Go Tigers!

 
Click Here to see Photos Submitted From Classmates
(submit your photos in jpg format to jim@carras.com)

 

 

News From Classmates
(submit your comments to jim@carras.com)

 

April 26, 2021

Our classmate Bob Disselhoff passed away (1939 - 1021)

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/robert-disselhoff-obituary?pid=198487477

NEW: Bob's Orbituary: https://www.atkinsonfuneralhome.com/obituary/robert-disselhoff

 

January 18, 2021

Dear Family & Friends, Near & Far,

Belated Happy Solstice Greetings! (The days are getting longer, yay!)

Belated Happy New Year! (Although it still looks like 2020, we have Hope that soon it won’t be so crazy.)

We are well and still isolating in our Pod, waiting for the vaccine, and waiting for Calif. and the country to open up.
About once a week, we go out hiking in a local park for "Forest Bathing.” (picture below)
We drove the Winnebago motor-motel to the coast a few times for a walk along the beach, but currently, we are not supposed to leave our home county.
Daily, we take a walk around the neighborhood, then eat dinner and watch 1 or 2 movies. Next day, Repeat!
We’ve been storing up hugs, and really look forward to getting together in person.

We hope your life is going along okay, too. Sure looking forward to a healthier, happier, calmer country this year.

XXOO

Lynn & Fred


Happy New Year 2021. Lynn & Fred at Midnight, after some Champagne (note the rosy cheeks.)

Hiking in the time of COVID-19. (One-Way Trails. That’s Fred behind the mask)

 

January 7, 2021

Our classmate Jane Gooch Hollander passed away today.

Click for Obituary

 

August 4, 2020
"July 29, 2020 Ron and Carol Philgreen celebrated their 60TH Wedding Anniversary. Their three kids - Sherri, David and Jill - took them out to dinner - just the five of them - at The Hereford House for a great celebration. "

Also, Ron's email has changed to ronphilgreen@olepilot.com

 

July 26, 2020
Jerry Rutter reported that Larry Morgan passed away. No other information at this time.

 

June 20, 2020

Our classmate Ken Pollock passed away today.

 

February 11, 2020
We lost another classmate. Darryl Dean Motti graduated from Westport High School in 1957. On October 24, 1964, Darryl married Marvina Coats in Portland, Indiana. Darryl was an active member of the Central Church of the Nazarene. He enjoyed spending time with his family and playing internet checkers with people all over the world. Darryl worked as the head custodian for Shawnee Mission West High School for over 35 years before retiring in 2002. After retirement, Darryl and Marvina enjoyed taking bus tours all throughout the Midwest.

https://www.amosfamily.com/darryl-dean-motti/

May 24, 2019
Sorry to report that Judy Church (Barr) passed away on May 19th in Casper, Wyoming, where she had lived for many years.
Barbara Church (Schneider)
Class of '56

 

March 30, 2019

Westport Gals and the poster board check of the $450.00 Christmas donation made to The Children’s Mercy Hospital. Thought you might like to post it on our website. (The photo was taken at Lidia’s Restaurant.).

 

November 5, 2018

Juanita Candillo is back in the hospital with a stroke and needs our prayers.

 

October 19, 2018

Our classmate Juanita Candillo went to the hospital with a high heartbeat. After 10 days, today she is returning home with meds to help with the heartbeat. She said she is feeling much better. Please send Juanita your prayers!

Jim Carras

August 14, 2018

Our classmate Darlene (Page) Logan passed away.
Visitation will be Friday, August 17 from 6:00-8:00 at Terrace Park Funeral Home on Shoal Creek Parkway and her Memorial will be at 11:00 on Saturday, August 18 at First Christian Church of North Kansas City, followed by the burial.

You can view her orbituary here...https://www.terraceparkfuneralhome.com/notices/Darlene-Logan

 

June 3, 2018

Ron Philgreen is making slow progress to recovery as of Sunday, June 3, 2018.

 

May 27, 2018

Darlene (Page) Logan is in Hospice at North Kansas City Hospital. Because of Medicare only paying for a limited time, the family is discussing taking her home and having Hospice be there in her home. I visited her at the hospital this afternoon and she had her eyes closed the whole time. She is eating very little. I held her hand and she was aware I was there. She only has a small window of time. I am asking this please be sent to our classmates and posted on Westport website. Darlene's memory has been failing for some time, but Chuck, her husband, has brought her to church up until the time she went into NKC Hospital. Prayers for her, Chuck, and their family. If I get any updates, I will let you know.
Ilene O'Hare Blogin

 

May 27, 2018

Ron Philgreen had an auto accident Wed may 23 had a Head on crash and the car totaled. Two broken bones in left ankle and bruised from head to toe. In a walking boot for 6 to 12 weeksRon said " Ambulance medic and police both said that if the airbag had not deployed, he would be dead. It happened at College Blvd. In front of Lighton office bldg. The young kid in the other car wasn't hurt. Please pray for Ron's quick recoery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 20, 2018

The price of the Catered BBQ from Zarda's for the annual picnic
for Westport High School class of 1957 is $15.00 each.
The meal includes sliced Beef, Ham & Turkey, Beans, Cole Slaw, Potatoe Salad,
Pickles, Bread, Sauce, Plates, and Plasticware.
Deserts and liquid drinks will be provided.

It will be at the Loose Park Shelter house, Sat. Aug. 18, 2018 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Pictures to show and more stories to tell about our high school days are welcome.

If you plan to attend, make your check for $15.00 ea. to : Westport Class of 1957 and send it to:

Juanita Candillo
4901 S. Valley View Rd.
Trailer # 91
Blue Springs, MO 64015

Thank you,
Juanita

May 3, 2018

Well, we lost another one. Donna Sue Tidball Oakes passed away last month. She had been fighting cancer for a number of years although I don’t know if that’s what finally got her. She had been in an assisted living facility lately but I don’t know for how long. Her oldest son, Ron, passed away unexpectedly last year. He was is his upper 50s.

Usually the funeral home that handles the burial has a more complete obituary than the local newspaper due to the high cost but Donna’s was pretty sketchy there as well. Here’s all I could come up with....

Pat Starner

https://www.floralhaven.com/obits/donna-sue-oakes/#panel2m

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/donna-oakes-obituary?pid=188730746&view=guestbook

April 26, 2018

RONALD D. PHILGREEN’S BATTLE WITH PROSTATE CANCER

UPDATE AS OF Monday, April 16, 2018
Good news was delivered to me at 3 ½ months into the 6 month protocol after a PSA Check was run so see if, in fact, the hormone Lupron was working to starve the cancer cells in the prostate gland. My PSA on Jan 5, 2018 was 7.6. Oncologist Dr. Smalley walked into the exam room and said “Congratulations On Your Cancer!” I said, “HUH?”. “Your cancer cells are all gone. Your PSA count is .31…they’re all dead!”
What a wonderful answer to prayer. They were expecting a PSA of 4.0 or 5.0. This was the lowest score they have ever received from this protocol. Yes, I am experiencing some of the side effects, of lower testosterone levels - particularly fatigue.
They are still going to do the eight week Beam Radiation therapy which starts now on Monday, May 14th, Monday through Friday. This is to make sure that any remnants of the cancel cells are totally destroyed.

April 10, 2018

Our next luncheon will be on May 5th at 1:00 p.m. at Zarda's Bar-b-que located at
11931 W. 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS .66215 and the phone number there is
913 492 2330 When Juanita was checking on prices for bar-b- que for the picnic in August she found that Zarda's price was more reasonable than Jack Stack sooooooo, I thought we would "test taste" Zarda's at our next luncheon. I, personally, think their bar-b-que is very good. And speaking of the picnic, be sure you mark your calendars for Saturday, August 18th.
That's it for now. Take care and think SPRING!
Merry

 

April 9, 2018

Juanita received a call today from Vance Morris's wife. Vance had received a call from Marvin Braden saying Coach Sam Keith passed away last night (Sunday). The service will be held this Friday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m. at Mount Moriah which is located at 105th and Holmes in Kansas City, MO. Sam had requested no flowers. If you wish to send a card or note to his sons, Bob and Mike, you may send them to 2233 Condolea Terrace, Leawood, Kansas 66207. Sam was a very special man and will be missed by many. I know many of our classmates have some fond memories of Coach Keith.

 

March 8, 2018

Brian Hostin passed away March 3rd, 2018 (Orbit to follow)

 

March 8, 2018

Manuel Reyes, co-founder and publisher of Dos Mundos newspaper passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 4, succumbing to pancreatic cancer after a short illness, the newspaper announced today. The lifelong Kansas Citian and longtime civic leader would have turned 80 on May 4.

Mr. Reyes leaves his wife, Clara Rodriguez Reyes of 54 years, daughter, Diana Reyes Raymer, son, Edward Reyes of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Susan, his spouse, and seven grandchildren.

Besides his immediate family, Mr. Reyes is survived by one brother, cousins, an uncle, many, many friends and employees of Dos Mundos and Reyes Media.

Mr. Reyes was born in Kansas City, Kan., on May 4, 1938. He was the second of four children of Joseph Reyes and Mary Mejia. His father worked in an ice plant; his mother was chiefly a homemaker who worked for a short time in a meatpacking house.

Mr. Reyes graduated from Westport High School in 1957 and later studied graphics communications at Johnson County Community College.

Before starting the region’s first English-Spanish newspaper in June 1981, Mr. Reyes worked first as a sales representative and then as a welder.

In recognition of his efforts as publisher of Dos Mundos, Mr. Reyes has received such honors as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Hispanic Publications; the Top 100 Hispanics in the Media by the Hispanic Media Association; a special achievement award from the National Association of Hispanic Publications; and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City’s Small Business of the Year Award.

An avid community booster, Mr. Reyes was active in civic engagement. Over decades, he was involved with groups that include Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Westside Business Association, American G. I. Forum, National Federation of Hispanic Owned Publications, Fiesta Bullwhacker Days Olathe Ks., the Westside Fountain Committee and more. He co-founded the Southwest Boulevard Business Association.

For his many contributions to the community over a lifetime, Mr. Reyes has been the recipient of numerous awards. Among those are the Guadalupe Center’s I. Pat Rios Award, the Greater Kansas City National Hispanic Heritage Committee’s Community Service Award and with his wife, Clara, the Jackson County, Mo.’s Legacy List of the 175 most influential builders of Jackson County.

A memorial mass will be held on Monday, March 12 at 4 p.m. at Holy Cross Church, 8311 W 93rd St., Overland, Park, Kan. 66212

March 2, 2018

Catherine Sue (Payne) Boyle 78, KCMO passed away January 20, 2018.
She graduated from Westport High School in 1957. ( I will represent
our class as I go to her visitation and funeral Saturday.)

Services were held at 12:00 pm. Sat. Feb. 3rd at Charter Funerals, 77 NE 72nd St.
Gladstone MO, with visitation beginning at 10:00 am. Burial will be at
Resurrection Cemetery.

Juanita

March 2, 2018

The Westport High School class of '57 will have an annual picnic this year on Saturday, August 18, 2018, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm It will be at the Loose Park shelter house at 5200 Pennsylvania Ave. K.C. Mo. 64112.

There will be a small charge for the catered BBQ. Details will be given later.

Bring some more memories and pictures that didn't get shared at the 60th reunion. Please check and mark your calendars. We would love to see you there if you can come.

Best Regards,
Juanita Candillo

January 24, 2018

TOM CROSBIE Tom Crosbie, 78, of Leawood, KS, passed away Jan. 19, 2018. Memorial services will be 2:00 pm, Mon., Jan. 29 at. St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church, 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO.

 

January 7, 2018

Ronald D. Philgreen / “Most Talked About Prayer”

“ Dear God, shrink & destroy every cancer tumor in all who suffer! Amen!”

That’s my prayer for you and your cancer, and also for me and my recently diagnosed prostate cancer. My protocol is 6 months of hormone (Lupron) therapy to lower testosterone and starve the cancer cells to death, with two months of daily beam radiation in months 5 and 6 to kill any remaining cells, which should be very weakened at that point. Objective of this treatment program is to kill every cancer cell in six months. So this is my prayer, too.

He said, “IN ALL THINGS, GIVE THANKS.” So thank you, Lord, for my cancer… which has caused me to thank the Lord for each day and heightened my awareness that I rest in Him and His Grace… for each new day. I thank him for 78 years of life itself as of last October 17, 2017, 57 years of marriage to my best friend – Carol Wallin – and three kids successfully married and walking with Him, and seven beautiful grandchildren.
I am not afraid because “His perfect love casts out fear” and “His Grace will be sufficient for my need.” “For He has not given us a spirt of fear, but of love, of power, and a sound mind.”

When I asked my twin brother – Dr. Don Philgreen who has delivered over 4,000 babies! – if he believed in divine healing. He said “All healing is divine, we Doctors just kind of help Him along.” And then he reminded me that my prostate cancer was not a surprise to the Lord, who knew all about long before I did.

I have and treasure “THE PEACE THAT PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING” and I choose to give my cancer to Him. It’s His problem now, and I trust Him and rest in His care.

I am simply and humbly a man of faith, who has experienced His love, His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace in this life long journey of walking with Him. And I invite you to make Jesus your Lord and Savior, too and join us who follow Him.

Friday, Jan 5, 2018
The six month battle has been commenced with a 45 mg hormone shot of Lupron today.

December 1, 2017

This was our Class of '57 Gals Christmas Luncheon Sat. Dec. 2

The annual Christmas party was at the home of Diane Morrow Kaster and Roger Kaster. Thank you, both for hosting the party.


The charity we adopted was CASA (Court-appointed Special Advocates) for Children Links Kids came from Blue Valley schools and Rockhurst HS
to pick up the donations for the organization.


We also had a white elephant gift exchange. And BBQ was from JackStack Barbecue which started out as Smokestack BBQ in 1957 by Russ
Florella. His Son Jack carried on the Kansas City BBQ tradition. And now, Jack Stack BBQ is the highest rated BBQ in the country.

Norma Hall Latini got the door prize which was a stuffed tiger (" Wesker" our Westport High School Mascot.) We had lots of fun.

November 24, 2017

Photo of Juanita Candillo and Diana Pappas Gaskill at Diana's home in Frisco, Texas Oct. 26th 2017



 

November 20, 2017

Message from Ilene Blogin: We had word at church yesterday that Karen Norton's Father has passed away. He was 105 years old. If any classmates would like to send her a card of sympathy, her address is below. She was Karen Rhinehart in high school. I wasn't sure best way to get message out...so sending to those who I feel can help. Ilene

Karen Norton
8753 N Charlotte
Kansas City, MO 64155


November 13, 2017

Hi,

Fred & I drove the motorhome to Yosemite Valley for a few days of camping and hiking last week. Rain was forecast, but we lucked out and the weather was perfect -- cool & sunny.

We hiked to the bottom of the Upper Falls & went to the Mountain Room for dinner. Everything was very dry, and there are many dead trees.

Drove past the wildfire that caused the town of Mariposa to be evacuated last month. Miles & miles of burned hills, stopping just short of the town.

Happy Thanksgiving! We'll be spending that week with Fred's Uncle Dan in Placerville.

Lynn & Fred
(A couple of very thankful people!)


October 22, 2017

Hi Westport Luncheon Gals,

Before I talk about the 60th Class Reunion I would just like to thank you all for the get well wishes I received before, during and after my recent back surgery. I am well on the road to recovery and plan to finish up by visiting my son and his family in Scottsdale, Arizona. There I will rest, relax and be pampered by the family and plan to spend a lot of time exercising in the pool. i will be there for Thanksgiving and return home the Friday after Christmas.

Now,for the reunion! I hear I really missed a good one, didn't I. Well, shucks!! However, I have watched the video at least 4 times now and have also looked at the class picture (thinking somehow I would appear in there somewhere) and enjoyed looking at all the individual pictures. What great pictures and what a great looking group of friends. Thank you, Ron and Juanita, for taking on such a big project and for providing for your classmates a really great 60th Class Reunion. Vance was a great guest speaker and we were honored to have Coach Sam Keith in attendance..Yes, I really did miss a good one!

As we usually do, we will not have a luncheon in November. This will give everyone plenty of time to focus on having Thanksgiving with their families and/or very close friends. So, moving right along then, we are fast approaching December, my personal favorirte month. I don't know why but maybe it has something to do with the name my father insisted on giving me. The nurses said that was not a proper name and could not be used. Let history show that my birth certificate indeed says .....Merry Marie Krause ..... Thanks, Dad, and I promised to live up to my name. Well,............most of the time. Speaking of December (spelled with an m in it), our Christmas Luncheon is right around the corner. Diane and Roger once again came through and have offered their home for the luncheon. Mark your calendars for SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 at 11:30 with lunch served at noon. The menu will be the same which is bar-b-que. "Don't fix it if it isn't broke". Right? The White Elephant Exchange is a must so start looking through your closets.

I always try for the goofiest or the most awkward or the biggest white elephant. You never know what I will come up with. We also need to come up with an Adoption Project so put on your thinking caps and let's put a little Christmas cheer into someone or ones' life. Send your suggestions to me SOON so we can make a decision before I leave for Arizona. Also, let me know as soon as possible if you plan to attend the most friendly, cheerful and caring holiday event in town - the Westport Gals Christmas Luncheon! Once we have a head count Diane will let you know what your cost for the meal will be. Any questions, just let me or Diane know. Now, before the computer decides to hide this part of the luncheon note from me I will sign off for now.

Take good care of yourselves.
Lots of hugs to you from me,
Merry

 

October 4, 2017

Where did all the years go so fast? I am thankful to be alive. Many people do not get to see all the seasons of their life. We are in the winter of our lives.

Say all the things you want your loved ones to remember. Don't put it off too long.
Remember;
It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
There are things I wish I hadn't done_ _ _ Things I should have done _ _ _
There are many things I am happy to have done. Like getting to know my high school family, finding those who could come to our reunions and being blessed by seeing some of them there. Even if they couldn't come, just to know how they were was satisfying.
Darrell Kitterman is on Oxygen with COPD in a assisted living facility in Tenn.
Ken Mendenhall emailed a message to say Hi
Manual Ramentol lives in Miami Fla, has Parkinson's and just went through a hurricane.
Kenneth Pollock doesn't drive anymore and is having memory loss.
We never know what others are going through.
Pray for each other.
LET'S MAKE SURE WE go TO HEAVEN SO WE CAN CONTINUE these reunions on the other side. Life is a gift. Eternal Life is God's gift to us.
By the grace of God, heaven is free, Jesus paid for it. We accept his gift by being willing to turn from our sinful ways, asking Jesus to forgive us and come into our heart so our name will be written in the book of life.
God Bless all of you
Jesus Loves you
and so do I

Juanita Furness Hines Candillo

 

October 4, 2017

Thanks for posting these photos and texts for the Westport Class of 1957. I was unable to attend, but enjoyed this posting of classmates.

