Category: Bio

Janet Jones-Wright

I thought if I dragged my feet long enough I could get away from doing a bio, but James Faulkner is persistent!!

I married in 1960 and graduated from the University of Colorado in 1961. I taught 5th grade for three years at McKinley in the same room and same school where I had attended 5th grade. I started my family – Kate, Matt, and Adam. Of course all are gone now.

I later divorced and went back to Phillips University and got my Master’s degree in Guidance/Counseling. For the next 12 years, I taught and was a counselor. I remarried and moved to Germany, then to Pennsylvania, and then to Wyoming. I returned to Enid 12 years ago and today am counseling at Taft Elementary school. I plan retirement in May, 2009.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone very soon. 🙂
Janet Jones-Wright.

Waunita Howell-Rodriquez…. Hello from Spokane, WA.

I did not actually graduate with all of you but I should have! I attended Harrison Grade School, Emerson Junior High and Enid High.

To begin my saga I married Ray Rodriguez July 28, 1956 and started my senior year but became pregnant within the first month of marriage. I naturally wanted to hang out with all those married folks and lost interest in school. In April, 1958, Ray got out of the Air Force and we moved to Isleton, CA where I resided the next 30 years. In September 1958, I returned to high school and graduated from Rio Vista High School in June, 1959. My first born, Marianne was now 2 years old.

I was hired by a local manufacturing company that developed the first tomato harvester. I worked there till I was due to have my 2nd daughter Diana July 1, 1961. I gave birth to a son Ray in October 1963 and was a happy stay-at-home Mom when a neighbor came knocking and wondered if I would like to drive a school bus. I had no idea how to drive a school bus but he assured me he could teach me and he did. That was back in the day when kids would mind what you said and we had a great time. It was actually easier than it appeared. The great part was 3 months off in the summer with pay.

In March 1967 I was hired by the Post Office to work Saturday relief and gradually my hours were increased. I was able to juggle both jobs for several years. In September 1973 I was appointed Postmaster of the Isleton Post Office. In 1978 after 23 years of marriage Ray and I divorced. In 1983 I took an assignment to the district office in Sacramento, bought a house and moved to Sacramento. I had a 32 year career with the Postal Service and loved every minute of it. I spent 19 years as a single gal and did a lot of traveling for the Post Office, doing country swing dancing and riding my bicycle.

In October 1995, I met my 2nd husband Robert Fischbach. We began talking bicycle riding on that initial meeting and we were privileged to take 4 bicycle trips around Europe the next 5 years. Never did I ever dream I would go overseas but what a wonderful adventure. We married on the American River bicycle trail in Sacramento July 25, 1998 and we celebrated our 9th anniversary last month. In April 1999, I retired from the Post Office and in March 2002 we moved to Spokane WA. This is Robert’s hometown and his 94 year old Mother is still very active and living in the house he was raised in. Robert is self-employed and sells erosion control products; he has developed products of his own as well as representing others.

We are both very active in our church and enjoy traveling to visit my 4 grandchildren who are in New Jersey and Rob’s 2 grandchildren presently in Ft. Campbell, KY with parents in the Army. When they were stationed in Germany we made several trips to visit them.

Since retirement, I’ve been learning to quilt. This past year I finished my first quilt and will be showing it in the local quilt show this October. Our 8 year old Shih Tzu named Boomer keeps me busy also with our daily walks. I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted with the few kids I hung out with as well as all those I didn’t have the privilege of knowing as a kid. See Ya soon!

Pat Howard-Preble

Many of us go back to McKinley Grade School, Emerson Jr. High and then Enid High. It can’t be 50 years – can it? After graduation I married, attended Phillips University, had a son and moved to Hawaii (before it was a state). I returned to Enid, divorced, attended Enid Business College, and worked for Champlin Oil Company for 5 years. Then I married Ken Preble, moved to Kansas City, and had another son. Later we moved to the St. Louis area and built a house in O’Fallon, Missouri.

When my youngest started kindergarten I returned to college, earned a BA and helped set up the elementary art curriculum for AAA rating in the local school district. After 5 years of teaching it was more fun to fly on trips with my husband, who was an airline captain. He also piloted the B-25 and B-29 for the Confederate Air Force.

