Second Round of Reunion Invitations are in the Mail

Reunion invitations should be arriving in mailboxes either today or tomorrow. I challenge you to read the entire information and return your reply card in the envelope provided this week or at least by January 17. Don't let your invitation get lost in your holiday greeting cards or laid aside and quickly forgotten about. Most of you know at this very moment whether or not you will plan to attend; and we would greatly appreciate the courtesy of a reply, one way or the other, so that we may make adequate preparations.

It's very important that everyone return their reply card again. For those who made a previous donation, you do not need to pay anything further unless you are adding guests who will be attending. Your invitation will indicate the previous paid guest count and any donation we have received from your individual family. If you paid for your "children" or person(s) in another household, it will reflect that on their invitation. Please email me if we have listed your guest count/donation incorrectly or if you have any additional questions.

Happy Holidays! We will look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 7, 2009.

Update on the Ken Berry Family

Ken, Gail, Brian and Robin Berry left Sun Valley in May 1982 and moved to Round Rock, Texas. Ken had been transferred to the Schlumberger location in Austin at that time. When we moved, Brian was 8 yrs old and Robin had just turned 4 yrs old. We have now been here for a little more than 26 years. I will try and give an update of all that has happened over the years.

Ken remained working for Schlumberger until 1999 when he retired after 30 years of service at the age of 52. As many of you know, he had two very strong passions, the outdoors and classic cars. In fact, the reason he will not be at the reunion is because he and a friend will be canoeing a 500 mile stretch of the Mississippi River. Over the years he and Brian experienced many unique and exciting adventures in the outdoors. As for his love of classic cars – well, after his retirement he actually opened a restoration business. I have lost track of the number of restorations over the years, but there have been many. Right now we own three classics: 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk, 1925 Dodge Brothers Touring Car and a 1930 Ford Model A. Needless to say, we spend a lot of time involved in car club activities. In January of this year, Ken was approached by Medallion Rubber Seal to be an outside rep for them and he said yes. He is quite a busy guy and still going strong.

Gail went to work for the Round Rock Church of Christ in 1983 and left in 1988 to pursue another job. For the next 11 years she worked in downtown Austin. However, in 1999 she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go back to work at the church and that is where she is today. She serves in the finance office for 3 ½ days each week. Her parents moved down the street several years ago so we could keep an eye on them. Two years ago, Gail’s mom passed away, but her dad is still living in the house down the street. He will be 89 in December.

Brian grew up doing a lot of activities outdoors with Ken. Along the way, he earned his Eagle Scout award. After graduating from high school in 1992 he spent the next 4 years at ACU getting a degree in Finance and playing lead guitar in a band (he got his musical talent from Gail’s parents). After graduation, he went to work for US Gypsum in Sweetwater. About a year after that, he was transferred to Chicago to work at the corporate headquarters. While in Chicago he met Samantha Johnson and they were married in March 2001 in her hometown of St Louis. Over the next several years they adopted two baby boys from Russia and Brian earned his Masters Degree from DePaul University in January 2004. By this time, they were longing to leave behind the harsh winters in Chicago. In June 2004 Brian received an offer from Louisiana Pacific in Nashville and they moved in September of that year and they now live in Franklin, Tennessee. Brian works in downtown Nashville and is one of the executive accounting managers for the company. He also became a CPA this summer. Their lives are very busy with the boys. Cameron is 6 years old and is in 1st grade and Carter is 5 years old and is in Kindergarten.

Robin grew up to be a really beautiful young lady. After graduating from high school in 1997, she too went to ACU. She stayed there long enough to get an Associates Degree in early childhood development and has loved working with children. In September 2004, she married Daniel Reed (she actually knew him in high school). They live in Cedar Park which is about a 20 minute drive from us. On June 19, 2008 they became the proud parent of a baby boy named Adam Dale Reed. We are just thrilled to have a grandbaby close by. Daniel’s family started a business 37 years ago and Daniel works for the family business now and will be taking over ownership in a few years. They stay real busy with family and friends. They attend church at RR Church of Christ so we see them often. It’s great seeing Adam as he grows up.

Overall, the years have flown by since we left Houston, but at times we reflect back on our days at Sun Valley with great joy. Those were some really good times. It will be nice to see some old friends and talk about old times.

Family Update from Craig Roll

My sister, Kim (Roll) Padget, told me about your reunion plans and wanted me to contact you with my info. I just finished reading all of your posts and it sure brought back some memories, especially Camp Mohawk. Although I grew up at Pecan Park, we lived only a few blocks from Sun Valley and I attended often as a visitor and knew most of the kids there.

I have lived in Augusta, GA for 19 years now. As noted in your "In Loving Memory" section my wife Debra died many years ago (1993). I met my new wife Terry in 1999 and we were married in 2002. She has certainly been a blessing to me and my children (who are both grown with kids of their own now). We attend Journey Community Church, where I am an elder.

Can't say if we will have the opportunity to make it to the reunion, but we will see if we can swing it.

Craig Roll
3956 Almon Dr
Martinez, GA 30907
(706) 495-3466
croll54@gmail.com

Reunion Update: The Process Begins Again

I don't know how many of you are still checking the blog from time to time, but for those of you patiently waiting in the wings, we will soon begin the process of mailing out postcards/letters, etc. and gearing up for the reunion again! Despite having to postpone the reunion in September after months of preparation and anticipation, it was really a blessing having Hurricane Ike come in when it did. Think about it! We had time to notify everyone, we hadn't purchased anything that couldn't be saved for the next time, and more importantly, people didn't have to evacuate from Houston and go back to their homes! Thank YOU for helping me spread the word so people didn't travel here in vain.

Our new reunion date has been set for Saturday, February 7, 2009. Same place (Clear Lake Church of Christ) and time (2:00-5:00 p.m.) Although the area around our church building is getting back to normal, communities farther south of us that were devastated by the storm are still struggling to find a ray of hope in their situation. Our church is still the base camp for Hilltop Rescue & Relief and volunteer groups from other locations have come to provide hurricane assistance to those who are suffering. Many people have been displaced by the hurricane and area hotels are full which provides us with an opportunity to house out of town reunion guests this time. I may try to reserve a block of rooms, but I will need to know who may need hotel accommodations.

Heaven forbid that we would have to postpone again, but if there is an urgent update, it is extremely important that we have your family's current contact information including email if possible. With your permission, we will include this information in our directory of former members so that others can stay in touch with you long after the reunion.

Be watching your mailbox and stay tuned to the blog for updates and information. When you receive your formal invitation, we will need for you to return your reply card again; however, you do not need to pay again unless you are adding guests who will be attending.

Enjoy the upcoming holiday season. We will look forward to seeing you next year!

A Belated Happy Anniversary to my Parents

Betty and Tom Richter celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary on October 23, 2008. Unlike their 50th anniversary where we surprised them with a limo ride to Kemah Boardwalk for dinner at Jimmy Walkers, an anniversary cake, flowers, a scrapbook full of memories, and many cards from family and friends that were sent secretly in advance of the occassion, this day probably seemed like any other Thursday without any fanfare or special family gathering. So even though this is after the fact, I do want to ackowledge their long standing committment to one another.

As many of you know, time has a way of changing your perspective on things and life in general. Growing up you never realize just how many sacrifices they must have made to ensure that my sister, Brenda, and I had everything we needed. From the basics of food, shelter, and clothing to years of school supplies, braces for Brenda, glasses and contacts for me, summer camp and art lessons for both of us not to mention keeping us in pantyhose and the list goes on and on.

