Our 50th reunion went off smoothly., even though the Tribune didn’t want to interview Volker Schmid, our high school’s third exchange student from Stuttgart, Germany—despite Randal and my efforts to give their editors the link to this website with Volker’s digitized photos of San Luis Obispo County from fifty years ago!  We’re sharing more reunion photos on this website. Click on “Photos”. (After this, I’ll start my book on Three Generations growing up in SLO. If you have some old photos (1860-1960) with buildings in the background or old cars—or buggies—let me know.) 

Volker’s Berlin service June 3

(May 1) I received a death announcement which Germans use instead of or in addition to an newspaper obit. There is going to be a small ceremony to place his ashes next to Holle in the Waldfriedhof-Dahlem / Berlin on June 3rd at noon. I'm not sure what we might want to do, if anything, or how to do something if we decide to. Flowers come to mind but, at the moment, I have no idea how one would go about that. I think maybe our local tribute in the form of the Tribune obituary suffices.

(May 26) I got lucky with the cemetery. If you Google Waldfriedhof Dahlem - Berlin.de  and then click on [Translate this page] you will get information on the cemetery AND a translation into English. There is also a map showing it in relation to Volker's house. Just blocks apart. In addition, I'm almost positive Holle is there too and hopeful they will be side-by-side.

I've decided I'm going to send a brief message to Emili and her uncles which they can read at the ceremony if they'd like - or later.

The death notice asks that any donations be made in Volker's name to the Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbruechiger, Account nr. 1 074 672 00 in memory of Volker Schmid, Bremer Bank BLZ 290 800 10.

That is a rescue organization which for people in danger at sea and the Bremer Bank is a bank account. I have succeeded in getting to the site but and it says PayPal can be used but it doesn't show how to handle anything but Euros.

The boat drawing on the death notice is of their beloved canal boat 'Struner'. I'm pretty sure it is one of Holle's

Many thanks again.

Best, Randal

(Classmates, the below link works—Pat O’D)

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.berlin.de/ba-steglitz-zehlendorf/verwaltung/nga/waldfriedhof_dahlem.html&ei=CdYcSo3_I4WwtAPbhImJCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DWaldfriedhof%2BDahlem%2B-%2BBerlin.de%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Felix born Monday, April 27th

We are grand uncles and aunts to Volker’s grandson:

“Emili called me yesterday to say Lutz' and her son, Felix, was born on 27 April and that all is well. Emili and the baby are already home. I will pass along more details as I get them. Good to finally get some good news from Germany!!! Best, Randal”

Volker’s obit in Sunday SLO Trib

Our German exchange classmate’s obituary was place in the Easter Sunday (4/12) San Luis Obispo County TRIBUNE.

Here’s the link to their Legacy.com website where you can sign his guest book for free and post a photo for $2.99. (Also check the Blog page above for more photos.)

http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=126089958

Volker Schmid died March 24th

I just spoke to Randal today (3/25) who told me Emili Schmid called and said her father died in his sleep last night at the rehab hospital in Berlin.  She was just as surprised as anyone.  See Blog page for where to send condolences.  

Randal Cruikshanks emailed Wednesday (March 11th) to say: “Well, good news folks!! Emili just called to say that Volker's tube was removed and he spoke with her today. Didn't make much sense and he has no idea how long he has been in the coma. They told Emili he will be transferred to a rehab facility - good news in more ways than one. I'm going to try to put some books on California and the U.S. on a dvd and send it soon. Have to run. Maybe all of our good thoughts helped!! More when I hear more!” Best, Randal

Earlier Randal called on Sunday morning (March 1st) to say that he received a phone call from Volker’s daughter.  Emili told him that this was “the best day she has had in months” as her father awoke from his induced coma yesterday in a Berlin hospital. (The doctors had induced the coma to save him after his recent back surgery.)  An update can be found on our “Blog” page. —Pat O’D.

Watch and listen to Gil Serna sing!

Even though Gil and Jan are on dial-up, those of us on high speed broadband can watch and listen to Gil sing a song he wrote.

http://www.thestream.tv/watch.php?v=1306

Then you can email your comments to Gil at:

gilserna@earthlink.net

Our Golden Reunion recap

We kicked off the weekend with a “welcome back” informal gathering on Friday evening at the American Legion Hall, thanks to USAF vet Kelley who was involved in setting up the next door Central Coast Veterans Museum in the basement of the Veteran’s Memorial Building. http://www.vetmuseum.org/   Our guests were welcomed Friday for a $5. admission charge. 

The table decorations at the new San Luis Obispo Country Clubhouse on Saturday night were elegant with white orchids towering out of black vases sitting on gold brocade over white table cloths.  Close to 180 attended with over 90 classmates present.

Harold Wright read off a long list of former classmates now in “Tiger Heaven”. (See our photo board in Photos 2). A lively Live Auction, with Irv Tiessen presiding in huckster costume, found ’57 Tiger John Duron battling for a 1957 Tiger Tales yearbook he never received with our classmate “Fast Eddie” Marcom.  Neither planned to give in, but Duron dropped out when Preston Pierce’s widow Judy Smith-Pierce (Paso ’59) told us she would give him Preston’s yearbook.

We also auctioned off a 1958 Tiger Tales, but the prized items were Sue Fiscalini’s two-sided “Tiger” quilt and Tamra “Gail” Peirson-Boncore’s stained glass “Tiger” window. (see Blogs).  Sue also printed 8.5x11” photos of our old high school, put them in a folder and included them  in a bag for every classmate attending. 

Art Hoover won for the “longest distance traveled” award, because Google maps showed he had to first travel east from New Durham, NH to get to Boston before flying out.  Fred Lewelling was 2nd, flying in from Williamsburg, Mass; Lynn Douglas-Hunt was third, coming all the way from Chesapeake, Virginia. 

Hoover, a Dartmouth alumnus, donated 160 bottles of 100% pure New Hampshire Maple Syrup.  O’Daniels used Volker’s color photo of our high school to print a “Golden Tiger” label for Art’s bottles.  Money was raise for our 55th reunion (in 2013) when we sold extra bottles at our Sunday brunch for the bargain price of $10.

Ron Gallagher won a prize for having the youngest child (twenties) by saying, “I didn’t get married until I was thirty-seven.”  A Santa Maria High alum won for having the oldest child—55!

Lynn was disappointed to see the changes to her old “Avila”.  There is hardly anything left in Avila Beach from back when we were segregating ourselves from “Poly Rats” lying on the sand between beach-side hot dog stands. (See Volker’s photos on the Blog)

A Sunday Brunch at Janet Zuiderweg-Andrews’ ranch in Reservoir Canyon was graced with the best weather of the weekend and perfect for a car show!  (See the photos on “Photos 2”.)

On May 10th Steve Morrow died of a rare type of soft tissue cancer in Colorado.  His older brother Art emailed us on May 17th. 

See Blog 2.

We lost Scotty Simpson on April 23rd.  There was already an old photo of Scotty from Nancy Schwartz on our Photos page.  We’ve added his name to our “Tiger Heaven” blog, and in his honor posted one of Volker Schmid’s 1957-58 photos of a then funky Morro Bay Embarcadero in his honor...and to all our fallen Morro Bay classmates.

http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=108381893

Well done Golden Reunion Committee!

Janet Andrews, Mike Block, Randal Cruikshanks, Larry Ekholm,

Sue Fiscalini, Carol Howland, Mardy Hudson, Al & Lynn Kelley,

Mary Ellen Kyle, Pat O’Daniels, Nancy Poe and Harold Wright.