I have changed this Message Forum to Member Chatter so we do not have two different Message Forum web pages.  Member Chatter is an ongoing dialogue between classmates. There are no topics, subtopics, etc. like there is in the Message Forum web page.

Member Chatter works when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Response" button to add your entry.

Glenn Gonzalez

Tricia and Van, thanks so much for your kind comments.  As expected, we had a great time, and this was our best reunion ever.  I suppose the 50th is always the best.  We missed you.  We thank all those who came and those who worked hard to put on the reunion.  Van, not to worry about my name having two "n's."  It's still pronounced the same way.  Yes, we had great times and memories at Irvin.  Please call us when you come to Hill Country.  Have a blessed Sunday.

Janett Sarracino

Hi Van!  You were sorely missed last week but glad to know that you are happy, healthy and doing well...golf will certainly keep you sharp...and irritated from time to time!! Your memory is still pretty good too! I taught government and English at Austin High School in the 70's with your mom, the legendary and revered Ella Kay Hill! I had all of two years experience under my belt and she was a great help to me along with Bob Taylor who was the principal and Don Ponder who was teaching there at the time. I was so fortunate to be there in that place and time in my career. Both of your parents were wonderful role models...you hit the jackpot for sure!! Take care and best wishes to you and your family! Janett       

Van Hill

Janett,  

Thanks so much and Austin was such an impressive high school at the time.  Sorry to bother but I was looking forward to asking you a couple of questions. 

I remember your Le Mans parked over by the cafeteria which was probably a graduation present.  If I'm correct it was aqua green with a black top.  I may be way off.  Do you still have it?  I still have my 67 GTO that I acquired a few years later.  Fun cars to drive. 

I was also going to ask you how you like Santa Fe. We are there often.  My business partner has a home off Gonzalez Road in Las Barancas.  Also, I had so much respect for Mr. Ponder (Dr. if he had a PhD).  The English teachers were something.  It is very impressive that you were one of that elete group.   I was so bad in English and not interested at the time--my loss. Both Mr. Cohen and  Don Ponder would faint if they found out I was not living in a van down by the river. My book report for Mr. Cohen and term paper for Mr. Ponder may have been the low point of their academic experience.  I can still see my Mom just shaking her head.  I like learning now but it took a while..    Take care, Van

Mary Stewart (Stewart)

Dear Van,  You were so right about Irvin English teachers.  I had Billie Etheridge and Dan Ponder and their teachinng carried me through college.  I spent 14 years as an English teacher and then became a counselor--worked a few years at Irvin with Bob Onick. Good times were had by all.  Mary Stewart (my little brother played tennis for your dad)

Van Hill

Guy McCool ('65)

Hi Van and Mary:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about our English teachers and tennis.

I had Mr. Cohen, Mr. Ponder, Mrs Yates (McGarr) & Mrs. Etheridge.  Not only were they gr8 teachers but also outstanding human beings and I considered them all "role models".  I have been planning on writing "tributes" to all of them and putting those on the '65 and '66 websites.  I will probably wait until Thanksgiving when I have some more free time.  I hope other alums like you post their own tributes/memories as well.  Our English teachers all deserve it.  I feel very "blessed" to have had them as my Engish teachers!

Harriet Hayth (Garcia)

I also had Mrs. Etheridge and I still talk about her to this day. She was an inspiration to me and gave me the enthusiasm to write. On my first paper in college Freshman English the professor wrote, "This makes more sense than some published articles."  All the credit goes to Mrs. Etheridge. What a blessing to have been in her class. One of our daughters is a middle school English teacher and another daughter is an Asst Professor of Rhetoric & Writing at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. This all started with a wonderful English teacher all those years ago at Irvin. I've always told our girls what an impact she made on me. 

Van Hill

Guy and Harriet

Enjoyed your responses.  I think I had Mrs Yates(Mc) my junior year.  Was she kinda young and sat on her desk instead of her chair a lot.  Dark rimmed glasses.  Man I must have been in la la land because I sat on front row in front of her desk.   I remember one day she explained she was an atheist or agnostic and this was all there was.  Slight bummer to the class period I recall.   V

Mary Yates (McGarr)

Van,

I think you are talking about Judy Malone Mohrhauser, not me--I sat on a stool. In spite of her political beliefs, which I never knew her to express at school, Judy was a very good teacher.  I'm surprised that you do not remember her.  If you have any English skills, she probably taught them to you. Some of your teachers were extremely intelligent. She was one of them. 

