DEAR ALUMS,

 THE COMMITTEE FOR THE GARRISON/CHILLICOTHE HOMECOMING WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERSONALLY THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR MAKING OUR 2009 EVENT A MEGA SUCCESS. YOUR RESPONSE TO COMING HOME WAS OVERWHELMING.AND WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT.  EVEN THE HOMEYS WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT STAYED IN CONTACT DURING THE EVENT IN ORDER TO TALK TO THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I'M STILL RECEIVING CALLS ABOUT HOW THINGS WENT; WHO WAS HERE AND WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE.

  WE THINK THE HOMECOMING WAS "DIVINE TIMING". YOU GUYS WANTED TO COME HOME. WE, AT HOME, NEEDED YOU TO COME HOME.AND GOD SAW TO IT YOU GOT HERE AND BACK SAFELY.

 I WANT TO THANK THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORT. TO STEPHEN, THANK YOU FOR INITIATING THE WHOLE THING .STEVE STAYED IN CONTACT WITH THE GUYS IN COLORADO AND MINNESOTA AND THEY ARE THE ONES  WHO GOT THE BALL ROLLING. TO"I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU NEED" LINDA, THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THROUGH ON A DREAM.  LINDA HAD HEARD STEVE TALK ABOUT A REUNION FOR SO LONG,SHE HELPED ENROLL THE TROOPS. SHE AND STEVE CAME BY ONE EVENING AND ASKED "WHY NOT?" MY RESPONSE WAS WELL, WHY NOT? I THEN ASKED FOR THE HELP OF PATRICIA TAYLOR ZULLIG AND DARLENE BOTTS WHO WERE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WITH THE LAST REUNION IN 1987. THAT COMMITTEE HAD TAKEN CARE OF BUSINESS SO WELL, WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH "BANK". WITH $405.00 WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE A VENUE ,PURCHASE STAMPS, OBTAIN A P.O. BOX AND COPY MATERIALS.  WE ENROLLED YOUR HELP IN PASSING ON THE INFO. WE MET WEEKLY AND KEPT THE FAITH. YOU GUYS CREATED THE POSSIBILITY. I ALSO HAVE TO MENTION THE "QUIET STORM", YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HARD BUT ARE A LITTLE SHY ABOUT COMPLIMENTS. TO CAROLINE ANDERSON AND LORETTA PITTMAN, THANKS FOR ALL THE CUTTING, PASTING,AND TRANSCRIBING.AND NORMA HOLLIDAY, THANK YOU FOR THE ENTHUSIASM YOU KEPT IN FRONT OF US AND HOW MUCH FUN IT WOULD BE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.

 I WANT TO ALSO GIVE A FEW MORE "SHOUT OUTS" TO OUR ALUMS THAT TOOK US TO ANOTHER LEVEL. KAREN AND VINCE SHIELDS, YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR PROVIDING US OUR WONDERFUL WEB SITE.WWW.MYCHILLICOTHEMO.COM. THE SITE WAS SO IMPRESSIVE TO OUR TOWN THAT IT WAS IMITATED, THE HOME VERSION IS WWW.MYCHILLIMO.COM. TO WHICH WE SAY ,"OFTEN IMITATED NEVER DUPLICATED". CHECK OUT OUR WEB'S MISSION STATEMENT TO FULLY APPRECIATE WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM. MARYANN DUNLAP, THANK YOU FOR SHARING OUR AFRICAN ROOTS.  THE LIBATION CEREMONY AND THE CALLING OF THE ANCESTORS HELPED KEEP US SPIRITUALLY CONNECTED  TO OUR MAGNIFICENT PAST. I COULD JUST SEE EILEEN SCHOLLS SMILING FROM ABOVE WITH PRIDE. LINDA DODD, YOU ARE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND RESOURCES. THANK YOU FOR SHARING OUR HISTORY AND FOR TURNING US ON TO BRETT ROGERS.MANY WHITES THAT ATTENDED THE DINNER  COMMENTED ON HOW MUCH THEY LEARNED THAT EVENING.EMILY KERR, OUR EXHIBITS WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN SO EXCITING WITHOUT ALL THE PICTURES YOU PROVIDED FOR DUPLICATION. AND EBONY, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ALL OF US HOW OUR VERY BEING LOVES TO DANCE. CARL KERR, THE CUPS WERE BEAUTIFUL.(AND  YES WE STILL HAVE SOME FOR SALE IF ANY ONE IS INTERESTED) BOBBY STEWART,THANK YOU FOR THE DRAWING OF THE GARRISON TIGER IT MEANT SO MUCH TO HAVE AN ALUM CONTRIBUTE THAT. ELIZABETH ALLEN, THE PROGRAM FOR THE DINNER WAS BEAUTIFUL AND PROVIDED A NICE SOUVENIR FOR ALL.  THANKS TYRONE MIDGYETT FOR PROVIDING SUCH AN INCLUSIVE VARIETY OF MUSIC AT THE DINNER AND DANCE.

  ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM THANKS FOR BEING THE"FLY ON THE WALL"BY TAKING SUCH WONDERFUL PICTURES OF OUR EVENTS AND FOR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE. RENE TRUSSELL, WE CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR THE VIDEOS TO BE PRODUCED SO WE CAN PURCHASE ONE.

   TO ALL OUR CITY OFFICIALS,THANK YOU. THE HONORABLE, CHUCK HANEY FOR THE PROCLAMATION, COUNCILMAN,TOM DOUGLASS,FOR REPRESENTING THE  THIRD WARD WHERE GARRISON IS LOCATED. TO DON AND MARY UNDERWOOD, THANKS FOR THINKING ABOUT OUR VETERANS AND FOR TURNING US ON TO LARRY WARREN TOREPRESENTTHEM. MR.MEEKS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF C.H.S. THANKS FOR REPRESENTING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.THANKS TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR THE INFORMATIONAL BOOKLETS ABOUT OUR CITY.

 REVEREND EASLEY, OF MT.ZION BAPTIST, REVEREND STEWART OF BETHEL A.M.E. AND FATHER TOM, OF ST. COLUMBIANS YOUR BLESSINGS AND PRAYERS KEPT US FOCUSED. TO KALEIGH HOERRMAN AND HER STAFF AT THE GRANDRIVER INN, YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL PROVIDED A WARM ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OUR FUNCTIONS. AND THE CHILLICOTHE TRIBUNE, KCHI, LIVINGSTON COUNTY LIBRARY AND THE CABLE CHANNEL KEPT US ALL INFORMED ABOUT THE UPCOMING EVENTS AS WELL AS EXCELLENT POST COVERAGE OF EVERYTHING.

 THANKS LINDLEY FUNERAL HOME FOR PROVIDING THE BAR-B-Q PIT FOR THE PICNIC AND SONEY MILLER,GRANT PITTMAN AND STEPHEN BRUCE FOR COOKING SATURDAY.HY-VEE AND PIGGLY WIGGLY  MADE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OUR PICNIC AND ANGIE SUTTON. (LINDA'S DAUGHTER WHO WORKS AT PIGGLY WIGGLY) HELPED US WITH DISCOUNTS. PRAXAIR, THANKS FOR DONATING THE HELIUM FOR OUR BALLOON CEREMONY SUNDAY. ACCESSII PROVIDED THE HANDICAPPED VAN FOR OUR SPECIAL NEEDS TRANSPORTATION. A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PATRONS,OLIVIA MURPHY OF TOLEDO OHIO,CHARLOTTE GRAVES,BROOKFIELD,MO, JAMES MONTGOMERY,SALT LAKE, UTAH,RODNEY MUHUMUZE ,KANSAS CITY,MO, CARL KERR,CHILLICOTHE, MO, AND STEVE HOPPER,CHILLICOTHE,MO,FOR THEIR MONITARY CONTRIBUTIONS. 

 SO, YOU SEE IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD AND THE CHILDREN OF CHILLICOTHE AND GARRISON SCHOOL ARE THANKFUL TO ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED MAKE OUR REUNION HAPPY, COMPLETE AND FULL OF JOY.  GOD BLESSES. AND, LOVE, PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO ALL OF YOU. SEE YOU IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.

                                                           

 SHIRLEY

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