It has been a long time since I have seen or heard from most of you.  Can you believe 40 years has passed since we graduated from high school? 

 Life has been good to me with no major complaints.  I have been blessed with a wonderful loving family, good health and happiness this far and I contribute this to blessings from above and trying to do the right things to make it work.    I married my best friend, Bobby Howell 39 years ago.  Everyday with my best friend is truly a blessing.   I am really looking forward to coming to our reunion in October to reacquaint with my classmates.  I missed the last one but enjoyed looking at the picture that was sent.  Our classmates look the same.  As they say, we don’t get older, only better!  I am still working with the government.  I continue to travel a lot in my job as the Small Business Program Manager for the largest military activity in South Carolina.  Bobby and I still live in Summerville SC, a small town this side of Charleston.  We love it here in the "real deep south," but are planning to relocate sometime next year to NC, closer to our youngest son Darren.  He and his lovely wife, Jennifer live in Durham.  She is a Doctor, OBGYN, and her practice is in Raleigh.  Darren is a Senior VP with BBT in Durham.    Both Bobby and I plan to retire sometime next year.  I can’t believe I have been working 31 years.  This year I received the highest honor bestowed on a civil servant which was the Meritorious Civil Service Medal of Honor Award.  I also received the first ever outstanding rating provided by the Small Business Administration for small business compliance excellence award.  This has been a fabulous year of recognition for me so I guess it is time to “get out of the kitchen” while things are going right.  Right now we are getting all the approvals to build our dream home.  We are moving to a very small little town called Efland NC.  It's located about 10 miles the other side of Hillsboro NC or 15 miles this side of Burlington NC.  It is a beautiful country setting which is really hard to find these days.  We are planning to bring my mother to live with us.  Mama is and has always been a blessing to all who know her.  She is so full of appreciation for life and a living example of taking one day at a time and being thankful for every one she has.  Daddy passed away at Christmas time 1998. I miss him and think about him everyday because he was my hero and he is such a part of my everyday decision making.  He was the driving force to my success.  He too was a blessing and I am so thankful he was my father.  My oldest son Chad is single, works for a government contractor doing business development and lives in Chesapeake. 

I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone in October.  Please let me know if you need additional information.

  God Bless my friends and classmates of DCHS class of 1965

 Ann Slate Howell