W4. What a pair…you guys weren’t
mistaken for Faust and Nuskey were you?
Hey, just asking…but, on a serious side, how
is Carol doing these days? Is her recovery
complete now? Hope all is well. I guess all of
the boys are OK since I haven’t heard of any
bad news from you or any others, so let’s all
keep up the good fight, and drink more beer
(water makes you rust!). See you on Alumni
Day. B-42
3-20-17 Vince Barth: Hi, Norm, Hope all
is well with my Williamson family. Betty
and I just returned from our month-long
stay in Bonita Beach, Fla. This was the best
Florida vacation so far. Weather was perfect.
Already looking forward to next year. No
other travel plans for this year. No reason to
travel away from Sea Isle during the spring
and summer. Hoping for better fishing this
year. Vince and Betty.
3-20-17 George Pitonyak: Hello, Norm,
Work continues on the Great Wall of Kitty
Hawk and Lord willing may finish this year.
After reading the last issue of the William-
soniam, I went on the school website and
ordered the History of Williamson by An-
drew Miller which was mentioned in the is-
sue and had a picture of the author. There
were other items for sale and I spotted a belt
buckle. The buckle has the WTS insignia in
the center of an oval design and the filler
around the insignia is a deep blue ceramic.
A banner at the top of the buckle reads “The
Williamson Free School” and on the bottom
reads “Of Mechanical Trades.” Received the
book and buckle today (3-20-17) and was
not disappointed! On the back of the buckle
it reads 157 of 250, Limited Edition. It is
a nice piece of memorabilia for all of you
Geezers who did, or did not, agree with the
WTS name change. The history book is 127
pages long and has plenty of pictures from
day one to present. Recognized pictures
of Harry Park and Ted Dickson, my senior,
Carl Kifer and Ed Stombaugh from Por-
tage, Vince Barth and Mark Yarnall work-
ing a brick project, and everybody’s friend,
Sammy, from the kitchen staff. Kitty Peck,
who found everybody a job if they wanted
to work on the weekend, and Bo Weaver!
Soooo, all I can say is that the history book is
a treasure and the belt buckle can be placed
on your memory shelf, or worn with pride.
Both are “Must Have” items for a true Wil-
liamson Man, especially you “Free School”
boys. Thanks, Norm, for all that you do for
our class. G.P.
3-26-17 George Pitonyak: Yes, Norm, got
it all. Heads up!!!! We’re going to celebrate
our 50th wedding anniversary this Novem-
ber 18, 2017. Don’t know if you are a travel-
er, but if you can come down I will send you
an invitation (give you a chance to check
out the Great Wall also). We are looking for
about 75 and you would be the only person
from our class. Did you buy your history
book yet or belt buckle? G.P. (I have traveled
the same roads that many good and worthy
men hav e traveled before me.)
4-2-17 Bryan and RoseMarie Wert: Bryan
and RoseMarie decided they needed a break
from the seemingly never-ending restora-
tion of their house which was burned up
in November 2015. So they joined their
church-sponsored pilgrimage to the Holy
Land for ten days in January. Having been
there on two previous occasions, their par-
ish priest, Father Jeff, arranged this magnifi-
cent trip which included nearly everything
imaginable to follow in the footsteps of our
Lord. We experienced the sites of the birth
of John the Baptist, the Annunciation, the
Visitation, Jesus’ Birthplace in Bethlehem,
His Baptism in the River Jordan, the site of
the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, the
Mount of Beatitudes, the Garden of Agony,
the prison where He was held after being ar-
rested and the Upper Room. Especially mov-
ing was following the Stations of the Cross
beginning at 3:45 a.m. and culminating with
the location of the Crucifixion on the Cross,
the stone upon which they washed His body
and the tomb in which He was placed (the
last three were in the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre.) Although we attended mass
daily, the celebration next to His Crucifixion
site was most moving.
We sailed on the Sea of Galilee and walked
in the River Jordan. RoseMarie was moved
by the church which housed tiles of the
Lord’s Prayer in so many languages includ-
ing Nahuatl, the language spoken by the ear-
ly Aztecs. After seeing the Mount of Temp-
tations, RoseMarie rode a camel! We were
truly humbled and blessed to have been giv-
en this opportunity to become closer with
God. By the way, we renewed our wedding
vows in Cana. One of the readings today was
about Lazarus and the miracle performed
to restore him to life. We were in the cave
where he was buried in Bethany.
On the home front, we remain actively
involved in restoration, unpacking an evalu-
ation. We have also developed spinal prob-
lems and find ourselves in the hands of a
chiropractor. May God bless all during this
holy time of the year.
Norman and Carol Lepping: are glad to
see the weather starting to warm up. Carol
needs to get outside and walk to improve the
irritated nerve in her right hip. If you don’t
use it, you will lose it!! Walking has been
a problem for quite a while for her. Justin
and Courtney’s daughter Daytona is cutting
teeth and developing a neat personality. I’m
spending a lot of time at the North Penn “S”
Gaugers model railroad clubhouse working
on our new portable modular layout. We are
modeling the Pennsylvania area during the
1940s-1960s. Our largest configuration is
24 feet by 34 feet, with a working lift bridge.
Get out your old American Flyer trains and
come join us. We do shows at retirement
homes, church fairs, the Gilbertsville Fire
House Swap Show, even birthday parties. In
the last week of April this year, we will set up
at the Train Collectors Association Show at
York, Pa., the largest train show is the coun-
try, and in August at the “S” Gauge Conven-
tion at Baltimore.
Although not noted in the last William-
sonian, Alumni Day is on Saturday, June
3, 2017. Come out and see how beautiful
our campus is. Also, I would expect Wat-
son Dorm will be finished and ready to be
dedicated, the first new shack in 100 years.
If the administrative staff growth continues
at its present rate, we will need another main
building soon. You can count on seeing the
Sills, Eastmans, and Leppings so make the
effort yourself. Come for the breakfast, Yel-
low Death never tasted better than when
you are an alumnus. And don’t forget your
checkbook to support the education of the
present students. Think of something which
was not properly funded when we were
students and restrict your gift to that area.
If you are unable to drive because your li-
cense has been suspended, send that check
to the school. Keep Sunday, August 6, 2017
reserved for our 6W4 class picnic, we need
to help Vince and Betty celebrate their 50th.
Your Old Buddy, Norm B-21
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Richard Dunlap
103 Old Field Dr.
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
570-752-3228
215-872-1111 (cell)
[email protected]
Greeting Classmates-
Hope you are all well and made it through
the “Blizzard of 2017” safely, with no dam-
age to your homes. Snow amounts varied all
over the region. We got about 24 inches up
here in Bloomsburg. Earlier in the winter we
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