Home
WWHS Christmas Concerts, 1961 and 1962
Bruin Den - Message Board
Pacific Northwest Get-Together (3 Pages)
"Legacy of '63" Award Winners And Donation Form (5 Pages)
"Legacy of '63" Thank you, Donors
Kindergarten Baby (8 Pages)
Call's Fine Arts Center Pictures
Jefferson Hi Tide (4 Pages)
The Quad - Pictures, Newspaper Clips Etc. (10 Pages)
Love is a Many Splendored Thing (3 Pages)
Heartfelt Presentation
The 60's Club (3 Pages)
The Mid-60's Club (3 Pages)
Traveling Bruins (14 Pages)
My Town Rocks!
Hey, Bruin, Whatcha Doin'?
Precious Pets (2 Pages)
Class Directory (2 Pages)
Graduation Memorabilia
Senior Pictures (26 Pages)
Missing Bruins
In Memoriam (10 Pages)
In Memoriam ~ Highlights (4 pages)
Meet Your Reunion Committee
Register with the Reunion Committee
Contact Us

A HAPPY ENDING, A NEW BEGINNING

MR. AND MRS. JAMES PIERCE, 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING
img745.jpg

A few years ago, we shared the story about Jim & Mary Jane reuniting after a lifetime apart (see below).  On October 16, 2010, they were married in Long Beach, surrounded by their children and grandchildren, and literally encircled by a circle of friends from high school -- Buzzy, Judy, Jeri, Joe & Nancy, Dennie & Richard. The newlyweds honeymooned in Niagara Falls (how old fashioned can you get?)  This picture was taken at their reception.  As a poem written specifically for the day concluded:  "Come and bless this union, their full circle is complete ~ Eternally together!  Now what could be more sweet? "

Jim was 17, Mary Jane 15, on this trip to Catalina
atlast.jpg

SeniorProm1.jpg
"SENIOR" PROM

"REUNITED AND
IT FEELS SO GOOD ..."

Mary Jane Barden Gentry and her first love, high school sweetheart Jim Pierce, have recently reunited after 40-some years.  They appear to be more in love than ever, and have the enthusiastic approval of their kids and grandkids.  AND - TO THINK -THEY CALLED IT PUPPY LOVE!!  (Picture was taken at Dennie & Richard King's house and Dennie reports that the song they are dancing to was Etta James' "AT LAST")

RUSSELL & MARLA DAVIS BLOWERS AND FAMILY
marla1.JPG

Our love story….by Marla Davis Blowers

 

I guess one could say that Russ and I grew up together from the cradle on. Our parents attended East Long Beach Methodist Church, so we grew up surrounded by a loving, faithful church family. We also shared many of the same friends, our love of music, reading and cats, and hopes of working in the medical field. We married in 1966. I had graduated from the LVN program at LBCC and Russ was ready to begin his junior year at UCSF School of Pharmacy. After he graduated in 1968, raising a family was next on the list. Now wanting to waste time, we had our lovely twin girls, Jennifer and Monica, in March of 1969. We moved to Newark in 1971 and have lived here since that time. The main stay of our 42 years of wedded bliss is our shared faith and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We also have enjoyed working together within the Optimist International organization. Helping the youth of our community, as Optimists, is a worthwhile way to channel some of our energies. We’ve also shared some community involvement with my 8 yrs, so far, as a Planning Commissioner, and Russ having served several times as treasurer for friends’ political campaigns.As we look toward retirement in 2010, we share the same goals: shedding pressures of employment for Russ, enjoying and appreciating our family more, especially our grandson Eric Russell, restructuring our schedules to include things we’ve not had time for, and finding new ways to serve the Lord. 42 years and counting, no arguments, lots of good communication, a loving family, serving God, sharing love, being slow to judge and quick to praise, a sweet send off in the morning and a warm welcome home in the evening have led us be truly happy, blessed, and joyful. “I mark only the hours that shine” was written in a cook book given to me by Helen Hansen (Jefferson Jr High teacher). I think it is a beautiful thought that can serve us well. 

GARY AND TONI CHENEY SMITH
Smith.jpg

  OUR STORY
 
Toni and I met at Wilson in 1961.  She was in the class of 64,so a year younger.  We began dating in my senior year 1963.  The relationship grew through college even though we attended different college (UCLA ,and USC).  We often joke about our mixed marriage.  Over the years our children have taken sides and are somewhat evenly split.  We were married at United Methodist church in north Long Beach (Orange Ave.) in June of 1967 -- the same day of my last 2 finals at UCLA. Toni still had a year to go at USC but we managed to live together in the UCLA married student housing while she commuted to complete her requirements and graduate from USC.  We did this until I left for my military service in January of 1968 (Naval Air).
 
We started our family in 1969 (3 children) while in the military.  And now,are the proud grandparents of 4 wonderful grand children ages 14 years to 6 years old.   Next June will mark our 42nd anniversary. 
 
I have the most wonderful wife in all the world and I would not want to change one day of all the years. Woodrow Wilson High school did begin the best of times!
 
Gary Smith
Class of 63

40th.jpg

Update: 1 Ram, 7 Bruins (regular) and 1 Bruin Bear
 
Here's that group of old friends again, helping Stan & Linda Morrison Castle celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.  The Castles, Richard King, Mary Jane Barden Gentry, Dennie Hamilton King, Jeri Hemphill Livingstone, Jim Pierce, Judy Wilson Jones, and the blonde bear, Mary Hinrichs Van Holt. Honorable mention to Lily, Barney and Sam Jones.

