MILEPOSTS
Deaths: William M. Chittenden '19 in Hamden, Conn., at 98. . . . Myra Dolley '19 in Portland, Maine, at 97. . . . Thelma Ryder Bush '23 in Springfield, Vt., at 92. . . . Louise M. Tilley '23 in Pitman, N.J., at 94. . . . W. Robert Lombard '28 in Machias, Maine, at 88. . . . Oris Greenlaw Walter '29 in Winston-Salem, N.C., at 86. . . . Albert C. Palmer '30 in Stoneham, Mass., at 84. . . . Ruth Park Smith '30 in Lancaster, N.H., at 85. . . . Pauline Gay Ryder '31 in Oak Ridge, Tenn., at 83. . . . Ralph M. Snyder '31 in Oxford, Maine, at 85. . . . John H.J. Wisnoski '31 in Ware, Mass., at 86. . . . Robert F. Greene '33 in Brookline, Mass., at 83. . . . Theodore H. Packard '33 in Holden, Mass., at 83. . . . Margaret Fernald Smith '33 in Wilton, Maine, at 83. . . . Louise Smith Velten '33 in Oakland, Calif., at 83. . . . Frederick Bowker '35 in Bangor, Maine, at 83. . . . Evelyn Fuller Crowe '35 in Boise, Idaho, at 81. . . . Dorothy Tozier LeMaster '36 in Monmouth, Maine, at 79. . . . Edmund L. Barnard '37 in Belfast, Maine, at 79, . . . Whitney Wright '37 in Damariscotta, Maine, at 79. . . . L.D.A. "Doris" Russell '40 in Norwood, Mass., at 77. . . . Guy Scribner '40 in Homosassa, Fla., at 76. . . . Henry W. Abbott Jr. '41 in Vero Beach, Fla., at 75. . . . Thomas R. Braddock '43 in Wellsville, N.Y., at 73. . . . Edward H. Saltzberg '44 in Essex, Mass., at 73.

THIRTIES
Sumner Peter Mills Jr. '34 keeps fit, he says, by outrunning bill collectors and angry women. Sadly, at the time he wrote (April '94), he was recuperating from a broken hip but says nothing about how it happened: bill collector, woman scorned or the law of gravity. . . . Louise Williams Brown '34 is proud of her three children and their spouses and of her eight grandchildren; but modesty prevents her from telling us why. All but two of them spent Thanksgiving '93 with her in Bermuda. If all went as planned, she joined a group of 30 for a trip to Australia and New Zealand. . . . Just about everybody who was at Colby in the years 1930-1937 will remember Harold M. Plotkin '34, who died on September 22, 1994. Colby in the mid-'30s, darkened by the Depression and by the smoke of Maine Central Railroad locomotives, would not seem to have provided an up-beat environment, but there was a lot going on that tended to liven the place up and predict great things for the future. It was in this decade, we must remember, that the college on Mayflower Hill was born. Curiously symbolic of these years at Colby, involving an idea ridiculous at the time--a landing on the moon--the musical comedy Moon Madness was one of the numerous entertaining brain children of Harold Plotkin. "Harold Plotkin did many things to enliven Colby in the early '30s," wrote John Pullen '35 in a recent tribute. "His column in the Echo, `The Plot Thickens,' was a spicy commentary on Colby social life. He introduced the College Inn tea dances of 1933 and the three-day Junior Week-End, which in 1934 featured Moon Madness. His editorship of The White Mule raised that publication almost to respectability as a comic magazine. After he graduated, I did not see him again for nearly 60 years, but we finally got together again toward the end of his life. Except for the physical alteration that nature works upon us, he hadn't changed a bit. I sure missed a lot of fun [by not seeing him all those years]." Harold and John were the principal authors of Moon Madness, which was presented by the junior class at the Waterville Opera House on April 19, 1934. Music was composed by Kathryn Herrick McCrodden '35 and Winthrop Clement '34. The cast included Bernard C. Stallard '37, Beth Pendleton Clark '35, Kathryn Herrick McCrodden '35, Arthur O. Brown '36, Anthony C. Stone '36, Beulah Bennett Sayles '35, Kenneth A. Johnson '37, Robert W. Colomy '35, William H. Millett '34, Winthrop Clement '34, James L. Ross '36, Morton Goldfine '37, Carl E. Reed '35, Dana W. Jaquith '35 and Francis Barnes '36. . . . Arthur Feldman '35 has had an aortic heart valve replaced, which slowed him temporarily from his very active life as president and founder of Search and Rescue Groups of California, president of the North County Chapter of the World Affairs Council of San Diego (Calif.) and adjunct professor at San Diego State University. . . . As the