It is officially here tomorrow! Summer! Love the word and all the memories it brings of lazy days with time to swing in the hammock, read a good book, visit a neighbor, jump in the pool, relax at the beach or take a nap. Things slow down in Davidson and we welcome the respite from an overextended schedule.
Father’s Day was special this year for the Pierce family. It was also a happy day to be a stepdad as Steiffie found out. And we have lots more graduation news from the Haupt, Spach, Armstrong, and Goode families.
Covered in mud and having a great time at the Support our Troops Mud Run were (from left) Tracy Hofstetter, Melissa Blackburn, Sheri Chepeleff, Liz Pierce, Tamara Hinceman and Walt Pierce.
WELCOME HOME SAM PIERCE
When a child is away from home, one cannot help but get out the worry beads and wear them thin with fretting. Such was the case for Walt and Liz Pierce as their younger son, Sam, was deployed for a tour in Afghanistan this past year. A Marine Corps lieutenant, Sam returned to Camp Pendleton in California with his unit last month. He and his wife, Rachel Hofstetter Pierce, are currently living in San Clemente, Calif., and their first chance to return to North Carolina was for Father’s Day weekend.
Happy to see Sam and Rachel were dads (l-r) Mark Hofstetter and Walt Pierce with Grandpa Tom Pierce (seated)
What a greeting at the airport for Sam and his wife of one year, when the Pierce and Hofstetter families gathered to welcome the couple last Saturday afternoon. The occasion was made even more special by having Walt’s dad, Tom Pierce, able to join them. It was a wonderful weekend to enjoy Father’s Day with a BBQ at The Pierce’s home on Walnut Street and a belated Mother’s Day at the Hofstetter home in River Run. Sam’s older brother, Thomas, joined the party a bit late flying in from North Dakota when he was supporting Olympic athletes for the paralympic swimming time trials as part of his job.
As if meeting Sam and Rachel wasn’t excitement enough, Walt and Liz Pierce and Mark and Tracy Hofstetter (Rachel’s Mom and Dad), along with friends of Tracy, participated in the Support the Troops Charity Mud Run at Abersham on Saturday morning. According to Liz, “It was a blast!” Great weather, slick mud, good humor and a special time to support Sam Pierce as well as others serving our country made for a wonderful charity event.
Happy Father's Day, Steiffie, as his girlfriend, Sieben, proudly shows off her day-old son!
A BABY FOR STEIFFIE AND SIEBEN
He weighs at least 85 pounds and stretches at least four and one half feet (nose to tail)! He arrived at Barger Farm at 7:21 a.m. on June 15, a beautiful, cool springtime morning. He is dark brown/black with bronze highlights and already sleeps through the night. First time mom, Sieben, is a very attentive mother, and step-dad Steiff (Bobby Johnson’s registered Angus bull is actually the real daddy) is very cautious not to interrupt with his limited parenting skills.
There was much elation on Barger Farm when the calf arrived. He already has a fancy earring with the No. 7 to correspond with his mother, Sieben (No. 7 auf Deutsch). Now the dilemma. What to name the baby? Farmer B. welcomes all suggestions (hbbarger@gmail.com). The Barger children have the final say – but if your entry is chosen, you will be rewarded with your photo taken with the “baby” you named!
On hand to congratulate Molly Goode at graduation were her paternal grandparents, Jamie and Genie Goode of Atlanta.
MOLLY GOODE GOES TO DAVIDSON
Following in the “tradition” of parents, grandfather, and too many uncles and cousins to count, Molly Goode, the daughter of Mike and Margaret Evans Goode of Concord Road, is headed to Davidson College right behind her house this fall. Molly is a graduate of W.A. Hough High School. Cheering her on as she walked across the stage on June 9 were her parents, brother, Wilson, Grandmother Peggy Evans of Davidson and grandparents, Jamie and Genie Goode from Atlanta. Congratulations to all the family. (See our report about Hough’s first graduation, “”Hough grads celebrate creating a school ‘out of nothing’”)
Molly will be spending her summer babysitting and taking trips to the beach with friends and family. In addition she will continue the tradition of spending time in Montreat with her family and attending DCPC church programs.