We were raised in a Christian atmosphere with parents who were actively involved with our church youth group. I think my greatest memories are of Daddy driving the bus to the Monday night youth devotionals and him being the cook at many sessions of summer camp at Mohawk where Mom served as a counselor. They allowed us to host many parties in our house as well as drove us to other places including to wrap houses at locations that will remain confidential. Although I'm sure there were times we didn't like our parents, they really were fun and more accommodating to our wild notions than most of our friend's parents.

Now that my sister and I have grown up, and are parents (and grandparents) ourselves, we want to say thank you for everything they have done and are continuing to do to show their love for us. Although we can never repay them for all their sacrifices, we hope to "pay it forward" and be there for them now in their golden years. Mom and Dad, Happy Anniversary! We love you.

(Photo taken at the Kemah Boardwalk, October, 2004)

Introducing the newest little Blackburn...

Josiah Andrew Blackburn was born to Jamie and Jay on October 16 at 11:30 p.m. Needless to say it was a very long day for Jamie and the rest of our family as we anxiously awaited Josiah's arrival. Josiah was a petite bundle of love at 7 pounds 4 ounces and 19 and 1/2 inches long. Proud grandparents for the first time are Debbie and Jack Blackburn. Ecstatic great grandparents for the fourth time are Betty and Tom Richter.

REUNION RESCHEDULED for February 7, 2009 (Update #3 After the Storm)

It's been three long, busy, and very tiring weeks after the storm, and I pray that all of you survived and are on the road to recovery. I know when I was making last minute phone calls of the reunion postponement, several still had not had their power restored. After talking with some, I think we could all survive a few days without power, but when you don't have running water, that is a totally different story! Anyway, I pray that none of you have family members that are missing or were lost as a result of the storm and that you will soon be able to recover from any damages sustained to your personal property.

Our reunion has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2009, same time (2-5 p.m) and place (Clear Lake Church of Christ) as our original plans. We want to get through the current hurricane and holiday season before we send out "Save the Date" postcards and start the invitation and reply process all over again! Hopefully we will not have an unual winter blizzard or storm to preempt our date again, but that's why it will be even more critical for everyone to reply and provide an email address if possible for any last minute information or changes.

As I mentioned above, it has been a very busy and tiring three weeks, but in a good way. Clear Lake CofC members sprung into action the Sunday after the storm to begin mopping up the water in our auditorium that had rained in where the shingles had blown off of the building. We made an effort to contact every member of our congregation to see what their situation was and find out how we could help. Chain saw crews were dispatched to cut trees that were down and clear yards of limbs and other debris. Generators, gasoline, and food were taken to those in need. We also unloaded and distributed a semi truck of food and other supplies from the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Inc. out of Nashville, Tennessee.

With the immediate needs taken care of, we have now partnered with Hilltop Rescue and Relief who will be helping those who sustained more serious damage to their homes. This organization has provided relief to victims of hurricanes, floods in the Midwest, and fires in California. Hilltop volunteer workers will be sleeping, showering, and preparing/eating meals at our building when they are not assisting and ministering to families suffering after natural disasters. In the coming weeks, we will be welcoming relief workers from outside the Houston area as well as local workers. If you have a week or even a day or two to help, go to http://www.hilltoprescue.org/ to find out how to get involved or to volunteer. If you are physically unable to directly help with hurricane relief, you may send monetary donations of any amount to Clear Lake Church of Christ at 938 El Dorado Blvd., Houston, TX 77062 if you feel called to help support our relief efforts. Please be praying that God might be glorified through this effort and that many needs will be met in the name of Jesus.

SUN VALLEY REUNION POSTPONED (Update #2 After the Storm)

Please let me know if you have been notified by email, a phone call, or have kept up with this blog that the reunion has been postponed.

I had told you that Clear Lake Church of Christ went through the storm never losing power; well, it seems we all spoke too soon! Today we apparently blew a fuse and our building is half "on" and half "off." We do not have internet service and because we have been up to our necks in hurricane relief, I haven't had any time to focus on making personal calls about the reunion being postponed. I need your help in spreading the word so that people don't make the trip in vain.

We have received two 18-wheeler truckloads of relief supplies from the Church of Christ Disaster Relief organization out of Nashville, Tennessee and have essentially become a small distribution center for our members, other Church of Christ congregations, and a neighborhood apartment complex for which we serve through our outreach ministry. Our Family Activity Center (aka GYM) is full of water and all kinds of supplies. Several individuals and congregations have also brought supplies and or are supporting our relief efforts by sending donations which will be put to good use. Many homes extending from Galveston to northeast Texas are still without power. Gasoline supply is limited and grocery stores are still trying to stock their produce and perishable items.

I realize Hurricane Ike is already old news for some cities and states, but it is going to be many months before the Houston-Galveston area and beyond are going to be able to get back on their feet. Please pray for the many families who have suffered complete devastation of their homes or lost a loved one as a result of this storm; be thankful that even as bad as it was, it wasn't worse. For me, this is definitely a lesson not to take things for granted. We really are so blessed!

Anyway, bear with me concerning the reunion as it's not cancelled, but postponed. I guess another waiting period will make our reunion celebration even sweeter.

SUN VALLEY REUNION POSTPONED (Update #1 After the Storm)

For those of you that are living someplace other than Houston, Texas, and have Internet service, we are unfortunately going to have to postpone the Sun Valley Reunion which was scheduled for next weekend. With one week left, Hurricane Ike decided he had other plans for our area.

Although Clear Lake Church of Christ never lost power at the building and was very fortunate in that we just had some water damage in the auditorium due to a leak in the roof and not flooding, many of us are still without power at our homes. With the wide spread devastation, it is going to take many months for clean up and at this point in time, I would venture to say that the reunion wouldn't be rescheduled until after the first of the year with the holiday months quickly approaching.

I regret having to make this decision, and for those of you that will have to pay a penalty fee due to canceling reservations at the last moment, I am so very sorry. Please spread the word to all that you know whether they intended to attend or not, and I just pray that we can notify as many people as possible so that they don't travel here in vain. Please reply that you have been notified of this change by posting your comments.

As soon as I am able to post another update and or have a tentative date to work toward, I will let you know. Much work on clean up, restoring power, rebuilding, and recovery from this storm will now begin throughout this region and your prayers are appreciated. A good number of our members will be camping out at the church until power is restored to our individual homes.

Again, I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this poses for you and your family, but I just don't see any way to pull this off especially with the situation with the gasoline shortage and the current crises.

Weather Update: Workday Cancelled

I appreciate those of you who may have considered helping assemble programs, directories or whatever on Saturday morning, September 13, however due to the unknown strength and impact of Hurricane Ike as it approaches the Houston-Galveston area, we are cancelling our workday.

Once the storm passes and everyone can assess their situation and or any damages, we will make a decision regarding the reunion on Saturday, September 20. At this point, we plan to hold the reunion as scheduled.

If you are evacuating, be safe.

Update from the Morris Cherry Family

Claudia and Morris Cherry and their four daughters, Kathi, Karen, and twins, Tammy and Lynda, (photo 1) were members of the Sun Valley congregation when it began. Claudia and Morris now reside in Lindale, Texas and photos 2 and 3 were taken when they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2001.

Kathi has been married to her husband, Malcolm McGregor, for 20 years, and they live in Dallas, Texas with no children. She is the president of her own company, Novo 1 Market Research (www.novo1research.com/bios/kathi.htm) Kathi and Malcolm are a part of a church plant in Rowlett, Texas (http://www.lakecitiescommunity.org/) and will be unable to attend the reunion due to a church outreach event on the same day.

Karen and her husband, Wayne Threadgill, still live in the Houston area. Karen has two sons: the oldest, John Kelley, and his wife, Crissy, live in North Carolina, and John just returned home from Iraq; her youngest, Daniel, is single and lives in Texas.

