Living & Learning Communities as Part of the Residential Student Experience

1961Pond... Larry bought a brick with his name on it... he can't wait to see his brick. I laughed and told him he might be all night locating his brick.” Betty Wise Jackson lives in Trenton, South Carolina and is very active in the State Garden Club of South Carolina. She is the Historian for this group. Julie Poole Brice, Easley, S.C., Pat Cullum Yarbrough, Summerduck, Va., Linda Abbot Johnson, Greenwood, S.C. Class of 1962, and Edna Durant Ellis, Summerton, S.C. had a “mini reunion” in Greenwood, South Carolina in June, 2019. That day together was a “life’s extra” for all of us! “Remembering” and Laughter made the day very special! The city of Greenwood, with many volunteers, celebrates “The Festival of Flowers” the month of June each year. This was the 52nd year with 30 Life Sized Topiaries around the downtown square. Linda, who is very active in a Garden Club in Greenwood, was our driver and Tour Guide through this Magical Tour! Topiaries of Mama and Baby Giraffes, a Frog, 2 Lions, Citadel Bulldog, Lander Bearcat, Carolina 27 | COKER.EDU WINTER 2019 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF COKER UNIVERSITY 28

Gamecock, Clemson Tiger, Family of 5 Pandas, Jeep Wrangler, Elephant Mama and Baby, Mermaid, and many more were located around the square. The creators used lots of Creeping Fig and Succulents. They used tubing for water to run through each Topiary and this keeps them fresh looking and alive the month of June! It was AMAZING! If anyone is near Greenwood the month of June, it is well worth seeing! You won’t believe what the talented “flower topiary” artists make with live plants! Sylvia Eckard Settlemyre, Hickory, N.C. lost her husband December, 31, 2018. She and Terry were married 52 years. Terry and their daughter, Julie, came to our 55th Class Reunion at Coker. Sylvia’s classmates of 1961 send their sincere sympathy to her and Julie and will keep them both in our prayers. Susan Martin Bryan, Lubbock, Texas, was given a surprise 80th Birthday weekend celebration by her four children. Family from California whom she had not seen in years came. It was a wonderful reunion of family and friends. It was a special

Birthday gift given by her two sons in Lubbock, Texas, one son In Frisco,

Texas, and her daughter in Nashville,

Tennessee. Susan continues painting beautiful note cards with watercolors.

Liz Kendall Ramsey, Mesa, Arizona is a watercolor artist. Her paintings are beautiful. She paints with a group and they have their work in exhibits. She also is an instructor. She continues with her exercise routine “to keep my body moving!”

Lou Stuckey Gardner, Hartsville, S.C.

Our prayers and love go out to Lou. Her son died suddenly Saturday, October 26, 2019 of a heart attack. He was 55 years old. He has a wife and two daughters. They live in Hartsville, S.C.

Edna Durant Ellis and Larry continue to enjoy trips to Jonesboro, Arkansas to visit their son and family. It is always a fun and busy time being with our three grandchildren, ages 15, 13, and 10.

Larry and Edna volunteer at United

Ministries in Manning, South Carolina once a month. This organization gives food, medicine and clothing vouchers to the clients. In August, 2019, a young lady from Manning was there helping for a community service project for Coker University. She is a 2019-2020 Sophomore in the Stem

Program which began in 2017-2018.

