Arlene used to practice doing my hair when she was in hairdressing school. Every Thursday night I'd go over to her house and she'd come up with a different style. The guys I worked with at the time used to wait to see what my hair looked like on Fridays.
Arlene and I used to ride our bikes to each others houses. Swim in their pool, went to parties at her house. Her parents always welcomed a group of friends for Arlene and her younger sister.
This email is being written with mixed emotions as I respond to the news that one of my dear high school friends has reached heaven ahead of the rest of us!
Arleen, fondly called “Johnny”, became one of the first Council Rock High School eighth graders to befriend me… since we sat next to each other in alphabetical order in homeroom every day… from January 1960 to graduation in June 1965! I knew from the first day of “gym” that I wanted to be on “Johnny’s team”! She could throw that red, rubber handball across the gymnasium at the opposing team in record speeds. When one of her “balls” met a girl’s thigh… it left a “smarting” red circle, and that’s why we always called the game “sting ball” instead of “bombardment”! Being on her team meant that I would NOT get hit by one of her throws!!!
Playing on one of Arleen’s sport teams in high school was always a dream! I so wanted to be a team player with her! Basketball, softball and field hockey were so “aggressive” and she met the opposing teams with a vengeance. Man, was she GOOD! Arleen never held it against her friends that didn’t make the team.
Whatever Arleen did… she excelled. First of all, having many friends while growing up is only one of the ways she excelled. All of her friends knew she would strive to ‘be the best” at whatever we were doing together…card games, miniature golf, climbing the stairs to the top of Bowman’s Tower! Also, Arleen had the best cars!!! Many of our outings were because Arleen was driving. She knew everything about the cars she owned and kept them in pristine condition. Finally, Arleen was a terrific beautician and was making money “doing hair” long before the rest of us had a paycheck!
Arleen LOVED her parents, her sisters and her little brother. She supported them and advocated for them through the years. They were a part of her. When her three sons came along THEY became a part of her and she just loved her family even more! THEN those grandbabies arrived on the scene and Arleen took Grandparenting as seriously as she took being captain of those sports teams so many years before. I still have the emails of when she first sent pictures of Chase and Madison!!
Because I live in Oregon, emails played an important part in Arleen and I keeping in touch these last few years, so it seems only appropriate that I say “good bye” in an email.
Hallmark said it best, “Hearts that care…remember” ! I care.
God Bless the Family and friends of Arleen. You care.
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Patricia Wehmeyer
Arlene used to practice doing my hair when she was in hairdressing school. Every Thursday night I'd go over to her house and she'd come up with a different style. The guys I worked with at the time used to wait to see what my hair looked like on Fridays.
Arlene and I used to ride our bikes to each others houses. Swim in their pool, went to parties at her house. Her parents always welcomed a group of friends for Arlene and her younger sister.
She was a sweet gal!
Barb Jerrom (Topham)
Dear Family and friends of Arleen,
This email is being written with mixed emotions as I respond to the news that one of my dear high school friends has reached heaven ahead of the rest of us!
Arleen, fondly called “Johnny”, became one of the first Council Rock High School eighth graders to befriend me… since we sat next to each other in alphabetical order in homeroom every day… from January 1960 to graduation in June 1965! I knew from the first day of “gym” that I wanted to be on “Johnny’s team”! She could throw that red, rubber handball across the gymnasium at the opposing team in record speeds. When one of her “balls” met a girl’s thigh… it left a “smarting” red circle, and that’s why we always called the game “sting ball” instead of “bombardment”! Being on her team meant that I would NOT get hit by one of her throws!!!
Playing on one of Arleen’s sport teams in high school was always a dream! I so wanted to be a team player with her! Basketball, softball and field hockey were so “aggressive” and she met the opposing teams with a vengeance. Man, was she GOOD! Arleen never held it against her friends that didn’t make the team.
Whatever Arleen did… she excelled. First of all, having many friends while growing up is only one of the ways she excelled. All of her friends knew she would strive to ‘be the best” at whatever we were doing together…card games, miniature golf, climbing the stairs to the top of Bowman’s Tower! Also, Arleen had the best cars!!! Many of our outings were because Arleen was driving. She knew everything about the cars she owned and kept them in pristine condition. Finally, Arleen was a terrific beautician and was making money “doing hair” long before the rest of us had a paycheck!
Arleen LOVED her parents, her sisters and her little brother. She supported them and advocated for them through the years. They were a part of her. When her three sons came along THEY became a part of her and she just loved her family even more! THEN those grandbabies arrived on the scene and Arleen took Grandparenting as seriously as she took being captain of those sports teams so many years before. I still have the emails of when she first sent pictures of Chase and Madison!!
Because I live in Oregon, emails played an important part in Arleen and I keeping in touch these last few years, so it seems only appropriate that I say “good bye” in an email.
Hallmark said it best, “Hearts that care…remember” ! I care.
God Bless the Family and friends of Arleen. You care.
See you later…in heaven, dear friend!
Barb Jerrom Topham
CR Class of ‘65
12/29/12