The Grapevine: Celebrating a Friend's Birthday, Family Matters and the Death of Local Restaurant Icon
By Rosalyn Queen on September 24, 2020 from The Grapevine
Somewhere on Facebook this past week I read a posting saying, “Who is still friends with a school buddy?” Well you know when you are 80-plust here may not be too many of those schoolmates around and those that are may not even remember you.
But I am fortunate enough to have a schoolmate who I interact with weekly. When I enrolled at Broadway Junior High, we met the first day of school, which would have been around 1951. There were always two classes for each grade, and they were devised by the letter their last 
name started with so by this method we were put together.
name started with so by this method we were put together.
We became locker partners and remained as such through high school. When I search my memory, I cannot remember us ever being mad at each other. We had lunch this past week to celebrate her birthday.
It was great to reminisce about our school chums, Bill Bryan, Herb Cashdollar, and Mary Jane Cleavenger. We had a good laugh about all the pajama parties and the homecoming and Valentine’s Day dances. It is wonderful that our memories afford us the pleasure of reliving these memories. We may have achy bones and leaky bladders, but our memories are still sharp. With the occasion of Becky Buffey Sprout’s birthday, we renewed our ongoing friendship.
I also had the pleasure of sharing childhood memories of Shirley Wentz and Kenny Bond with their daughter, Lori Hamrick. They were both East View kids.
Recently Ruby Oldaker came to visit and we shared the Queen family tree. Her mother was a Queen and her grandfather was a brother to Fray’s grandfather. We have made a promise to get this down on paper for all those Queen kids that will be attending the cousins Party.
My sympathies to the Thelma Lopez DeFazio family. (Thelma was the original owner of the locally famous Thelma’s Hot Dogs in Nutter Fort).
Stay healthy, observe all the pandemic restrictions and until next week “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”
Editor's Note: Pictured, from left, are Becky Buffey Sprout, Patricia Toothman, and Rosalyn Queen.
Leave a Comment
Log in or create an account to post a comment.