She is one of 18 students in this second Stem Class. She will live with her

other Stem classmates in Belk Dormitory which has been renovated, and we knew as Central Dormitory. Last year she was on the Crew Team and the Freshmen-Juniors won the Crew Race! She said that was one of the highlights of her freshman year. She was a good high school Volleyball player and hopes to play Volleyball this year as a sophomore at Coker. Her freshman year she lived in Memorial which housed the male students on the 3rd floor and the female students on 1st and 2nd. She did not like the community baths! She said with Grants, Work Scholarship, and Education Lottery Scholarship, the tuition was “doable” and she won’t have much student loan debt when she graduates. She loved hearing what “Coker College” was like 66 years ago. We signed in and out with Dean Mills when we went home or had dates. We turned in our car keys to Dean Mills when we returned to campus after a weekend. Only seniors could keep their car keys and drive without permission. We had to yell “MAN ON THE HALL” when a male would come on our hall. She said the dorms were locked and entry was through a key pad. She said that wasn’t real secure so students locked their rooms. Nancy Wilson ‘73, Visiting with her and thinking of our years inducted in the South at Coker so many years ago made me realize how important a monetary gift each Carolina Athletic Hall year no matter how small, gives students like this young lady a chance to receive of Fame’s 2019 Class the best education at the best college in S.C. Her love and enthusiasm for Coker was exciting and contagious! Thank you Coker alumna and Lake City native Nancy Wilson ‘73, to all of the Class of 1961 who have been was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of loyal “givers” to the Loyalty Fund all these Fame’s 2019 class thanks to a successful 30-year career years. If you have not made a monetary coaching women’s basketball at the University of South gift lately, please consider making a gift Carolina (1985-97) and the College of Charleston (1976- to the Loyalty Fund. This young lady who 84, 2003-12). is a sophomore at Coker University puts “A FACE” on the monetary gifts we give to Wilson was the second women’s basketball coach in Coker. Visiting with her made me proud CofC history and posted at least 19 wins in all of her of Coker and reaffirmed to me that I sure eight seasons, which included a pair of 30-plus wins. made the right choice in my decision to Her 1980, ’81 and ’82 teams each finished second in the get my college education at Coker! There nation in AIAW Division II. were many good memories and fun times along with an education which prepared At USC, Wilson was the Metro Conference Coach of the me for my adult life. Year (1985 & 1991), her teams were the Metro Conference Regular-Season Champions (1986, 1988, 1989, Edna DuRant Ellis, Class of 1961 1990, 1991) and Conference Tournament Champions Representative (1986, 1988, 1989), and advanced to five NCAA tournaments. She coached at South Carolina longer than any other women’s basketball head coach (13 seasons), 1962 Thanks to all who send news to keep everyone posted four 20-win seasons, and finished the season posted and for our newsletters. Below ranked in the final AP Poll twice (17th in 1989-90, 19th in you will find the names of our classmates 1990-91). in order of the last names we had while attending Coker. I am so sorry to be late On the international level, Wilson was head coach for organizing and sharing our news. I have the 1985 National Sports Festival Games and head had a difficult and tricky year with my coach of the 1992 USA World Junior Olympic Team. She health and my old brain reacted badly to returned to coach the CofC Cougars from 2003-12, and the strong anesthesia used for the first in 2012, the Cougars reached the third round of the WBI. of two surgeries. I am hoping to be better organized for the next time. Please remember to keep in touch by sharing your news and that of other classmates with whom you are in touch. Do you realize that our school has changed its name from Coker College to Coker University? Coker now is offering Graduate degrees. And have you heard that Dr. Wyatt is no longer President of Coker. The last I heard the Board of Trustees has been searching for a new President for Coker. Oh my! So many changes are hard to fathom. In the meantime, you are wished good health, wonderful holidays and very best wishes for the New Year. Affectionately, Gaby Morandiere, 300 East 54th Street, NY, NY 10022, 212.832.7462 Mary BeIl Kittle and Joe have sold their house in San Antonio and have officially bought and began to move into an Adult/ lndependent Living Community apartment just a few miles from their house. Soon after they "moved" in May, they left for the summer in their Orkney Springs, West Virginia house. They drove back to San Antonio for a short while in mid-summer and were able to begin to unpack and then returned to WV to stay until it was time to head for TX again for the winter and to finish their move. Sherrie Berry Wolski is always busy and continues to do amazing things. Their daughter gave Sherrie and Patrick subscriptions to Ancestry.com last Christmas. They have been very busy discovering a lot of interesting information about their earlier family members. Gayle Brandt Faust still plays in two bridge clubs. Her church closed, unfortunately, but she is enjoying joining one of her sons who attends the church where he was confirmed. She is looking forward to the cooler weather fall brings and wishes us all nice holidays. Peggy Brown Buchanan and John are so happy to be living in the wonderful retirement community at Bishop Gadsden, just across the Ashley River from downtown Charleston. Both daughters and grandtwins are happy and well. The twins attend a wonderful Charter School. Unfortunately Peggy's darling sister, Carla, died of cancer in August. Carole Causey Boyles spent a few twoweek visits to the house in Bluffton.. Her granddaughter who lives in London is getting married in London on Nov 23 and Carole is planning to go. She has done very little traveling out of the country so it is a major undertaking to get prepared. This will be a civil ceremony. In May there will be a religious service, in the Atlanta area. Carole wishes everyone a special holiday season and good health.. Brenda Cromer Miller: In July I had a wonderful birthday trip to Biltmore Forest in North Carolina with my two daughters. It was much cooler in the mountains and we enjoyed shopping in Asheville and discovered several new restaurants. Dorian was swiftly approaching the coast this past September and I evacuated to Columbia as is my usual practice and caught up with several friends. We had a lovely time occasionally tuning into The Weather Channel to track the storm. I returned to find little damage in my neighborhood. I am enjoying many cultural and literary opportunities in the area. In 2011, after many years of neglect, the beautiful historic Winyah High School Auditorium opened its doors and now serves as a cultural and civic center in Georgetown. As always, if you are near the beach, please give me a call. Charlotte Daggett Bauguss writes that she has been traveling this month to the beach and mountains. According to Carol Elting Richardson. Charlotte was to have taken a trip to Paris with her sister, Diane and a friend about the same time that Carol went to Alaska with her daughter and son. Charlotte is now about to cruise to the Panama Canal. She and Richard continue to be in reasonably good health. She wishes everyone happy holidays.