Tammy Keller is a single mom and lives in Plano, Texas. She has worked for her sister Kathi at Novo 1 for the past 4+ years because they are truly good friends--even taking "girl trips" together once or twice a year. Prior to Novo 1, Tammy worked for Target for 21 years.
Her daughter, Samantha, and her husband, Aaron, live in Greenville, Texas and have one son named Ian. Tammy volunteers at the annual Plano Balloon Festival and will also be unable to attend the reunion not to mention that her grandson is having his first birthday party on the same day! Need I say more?

Lynda is currently single and lives in Lindale with their parents. She has worked for Wal-Mart for the past 17 years. Lynda's daughter, Rebecca, recently married and she and her husband live in Tyler. Lynda's son, Glen, is single and also lives in Texas.

Pauline & Trevor Williams Celebrate 40 years of Marriage

Pauline and Trevor Williams celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on September 2. They are currently living in Bristol, England and pass on their kindest regards to people who know them here. Their email address is Williams285@hotmail.com .

Update from the McCurdy Family

Bill and I and our three children moved to Houston from Irving in the Fall of 1972 when Jan was a freshman who entered J. Frank Dobie High School, and the twins, Brent & Beverly enrolled in 6th grade at Thompson Elementary. We visited Sun Valley immediately at the encouragement of a couple at our church in Irving who knew their friends Jack & Leita Rue Baten were members there and in the area near where we were moving. The Batens invited us over to their house that Sunday night along with several other couples. The youth group was so friendly and came to visit our kids and asked them to sit with them during class and services. These friendly gestures helped us to make the decision to place membership at Sun Valley after about a month of visiting back and forth between Sun Valley and Southeast.

Bill is retired but continues to work part-time for Jeter Funeral Home in Friendswood. I started filling in as a part-time secretary at Sun Valley beginning the following year and that resulted in working there for the next 13 years. I retired at the end of 2004 after serving as one of the full-time secretaries at Southeast for the past 18 years. My years of serving as church secretary totaled 31 years.

Jan and her husband, Dennis McBee, and family all live in Houston and are members at Southeast. Their son, Chris and Josie have a one-year old daughter, Aubrey who has been the light of Jan & Dennis’ lives the past year. Their daughter, Amber is in her second year at San Jac.

Brent and his wife, Mary Ann, and son, Lucas live in Selma, while Beverly and her husband, Gary Shuck and their two sons, Danny and Dylan live in Schertz - both cities are located near each other in the northeast edge of San Antonio and not far from New Braunfels. Beverly and her husband have one grandson, thanks to their son Danny and his wife Kim. Their younger son is a freshman in high school. We are very happy to have and enjoy our five grandchildren and two great-grandbabies.

Joyce

The following photo was taken at Joyce and Bill's 50th wedding anniversary celebration in May 2005.

Update from the Rainwater Family

We moved to Houston after Randy's graduation from Harding College in Searcy, AR. Mike and Debi Kirksey had a lot to do with us considering the move to Houston (and Randy's 1st full-time job). We became friends with them our sophomore year in college, when they were Mike Kirksey and Debi Baten. After their marriage, we lived in the same married student apartments on campus (you'll have to ask Debi about the contact paper in their apartment and the cinder block walls). Through Debi's dad, Randy learned of an opening in the accounting department at Champion Papers where Jack Baten was employed. Long story short, after graduation, we loaded all our prized belongings in the smallest enclosed U-Haul trailer available and headed to Houston with the Kirkseys. Thanks to the hard work of Leita Rue Baten and Virginia Kirksey (who did the apartment hunting for both couples), we moved into brand new apartments near Hobby Airport and that's when our history began with the congregation at Sun Valley Church of Christ!

While living on the south side of town, we managed to buy our first house, had two children (Stephanie, now 31, and Keith, now 29), and made some wonderful friends and memories at Sun Valley. With a change of jobs for Randy (from Champion Papers to Dailey Oil Tools), it made sense for us to make the move to Kingwood to cut down on Randy's commute to Conroe, TX. While it was very hard to leave our family at Sun Valley, we have enjoyed living in Kingwood (known as the Liveable Forest) and being members at Kingwood Church of Christ. It was helpful in that we knew one family, when we started attending Kingwood--Ted & Carol Poe and family.

Randy currently works for American Bureau of Shipping next to the Wyndham Hotel near Greenspoint Mall (about a 20 minute commute from our house). He is a director in the financial side of the company and has been with them for 10+ years. He doesn't travel as much as he use to, but will be going to London the first of September for a director's meeting.

I work two days a week (T & TH) in the church office at Kingwood Church of Christ. My job responsibility includes typing, formatting, and printing the church bulletin. It's been an interesting job and working part-time has afforded me time to run errands and do things with friends. We live less than 5 minutes from church.

Stephanie is back living in Kingwood with her son, Lincoln. Unfortunately, on December 1, 2006, her husband (Keith) died of melanoma cancer. He was 30 years old and left Stephanie, 29, and Lincoln, just 6-months old. At the time, they were living in Greenville, TX near the Mesquite/Garland area, where Keith had an excellent job as a programmer with L3 Communications and Stephanie was planning to be an at-home mom (retiring from teaching) to take care of Lincoln. After Keith's passing, she and Randy worked on getting her home ready to put on the market (I got the fun job of babysitting!). It went on the market in mid-March and sold in July (making her a profit in the short time they had lived in the home). She and Lincoln moved in with us in July of '07 until she moved into the home she is currently leasing. They live less than 5 minutes away from us, attend church with us, and I'm able to help her with childcare. She easily secured a job teaching kindergarten at the Oaks Elementary School and will be there again this year (her 8th year of teaching). She is a super mom/daughter and we continue to be amazed at her strong faith and all that she does as a single parent. She has a blog that she continues to update. Take a look for yourself...if you go back to the beginning and read forward, you'll learn her inner thoughts, struggles, and hopes for herself and for Lincoln (http://www.mccordfamilytx.blogspot.com/). Our hope and her prayer is that God will put a Christian man in her future!

Our son, Keith, lives in Michigan where he works for the University of Michigan. He is single. Unfortunately, we haven't seen him in a while.

For fun (besides being Pops and Meme to Lincoln--which we love!), Randy and I belong to a GWRRA chapter where we enjoy riding our Honda Goldwing motorcycle. With over 54,000 miles on our bike, we're seen a lot of the south; have flown out to CA twice to rent bikes and ride along the coast and through the Redwood Forest; up to Michigan to get Keith settled into grad school at the University of Michigan to work on his doctorate in political science…just to name a few. As a member of GWRRA, safety is first, so we wear all the proper gear when riding. We just recently purchased a camper that we can pull behind our motorcycle. Several years ago, we rode with Dennis and Jan McBee in a benefit ride.

We are healthy and blessed and are hoping to attend the Sun Valley reunion. The last time we saw folks from Sun Valley was at Ryan Kirksey’s wedding.

Always,
Sharon Rainwater

Photos below: 2003 Family Photo with son, Keith, and Stephanie and her husband, Keith; their pride and joy, Lincoln, helping wash his Pops' truck; and the last picture is what Randy and Sharon do for fun--

Road Trip to the Races

Although I obviously wouldn't have been allowed on this road trip and Jack didn't go since we were living in Palestine, Texas, a group of the guys took at least one trip to the Indy Races (1985?). From the looks of the photos, a RV was rented and some of the guys were involved in a serious game of Trivial Pursuit while they left the driving up to someone else. Perhaps those of you who actually went to the races could identify yourself and share some memories from this trip or previous ones. These photos can be viewed larger on the Sun Valley Picture Spot, but I will have to upload them again from the original scan since the quality currently isn't very good.
Ken Berry and Lance White

(L-R) Jim Kimbrell, Lance White, Alan Elliott, and Kent Vinson is driving.