KENDRA LIVINGSTONE AND THE RING BEARER
WUV2.jpg
John Graham writes, "John and Janis Graham, 40th anniversary June 26.  You know she got the worst of that deal!!  Poor baby. Has to put up with me.  Oh, well."   

GRAHAM2.jpg
The Graham Family

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.  So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

Paula.jpg
Ray & Paula Baughman Hatcher with grandson DT & his halibut catch

HAtcher.jpg
Ray and Paula at Hanauma Bay

Bailey.jpg
Paula and Ray's Grandson, Bailey Age 6

I am attaching pictures of my husband Ray and myself, along with 2 of our 13 grandchildren, D.T. (David Thomas) and Bailey,  Ray and I have been married 24 years this New Years Eve and he truely has been a blessing in my life...Paula Baughman Hatcher.

bridngrm.gif

"Love is not about finding the perfect person; it's about seeing an imperfect person as perfect."  Kendra Livingstone, Age 13

RON MOORE & WIFE LYNN
RonLynn.jpg

This is for your Love Is page. Lynn is my wife and we have been married for eight years. We are both retired and spend our free time skiing in the backcountry of the Tahoe area, windsurfing during the summer and basically keeping active as much as possible.   .... Ron Moore

Val.jpg

When someone submitted this clipping of Valerie Boyer, we contacted her for permission to post it.  She reports "  We just celebrated our 40th anniversary in Taos and Santa Fe, NM and found out we are going to be grandparents for a second time.  Our son Will is a lawyer, as was his wife, Monica until she decided to be a full time mom to Jack (18 months) and now a new baby is on the way.  We love being grandparents!"
 
We've asked for a more current photo, and look forward to hearing from the Davissons.
 
 
 

  " Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt" -
Chris, age 7

craig.jpg
CLICK TO ENLARGE

kiss.gif

Seasons.jpg

"Is this the little girl I carried, is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older, when did they?"
 
....Lyrics from "Sunrise, Sunset"

DavePriya11April2005.jpg
Dave Neilsen and his true love, Priya 4/11/05

Priya and I met on New Year's Day 1996.  The night before, I had met her best girlfriend, Julie, at a New Year's Eve singles function in Perth, Western Australia.  There were more than 650 attendees and two thirds were women!  I was single at the time and thought I'd died and gone to heaven!
 
Anyway, on New Year's Day, this Julie and I went to breakfast at a beachfront cafe.  Unbeknownst to me, Julie had phoned Priya and said, "Come see what I hooked up with last night".  I was operating on about three hours' sleep and a savage hangover, so when Priya came into the restaurant, I said "Hi" without much enthusiasm, and didn't think much more about it.
 
Over the coming months, during my rocky relationship with Julie, I became friends with Priya.  I knew something was happening when she attended a party at Julie's and I had to go outside to help Priya get her car started.  I did that, and then Priya - as she was leaving - leaned forward to give me a kiss on the lips.  The kiss lasted a nanosecond longer than it should have, and sent an electrical tingle through my body and I knew, through hers.
 
When Julie and I broke up acrimoniously in July of '96, I was feeling alone and depressed.  Then who should knock on my door one night several weeks later but Priya!  I'll throw a decent veil of discretion over the following events but suffice it to say, Priya and I became "an item" from then to the present date!
 
We have now been together for more than seven years.  Any of my Classmates who are alone, single, divorced or whatever, take heart!  I'm living witness to the fact that you can find the love of your life in your "middle years" or later!
 
We couldn't have come from more different backgrounds.  As the Aussies say:  we're like "chalk and cheese".   Priya is from an upper class Jewish New York background (they had servants!) and I'm from working class Methodist Nebraska.  Like the old song says, I was "born with a plastic spoon in my mouth".
 

A11.jpg
Dave's daughter Astrid, age 11

My daughter, Astrid, is the child of my last marriage (I've been married three times - the triumph of hope over experience!) and she'll be moving up here to live with us after spending the last few years with her mother in Hobart, Tasmania.  Astrid was born 14 weeks premature in Perth, Western Australia, and had the great, good fortune to be under the care of some of the best doctors in the world!  In fact, at the time, a team of American doctors from UCLA were visiting to compare notes!
 
Astrid survived and flourished and has now just turned 13 last October.  She's already more than 5'8" tall and is drop-dead gorgeous!  Unfortunately for those of us who would like to see her become a supermodel earning a $1 million annual income, she's not the least bit interested in her physical self and wants to become a scientist!!  There's just no understanding kids these days!
 
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all the best to my Classmates,
 
Dave Nielsen
 

 No person really decides before they grow up who
they're going to marry. God decides it all way before,
and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.

                     -- Kirsten, age 10 --

Vicky.JPG

Vicky Hercus (Vanderloos) reports from Holland that 30 years ago a handsome Dutchman named Jan came to her door in LB to pick her up for a blind date, and she saw butterflies and fireworks.  From what she says, she sees them still.

SHERLOCK GETS FOUND- THE TABLES TURN!
Speaking of "Reunited", thanks to Craig Vestermark for leading JJ O'Brien back to Jeri Hemphill (quite the item in grades 8, 9 and 10)- seen together here after 47 years.  At breakfast with Craig and good friend, Colin "Spanky") October 2007 in Long Beach.  "My Boyfriend's Back"  !   And .... well worth the wait.

Jeri and JJ
jjj.jpg
8th grade, Jeff Jr. High, 1959






Current Music: "At Last"



Webmistress Linda Tucker Wride
Webmistress Jeri Hemphill Livingstone

Official Web Site of the WWHS Class of 1963
Reunion Committee