News Articles and Other Sentimental Photos
Bishop O'Dowd 2006 High School Reunion
Reunion of St. Mary's Grammar School October 4, 2005
Photos of St. Mary's Grammar School Classmates at Bishop O'Dowd Reunions
Reunion Match ~ How Ron and I Met
It was 1981 at our 25th Bishop O'Dowd Reunion that I met my future husband, Ron Hill. Ron and I never dated in high school and we barely talked back then. Both he and I had recently divorced and were going through transition when we met at the reunion. I had just been on a two week Charismatic retreat at Santa Clara and Joann Driver Otten invited me to stay at her home during the reunion weekend. I would be going back to Nevada on that Sunday.
It was during the gathering, at the bar, that Ron and I spoke for the first time. Little did I know that Joann invited Ron to eat with us at dinner time. It was a little awkward at dinner trying to converse with this man I really didn't know. After dinner we danced a few dances then went off to talk to other classmates, but we would eventually come back together and talk and dance some more. At the end of the evening, Ron asked for my phone number and we left.
It wasn't until December that I heard from him again. A Christmas card came and he said he had lost my phone number. I sent it again. Months went by and the next time I heard from him was near my birthday in March, which was close to Easter that season. I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was signed Ron Hill.
We had gotten a photo book of the reunion so I got it out and looked at his picture. He reminded me of Clark Kent. Of course, I wrote him a "thank you" but once again months went by before I heard from him again. It was a Christmas. I received a gift box of cheese and sausage assortments with a card that said, "Hope to see you soon." Love, Ron.
This man was a mystery to me. That Christmas, my son, Greg was home from West Point and had to go back via San Francisco. I made arrangements to stay with my brother in Alameda and to drive Greg down to the Bay Area. I wrote another "thank you" to Ron and told him I would be going to Alameda if he wanted to get together. Another two weeks passed, but finally I received a phone call from Ron. We talked for a couple of hours.
That January 1983, we had our first date. It was a long distance relationship. He lived in Newark and I lived in Nevada. In August of that year, he proposed. On New Year's Eve we were married in the little old Catholic church, St. Gall that on main street in Gardnerville. The diocese has sold that property and now there is a large St. Gall church in town, which is our parish.
Since Ron had a good job at Southern Pacific Railroad, I resigned my job and moved back to California. I got a job in banking in the processing department for San Francisco Savings and Loan. We lived in that area for 15 years until early retirement in 1996, when we settled back in Gardnerville, Nevada. We celebrated 30 years this past New Year's Eve.