Others in the group: Jack Baten, Mike Cooper, Mike Kirksey, and Robert Illgen is on the far right closest to the RV.

Introducing...Mr. and Mrs. Alan Pearson

Megan Case and Alan Pearson were married in Long Beach, Mississippi on August 2, 2008. They will make their home in Mc Rae, Arkansas while completing their education at Harding University. Alan is the son of Janice (Priestley) and Ricky Pearson. Congratulations! May the Lord bless your marriage together and strengthen your love for one another with each passing day.

Reunion Draws Closer

We are eagerly anticipating our reunion which is now only a little over a month away (36 days). Our reunion "postal workers" prepared 416 invitations that were mailed to former members we were able to locate. A self addressed stamped envelope and a response card was enclosed in each invitation requesting a reply by August 31. To date, over 100 people have already responded that they plan to attend and we are only half way through the month! Are we still waiting to hear from you? If you haven't mailed your reply card, go find it in the stack of papers and mail on your desk, refrigerator or kitchen counter. Don't forget to check the box regarding publishing your contact information in the directory and mail your reply today!

We have a fun program planned for the afternoon which will include fellowship, refreshments, special recognition awards, and reflections by former members. A photo slide show in addition to a special song presentation is being "produced" in DVD format to be shown at the reunion, and each family in attendance will receive a Directory of Former Members. We hope to have a few extra DVDs available for those who might be interested in purchasing a copy.

DVDs and Directories will hopefully be available upon request after the reunion for those who were unable to attend. Price (including postage) information and other details will be posted at a later date, but you can leave your comments or contact us at thesunvalleyconnection@gmail.com to reserve your DVD/Directory set so we will know how many copies to prepare.

Pulpit/Youth Ministers (Part 2) - Personal Favorites

To the best of our ability and recollection, we listed the former ministers in a previous post (June 17): Don Humphrey, Chester Grimes, Ron Hill, Don Dye, Sonny Todd, Bob Grigg, Gary Richards, Winston Atkinson, Leonard Driskell, Steve Shannon, and Coy Day.

Now although this post may cause some controversy, we would like to know which minister you considered as your personal favorite and why. I will start off by listing Brother Grimes and Ron Hill. Brother and Sister Grimes were such a sweet couple and so dear to my family. Although they were no longer working with Sun Valley at the time, Brother Grimes baptized me at the Heights Church of Christ when I was nine or ten years old.

Pat and Ron Hill and their "children" have been friends of our family since Sun Valley began. We have many great memories of times shared with them at summer camp as well as at the Monday night youth devotionals when Sun Valley had a friendly competition with Hidden Valley to have the largest group in attendance. My parents also drove me to Hidden Valley many times to see a particular young man who attended there. Last but certainly not least, my best memory is of May 12, 1978, when Ron married Jack and I, and Pat sang with a group at our wedding.

What favorite memories or stories do you have about any of these ministers? Who made the greatest impact on your life or was a part of your family in a special way?

Kylee Madison Kenney

Kylee Madison Kenney was born to Kelsi and Derek on August 5. She weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and was 20 inches in length. Kylee was welcomed into this world by her big sister, Karlee. Her proud grandparents are Pam Aaron and Leon and Janette Aaron.

Reunion Invitations are in the Mail

I know I said reunion invitations would be mailed "on" August 1, but I just couldn't wait any longer! I've been so excited to start receiving responses, the invitations were actually mailed yesterday (Wednesday)! Most of you should receive them by Friday or Saturday unless they get lost in route.

On a similar note, we really would like to include everyone's full contact information in our Directory of Former Members, so please include your phone number and email address on your reply card before returning it (and your donation if you are able to attend) in the envelope provided. If you do not wish your contact information to be included in the directory, check the "No" box on your reply card. Our plan is to have a directory for each family that is present at the reunion, but additional directories will probably be available by request for those who are unable to attend. We will provide details on that later.

Just a reminder, we are requesting your reply by August 31, but would appreciate your reply as soon as possible while it is still fresh on your mind. We hope you are looking forward to this reunion as much as we are. See you soon!

Funeral Arrangements for Bob Grigg

Robert “Bob” Grigg, a long time minister of the Word and former minister of Sun Valley, died in his sleep on July 25, 2008. (Click on the following link to view his obituary and guest book: http://www.legacy.com/News-Journal/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=114463261.)

Visitation will be held on Wednesday evening, July 30, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Croley Funeral Home located at 401 N. Center Street in Gladewater, Texas (903-845-2155). Services will be held on Thursday morning, July 31, at 10:00 a.m. at the Quitman and Center Street Church of Christ in Gladewater (201 E. Quitman Avenue, 903-845-2531)

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the African Mission c/o Benton Church of Christ, 3091 Main Street, Benton, KY 42025.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to his wife, Dee, at the Texas Nursing & Rehab of Gladewater, 300 N. Money Street, Room 12, Gladewater, TX 75647. Dee's direct phone number is 903-844-8303.

(The photo of Dee and Bob was taken on their 50th wedding anniversary.)

Family Update from Greta

I, Greta (Justus) (Trumbo) Houseal started going to Sun Valley almost at the beginning while still in the schoolhouse. I was married to Oma Ray Justus (now deceased) and we had two children Patricia Jean (Jeanie) and Danny Ray Justus.

What an exciting time and hard work when we moved the barracks to start our building. Each thing accomplished was great, some great meals and fellowships were had in those barracks with services and classes. The auditorium was then built and the barracks was used for classrooms. The building was then built with classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, and a large space for dinners, teen worship, and games. When the barracks were torn down that was both a happy and a sad time; sad for all the memories, hard work, and bonding of the members; happy for the new building with so many classrooms and special things the building would hold dear to all of us.

My son Danny lives in Jacksonville, Florida and has two children. Jerob who is not married and Kelly Garza who lives in Houston and has given me three special great grand sons. Before my Mother passed away we were blessed to have a 5-generation picture.

Patricia Jean lives in Caldwell Texas and had given me 2 beautiful granddaughters, Tanya going to court reporting school and Diana going to college and upon graduation will be in the nursing field. Diana just returned from a 6-week mission trip to Bangkok and other point with the Aggie’s for Christ.

I divorced Oma Ray in 1979 and in 1980 married that special man Harry Trumbo and we had 8 beautiful years together with the last four in Jonestown next door to my parents. I retired from the airlines and worked with travel agents until 1994. In August 1988 my dad passed away and Sept. 1988 Harry passed away just six weeks after Dad. How sad and lonely Mom and I was.
In 1994 I met another special man William (Bill) Houseal and in March 1995 we married and had 13 wonderful years together. Dec 31, 2007 my Mom Estelle Jones passed away and March 9, 2008 Bill passed away. Now I am all alone but have a wonderful family and church family. Bill gave me a great extended family of 3 children, 8 grandchildren and one great grand daughter.

I am thankful for Debbie Blackburn for the hard work and also her co-workers for all their hard work for this reunion. Hope to see you there.

Love ya Greta

Robert "Bob" Grigg Called Home to the Lord

I just received the following email from Ted Grigg which was written an hour ago:

I am writing this for my father who died last night in his sleep (Friday, July 25). He had just come from the hospital after being there for 15 days and was recovering during the last 4 or 5 days in Mom's room at the nursing home. Yesterday I hugged him and told him how much I loved him. Then this morning while I was mowing his lawn, they drove down three blocks away to tell me there was an emergency. I then saw him on his bed where he had died. He told me several times he was ready and had fought with bad health for a number of years. But this was unexpected since he seemed to be recovering. I live in Dallas and had been coming back and forth as had my brother Bob who lives in San Antonio. Please spread the word. Final arrangements are not made. But the funeral home is: Croley Funeral Home, 401 North Center Street, Gladewater, Texas 75647, 903-845-2155.