Robert (Bob) Mills

October 4, 2017

Thank you Ron for sending this endearing and informative email to all - especially for those, like myself, Barbara Shadwell Louis, who were unable to attend. My husband of 52 years passed away after a long and horrific battle with colon cancer. My heart and prayers go out to all the others and their caregivers who are dealing with similar situations. God gives us the strength for finding our way through these difficult times and He will be there to guide us through what may lie ahead. Thank you all who continue to come together as friends and classmates to plan and carry out great times together. Hopefully, I will be able to make the trip from Colorado to KC for the next one. Thanks again - I enjoyed reading about a great sounding event. Blessings to you all.

Barbara Shadwell Louis

 

October 3, 2017

Pictures from our 60th Reunion

 

September 30, 2017

Hi -- here's our latest "trip report" and some photos.

We started out from San Jose the end of July. First stop was a visit with Fred’s Uncle Dan in Placerville, near Lake Tahoe. Then, we headed across the Nevada desert to the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah (near Zion Nat'l. Park) for our annual week of plays and visiting friends we see once a year. Next, we drove north to Wyoming: the plan was to travel through some of our favorite scenery, looking for READ MORE ABOUT LYNN'S EVANS TRIP WITH PHOTOS

Lynn Evans

 

September 21, 2017

"Remember When" by Juanita (Furness) Hines Candillo
I remember the corner of 39th and McGee in front of Klee's drug store when there was a riot. Some guys came from a rival school and started a fight. The local fire Dept. had to come and water it down with their hoses.

I remember meeting in a school bus after school for " Youth For Christ" that Ron and Don Philgreen was involved in.

Lots of us at the reunion had Miss Brubaker stories. You either liked her or you didn't. You had a good reason for either one. She saw Jerry Bybee and Shirley Loyd walking down the hall holding hands. We heard about it in her English Literature class our senior year, all hour long, why the boys should not chase the skirts. Actually, I loved Miss Brubaker. She instilled values in us that stayed with us throughout our lives. She taught us to respect and she favored Ron and Don Philgreen for their Christian values and because they knew so much about the Bible. I even named one of my Daughters Anita Marie after Marie Brubaker.

All the time I went to Westport my Mother worked in the Cafeteria. Ron and Don Hardwick's mother worked there too. Anytime I needed $5.00 for something, I knew where to go.

Tiger Den : The girls stood on one side of the gym and the boys on the other unless they were dancing.


September 21, 2017

"Remember When" by Herb Snedden
I remember my first day at Westport in 1950. I was barely 13, 85 lbs in the eighth grade. I knew no one, was very shy and I don't think I spoke to another student that day.out I had my first date after football season my senior year. I asked him who discouraged you from dating during football season? I thought it was a special strong willed person that would not date until after football season their senior year. That is when he came back with the answer that Coach Keith discouraged them from dating during football season because of distractions. That he was always in season because he was also in track. You know how it would affect their game if a player just broke up with a girl. How their emotions would be on a roller coaster ride if they would be dating and try to be serious about playing their best. I remember rounding a corner and bumping (literally) into a senior boy with faded jeans, blond flat top and who was the best built, most self-assured person I had ever seen. Later I had learned he was Don Ross, Jack ('55) and Kenny's ('58) big brother and was a High School All American in football and basketball. I think I managed to get through the 8th grade because I now had a goal of being an athlete at Westport.

I remember going to Vice-Principle Easter's office to request 7th-hour gym so I could go out for freshman football. He said "You're awfully small. Are you sure you want to do this? We have some tough boys in this school and they are going to hit you hard". I wasn't sure but I did it anyway.


Great reunion! Thanks to you and Ron and others who might have had a role. I'm pretty sure it was coach Keith who discouraged us to not date during season because of distractions. Since I was either playing football or running track I was always in season. I also was pretty shy around girls. I did have Miss Brubaker as a teacher 2 years and she was probably my favorite teacher (along with Mr. Burrette for human science).I always felt she liked me and she made me put my head down on my desk Mondays after Friday football games. Didn't always agree with her about being so tough on the girls. I remember her saying many times " freedom isn't free - for every freedom there is an equal and corresponding responsibility".

My Sunday school teacher at Calvary Baptist Church (39th and Baltimore) was Tom Pickell (All American basketball player at U. of Arkansas). He was a gentle giant at 6'8" who was a cross between Abe Lincoln and Gary Cooper and he came to many of my track meets and football games. Also from Calvary was a woman named Tommie Thomas who I found out later paid my tuition for 3 years at Midwestern Seminary anonymously. Both of these people are deceased.

I remember being befriended by my idol, Clint Kelly ('55) during tough times in my Sophomore year. Clint was All-City in Football and All-State in track and possibly the best looking young man I had ever seen.

I remember my first real crush in high school. She probably never knew it or how much agony she caused me just by being nice to me. Actually there were many pretty, quality girls in our school.

I remember my Junior year Vance Morris and I would meet Marvin Braden ('56) and Fred Redd ('56) at Gilliam Park to run plays on Saturday mornings after
Friday night football games. I learned a lot about dedication and commitment from these three.
All three went on to play in college and Marv and Vance became football coaches

I remember my last day at Westport in 1957 I was late leaving the gym and walked the deserted halls for the last time. I thought about the first time I walked these same halls in the 8th grade and how out of place and frightened I felt. Now it was home and I hated to leave. I had friends, felt accepted and part of a family. I had grown up here and had experienced my worst and best times while attending Westport. When I walked out that day, I was leaving childhood and entering adulthood.

 

September 19, 2017

I would like to thank everyone who had anything to do with this reunion. Thanks for your help in this. Please let me know if there is a way I can do this myself.

I would like to thank Ron Philgreen and Juanita Candillo for the wonderful job thSeey did in arranging this reunion. Bless their hearts, they really went the extra mile to make this a great experience. The food was great both nights. The centerpieces done by Martha Philgreen (Don) were very beautiful. The fellowship with each other was great. I was unable to participate in the Sunday activities. If you attended any part of the celebration I know you felt the joy and the memories of Westport.

Vance did such a great job on the program. I really enjoyed the memories shared by our classmates during the program. It was so thoughtful of Ron to arrange to have the program filmed to share with those who could not be there. We heard stories from the past which stirred many memories . I am sure as classmates review this program they too will remember the joys of Westport and the common legacy we share as classmates.

Your classmate, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns

 

August 25, 2017

Westport Luncheon Gals, all W.H.S. class of '57 classmates,
Our 60th Class Reunion is just around the corner. Can you believe it! 60 years since we graduated. Remember how excited we were to get out of school? Looking back, those were some of the best years of our lives. Well, here is your chance to reminisce with your W.H.S. classmates. If you haven't done so yet, there is still time to register. You will find a registration form on the Westport website www.westport57.com.

The Friday night event will be from 6-9pm. It will be very casual and at your own expense. This event will be held at Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum. A head count would be appreciated.
The Saturday event is the main one. It will be held from 11am-3pm in the Athens Room at the Argosy Casino Hotel and Spa. We will have a luncheon buffet and the cost is very reasonable -$40 per person. A head count is necessary. A cash bar will be available. We will have a class picture taken at 11:30 before we eat. If you wish to purchase a picture, the cost is $15.
Sunday brings two events. The first will be church service at Church of the Resurrection at 10:45 am. Ron Philgreen has reserved a section for us so it would be very helpful if you could indicate if you are planning to come to the service. After the church service, you may wish to join others for lunch, at your own expense, from 12:30pm-2:30pm at The Gaslight Grill. It is located one block north of the church.

Please mail your completed reservation form and check to: Co-Chair Juanita Candillo, Trailer Lot #91, 4901 South Valley View Road, Blue Springs, MO 64015. Checks should be made payable to Westport Class of 1957 Reunion.

I hope to see many of you in a couple of weeks.

Merry Becker

 

June 30, 2017

Juanita confirmed Marilyn Owings (Pitz) has passed away April 4, 2016.

 

June 25, 2017

Click on this link to read John Ruf Obituary

 

May 8, 2017

We have just received news that Elaine (Fredin) Chenault has passed away. More info to follow.

Jim Carras

March 25, 2017

I found out that Carl Frederick Lohrengel II that graduated with our
Westport class in 1957 was born November 24, 1939 in Kansas City MO and
died on December 17, 2015 in Saint George, Utah. Buried in Cedar City
Utah.

Juanita

March 11, 2017

The 60th Reunion of the Westport Class of 1957 will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2017. Reserve this weekend.
Details to follow shortly.

Ron Philgreen, Chairman
Juanita Candillo, Co-Chairman

For details see our Home Page

January 20, 2017

It was suggested, at the last WHS 1957 Luncheon Gals lunch, that we ask if Ron Philgreen would like to chair the committee for the 60th reunion of our 1957 class of WHS. We also asked if Juanita would like to work with Ron. They both did an excellent job with the 55th reunion along with several others. They both accepted so we have in place a chairman, Ron Philgreen, and Juanita Candillo will co-chair. Thanks to both of them for taking on the task of putting together a reunion celebrating 60 years since the 1957 class of WHS graduated high school. If there are any classmates out there that would like to volunteer to work with Ron and Juanita, please contact Juanita (1957jc@iland.net) and she will let you know what is needed. Dates and details of the reunion will follow and be posted soon.

Merry Becker

January 4, 2017

Some friends and I were talking about our first cars and Jerry Torello’s name came up as he had the coolest car at Westport High. None of us could pin it down, however. We finally decided it was a pink Ford convertible but couldn’t remember the year, only that I was a 1949, ‘50, or ‘51. Does anyone remember for sure? Sadly, Jim Oakes and Jim Wray have both passed away and they both could have told me.

Pat Starner

 

December 3, 2016

We had our annual Westport Gals Christmas Luncheon at Diane Kaster's home on December 3rd. This year we all agreed on the Salvation Army Children's Shelter as our "adoption project" and we all donated toys for the children.

Merry Becker


 

 

 

September 10, 2016
KC Star Article
Plexpod Westport Commons taps ex-Sprint Accelerator manager John Fein

August 27, 2016
Mural Uncovered In Westport Renovation

 

February 12, 2016

The next Westport 1957 Gals luncheon will be on Saturday, February 20th, at 11:30 a.m. at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 6750 W. 95th Street, Overland Park, Ks. 66212 and the phone number there is 913-381-8645. We have to have a minimum of 10 to make a reservation so let me know if you will join us as soon as you can. According to my notes the last time we were there was in September of 2011. I hope to see many of you at the Olive Garden.... Merry Becker

 

December 30, 2015

Irene Zamarripa Lopez Orbituary

 

November 14, 2015

For those of ou who would like to send a sympathy card to Christine Fisher, Haskel Fisher's wife, can do so.

Christine Fisher
6515 W 144th Street
Overland Park
Kansas 66223

 

November 4, 2015

Karen Rhinehart Norton Thank You Note:

Hello to all.....I would like to thank everyone of you for all the beautiful cards, prayers, sympathy, and good wishes. I have my memories, family, and friends. This helps us to go on. It was wonderful to hear from all of you! Sincerely, Karen Norton

 

November 1, 2015

Haskel Fisher Jr has passed away Oct. 15th.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansascity/obituary.aspx?n=haskel-fisher&pid=176295392&eid=sp_shareobit

 

October 15, 2015

Karen (Rhinehart) Norton is having a memorial service for her husband, Gary, who passed away a few months ago. Her father was very sick around the time Gary passed, so she delayed the memorial service. It will be at First Christian Church on Saturday,10:30, October 24th. First Christan Church is on Gentry St. You can access it from Armour Rd, one of the main streets running through NKC and it is right behind the Subway. I thought possibly some of Karen's local classmates would like to attend. If you need further information or directions, let me know. Ilene (O'Hare) Blogin, 816-569-4897.

 

September 22, 2015

Click on this link to find out more about our Westport High building.

http://kcpublicschools.org/cms/lib6/MO01001840/Centricity/Domain/436/KCSDP%20WH%20only.pdf

 

August 9, 2015

(Glady Fredin) Elaine Chenault asked me to send you this message to post on our class website and ask the class to pray for her. The Doctor told her she only has a month to live, a week ago. She has Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and is on oxygen. Hospice is taking care of her at home. Please keep Elaine in your thoughts and prayers. If you want to send her a card,


She appreciates your thoughtfulness. (She had hoped to come to our 60th reunion in two years.) her address is ;

Elaine Chenault
4439 N. Randall St.
Flagstaff, Arizona 86004

Thank you,
Juanita Candillo

 

July 18, 2015

I called this morning to find out how Bob Brewer was and left a message to call me and my phone number. His wife just called me and told me that he passed away April 3rd of cancer. She also said he also had many other things wrong with him. I told her how sorry I was to find out and that we would let his classmates know.

Thanks
Juanita Candillo

 

July 14, 2015

Dear Westport '57 Classmates,
It seems we left out a very important piece of information on the invitation that was sent to you regarding our Annual Westport Class of '57 Picnic We apologize for our mistake.
If you are planning to attend the picnic please send the name(s) of the people attending along with a check at $15 a person to Mary Ruf, 9055 Clare Road, Lenexa, Kansas 66227. Make the check payable to Mary Ruf. You may also bring your check/money with you and pay when you arrive at the picnic but please let us know if you are coming so we can order the correct amount of food. We hope this clarifies the payment options. Once we order the food we will not be able to refund your money and we will probably order the food by September 18th. We, here in the K.C. area, are looking forward to seeing you on Sept. 25th.
Travel safe.
Best regards from your classmates in the Kansas City area.
Merry Becker

 

May 26, 2015

What : The Westport Class of 1957 annual Reunion Picnic
When : Friday, September 25, 2015 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
( lunch will be served ) details later.
Where : Loose Park Pavilion, 5200 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO

More Details Later

Merry Becker

May 2, 2015

Our classmate, Karen Rhinehart Norton's husband, Gary, passed away. Memorial service has not been announced yet. Her address is: 8752 N Charlotte, Kansas City, MO 64155

Ilene (O'Hare) Blogin

Febuary 9th, 2015

You may want to notify the Westport group about Judy (Arnold) Eckel's grandson (James Napier) ...who won a Grammy along side Sam Smith for Song of the Year for "Stay With Me".....and Record of the Year by the same name!! Sam is the artist, but he let James Napier, Judy's grandson, give the acceptance speech when they won....!! James also works with Sam on all of his songs. What a thrill for Judy!!!! Congrats!! I sent to some of the list I had, Merry, but you have the complete list.. By the way, Sam Smith also won New Artist of the Year!!
They said Sam won 4 Grammy's tonight, but the 4th one slipped by me!!
Ilene Blogin

 

October 14, 2014

Here are our gals at the last luncheon at McCoys in Westport, near the Country Club Plaza, where there is blue water in the fountains in honor of the Kansas City Royals baseball team that are doing so well in the playoffs. Juanita took this picture.

L to R : Donna Dodds Haas, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Pat Jenkins Turley, Phyllis Morgan Lodl , Merry Krause Becker, Ilene O'Hare Blogin,
Mary Hamilton Ruf , Beverly Stottlemyre Tryon, Diane Morrow Kaster, Terry Ann Murphy Renfrow, Carol Nicholson Williams, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, and Betty Turley Smith

October 14, 2014

His is a picture of Merry Krause Becker and myself Juanita Furness Candillo when Merry recieved her gift for leading the reunion committee. Taken at the Gal's luncheon at McCoys restaurant in Westport, K.C. MO. Oct. 10, 2014.

September 28, 2014

Hi Westport Gals,
It is just about time for another luncheon and we already have a reservation at the same place we went to in August. Here is the information:

Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 12 noon at McCoy's Public Housing, 4057 Pennsylvania Ave., K.C., MO. 64111 in the Westport area. The phone number there is 816-960-0866.
We will be in the Plot Room again which was very nice and we enjoyed having it to ourselves. Please let me know if you plan to join us. I hope to see many of you on Saturday, the 11th.

Juanita wanted me to let you know that she would be bringing a few of the items that Beverly Martin donated to our class so you can get a closer look at them. Thanks, Juanita.

Have a good week and I will see you in a few.

Merry Becker

September 28, 2014

I joined Archives.com yesterday and I found out that our Keith Rabenord Vilander born in 1938, age 74 when he died, from Colorado Springs, CO passed away in 2013 (His middle name matches the Commencement Program.) We also had his address in Colorado Springs.

Juanita

September 23, 2014

Hi Westport Gals,
I will have a treasurer's report from Mary Ruf by our next luncheon and we will see how the Class of '57 stands financially. Those of us that were able to attend the picnic will be glad to share our ideas and thoughts regarding the picnic, won't we, gals? In an earlier note I failed to mention classmate Beverly (Stottlemyre) Tryon as a first timer to one of Westport's Class of 1957's functions. She is living in the Kansas City area and has been added to our Luncheon Gals list. Welcome, Beverly.

I received a call from Kaye's daughter, Joni, Monday morning informing me that Kaye fell in the dining room of her residence on Sunday and broke her hip. She has had surgery and has several pins in place. She had a pretty good day on Monday but as the day went on Kaye became more confused.Joni has asked for our prayers and I told her that we were very good at sending out lots of prayers and love and they will go straight over to Kaye and her family. Kaye Muehlberger is in St. Joseph Medical Center located at 1000 Carondelet Drive, Kansas City, MO. 64114 Her room number is 545. I am sure she would appreciate a note or card from everyone. Joni said Kaye will go to rehab (at an undecided location at this time) but will not be returning to her apartment at the Atriums as she is unable to live on her own and her illness seems to be taking control quite rapidly. I will continue to keep you updated on Kaye's progress and location as she begins the healing part of her surgery

Some upcoming dates to circle on your calendars and make plans to attend are:

October 11th - next luncheon (reminders to be sent out soon).

December 6th - Christmas Luncheon at Diane's home (reminders to be sent out in November).

Thanks for all your love and support as we keep our classmates dear to our hearts.

Merry Becker


September 23, 2014

Here is the Bio for Beverly Kerr Martin. She passed away on March - 18 - 2014. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the ALS Society would be appreciated. She was always a part of what was going on. Westport High School Tours, classmate pictures, Reunion Committee, Reunions, Gal's luncheons, etc. She was always there and could be called on to do what ever was needed. A very sweet person indeed. Loved and well thought of by all who knew her.

Beverly Ker Martin had her Daughter, Kim, donate her 5 yearbooks and a box of memorabilia to our class for display at reunions, presently being stored at my house. Her sorority jacket, (in a frame) a sorority picture and ring, a bracelet with Westport High on it, and an article from the newspaper that said "Westport High Candidates for Graduation Diplomas" and our names are listed under the heading. She had her diploma, and pictures including Roy and Ray's Drive in. (one of the hang outs of our classmates) she had collected over the years. We all meant a lot to her.

Juanita

September 19, 2014

At the 57 year reunion Tom Langley's Daughter, Lisa, was emotional about what her Dad had written in our 50th year reunion book. He had just passed away on 3/13/14 . What she read (taken from the reunion book) is in the attachment in this email. I will send a copy to Tom's children, Lisa Harrington now age 51 and Nick Langley now age 35. I want to thank Art White for inviting them to the picnic.

