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Mrs Batey passed away in January, 2007 at 104 years old.
MS. ANN BATEY - E-mail of Jan, 2006
Dear WEHS
Classmates - One of my greatest joys of a long life has been hearing from former
students of our beloved West End High School. I loved you then, and now in my
later years your remembrance of me warms my heart. Thank you for sharing your
thoughts and for helping to make by 103rd birthday so very special. May the Lord
richly bless you and yours in the coming years. With love and best wishes always.
-
Anne Batey
MS. ANN BATEY - E-mail of June, 2005
For
years I have treasued my happy memories of you former West End High School
students, and now your remembrances of me in my sunset years have been so
heart-warming. Thank you for making me so happy. You will be in my thoughts on
Saturday.
With much love and best wishes to each of you. - Anne Batey - Age 102 plus 1/2
MS. ANN BATEY - E-mail of September, 2003
I do appreciate your notice about the reunion on October 4 and wish so
much that I could be with you all. Please express my good wishes to the
group and remind everyone that my memories of you West End High School students
are most precious to me. For most of the spring and summer I was not able
to be out, but I am rejoicing that once again I have been able to attend
worship services at church for the last month. Maybe I'll make that ripe
age of 101 on December 19. My love and best wishes to all.
- Anne Batey
MS. ANN BATEY - E-mail of December, 2002
What a wonderful 100th birthday you have helped me to have by extending your
good wishes to me! Your remembrances have warmed my heart & have helped to
give me even more zest for working
on the next century in spite of my being almost blind & partially deaf & with
limited energy. Because of my weakening condition, I requested that the
BIG celebration planned for me be replaced by having the first generation of my
brother's children & their spouses for the noon meal which was catered in my
home. After 2:00 p.m. several of the second & third generations came.
What a delightful day with family! A few others stopped by or called by
phone, & by 7:00 p.m. I was completely, but happily & wonderfully exhausted.
That night I slept soundly. The next day I slept all day except for meals
(I can always eat heartily) & slept again that night. Many friends have stopped
by during the days before & after the 19th. So many have called or sent
cards. It has been such a great feeling that I recommend that you aim for
your hundredth birthday. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness in
sharing this joyous time with me & adding so much pleasure to my special
birthday. May the Lord bless you richly in 2003. You students are so
special to me. Do keep in touch. - With love.
- Anne Batey
MS. ANN BATEY
- E-mail of May, 2002
Dear WEHS Graduates of 1959-63,
Thank you for your invitation to join you for your reunion in June. It
would be delightful to be with you, but these 99 years & 5 months I have stacked
up for almost a century now are catching up with me. Loss of much of my
sight & hearing & the wearing down of my energy are signals that I need to stay
home. My life has been so richly blessed through the years, & it is
wonderful to still be somewhat
mobile & able to be out, especially on Sundays to attend worship services.
Memories of West End High School days are still a joy to me. I would like
to share some of my
favorite stories from those days with you. One day as I was standing
by the window with the sun shining through it so brightly, one of the boys
raised his hand & said, "Miss Batey, will you please
pull down that shade? It hurts me to look at you." Both the class &
I roared with laughter. Another funny thing happened while I was writing
on the blackboard with my back turned to the class. A paper wad flew
across the room & landed by the wastebasket. I said, "Bill, go pick up
that paper wad that you just threw." The class gasped because they knew I
could not have seen him do it. What they did not know was that I saw a
reflection of him in my eye glasses, & I knew exactly who did it. I never
revealed to the students the secret of my "eyes in the back of my head."
Another favorite of mine is about three brothers who were in West End. I
had taught the two older ones, but I had not taught the youngest brother.
I saw him after he graduated & said, "Leon, I never did teach you, did I?"
He responded, "Oh, no, Miss Batey. I had an older brother that warned me."