We will post funeral arrangements as soon as they become available.

Reunion "Postal Workers" Prepare Invitations

Including myself, we had eleven people (Leita Rue Baten, Jack Blackburn, Barbie and David Carlisle, Cammie and Randy Doyal, Juanita McBee, Janice Pearson, and my parents, Betty and Tom Richter) to attend our first reunion workday on Saturday, July 19, to prepare 400+ invitations to put in the mail on August 1. Thankfully it only took us about an hour and a half to get the job done with so many helping because it was quite a multi-step process. Just putting tabs on the invitation mailers to meet postal regulations in addition to keeping the inner reply envelopes from sliding out proved to be the most tedious task of the process. Without giving names or ages, some of us had trouble just getting the tabs off the sheets not to mention being able to see the perforation mark to correctly affix them to the mailers, but it was fun to reminisce about certain individulas as we came across their invitation. Keep in mind these "postal workers" were volunteers! Please be understanding and forgiving if your stamp is upside down, you get two reply envelopes instead of one, or if your tabs are slightly skewed and not porportionantly placed on your invitation!

The last few minutes of our time together was spent preparing the table decorations. This task was a little "too girly" for some of the guys, but they gave it their best shot anyway. Enjoy the photos below and be watching for your invitation to hit your mailbox in the next week or so.

Their smiles say it all for this happy couple!

Cristen Murphy and Jason Kirksey were married in The Woodlands on Saturday, July 12. They will be making their home in downtown Houston. They first met at Harding University while they were both students. Both have been working in the Houston area for several years. Jason is the son of Debi (Baten) and Mike Kirksey. Congratulations! May the Lord bless you with a long life together.

Where in the world is _________?

We will soon be sending out the invitations for the reunion, and I must say that I can't wait to start receiving responses to see who plans to attend. There are still quite a few families and/or individuals that we have been unable to locate or find out if they have passed away or not, but we are very pleased and excited with the number we have been able to find.

Have you asked yourself "I wonder what ever happened to _______?" or "I sure would like to get back in touch with ________."

Who are you hoping to see at the reunion and reconnect with?

Please leave your comments for this post, and just maybe you will encourage that person to make a special effort to be present on Saturday, September 20!

Camp Mohawk vs. Camp Columbus-May the best one be chosen!

I know our parents' generation isn't in to blogging all that much, but for their kids (us) and those of you even reading this, I'm curious as to which summer camp you had the best memories from? Was it Camp Mohawk with the real lake, swimming pool, chapel, crafts, etc. or was it the Gulf Coast Christian Youth Camp in Columbus with the more modern dorms, multi-purpose building on the hill, and "The Grove"? Did you have your heart broken by a summer camp romance or did you find your one and only true love and marry them!

Although I had great memories at both camps, for me the best Camp was Mohawk hands down. I attended mostly as a camper with my mom being a counselor and my dad being the cook. I remember sneaking around the lake to raid the boys only to be surprised by them coming around from the other side to raid us. One night in particular, we surprised each other unfortunately in front of the caretakers house waking them up. They threatened to make us all leave in the morning, but thankfully they reconsidered and we went on to enjoy the rest of our week. On another night, our attack was executed perfectly, and we scared the boys half to death. They had been telling ghost stories late that night and when we screamed at the top of our lungs, dropped the window shutters, and used coke cans to bang on their corrugated tin dorm, they thought the Lord had come for sure!

Another favorite memory was going to chapel everyday and having skit night at the end of the week. It was a real treat back then because it was the only building that was air conditioned. This was also the time when the dorms were checked, and it was always interesting to see whose clothes, bathing suits, or undergarments had been hoisted up the flagpole after leaving chapel for other activities.

Not believing my story, I also got pushed in the deep end of the swimming pool despite my warnings that I didn't know how to swim. After I went under and came back up spitting and sputtering several times, the other girls realized I was telling the truth and pulled me out. I certainly don't recall who pushed me in or pulled me out, but whoever you are, YOU are forgiven. Believe it or not, I love to fish, but I still don't know how to swim today.

On the spiritual side, it was always a very emotional evening with lots of responses when we gathered down by the lake and heard the story of the crucifixion. The visual finale was when a cross was set on fire on part of a little island on the lake.

Those were such great times. Which camp was your favorite, and what memories do you have that still seem like it was yesterday?

Is It Really A Small World?

As I mentioned in the previous post, I believe that God places us in just the right place at the right time to serve His purposes. Coincidence? Maybe. A God thing--more likely. A few weeks ago, the Clear Lake Church of Christ took 48 people on a mission trip to Bayfield, Colorado to work with the church there. They conducted a week long Vacation Bible School in addition to helping with some service projects for the church members and local community. Jolinda Murdock, one of our mission team members from Clear Lake told me about a lady she had met named Gladys. Jolinda couldn't remember her last name, but learned that her husband had died several years ago, that she lived in the Houston area at one time, and that she attended the Sun Valley Church of Christ! Come to find out, it was Gladys Laas. Jolinda was excited to tell her about the reunion she thought we were planning. Although I had Gladys' address in Bellville, Texas, she actually lives in Colorado for the summer and attends the Bayfield Church of Christ. I got Gladys' phone number from our Bayfield contact, Doug Hooten, who is the cousin of our worship minister, David Layman. Gladys sounded great when I talked to her on the phone, and she is looking forward to attending the reunion before she heads off on another trip to Europe with her sister. Anyway, this is just another God-thing in my book. You can call it a coincidence, a small world, or whatever you would like.

Surprise! An Update from Sun Valley's first Preacher

Do you ever really stop and think about just how often God puts us in the right place at just the right time? I believe there is a reason for how and why everything happens even though we can't see it at the time. Saying that, I will tell you how "we" came to locate the man (and his wife) who became the first preacher at Sun Valley and provide you with the following photo and personal bio.

Although I wasn't able to contact my source to make sure that I had remembered the details correctly, I remember that Barbie (Cooper) Carlisle had gone to visit her son, daughter in law, and more to the point, her new grandbaby in Surprise, Arizona (you will see how fitting the name of the city is). Barbie had attended church at a congregation where she had seen Sandra and Don Humphrey's names in the bulletin regarding a mission trip or some other effort. Barbie told me about it after arriving back home and wondered if it could possibly be the same people from Sun Valley. Well, as it turned out, Barbie called the church and got an email address. I then made contact with the Humphreys asking if our Sun Valley connection could possibly be a blast from the past! To my surprise and theirs, it was! Even more ironic, when they responded, I was confused with the details they gave since they had helped start and preached at another congregation in the Phoenix area also named Sun Valley Church of Christ!

Anyway, for those of you who were old enough to remember Sandra and Don Humphrey and wondered where they are, now you will know.

Don Humphrey Bio

Having graduated from Harding in 1958 and then marrying Sandra Herrington in 1960 while preaching in Wichita, Kansas, Don moved to Houston, Texas, to work with the Oak Meadows congregation on a mission project. When they started the Sun Valley congregation, he became the first preacher and worked with them for their first year while still meeting in the school house. Sandra enjoyed taking art lessons from Senia Atkinson that year.

Don eventually worked with the Wynnewood Hills church in Dallas to move to Massachusetts with 55 families as Exodus: Burlington, creating the largest church in New England on their first Sunday to meet. From there, they moved to Colorado where Don started the successful religious publishing company, “Christian Communications, Inc.” and preached weekends in Estes Park and Salida.

