CLeonard

You probably don't remember but I didn't say too much when in high school but I have changed since being out in the "corporate" word. If I remember correctly, you were quiet, too. It's great to see how everyone has changed. In fact, yesterday Marv and I talked more than all the years we have been with the company. We are now employed by the American General Financial Group out of Houston (formerly Franklin Life Insurance Company). I started in Feb. of '61 but don't remember when Marv started. I now have 33 years in (lost several years having 3 children). In fact, Marv and I worked together when I went back part-time in the middle 60s and worked in Personnel in the payroll dept. Marv was the programmer. He didn't say too much then.

Hi, Leigh. Talked on the phone with my sister, Judith (we all call her Jude), and she received my e-mail about the Web Site. Hopefully, she will enjoy it as much as I do. However, she's not hooked to her PC like the rest of us. Her husband, Larry, relays all the messages to her. Needless to say, she's always looking over his shoulder. I told him not to share unless she starts responding on her own. She has always been a stay-at-home-mom so she hasn't been exposed like the rest of us. I would like to retire but I'm having so much fun at work learning all this new stuff. This is one time I wish I were a lot younger as it's all so exiciting (but sometimes frustrating).

Jude and I both worked at Leonard's Cafe for two summers while still in high school. Since we lived in the country and didn't have our own car, we rented a room, walked to work each day (worked mostly 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. shift). Marge and Howard Leonard were not related to us but our familes were always friends since we went to the same church -- the United Methodist Church across from the "old" high school.

I don't have any pictures of the cafe but Jude thought that mom and dad has some pictures so we will look. Larry has a scanner so we will be glad to share. Our mother died in 1988 and dad just went into the Christian Retirement Center in the Special Care Unit because he has Parkinson's. We will be going over tomorrow to celebrate his 89th birthday. He's adjusting pretty good. His sister, LaVara Moore, is 92 and still lives in Lincoln. She taught for many years at Central and then at the school behind the home place at 515 N. College. Do you know her?

By the way, Jude and I were not twins as many people thought. Jude was sick a lot when she started school and mom and dad decided to hold her back since she was soooooo shy. We are the same age for four days (her birthday is July 22; mine, July 18) so we were lucky to be together throughout our school years. When we graduated, we moved to Springfield and attended Brown's Business College. Being farm girls, we felt so smart in moving to the "big" city and having our own apartment. Since we were still together, we weren't quite as homesick. We couldn't afford a car but we walked everywhere. Mom and dad would come down and picked us up to go back home for the weekend, or we would take the train. I didn't drive until a year after I got married in 1964. I don't remember when my sister started driving but I know it was quite a few years after I started. Needless to say, we had a ball!!!!!!!

Regarding Aunt LaVara...she taught the lower grades at Central and I believe most of the time, including the later years of teaching, she taught 3rd grade. She was still there in '54-'56 but I'd have to ask her when she retired. I was telling her about the Web Site and she said your name sounded famililar but didn't think you were in her class.

Also, you may use whatever info I have given you if you think anyone would be interested. You might add that I'm still married to the same guy (we were married in July '64) and all three children (2 boys; 1 girl) are now married...only 2 grandchildren but lots of grand-dogs, grand-cats, grand-birds. We still live in Springfield, IL at the same address for 34 years. Before building, we roughed it for a couple of years by living in a mobile home, with the 3 children, at the side of our property. My husband designed and built our ranch style home on 1 acre of ground on the northwest side of the airport in the country, a little over 3 miles from the city limits, which is great. He also has a "huge" detached garage that is home to two T-Birds and many, many, tools. I don't think he wants to sell but I would like to sell the '62 (I think that's the year) and we also have a '65 convertible where the top goes into the trunk. The '62 needs to be put back together when he retired but I don't think he'll ever get it back together. He was part owner in the family business, but 10 years ago he sold his half and is enjoying being an ironworker again for six months out of the year. He thought he'd work on the T-Birds when he retired but he's loves working and doesn't plan to retire until he's forced to. So anyone that might be interested in the '62, they know where to find me.