October Keynotes

Pi Alpha Kappa Sorority

Keynote

From Georgia Turnage

October 2012

A letter from Georgia:

Dear Sister,

It is my sad but necessary duty to resign as your National President of PAK.  I have developed some health problems that make it impossible to continue in this position.

I am sending this letter to all members of the Executive Council and the three past presidents.  The Convention has been set for June 1, 2013, in Mansell Hall at First Presbyterian Church.  The meeting has been there before so everything will be familiar.

I know you will carry on with renewed vigor and have a very successful year and convention.

Georgia Turnage

News from the Chapters……

My abject apologies to the ladies of Denver Delta – I completely forgot (again!) to notify you of the Keynote deadline.  I hope you had a grand summer and we look forward to hearing from you in December.  (See the end of this Keynote for deadlines for the year.)

Vicksburg Alpha Beta

Alpha Beta Chapter started off the year on Tuesday, September 18, with a meeting at Southern Sisters’ Café.  Debbie Dottley Brumitt was our speaker and she regaled us with stories from publishing her two cookbooks Tale-Gating with Rebel Greats and Miss Mississippi Cooks. 

Margharita Davis has been enjoying this 2012 summer.  Once again our Davis family attended Water Valley’s annual (first weekend in August) Watermelon Carnival. I kayaked solo on Enid Lake along side of great-grand daughter Karlei Brooke and our daughter Margaret Smith of Brandon. It was a lot of fun. Our vegetable gardens produced plenty of tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant this year.  And frying eggplant dipped in buttermilk is divine.  Traveled to Winston Salem where son Key continues the family business. We go up several times a year for the beautiful weather and view of the Appalachian Mountains in this Piedmont area of North Carolina.  Our latest exciting news came from son Lee and fiancée Rachel Micklethwait who recently became engaged on South Padre Island, Texas. Wedding bells are ringing somewhere in his future.  Grandson PFC Trey Smith will graduate from army basic training at Fort Jackson, SC the first weekend in October. We are very proud of him. Please remember our service men.

Although she has not been active for a number of years, the chapter was sad to lose Kalar Fultz, who passed away in May. 

Pam Gee spent several days this summer at the Wisconsin Dells at a reunion of her late brother’s family and her children and grandchildren.  They had a blast at all the water parks, though the first afternoon was spent at a clinic tending to her granddaughter Anna Catherine’s foot, injured at a waterslide.  She spent the rest of the time on crutches!

Evelyn Harrison has a new grandchild.  Her son Jay and wife Sally of Madison have a baby daughter Evelyn Jane  (Evey) who was born on April 3^rd , 2012.  She joins the twins Hank and Hayden who are now in the third grade. 

From Frances Koury: I have had difficulty comprising and written emails or talking on the phone...a slight problem with  speech  and coordinating from the recent "stroke" in early May.  So many have called and sent cards.....I am grateful...for my Sisters of PAK. .....always!!!   I am so grateful ....God has been so good.     I enjoyed the family on my 87th birthday party, at the formal dinner at Anchuca.....the food was delicious. Glenn, Cyndi, Allison,  great-granddaughter Alexandria; Aaron, Elizabeth, great-grandson, Stephen Koury,  Kathy, Steve (Kathy's friend)  Connie, David, John David, and Justin Hosemann.  What a joy on such a happy birthday.  My niece, Terry and son, Graham Pearson visited overnight ..got lots memories shared!  Hope that by the next Keynotes, I will have a "Product" - a  DVD about Vicksburg - available!!  We will share it at the October meetings???

Vicksburg Delta

The Delta Chapter's September meeting was in the home of Joan Morgan.  It was so nice to see all those present and to catch up on the news.  We were sorry to learn of President Georgia Turnage's resignation, but wish her well in resolving her health issues.
The members voted to change the date of our meetings in order to be more convenient to all.  We will now meet on the third Monday at the usual time of 7 PM.  We are planning the following activities for the rest of this year: Community Cupboard, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Haven House, Between the Lions, to name a few.

