Northfield, Massachusetts

4 years

Day student - Revell, West Marquand

Four years of Choir with Mr. Raymond -- and Miss Wight on the organ ////// working in the Library for my dummy for the whole of my senior year ////// having or working with some wonderful teachers and other adults ////// going to assembly in Silverthorn each Monday to listen to Miss Davis give a fascinating synopsis of the past week's world news ////// after school sports ////// Our BEAUTIFUL campus ////// Saturday night movies in Silverthorn ////// wonderful girls from all different dorms and classes whom it was my fortune to meet and know ////// our house mothers and house instructors ////// time spent in the Chapel during choir rehearsals and Vespers ////// Christmas Vespers and Sacred Concert ////// Seating Day and Lantern Service ////// our class teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Pfeil ///// swim dems and Tree Days ///// Mountain Days ////// Dummy smocks and sturdies and dungaree skirts ////// with Marcia Eastman (Congdon) and some other girls, working under Mrs. Savcheff at Gould and waiting on tables (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for the faculty who were attending their pre and post school year meetings --lots of fun

As Day Students freshman and sophomore years we did not have dummy. (We did have two wonderful advisors in Miss Olive Horn and Miss Jill Palmer.) When the Day Student Room in the basement of Stone Hall was replaced by a classroom my junior year, I spent more time in West Marquand. Junior year I had after-lunch TINS first semester. (I got an A on an essay on TINS that I wrote for Mrs. Baldwin that fall.) Second semester I had after-lunch dish machine. For my dummy my senior year I worked in the library all year and loved it. I wore my dummy smocks for all the years I was in college -- sort of in place of a bathrobe, and I noticed that other girls from Northfield there did the same thing.

Oh, so many! All were good teachers, and most were also very kind. I feel very fortunate to have come in contact with them all in some way .... Miss Vickie Freeman, Mr. Wilfrid Freeman, Miss Margaret Bigelow, Miss Winifred Hill, Miss Olive Horn, Miss Debbie Fixter, Miss Rachel King, Miss Carolyn Mann, Miss Hett, Mrs. Florence Jones, Miss Clarice Carpenter, Miss Jane Morrow, Miss Connie Daloz, Mr. Al Raymond, Miss Ann Wight, Mrs. DeWolfe, Mr. Brad Newcomb, Miss Grace Robertson, Mrs. Mary Ann Higgins, Mr. Doug Jones, Miss Eleanor Davis, Miss Elsie Scott, Mrs. Charlotte Putnam, Mrs. Alice Baldwin, Miss Elizabeth Small, Mr. George Hayes, Miss Seydoux, Mrs. Marion Given, Mrs. Margaret Fallon, Mrs. Clara Barnard, and, of course, my mother, Mrs. Helen Thompson.

After I graduated from Northfield, along with about six others from our class, I went to Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. I stayed there for the full four years, majored in Classical Literature, minored in History, and graduated in 1968.

After college, I got a job teaching Latin at Lyndon Institute, a small, semi-private high school in Lyndon Center, Vermont, way up in the "Northeast Kingdom." At Lyndon Institute I taught mainly Latin, but after a few years I also taught one or two classes of Business English each year, too. And, over the years, I occasionally taught other courses such as Mythology, College Prep English, English II, and English II College Prep. I loved teaching and taught at LI for 37 years until I took early retirement in 2005.

I grew up a Congregationalist, but in the early 70's I started going to the Lyndonville United Methodist Church and started to sing in the choir. I joined the church about 2000 and still sing in the choir. I also enjoy taking Bible study classes there, and since retirement I have been able to go to morning classes in addition to or instead of evening Bible studies.

My dad, Ray, who owned Thompson's Texaco Service Station in East Northfield, died in 1978 of a heart attack, and my mother Helen, who taught Latin at Northfield from the late 50's til the early 70's, died in 1995 of Alzheimer's. My sister Carol stayed in Northfield and taught 4th grade in the Elementary School until she retired a few years ago. She married Kenny O'Brien (was head of the history department at Bement School), and they have two kids, Megan and Tim, my favorite niece and nephew (of course). Meg is now head Athletic Trainer at Gordon College, and Tim (recently married) is an Assistant Manager at a Walmart store.

As much as I loved teaching, I love retirement. I love to read and joined a book group and swap books with friends. I have noticed that I now seem to read more history and biography than I used to (quite a lot about World War II), but I still love (non-scary) mysteries, particularly historical mysteries. I like to watch old movies and some British and American mysteries. Some years ago I got into quilting and enjoy making (easy) quilts. I am also in a quilting group at church. I like to take pictures of family, friends, and my pets and other animals. I love to be able to spend more time at home with my pets (two dogs and four cats), to help friends with their pets when they're not home, to visit with friends and help them with rides or other things when they need it, to keep in touch with family and friends, and generally to lead a more relaxed and less stressed life. I feel blessed and lucky that I have been able to enjoy these years of retirement.

I have also very much enjoyed being able to reconnect with Northfield classmates through our class "website," and I want to thank the people who have made this site available and who have maintained it. It's a wonderful site.

Lyndon Center, Vermont

graduated from Drew University in Madison, NJ, in 1968

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