Well, it has been a busy month for me. But luckily, I received so many letters during the past month that I’ve decided to take it easy and let our readers write this month’s column…

Class of ’51 Plans Reunion

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Dear Kyle:

Thanks so much for your articles in the Advocate. I always enjoy them. I remember when you were at Woodrow. I was on the faculty from 1969-1993, and I truly love the old alma mater.

I graduated from Woodrow in 1951. We are planning our 45th reunion May 17-18. On Friday night, we will have an informal party at the home of Judy Clark Chandler, and the main reunion will be Saturday night at Lakewood Country Club. The Variations will be performing.

We still have a list of “lost” classmates. If anyone in the Class of 1951 needs information about the reunion, please call Mary Turner Gratz at 357-4468.

Thanks a million!
-Ruth Hudspeth (Struble) Cooper

A Tale of Two Janes

I’d like to thank Jane Walker for the beautiful and touching tribute to her friend and fellow classmate, Jane Anne Newsome Hale…

Dear Kyle:

“Have you ever known a Woodrow Wilson alumna who loved her high school so much that she kept a framed, 8-by-10 inch photograph of Woodrow on her office desk? Well, I did, and her name was Jane Anne Newsom Hale, who graduated in the 1940s.

“Jane was born in Waco and spent most of her childhood in Dallas. Jane attended Robert E. Lee Elementary, J.L. Long Middle School and, of course, Woodrow.

“A member of the Lakewood Methodist Church for many years, Jane Anne was active in the Merrill Hendrix Firehouse Ministries and the church choir. Her faith sustained her always and particularly during the last year of life, Jane died Oct. 29, 1995, after a very courageous battle with cancer.

“Jane’s faith, optimism and cheerful disposition never left her. She had many friends from throughout Dallas, many of them her Woodrow friends (whom she ‘kept-up with’ all through the years), her church friends and her real estate friends.

“Zaby/Smith Realtors in Lake Highlands gave Jane Anne her starts in the real estate business. She worked there with B.J. (Billie Jean) Smith, a childhood friend, and Pat Zaby, who were owners of the company.

“Jane was a natural for real estate because of her honesty, efficiency and vivacious personality. During the past six years, Jane was a broker in the Ebby Halliday Northeast Dallas Office on Audelia. That’s where the picture of Woodrow was prominently displayed on Jane’s desk. Whenever Woodrow students did something outstanding (which is often), Jane never failed to tell us about it. We all liked to tease Jane about Woodrow.

“The apples of Jane’s eyes were son Jay Hale, daughter Jan Hale Reed, son-in-law Jim Reed and granddaughter Lily Reed.

“I ‘nominate’ Jane as a truly distinguished Woodrow graduate, for she distinguished herself in everything she did. A finer person you’ll never find.

“Jane Anne is greatly missed by all of us who knew and loved her, and she’ll always be remembered as a great lady in every way.”