Teachers in those days usually did not express political beliefs, and I certainly made a point of NOT expressing my personal beliefs while I was a teacher. When we got married, Gary thought I was a Democrat.

I'm a Christian, right wing Conservative Republican!  Working at the polls tomorrow.

Go Trump!

Mary McGarr

PS Judy Mohrhauser fell about fifteen years ago and hit the back of her neck, shortly after she retired after 30 some years of teaching.  She was paralyzed from the neck down. After the accident, they flew her to TRIMS in Houston, and I met her the day she came and stayed with her every day for a month until her family could send someone.  She died in El Paso two years ago. She was always a good friend.

Van Hill

Mary

Thanks for bringing me into the light.  I could not remember Miss Mohrhuser's name and thought the same name odd reading a previous chat.  The confusion has diminished. 

I'm in your camp politically and more than likely theologically.  It's great that you are part of the process.

I'm sorry about your friend. Its very hard to understand suffering.  It must have been something to know our teachers after high school. Judy was blessed to have you take care of her. Van

John Schmidt Jr.

I have posted the Class Picture that the photographer took at the 50^th reunion in the Photo Gallery webpage.  Glenn has completed addressing all of the envelopes for all of our classmates who ordered the class picture.  Glenn will send you the picture a long with a copy of the Video DVD for our 50^th reunion.  I have almost completed making the video DVD, just waiting on a few more pictures to add to the DVD.  We hope to get all of the pictures and DVDs in the mail within the next two weeks.  All classmates who paid to attend the 50^th reunion will receive a Video DVD of our 50^th reunion.

Toni Ricciardelli (Sim)

Happy Veterans Day to all of our Irvin classmates that proudly served our country and all veterans everywhere. While I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone at our reunion and have treasured memories, my most heartwarming moment was when we honored our classmate veterans at the dinner Saturday evening. I salute you all on this special day...God bless you...thank you for your service!

Toni Ricciardelli

Glenn Gonzalez

Toni, thanks to you and our classmates for honoring veterans everywhere - and especially for recognizing and honoring them at our class reunion.  It was a special moment for all veterans.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  Frankly, it was an honor to serve, and we would gladly do it again.  Love and blessings to our classmates.

John Schmidt Jr.

Thanks to the generosity of the class of 1966, we were able to collect $750.00 from our website donation page for the Tarpley Scholarship fund.  We recently sent the principle of Irvin High School a check for $750.00.  Below is a letter that I received thanking our class for the donation:

Mr. Schmidt,

Thank you so much for the very generous donation from the Class of 1966.  The $750.00 check has been added to the scholarship fund and will help bridge the gap for a young Rocket to attend college.

Irvin values the alumni and we as the current administration want to strengthen the bond between the school, the teachers, and all those who graduated from here.  Your Class demonstrates the qualities that we seek to instill in current and future Classes at Irvin High School.

Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future for with any requests, ideas or comments. Once again, thank you for loyalty, your generosity, and your appreciation of the school.

Once a Rocket, Always a Rocket!

MaryAnna Harmon-Giba

Principal

Irvin High School

Glenn Gonzalez

Class Picture and DVD ready to mail.  Classmates and Friends, I am ready to mail the class pictures and reunion DVDs (made by Chairman John Schmidt).  Those who ordered the class picture will receive the picture and DVD in the same envelope.  Those who did not order a class picture will receive only the DVD.  John intends for everyone who attended the reunion to receive the DVD at no cost. I have reviewed the DVD.  John did a fantastic job creating this unique record of our reunion.  I should have all packages mailed in the next day or two.  Thanks again to all who attended and those who helped make this reunion our best ever.  Hope to see you all again soon.  We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Armando Maldonado

Hi Glenn.  I hadn't taken the opportunity to extend my thanks and kudos to the committtee for the amazing job all of you did in bringining together this most memorable of class reunions.  I really enjoyed visiting with my classmates and the events were top notch. 

I wanted to know if its not too late for the class picture I would like to order one, just let me know how much and to whom I would send the money. 

