Name Tags On Reunion Photos

As you are probably aware Jerry Cook has been trying to use the Name Tag feature on photos made at our 50th year reunion. However, it has not been possible to get that feature to work correctly. Jerry has learned that Google’s current focus is on another aspect of technology so little is currently being done to resolve the technical issues with the Name Tag feature.

Since using Name Tags is currently not practical Jerry is considering other ways to get the reunion pictures properly labeled. If resolution of Name Tag’s technical problems is achieved by Google consideration will be given at that time to whether we want to update to that process.

Lola Poland Burton

This obituary is for the mother-in-law  of classmate Louise Abbott Burton. Please keep the Burton family in your prayers.

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Lola Poland Burton

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SHREVEPORT, LA - Funeral services for Lola Poland Burton, 96, will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at Rose-Neath's Southside Chapel. Officiating will be Dr. Murry Hodge and Mr. Keith Brossette, her Sunday School Teacher. Interment will follow in Forest Park St. Vincent. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at the funeral home.

Lola was born on November 21, 1914 in Fryeburg, LA to James and Althius Poland. She passed away on May 23, 2011 in Shreveport.

Lola was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; husband, Guy Burton and daughter, Mary DeMoss. Left to cherish her memory are her sons, James Burton and wife, Louise, and Jim Burton and wife, Amelia; daughters, Dorothy Martin and Billie Pool; 14 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren and 28 great-great-grandchildren.

Serving as pallbearers will be her grandsons.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the James Burton Foundation (318) 424-5000.

Death of Husband of Janis Sharp Ritter

Thanks to Judy Pace Smith for letting me know about this death. Please keep Janis and her family in your prayers.

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Berdette Ritter

CARTHAGE — Services for Berdette Ritter, 69, of Gary,  TX will be 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 22, 2011, at Hawthorn Funeral Home Chapel, with Bro. Calvin Hancock officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Bethel Cemetery. Mr. Ritter died May 19, 2011, in Gary.

Born November 15, 1941 in the Buncombe community of Panola County, he operated Ritter Bros. Construction Co. and was a lifelong member of Hopewell Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Janis Sharp Ritter, stepsons, Russell "Rusty" D. Nelson and Chuck Terrell, and brothers and sisters Jimmy Ritter, Guy Ritter, Rene Davis, Emma Doris Ritter and Branda Milford. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. today, May 21, 2011 at the funeral home.

An online guestbook may be signed at www.hawthornfuneralhome.com.

Published in Longview News-Journal on May 21, 2011.

Memories

Jerry Cook sent me this article. I thought others might want to see it too. I was unable to find any info on who composed this piece. Perhaps that’s fitting since it applies to all of us.

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9 THINGS THAT MAY DISAPPEAR IN OUR LIFETIME

Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come.

1. The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.

2. The Check. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.

3. The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.

4. The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.

5. The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.

6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40 percent of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary titled, “Before the Music Dies."

7. Television. Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.

8. The "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.

9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.

All we will have that can't be changed are Memories. 

Ruby Lively Crittenden

This obituary is for the Mother of classmate Robert Crittenden. Please keep Robert and his family in your prayers.

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Ruby Lively Crittenden
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HENDERSONVILLE, TN - Graveside services for Ruby Lively Crittenden will be on Friday May 20th at Forest Park West at 10am. Ruby went to be with the Lord on January 15th, 2011 in Hendersonville, TN. Ruby had been a resident of Shreveport for over 70 yrs.

Proceeded in death by her parents, husband Doyle Crittenden, daughter Anita Hunter and grandson Carroll Glen Loyd. Survived by her son Robert Doyle Crittenden and wife Carol of Hendersonville, TN, granddaughters Mary Elizabeth Crittenden of Cain Ridge, TN and Catherine Crittenden of Birmingham, AL. Also long time friend Judy Bartz and family.

Helen Agrees

Helen Lindsay Rigg sent this note after reading Camilla’s comments about the reunion.

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Camilla said it all !!!!!! Thanks, girl. The reunion WAS  great & I'm so glad to be a part of our class. 1961 ROCKS !!!!!!!!

50th Reunion Thank You

Dear everyone who worked, planned, came as a guest, graduated, did not graduate, showed up, or did not show up for the Fair Park High Class of '61 reunion:

Thank you from the bottom of my impish heart. The amount of gratitude, love, fun, spirit and goodwill that is felt for all is real. What a grand time was had by all. The amount of time, energy, effort, planning, patience, and hard work was evident in the event itself. There were leaders who led, workers who followed, and some of both. It was wonderful, meaningful, and a blast!!!!!!!!!

With sincere appreciation for all,
Camilla Fulco Doughty

Passwords

I recently saw an ad for software that “discovers” your lost passwords. Part of the sales pitch included some amusing facts related to passwords. Hope they bring a smile.

Funny Facts About Passwords

1. The longest password ever recovered with our product was: wu*EdERu?eSpuQ3qUdremuphetheBadAge79Wast6-ewega3Hasaku4R2thepruq (64 characters).

2. A pet’s name appears in passwords 3 times more frequently than a name of any other member of a person’s family.

3. Demand for password recovery software is 40% higher right after Christmas and New Year holidays and shortly before Tax Time.