These three stories & many others have brought me joy through the years as I
have told & retold them. Thank you for all the precious memories many of
you have given me over the years. Lord willing, I will celebrate my 100th
birthday on December 19 of this year. What wonderful years they have been!
I always enjoy hearing from you. You may call, write, email or visit
me. It will be a joy to hear from you.
With love & affection.
- Anne Batey
MS. ROB SPURRIER
- E-mail of March, 2002
My daughter, Nancy, just showed me
this wonderful website. I remembered almost everybody on the pages.
I am living in Huntsville & am now 92 years of age, but I am still active.
I knit, cook, enjoy baseball (go Braves) & I have a great grandson that plays
ice hockey & baseball, so I go to most of those games. If anybody has
a few minutes, I would love to hear from you. Ms.
Spurrier.
MS. ANN BATEY -
Letter of September, 2001
Dear Marie & Mel,
Thank you so much for the invitation to the
reunion of the '59-'63 classes of West End High School. I have been able
to attend many of the class reunions up until two years ago. My memories
of my years at WEHS are treasured. I wish so much that I could be with you
& renew acquaintances. My retirement years (since 1962) have been very
active, fruitful, & happy. I will be 99 years old on December 19.
Old age is finally about to catch up with me. During the last two years my
eyesight has faded & during this year my hearing has gone down tremendously.
I am beginning to tire quickly & am limited in what I can do because of my
failing eyesight. Therefore, I shall not attempt to make the trip to
Birmingham even though I would enjoy seeing all of you again. Please give my
best wishes to each & everyone & let them know how much I treasure my memories
of their response to me & my efforts to share my love of the English language
with them. Their courtesy, character, & desire to learn made a lasting
impression on me. I would be happy to hear from any of you by phone,
letter, email or visit. May the Lord bless all of you richly.
My love to all.
- Anne Batey
MS. BETTY PASS BROWN
- Letter of September, 2001
Dear Marie & Mel,
I am very appreciative of the invitation to
attend the grand reunion of classes 1959-1963. I have very special reasons
for wishing I could attend. Firstly, I spent twenty five wonderful years
within the classrooms of West End High School. I have memories of happy
hours I spent with my students from 1942 through 1967; many of you, I'm sure,
struggled with me through the different courses assigned to me to teach.
Secondly, prior to 1959 I had two sons & one daughter to receive their diplomas
from WEHS. I attribute their successful completion at outstanding colleges
& their successful careers to the standards set by WEHS. After ending my
teaching career, my husband & I did some traveling then we took on the role of
doting grandparents - nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, & as of
April 9, 2001 a great great grandson - only boy with the name Brown! My husband
passed away in 1994. After a year I sold my home in Vestavia Hills.
I moved into assisted living - Chateau Vestavia Manor. My daughter & her
husband decided that I should come live with them here in Raleigh. For the
last few years I have become more handicapped from diabetic neurophy in my arms
& legs from which I have been coping since my sixties. They wanted me with
them so they could feel sure I would be more protected from falls or accidents.
I have been confined to a wheel chair for several years. I will be
ninety-two in October & I have to have a sitter or companion at all times.
It is with deep regret that I have to decline your invitation. Nothing would
give me more pleasure than to attend this reunion & see all of you students who
graduated from WEHS, a school for which I hold so much affection. I have had a
good time. I always wanted to become a teacher. I loved my career &
I loved all the students of WEHS who shared their lives with me. Congratulations
& best wishes to all of you. I shall be thinking of you on October 6th.
Have a great reunion! -
Betty
Pass Brown
MS. PEGGY S. HEADLEY
- Letter of September, 2001
Dear Marie & Mel,
Thank you for the invitation;
however, I will be out-of-state. - Peggy S. Headley
MS. CHRISTINA TAYLOR FREDERICK
- Letter of September, 2001
Dear Marie & Mel,
Thanks so much for the invitation, but I already have plans for that evening.
I'm sure the reunion will be a huge success & a really fun evening!
- Christina Taylor Frederick |