If there is a place you can put this on the website, Please do so. I can do this for others that have passed away from our class too. I just learned how to scan from my copy machine. Thanks,
Juanita


 

September 14, 2014

Dear Classmates,
I want to thank each one of you that did anything to help get this reunion together because it took a lot of preparation and work. Thanks Merry for all you did. I joined Costco to buy the cake there because I heard how good their cakes were. After I joined I went back to their bakery section and no one was there, they had gone home for the day. There were order sheets to fill out for cakes that could be ordered, of the ones they had to pick from, but I had a special order so they needed to put our logo on it. I had the logo blown up for the cake at Office Depot from our invitation that Jim Carras made up and sent me, that said "57 year reunion" and a tiger that said "Westport Tigers Class '57/57 years" under it, (150 invitations were mailed out.) I talked to someone that worked at Costco about the special cake order and he said they do not do special orders like that for cakes. Besides he thought they would be afraid to do the tiger because of copyright laws.

I went to Sam's club where I had Lupe and my sheet cake done for our 50th Anniversary with our picture from a photography studio on it. I guessed Sams would do it. I was right, I took the Logo to SAM'S club and they were the ones that are responsible for making that delicious, moist, chocolate on one side and white on the other side, sheet cake. And the icing was not too thick or too sweet. They had no problem doing it with the Westport 57 logo on it. She said it would be made from eatable paper.

Sorry I didn't see the coffee at the picnic. It would have gone good with the cake and on a cold day like it was, it would warm me up too. Was it 55 degrees ? I know we forgot to order the weather. It could have been worse. I am so glad that we had such a good turnout.
One thing that I saw that went over good was the duplicate reunion and classmate pictures I had in a box marked Free for the taking. I am glad that 1/2 of the pictures were gone when we got ready to leave. If any of you have any extra pictures of us that you want to give away, that is a good way to give them to who ever wants them. See you at the next luncheon. I like the place we ate last in Westport too. I just wish I had gotten a group picture of our classmates at the picnic. Maybe next time.

Thanks everyone. Click HERE for pictures of the picnic.

Juanita

August 16, 2014

We are sorry to announce the loss of two of our classmates.

John H. Davis and Patrica Maye Isom Whalen

Juanita recieved the news when she sent out the reunion announcements and was notified by their family.

August 16, 2014

Ron and Carol Philgreen recently sold their big home on the golf course where several reunion events have been held in the past, and moved to 13449 Ballentine, Overland Park, KS 66213. They also celebrated their 54th Wedding Anniversary on July 29, 2014 with three kids and their spouses and seven grandkids. They feel blessed and very grateful.

Forever In His Grip....

August 7, 2014

Information for the 57 year reunion here

 

August 2, 1914

Westport High Proposal Update from Foutch Brothers

Community stakeholders are invited to learn more about the Foutch Brothers proposal for Westport High and to provide feedback to the District.

Thursday, August 14, 2014 @ 6:00pm
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
4501 Walnut Street, KCMO 64111

July 24, 2014

Hi Westport Lunch Gals,
We had 11 gals that were able to lunch together at the Blue Moose on the 12th of this month. Phyllis, Elberta, Isabel, Juanita, Carolyn, Carol, Donna, Barbara F., Barbara G., Kaye and me, Merry enjoyed the food and friendship. The next luncheon will be on Saturday, August 16, 2014 at McCoy's Public House located at 4057 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO. 64111 and their phone number is 816-960-0866. The time will be 12 noon (I think ...... I didn't write it down but we decided 1 p.m. was too late. If I "hear" different, I'll let you know).
The '57/57 Picnic was discussed and we have made a few more decisions. The bar-b-que meat, potato salad and beans will be purchased with the reunion funds as will a sheet cake from Sams/Costco. Our classmates in the local area will bring covered dishes and we will let our out of town guests know that they do not have to bring any food. Juanita volunteered to be in charge of the cake and Elberta volunteered to be in charge of the ice tea. The paper goods, table service and bottled water will also be purchased with the reunion funds. A donation jar will be available at the picnic to help replenish the funds. The time allowed for the picnic will be from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. with lunch available at noon. Juanita is in the process of notifying our OOT classmates of the latest details. We will definitely need a head count so we can order enough food but we still have time for that. As soon as you do know if you are planning to attend the picnic, please let me know and also the number attending. We would like to let the OOT guests know approximately how many and possibly who will be at the picnic. I wouldn't want anyone expecting to see a big, big gathering and travel many miles only to be disappointed seeing a smaller group of classmates. Maybe we will have a large group but I was more or less thinking of the number at the 55th Class Reunion. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas regarding the picnic and has not been available at the luncheons to share them, please let me know. Thanks!
Have a good week and I will be in touch.
Merry

 

July 20, 2014

Dear Classmates,
Here is the latest scoop on the Class of 57/57 years out Picnic at the Loose Park shelter house on Friday, September 12, 2014. We had a WHS (Westport High School) '57 class Gal's Luncheon on 7/19/14 in which we discussed plans for the reunion picnic. The reunion picnic will be from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Lunch will be at noon. Meat, potato salad and baked beans will be catered. Cake will be ordered. Table Service, cups, water and iced tea will be provided. We decided that our out of town guests do not need to bring any food. Local classmates will bring covered dishes. Donations will be accepted at the picnic to help cover expenses and to replenish our reunion fund. We hope you will make plans to attend. Please let me know if you plan to come so I can tell Merry Becker and we can have an idea of how much food to order. It is less than two months away. We hope to see you there.
Thanks,

Juanita Candillo
1957jc@iland.net

May 2, 2014

The last luncheon, April 12, was very nice and we had 12 gals there. We had an area off to ourselves which was nice. The following gals were able to join us: Betty, Juanita, Phyllis, Cherlyn, Carol, Jane, Donna, Judy, Elberta, Kaye, Barbara F. and me, Merry. We decided to have the next luncheon on Saturday, May 31 at the Outback Steakhouse at 9501 Quivira Dr., Overland Park, Ks. 66214 at 12:30 p.m. The phone number there is 913-894-5115.

I have a suggestion for the day(s) on which we schedule our summer luncheons. Since many of our gals have grandkids involved in ball games, etc that are usually played on the weekends and many have lake homes where they spend weekends, how about having the luncheons on a Thursday or even a Wednesday? Think about it and we'll talk more at the luncheons.

We also discussed having a class of '57/57 years out picnic. We have reserved the Loose Park shelter house for September 12th from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (they only rent for whole days). This will be for the whole class so save that date and we will have Jim post it on the website.

Merry Becker

March 23, 2014

I'm sad to announce our classmate Thomas Joseph Langley Jr. has passed away March 13th, 2014.

His Orbit link ... click here.

Jim Carras

March 20, 2014

I am sad to announce our classmate Beverly Louise (Kerr) Martin passed away March 18th, 2014.

You can view her obit. here

Jim Carras

 

March 3, 2014

Westport Gals,

Okay now, I let Mother Nature take charge of January and February, weather-wise. Now we will see how much authority I have when planning a luncheon and the weather. Our next luncheon will be Saturday, March 15 at Cascone's Italian Restaurant located at 3737 N. Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO. 64116 and the phone number there is 816-454-7979. The time will be 12:30. Just out of curiosity I looked back in my records (dating back to January of 2008 when I relieved Ilene of her 6 years at this position) and found that on March 9, 2013 we ate at ............... Cascone's north of the river. What a coincidence. Anyway, let me know if you are able to join us on the 15th and I will make our reservation.

Merry Becker

February 28, 2014

I received an email from Monique Smith the daughter of Thoman William Smith who was in our graduating class and was on our "Can Not Locate" list. Monique said Tom (we called him Bill) is at the North Cascades Health and Rehabilitation Center, Attn: Tom Smith Room No. 108, 4680 Cordata Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98226. She sent me his graduation diploma and also his graduation napkin and one of his report cards. She would like to hear from anyone who has memories of her father and would share them with her. Her email address is amsmith6207@yahoo.com.

After high school, my father attended University of Missouri where he graduated with a BA in mathematics. He entered the Air Force and later attended the University of Michigan where he received his master's degree and met my mother.

My father is a retired computer programmer. He and my mother had four children (two girls and two boys). He has five grandchildren.

I removed him from the missing page and Juanita will contact her.

Jim Carras

 

January 24, 2014

I did not graduate from Westport High (although my sister did) but I am interested in contacting those people who did on the off-chance that some of them went to George B Longan Elementary. I am doing research on Longan to write a short history of the place and there are only a couple of photos of it online and none of the interior. I was hoping that more shots are still in old photo albums around the country.

So, I was wondering if you could contact the graduates for me or send me a list of email addresses so I could.

Thank you

Dennis Jackman
djackman11@gmail.com

December 23, 2013

Westport Friends,
I am sorry to report that Betty Turley Smith's youngest son passed away on December 19th from a heart attack. He was cremated and a memorial service will be held at a later date. Roger just turned 50 in August. He lived in Wellsville, Ks. with his wife and they have 2 daughters. Pat said that Roger did have a medical condition but she didn't know the name of the condition except that it was the same as Phil Mickelson (pro golfer) has. Betty and Bob's address is RR#1, Box 258-43, Lowry City, MO. 64763 Our thoughts and prayers go out to Betty and her family.
I was unable to attend the funeral for Janis Jones but I was told that there were several of the lunch gals there and that the service was very nice. Janis fought a courageous battle for many, many years and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Barbara gave me an update on our adoption program. The total amount donated to the Women's Rescue Mission was $505. From that amount Barbara filled 12 gift bags with fuzzy Christmas socks, gloves, hats, purse tissues, Chapstick, Purell, emery boards, Dove face soap, one Sharpie, Granola bars, microwave popcorn, candy, gum and a gigantic Honey Crisp apple. Barbara's daughter-in-law works for Hallmark and she donated the pretty bags, tissue paper and cards. Barbara was invited to their Christmas party and will take the gift bags on Monday evening as a surprise. After filling the bags Barbara had a little money left over so she purchased some fleece and will go down next Saturday and show the women how to make easy scarves to go with their new hats and gloves.
For now, stay warm and happy.
Merrry

 

December 18, 2013

We are sorry to hear that our classmate Janis Ann (Blackwell) Jones has passed away after her fight with cancer.

For more information please read here.

 

December 14, 2013

Hi, Jim and '57 WHS classmates.

Paula and I have just become great-grandparents. Our granddaughter and her husband are the new parents of Jackson Paul Wright born December 5, 2013. Our daughter, Kelli, and her husband are Jackson's grandparents.

We celebrated our 52nd anniversary in June of this year. Paula retired with 31 years teaching, and I'm still Director of Football Operations at Louisiana College. We moved last August and have a new mailing address: 264 Riverside Lane, Natchez, LA 71456.

Christmas blessings to you and your family, Jim, and to my '57 WHS classmates!

Vance Morris

December 14, 2013

Hi Westport Luncheon Gals and classmates,

Before we ring out the old year and bring in the new one I thought I had better check my notes and bring our readers up to date on when, where and who regarding the Westport Gals' Luncheons. The last luncheon I reported on was on June 22, 2013 at Chappels in North Kansas City, Missouri. 16 gals were able to attend this luncheon. I am not going to write all the names of the gals but we have a very close knit of gals that attend almost every one of the luncheons. We also welcome any "new" gals that might want to join us. We always have a good time and get to know each other a little better each time we meet. The next luncheon was held at the Blue Moose Bar and Grill in Prairie Village, Kansas on August 3, 2013. 12 gals were able to meet this time. Zarda's B B Q in Lenexa, Kansas was the next location for lunch and it was held on September 20th, 2013. Again we had 12 gals that lunched together on delicious Bar B Que. The luncheon scheduled for October 25th at the Summit Grill and Bar in Lees Summit was cancelled and for the first time ever it was cancelled for lack of attendees. Most of the gals had other commitments that came up after the date was decided. We agreed not to schedule a luncheon for November as Thanksgiving had many of the gals involved with family plans. And that, my fellow classmates, brings us up to date with the latest luncheon taking place on December 7, 2013. This was our annual Christmas Luncheon and it was held at the home of Roger and Diane (Morrow) Kaster. We had a very nice time together. The food was great (bar-b-que) and the fellowship was even greater. The white elephant exchange always provides lots of fun and laughter. The following gals were able to attend this luncheon: Barbara Jones Field, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin,Betty Turley Smith, Carol Nicholson Williams, Carolyn Beck Casey, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Diane Morrow Kaster, Donna Dodds Haas, Elberta Lair Long, Isabel Avila Cheney, Judy Arnold Eckel, Juanita Furness Candillo, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Linda Bethke Hunter, Mary Hamilton Ruf, Merry Krause Becker, Phyllis Morgan Lodl and Terry Murphy Renfrow. This year we decided to "adopt" the Kansas City Union Mission's new Women's Care Center for our Christmas Adoption Program. We collected $485 and Barbara Field agreed to do the Christmas shopping for the 10 women that are currently housed at the Center. Barbara volunteers for the Union Mission and has been very helpful in connecting us with this Center. Thank you to everyone for your generous donations and a special thank you to those gals that live way out of town and are not able to get here for the luncheons. Thank you for your donations to our Adoption Program. We have not yet set a date for a luncheon in January. The weather plays a big part when setting up a date and place for a luncheon in the month of January and often February. Thanks for hanging in there while I updated all of you on the past luncheons.
Until I write again, stay warn with a cup of hot chocolate,
Merry Krause Becker

December 9, 2013

Westport Gals that attended the annual Westport High School class of 1957 Gal's Christmas party on December 7, 2013 at Diane (Morrow) Kaster's house. There were 17 that attended.

Those pictures are Row 1: left to right, Betty (Turley) Smith, Elberta (Lair) Long, Diane (Morrow) Kaster, Cherlyn (Hughes) Bruns. Row 2: Donna (Dodds) Hass, Phyllis (Morgan) Lodel, Carol (Nickolson) Williams. Row 2: Barbara (Hinshaw) Goodwin, Juanita (Furness) Candillo and Carolyn (Beck) Casey. Row 4: Mary (Hamilton) Ruf, Merry (Krouse) Becker, Terry Ann (Murphy) Renfrow. Row 5: Isabel (Avila) Cheney, Linda (Bethke) Hunter, Kaye (Peyser) Muehlberger. Barbara (Jones) Field left before the picture was taken and Judy Arnold (Eckel) took the picture.

 

 

Judy (Arnold) Eckel with basket full of goodies.

October 20, 2013

I am Charlotte (Hamilton) Thomas an alumni member of Westport High Class of 1957 and I am working on a family journal for my family. I am trying to locate a picture of Roy & Ray's Drive Inn at 4444 Main, Kansas City, MO and I was wondering if anyone in the class would have a picture or if they know of where I could obtain one.

If so I would pay them to make a copy for me.

My e-mail address is:

Charlotte Thomas
kcville@juno.com

Also, I am wondering if I am on the class active mailing list because I did not receive any information on the last class reunion.

Thank you for any information you might have.

Charlotte Thomas

 

July 13, 2013

Juanita just notified me that we lost another classmate, Thomas L. Steinhoff. June 1939-Sept. 2009

Thomas transfered from Dubque, Iowa and was in Band, Orchestra and the Honor Society.

Jim Carras
jim@carras.com


June 13, 2013

Hi Westport Gals,

As usual, the time got away from me and I need to let you know the when and where for our next luncheon. It is set for June 22nd at 1:00 at Chappell's in north Kansas City. The address is 323 Armour Road, Kansas City, MO. 64116 and the phone number there is 816-421-0002 . I think Cherlyn's husband, Gene, (bless his heart) will give Chappell's advance notice that we are coming and we have been averaging 12 to 16 gals. Right, Gene? As we get closer to the date and I have a final count I will let Chappell's know how many beautiful young ladies will be in attendance.

I had an email from Nancy Conklin Wilson and she shared some good news with me and gave me permission to share it with all of you. She and Frank Ingels were married on May 16th. They have been best friends for more than 60 years and have been together the last two years. They knew they were ready to take the next step so they did. May I now present.... ta daaaaaaaaaa....... Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ingels......................lots of applause and cheers. Nancy, as you are reading this, I hope you can feel all the best wishes being sent your way. Frank came with Nancy to our 55th class reunion so many of us got to meet him for the first time. What a nice couple. Congratulations!

Beverly Martin is doing okay. She is just taking it one day at a time. She and her two daughters just left to go back east for a couple of family events. She will get back here on the 16th (Father's Day) and finish getting ready to move to her new home in St. Joseph, Mo. For those of you who didn't hear at one of the luncheons, Beverly will be living with her daughter and son-in-law. They offered to have her live with them and the son-in-law built a 2 story addition to their home, complete with elevator, just for her. Wow, what great kids she has but then Beverly is a pretty special "kid" herself.

That's all I got for now. Take care and I hope to see you on the 22nd

Summer time, summer time, sum sum summer time...............hugs!

Merry Becker


March 12, 013

Westport High School Building Proposals Meeting Planned

Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) has invited two short listed teams to present proposal updates for Westport High and Middle on April 6, 2913. Each short-listed team will be allotted time for its presentation and for Q&A from the meeting participants. This is a great opportunity for local stakeholders to not only learn about the proposals and to ask questions, but also to provide feedback to the district.

Saturday, April 6, 2013
Westport High and Middle Proposal Presentations
9:00am - 12:00pm
Redeemer Fellowship
3912 Baltimore Avenue

For detailed questions and arrangements, please contact Nichole Collier White at 816-418-7745.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you at this upcoming meeting.

Nicole Colllier White
Program Coordinator, Repurposing Initiative
Kansas City Public Schools

http://www.kcpublicschools.org/repurposing

 

February 18, 2013

Hi WHS Classmates,

I have 2 luncheons I would like to report on. The WHS Gals Lunch Bunch met Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, at Bo Ling's Restaurant located at 9055 Metcalf, Overland Park, Ks. We had a great turnout and a great time visiting. The following gals were able to meet on Saturday: Donna Haas, Cherlyn Bruns, Terry Renfrow, Judy Eckel, Phyllis Lodl, Kaye Muehlberger, Barbara Field, Juanita Candillo, Elberta Long, Babette Martini, Mary Bay, Carol Williams, Carolyn Casey, Isabel Cheney and me, Merry Becker. Our gals come from various locations including, Lees Summit, MO., Raytown, MO., Kansas City, MO., North Kansas City, MO., Blue Springs, MO., Edgerton, MO., Liberty, MO., Lowry, MO., Overland Park, KS., Lenexa, KS., Prairie Village, KS. and Olathe, KS. I think I got all the locations. We always discuss the date and the place for the next luncheon before we leave each luncheon. If any of you WHS gals out there want to join us for lunch please get in touch with me and I will be glad to count you in when I make reservations. Our next luncheon will be on Saturday, March 9th, 2013, at 12:30 p.m. at Cascone's Italian Restaurant located at 91st and Metcalf in Overland Park, KS.