Ken retired in 1994. After 30 years of miserably hot and miserably cold St. Louis weather, we built a retirement home in Asheville, N. Carolina with a view of the Smokies from our deck. Ken said he had seen enough real estate from 35,000 feet and wanted to travel at ground level. So we bought an RV and kept on the go. Enough to keep our boys wondering where we are.

In the past few years we have driven up to Prudoe Bay, Alaska and stuck our toe in the Arctic Ocean, toured the Maritimes and taken a ferry over to Labrador, plus many places in between. We usually head West for Christmas with our sons and have spent the winters in Arizona and the Rio Grand Valley. This past winter we ventured down into Mexico to the Copper Canyon. RV traveling is certainly more relaxing than trying to catch an airplane somewhere plus you have your “house” with you. (We have squeezed in some cruises and train trips also.) Retirement is busy. We formed the only East Coast Chapter of the Alpenlite Travel Club and served as wagon master and secretary/treasurer. Now I am advisor for the hosts to set up chapter rallies held on the East coast. Another adventure was a tandem sky-dive from 13,000 feet to celebrate going on medicare. What fun!

Our sons are in Abilene, Texas and Henderson, Nevada. No grand children but we do have grand-dogs. Miss Milam would probably put plenty of red check marks on this article! Kathyrn Bales is the teacher that I remember the most. You all in Enid are doing a superb job getting the gang of ’57 together. Thanks for all your work. I certainly appreciate it. Pat

Sue Holley-Hagopian

Looking back in time to 1957 (such a long time ago), I think about how easy life was then. Who to go to parties with, what new outfit my mom could sew for me, how much I had to study to get good grades, etc.

Now life has come full circle – we are retired and I don’t have many worries, but in between these years there was so much to do. After high school graduation, I went to spend the summer in Springfield, MA and work for my uncle. There I met a charming, handsome young man who lived across the street from my uncle. We dated that summer and the next, but basically we had a long distance relationship. Letters and phone calls for two years were just not enough, so June 26, 1959 we were married in Enid.

As newlyweds, we moved into a lovely apartment at the University of MA where Gary, my husband, was still attending college. I worked for the next year doing bookkeeping at the Town Offices in Amherst, MA until August 1960 when our first child was born. Now I was a stay-at-home mom with daughter, Margo. Gary graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree and I received a PHT from the Engineering department. If you don’t know what PHT means… Putting Hubbie Through… I deserved it too! I’d typed so many papers that I knew all the engineering terms. Not just Gary’s papers, I made money typing for other engineers as well.

Graduation came in June 1962 and so did our second child, son Gregory. We moved to Wilbraham, MA and Gary went to work in the family business. In 1966 our third child, son Douglas arrived. The house we’d built was then getting small for our growing family so in 1969 we built a larger one and in 1970 we added a fourth child, son Eric. Now we had a full house.

Time flies when running errands for four children, entertaining for a successful husband, working for your town political organization while finding time for fun activities. I wanted to go back to work after our daughter went away to college and felt that the boys were old enough to be self-sufficient. The family business was short office staff and Gary persuaded me to work there, which I did for the next 10 years.

Now the kids are grown, married with children of their own, and we are retired. We enjoy playing with our old Jaguars and traveling. Our five grand children are a joy and they love to come to “Gram and Gramp” camp in the summer at our home on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. Recently we purchased a home on the West coast of Florida where we spend the winters. When spring comes we travel back to New Hampshire for a lovely summer and fall, but the Florida warmth beckons when it starts to get cold again.
Ahhh… life is good!

Bob Hayes

It has been a busy 50 years, but here goes.

After graduation from EHS in ’57, I made an attempt to attend Phillips U. for a semester, but I discovered that I just wasn’t ready to get smart. So, I let Gene Bodes talk me into joining the USAF with him to see the world (that proves how smart I was).

I spent my first year in the AF going thru basic training and tech school for radar repair. My first and last assignment after tech school was all the way to Sherman, Tx. (280 miles from home). During those 3 years, I met and married a wonderful young lady. We had 2 sons by the time I was discharged from the AF in Feb. 1962.

