Surprise!

I got a phone call today. It was Jim LeCroy, a fellow graduate of Arlington Heights High School, class of 1959. He had news for me. Good news. Long story short: he had found out the whereabouts of Emily Lunday, my former journalism teacher. I wrote recently on my other blog, SoulCollage talkabout, about what Mrs. Lunday meant to me. What I didn’t say was that I was making a very serious effort to find her.

Of course I started with Google. Nothing. I called the Fort Worth (Texas) school district; they couldn’t tell me anything without a social security number. I joined Net Detective (a complete bust - they don't even have me). I knew my best hope was former students of hers; she was really a wonderful mentor. So I began asking the few folks I still knew in Fort Worth. My friend, Kaye D. Thornton, had worked under her and was good at keeping up with people. Kaye put me in touch with Jim who recently had dinner with Bill Adams who was also looking for Mrs. Lunday and had some information. Her name is now Emily Lunday Garrett. With that name, Google came through. Ms. Garrett was honored (in 2004) for starting Women in New Roles at Tarrant County College back in 1978. Bill even had an address for her.

Emily Lunday Garrett probably doesn’t remember me. Forty-nine years is a long time. But not too long to say, “I remember you. You really made a difference in my life. Thank you."

That letter is in the mail!

Edit: To see a follow-up of this post see post March 30, 2008