Mary Lynn Hendrickson Class of  1967

  Dear 1967 Classmates,

  What a great day!  I just awoke after having a dream about the reunion. I figured it was my clue to write my bio...I didn't want to be left behind! Anyway, in my dream, it was great to see so many old friends.  I must admit, there were many faces that I just couldn't remember the names, but at age 50, that has happened to me with persons I met even last week!!!!  I celebrate that there will be name tags at the reunion!!!  As God is my witness, in the dream Jeff was running around organizing everything, and he still looked exactly like page 15 of the yearbook!!  We have been participating in a Bible Study at work and this week's study was on being grateful to God for all He has provided.  It posed an interesting thought.

  "What if tomorrow everything I received depended on my acknowledging it being from God today?"  I just wanted to especially thank the Lord for Jeff L., Jeff F., and Rick H. and for all that they have done to resurrect relationships...I believe I take for granted the wonderful KIT emails and websites.  Also, I thank the Lord for each of you that I have come to know and reknow through this site. I am slow to correspond but am truly appreciative. So, here's a bit of a bio.

  After graduation, I headed to FSU and graduated with a BS in nursing.  I continued the baton twirling through college, but have since hidden the sticks in the shed!!! During my last year at college, I met a young man.  I guess we were all young then... and we were married shortly after graduation in 1971.  We were married for 15 years and out of that marriage came too of the greatest gifts I have ever received, my daughters Kimberly and Amanda. In 1967 "divorce" was never a word in my vocabulary...but when it became a part of my life I grieved, not for the loss of the person, but for the loss of the dream I had for my life.  Thank the Lord, He can give us new dreams!! In 1988, I married the most wonderful man, Dave Barrett. He was a package deal...with two sons, Campbell and Scott.  For several years we had 4 teenagers in our home!!!  It has been such fun and so fulfilling to see how God gave us this huge family to love and with which to celebrate life.  The kids are now grown..Campbell,26,is working at Judd's Printing in Strausburg, Va.  Scott, 24, and his wife Laura, live close to us and are both taking graduate courses at VA Tech and Mary Balwin, respectively.  Kimberly,22, and her husband Don, live in Clarksville, Va. She is working for Wachovia Bank and he is the sawmill manager at Morgan Lumber.  Amanda,21, is in her last year at Radford in Social Work.  Indeed we are still suffering from "maltuition", but the end is in site!  This summer we took a super vacation. All 8 of us took a 3 day white water raft trip down the Colorado River.  If I learn how to work the scanner, that's the picture I will send!!

  As far as our jobs, I worked for a number of years in Oncology nursing and am now working part-time at Gentle Shepherd Hospice.  It is an awesome place to work.  The mission statement reads: "We are here to care for the terminally ill and their families in the manner Jesus exemplified while He was on this earth!"  I am also working with a fantastic group of business people, Britt Worldwide, in helping others to start web-based businesses. It is profitable and lots of fun.

  My husband, Dave, is the Director of Co-Operative Extension for Virginia with his office at Virginia Tech.  We live in Elliston, Virginia, on about 2 acres in a little log home.  As a hobby/small business we have about 100 beehives!!! (or about 2 million head of livestock...you just don't want to step on one barefooted!) This is the time of year to extract the honey and we believe we will have about 9000 pounds.  Since the bees go to the flowers on the trees and then produce the honey, it is indeed like the money grows on trees...you just have to work hard to get it!  We are a "Virginia's Finest" product and our company is called, "The Bees and Barretts".  With the major craft festivals coming soon, it is a busy time of year!  Dave and I are also actively involved in our local Methodist church and in Gideons International.  It is so exciting to be a part of an organization that places God's Word in the traffic lanes of life.  Gideons are now placing about 1 million copies every week somewhere in the world.

  To close, I sure have enjoyed and hope to enjoy many more years of my life. I'm hoping that I'm just halfway through.  I have learned hard lessons, as many of you have also.  I have learned that a marriage and life centered around Christ is the only way to peace.  Especially in my work in hospice, I have learned that each day of life is a gift.  I try to appreciate each day and let the people I love know it.  So again, I pray I get to see each of you face to face...not just in my dreams..and let you know that indeed you are special to me.  To really close...Here is the verse of scripture that we put on every jar of honey...I pray it will be meaningful to you.  It has been a help to me on difficult days.  Philippians 4:6,7..."Be anxious for nothing, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know unto God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."....In a nutshell...Don't worry about anything, pray about everything, thank God for His presence and help, and the peace of Christ will be yours!

  Glad we're friends..in cyberspace and in person!
In Christ's Love and Mine,
Mary Lynn Hendrickson Barrett

Bio August 26, 2000