We moved to Garland Tx. as I got a job with Texas Instruments. I was fortunate to transfer into the Integrated Circuit Engineering Dept about 2 years later. This dept. was managed by Jack Kilby who is known as the father of the integrated circuit and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. I worked with an engineer in developing the first integrated circuit linear amplifier. Boy, has electronics come a long way since then.

After I left T.I., I was working for a small equipment manufacturing company when I got interested in the stock market. I decided I wanted to be a stock broker, but Merrill Lynch told me they required a college degree or sales experience to become a broker. So, I found a job in electronic sales with a small manufacturing rep. company. About a year later I attended a seminar on investing in commodity futures. With dollar signs in my eyes, I opened an account with $1,000. I purchased a contract of (you guessed it) pork bellies. I sold 2 days later with a loss of $660. I put in more money and bought a contract of fresh eggs. I sold 5 days later with a loss of $500. WOW!! (I will let you guys read between the lines on my last comment.). Commodity futures looked more exciting to me than becoming a stockbroker, so I asked the office manager what it took to be a futures broker. He looked over towards the windows and said “I have an empty desk”. Two weeks later I was sitting at that desk wearing my new suit and looking out the 10th floor window of a Dallas skyscraper. I thought I had found my calling. I could write a book about that wild ride, but I will spare you the gory details and leave it at this — it was a very hectic and pressure packed 3-4 years in that business.

Since my discharge from the military, up to now, my wife and I have added 3 more children to our family.

Over the next couple of years, I tried several business ventures including janitorial service, equipment sales, smoke and fire restoration, and selling life insurance. None of these seem to fit, so when a friend offered me a job at a environmental test lab for testing electronic components, I accepted. I soon became the department manager for military qualification testing. About a year later, a larger company bought us out and I was back on the streets. I then found a job as the production control manager at a company that manufactured printed circuit boards. After about a year, I realized this is not how I wanted to spend the rest of my working life.

Let’s see, what career field have I not explored? Oh, yes, technical publications. I spent the last 20+ years of my working years spread between 3 companies as a tech writer, a supervisor, and in management. At the 2nd company, Electrospace Inc, I worked in their aircraft division. We had contracts with the Air Force to modify and install the latest technology equipment in such aircraft as the AWACs, the World Wide Command Post fleet, and Air Force One. When Chrysler bought out Electrospace, they moved the aircraft division to Waco, Tx. I did not want to leave the Dallas area, so I went to work in the tele-communication industry with DSC/Alcatel. We built the large switches that control the world wide telephone networks. I spent my last 3 years with Alcatel in the Motorola division. We supplied Motorola with the equipment and software for their mobile phone network. When Motorola decided not to renew their long standing contract with Alcatel, the two companies came to an agreement that over the next 12 months we would train them on how to do our jobs so Alcatel could lay us off. All 250 people in this division, from the vice president on down, lost their jobs during the 12 month period. My time came on January 1, 2001.

RETIREMENT!!!! Oh, what a beautiful word. The last 6+ years since I retired has been great. I guess I have become that stock broker that I wanted to be 40 years ago. I have only one client — me. I spend most weekdays in front of my computer, short term trading stocks on – line. One of my sons and I try to go fishing on the weekends.

Yes, I am still married to that beautiful young lady that I married over 47 years ago. We have 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. We manage to get together 3 or 4 times a year. It is a very rewarding experience to sit back and watch them as they visit, joke, laugh, and just enjoy being together. My mother has lived with us for the last 7+ years. This has delayed some of our travel plans, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The recent photo shows my son Mark and me on one of our many weekend fishing trips. We always compete as to who is the best fisherman. This trip, I won.

See you in October…
Bob Hayes

James (Bo) Gritz

The following is a very brief summary of Bo Gritz’ biography. Bo includes his biography on his own web site which you can check out as you wish at http://www.bogritz.com/biography.htm. click here Bo has been very active in many military endeavors. His Viet Nam and other experiences are quite interesting, to say the least.

