2018 Biographies

Jann Freeman Knotts:

High School Memories:

I have great memories of being in Ms. Blount's drama classes. I was in theatre all through high school and enjoyed being in several productions. Our senior year we did well with our One Act Play. I am still a big fan of musical theatre and go as often as I can. I recently saw Hamilton in Chicago and loved it. OU is 10 minutes from my house and has one of the top drama schools in the country. I am a part of the Theatre Guild and enjoy getting to know the talented students.

 

Tracy Wold Miller:

Comments:

Been in Oklahoma City for over 30 years working in different areas of financial services and the oil business. Enjoy traveling around the country hiking, biking and doing anything outdoors! Miss being close to the beach so try to make it to the beach once a year at a minimum! My entire family has never left the Houston area.

 

Robert Mahnke:

Comments:

I still live in Oak Forest
Past President of Houston Buick Club
Attend local & semi local car shows
Drove my '86 Regal T Type to the Buick Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky last fall.
On race team with my son & 3 others, attend "Chump Car Series & 24HR LeMons" races - retired . car on jackstands
Attend Ram Jam monthly events (Waltrip Ram Alumni meet once a month @ T-Bones Sports Bar or the Corkscrew Wine bar)
Restoring my '76 Chevy Silverado w/454 engine before I get too old

High School Memories:

After we knew we graduated I drove my '63 SS Impala & David DeVries drove his VW Bug around the track @ school. Coaches came running out chasing us away.

 

Gary Champ:

Comments:

Graduated from Southwest Texas State University,
{NOT Texas State!},
in 1978 with roomie Gary Baker.
Have lived in Austin area since '94.
Love the HIll Country!
Married to a Waltrip girl, Bobbi "Bailey", since '82.
Always looking forward to seeing everyone at our mixers and reunions!
Photo is from a ZZ Top concert, in Austin, this Summer.
My buddies, Lynerd and Skynerd will be attending the Reunion, they say that they are quite the golfers, as well!
They said that they were both Aggies!
Skynerd, on my left, was VERY attracted to me!

High School Memories:

Our Class is so large, that it is amazing, even still, getting to know Reunion and Mixer attendees that we did not get a chance to connect with at Waltrip.

 

Twila Pirkle Cooper:

Graduated from UT Houston Health Science Center in 1977 with BSN. Nursing takes you many places. Served as Air Force Nurse (Captain) until 1985. Love to travel (India, Egypt, Amsterdam, England, Alaska, Caribbean). Returned to UTHHSC for MSN and Nurse Practitioner in 2005. Developed breast cancer in 2007, had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. I am a survivor- 5 years out now! I have taught nursing school at San Jacinto College for the past 20 years. I guess that makes me a professor.

 

I remember the counselor discussing my career options. She said, "Well women don't make much money. You can either be a teacher or a nurse." (She excluded secretary because I couldn't spell or type.) I remember thinking that I didn't want to be any of these things- Too funny-look at me now!

 

waltripclassof73.com Website:

The waltripclassof73.com website idea started on our first meeting of the Reunion Committee  to start the campaign for the 2013 Reunion. This was January 15th, 2013 at that time our only methods of contacting our classmates was telephone, US Mail, or the yahoo website, put together and managed by Pioneer Doug Holberg.

We decided to find out what a website would cost and what had to be done to start one and I was Voluntold to be that person. With the help of Pioneer Doug Holberg, sharing his Waltrip Class of 73 database and his many files and emails from the yahoo website the waltripclassof73.com site was created on January 17, 2013.

Well!!! Now What ??? I asked myself, the task was daunting and the learning curve was huge. The waltripclassof73.com site had to be announced to existing classmate members (of yahoo) other classmates and not to mention have a successful 2013 Reunion Scheduled for August.

It has been 5 years and 8 months since then and the website has come a long way. The 2013 Reunion was a great success and so have the subsequent 4 annual mixers held each year.

Here are some statistics, there are 650 Classmates names in our database of those 39.8% have joined our site. There are also 71 of our Classmates, and 22 of our Waltrip Faculty are in Memory. There have been 62,768 visitors to our site this includes members and non members. Or approximately 30 per day, or over 900 per month.

We are looking forward to a great turnout for this our 45th Year Reunion. We are also discussing some ways to make the site more interactive and perhaps play a more active role in our day to day lives and experiences.