Our Christmas Luncheon was held on December 8th, 2012 at Carol Williams' home. We had 20 gals in attendance - Beverly Martin, Carol Williams, Carolyn Casey, Phyllis Lodl. Mary Ruf, Juanita Candillo, Ilene Blogin, Babette Martini, Barbara Goodwin, Linda Hunter, Jane Hollander, Betty Smith, Cherlyn Bruns, Isabel Cheney, Judy Eckel, Pat Turley, Terry Renfrow, Donna Haas, Mary Bay and me, Merry Becker. For the past four years our group has adopted a person or persons for Christmas. We all agreed to do this instead of having a gift exchange among ourselves. This year we adopted one of our own - Beverly Martin.. Bev was diagnosed in November of 2012 as having ALS, also known as Lou Gerrig's Disease. We all agreed that no one was more deserving than Bev of the "adoption money" that was donated by her Westport friends. Because of the generosity of all our luncheon gals and several of our "long distance" luncheon classmates, we were able to give Bev a very generous gift to spend for her medication or anything else that would make things easier for her at this time.Thanks to all our friends who gave so generously. Bev has expressed her gratitude and love to all her Westport friends. She was completely overwhelmed We continue to keep Bev in our thoughts and prayers. The latest report from Bev indicated she was continuing to lose strength in her arms, hands and legs. She is using her walker now at all times. She reported the money that was donated to her was used to purchase her walker and is continuing to help with the cost of her medication. After the presentation to Bev (she was totally unaware that she was our choice for our Christmas Adoption Program) we had our annual White Elephant Exchange. We always have a fun and hilarious time with this exchange. We had a great lunch that came from Jack Stack's Bar-B-Que. Everyone agreed that this was one of the best Christmas Luncheons we've had..

Thanks for taking the time to catch up with news of our luncheons. We would really like to hear from you, our classmates, and have you share anything about you, your family, your job (are there any of us that are still working?), your hobbies, etc.

Warm regards,

Merry Becker

 

February 14, 2013

Hi WHS Gals,

What a great group of friends we have become. We are all missing being together for lunch or so it seems by the number of gals planning to come to the luncheon this Saturday. Some have previous commitments and we will miss them but in the mean time Barbara F., Carolyn, Juanita, Cherlyn, Betty, Donna, Kaye, Judy, Bev, Carol, Dee Dee, Babette, Mary B., Terry, Phyllis l., Isabel, Elberta, Phyllis D. and I will enjoy lunch together at Bo Ling's. If I have missed anyone on the "yes" list please forgive me and let me know who you are. Okay, I did get Terry and Phyllis L. on the list this time. I guess it's a good thing I go over the list in my emails. I did put my name on that list, didn't I?

Pat emailed me to tell me she would not be attending the luncheon Saturday but she gave me an update on herself and Don. Pat said her arm is doing really well and the doctor released her about 3 weeks ago Don is also doing well. She said it will be 4 weeks this Friday since he had his surgery and he is feeling good. He starts cardio rehab on the 22nd of Feb. Today he walked over a mile outside and didn't get tired. Pat wanted to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers and said they were very much appreciated.She said to tell everyone hi and she would see us the next time.

Okay, I'm done now. See you on Saturday.

Oh, wait.................HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!! Whew, I almost forgot.

Hugs from the heart!

Merry oops, that was my Christmas sign off.

Merry...but then again it's Valentine's Day.........

Merry

February 13, 2013

Hi Dear Westport friends.

Some of you may already know about the loss of two wonderful people but if not this is the information I have. Cherlyn Hughes Bruns's father, Clifford J. Hughes, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, February 2, 2013. He was 93 years of age. His obituary was in the Kansas City Star on February 7, 2013. I will try to attach it to this email but we are stretching my computer skills a bit here. OMG It actually appeared on my screen, however, that doesn't necessarily mean it will appear in your copy once I send it. I hope it does as it is a very nicely written obituary and you can feel the love he had for his family and they in return for him.

I also want to let you know that Jane Gooch Hollander's husband, Richard, passed away here in Kansas City on Tuesday, February 5th, 2013. Richard was in ICU with pneumonia. Jane and Richard celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2006. Richard was a wonderful person and will be greatly missed by his family and everyone who knew him. I have no further information at this time regarding any arrangements for Richard.

Please keep Cherlyn and her family and Jane and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they are going through this difficult time in their lives. I know they will feel all the love and support that we are sending them. We are all here for both the families.

With warm regards,

Merry Becker

January 20, 2012

James A. (Jim) Payne, born May 14, 1939, in Los Angeles, Calif., passed away Sunday, January 20, 2013. He is survived by his wife of over 53 years, Annelies, daughters, Sabine (Joe) Mehrer of Lee's Summit, Mo., Christina (Mike) Herman, Edmond, Okla., and Marion (Russ) Newcomer, Parkville, Mo.; eight grandchildren, Sarah Mehrer, Leslie Herman, Jason (Lauren) Newcomer, Kenny Herman, Jenny (Troy) Wooten, Greg Herman, Nick Newcomer and Grant Newcomer. He is also survived by a sister, Carole Bean of Holts Summit, Mo., brothers, Don Payne, Blue Springs, Mo., and John Payne of Lone Jack, Mo. He was a retired public refrigerated warehousing and distribution operations and sales executive and later, a frozen food transportation broker, working in California and Arizona. He began his career at the Midcontinent underground frozen storage facility in Bonner Springs, Kan. Mr. Payne served in the US Army in Germany and was Past President of Kansas City South Rotary club. He was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was active in several Masonic Appendant organizations as Past Master of Swope Park Masonic lodge, served as lodge and building association secretary and was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, Royal Order of Scotland, Past High Priest of Harry D. Brown chapter 284 Royal Arch Masons, an officer in the Council of Cryptic Masons, Knight Templar, Knight of the Red Cross and Malta and was Past Commander of the El Zaribah Shrine Legion of Honor, Phoenix Arizona. He served the community as a two term elected Alderman for the city of Greenwood, Mo., and a term on the Jackson County, Mo., Water District 12 board of directors.

December 18, 2012

Kenneth Ray Bennett, 73, passed away December 9, 2012, at home with his family by his side. He was born July 31, 1939, in Joplin, Mo., to Paul Eli Bennett and Eva Karch Bennett. Ken graduated from Westport High School in 1957, and he entered the Air Force in 1961. In 1963, he married Shirley Wonderly and shared almost 42 years with her. Ken was very proud of his affiliation with the Ararat Shrine, and enjoyed 20 years helping children. Ken will be remembered for his love of cars and his loyalty to his family and friends. Ken is preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Bennett and his parents. He is survived by his daughter, Michelle (John) Kriks, two grandchildren, and his significant other, Janet Nickerson. He also has many nieces and nephews and extended family that loved him.



Information sent by Juanita Furness Candillo

November 6, 2012

PHOTOS OF THE 55th REUNION

 

October 2, 2012

Hi Westport classmates,

We have a total of 57 people (classmates, spouses and friends) who have registered to attend the 55th Year Reunion of the Westport High School, Class of 1957. The following info will be helpful for those of us that have misplaced or just plain forgot the details of the reunion. The celebration will take place this Saturday, October 6th, 2012, at the Embassy Suites Hotel, just north of the Plaza. The address is 220 W. 43rd Street, K.C.,Mo. We will start at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome reception and cash bar. There will be a memorabilia table so bring any pictures, etc. that you would like to share. The DVD from the 50th Reunion will be playing during the evening in one area of the room and there will also be background music from the fifties. At 7:00 p.m. a photographer will take a group picture which will be ready later that evening. You may purchase one for $10. If you are unable to attend the reunion but would like to purchase a picture, please let Juanita know and she will give you more details. The dinner buffet will be ready at approximately 7:30 p.m. There will be plenty of time to visit and enjoy the company of our dear high school friends. A couple of optional events will be available on Sunday, October 7th, 2012. The Philgreen "boys" will provide a church service at the hotel at 10:00 a.m. followed by a luncheon (Dutch treat) at noon at the Rozelle Court in the Nelson Atkins Museum. The reunion will be great. Time spent with our Westport friends always promises a be fun and memorable.

Warm regards,

Merry Becker

August 11, 2012

I am sad to report that the Westport Class of '57 has lost another classmate. Bill Henry fought a courageous battle with cancer and passed away on Wednesday, August 8th. Our hearts go out to his wife, Gail, and his family and loved ones.

Sincerely,

Merry Becker

July 23, 2012

I just found out by trying to locate Max Freeman Whitworth that he has passed away.

The search engine I used showed me that he was born on March 16, 1939 and he died

on Sept. 1, 2007 in Fresno, California. Our last address for Max was in Fresno, California.

Juanita

June 8, 2012

From Lupe Adams (Phil's wife) to Juanita...> Phil and I so much enjoyed the last reunion we attended. That was the last time we were in K.C. Phil went to be with the Lord on May 10, 2007. It has been 5 years now,and I miss him as much now as I ever did. We were married 48 years. He was such a good person. Hope your reunion turns out great.

From Ron Philgreen to Juanita..> His (Phil Adams) family moved after his Junior Year at Westport. So even though he didn't graduate with us, he felt a part of our class. His company made equipment for handymen cabinet wood working (jigs, etc) for guys who like to make things out of wood. He came to the 45th reunion. A great Christian guy who is now with the Lord.


May 28, 2012

Hi fellow classmates,

I am several luncheons behind in my reports to you as to what, where and who is involved with the Westport Gals Lunch Bunch. But first I want to remind everyone to say a little prayer for all the men and women who have given their lives so that the rest of us can live in freedom. Please include in your prayers not only the many brave military people who lost their lives but also the families they left behind. Continue praying for the many people, both military and civilian, that are serving our country.

On Saturday, February 25th the lunch gals went to Cascone's Italian Restaurant in Overland Park, Ks.The following gals were able to meet and enjoy lunch together: Juanita Candillo, Carolyn Casey, Elberta Long, Judy Eckel, Donna Haas, Mary Ruf, Isabel Cheney and Barbara Field.

Saturday, March 24th took us to Granite City in the Zona Rosa Shopping Center in Kansas City, Mo. Ilene Blogin, Cherlyn Bruns, Bev Martin, Mary Bay, Juanita Candillo, Isabel Cheney, Donna Haas and Carol Williams enjoyed lunching together.

On Saturday, April 28 we met at the Macaroni Grill in Overland Park, Ks.and Barbara Field, Barbara Goodwin, Bev Martin, Carol Williams, Cherlyn Bruns, Diane Kaster, Ilene Blogin, Phyllis Lodl, Terry Renfrow, Kaye Muehlberger, Donna Haas, Isabel Cheney, Juanita Candillo and me, Merry, had a very nice timel lunching together

Saturday, May 19 found the following gals eating lunch together at Kokopelli Mexican Cantina, located in Prairie village, Ks.: Juanita Candillo, Judy Eckel, Donna Haas, Barbara Field, Barbara Goodwin, Terry Renfrow, Phyllis Lodl, Diane Kaster, Pat Turley, Isabel Cheney, Mary Ruf, Elberta Long and Babette Martiny

Our next luncheon, Saturday, June 23, will find us at The Bloomsbury Bistro at the Mission Road Antique Mall located at 83 and Mission Road. If any gals would like to join us please give me a call and I will add you to the list for our reservation.

I think this pretty much brings you up to date on the Westport Gals luncheons. At this time I would like to encourage everyone to please share with us, on the Westport Website, some fun, exciting, funny and interesting bits of news regarding you and/or your family. It's always nice to hear from our old friends and classmates. Thank you for taking the time to do this as I feel sure some of you may be getting tired of reading about the luncheons. I must say, however, we Westport lunch gals always have a great time getting together and have become a very caring and fun group of friends.

Thank you, Juanita and others, for keeping us informed about the loss of so many of our dear classmates.

Have a very nice Memorial Day,

Merry Krause Becker

Juanita has been notified oa another classmate who has passed away.

Lillian Young (Milford) November 2, 2009 in Olathe Kansas.

 

March 13, 2012

Juanita notified me of two more of our classmates who have passed away. Thanks Juanita.

Glen Durbin passed away November 18, 2010
Mary Katherine Broen Ferguson passed away July 18, 2009

Jim Carras

 

March 10, 2012

Juanita notified me of two more of our classmates who have passed away. Thanks Juanita for your continued research.

Razella Lee James Ginder passed away May 6, 2011
Beverly Jean Stone Weisgerber passed away July 2010

Jim Carras

March 2, 2012

Ron Philgreen soloed in his recently acquired 1978 Piper Warrior II on Dec. 16, 2011. I know we have several other pilots (former and current) who might enjoy that I started flying again after 26 years. And I'm having an absolute ball. Also got my instruments re-current, so I am IFR rated, equipped and current. My wife, Carol, thinks I'm friggin nuts.

 

 

 

 

 

March 1, 2012

Westport Class of 1957 55th Reunion Announced
Juanita will be our 55th Reunion Chair and she has announced October 6th, 2012 as the date. Click here for more detail and the Registration Form.

 

February 12, 2012

Juanita has discovered our classmate Larry James Tobias has passed away Oct. 15, 2010 in Flordia. Thanks to Juanita for her help to research our classmates and provide important information.

 

February 12, 2012

Westport Luncheon Gals and Westport Classmates,

The results from the survey that Jim Carras sent out several months ago regarding a 55th Class Reunion indicated that most of our classmates favored having a reunion. Thank you to the many classmates that took the time to respond. You also indicated that it be a more informal type of gathering. Many of the committee members from the 50th reunion have decided to step aside (they put everything they had into the 50th reunion) and let a fresh, "new" group of classmates take over for the 55th. Juanita Furness Candillo generously agreed to step up and take the position as Chairperson for the 55th reunion, however, this is more than a one person job. Juanita has had a few classmates offer to help and be on the committee but they really need more volunteers. Time is running out as far as locating and reserving a place to hold the reunion. Please, if you are able to help put this reunion together, contact Juanita at 1957jc@iland.net as soon as possible. She would appreciate hearing from you.
Thank you and I hope to see many of you at the 55th Reunion of the Westport Class of 1957.

Warm regards,
Merry Krause Becker

 

Febuary 9, 2012

I am sad to report that the morning after I sent the note out to you regarding Bob's health, he passed away. His obituary is in The Kansas City Star today, Thursday, February 9, 2012 under his full name of Harry Robert Becker II. I, along with my three children, Robert, Robin and Kristi appreciate the thoughts and prayers that have been sent our way. Thank you for your care and concern.

Sincerely,
Merry

Note from Jim Carras...
Bob was always someone in High School that I always wanted to be. He was funny, outgoing, stage plays, football, and so much more. In fact about a year after Westport, Bob and I decided to join the Navy and we went together to San Diego boot camp. I was in the top bunk and Bob got the lower bunk. After bootcamp, we both went our seperate ways and never met again. It's funny but through the years, I have thought of Bob quite a lot but for one reason or another we went on to live our lives. If you have any memories of Bob and would like to add them with mine, please feel free to contact me jim@carras.com.

 

 

February 8, 2012

Classmate Barbara West has passed away. We will miss you.

 

February 6, 2012

Dear Fellow Westporters,

It is with a sad heart that I share with you news related to Bob Becker's declining health. Suffering from Parkinson's disease and coronary heart failure, he is gravely ill and currently under hospice care. Our family has been informed that he has approximately one week to live. As most of you are aware, Bob and I have been divorced for many years, and he has remarried. Bob is a good man and the father of our three, wonderful, adult children. Your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated during this difficult time.

Thank you,

Merry

February 2, 2012

Karen Schrader offered this cool link back to the 1950's >> click here <<

 

January 30, 2012

Hi Westport Lunch Gals and classmates,

What wonderful January weather we are having! We got through another winter season luncheon without having to cancel due to weather conditions. That makes me happy. We ended up having 12 gals at the luncheon this past Saturday. The following gals enjoyed lunch together at Cheddar's: Terry Renfrow, Carolyn Casey, Mary Ruf, Donna Haas, Juanita Candillo, Judy Eckel, Elberta Long, Phyllis Lodl, Isabel Chaney, Carol Williams, Barbara Field and me, Merry Becker. We came up with a date for the next luncheon but at this time I do not have a location. The date will be Saturday, February 25th.

We discussed the 55th class reunion and Juanita was given copies of the reunion surveys that were sent out by email several months ago. She will be the chairperson for the 55th Class Reunion and will contact those classmates that have expressed an interest in helping to put together the reunion. They will get together to set up their meetings and committees. If you have any questions concerning the reunion or want to be on any of the committees please get in touch with Juanita at 1957jc@iland.net Thanks, Juanita, for taking on this responsibility.

Enjoy the great weather we are having and I will be in touch later.

Merry Becker

 

January 30, 2012

I'm sad to announce that our classmate Chris V. Lopez passed away January 23rd. You can contact Juanita for additional information.

Jim Carras

November 2, 2011

KCTV5 Story on Dos Mundos. This story will air Wednesday November 2 nd on KCTV5 news at 10 pm

Edward Reyes ,Clara Reyes and Manuel Reyes

September 16, 2011

Hi Classmates,

Thanks, Pat Starner, for sharing your photos and news with all of your classmates. How great it must have been for you and your brother to meet up after all those years. Nothing is more precious than family. Thanks for sharing that website, Pat. I'm sure others will find it useful if they haven't already been using it. I enjoyed reading your contribution to the website as I am sure many others did. I look forward to seeing more news, photos, etc. from other classmates. Let's all give Jim something to post on "our" website. I am sure some of you are getting tired of reading about the Lunch Bunch Gals of '57 (we do have a great time getting together though) so send Jim something new to print.

Thanks and warm hugs to all,

Merry

September 13, 2011

Last month, Gloria and I went to Alpine, NY to visit my brother Errol and his wife, Maureen. The last time we saw him was in September of 1962 when we were in Horseheads to see my mother and the rest of her family. Errol was 5 years old at the time.

I guess we've both changed a little in 49 years. (I'm the nearly bald one on the left.)

While we were up there, Errol and Maureen took us to Niagara Falls. We "went to se" on the Maid of the Mist and got soaking wet even though we were wearing the rain ponchos they gave us.

Errol and Moe invited us to stay with them in their beautiful home on Cayuta Lake, which is about 75 feet from their deck.

I want to close by sharing this useful website I came across recently.


http://www.lasr.net/travel/state.php?State_ID=MO&VS=Y&ShoppeCategory=Lodging

Just change the abbreviation of the state (in red above) and you'll find motels anywhere in the United States - at least I think you will. I only tried the states that border Missouri plus Colorado and New York and they all worked.