After a fire destroyed their publishing business, they merged with the Gospel Advocate Company in Nashville. Don became Vice President of the Gospel Advocate and Sandra the Editor of Christian Woman magazine. Later, Don preached 10 years in Phoenix and then retired. They then moved to California and preached for a small congregation near Yosemite for five years but have now “retired” again and returned to Nashville.

Don is still working, however, starting a preacher training school in Sudan, promoting his “Missing Peace” evangelism video, and hosting tours to the Bible lands. They have six children, all graduates of Christian colleges—and eight grandchildren.

Sandra and Don are still living in Tennessee. Although they are not sure of their attendance at the reunion, they may be reached by regular mail at 839 Ridgetop Dr.Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 or emailed at sandra.humphrey@comcast.net or don.humphrey@comcast.net.

Freedom

Just a quick post to extend our blessing to each of you and your families wherever you may be today on this Independence Day 2008! May your celebrations be uplifting and your travels return you safely back to your individual homes.

We stayed home this year, and the annual parade in Friendswood was again held down the main street running through our town. We thankfully managed to avoid the congestion in order to accomplish other tasks on our list while we had a day off. In the afternoon, we had quite a good rain and wondered about the fireworks show planned for tonight. But not to worry, the sun is now shining and the earlier rainstorm will hopefully not cancel this other small town tradition which after all these years has turned out to be a really big deal. I think we will just view the fireworks from our front yard and watch the downtown fireworks show from the comfort of our own living room. We thank God and our servicemen and women for the freedom to do just that!

Favorite Church Hymns

Church hymns have no doubt changed a lot since the 1960's when the Sun Valley congregation first began meeting. I was only a few years old so I don't remember what songs were traditionally sung, but I would imagine that when the invitation was extended "Just As I Am" was sung so often that you didn't require a song book. I also would imagine that some from that generation don't always enjoy singing the newer praise songs today, but would prefer singing the older, more traditional hymns from time to time. Songs such as "On Jordan's Stormy Banks," "Shall We Gather At the River?" and in preparation for communion, "Night With Ebon Pinion."

Some of this same generation has not gotten caught up with the age of the internet much less the idea of actually leaving comments on blog sites such as this one, but stay with me if you are reading this post. What songs do you remember singing that became either your favorite golden oldies or were the thorn in your side because you sang them so often? I actually remember a Vacation Bible School were our theme song for that year was "To God Be the Glory." Now I have no problem with the idea of that song, but we sang it in our opening and closing assembly for a week, and to this day I cringe when it is led. My mother in law, who will be 84 this year feels the same way about "I'll Fly Away" and pretty much slams her book closed because she dislikes singing the song.

In closing, I'll leave you with the words from the first verse and chorus of "A Beautiful Life" which I actually still like to sing from time to time because I like hearing the bass lead on the chorus.

Each day I'll do a golden deed, By helping those who are in need; My life on earth is but a span, And so I'll do the best I can, the best I can.

Chorus: Life's evening sun is sinking low, A few more days and I must go To meet the deeds that I have done, Where there will be no setting sun.

A Special Tribute

Doyle Beene left this earth on April 1, 2008. Although he was certainly not anywhere close to being the first of the many former members who have gone on to receive their heavenly reward, his death was you might say "the straw that broke the camel's back" for me.

Over the past few years, many of us have attended the funerals of Grady Burke, Ray Smith, John Cooper, Brandon Guillory, Jack Baten, Coy Day, Paul Burke, and Ted Debner, Jr. just to name a few. Because many of us know the same people, we observe the same familiar faces paying a final tribute to loved ones again and again. Although rarely does it happen, we often make promises to get together at another time or place outside of the bittersweet funerals of those who die in the Lord. Bittersweet because we will selfishly miss that person's earthly presence, but we rejoice in the confidence we share as Christians that this loved one is now reaping their reward and enjoying a wonderful homecoming!

Doyle seemed to make friends with everyone he came in contact with, and the large number of people waiting in line to pay their respect to his family showed just how many lives he touched in some way. There were people who came that we hadn't seen at some of the other funerals, and that's when I decided "we are going to have a reunion!" Doyle will definitely be missed; not only by his children and grandchildren pictured below, but by the many friends he met along the way. I'm confident that Doyle was greeted in heaven with "well done, good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of your Lord."

I hope you will make every effort to join us on September 20, 2008, as we reminisce and celebrate the special relationships we have made through the years with Sun Valley being our commond bond.

Pulpit/Youth Ministers

Who can name all of the former pulpit ministers of Sun Valley? Can you put them in order by filling in the approximate years they served in this capacity? We have started the list, but 1) do we have them correct, 2) what years did they fill the pulpit, and 3) did we leave anyone out? I don't think we have all the dates exactly accurate at this point, but we're getting closer to filling in the gaps. There must have been some overlap or dual roles--can anyone tell me if this list looks somewhat accurate?

I think our problem is that our memory isn't what it used to be since I got most of these dates from the actual people listed or either from their spouse or close relative!

Don Humphrey (1961-1962)
Chester Grimes (1962-1965)
Ronald Hill (1965-1969 )
Don Dye
Edgar "Sonny" Todd (1968-1971)
Robert "Bob" Grigg (1971-1974) Personal Evangelist (1974-1979)
Gary Richards (1974-1977)
Winston Atkinson (1977-1979)
Leonard Driskell (5/1980-1986)
Steve Shannon (Youth Minister)
Coy Day (1987-1997)

Update on Billie Jean (Atkinson) Baker Family

Sometime after leaving Sun Valley and after all 3 of our children were married and somewhat settled, Winston and I spent 6 years working with small, struggling congregations in the U.S. We lived in AZ and on the East Coast during this 6-year span of time, in a 40-ft. 5th wheel travel trailer.

While living in Salisbury, Maryland, Winston began experiencing some health issues, so we left and returned to Texas. The Garden Oaks church contacted us with the desire to have us work with Garden Oaks, in Houston. Garden Oaks was once a large (1100 member congregation) but had changed its complexion and was mostly made up of Hispanic and African-American descent. We accepted the challenge and found many members not meeting anywhere.

During this time, it was discovered that Winston needed heart by-pass surgery and this was done on March 6, 1989. The surgery was successful but Winston developed ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome) and died 8 months later (October 27, 1989). I had begun working at an engineering firm in Houston, so I continued in this job after Winston’s death.

While at the Garden Oaks congregation, we learned of this congregation’s involvement in the work in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and planned on making a trip there but this never happened, due to Winston death. This fact is significant in my story.

Some 3 years following Winston’s death, I married a childhood sweetheart, Dewitt Baker. We grew up in the same neighborhood, attended grade school through high school together, attending the same congregation in Dallas. Two years after our marriage, Dewitt took early retirement and we moved to Honduras, teaching at Baxter Institute and working with 2 medical clinics. We lived and worked 6 years in Honduras until Dewitt’s health prevented us from continuing.

After moving back to Texas, we settled in Bryan/College Station, where most of our family lived. By now we had a total of 8 children, my 3- (Paul, Cheryl and Ruth) and Dewitt’s 5 children. Now, our family has grown to 17 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Dewitt is an Aggie through and through. We are active members of the A&M church of Christ, assist in many of their programs and continue to be involved in the work in Honduras. I administer a Nutrition Program for the thousands of malnourished children in that country. If you would like to learn more about this program, go to my website – http://www.nostarvingkids.org/ This is our out of country mission work. We were able to spend some time in Honduras this past summer and hope to do so many more times.

