Joan Parks Shrader: "An ever present twinkle in her eyes"

I started at TSCW right out of high school in the class of 58. I went two summers so I reclassified to the class of 57 for my junior year. Therefore I only knew Sis my last two years. We were both physical education majors and had several classes together. Sis was a much better athlete than I was. I admired how good her hair always looked. I remember our class winning stunts our junior year. Sis had a big part as I remember while I was involved “behind the scenes.” Thank goodness I never had to face her across the tennis net.

I really got to know Sis more from one of our reunions, I believe our 45th. We were sitting in a motel room and I inadvertently asked what happed to Sis Wones and she was sitting right across the room from me. Now if I didn’t feel stupid. That was a great time catching up on the past years. It seems we can always take up where we left off. There is a special bond among “Tessies” and a particularly strong bond among the physical education majors. The class of '57 was the last class to graduate as TSCW. It is on our degrees and the ones that graduated after that are TWU.

I would have liked to send a couple of pictures from the 45th reunion, but they are in a large scrapbook that I can’t get under my scanner. Sis looked good and had that ever present twinkle in her eyes.

At the 50th reunion I was “railroaded” into being the class agent. June Palmer and Jane Perry had done it for a number of years and Virginia Mullins before that. I regret that the former students newspaper has gone digital and for the most part omits the class notes that everyone enjoyed the most.

Sis you are remembered fondly when we recall our days in Denton. I think it is great that Tammerie has gotten all this on a blog to share with others.  Thanks, Tammerie, and hopefully we will get to meet one of these times. God is good and will go with you and Sis on the difficult road you are traveling at this time.