James “Bo” Gritz was born 18 January 1939 in Enid, Oklahoma, and raised by his maternal grandparents. His Father, Pilot-Lieutenant Roy L. Gritz was killed in World War II. Bo attended grade schools in Enid through Longfellow Junior High school. Bo was born to be a warrior and was in uniform through Cub, Boy, Explorer Scouts, Cadets, and into camouflage as an Army Paratrooper, Ranger, and Green Beret. Bo spent 22-years in the military advancing through the enlisted and officer ranks. Upon return from Vietnam, Bo entered the Ministry and has served God as an Eternal Warrior since. Bo was assigned to the Pentagon General Staff as Chief of Special Activities (1972-73). He was selected to command Special Forces in Latin America (1975-77), and returned to the Pentagon as a Chief of Congressional Relations for the Secretary of Defense (1977-79).

Bo has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska in Law & Corrections, a Master of Military Science degree (1971), and a Master of Arts in Communications from the American University (1974). He is an active FAA Flight Instructor and a Commercial Pilot.

Bo has a new book, “My Brother’s Keeper”, detailing his personal involvement in saving oppressed Americans. He is married to Judy Gale from Kentucky. They reside on an airstrip 50-miles southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Bo and Judy love to ride their Harley Davidson, walk the runway at night, and fly their Cessna-310 to places of appointment.

Gerri Greer-Culp

I have lived in Enid the past 37 years. I love to work in my vegetable garden and in my flower beds. Usually I can at least 200 up to 600 quarts of vegetables each year. Because of all the rain this season, I won’t can that many quarts this year.

Tom Culp and I have been married 6 years. I have a daughter, two sons and a stepson. I also have 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. We are expecting a 4th great grandchild in August. I work full time at Highland Park Manor and have been there 19 years. I belong to the Women of the Moose Lodge. I competed in a dart tournament last season at Moose and took second in the state – women’s division.

Tom and I play in a dart league and play in a pool league in the fall. I love playing darts, shooting pool, and being home with family and friends. The photo was taken in my living room in Enid.
Geraldine Greer-Culp

Larry Grantham  (Deceased)

I left Enid in 1957 headed for California with my friend and “local legend” Charley Allen, to see if I could make it as a singer. We made a stop in Woodward, OK to check out a local dance hall, and maybe have some fun. The band playing there was a very good western swing band, so Charley went up and asked if I could sit in and sing a song or two. They said NO, but Charley being Charley wouldn’t give up. They agreed to one song so I sang “Don’t Be Cruel”- an Elvis song. The place went nuts, so I sang another, then another. By the time I quit, I had sung 5 or 6 songs.

They offered me a job as the Rock and Roll singer in the band. So with Charley’s blessings, I said ‘YES’. The band was headed to California to do a tour with Country Music star Lefty Frizzel. So, in a month, Charley was watching me sing in a big night club in Riverside California. I traveled all over, living a dream, as I was getting paid to do what I loved to do: i.e. SING in front of a lot of people, and I was just 18. I ended up in Dodge City, Kansas.

Our band played a daily radio show and one day in the studio audience I saw 14 year old Barbara Israel. Two years later, we were married in Dodge City. My best friend Kent Simpson came up to be my best man. Other Enid friends attending including Pat McGugin, Stanley Hensler and Mike Duncan, to name a few. To say we had a party is putting it lightly. Barbara is still my biggest fan after 47 years and I am still singing, because that is what I do! Well tha [tha-tha-that’s all folks!!].

Walter Gragert  (Deceased)

I was born in El Paso, Texas. My father was Walter William Gragert, son of Herman Fredrick Gragert of Douglas, Oklahoma. I attended grade school and Longfellow Junior High School in Enid. I graduated from Enid High in May of 1957. I have lived three lives since High school. I lived in Enid after I graduated from Enid High. I worked at Enid Paper Co. Raney Davis Mercantile Co, as an assistant warehouse manager. I left there to work for Hackney Iron & Steel, in North Enid, where I was employed about 3-4 years.

I met Judy Loffland, a cheerleader from North High School in Wichita, Kansas. We were married at Indian Heights Baptist Church in Enid. We purchased a home on Chestnut in Enid and became parents of 3 children. We later moved out by Vance Air Force Base in the country. While living there all three of our children died from asphyxiation as a result of a terrible fire. After the fire we struggled with life without our children. It was during this time I renewed my faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at First Baptist Church in Enid. We attended Calvary Baptist Church in Enid. We eventually moved from Enid to Wichita, Kansas, where I worked for Coleman Company about 2 years and later at Boeing Aircraft in Wichita. I worked on machined parts later Hand forming of Saturn Missile Body Shells. We still struggled with the loss of our children and were having some marriage problems even though we were believers. My wife could not come to grips with the loss of our children.