Again, all of you did a great job!  I extend to you, Marge and all a very Blessed Christmas. 

Armando

Glenn Gonzalez

Hi Armando, thank you very much for your kind words.  I agree that this was a great reunion - actually the very best one for our class.  With John Schmidt's leadership and creativity, the committee did a fantastic job.  I just returned from the post office and already mailed your DVD.  However, I have an extra class picture.  I will send that to you in the next day or two.  Merry Christmas.  Thanks again for being a great friend for many years.

Armando Maldonado

Glenn, I don't want to take the picture if you have need for it, but I appreciate it.  I also wanted to let you know that our dear classmate, Luis Carrillo, has been back in the hospital since the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  The prognosis doesn't look good so I will keep you and classmates apprised of his condition.  He is in ICU at Del Sol Medical Center and is on a respirator. 

Armando

Armando Maldonado

I also thank you for being such a great friend.  Hard to believe we've know each other for 58 years.  I would still like to visit you some time soon.  It would be great to visit for a few days and have more time to reminice.

Armando
 

Glenn Gonzalez

Hi Armando, thank you for the update on Louie Carrillo.  Looks like all we can do now is pray.  Louie will appreciate that, as he specifically asked me to pray for him at the reunion.  I will surely do that.

As for the class picture, I just mailed yours this morning.  Don't be concerned.  It was an extra I ordered. .

Yes, please visit us in Hill Country.  We can extend our 58 years of friendship here.  Hill Country really is a fun and interesting place.  Come any time.  There are several Irvin grads in the area.

Have a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year.

Elenor Vea (Diesto)

Glenn - Received the reunion group picture today.  For those of us who were unable to attend, it is a wonderful memento.  Thank you for all that you do to keep so many of your classmates connected.  Please let me know what I owe you for this treasured keepsake.  Thank you again for your tireless efforts.

Elenor

Fred Moon

I’ve often thought about posting my thoughts on the site but just didn’t seem to get with it…but I’ve recalled the Reunion many times the past month or so and just watched and listened to John’s marvelous DVD. So pop another top and here goes. High school has always been such a good memory in my life – great classmates, good times, no worries. Then I went off to UT Austin and the Marine Corps and got distant from El Paso, and was still so after we moved back to Texas…until I got word about our class 45^th Reunion…and a business trip in Europe kept me from being there. So I was really excited to be able to plan to make the 50^th…and catch up on so many classmates the first time I visited John’s website…and was saddened to learn of the passing of many classmates. Then the Reunion came…it was so terrific! It was so wonderful to see so many classmates again and rekindle friendships and get to know some even more and meet other’s loved ones. Thanks so much to all of the members of the Reunion Committee and chair John Schmidt and “social lead” Glenn Gonzalez! You created a wonderful memory. Thanks, John, for your “labor of love” – the time you put into making the DVD is quite evident and very much appreciated. It was interesting to see that there are pockets of Alums in parts of Texas and northern New Mexico in addition to the El Paso/Las Cruces area. Hopefully some mini-reunions will result before the 55^th!  

Glenn Gonzalez

HI Elenor and Fred, thanks for acknowledging receipt of your packages.  The reunion was a fabulous event, and the committee (under John Schmidt's leadership) was motivated and honored to get our classmates together.  Like you, I felt this was more than just another reunion.  Many of us have known each other since grade school, and the 50th reunion is the most special and sentimental of all reunions.  I am glad you were able to reconnect with classmates after UT and your Marine career.  I cannot say what will happen at our 55th reunion.  However, I am confident there will more many "mini-reunions" before then.  There are several Irvin grads in my Hill Country neighborhood.  Hope to see you then.  Merry Christmas..

Steve Clemens

Armando, Tell Louie that Jen and I are praying for him.

John Schmidt Jr.

Thanks Fred for your kind words about the reunion committee and I am glad you enjoyed the DVD.  It was a lot of work for us all, but it sure was worth the effort.  I too enjoyed the reunion, a chance to visit old friends, meet new friends, and catch up on all we have done over the years.  I think you would have to agree, we have a unique and fantastic group of classmates.  Glenn and I were talking last night and I am sure we will have some mini reunions in the future.  By the way Fred, we are looking for a chairperson for the 55^th reunion.  lol