Our best to all,
Pat & Gloria Starner

 

September 11, 2011

Hi Westport Classmates,
The Westport Gals are meeting once again for lunch and if anyone would like to join us please let me know so I can add you in when I call in the number for our reservation. We are meeting at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant at 6750 W. 95th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66212. It is located right off 95th and Metcalf. The phone number there is 913-381-8645. The date is Saturday, September 24th and the time is 11:30 a.m. Even if you can't join us for lunch we would love to hear from you through this Westport website. Jim Carras has been so good about keeping the website up and running. Let us hear from you as to how you are and what you are doing.
Stay happy and healthy!
Merry Krause Becker


August 21, 2011

Hi Westport Classmates,

I fell a little behind on my luncheon reports so this one should bring you up to date. On June 25th the following gals met for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory on the Plaza:Carol Nicholson Williams, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Pat Jenkins Turley, Donna Dodds Haas, Linda Bethke Hunter, Elberta Lair Long, Terry Murphy Renfrow, Phyllis Morgan Lodl, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Barbara Jones Field, Babette Stamberger Martiny, Isabel Avila Cheney and Juanita Furness Candillo. They had a great time and made plans for the next luncheon. On July 23rd the following gals met for lunch at Avenue Bristo in Mission Farms in Leawood, Kansas: Barbara Jones Field, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Donna Dodds Haas, Elberta Lair Long, Judy Arnold Eckel, Pat Jenkins Turley, Isabel Avila Cheney and Cherlyn Hughes Bruns. Cherlyn's husband, Gene, and Pat's husband, Don, also enjoyed having lunch at Avenue Bristo. We decided not to have a luncheon in August due to the extreme heat we were experiencing. We are looking towards the end of September for the next scheduled luncheon. I will let you know when and where once the plans are made. Enjoy the rest of the summer and before you know it we will be complaining about the cold and snow.

Merry Krause Becker

 

June 13, 2011

Hi Westport Classmates,

It's me again with another lunch report. The Westport Gals of '57 met for lunch on May 21st at the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in Prairie Village, Kansas. The weather was perfect and we were able to enjoy it on the patio. We had a great time and we all have really enjoyed getting to know one another again over the past years. We have been meeting for lunches for almost 10 years now. I think there were 5, 6 or 7 of us that started after our 45tth class reunion. We now have an average of about 16 gals at each luncheon. The following gals were able to enjoy lunch together on May 21st: Betty Turley Smith, Judy Arnold Eckel, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Carol Nicholson Williams, Juanita Furness Candillo, Barbara Jones Field, Carolyn Beck Casey, Pat Jenkins Turley, Isabel Avila Cheney, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Babette Stamberger Martiny and me, Merry Krause Becker. Our next luncheon will be on June 25th at the Cheesecake Factory on the Plaza at 11 a.m. I will make a reservation so if you would like to join us please contact me at merrybecker38@comcast.net and I will include you in the number.

I hope we didn't have any classmates living in Joplin, Missouri at the time of the recent tornado. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who may have lost family or friends and to the survivors of this horrific disaster. It brought back memories of the 1957 Ruskin Heights tornado.

I hope that many of you will let us hear from you through this website which Jim Carras has so generously agreed to keep up and running. We like to hear from our classmates of so many years ago. We all enjoyed those fabulous years of the fifties so write and let us know how you are, where you are and what you have been doing or just share some fond memories you may have from those good ole days at Westport High School. After all, I am afraid these lunch reports are becoming pretty boring so we need to hear from you guys and gals.

Have a fun summer. Be safe and stay healthy.

Merry Becker

 

May 11,2011

Notice for next Westport Gals of '57' Lunch Bunch

Here are the specifics and I would like a response as soon as possible as I told the restaurant there would be at least 15 of us (the minimum number to get a reservation): The Blue Moose Bar and Grill in Prairie Village (we were there last year in May) at 11:30 on May 21st. The address is 4160 W. 71st., Prairie Village, Kansas 66208 and the phone number is 913-722-9463. (it is right by the Macy's Store in the Prairie Village shopping center). I've ordered some nice spring weather - not too hot or cool - and we plan to be out on the patio. Again, please let me know ASAP if you can join us. I hope I don't have to round up people off the street to meet our minimum number of 15. I hope this works out for everyone. I know it is around graduation time so there may be some of us with other plans. I am looking forward to seeing many of you on May 21st. Contact Merry Becker

 


March 31, 2011

Hi Westport Classmates,

Our Westport Gals of '57 Lunch Bunch is still going strong. We really enjoy getting together over lunch and catching up on what everyone is doing. We share news and views on just about everything. Our last luncheon was on March 26th at Cascone's Italian Restaurant. This was one of our smaller groups but we had a very enjoyable time. The following gals were able to have lunch together: Phyllis Lodl, Donna Haas, Diane Kaster, Terry Renfrow, Judy Eckel, Elberta Long, Babette Martiny, Juanita Candillo, Kaye Muehlberger and me, Merry Becker. We did not set a date for the next luncheon but it will most likely be at the end of April.
I hope everyone is staying healthy and happy. We would love to hear from you. Just drop us a friendly little note to this website (jim@carras.com) and share with us how you are doing and what you have been up to. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Warm regards,

Merry Becker

March 28, 2011

Pat and Gloria Starner of Greenwood, MO will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a family luncheon hosted by their three children.

Pat and the former Gloria Hughes were married on April 8th, 1961 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Kansas City, MO. The happy couple made their first home in Kansas City before moving to Greenwood nearly forty years ago.

Pat retired from the General Motors-Leeds assembly plant and Gloria retired as cafeteria manager at Greenwood Elementary School. They belong to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lee's Summit.

Their three daughters are Terri Starner-Crouch, Karen Starner and Christine Lahm. They have six grandchildren: Amanda Pohnert, Lisa and Michael Brown, Charlie and Emily Lahm, and Rachel Crouch. They also have three great grandchildren: Dominick and Danny Pohnert, and Sylar Newcomb.

 

March 12, 2011

James E. Oakes, 71, of Raymore, MO, passed away March 10, 2011, at St. Luke's Hospital. Funeral services will be 1 p.m., Mon., March 14, 2011, at Mt. Washington Mausoleum, 614 Brookside, Independence, MO, with a visitation from 12-1 p.m. Burial in Mt. Washington Cemetery. James worked for Electrical Magenito for over 30 years and retired from Owen Lumber. Survivors include his wife Carol Oakes, children Ronald Oakes (Wendy), Tellus Oakes (Michelle), James Oakes (Kelly), Brenda Smith (Mark), Leroy Bates (Michele) and Dana Stockton (Marty), brother Eugene Oakes (Juanita), 22 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. You are deeply loved and will be greatly missed. Charter Funerals, 816-921-5555
Published in Kansas City Star on March 12, 2011

Read more: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansascity/obituary.aspx?n=james-e-oakes&pid=149203413#ixzz1GNxiorbp

Provided by Pat and Gloria Starner

March 15, 2011

Hi Westport Classmates,

I hope everyone is surviving this winter weather. I also hope that those of you who traveled south in search of a warmer climate had luck in finding one. Trust me, spring will eventually arrive and with it some warmer weather. It will become warmer and warmer and we will then wish for some of the cooler weather.

We had a luncheon scheduled for Saturday, January 22 but decided to cancel it due to the weather. The luncheon was rescheduled for Saturday, February 19 at the California Pizza Kitchen on the Plaza. We had a very good turnout considering it was on such short notice. The following gals were able to enjoy lunch together once again: Bev Martin, Cherlyn Bruns, Darlene Logan, Karen Norton, Carol Williams, Juanita Candillo, Elberta Long, Jane Hollander, Donna Haas, Isabel Cheney, Babette Martiny, Barbara Field, Kaye Muehlberger and Merry Becker. Our next luncheon is set for Saturday, March 26, at 11:00 a.m. at Cascone's Italian Restaurant located right off 91st and Metcalf. We always have a very nice time together and it's amazing to think how far back most of these friendships go.

I would like to encourage everyone to share with your classmates of '57 through this website your thoughts, ideas or what you are now doing. We love hearing from you and Jim Carras has been kind enough to keep the Westport Class of '57 website up and running for us. Let's keep in touch.
Warmly,

Merry Becker

February 12, 2011

Juanita read an obituary for Mary Gagliardi, one of our Westport High School 1957 classmates. We have added her name to our deceased classmates page.

 

February 4, 2011

Ronnie Hardwick, 71, of Belton, MO, passed away February 2, 2011. Visitation will be held from 2:00-3:00 p.m. followed by funeral service at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, February 5, at Mt. Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Rd. Interment in Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Ronnie was born March 10, 1939 in Kansas City, KS, son of John E., Jr. and Harriet Mary (Oltman) Hardwick. He is survived by his sister Phyllis Sheeley, many nieces and nephews, and all the good people at Beautiful Savior where Ronnie had lived for more than six years. Ronnie was preceded in death by his parents and twin brother Don. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Beautiful Savior, 1003 S. Cedar St., Belton, MO 64012. Condolences may be made at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com. Mt Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home. 10507 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131. (816) 942-2004
Published in Kansas City Star on February 4, 2011

Ron Philgreen and Juanita Candillo attended the services as representatives from our Westport Graduating Class of 1957.

 

January 4, 2011

Carol Buchanan (Bassett)
Carol Buchanan, 71, Oak Grove, MO, passed away Jan. 8, 2011. Visitation 6-8 p.m., Tues., Jan. 11, at Floral Hills Funeral Home. Funeral services 10 a.m., Wed., Jan. 12, at First Baptist Church of Oak Grove, 400 SE 14th St., Oak Grove. (Arr. Floral Hills Chapel, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd., KCMO 64133, 816-353-1218) D.W. Newcomer's Sons Funeral Homes, Cemeteries, Crematories.
Published in Kansas City Star on January 9, 2011

 

January 2, 2011

Hi Westport Classmates,

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas with your families andfriends. I wish you all a new year full of good health and happiness. Take a minute in this new year and let your fellow classmates know how you are doing by emailing us through this website. Jim Carras has done an excellent job of keeping the website up and running. We all just need to send him various bits and pieces of info to post. Thanks to those of you who have sent in info in the past. I will be looking forward this year to reading something other than my luncheon notes.

Speaking of luncheons, our Christmas/Holiday Luncheon was a terrific success. It was held at the home of Diane Morrow Kaster on December 4th. Twenty three gals enjoyed some delicious barbeque from Smoke Stack and had a great time with the white elephant exchange. The very best part of the afternoon was the announcement that we had collected $525 for the family that we had adopted for the holidays. Thanks to all the Westport Gals Lunch Bunch for their generous donations and a very special thank you to our classmates, outside of our luncheon group, that sent in a donation. The family was overwhelmed by our generosity and they were very appreciative.

Front to Back and Left to Right

row 1 : Merry Krause Becker
Terry Murphy Renfrow
Juanita Furness Candillo
row 2 : Ilene O'Hare Blogin
Phyllis Morgan Lodl
Judy Arnold Eckel
row 3 : Beverly Kerr Martin
Mary Hamilton Ruf
Karen Rinehart Norton
row 4 : Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin
Babette Stamberger Martiny
Carol Nicholson Williams
row 5 : Cherlyn Hughes Bruns
Darlene Page Logan
Betty Turley Smith
Donna Dodds Haas
row 6 : Barbara Jones Field
Elberta Lair Long
Pat Jenkins Turley
row 7 : Diane Morrow Kaster
Nancy Shepherd Coates

Our next luncheon will be Saturday, January 22, 2011, at 11:30 at California Pizza Kitchen on the Plaza. I will be making a reservation as we get closer to the date so please let me know if you will be joining us. We usually have between 16 and 18 gals that enjoy lunch together.

Again, Happy New Year to all and let us hear from you. The Westport Class of '57 was and still is a very special class.
Warm hugs from Merry Krause Becker

November 30, 2010

I talked to Dan Sestak today and wanted to share information regarding his tragic fall down a flight of stairs in his home the morning of September 20th. The fall left Dan with two broken wrists, head injury and spinal cord injury. He was taken to the University of Utah Medical Center where they gave him an MRI and also operated to releave pressure between his C3 thru C7 vertebra. When he arrived at the hospital he did not have any sensation below his neck. Dan said he maintained a positive attitude and praised the University of Utah Rehab Center for being #1 in the country. He was in the hospital for 8 weeks and returned home November 12th.. Today, Dan is about 75% recovered and home. He is using a walker and a wheel chair to get around. He is just now checking his emails and said there were only a few hundred yet to read. He sounded great over the phone and it was good to hear his voice. You can reach Dan at danwsestak@comcast.net

Jim Carras

November 29, 2010

Tony Curtis Tribute

Juanita Furness Candillo

November 24, 2010

We have been asked by Kip Sperry, the classmate and webmaster of the 1958 Westport graduation class website to offer a link to their website. Also, Kip asks if you have any information to contact him directly so they can also update their website.

https://sites.google.com/site/westporthighschool

kipsperry@gmail.com

Thanks for Kip and the 1958 class website.

November 21, 2010

Hi Classmates,

This is Merry with another luncheon report. Eighteen gals met for lunch on November 6 at the Outback Steakhouse in Overland Park, Kansas. The following classmates were able to attend: Darlene Page Logan, Karen Rhinehart Norton, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Beverly Kerr Martin. Judy Arnold Eckel, Isabel Avila Cheney, Nancy Shepherd Coates, Donna Dodds Haas, Pat Jenkins Turley, Betty Turley Smith, Ilene O'Hare Blogin, Elbert Lair Long, Terry Murphy Renfrow, Phyllis Morgan Lodl, Juanita Furness Candillo, Barbara Jones Field, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns and Merry Krause Becker. We enjoyed the food and each other's company and made final plans for our Holiday Luncheon. The luncheon will be on December 4th at Diane's home. Please contact me by November 29th if any of you gals out there plan to join us. We will be ordering the food from Smoke Stack Bar-B-Que so I will need a head count. Plans are in order to adopt a family for the holiday season. Please check out the note on this website regarding this very worthwhile project. Thank you in advance for any donation, no matter how small, that you are able to make.
I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you are able to be with your families and friends and if you are traveling, travel safe.

Warm regards,

Merry Becker

November 12, 2010

click here >>> Westport Gals Invite You To Join Adopt A Needy Family For Christmas <<< click here

Carol Williams

 

October 21, 2010

Hi Westport Classmates,


We had another very enjoyable luncheon on Saturday, Oct.2nd. It is always so nice to see everyone and learn something new about one another each time we meet. We had 14 gals at the luncheon: Karen, Cherlyn, Judy, Bev, Diane, Nancy, Pat, Betty, Donna, Carol, Darlene, Isabel, Kaye and me. The next luncheon will be Saturday, November 6, at 11:15, at the Outback Steakhouse at 9501 Quivira, Overland Park, Kansas 66214 . The phone number there is 913-894-5114 The following gals have indicated that they are planning to be at the luncheon: Ilene, Darlene, Karen, Bev, Judy, Isabel, Nancy, Donna, Pat, Betty, Kaye and me, Merry.


We discussed plans for the Christmas Luncheon and as was previously announced the luncheon will be at Diane's home on Saturday, December 4 at 11:30. The menu will be the same as last year's which was Bar-B-Q from Smoke Stack. The amount to be collected for the meal will be determined later once we have a head count. We all agreed that we would like to follow through with the family we adopted last year and make another donation to them. Last year through everyone's generosity we were able to donate $350 to the family. More details regarding the Christmas Luncheon will follow later.


We are having some absolutely gorgeous weather and I hope everyone can get out and enjoy it in one way or another....... just a walk around your neighborhood would do. Take care, stay healthy and happy and I will be in touch.
Warm regards,


Merry Becker

 

Sept. 18, 2010

Hi Westport Classmates,

It's me again, Merry, with another luncheon report. The Westport Gals Lunch Bunch met again on August 28 at Cascone's Italian Restaurant in North Kansas City. We had an awesome turnout with Elberta Lair Long joining us for the first time and Darlene Page Logan and Karen Rhinehart Norton joining us for a second or third time. It was so good to see them and we all enjoyed visiting with them. The following gals joined Elberta, Karen and Darlene for good food and conversation: Isabel Cheney, Juanita Candillo, Ilene Blogin, Kaye Muehlberger, Phyllis Lodl, Irene Lopez, Cherlyn Bruns, Mary Ruf, Bev Martin, Pat Turley, Judy Eckel, Carol Williams. Terry Renfrow, Janis Jones, Donna Haas, Barbara Goodwin and Merry Becker. The next luncheon is set for Saturday, October 2 at 11:15 at the Brio Tuscan Grille on the Plaza. Please contact me by September 22 if you plan to join us as I will make a reservation that afternoon. At this luncheon we will make plans for our annual Christmas Celebration.


Warm regards from Merry Becker

September 4, 2010

Obituary for Barbara Keith, wife of coach Sam Keith
Barbara E. Keith, age 79, of Leawood, KS, died on September 2, 2010 at the Kansas City Hospice House. She was born in Highland Park, IL and graduated from New Trier High School. She attended Missouri Valley College, Marshall, MO, where she met her husband. Following a long career with the American Cancer Society, Barbara retired in 1995 at which time she and her husband moved to Arizona. They subsequently returned to this area to be near family and friends. Barbara is survived by her husband Samuel, two sons Robert of Independence and Michael of Kansas City, one grandson Robert II of Charlotte, NC, and twin granddaughters Ashley O'Donnel and Amanda Dier. She was preceded in death by daughter Wendy, who was killed in a one car accident in 2005. Other survivors include nieces and their families. Visitation will be held from 5:30-7:00 pm. Monday, September 6, at Mt. Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO. A closed family service will precede the visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest contributions to Kansas City Hospice, 9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114, c/o Bee Haley or to a charity of your choice. Condolences may be made at www.mtmoriah- freeman.com.

 

August 23, 2010

Hi Jim, I am now living in Tyler, Texas with hubbie of 25 years. We transferred with Trane (American Standard) which is now owned by Ingersoll Rand Corporation. Tyler is an hour and a half from Dallas, TX or Shreveport, LA and is the rose capitol of the world, it is also known for its Azalea District. I am a stay at home mom to my three rescued dogs and enjoy gardening in pots.

Shirley (Goldman) Shallot

 

August 23, 2010

Thanks Jim. Long live Westport class of 57. I do invite everyone to a Fiesta Sept 11-12 Barney Allis Plaza. >> click here

Manuel Reyes

August 21, 2010

Ken Pollock and Marilyn Bure Pollock, 3 children, 5 grand children, living in New Mexico and Colorado. Health good, retired. May be in Kansas City this summer, dates unknown at this time. Still looking for the big time lottery ticket
.
Ken Pollock


August 21, 2010

Ron and Carol Philgreen celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary (50th) on July 29, 2010. If you would like to see their pictures, go to www.charitablebuckets.com, click the last link on the right, and then underneath the picture of Ron and Carol, click the photo album link. We are certainly blessed with our three kids and seven grandkids - Sherri (and husband Mark Aron, Stephanie and Rachel), David (and wife Hilary, Luke and Lance), Jill (and husband Steve Blazer, Carrie, Kim and Wil), Carol's sister - Dorothy and her bridesmaid (visiting from San Jose, CA) and Mark Aron's mom- Ann Titu (visiting from Chicago). Dancing around the fountain in the Rosemont Room at the historic William Nelson Art Gallery was the highlight of the celebration.