Helene Benson received her Masters of Theological Studies degree from Spring Hill College in May. Never one to pass up a challenge, she is now working on  her certification in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in anticipation of implementing this program at St. Michael next year. Her husband Richard recently had hernia surgery and is recuperating. Please keep him in your prayers.

From Joan Morgan:  In May the Alpha-Beta Chapter invited me as their guest to install their officers for the new term. I had a lovely time visiting with PAK members in Pam Gee's home and enjoying the delicious pot luck luncheon.  That evening, our chapter held it's end of the year meeting at Rusty's.  We attended our granddaughter's graduation at Madison Crossing where Adia gave the 6th Grade speech.  She was the recipient of the Maverick Art Award, as well as one for the Honor Roll.  At the end of the month the grandchildren spent a week with us, which provided plenty of activity...swimming and games.  While her brother was at camp in North Carolina in July, Adia visited again for a week and enjoyed a cooking class at Southern Cultural Heritage, swim lessons, a movie, lunch, shopping, and games.  

Josephine Peterson has had a fun summer.  In May she visited Richard’s family in South Carolina.  Aspen, the four-year-old, came back to Mississippi with Josephine for her first visit alone.  Little girls are fun!  In July, the two older girls and Anders came for a visit.  They enjoyed the Miss Mississippi Pageant, the Children’s Museum, and the 4^th of July festivities, especially the Eagle Lake boat parade.  Josephine returned the children and had a great visit with everyone in South Carolina.  Josephine’s brother and sister-in-law moved to Ellisville from Jackson.  Josephine was invited for a getaway to see the renovations to Sue’s childhood home, which Sue has inherited.  Josephine toured the Deason home, featured in Mississippi Magazine as one of Mississippi’s haunted houses.  John invited Josephine to come out to Arizona. They’ll see the Arizona Cardinals football team play and perhaps take a short sightseeing trip to parts unknown.  She always enjoys her tours out west.

Joann White writes: “What a HOT summer!  Frankly, I look forward to cooler weather and PAK resuming.  The summer months were filled with fun and not so fun events…lots of family visits – and my surgery.  My daughter-in-law Cheri White was and is an extraordinary nurse!  My grandsons Michael and Paul White were such good company and help this summer.  It was difficult to have them leave this fall for Mississippi State.  I left September 24 to be with my sister-in-law after her cancer surgery.  She and my brother Chesterfield live in The Villages, Florida.  I’m praying for her recovery.”

Vicksburg Omega

Vera Marshall Brown’s granddaughter, Nora Francis, daughter of Andréa and Owen Francis of Mandeville, LA, made the Louisiana All State Honors Choir and will be travelling all over Louisiana performing.  Vera sung with a group at the 175th Anniversary of The Dioceses of Natchez-Jackson at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson on Sunday, September 16, 2012.

Marian Love Phillips and her husband, Bob, flew to Santa Fe, NM, for a five day paid vacation to visit family in June.  While there they got to see three new great grandchildren and also made a trip to Las Vegas, NM, to stay at the families two-story log cabin on their 2,000 acre Cerro Bonita Ranch, in San Miguel County, NM.  Marian also flew to Fredericksburg, VA, with her daughter, Kathy and granddaughter, Lucy, (first flight for daughter/granddaughter) to visit her youngest daughter, Marian Suzanne “Suzi”, son-in-law, Dennis and 5 year old, granddaughter, Emma.  It was Emma’s 5th birthday on Wednesday, July 25, the day they flew up. They also got to make two trips to Washington, DC, to see the sights and to celebrate Emma’s birthday at Great Play with all her friends that Saturday.  Marian’s grandson, Michael “Ethan” Kelly will report to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX, for basic training on October 2, 2012.  Her oldest daughter, Theresa, remarried on May 30, 2012 to Stan Bryant at St. Paul’s Catholic Church by Monsignor Patrick Farrell, Pastor, officiating.  They are making their home in Magee, MS.