4. Of all password recovery requests 30% are from women for encrypted files of their (ex)husbands and boyfriends, compared to only 5% of such requests from men.

5. To protect a personal electronic diary and photo archives an average person sets a password 2 times stronger than to protect his/her corporate and financial documents.

6. Many important business and confidential files are protected with romantic passwords such as: LoveSue, eternity, marryme, and forgiveus.

Joe A. Festervan

The father of deceased classmate Joe Festervan, Jr.  passed away on May 3, 2011. His obituary is included below. Please keep his family in your prayers.

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Joe A. Festervan

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BENTON, LA - Mr. Joe A. Festervan, 89, passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Visitation will be held from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at Osborn Funeral Home. Funeral services will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2011, at Spirit Wind Ministries. Officiating will be Pastor Bobbie Deen of Spirit Wind Ministries and Pastor Chaplain Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office, Billy Pierce. Interment will follow at Union Springs Cemetery, south of Shongaloo, Louisiana.

Born in Shongaloo, Louisiana, Joe spent 50 years as a resident of the Shreveport-Bossier and Benton area. He was born to James and Blanche Davis, the eldest of six children. He grew up in a rural area on a farm during the depression era and his wartime experiences greatly shaped the man he would become. Joe was a member of Spirit Wind Ministries. He was also a member of various organizations including, the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, El Karubah Shriners, Royal Order of Jesters, Bossier Parish Sherriff Executive Board and numerous other organizations.

Joe entered the army at Camp Maxey, Paris, Texas in 1942 at the age of 21. He served for three years during WWII in the 250th Field Artillery Battalion as a gunner under the command of General Patton's Third Army and General Patch's Seventh Army. Battle and Campaigns include: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe. He was honored with the following awards Rifle Marksman, Victory Medal, Good Conduct, Occupation Medal, American Campaign, European Medal with Silver Star, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, French Jubilee of Liberty Medal, Cross of Lorraine and French Coix de Guerre. On September 28, 2010 The French Republic named Joe "Chevalier" of the Legion of Honor.

After Joe was discharged from the army he returned home to Louisiana. After a few years working in the oil industry, he was asked to invest in a new venture and that was the beginning of ICEE Distributors, Inc. He sold the first ICEE in the United States in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. With his hard work, dedication and desire to achieve, he built a company that has become the most successful family owned ICEE Company in the United States. He became and will always be affectionately known by all as "The ICEE Man".

In 1983 at the age of 63, Joe began his dream of returning to his roots by purchasing a farm. Festervan Farms became a direct result of Joe's great love and respect for the land. He was a true conservationist before it became popular to be a conservationist. He felt strongly that land should be passed on to the next generation in the same shape or better condition. Joe began a very successful cattle breeding program that included Beefmaster, Braunveigh and Brangus that continued for more than 20 years. He is also responsible for bringing the first Charolais bulls, which were developed in France, into Webster Parish and helped begin the crossbreeding of that line in the 1950's.

In his later years, out of his love for the Lord, Joe built a church, Spirit Wind Ministries, to honor our Savior Jesus Christ.

Joe continued to thrive on challenges. In the winter of his life he made a bold decision to begin a wildlife preserve on The Shady Creek Ranch in South Texas. He developed a water tank system designed to groom the land and encourage wildlife including deer, quail, turkey and other animals, to return and thrive. He expanded his circle of friends and loved ones by spending time in Fredericksburg, Texas. He will be greatly missed by all.

Mr. Festervan was preceded in death by his parents, James Festervan and Blanche Davis Festervan; his sister, Marlene Lee; brothers, Dalton and Darvin Festervan; and his son, Joe A. Festervan, Jr. He is survived by his daughters, Julie Festervan and Dawn Mangham; sons, Tony Festervan and Dan Festervan; grandchildren, Ashley, Bonnie, Matthew, Sarah, Cole, Suzanne, James, Daniel, Rebecca, Katie, Alison, Alicia, Alexandra, Stuart and Jacob; great-grandchildren, Carter, Dalton, Dylan, Brooke, Bailey, Emma and Jake; sisters, Margaret Berley, Burlene Baumann; his niece, Marcia Baumann; and nephew, David Baumann.

Pallbearers will be Larry Deen, Russel Jones, Lynn Beaty, Wayne Davis, Wayne Moseley, Bruce Baumann, Matthew Sutton and Hunter Caskey.

Honorary pallbearers will be Judge Gayle Hamilton, Dudley Davis, Jerry Davis, Lloyd Bearfoot, Jimmie Silvio, Jimmy Davis, Jr., K. C. Whitmore, Heath Deen, Bill Wiseman, James Chapman and the members of the Bossier Sheriff's Executive Board.

The family requests that memorials be made to Spirit Wind Ministries.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Sanders Hearne and especially Dr. Dan Moller for his genuine friendship and medical care.

A Way With Words

Several years ago I heard a weekly radio program that dealt with how we use and misuse words. The program was both funny and educational. While I’ve meant to listen to the program again I never think about it when it’s on.

In doing a Google search today one of the “hits” was the website for the program. They have a lengthy list of programs you can select from to listen to online. If you want to see if you’d enjoy this type program click on this link - http://www.waywordradio.org/.