CHS Class of 1965 Article in Corsicana Daily Sun, written by Mary Deisher-Whistler   Members of the Corsicana High School Class of 1965 gathered in Austin Oct. 12-14 to acknowledge 42 years since graduation. The event was hosted by classmates and spouses who live in and near the Austin area: Ken and Gail Doran, John and Margaret Spikes Herman, Mike and Gayla McNeil, Phillip and Diane Mitchell, and Stephen and Sally Stewart Van Gee. Comfortable hotel accommodations were arranged at the LaQuinta Austin (Mopac Southwest). Upon arrival, each classmate received a goodie bag prepared by the host committee which was a welcoming surprise for the start of a truly wonderful and well planned Austin experience. Friday night found the group dining on sumptuous Tex-Mex fare in the hillside Starlight patio of the well-known Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis. Members of other classes who attended were Jim Hagle and Tommy Ragsdale (CHS Class of 1964) and Curtis Ivie and Billie Sloan Koch (CHS Class of 1966). The 1965 class was also honored by the attendance of former Bowie Elementary School principal Joe Parks and wife Betty. The group was entertained with many of their favorite songs performed by local artist Chris Martinez. They found the Oasis to be the perfect place to end a perfect day as they enjoyed a gorgeous view of a beautiful Hill Country sunset from across the lake. Touted in review by many as the most special part of the weekend, the classmates met for Saturday’s gathering in the beautiful, newly-renovated and uniquely-designed Hill Country ranch style home of Steve and Sally Stewart Van Gee. Nestled in seclusion at the bottom of a heavily-wooded hillside near a natural spring and brook that pools near the home, the spacious two-story dwelling is located on the road appropriately named “Sleepy Hollow.” Here the group enjoyed the early fall weather in view of the brook from the home’s large natural cedar deck and relaxed for an entire afternoon, indulging in a deli-style lunch buffet and sharing albums, photographs and stories of the distant past as well as recent events of each other’s lives. An evening meal of non-stop genuine Texas barbecue at the Lazy Fork Restaurant topped off the day, followed by a smaller gathering for card games and late night camaraderie back at the hotel. A jazz brunch under the oaks at the Nutty Brown Cafe was enjoyed on Sunday morning as they bid one another adieu until next year. The group plans to meet for their third annual reunion gathering in the Dallas area on the first weekend of October 2008. Classmates and spouses who attended some or all of this year’s events were: Albert and Hillis Bass; Lanny and Linda Robinson Derryberry; Ken and Gail Doran; Bob and Sandy Edgin; Jim and Sue Ballew Hagle; John and Margaret Spikes Herman; Curtis and Kay Rader Ivie; Richard and Pat Kelly; Rankin and Billie Koch; Jim and Nancy Harrison Lightfoot; Jessie and Pat Mesker; Mike and Gayla McNeil; Phillip and Diane Mitchell; Hank and Hilda Murphey; Rylie Nolan; Stan Rosen; Jerry Sheets; Cassie Kloecker Stein; Martha Long Tally; Stephen and Sally Stewart Van Gee; Linda Howell Wear; Jimmy and Mary Deisher Whistler; Tom Whitman; Bettye Williams; Jimmy and Barbara Young; and Sister Veronica Young (Annette Jackson).

In Attendance