Ron Philgreen

August 21, 2010

Thanks for all the work you put into the website.
Nothing new on my information-still live in Greenwood Mo. Former City Alderman four years, of which 2 were as Mayor pro Tem. Outgoing Master of my Masonic Lodge, Swope Park Nr 617 AF & AM. Still married to Annelies Hoefner Payne, 51 years. Three married daughters, same husbands, over 25 year each, 8 grandchildren
Two other classmates also reside in Greenwood - Marsha (Ann) Sloan Breitling and Pat Starner, who is a former Greenwood Chief of Police
Hope to live to attend our 60th Class reunion in 2017....

Jim Payne

August 20, 2010

Hi Westport Classmates,

We had a record number of gals at our last luncheon which was held on July 31 at the Jack Gage American Tavern on 50th and Main Street in K.C. Mo. The food was very good and we had a great time visiting with one another. We were seated in a semi-private area in the far end of the restaurant so we were able to get up and move around and visit without disturbing the other customers. The following gals were able to meet and enjoy lunch together: Cherlyn, Beverly, Ilene, Juanita, Evelyn, Irene, Terry, Phyllis, Barbara F., Barbara G., Donna, Jane, Carolyn, Carol, Pat, Betty and her daughter, Judy, Kaye, Isabel and Merry. Our next luncheon will be on August 28th at 11:15 at Cascone's Italian Restaurant, 3737 North Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo. If you would like to join us please get in touch with me. Enjoy the rest of the summer. Autumn will be here before you know it.
Regards,

Merry Becker

July 20, 2010

Hi Westport Classmates,

Once again the Westport Gals Lunch Bunch enjoyed time and lunch together on June 26, 2010, at Mimi's Cafe in Overland Park. The following gals were able to join in the fun: Ilene O'Hare Blogin, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Isabel Avila Cheney, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Beverly Kerr Martin, Carol Nicholson Williams, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Barbara Jones Field, Donna Dodds Hass and Merry Krause Becker. We made plans to meet again on July 31 at Jack Gage American Tavern at 50th and Main in Kansas City. As always if you would like to join us, please feel free to do so. Take care and stay cool.

Merry Becker

 

July 17, 2010

Bill Gallup Obituary
William Russell Gallup, 71, moved to heaven on July 9, 2010, after a short hospitalization due to complications from a fall. Bill was born Aug. 19, 1938, near Keokuk, Iowa. As a youngster, he lived in Iowa and Arkansas before his family moved to Kansas City, Mo. His fondest childhood memories included the time spent with extended family in Arkansas. Following graduation from Westport High School in Kansas City, he joined the Navy. Bill was an expert in automotive parts and taught related classes in local junior colleges. He worked at Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships in the metro area. Bill was an Eagle Scout and a Scout master. He was a long-time member and an elder in the Community of Christ Church and attended the Bannister Ridge Congregation. Bill was a talented musician. He played a number of instruments, including the harmonica and guitar. He enjoyed playing with the Bannister Ridge Runners, a group whose musical ministry brought great joy to hospitals and nursing homes. He enjoyed cooking and creating leather art. Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia Kaeding and stepfather, J.F. (Tex) Kaeding and one son. He is survived by his loving spouse, Lorene; a sister, Martha Jo McConaughey (Jack); six brothers, Leonard Gallup (Shirley), Royal Kaeding, Loyal Kaeding (Tessa), Jack Lee Kaeding, Julious Durwood Kaeding (Twila), Kenneth Kaeding (Anne) and nieces, nephews, grand- nieces, and grand-nephews, all too numerous to count. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 14, at Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E. 39th Street, Independence, MO 64055. Visitation will begin one hour prior to service time at the funeral home. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 15, at Flora Cemetery, Viola, Ark. The family suggests contributions to the Little Sisters of the Poor, 8745 James A. Reed Rd., KCMO 64138 or Community of Christ Bannister Ridge Congregation, 9801 Blue Ridge Extension, KCMO 64134. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.speakschapel.com. Speaks Suburban Funeral Home, 18020 E 39th St, Independence, MO 64051, 816-373-3600 Published in Kansas City Star on July 12, 2010

June 25, 2010

Hi Westport Classmates,
The last Westport Gals luncheon was held on May 22nd at the Blue Moose Bar and Grill in Prairie Village. We had an excellent turnout with 16 gals attending. Jane Gooch Hollander was able to join us for the first time and it was great to see her. The following gals enjoyed a pleasant luncheon outside on the patio: Janis Blackwell Jones, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Donna Dodds Haas, Judy Arnold Eckel, Juanita Furness Candillo, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Isabel Avila Cheney, Carol Nicholson Williams, Terry Murphy Renfrow, Pat Jenkins Turley, Diane Morrow Kaster, Phyllis Morgan Lodl, Carolyn Beck Casey, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Jane Gooch Hollander and Merry Krause Becker. We have become friends all over again and we have one very important thing in common. We spent some of the best years of our lives together at Westport High School. Our next luncheon will be on Saturday, June 26th at Mimi's Cafe at 11 a.m. Mimi's is located at 11885 W. 95th Street in Overland Park, Kansas. Congratulations to Jerry Bybee's great nephew, Casey James, Casey came in third in the American Idol TV show. He did an awesome job and will be on tour with the top 10 from Idol.

Happy Father's Day to all our fathers and to our sons who are now fathers!


Merry Becker

June 16, 2010

Thanks to Juanita Candillo and others, they researched the Feb. news about the "riot" that took place in front of Westport at the close of the school day.

News article from the Kansas City Times "here"
Photo of the event "here"

Do you remember that day? (email jim@carras.com with your comments to post)

June 11, 2010

Read the article in Time Magazine July 3, 2010 about Westport closing.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1993877,00.html

Jim Carras

June 10, 2010

Carol Williams and Juanita Candillo continue to amaze me. Their dedication to preserving the history of the Westport area as well as the school is truly a gift to the City. Having followed news reports of the closing of KC schools, I was truly saddened that Westport was on the list. The declining school population illustrates the need for tough decisions, but emotional ties remain. Even though important documents seem to be missing, what has been preserved will contribute greatly to the history of Westport.

I’m sure other ’57 grads are working with them and also deserve credit. Who knows? Maybe some of the items packed away for safe keeping will appear at our 55th reunion.

A work in progress… thanks for your dedication and hard work.

Karen Schrader

June 10, 2010

Dear Mr. Joe Robertson, (the reporter about Westport of the Kansas City Star)

I am sending you this message with deep appreciation for all of your interest and effort to give the people of Kansas City the true picture of our love and devotion for our dear old Westport High School. You deliver the message of our hearts when you speak of old trophies and treasured memories we had at Westport High School where we spent our young impressionable years and where the foundation of our lives were being built.

I also want to thank our dear Carol (Nicholson) Williams for loving the memories of our school enough to want to do everything she could to preserve as much as she could and the many hours she spent on it. I also want to thank Duane Kelly (the brother of Clint Kelly from the class of 1955) for helping her. I took a picture of Carol holding the trowel that laid the cornerstone of Westport and the envelope she found it in, right after she found it. I was privileged to have been there when we were especially looking for items that represented the years we were going to Westport. Carol's devotion represents many of us former students and how we feel about our dear old school. I am proud to have been a graduate of Westport High School and will always hold dear the good memories that brought all that graced the halls of Westport together just by having been there.

Westport High Schoo
l,
We will miss you and we are sorry to see you close, but we love you and will hold you in our hearts and cherish the good memories we had there.


Thank you,
Juanita (Furness) Candillo
from the class of 1957

June 6, 2010

"I was happy to go and speak to the junior and seniors of Mr. Debarthe's classes. Talking with them and answering their questions made me realize how strongly I still feel the Spirit of Westport.

They asked questions such as, Where did we hold our Proms? Did we work while in school and where?, Where did we live when we went to Westport? How were our sports teams? What did it feel like to go away from home to a big college? How often have we gotten together since graduation? They were very receptive to us and some came and gave us hugs afterwards.

We told them how important they were as the "last Senior Class of Westport"

We loved the building, the halls and classrooms, in short the experience of going to Westport, but most important were the people we went to school with. It represent a time in our lives that can never be replicated. It was the time of not only learning, and making friendships, but the building place of a great part of our character. We tell the stories of teachers and classes we all remember and laugh at experiences we shared The longer we talk the more we remembered. It was a good time for us."


Dear Mr. Robertson:

Thank you so much for the article you wrote about the closing schools of Kansas City. As a product of those schools, I have been sadden by the need to close so many of them. I am very grateful to have had the privilege to attend Westport High School and appreciated you comments about Westport. I was one of the class of 1957 who went to visit with Mr.. DeBarthe's Juniors and Seniors and found them delightful. Most of them indicated they were planning to advance their education at college or other training which pleased me greatly.

I particularly enjoyed the comments in your article of SunSierra Payne, a junior moving to Southwest next year. "... she came away from the visit with the Class of ’57 believing a better goodbye is possible. 'I want it remembered the way the alumni remember it, not the way people think of it now.'she said. 'I like Westport for the good times.'”
I have stood with pride as I have cheered the Westport students over the years marching in the Snake Saturday parade. I still "revere the name of Westport " and will always "speak of her with pride."
I love the Westport High School Building, and will hate to see it stand empty. I hope the class of 2010 can remember Westport as I do, by keeping in contact with classmates thru the years. It is the memories of my experiences at Westport and the people sharing those memories that will always keep Westport alive in my heart.
Thanks again for the time you devoted to presenting these schools as we remember them.


Cherlyn Bruns

June 3, 2010

Take a look at a recent article in the KC Free Press and KC Star regarding Westport closing.

http://www.kcfreepress.com/photos/galleries/2010/jun/01/westport-high-school/
http://www.kcfreepress.com/news/2010/jun/02/closure-looming-westport-high-school-alumni-look-b/#c1039
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/02/1988984/21-kc-schools-fade-to-memory.html

A note from Carol (Nicholson) Williams regarding the interview with KC Star.

Friends,

This is the thank-you note I have sent to Joe Robertson, the reporter at the KC Star who wrote the article in today's paper describing the closing of the schools in KC. If you are as pleased as I am, please email him at jrobertson@kcstar.com and express your appreciation. I am most grateful, not only for the two hours he devoted to my interview but also for his focus on our school. He is a relatively young man, but obviously his sensitivity runs deeply. So many of you are good writers. If Joe's article has had an impact on you, please consider writing a letter of appreciation to the editor of the newspaper. My name has been cited enough times. Let's hear from some of the others of you. Please and thank you.

Ron, I have an essay from one of Mr. DeBarthe's students who mentions the impact you and Don had when you spoke to the class. I shall make a copy and send to you. Our words did not fall on dead ears!

Carol

Dear Joe,

Although I speak on behalf of my fellow alumni, simple words fail to convey our appreciation for your article on the closing of schools in the KC District. As an English teacher, one of the most difficult tasks I experienced, even with AP students, was teaching the meaning of "voice" in one's writing. I wish that I had been able to refer to your writing as a model.

You certainly succeeded in capturing the essence of the mixed emotions felt, not only by the older alumni but also by the graduating seniors and the underclassmen of Westport. Thank you for emphasizing the thoughts of the students and for showing your readers, through their words, what it means to say goodbye to a school that has been their home.

I hope that you will be hearing from other members of my Class of '57 who can speak for themselves in expressing their appreciation, for you have afforded each of us, who loves Westport, a positive way to say goodbye to an institution that nurtured us during the vulnerable years of our lives....a school that set us on the path to greater academic achievement and civic responsibility. A building so full of memories that not even a bulldozer can destroy it.

Finally, thank you for using the English language to evoke emotions and provoke thought.

Warmest regards,

May 15, 2010

One last look at Westport High School while it is still open. These photos were taken May 2010.

Click to view photos

 

April 28, 2010

All Class Reunion:

There is change is on the date for the tour of Westport. The date has been changed from May 14, 2010, to May 7, 2010, at 3:00, at Westport. David Wells called yesterday and stated that the principal at Westport wants Westport Alumni to do something with the graduating class of 2010.

David, will get back with me about what the principal wants us to do with the class and I will forward the information on to everyone. Also, our meeting at Rhythm Lanes is tentatively planned for the 7th at 6:00 PM, will know more later this week.

Mary Adair-Dean Class of "66

April 27, 2010

Westport Classmates,
The Westport Gals of '57 have enjoyed several luncheons together since my last report in January. Eight of us enjoyed lunch together at Cascone's Italian Restaurant in Shawnee Mission, Kansas on January 23rd. The following gals there: Carol Williams, Donna Haas, Terry Renfro, Phyllis Lodl, Barbara Field, Juanita Candillo, Isabel Cheney and Merry Becker.

The next luncheon was held on March 6th at Bo Ling's in Overland Park, Kansas. The following gals were able to join us: Donna Haas, Juanita Candillo, Isabel Cheney, Carol Williams, Terry Renfro, Phyllis Lodl, Diane Kaster, Barbara Field, Kaye Muehlberger and Merry Becker.

The latest luncheon was held at the Trezo Mare Restaurant on April 17th. The restaurant is just 5 minutes north of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Once again we had a very nice turn out and the following gals enjoyed the atmosphere of the lovely restaurant and the company of good friends: Janis Jones, Barbara Goodwin, Donna Haas, Carol Williams, Terry Renfro, Phyllis Lodl, Judy Eckel, Cherlyn Bruns, Linda Hunter, Juanita Candillo, Isabel Cheney, Kaye Muehlberger and Merry Becker.

We always have a great time at these luncheons and we have become a very close and caring group of friends. We are working on the plans for our next luncheon and it will most likely be towards the end of May. I will let Jim know when we have a date and location and he will post it for us. Thanks, Jim, for keeping the web site up and running. It is always good to hear what our classmates are doing. I must report that Jerry Bybee's great nephew, Casey James, is still in the running for the American Idol title. He is one of the last six still in there and they perform tonight, April 27th. Good luck, Casey!!
For now, Hugs from Merry

April 11, 2010

I have looked at the other Westport High School websites and find your work superior.
You have done an excellent job and I want to congratulate you, the website is something to be proud of. Larry Morgan

April 9, 2010

Hello 1957 WHS graduates. I transferred to Westport from Leavenworth High School and was a junior at WHS in 1957. I graduated with the class of 1958 and serve as webmaster of our 1958 website (http://sites.google.com/site/westporthighschool). Please let me know if you are aware of other WHS websites or class reunions and I will add links to our 1958 page. I reside in Orem, Utah. I was able to visit the school during the summer of 2009, visited with students, teachers, and administrators, and took a lot of pictures of the school. I have posted some of them on the 1958 website. It is sad to learn about Westport closing. Kip Sperry kipsperry@gmail.com

April 9, 2010

"Sam Keith just recently moved to Leawood Ks. to a townhome where he doesn't have the maintenance that he did on a regular home. He is still driving and barely passed his eye test to get his drivers license recently. He said he is 87 years old and still driving. His new address is 2233 Condolea Ter. Leawood Ks. 66209 for those that want to send him a card or letter". Juanita (Furness) Candillo

March 26, 2010

"Hi, I don't know you, but in the early sixties I dated a boy that was in your class while he was stationed in Arizona at Williams Air Force Base in pilot training; my father was a pilot stationed in Phoenix also. He was a 1961 graduate of the USAF Air Force Academy, and as fine a person as I have ever known and a credit to your class, and our country. His name was John Ernest Stackhouse and he was killed in Thailand flying an F-4C in the Viet Nam War on September 13th, 1966. I would so appreciate it if you would put this by his name on your website rather than leaving the space blank...I think Johnny would like it, too. Thank you very much for your consideration about this. "

Sincerely,
Anne Nevitt Hill
Austin, Texas

March 18, 2010

"Since they turned 70 last year, Ron's wife - Carol - and Don's wife - Martha - and sister Vivian from Chicago threw a 140 year old birthday party for Ronnie and Donnie the day before Thanksgiving with 71 in attendance and 41 stayed over for turkey day at Ron & Carol's pad. Best family reunion that we ever had with 28 grandkids under age 12. And Carol did her part - including producing and hosting the gala - from a wheel chair because she fell Oct 3 and broke bones in both of her feet. Kudos for her courage and persistence. She is just now just past the "Tim Conway Shuffle" but she's making progress. We are thankful for life, for family and God's graciousness to us all." Ron Philgreen

March 11, 2010

"Do we have any American Idol fans in our group? It may interest you to know that classmate Jerry Bybee's nephew is one of the top 8 male contestants. His name is Casey James. He is 27 years old and he is from Fort Worth, Texas. The top 8 girls sang last night and the guys sang tonight. Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. they will eliminate 2 girls and 2 guys so be sure to watch and see if Casey makes it through this round."
Ilene Blogin

Feb. 19, 2010

"The closing of Westport High needs not be looked at with sorrow for it presents us with a great opportunity ; several graduates could pool their financial resources, buy the property and convert it to condominiums. It could be called Westport Woods, a Center for Senior Living.

Classrooms could be converted to apartments of various sizes and amenities.
Elevators installed for those depending on walkers or wheel chairs
One gymnasium can be used as a gymnasium and fitness center, the other used for parties, dances and social gatherings
The auditorium can be used for meetings, motion pictures, concerts and theatrical productions both professional and amateur
The cafeteria will serve as a Food Court offering snacks, casual meals and fine dining
The library shall remain a library and reading room stocking current newspapers and magazines as well as novels and reference books
One or two classrooms would remain classrooms for continuing education
A room will be designated as a music room where the residents can practice and learn various instruments
The basement will be used for an Arts and Crafts Center providing facilities for wood working, metal working, jewelry making weaving, painting and pottery
On the main floor there will be a small shop where the resident's arts and crafts will be sold to the public
The parking area on the west side of McGee will be fenced, well lit and have a security guard/attendant"

Larry Morgan

Feb. 19, 2010

"With the Kansas City MO school board approval they are planning on closing about 29 to 31 of it's 60 schools in the K.C. area. They are planning on laying off up to 285 school teachers. Westport and possibly Northeast are two high schools in the planned closings. The K.C. Star Sunday paper said there has been a decline in enrollment from a peek of 75,000 students in the late 1960's to 17,000 students today. The proposal is that Westport Middle and High --- Students go to Southwest. Folks have moved to the suburbs and away from Kansas City and kids have dropped out of school and they say there aren't enough students and money to keep them all open. It has been on the news the last few days. I am sad that it has come to this but if they close our school that doesn't mean they will tear it down. Hopefully someone will come along and buy it and use it for somthing else.. The building is special in the hearts of all of us classmates" . ...Juanita


Feb. 16, 2010
"Just another sad occassion my fellow Westport classmatres and Dear friends..those of us living in or near to K.C. will know what is in the K.C. Schoolboard plans, the closing of about half of all K.C. schools, this includes our dear old treasured Westport, perhaps some of our old elementary schools.. it is truly another sad situation in our lifetime and our memories..I will pray and protest in my own way this closure and not only the loss of our dear old school, but to me even a historical loss of a grand old structure about 100 years ago..just venting and passing on my thoughts to you..God Bless You All" -

Art White

Jan, 28, 2010

Memorial for John Stackhouse.


