Latin School of Chicago

visit Cynthia and her husband, Ed Harkness. These mutually happy visits continued until Cynthia's death in the late 1970s and my own mother's death in 1994. My husband Ken Wolfgang and I visited Beth in June in Greenwich, Connecticut, where we celebrated her 104th birthday. We stayed with Cynthia's granddaughter – also a Beth – and her family. Happily, Cynthia's daughter – also a Cynthia – and her husband visited simultaneously, so it was the perfect opportunity to ask Beth about her memories of her days at Latin. Beth spoke warmly of Miss Hood, her English teacher, who inspired Beth with her lifelong love of reading and gave her confidence to take over the yearbook. Miss Hood and Miss Jarret, the math teacher, would sometimes come for Sunday dinner at the Spohn home, where Beth's father enjoyed reading aloud to his guests. "The truth is," Beth candidly remarked, "that all of us had a terrible time pretending to be interested!" Beth also ruefully recalled a 50-mile walking trip in Wisconsin, organized by her athletic teacher. "I fell almost immediately," she admitted. "You know I've never been very athletic!" In return, I recounted my wonderful visit with Beth to the New York World's Fair in 1964. The always ladylike Beth took one look at the Belgian waffles, removed her white gloves, and stood shamelessly in the middle of the stream of visitors devouring the waffle, its numerous "The always ladylike Beth took one look at the Belgian waffles, removed her white gloves, and stood shamelessly in the middle of the stream of visitors devouring the waffle . . ." strawberries, and its generous helping of whipped cream, most of which ended up all over her face. I still laugh when I remember! Granddaughter Beth recounted "Aunt" Beth's invaluable help to her as a new mother in London, England. I also think of the many letters Beth and I sent to each other over the years, along with all the articles about word usage and writing she would save for me, and realize that this steady sharing of our love for words went a long way toward encouraging me to get my doctorate in English. And so, the lasting friendship, begun by three young women at Latin School in 1917, ultimately brought together three generations of women with warm and lasting memories of good friends and shared adventures. Beth has now lived all but 4 years of the 20th century, and nearly a decade of the 21st. We celebrate a life well lived, a benevolent and steady force in the lives of her friend Cynthia's daughter and granddaughter, and in my own life as well. She has brought all of us warmly together, and with full hearts, we salute her – Latin's oldest alumna! Kendra Gaines in 1964, the year she graduated from Latin. Beth Spohn and the Kohlsaat sisters with the yearbook staff in 1924. Latin School of Chicago 45

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