We have 2 rocking chairs in our home but they are only used to rock great-grandchildren. As long as our bodies allow and our Lord permits, we want to be involved in the work of His Kingdom.

The Sun Valley congregation is a vital piece of my life and I have fond memories of so many there. I am looking forward to seeing many of these dear friends. If you are ever close to Bryan/College Station, our home is open.

Dewitt and Billie Baker
2602 Lochinvar
Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 255-8221
bakybillie@yahoo.com

Did you say "I Do" at Sun Valley?

I wonder who the first couple was to marry at Sun Valley? Being born in December 1958, I was very young when the congregation began. Although I remember the first educational wing where some receptions were held before the 2-story educational building was constructed, I don't remember many weddings until I was much older. Can you help jog my memory? Did you marry at Sun Valley? Are you still married to that person today? We would like to include your wedding photo in our reunion slide show video! If you have the capability, photos may be uploaded to http://gallery.mac.com/klbrown16#100077 or you may send them to Debbie Blackburn at Clear Lake Church of Christ, 938 El Dorado Blvd., Houston, Texas, 77062.

If you would just like to comment about a particular wedding you remember, we would love for you to share those memories too.

I just have to share one photo now! Do you recognize this happy couple?

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Going through the hundreds of photos from the days of Sun Valley in preparation for the reunion video has definitely brought back many great memories. It is going to be so difficult to pick and choose which ones to include though so that the video doesn't put everyone to sleep. You know how home movies are--they are only fun for the first 15 minutes or so! Anyway, I hope you are making plans to join us on Saturday, September 20. It's going to be a great celebration.

The Search Continues!

The former member search continues as my mom (Betty Richter) just found another Sun Valley membership directory when cleaning out a closet! I glanced through it and already saw several names and photos of people that we do not have on our current list. We will make an attempt to locate the ones we can, but as the reunion date draws closer, it will become more difficult to continue that process as we must get moving on other details. Although I feel we have made incredible progress on locating former members, there is really no telling how many people we have overlooked. Keep spreading the word at every opportunity you have and maybe other former members will be found.

New Vision for Sun Valley BlogSpot

Sometimes my brain just keeps working on overdrive even when I sleep! Does that ever happen to any of you? My "New Vision" for this Sun Valley BlogSpot is for it to be a wealth of information to keep everyone informed. The more I learn about blogging, the more I think it can actually serve a better purpose than a designated website that has to be continuously updated. With a blog, you may go days, weeks, or months without posting new information, but it doesn't matter if old posts or outdated information is still out there. How can you help? I'm glad you asked. I would like to back track just a little bit and gather information that will be included as part of the label, "What Is Going On? This section will have information on Engagements, Wedding Announcements, Anniversaries (20+ years), Birth Annoucements, Deaths, You're Invited, Prayer List, Want Ads, etc. Items that are most pressing will be posted/highlighted on the uppermost right hand side of the "Home" page. For example, right now, the reunion takes priority, but if there is a funeral service or some other annoucement that needs to get top billing, that item will be posted.

I'm hoping that many of you will add this BlogSpot to your list of favorites and will check it periodically. Also, if any of you are bloggers too, please send me your BlogSpot link so that we can include it on our site and others within the Sun Valley Connection can keep in touch with you this way also.

Your task: For those of you that have had exciting news in any of the above categories in the last six months or so, please send me your information which can include a photo or two. I know I'm possibly opening myself up to be bombarded with lots of information, but I'm willing to give it a try for now because in a few more years, our children's children probably won't be interested or care anything about the former members of the Sun Valley congregation!

Blair Bagwell Graduates

Blair Bagwell will be graduating in May, 2008, from Westchester Academy for International Studies. She was a member of the National Honor Society and an officer of the Silver Starz dance team at her school. Blair will be attending Texas A & M in the fall and plans on becoming a pediatrician. Blair is the daughter of Brenda Flewellen and John Bagwell and the granddaughter of Betty and Tom Richter. Congratulations, Blair!

Corey Brady Mazzeo

Corey Brady Mazzeo was born on November 30, 2007, to Brandy and Lonnie. He weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 19 and 1/2 inches in length. He is pictured with his big sister is Brittney Ann; proud grandmother is Brenda (Richter) Flewellen; and great grandparents are Betty and Tom Richter.

Loved Ones Called Home to the Lord

We remember and extend our sympathy to the families of the following former members; however, they are enjoying a much sweeter reunion! Our list to date has been compiled by either personal knowledge or information from other former members. Our deepest apologies if we have omitted anyone's name or listed someone in error. Please email us if there are additions, deletions, or corrections that need to be made.

Adams, Cecil
Adams, Eugenia
Alexander, John M
Alexander, Mrs. John M.
Anderson, Melba (Barefield)
Archerd, Guy
Archerd, Marie
Atkinson, Roy
Atkinson, Winston
Bacon, Viola
Baker, Arthur
Baker, Chuck
Baker, Inez
Baker, Nell
Baker, Walter
Barefield, Jody
Bartley, Mrs. O. B.
Bartley, O. B.
Baten, Bess
Baten, Jack
Baten, James
Bean, Sue
Beene, Doyle
Bishop, Ronnie
Bland, William (Bill)
Brack, Elma
Brack, Harold
Brewton, O'Neal
Bryant, Betty
Bryant, Deva
Bulfin, Elaine
Burke, Grady
Burke, John
Burke, Paul
Burke, Ross
Carlisle, Mildred "Mickie"
Carpenter, Flora
Carpenter, Louise
Carter, Al
Cole, Charles
Cooper, Gloria
Cooper, John
Corkran, Karen (Waldrop)
Darland, Marlon
Day, Barbara
Day, Coy
Debner, Ted Jr.
Diaz, J. W.
Diaz, Mamie
Dishongh, Jerry
Dishongh, Virgil
Ditmore, Gail (Atkinson)
Dykes, Burrel
Eddins, Eddy
Eddins, Jane
Eddins, Nell
Eddins, William
Elmore, Tom
English, Karen (Grubbs)
Farabee, Mark
Farmer, Jack
Farmer, Kathy
Fuller, Paul
Gary, Betty
Gary, Bill
Gazzaway, Lois
Gentry, Al
Gilbert, Troyce
Gilbert, Walter
Golliheair, Mary
Golliheair, Otis
Gonzales, Joellen Nichols
Gouger, Novella
Gray, Don Sr.
Grigg, Robert "Bob"
Grimes, Chester
Grimes, Ruth
Grubbs, Phillip
Guillory, Brandon
Harrison, Ben
Havens, Larry
Herring, J.R.
Herring, Lucille
Hicks, Jim
Holloway, Clara
Holloway, Larry
Hord, Earl
Hord, Edna
Hord, Thomas
Irving, Hugh
Isgitt, Henry
Jenkins, Bob
Johnson, Cleo
Jolley, Jim
Jones, Sibyl
Justus, Oma Ray
Karber, Betty
Karber, Ken
Key, Claude
King, Leon
Kovar, Eddie
Kovar, Ina
Laas, Bob
Mayhew, David
Mayhew, Peggy
McBee, Jan
McMillion, Frank
McMillion, Reba
McMurrey, Elaine
McMurrey, Vernon
Miller, Suzie
Mochman, Irene
Mochman, Sam
Morris, Aileen
Morris, Ebb
Morris, Wayne
Neff, Owen
Nelson, Jack
Nichols, Wallace
Niemeyer, Alfred
Partain, Doug
Partain, Nita
Pearce, Tom
Pippin, Eula Mae
Preston, Elsie
Preston, Robin
Priddy, Don
Priestley, Dorothy
Pugh, Bill
Pyle, Jean
Ray, Garrett
Readhimer, Bill
Readhimer, Kenny
Reams, Agnes
Reams, Ray
Rhodes, Joe
Richter, Tom
Rogers, Jim
Roll, Debra
Root, Bob
Root, Cozette
Rose, Tom
Rosson, James
Roye, Olive
Ruley, Barbara
Rusch, Bob
Rusch, Peggy
Shannon, Steve
Shaw, John
Shepard, Marvin
Shirocky, J. T.
Shirocky, Movaleen
Shott, Melvin
Simpson, Wanda
Smith, Ray
Solomon, Debbie
Solomon, E. M.
Solomon, Inez
Solomon, Patrick
Sparks, Eva
Sparks, Noah
Sullivan, Robert
Taylor, Mallie
Tellez, Mike
Thompson, Clyde
Thompson, Valta
Thompson, Walter
Troxell, Janet
Trumbo, Harry
Trumbo, Ruby
Tyler, Jim
Tyler, Wanda
Van Lowe, Mrs.
Wade, Hubert
Wade, Patsy
Waskow, Frank
Waskow, Nancy
Wells, Jack
Westbrook, Joe
Williams, David
Wood, Irene
Wooten, Henri
Wright, Ken
Zahn, Paul