Myrtle Curro Alvarado and her husband, Bobby, went to Raleigh, NC, for Bobby’s Citadel O Company reunion.  Afterwards, they plan to make a trip to Virginia Beach for a few days before returning home. In October, Myrtle will join her sister for a trip to Italy for the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha in Rome with a side trip to Assisi.  Myrtle’s family is growing and has a new grandson, Corbin John Curro, born August 28th to Jerome and Caroline and big brother, Kee, who is 2-1/2 years old.  Her oldest son, Joseph and his wife Sarah are expecting a little boy in early February.

Connie Greer and her husband, Homer, celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary by renewing their vows at 5:30 p.m. Mass on August 25, 2012, at St. Michael’s Church and had a wonderful reception afterwards.   They were married on August 26, 1962 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Gulfport, MS.  Connie graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in Vicksburg and is retired from Parkview Regional Medical Center after 30 years of employment.  Her husband graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Electrical Engineering and is retired from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers after 40 years of service.  The couple has two children, Laura McCallum (Walter) of Vicksburg, MS and Brock Greer of Tahlequah OK.  They have one grandson, Ryne McCallum. 

 

Joan Donovan and husband Mike traveled to Carmichaels, PA, in June to a model airplane contest (Brodak).  This is an annual event for them and they always have a great time.  Mike competes in the competition.  They see a lot of friends there that they have met over the years at other contests.  The ladies get together one day and go on a trip.  This year it was sightseeing.  They went to an antebellum home that was occupied by a government official in the early 1900’s.  It has been turned into a very interesting museum.  The grounds were beautiful.  They also went to an old coal mine museum.  There were a lot of artifacts that were used in the mines.  The history there was also very interesting.

June Emerson’s son, Paul, has gone back to college at night to get his degree in Business Administration at Belhaven College.  He works for GE Medical which supplies equipment, etc., for St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson, MS.

Cathey Lee’s mother, Lenora Aulenbrock, will be turning “100” years old on October 3^rd.  She was born in 1912.  Congratulations to her Mom!

Janey Seabergh and her husband, Bill, took their granddaughters, 7 and 14 on a motor trip to Mountain View, AK in the Ozarks and then onto Denver, CO, for a wedding.  They continued to Grand Junction, CO, to see her sister and then to Salem, Oregon to drop the granddaughters off.  From there they drove on to Las Vegas, NM to visit a sister and then came home.  It was a month long odyssey for sure. 

Anita Hossley along with her daughter, Margaret, and granddaughters visited Ocean Springs for the Fourth of July holiday.  While there they went to Horn Island for a picnic, to Ship Island to swim, and toured Jefferson Davis' home Beauvoir.  Anita's brother, George Zorn, his children Stacie Armer and George Zorn, Jr., and their families also live in Ocean Springs. 

Our dear Sorority Sister, Katherine Meyer Turcotte died Thursday, September 13, 2012, at River Region Medical Center. She was 71. She was the daughter of the later Edward C. Meyer and Dorothy Jones Meyer and the widow of Roy V. Turcotte, Jr., who died on June 18, 2012.  She was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier Academy in the Class of 1959.  She was a Chemical Dependency Counselor, Level II at Marian Hill Chemical Dependency Center in Vicksburg for the past 18 years and served as counselor at Pine Grove Chemical Dependency Unit in Hattiesburg and St. Dominic Chemical Dependency Unit in Jackson.  She is survived by four sons, Jeff Turcotte, and wife Doris, of Albuquerque, N.M., Greg Turcotte and wife, Sherrie, of Seminary, Tim Turcotte and wife, Lisa, of Lexington, KY, Steve Turcotte and wife Candy, of Vicksburg; a brother William Charles "Buddy" Meyer of Savannah, GA; 15 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Rosalie Garner and husband, Jack, of Oxford, and a brother-in-law, Randy Turcotte of Vicksburg.  A funeral mass was said 11 a.m. Monday, September 17, at St. Michael Catholic Church with Rev. P. J. Curley as celebrant.  Burial was in Cedar Hill Cemetery under the direction of Riles Funeral Home.  Honorary Pallbearers were members of the Vicksburg Lions Club and members of the Pi Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter.

DEADLINES FOR FUTURE KEYNOTES:

Monday, December 17, 2012

Monday, March 18, 2013

Mark your calendars – the Convention will be Saturday, June 1, 2013!