Jan. 13, 2010

"I have new information for the Westport 1957 Database. I live in Munds Park, AZ which is about 20 miles S. of Flagstaff. My youngest son, Sam, invited me to move in with him. It's beautiful down here & my best friend lives in Flagstaff. Hope all is well with you. I have heard nothing about any of our classmates for over a year & yes, I did send my new email."
Gladys Elain Fredin [Chenault]

Jan. 5, 2010

"To all of my Westport friends, best wishes from our family, Howard, Jeff, Greg and Carol, for a Happy New Year filled with happiness, health and success".

Warm regards,
Carol Nicholson Williams



 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan. 2, 2010

"Hi to all our classmates from the 1957 Westport Gals Lunch Bunch. We wish everyone a new year filled with lots of love, happiness and good health.
Our Christmas luncheon on December 5th was a great success. Twenty one gals enjoyed the luncheon which was held in the lovely home of Diane Morrow Kaster. This year we decided to adopt a family and forego the gift exchange amongst ourselves. Through the generosity of all the gals, even the ones who were unable to attend the luncheon, we were able to share $350 with a single mother, who is battling cancer, and her three children. That was the best part of the afternoon; however, we did have fun with a white elephant exchange and a baby picture identifying game. We made plans to make the "Adopt a Family" an annual project for our group, so next December we hope to expand on the idea. The gals attending the luncheon were Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Betty Turley Smith, Beverly Kerr Martin, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Carol Nicholson Williams, Diane Morrow Kaster, Donna Dodds Haas, Ilene O'Hare Blogin, Irene Zamarippa Lopez, Isabel Avila Cheney, Judy Arnold Eckel, Juanita Furness Candillo, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Linda Betke Hunter, Mary Nichols Bay, Mary Hamilton Ruf, Nancy Shepherd Coates, Pat Jenkins Turley, Phyllis Morgan Lodl, Terry Murphy Renfro and me, Merry Krause Becker.

Our next luncheon will be on January 23 at Houston's on the Plaza at 1:00 pm. The weather may play a part in our meeting so feel free to check with me as we get closer to the date to see if we have made any changes. Again, Happy New Year to all our Westport High School friends."

Warm hugs from Merry Krause Becker!

 

Dec. 23, 2009
2009 has been a year of technology for us: we both got new computers, Dick received a Kindle for Father's Day and we have new cell phones that "do it all." As opposed to leaving phone messages or emailing grandchildren, we've learned that texting gets an instant response. Dick's garden railroad has continued to grow with bridges, curves, a tunnel and lots of track. I have become fascinated with genealogy and learned that I have ancestors going back to the Revolutionary War and beyond. Also a first for us is that we have become actively involved in politics. Living in MA makes the world of politics very interesting, indeed. Happy Holidays to all of you. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Karen Harris Schrader

 

Dec. 10, 2009
The following email from Sara Booth was received... please contact her directly with any memories of Miss Eggleston.

Dear Jim,

I ran across your website for the Westport Class of '57. My great-aunt Mabel Eggleston taught Latin and English at Westport at that time. My sister and I are writing a family history and I was wondering if anyone had any memories of Miss Eggleston. I didn't know if it would be appropriate to post a comment on your website. I know it's a stretch but if you have anything I would appreciate knowing.

Thank you,
Sara Booth


sarakbooth@hotmail.com

 

Dec. 8, 2009

The following email was received by Bryon London, son of classmate William (Bill) Jay London. Please respond directly to him if you would like to share any memories you have of his father...Jim Carras

Dear Jim,

It was interesting to see "William Jay London" listed on your web site when I googled my fathers name. Bill was my dad, and died when his c-130 crashed off of Okinawa. I was only seven months old, so of course I have no recollection of him or the events.

Looks like your reunion was a great success! On behalf of my father I wish you and all the classmates all the best of Health and success.

Bryon London
blondon@powersoak.com>

Nov. 19, 2009

"Happy Thanksgiving to all!. Bev and I are enjoying life on the west coast with all the great skiing, hiking, biking wining, dining and dancing we can get in! I try to get as much tennis in as possible too. Two years ago I bought a new knee and it's been wonderful to be a kid again!" - Dick Kiehl

Oct. 23, 2009

"The Westport Gals of '57 met for lunch at Houlihan's north of the river on Saturday, October 17th, 2009. The food was good, the weather was great and the company could not have been better. Those attending were Ilene O'Hare Blogin, Mary Nichols Bay, Phyllis Morgan Lodl and her daughter, Kim, Donna Dodds Haas, Kaye Peyser Muehlberger, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Juanita Furness Candillo, Mary Hamilton Ruf, Betty Turley Smith, Pat Jenkins Turley, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Isabel Avila Cheney, Beverly Kerr Martin and Merry Krause Becker. We made plans for our holiday luncheon and it will be held on Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at Diane's home. The menu will include barbeque from Smoke Stack. We will also continue to have our gift exchange. Be sure to get in touch with me if you plan to join us for some holiday fun and friendship. We are not planning to meet in November as most of us will have Thanksgiving plans and activities with our families. I hope everyone is staying healthy and happy and I will see many of you in the merry month of December." - Merry Krause Becker

Oct. 14, 2009

"After graduation I joined the Air Force. After the Air Force I went to school to get my AS degree. I worked in Communication's for over 40 years. I retired from BNSF Railroad in 2000. Vicky and I have been married 43 years. We have three children, the youngest son is in the Army and waiting to be deployed.
We are active at First Baptist Church of Raytwon. We have lived in Raytown for 42 years" -
Richard Bayless

Oct. 10, 2009

"Thanks so much for kicking up some new interest in the website. I find myself checking it more often to see if there are any new comments that have been added. I will add my own one of these days but in the meantime thanks for all the effort you have put into the website and continue to do so. I don't think many of us realized what a great class we had back there in the fifties but we sure do now". - Merry Becker

'Oct. 10, 2009

"Don had open heart surgery in Feb and is doing much better. We flu to England and Wales for our 50th wedding aniversary on July 4 and visited our Dtr Sherri and her husband who lives in England and had a wonderful time. I will be flying to India on Nov 11, 09 for a missons trip and will be back for Thanksgiving with our family and then flying to England to spend Christmas with Sherri and Barry, all in all its been a very blessed year. Thanks for send us the Email so we could share." Jan Dando (McClintock).

 

Oct. 10, 2009

"This spring Mary and I took son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren ages 8, 6 and 5 on a one-week riding vacation in the Sierra. The little ones are all competent riders, and they loved it. I suspect this is going to have to be a yearly affair. I really appreciate the skill and dedication the Westport web site reflects. Congratulations to you. I'm retired, but I shepherd a group of former and present newspaper people. They message me, and every night I publish, via e-mail, a compendium of their comments and memories, along with some of my thoughts. This thing has been tremendously successful. There were 95 members when I took over two years ago, and we're up to 455 now and hope to keep growing. My best to all my Westport buddies."

Jack Justus Reber
P.O. Box 2239
Ramona, Calif. 92065
USA

Oct. 7, 2009

"It was good to hear from you. My cancer is in remission at this time so I feel wonderful and all my blood counts are normal.

Ken still has eye problems but can drive now in the daytime.
That is a blessing.

We are enjoying all of our eight grandchildren and six of our grandchildren live down the street. We live two exits from KCI Airport and are enjoying living up north.

Other than enjoying retirement, keeping up with our church and helping out with the grandchildren and our the children, we are incredibly lucky.
" Janis Blackwell Jones

Oct. 7, 2009

Manuel Reyes and his family (including six Grand Dauthters) all live in Overland Park, KS. Take a look at Manuel's Bio >>click here.


Dos Mundos and Staff Recieve LifeTimeAchivement Award from GKCHCC 2006


Clara Reyes Editor & Manuel Reyes Publisher of Dos Mundos and now have two Spanish Radio Stations 1340 AM & 1480 AM


Business of the year Award to Reyes Media Group Curtis,Diana (Daughter)Raymer,Manuel,Clara Reyes, Edward (Son) and Susie 2007

Submitted by Manuel Reys

Oct. 7, 2009

On September 18th, 2009, the following classmates came together at Loose Park and had lunch. Also, Barbara (Jones) Field brought 4 Monarch butterflies she raised and they were released at the park to fly to Mexico for winter.


Kaye (Peyser) Muehlberger, Merry (Krause) Becker, Carol (Nicholson) Williams, Barbara (Jones) Field, Juanita (Furness) Candillo (not in this first picture)


Kaye (Peyser) Muehlberger and Barbara (Jones) Field


Juanita, Merry, Carol, and Kaye


Barbara, Merry, Carol and Kaye

Submitted by Juanita Candillo

Oct. 5, 2009

"Jim, I do not have any pictures, which is ok since I would not know how to get them into the computer and forwarded anyway. I am very limited in computer skills.
As for news, I finally retired last Wednesday , the 30th of Sept was my last day. That completed 48 years in the packaging business.
Marilyn and I are planning a trip to visit old friends and family this fall. My sister Jane is living in Keller Texas, and will be one of our stops on the trip. Marilyn is now a "stay at home Grandma" and I am training for the next class reunion.
See you then.
" Ken Pollock

Oct. 4, 2009

"Congrats on the great class of 57 web site. My e-mail address is
mach1gil@everestkc.net."
Jerry Gillihan

Oct. 2, 2009

"My name is Manuel Ramentol. In case you wonder who Maria is: she is my better half, constant companion and caregiver. I have been a Parkinson's patient for at least 9 years..
First, thanks for this great link to a part of my own history. Most likely you do not remember me, or even we were never introduced or share a class.
Just the same, I wish you count you as a friend, and hope you do likewise.
I was able to make to the 40nth Class of 57 reunion, but missed the 50nth.
I have been in touch with Juanita Furness, (Mrs. Candillo)
I hope you are in good health. My wife's computer is my window to the world.
No longer do I drive, or even walk as well as I did a couple of years ago,
Parkinson works slowly, bu as it progresses there is no going back.
So, I do my best to keep busy: t is the best therapy.
Keep always your spirits high.
Peace."
Manuel Ramentol

Oct. 1, 2009

Hi Westport Gals,

"Our last luncheon was the picnic in Loose Park and what a beautiful day we had. There were only 5 of us that were able to make it but we had a very nice time. I guess I should say 5 of us gals and 4 special guests. The guests were beautiful, small and very light and they were headed for Mexico. They were butterflies that Barbara Field brought with her that were ready to be released for their flight south. The following gals enjoyed an afternoon in the park: Juanita Candillo, Barbara Field, Kaye Muehlberger, Carol Williams and Merry Becker.

We decided it was time to go north for our next luncheon so mark your calendars for Saturday, October 17th, at 11:30 a.m. at Houlihan's Kansas City North. The address is 8660 Boardwalk Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri, 64154. The phone number there is 816-584-9910. Ilene provided me with some basic directions and said Houlihan's was really easy to find. Go out I-29 and take exit 8 for NW Barry Road. Turn right at NW Barry Road. Go to the second light and turn left at N. Ambassador Drive. Go about 1 block and Houlihan's will be on your left. It is across the street from Wal-Mart.

Please let me know by Thursday, the 15th if you will be joining us so I can make reservations.

Stay happy and healthy and I hope to see many of you on the 17th.
Hug to you from
" Merry Becker

Sept. 2, 2009

Hi Westport Gals,

"The luncheon on July 25th at Cinzetti's was enjoyed by the following gals: Barbara Field, Barbara Goodwin Mary Ruf, Donna Haas, Kaye Muehlberger, Pat Turley and Isabel Cheney. I was unable to attend but I heard that they had a very nice time.

The next luncheon will be Friday, September 18th at noon at Loose Park. By being on a Friday the children will be in school and hopefully there won't be a large reunion-type group using the main shelter house. We will meet at the shelter house that we used for our Sunday picnic for the 50th reunion. Carol and I will arrive early to stake out the shelter house (if it hasn't already been reserved) or a nearby table or patch of earth. The menu will be of your own choosing as everyone will bring their own picnic lunch and beverage. You might want to bring a lawn chair or blanket just in case the shelter house is occupied. I hope the time and date will work for most of you. Let me know if you are planning to join us.

Take care and enjoy this unbelievably nice weather
". Merry Becker

June 21, 2009 Westport Friends,

"I have a couple of luncheons to report on. The Westport Gals' Luncheon scheduled on Sat., May 16, 2009, at Loose Park had a change in location due to inclement weather. We went with our "Plan B" and met at Uno's Chicago Grill on the Plaza. The following gals were able to attend: Phyllis Morgan Lodl, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Beverly Kerr Martin, Ilene O'Hare Blogin, Donna Dodds Haas, Isabel Avila Cheney, Carol Nicholson Williams and Merry Krause Becker. We always have a great time and leave feeling upbeat. Old friends make the best friends.

Our latest luncheon was held on Friday, June 19, 2009, at the home of Carol Nicholson Williams. Carol was such a lovely hostess and everyone enjoyed an afternoon of delicious food, fun and friendship. The friendship we all share is very special. The following gals were able to join in the fun: Judy Arnold Eckel, Isabel Avila Cheney, Carolyn Beck Casey, Linda Bethke Hunter, Donna Dodds Haas, Juanita Furness Candillo, Mary Hamilton Ruf, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Pat Jenkins Turley, Merry Krause Becker, Phyllis Morgan Lodl, Diane Morrow Kaster, Terry Murphy Renfrow,Carol Nicholson Williams, Ilene O'Hare Blogin and Betty Turley Smith.

Our next luncheon will be on Sat., July 25, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. at Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant located at 7201 W. 91st (91st and Metcalf), Overland Park, Kansas. I will make a reservation for us, therefore, please contact me (merrybecker38@comcast.net) by July 20th if you plan to join us.

Happy 4th of July to everyone!
Merry Becker

June 20, 2009 - Dear Friends,
I promise to keep this message brief; however, I feel compelled to write a note to those of you who attended the WGs' luncheon yesterday in my home. I want to thank each of you for taking the time to gather. How fortunate we are to share this special bond of friendship. Think of it. There is just one common denominator among us: Westport High School; yet, we always manage to find a "million and one" topics to laugh/talk about.


I thoroughly enjoy hosting our group because it provides more time for us to visit at greater length, and we can position ourselves so we can actually hear each other. I have come to believe that all of us are avid story-tellers at heart....and what stories we tell. We might not solve all of the problems of the world, but we manage to cover just about every topic imaginable. Also, thank you for the delicious food you brought.


Although Bev and Mary Bay were unable to attend (Mary's flight was delayed in Chicago), we missed both of you. To all others who were not able to join us yesterday, we hope to see you at the next luncheon. (Merry will be sending out that information in a few days.) Whenever my non-Westport friends hear that I am attending/hosting a Westport Gals' luncheon, they are envious of our long-standing friendships.


With that said, I know you will join me in sending a special thanks to the ladies who have kept our group intact: Ilene assumed the lead role for a number of years, and Merry has now held the post for the past few years. The rest of us might take for granted that our luncheons will automatically continue, but these ladies have invested time and effort to coordinate our get-togethers and to ensure that our gatherings are well-attended.

Did I promise that this message would be short? So much for trusting me! I look forward to our next luncheon in July.

Warm regards, - Carol (Nicholson) Williams


April, 27, 2009
- "When I can remember to do so, I check the "Class of '57" news page about once every month or so. I think it's great that the Westport Gals get together each month to stay abreast of what's going on in their lives.

Do you know if any of the other '50s vintage Westport classes have a database like we do? If you hear of one, please let me know but I'm guessing not. I doubt they have a Jim Carras among them to make it happen." Pat Starmer

April 17, 2009
- The Westport Gals' April luncheon was held at Taqueria Mexico #4 on Rainbow Blvd. in Kansas City, Kansas on Thursday, April 16, 2009 and was enjoyed by the following gals: Diane Morrow Kaster, Beverly Kerr Martin, Barbara Henshaw Goodwin, Donna Dodds Haas, Cherlyn Hughes Bruns, Evelyn Gomez Bravo, Juanita Furness Candillo and Carol Nicholson Williams. Everyone had a very nice time and plans were made for the next luncheon. There was some discussion as to how often we should have our luncheons and on what day they should be held. Everyone was in agreement about having the luncheons every month and on Saturdays. With that said, the next luncheon will be Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at Loose Park. Each individual will bring her own lunch and we will "picnic" in the park. In case of rain we will meet at Uno's Chicago Pizza on the Plaza. Feel free to contact me at merrybecker38@comcast.net if you have any questions and also if you plan to join us for our May Picnic. Happy spring!!! Merry Krause Becker

February 5, 2009 - What a great day for our luncheon. There were 11 of us that met Thursday, Feb. 5th at Uno's Chicago Grill on the Plaza. The following gals were at the luncheon: Nancy Wilson (all the way from Florida), Terry Renfrow, Irene Lopez, Juanita Candillo, Mary Ruf, Betty Smith, Pat Turley, Phyllis Lodl, Mary Bay, Carol Williams and me. Lunch was good but the company was even better. I want to thank Nancy for making time to join us. We all enjoyed visiting with her and I hope that seeing all her old friends helped to make her visit to Kansas City a little easier.

The next luncheon will be Thursday, April 16 at 12 noon and it will be at Taqueria Mexico #4 located at 3300 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas and the phone number is 913-722-9200. I will send out another note as we get closer to the date so you don't need to let me know if you will be able to attend until later. Check your schedules, however, and I do hope many of you will be able to join us.
An update on Donna's recovery is a good one. She seems to be coming along very well and appreciates the cards and notes sent her way. Donna, you are doing great and hopefully, you will soon be able to join us at a luncheon.