Rachel Armstrong graduated from Cannon School last month with her brother, Nick, and sister, Katie, cheering her on.
RACHEL ARMSTRONG HEADS TO UNC-W
Rachel Armstrong, younger daughter of Belinda and Ken Armstrong of Churchill Road, graduated from Cannon School on May 18. Rachel will be headed to UNC-Wilmington later this summer. She wants to study biology in preparation for her future medical degree. Rachel received Honors in Course in Dance, recognition for her academic performance and dedication to the study of dance. Her graduation weekend was complete with a trip to West Virginia to visit her paternal and maternal grandparents.
Marking her third summer keeping “order” at The Swimming Hole on Lorimer Road, Rachel is currently designated a “senior guard.” In addition, she continues to teach swim lessons at Nomad Fitness Center. Congratulations, Rachel! And just a catch-up note about sister, Katie, and brother, Nick: Katie is at ASU studying art education with a minor in Sustainable Development while Nick will be a junior at Hough High this fall.
Happy smiles for the Spach family as (l-r) Sophia, Kester, Dad Rob and Mom Gail celebrate Kester's high school graduation.
KESTER SPACH GOES WEST TO KENTUCKY
Kester Spach is another of our Davidson young people who was a member of the first graduating class of William A. Hough High School. The son of Rob and Gail Spach of Crescent Drive, Kester was a member of the Hough Chorus which performed at the June 9 graduation ceremony.
He will attend Bellamine University in Louisville, Ky., which is a small, private liberal arts college. Kester is interested in majoring in Music Technology. During the summer he will continue to work at Carolina Cones in Cornelius. This fall Mom and Dad Spach will face the empty nest with daughter, Sophia, at Elon University and Kester in Kentucky. Big adjustment…congratulations to all the family.
Woodlawn grad Emma Haupt will head for St.Olaf College this fall.
ST. OLAF’S ADDS EMMA HAUPT TO THE ROLLS
Congratulations to the Haupt family as well. Emma, daughter of Lisa and Bob Haupt of Barnhardt Road in Davidson, graduated cum laude from Woodlawn School on June 7. It was a real celebration of her eight years at Woodlawn and to be a member of the school’s third graduating class. Emma is known on campus as “the musician” for which she received the Creative Arts Award. Three years ago, for the first graduation ceremony she was asked to accompany the singing of the alma mater on piano but took the assignment a few notches higher by composing a score with three-part vocal harmonies and accompaniment for piano, flute, and violin, plus recruiting and rehearsing a student-faculty choir. Again this year she conducted the student-faculty choir for graduation. She also arranged the first Woodlawn fight song to be sung for Homecoming and at pep rallies.
For service learning in 11th grade she arranged to play Christmas songs on handbells, rather than just ringing jingle bells, with her classmates while collecting donations for the Salvation Army at the Davidson Harris Teeter. Lots of Emma’s musical training is evident at Davidson United Methodist Church (DUMC) where she is a member of the senior high handbell choir, senior high choir, compline choir and assists with the kindergarten children’s choir. She been studying organ with Dr. Katie Ann McCarty, of DUMC, for two years. Both years she has been awarded the Stigall Scholarship from the American Guild of Organists, Charlotte Chapter.
An accomplished organist, Emma will study Sacred Music and Pipe Organ Performance at college this fall.
Emma’s summer plans include a week at the beach with classmates, a cruise to the Bahamas with her Girl Scout troop and a summer ending trip to Orlando with her family. However, the highlight of Emma’s summer will be a 10-day tour of Denmark and Sweden with DUMC’s Senior High Choir and Senior High Handbell Choir. In addition to singing and playing handbells, Emma will accompany the choir on piano.
This fall Emma will begin her studies in Sacred Music and Pipe Organ Performance at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. St. Olaf recognized Emma’s varied talents and awarded her the college’s highest scholarships for Music and Service as well as the St. Olaf Academic scholarship. In addition, earlier this spring Emma earned a Girl Scout Gold Award and was awarded one of eight Hornet’s Nest Council Gold Award Scholarships. Well done, Emma!
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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbbarger@gmail.com.
