It has been great reading what everyone has been doing the last fifty years. I have trouble believing I am way over fifty in age. I keep telling my children are catching up to me. I would love to see everyone. It seems that every reunion I have either lived out of state and couldn’t come or something has come up to keep me from going. I really was hoping to get to make it this time.
On Tuesday June 2, 1959 right after we got out of school, Carl and I got married and I knew I had a winner when I fell in love with him. We had three wonderful children Carl Jr. (Bud), Mary Ann and Margaret Lynn. They were all born in Odessa, Texas.
Mary Ann had a lot of health problems and we lost her after 13 years of her teaching us the true meaning of love and strength.
Bud, 48 now gave us two beautiful grandchildren — Drew 23 working for longhorn road construction in Gilmer Texas, and Sherry 20 going to Eastman College in OK. She will be a sophomore next Sept.
Margaret married Coach Buddy Blair and they have given us three grandsons, Brice, Brock and Beau. As you can guess, they are very much in sports — they didn’t get a choice. Brice 25, went in the army as soon as he finished school and has been to Iraq twice. When he first went in service and went thru training one of the boys asked him if he was scared of his sergeant. Brice told him, he was ok, reminded him of his father. (As a coach, he was harder on his own children, which was good) stupid and dumb ass was just part of daily living. Brice will be coming home July 8 to Seattle, WA from Iraq, and in Oct will be out after five years. Has decided not to stay in. Planning on getting married June 11, 2010.
Brock 21 got the Ford award in football his senior year played in the backfield. They also went to state in baseball and came in 2nd, which was great and he was good in all sports. But I’m afraid he took his height from his mother’s side of the family, and is short like us.
Now Beau is the baby nearly 6 ft like his dad, plays on the line, goes at Gilmer High School, makes all A’s and in top 10 of his class. He will be a senior next year. Enough about my grandchildren.
We own a home in DeSoto, Texas and also stay at Horseshoe Bay in Marble Falls. (I am really homeless.) I don’t stay in DeSoto or Marble Falls long enough to unpack. I guess that’s why I’ve been with the same man for 50 years. We’ve lived in Texas, New Mexico, ILL., CA., Georgia. Played, partied, gambled like no tomorrow, grew up, went back to college. Carl became a Church of Christ minister. Now I must say some of you have had more than one spouse, me, now I only had one spouse, but with many hats. It’s like I have been married to about three or four different people. Now on the other hand, poor Carl married a little woman, had a huge woman, then little wife and never knew what color hair or what weight. -Just a 4’11” woman. It’s been fifty good bad, sad, wonderful years, that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And on Sat. July 11, I will have all of my family with me, and my 91 year old father who is fit as a fiddle will walk with me in church down to Carl, and again we will renew our vows to one another.
God has blessed us with a wonderful family and friends.
To all of you my love and friendship and know that I will be thinking of you at the reunion. Have a
wonderful and safe time. God Bless
Shirley Mahan McBryde
Wow what a story. Must have known my brother Tom MHS 58,59,& 60. Not sure when he graduated. He posted a story so you may know him. No he was a rounder he must have known your husband. John McElligott MHS 63