Molly Ann Holbrook Thomas Birchler

has made plans to join a tour of Africa in November. She has been taking advantage of many opportunities to attend wonderful concerts and plays near Southern Pines. She enjoys reunions with former Albemarle friends at the beach, in Southern Pines and Albemarle. She even wrote a charming article about the special relationships of girlfriends through the years for the Albemarle newspaper.. Patricia Hunt Adams' husband, Bill, unfortunately died last December 13th. He was a brother of Gwen Thomason's husband, Herbert. Anita Jones Stanton has unfortunately had a long bout with a very bad case of shingles. Karen Mansfield has been recovering after a tricky year with her health, but is improving and is so grateful to her sister for being so supportive. Karen plans to go to Chili, Brazil and Argentina in February and is counting on being well enough to make this trip. She has a wonderful friend for many years who loves to travel too and they have taken some very interesting and educational trips in the past. Karen has been happy to live near her sister in Nebraska after retiring from her work in Chicago.

Peggy McCue Freymuth has been really enjoying communicating with friends through Facebook as she does not have a computer for emails. She has been really busy, often with help from her daughter, Anne and grandchildren, Harleigh and Tanner, when they are available. Frances Segars Kelley: Henry and I are both doing well but we have the normal aches for seniors. Our younger granddaughter is in her second year at Clemson while the older one is enjoying her work as an RN at the hospital here in Hartsville. Have not done any traveling this year but have gone to our lake house for a week. It was too hot to fish, so we read and relaxed. We plan to go to our house at Holden Beach this fall. Frances is staying busy with the DA, Garden Club, and quilting. Florence Staklinski Taylor: Bill and I enjoyed trips to Carolina Beach, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. I love the beach. We also enjoyed going to the Cincinnati Tennis Open with a group from our neighborhood and that was fun. Gwendolyn Thomason Adams: Herbert and I drove across country in June to visit his older brother in California and one of our grandsons in Denver. We made numerous stops along the way. We visited good friends in Fort Worth, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, California Beach, Hurst Castle, Reno, Salt Lake ( got to hear Morman Tabernacle Choir rehearse for 2 hours), Denver, Air Force Academy, President Eisenhower's museum and home, before arriving back in Lauren. We drove over 6000 miles and were gone for 15 days. We had great weather and a really safe drive. A wonderful experience! Nancy Thornhill Bolden sounds wonderful and met a very nice, interesting man through a dance club in Columbia several years ago. She enjoys joining him for dancing and traveling around parts of South Carolina she has not previously known much about. Recently she enjoyed a wonderful trip to Puerto Rico. Her daughter seems to be doing very well and grandson, Luke, 13, has made lots of friends. He enjoys fishing and recently caught a 34-pounder. He also loves playing golf. Joanne Tuten Bellamy has been working in her yard and gardens, often with help from her precious sheepdogs. Right now she has an abundance of oranges which she shares with friends. Weather has been swinging from warm to cold this fall on Pawley's Island (as well as New York City), but Joanne always has wonderful vegetables, fruits and trees that need attention. She mentioned that she enjoys watching Southern Charm episodes on Bravo TV. Last year Joanne sent me a wonderfully comfortable hand-knit pair of -1962