Making Progress!

We are still gathering addresses and information in order to locate former members. Currently, we have 524 families on our list--with mailing addresses for 356 of them! Although we are still finding people that we have either overlooked or discovered were members at some point in time, we are down to only needing information for 168 families. I think that is awesome!! Many of you have helped with the challenge of finding as many former members as we can. We are especially grateful for your efforts. Thank you so much.

At this point in time, we are now trying to get email addresses and phone numbers for a directory that we hope to have available at the reunion. Of course any type of directory can never be completely up to date, but we are going to give it our best shot. We could definitely use your help in this area too, so if you have email addresses to share, please contact us.

Still on the Honeymoon after 30 years!

Debbie and Jack Blackburn celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary today! Although Debbie certainly didn't forget the occassion, Jack definitely stole the show for being the most romantic. Jack left a beautiful card on the steering wheel of Debbie's car (being mindful of their dog, Andy) because he had placed 30 hearts* cut out of red tissue paper which spilled out when the card was opened. (*These would definitely have been gobbled up by their very allergic dog possibly causing intestinal problems later.) Anyway, if that wasn't enough, Debbie received 30 gorgeous long stemmed roses at her office later that morning. The card reading "Looking forward to the next 30 years!" The day was concluded with dinner at Perry's Steakhouse. The Lord has blessed their marriage in so many ways, and He certainly broke the mold with an awesome husband (son, brother, and father) like Jack!

Let's Get The Word Out

The first batch of "Save the Date" postcards will be in the mail tomorrow (May 7), and I'm hopeful that most of them will find their way into approximately 325 homes! These postcards will give the basic when and where information as well as the reunion email and this BlogSpot address. Notices were also sent to 55 churches in the Houston and surrounding area last week, and we are anxious to see how many other families we can locate through these mailings. For mail pieces that are returned, we will make an extra effort to correct those addresses before the formal invitations are sent out on August 1.

We are so excited for September 20, and we appreciate those of you who have been so diligent in helping us locate these former members for this special reunion celebration! Thank You!!

Love is in the Air!

Megan Case and Alan Pearson have announced their engagement! The couple will marry on August 2 at the Church of Christ in Long Beach, Mississippi. Megan and Alan will make their home in Searcy, Arkansas while they finish their education at Harding University. Alan is the son of Janice (Priestley) and Ricky Pearson. Congratulations to both families!

Photos, Photos! Who's got the Photos?

We would love to put together a video slide show of our favorite photos to show at the reunion and possibly have it available on a CD/DVD for you to take home as a keepsake, but we need your help. Of course "back then," we had to take pictures the old-fashioned way--you know, with film that had to be developed over several days so it will take a little more work for us to produce this walk down memory lane.

In order for your favorite photos to be included in the video slide show: 1) Mail copies of your photos to the address below. If you send "originals," write your name on the back of each photo if you need them returned, or 2) Follow the directions on this url site to upload your photos directly http://gallery.mac.com/klbrown16#100077 (Photo copies/originals should be mailed to Debbie Blackburn, c/o Clear Lake Church of Christ, 938 El Dorado Blvd., Houston, TX 77062.)
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"Who are these four former members?" (Answer: Jeanie Justice, Alice Cooper, Jeffrey Cooper, and Ron Hill)

Family Updates

It's been 47 years since the first meeting of the Sun Valley congregation. We would love to know where your family has been and what they have been doing? Are your children grown and married? Do you have grandchildren/great grandchildren? Have you retired and/or taken a fabulous vacation? Please post an update on your family especially if you will be unable to attend the reunion celebration.

Help Us Locate These Families!

We are looking for information on the following individuals and families. For privacy purposes, if you have a phone number, address, or lead that we might follow up on, please email us rather than posting the information on this site. (This is only a partial list. Check back for updates.)

Sammie and Tony Aden
Sue and John Alexander
David Anderson
Dottie and Robert Anderson
Jimmy Atkinson
Shirley Bailey
Barbara and Jim Baker
Toni and Leo Baldarez
Mary Nell Ballew
Brenda Bishop
Tony Brasher
Joan and Ken Breeding
Suzy and Bill Briggs
Bush Bruce
Sonny and Chuck Bruce
Carol and Doug Bundy
Judy and James Burge
Glenda and Mike Clark
Joan Clark
Frances and Hubert Conner
Irene Cortez
Julie and Richard Cox
Lena and Cecil Davis
Connie Doty
Martha and Jerry Ebker
Patsy and Jim Green
Diana Hahn
Ruth and Alvin Harrison
Lynn and Bruce Honohan
Marolyn Hovis
Merle and Bill Hutson
Angie and Fred Jones
Sharon and Paul Jones
Jeanette and Mike Joy
Kathy and Gene Kelly
Belinda and David Kennedy
Sarah and Jerry LaKota
Veronica and Jim Lopez
Lannell Mann
JoAnne and Kenneth Mobbs
Barbara and Bob Morphis
Barbara and William Neal
Jean and Jack Nelson
Sandra Partain
Alice and Ken Payne
Diane and Gene Pine
Immie and Don Priddy
Daisy Reynolds
Debbie and Jim Rich
Joyce Rose
Linda and Joe Rousseau
Bertie and George Seaberg
Debra and DeWayne Shannon
Linda and Tom Sharon
Betty and Herb Smart
Carolyn and Richard Spencer
Crystal and E.J. Stevens
Mary and Grady Stone
Virginia and David Talent
Mary Jo Thomason
Bobbie Trahan
A. J. Troxell
Linda and Richard Vasquez
Laverne and Bill Wade
Sandy and Randy Walling
Tommy Wooten

Favorite Memories

Most of us could go on and on talking about our favorite memories of Sun Valley days. Do you remember a beautiful wedding; the birth of a new baby being brought to the Cradle Roll class for the very first time; Vacation Bible School; riding in the “Old Yeller” bus with the Ahooga horn to the Monday night devotionals; Camp Mohawk; the Bus Ministry Program; Fun Time Skating Rink nights; Ice Cream Suppers, or wrapping houses? Whatever your favorite memory, we would love for you to share it with us.

The Search Is On

Trying to locate former members who have ever appeared on a list or in a directory is an overwhelming task to say the least! The internet has been helpful in a lot of cases in addition to getting bits and pieces of information from former members who are still in the local area. Regardless of our many efforts, whenever you make a list of former members and or a list of those who have passed away, there is always going to be people that you overlook.

April 21, 2008