In 1969 we moved to Colorado Springs, CO. and lived with my parents about six months. We were active in the Northside Baptist Church. I began College at the El Paso Community College and later attended classes at Colorado State University/Colorado Springs and Regency College. I worked for Litton Industries and then Clifton Precision Products. About the time we purchased a home in Colorado Springs, I started working for Hewlett Packard as a Manufacturing Engineer. While employed with Hewlett Packard, God called me into the Gospel Ministry. I did pastoral and educational youth ministry for a number of years and was licensed in the Gospel Ministry in 1972. In 1976 my wife Judy was accidentally overdosed at a hospital and died within minutes. By this time we had become parents of two more children: one adopted and one of our own. When Judy died, the light of my life went out. I struggled with our two girls Jennifer and Mindy trying to be a mom and dad, but it wasn’t working very well.

After two years, I attended a retreat for singles at Buena Vista, CO. I met Peggy Jo Henricksen, from Harlan, Iowa, who was much younger than I. Late in 1979 we were married in Colorado Springs, with my children and parents giving full approval to our marriage. Peggy’s parents are devoted Christians also. In October 1986, I retired from Hewlett Packard. We put our home up for sale and left Colorado Springs with our children. By this time we had two more children: Martha and Daniel, making a ‘full quiver’. Peggy Jo and I attended Southwestern Baptist Seminary and graduated in 1989 and 1990. Since then we have served in Southern Baptist Churches in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. I have been in the ministry about 36 years including Bi Vocational Ministry. I am presently pastor of Washington Avenue Southern Baptist Church in Rocky Ford, CO.

I would love to hear from you. Because I did not return to Enid High School until late 1956, my picture is not included with the 1957 senior class but it is on page 97 of the 1957 Quill (Center Photo middle right). I’m the one standing up with long sideburns. I am also pictured on page 9 walking down the hall to class. Hope you all are well. If you are ever in the vicinity of Rocky Ford, CO, please come and visit. God bless you all. I hope to see you soon.
Walter Gragert

Letty Goltry-Barnes

 Hi Gary..I am so late in getting this e-mail off to you, but hopefully it will reach your committee in time for the 50th reunion. I am so sorry I can’t attend this great event in all of our lives. I have so enjoyed all the news and the updates on so many of my former classmates. I want to wish all of you a wonderful weekend with lots of sharing. I will try to briefly tell my story of what I have been up to since we graduated in 1957. Of course. it would take volumes to tell everything.

After school I attended college in New Orleans..Newcomb College. I graduated with a BA in Psychology and got married that summer. That was in 1961. I married Jim Barnes (class of 53). We lived in Enid for 9 more years and moved to Meridian, Idaho where we have been since. Jim has been in the insurance business these many years and is now thinking of retiring within the next year or so. We have 4 children..3 girls and 1 boy…Nancy Ruff, who lives in Huntsville, Alabama, Mary Williams, Meridian, Id., Anne Krahn,,also in Meridian. Glenn who lives in Nampa, Id. We have 12 grandchildren..9 girls and 3 boys..They have all been such blessings and we have had a great time with each one. When we moved to Idaho, we really got involed in the outdoors, camping, fishing, backpacking and just enjoying the mountains. This is such a beautiful state and we have loved our life here. We would get back to Enid occasionally as we still have family there, but most of our immediate family are gone.

Jim and I had a huge conversion experience through a spiritual renewal at our church, Presbyterian in 1972, and I might add literally turned our lives around. I had lots of grief to overcome and I lost both of my parents during the spring of 1961 while I was finishing college…I do believe I was healed through the grace of God. We are active in our church and have always been involved in marriage ministry. We are looking forward to retirement and doing some more traveling and just enjoying our families..We had planned on a trip to Alabama on Oct 12th and just couldn’t do both trips…So, I wish all of you well and thank you for your faithfulness in putting this reunion together. Give those great classmates my best wishes…I love you all and will always remember those fun and meaningful years we spent together….

Letty Goltry Barnes