result of two heart attacks and three angioplasties, Sidney Schiffman '35 does a half mile in 20 minutes where formerly he did a mile in 10. He looks forward to his 60th reunion two months from now. . . . Gordon Patch Thompson '35 writes: "On February 18, 1994, Sid Farr '55, alumni secretary, met with the following alumni for lunch at the Clearwater (Fla.) Beach Hotel: Louise Brown '34, who winters in Clearwater and summers in Portland; Gordon Thompson '35 and wife Maude, winter residents of Clearwater and of Arlington, Mass., in summer; Paul '37 and wife Babs Walden Palmer '40, winter residents of Dunedin who summer in Damariscotta (Maine); Ottellie (Ot) Greely Ward '38, who winters at the Marriott in Palm Harbor and visits daughters in New England in the summer; Peg Chase Macomber '27 (who had just celebrated her 92nd birthday) of Florida in winter and Maine in summer; Albert Piper '36 of Dunedin in winter and Waterville in summer. Ralph Williams '35, who winters in Dunedin and summers in Boothbay Harbor, was there with his wife, Barbara [who has since passed away]. Everyone looks forward to Sid's visits and news from Maine." . . . Mike Cohen '35 says he fears going to Hell because he's been told "down there all the TV channels are fixed on round-the-clock basketball and you can't shut them off." He and his wife, Kitty, do not have a dog, and they don't want a dog, but if they did have a dog it would be named "Brown Fang." "Better to have a name and no dog than to have a dog and no name," Mike observes profoundly. . . . Alice Bocquel Hartwell '36 has had a cataract removed and highly recommends the procedure. She has been reading a college textbook, Introduction to Literature by Bedford. Reading old favorites and sampling new literature made her feel like a student again, she says. The commentaries were interesting and useful. . . . Eleanor MacCarey Whitmore '36 had a violent crush on Professor Walter Breckenridge, and that's why she remembers him. She loves mysteries but did take time (and make the effort) to read Truman by David McCullough, 1,000 pages!, and calls it "A wonderful story of an important period in our history." . . . Arthur L. Spear '36 has sold his house and moved into an apartment--no shoveling snow, no lawn mowing, no house chores: "At age 80, this is a good deal for me." He remembers white chalk all over Professor Stanley's blue serge suit, Professor Weber's incomparable English literature classes and Professor Chapman's kindly interest in the welfare of each of his students. . . . Elizabeth Thompson Clark '36 reports that she has two married daughters: one a physical therapist living in China, Maine, and the other teaching English in a college in China, as in People's Republic of. Mrs. Clark was in the hospital for a month last year and then was in San Francisco for 10 days on an Elderhostel program. San Francisco was more fun. The San Francisco trip was her sixth Elderhostel, and she recommends them highly. Next Elderhostel--Hawaii. . . . Reverend Edwin Shuman '38 and his wife, Marjorie Gould Shuman '37, lead lives filled with busy (a term I just coined). With relatives and friends everywhere, they travel all over (England, Scotland and the United States). In an afterthought, Marjorie comments: "Since Ed was Dr. Libby's assistant for four years, he has a good many anecdotes to tell." (Stories about Dr. Libby are always welcome in this column, and we look forward to Ed's report.) . . . Henry Wilcox '37 has two daughters, two grandchildren and four! great-grandchildren. In the fitness department he reports walking and doing stretch exercises about five times a week. He recommends When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman. . . . Betty Wilkinson Ryan '37 has given her bicycle away because she lives in a four-sided valley; i.e., "everywhere I go is uphill from my house." She enjoys "the concerts, operas and museums of New York, where a veritable feast of options lies before me." Betty's uncle was the beloved Professor William J. Wilkinson. . . . Ruth Yeaton McKee '37 wants to walk 10 miles a day and entertain as she used to. She recalls that Dr. Libby used to terrify us in Public Speaking and that John Thomas was a joy to sing for in Glee Club. . . . Ethel Bradstreet Maney '38 has a son, Ardith '66 (Phi