Cherlyn is doing better also, however, she is having quite a bit of back pain and isn't sure what the next step will be. Cherlyn also appreciates our cards and notes. Cherlyn, we miss seeing you at the luncheons and we hope that you too will be able to join us soon.
Try to keep up with the weather. It seems to change faster than a teen age girl can change outfits in one day. Take care, stay healthy and most of all stay happy. Hugs!
Merry Becker

January 31, 2009 - The next Westport Gal's luncheon for the class of '57 will be Thursday, February 5, at 12:00 Noon at Uno's Chicago Grill on the Plaza.
Uno's is located at 4710 Jefferson St., adjacent to the Plaza theaters parking lot, just across the street, west of the theaters. Please email Merry (Krause) Becker at merrybecker38@comcast.net if you plan to attend so that she can give Uno's a number and possibly reserve the back room. Nancy (Conklin) Wilson will be in town and plans to attend the luncheon.
Juanita (Furness) Candillo

January 13, 2009 - The next Westport '57 class gals luncheon will be 11:00 AM, Friday, Jan. 16, 2009 at Chili's restaurant at 5880 Antioch, Merriam, Kansas, 66202 The phone # is (913) 262-0067
It is located at Johnson Drive and Antioch, right off of the freeway I-35 All gals from the class of 1957 are welcome. RSVP Merry (Krause) Becker at merrybecker38@comcast.net to reserve a place at the table and/or get on the email or telephone list to be notified of the monthly luncheons
. Juanita (Furness) Candillo

January 10, 2009 - A photo of the December 13 "Westport Gals Christmas Party" click here

April 21, 2008 - "SUCCESS!! We got a new DVD Player and the disc you sent played perfectly. The original still does not . Thank you...(Juanita)...so much for taking the time to send a new one. That was so thoughtful of you and I enjoyed watching it very much. I must admit that it's been fifty years since I've seen anyone in our class and would have been hard pressed to recognize any of them if I had met them walking down the street, and I'm sure they'd feel the same about me. I think Jim Carras and the committee did a wonderful job of putting it...(the DVD)...all together and I'm sorry I couldn't attend the reunion. Do let me know if you're going to be in my area and I'd love to reciprocate your kindness. Fond regards", Barbara (South) Cheek

April 1, 2008 - "The Westport Gals met again for lunch on Saturday, March 15th at the Bravo Restaurant in the Zona Rosa shopping area north of the river. The weather was a bit gloomy that morning but that didn\'t keep 12 gals from meeting and having a good lunch. We had such a nice time visiting that we forgot to take some pictures. The following gals were at the luncheon: Betty Smith, Pat Turley, Bev Martin, Judy Eckel, Phyllis Lodl and her daughter, Kim, Ilene Blogin, Mary Ruf, Juanita Candillo, Mary Bay, Isabel Cheney and myself, Merry Becker. Our next luncheon is planned for Saturday, April 26th at 1:00 p.m. at Bo Lings Restaurant at 9055 Metcalf in Overland Park, Kansas. I will make reservations for our group so if anyone else would like to join us for lunch and conversation, please get in touch with me. We always have a good time getting reacquainted and in some cases just getting acquainted. I hope to see many of you on April 26th." Merry Becker
Mar. 22, 2008 - To all classmates who know and love Phyllis Mallin Kenney, I thought you would want to know that her mother died on Tuesday, March 18th. As Phyllis noted, "She was 101 and had a great life." I am confident that Phyllis would appreciate and find comfort in your kind expressions of support during this sad time. Her address is listed on our Westport website and in our memory book, as well. Carol Nicholson Williams
Mar. 19, 2008 - "I have been asked by Betty (Rigdon) Wilson (class of 1958) to find out if her class is going to have a reunion this year. I was an 8th grader in 1957 - graduated in 1961. If you know anything, please pass it along to me and I\'ll let her know. Thanks very much!" Jack McCullough (class of 1961)...you can email Jack at kawnbety@aol.com or submit any information at the bottom of this page...
Mar. 13, 2008 - "Juanita sent me one of the DVDs and we took it out to Jim Oakes' house to watch it with him. It was so beautifully put together, we couldn't find any superlatives to describe the DVD that haven't already been used. We can't thank you enough for making it available to us." William (Pat) Starner
Mar. 11, 2008 - Fourteen Westport Gals got together for lunch on Saturday, Feb.23 at Wil Jenny's Restaurant in Overland Park, Ks. We had a good time visiting with one another. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. Those attending the luncheon were Judy Arnold Eckel, Mary Hamilton Ruf, Beverly Kerr Martin, Terry Murphy Renfrow, Marybeth True Criss, Diane Morrow Kaster, Carol Nicholson Williams, Ilene O'Hare Blogin, Barbara Jones Field, Donna Dodds Haas, Juanita Furness Candillo, Isabel Avila Cheney, Phyllis Morgan Lodl and Merry Krause Becker. Photos The next luncheon will be Saturday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bravo Restaurant in the Zona Rosa Shopping Center in Kansas City. Please email Merry at merrybecker38@comcast.net if you would like to have your name added to our contact list. You will be notified by email or by phone when and where the next luncheon will be. It is always helpful to know if you plan to attend a luncheon as we often make reservations ahead of time. We always have a good time whether it is 3 - 4 gals or 12 - 14 gals that are able to meet. - Merry Becker
Feb. 29, 2008 - Great work Juanita...we can take Lester Philp Goodall off of the Unable to Locate list.
Feb. 11, 2008 - This may be old news for you but I just stumbled across Alva Baker's obituary when I grabbed a section of an old newspaper to use to protect our kitchen table from the mess I probably would have made while working on a project. It appeared in the January 20th Star. I watch the obit page regularly as manyof us do when we reach our golden years but I didn't see it. Out of curiosity I checked the K.C. Star's obituary archive section and it wasn't there either. See Obituary with picture - William (Pat) Starner
Feb. 6, 2008 - "Thanks! Your CD was very impressive. I don't know if the SW Reunion Committee will have the time to put together such a well-done item, but I have passed it on. Vicky and I both enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed the 40s portions, which were similar for us, and especially the Rollins School part, as I went to Kindergarten there, living with my Mom and Grandmother, while my Dad was overseas. Thanks again! " - George Leonard (Southwest High class of 58)
Feb. 1, 2008 - "My husband and I thought it wasn't cold enough in Missouri so we're going to the Arctic Circle to watch the Northern Lights. I've loved reading the comments and updates and think Jim Carras has done an exceptional job." Barbara (South) Cheek
Jan. 28, 2008 - "Because of computer glitches, I played the reunion DVD today for the first time. Congratulations and thank you to the reunion committee for creating a memorable DVD for all of us. I LOVE IT!! It was such a fun weekend. When is the next one?" Karen (Harris) Schrader
Jan. 24, 2008 - "Thank you so much for the DVD of our history. It was also enjoyed by my brother-in-law, Jack Comer, Class of \'55.\" Derinda Hamlett Aswegan
Jan. 24, 2008 - "Thanks for the DVD. Someone did a great job." Jack Klee (Westport \'55)
Jan. 19, 2008 - "Westport Gals Christmas party that we finally got around to having in January. Hope the picture comes thru. We had a really great time. Kaye is a great hostess!" - Judy Arnold Eckel 
Jan. 18, 2008 - "Hi Jim, I just wanted to tell you that I thought the DVD you made of the 50th Reunion was absolutely wonderful. I loved the music that you or whomever selected. Brought back lots of memories. Thanks for a wonderful job, very well done. I will check out the website you sent in your email message.
Happy New Year
." Mary K. Sis Harmon
Jan. 17, 2008 - "I think the web site looks great and thank you for doing this. You are appreciated more than you will ever know." Donna Dodds Haas
Jan. 17, 2008 - "Great job, Jim. Thanks for all the additional pictures from the reunion. I'm proud to have known you all these years - going all the way back to '48, when I transferred to Rollins from Frances Willard. Sixty years! Remember those Friday mornings in the auditorium for Chorus, or whatever they called that sing along? I remember a few band concerts too, with way too many violins. Those concerts tended to be pretty high pitched and squeaky. You and David Tomkins tried to tone things down with your base violins, but you were far outnumbered.

And the principal, Miss Carey. I remember getting a lecture on race when the Confederate-Union cap fad was running during our 6th or 7th grade year. I don’t think race was a factor in the fad in our minds, but it was in hers.

In our 7th grade year, they cleared out some old storage rooms in the basement on the SW corner of the building, and built us a cafeteria. I was a latch key kid and ate a lot of lunches at Woolworth’s. Miss Perine threatened us with some sort of penalty if any of us were caught eating up on Main St. I don’t think she/they could have done anything about it, but kids were more easily intimidated then.

Going back from Miss Perine, I have good memories of Mrs Lance (6th grade) and Mrs Vawter (5th). I thought Miss Renshaw (4th) was a little dingy though. She seemed relieved when she came in one Monday morning and showed us her engagement ring. Maybe our bunch could drive a woman to desperation like that. One good thing came out of that year though - the history of Kansas City. I guess I got hooked on our fair city with that.

I’ve included a Google Earth picture of Rollins, or whatever they call it now. It’s circled at the lower left. The playground at the front is now gone. If I remember correctly, you (and Bob Siebenthaler) lived in some apartments where that long parking lot is now, just north of the school. Those apartments and those across the Walnut to the left are gone. I wonder who owns the vacant land between Walnut and Warwick now.

I was surprised to read about Juanita. I guess I hadn't been checking the site as frequently as I thought. I’ll drop her an E-card.

Thanks for all your time and hard work. Please let me know if you need any semi-skilled help in the future.
" Jerry Rutter
Jan. 17, 2008 - "Jim, let me first say it was wonderful seeing you at the reunion. You have done a wonderful job on the website and I enjoy looking at it often. I also appreciate all the hard work you have and are doing for all of us. You indeed are one of the sweetest guys that ever graduated in 1957 and I am proud to have been in the same class with you." Kaye Peyser Muehlberger
Jan. 17, 2008 - "We all grow up and we all age, but, it is hard for me to picture you as an ADULT since I remember you (Jim Carras) as the BOY that I went to Elementary School and High School with. I was glad to hear that you were involved in the Westport project." Norma (Hall) Latini
Jan, 17, 2008 -" I enjoyed the reunion so much! Thank you to the reunion committee - you all did a fantastic job on everything. It was so much fun to see the pictures from the reunion. I am in the process of moving to Munds Park, AZ (about 22 miles south of Flagstaff), half in Las Vegas & half in AZ. When my mobile home sells, I will move there permanently." Glady Fredin Chenault
Jan. 17, 2008 - "Once again, Jim, a big thank you to you for keeping the website up and running. I do hope our classmates will take advantage of it and share their news, stories and information with everyone. After such a successful reunion it would be great to stay in touch with everyone. Some of the local Westport gals got together, after 3 rescheduled dates,on January 7th at Kaye Peyser Muehlberger\'s home. It was a fun evening with lots of food, conversation, laughs and a gift exchange. Those present were Kaye, Carol Nicholson Williams, Donna Dodds Haas, Barbara Hinshaw Goodwin, Juanita Furness Candillo, Betty Turley Smith, Pat Jenkins Turley, Diane Morrow Kaster, Linda Bethke Hunter, Mary Hamilton Ruf, Barbara Jones Field, Isabel Avila Cheney, Judy Arnold Eckel and myself, Merry Krause Becker. We will be meeting again in February for lunch. If there are any other Westport gals out there that would like to join us please let us know. You can reach me via email or a phone call. Happy 2008 to all our classmates out there. Let us hear from you through this great website."
Merry Krause Becker
Jan. 17, 2008  - "All is well in Cedar City, Utah. I will get around to retiring in May 2008. Looks like the reunion was fun. See you next time". - Fred Lohrengel

Nov. 18, 2007 - "Dear Classmates, we thought that you would want to be informed that Juanita Furness Candillo had Laparoscopic RYN Gastric Bypass surgery last week. Even though the surgery was deemed successful, the day following surgery, Juanita experienced complications related to a vastly increased heart rate which caused serious concern. When she did not respond to medication, plans were made to sedate her in order to shock her heart into a regular heartbeat. Fortunately, on the morning of the planned procedure, her heartbeat returned to normal. Those of us who were aware of her surgery and the post-surgery heart condition maintained a prayer vigil for her. Thank God that she is now doing fine and has returned home.

The Westport Gals, here in KC, have sent flowers, but we would encourage our fellow classmates to send messages to Juanita's email address or cards to her home address, both of which are listed in the Reunion Memory Book. We know that Juanita would be so pleased to know that her classmates are thinking of her and keeping her in their prayers. So, if you have a moment, please let her know that she is in your thoughts."
Reunion Committee

Nov. 18, 2007 - "Thanks, Jim. Your website has reached and touched the lives of others than just our '57 classmates. How nice to know the scope of its influence. Comments like those (below) from Paul's brother, who will pass on the the link to his sisters, must help you to feel rewarded, in part, for your many hours of effort. We are so proud of "our" website, but you must accept the credit for originating and implementing the idea." Carol (Nicholson) Williams
Nov. 17, 2007 - "I enjoyed cruising your website. It\'s great!
It was sent to me by my classmate of WHS Class of \'64!
Ron Philgreen\'s photos contain a picture of my late brother, your classmate, Paul Ramirez. I have also forwarded your link to my sisters, Norma, class of \'63 and Mary, class of \'71. I\'m sure they will enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks for the memory."
Rick Ramirez
Oct. 26, 2007 - "I just received the Reunion group photo. As I looked over the faces in the photo, I was overwhelmed with happiness and wonderful memories of what had to be the most extraordinary class reunion ever held. EVERYTHING was PERFECT. My sincerest "thank you" to all the committee members who worked so hard to make it happen".
Nancy Conklin Wilson
Oct. 19, 2007 - "To the Reunion Committee, Thank you for making the 50th reunion a special time for all of us. The mailings, classmate search, decorations, displays, hotels, site selection, registration, name badges, happy hour, banquet, photographer, food choices, classmate map, website, memory book, golf outing, music, Westport artifacts, class gift, silent auction, raffle, worship, picnic and DVD took months of planning. You did it all. You made it fun to reconnect with old friends and share where life has taken us. Thank you so very much for the work you put into fifty years of memories.
Blessings"
Karen Harris Schrader
Aug. 23, 2007 - "I was delighted that the class of 1957 finally found me this past December. Moving out of Missouri and remarrying must make it difficult.
I have enjoyed very much the communications I have had thus far from the information provided on this web site. I had not communicated with Mary Webb for 50 years and she and I spent lots of time together living on the same block and going to grade school together. I look forward to seeing you all in a couple of months and if I do not recognize you give me a clue...50 years is a long time...you probably will not recognize me either.
" Mary Kay (Richardson) Hasz
Aug. 10, 2007 - "Thanks, Jim, for doing such a great job with the website. It is nice to be in touch with our classmates and you have made it so easy. Recently Nancy (Conklin)Wilson was in the Kansas City area and communicated with Donna (Dodds)Haas. Arrangements were made and many of us on the reunion committee met with Nancy for lunch at Winstead\'s on the Plaza. We had a great time at this ("mini)" reunion and we are all looking forward to seeing many other classmates in October. Thanks, Nancy, for taking the time out of your schedule to meet with some good old friends from the fifties". Merry(Krause)Becker
Aug. 1, 2007 - "In the last couple of months things have closed in on me time wise. My wife tells me I need to spend some time with the family this year. With the engagements now committed to I will not be able to attend the reunion this year. I am sorry I will not see you and spend time discussing all the things we have done and plan on doing in the future.
Take care, have a good reunion and God Bless. See you all soon".
Scott Riles
July 4, 2007 - "What a great site - thank you so much, Jim! My hotel reservations are made & flight has been booked. I\'m really looking forward to the reunion. The committee has done a fantastic job!" Glady (Fredin) Chenault
June 24, 2007 - "The website is great! My, how time flies - I cannot believe we graduated 50 years ago - I have some wonderful memories! Sorry that I cannot attend the Reunion". Judith Mae Hellman
June 14, 2007 - "Have been in contact with Juanita [Furness]Candillo and getting information on our REUNION and plan to be there in October. Have been living in the Denver Colorado area. Retired in 1992 and have been living the good life. Will send a BIO to Jeff Sheldon soon. Bye for now". Bob Brewer
June 8, 2007 - "I'm still coaching, so I don\'t know if Paula and I will be able to make it to the 50th. I sure hope we can. Thanks for such a great website". Vance Morris
June 5, 2007 - "Thank You Jim. I know you have done a lot of hard work on this \"Great Web Site\". It just keeps getting better and better. What a privilage to be a part of the Great 1957 Graduating Class. We have a Special Group of Dedicated Classmates Organizing our 50th Class Reunion. Can\'t wait until October 2007, it should be fun." Dan Sestak
May 24, 2007 - "I had a request from Geoffrey Parsons who is researching Burton family history and wanted to know if anyone could share any information on Cecile Burton our Speech teacher. If you do, send to Geoffrey at gdp_66@yahoo.com." Jim Carras
May 15, 2007 - "Tho I will be there, I am not pleased with the location you have set up, we are Westporters, not O.P.\'ites, there are plenty on good locations within the Westport area..I do not undersatand your desires/reasons for this location. These are my feelings, and are shared with others...Thank you." Art White
May 8, 2007 - "Thanks to all of you who have been/are working on this 50th reunion - it promises to be great fun. My husband and I are looking forward to attending and catching up with lots of \'old\' friends." Barbara (Shadwell) Louis
Apr. 24, 2007 - "What a great website! And a big \"Thank you\" to all the people who are putting this reunion together. There\'s no doubt the \"Westport Class of \'57\" has got to be one of the best. See you in October". Wayde Fredickson
Feb. 27, 2007 - "Thank you Jim, for all your work. And thanks to all the rest of you who have added comments and pictures. I really enjoy visiting this site to see the updates. Looking forward to the reunion in October." Cherlyn (Hughes) Bruns
Feb. 18, 2007 - "Thank you, Jim, for this wonderful website. Seeing the comments from classmates is a great way to start the reunion celebration early. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in October". Nancy (Conklin) Wilson.
Feb. 8, 2007 - "Hello Everyone, What a great website. Love seeing all the pictures and remembering the fun days at Westport. Good work on the website". Denise (Dumas) Crosby
Jan. 24, 2007 - "Thanks Jim for a great job on the web sight. I have really enjoyed working on the committee for our 50th reunion and I am REALLY looking forward to seeing everyone in October. Sure brings back some good ole memories doesn't it?" Bev (Kerr) Martin
Jan. 22, 2007 - "This website is terrific! Thanks for all your hard work in putting it together. It is great to be able to contact people" Terry (Murphy) Renfrow
Dec. 18, 2006 - "You all have done a tremendous job on the plans for our 50th!!! Thanks for all the hard work..I am looking forward to it!!" Ilene (O'Hare) Blogin
Dec. 7, 2006 - "Faxon Elementary School was at 3710 Paseo. (How in the world did I remember that address?) Beats me!
I LOVE everything you have done on this website!"
Judy (Arnold) Eckel
Dec. 5, 2006 - "Great web site" Donna (Lemmon) Hagerty
Nov. 23, 2006 - "Great web site Jim and company. I will be there, miss you all." Scott Riles
Oct. 29, 2006 - "See you next year at the reunion" Ken and Marilyn Pollock
Oct. 25, 2006 - "Thank you so much for the work you\'ve done on the class website, Jim. It will very helpful for our classmates to stay in touch with each other and to keep up-to-date with plans for the Reunion". Jeff Sheldon
Oct. 13, 2006 - "Hi Everyone, Great website! The eighth grade pictures... what can I say? Did the photographer forget to tell us to smile? A much happier group at the reunion. Probably laughing and saying, 'We survived Mrs. Brubaker." Karen (Harris) Schrader
Sept. 24, 2006 - "Great Site, Great Work, Thank you Jim, and all..what a wonderful way to remember and be in touch...Cheers" Art White
 

This is the official web site for the Westport High School, Class of 1957 Reunion Committee. Contact Jim Carras (jim@carras.com) for any comments, suggestions, corrections or recommendations.