Beta Kappa), a daughter Laurel '70 (Phi Beta Kappa) and a son, Jack, who graduated from Dartmouth in three years, but Ethel does not give the year of graduation. Ardith is professor of political science at Iowa State, Laurel is a manager with the Miller Brewing company and Jack is an electrical engineer. She walks frequently down to Lake Michigan, five minutes from her apartment in Milwaukee. . . . James Fox '38 plays violin with an accordionist at the Mona Lisa Rest Home in Ft. Myers, Fla. His son Jordan holds a second mate's license with the Merchant Marine and is employed by the U.S. Navy. His son Jon is a soccer coach in Fairhaven, Mass., where his team has been champion or co-champion each year. His daughter, Adele, is an accountant at the Belmont Hill Preparatory School. . . . Reverend Phillips Henderson '38 reports that on January 1, 1994, he was married to Rita Cloutier--"who was my minister of music at Memorial Baptist Church, Hartford, Conn., when I was minister there in 1974-1982." He recommends The Culture of Disbelief by Stephen L. Carter. It concerns the trivialization of religion and its practices by our government and society. . . . Violet Hamilton Christensen '39 has had cataract surgery, which greatly improved the sight in her left eye. By the time you read this, she will have had the right eye "fixed." Violet would rather write than anything, but volunteer work frequently gets in the way. . . . Sixteen months ago, Margaret Whalen '39 broke her left (writing) arm in three places when she fell on the ice. A long period of hibernation followed. She remembers Professor Everett Strong's French classes and from that experience has maintained an interest in French literature all her life. . . . Virginia Kingsley Jones '39 is a trustee of her local hospital (E. Boothbay, Maine) and is secretary of the board. At the time of her February '94 letter, she was the great-grandmother of a 1-year-old and, if all went well, was to be a great-grandmother again last July.

FORTIES
Constance Tilley '40 lives in a retirement community in Gaithersburg, Md., where the people couldn't be nicer. Although the book is not new, Constance recommends Upstairs at the White House. She really enjoyed it. . . . For many years, Priscilla Mailey '40 vowed she would never leave her home but, having moved to a retirement community in Fresno, Calif., she is glad she made the cruelly difficult transition. Two lovely kittens came along when she moved. To improve her fitness, she attends cardiac rehabilitation sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays and walks two miles on Fridays. . . . Frank Jewell '40 lives with his new wife, Lois, at his home in Florida in the winter and at hers in New Hampshire in the summer. He sings in his church choir, sometimes as a soloist. He also solos on the trumpet and the harmonica. Too occasionally to suit him, he plays golf, softball, volleyball, and ping pong. . . . John Foster '40 has been most affected by time spent in Cuba, seminars on racial justice and "enough review of history to inspire real anger at my own U.S.A." Travel in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba are both intellectually and physically restorative, he declares. . . . My brother, John Colby Eaton '41, and his wife, Barbara, living in Waterville, find their proximity to the Colby campus most rewarding. They attend many of the cultural programs offered by the College. . . . Norris Dibble '41 has retired from the practice of law after 45 years. He and his wife, Helen, have four children and nine grandchildren. Norris volunteers at the Bay State Medical Center as a gofer--a job that calls for a lot of walking. . . . Elizabeth Sweetser Baxter '41 sent me a clipping about the late Dr. Gordon Gates '19, who was a friend and classmate of her mother, Phyllis Sturdivant Sweetser '19, and of my sister, the late Harriet Eaton Rogers '19, mother of Estelle Rogers MacDonald '39. Dr. Gates was the world's leading authority on oligochaeta (earthworms) and was appointed head of the Biology Department at Colby in September 1948, according to an announcement by Dr. J. Seelye Bixler printed in the Sept. 19, 1948, issue of the Portland Sunday Telegram. . . . Thomas J. Clohesy '42 is not happy with retirement in Scotia, N.Y., and wishes that he was back living in Boston or New England. He escapes the gloom by being an avid reader about the European Theater of World War II. His son, Thomas M. Clohesy, works in the financial field in New York. . . . Bob Rice '42 has four children and two grandchildren, all of them adults. "Like everyone else who has acquired a word processor," he writes, "I'm writing a book. This one's about WWII activities and anecdotes as a pilot." He wishes he had freedom to sit down and enjoy TV, but he is too busy writing. He has been singing in his church choir for nearly 50 years. . . . Dorris Heaney Batt '42 and her husband, George, went to Hawaii in 1976 to give guided tours at Waioli Mission House in Hanalei, Hawaii. Later (1980) they became guides at Grove Farm Homestead (a former sugar plantation home). The Batts have two daughters and a son. One of the daughters has been one of four florists in the White House for the last 10 years under Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. Mrs. Batt and my niece, Martha Rogers Beach '42, have been close friends ever since their Colby days. . . . Emanuel "Manny" Fruman '42 still works as the sales manager for a waterproofing company in Plains, Pa. Sadly, Manny had to be hospitalized twice this past summer and finds that even with Medicare, hospital costs are stupendous. While visiting last summer in nearby Mt. Gretna, Pa., I chatted with Manny by phone, but he said nothing at that time about health problems. He has purchased a NordicTrack exercise machine and is getting involved in its use. Best of luck, Manny! . . . Ernest Weidul '43 keeps active by fishing, reading, playing bridge and trying to keep a 150-year-old house from falling down. He wishes he were doing something about keeping fit such as fishing in Argentina, Siberia or Alaska. . . . Sidney Rauch '43, though officially retired from Hofstra University, is still active as a speaker at numerous educational conferences. He also participates in visiting author programs in elementary schools (grades 2-4), where he reads from and answers questions about his children's books, the Barnaby Brown series. He remembers Professor Alfred Chapman for his kindness and sensitivity to incoming freshmen, Dr. Libby, whose classes were never dull, and Carl Weber, "who made one proud of being an English major." . . . George A. Popper '43 is busy with community activities in Westfield, N.J., and recently joined the Westfield Rescue Squad as a dispatcher. The Poppers enjoy traveling and have visited England, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, Costa Rica and several Caribbean islands. . . . Patricia Ford Ellis '43 met her husband, Albert Ellis '44, in the trombone section of the Colby band. Band was fine during football season, but Professor Comparetti changed to classical music for the colder months and there aren't many notes for trombone in that kind of music, says Mrs. Ellis. She enjoyed being among the first to occupy the new rooms on Mayflower Hill. . . . Ruth Graves Montgomery '43 has had both knees replaced and feels great. Next time she is at Colby, she can walk with everyone. Mrs. Montgomery has three daughters, including Patricia '71, and four grandchildren. . . . . Howard Johnson '43 was writing and revising a manuscript for a book on the meaning of Jesus, according to his April '94 questionnaire. The book will be more philosophical than pious. Howard and his wife, Charlotte, have two sons: Dana in Franconia, N.H.; and Conrad in Providence, R.I. The latter has three children--all boys. . . . Charles Heath '42 and his wife, Ruth, have eight grandchildren, the oldest of whom graduated from Villanova in 1994. Retirement became boring, says Mr. Heath, so he is now working almost full time as cook in a soup kitchen, trustee of a scholarship fund and state coordinator (Maine) of a mature driving program. . . . Marjorie Abar Gray '43 has been teaching courses on Native Americans at Athenaeum (a Learning After 50 program at Rochester Institute of Technology) and has moved to be near family. Her latest address: Apt. 45B, Hollandale Apartments, Clifton Park, N.Y. 12065. . . . Priscilla Moldenke Drake '43 has five children and eight grandchildren. She has heart trouble, but it has stabilized. For fitness, she exercises while brushing her teeth.