Happy Birthday Liam Roberts!

Whew! Summer is here and we are feeling the heat and humidity. Even the most stalwart are hitting the air A/C’s on switch for a little relief. Liam Roberts planned a “cool” birthday party at a local bowling alley to celebrate being seven years old! Best wishes to Liam, a rising second grader at Davidson Elementary, whose birthday is today!

Around Davidson today has news of graduations for Spencer Chisholm, Neal Bartl and Dan and Russ Kerr. We also catch up on the wedding of Will Roberts and Elizabeth Marie Melchionna. In addition there is a Noteworthy Note about baby names.

WEDDING BELLS – Will and Elizabeth Marie

A family friend loaned his vintage Rolls for newlyweds Elizabeth Marie Melchionna and Will Roberts to travel from church to reception in style.

They might well be called “old married folks” now but Around Davidson is delighted to finally catch up with newlyweds, William Sandidge Roberts and Elizabeth Marie Melchionna. Will, son of Ed and Jeannette Roberts of Davidson, and Elizabeth Marie, daughter of Olin and Lin Melchionna, Jr. of Roanoke, and granddaughter of George White Snead of Salem, Va., were married last Dec. 10, 2011, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Va.

Will, a graduate of Western Carolina University in 2000, earned a Master’s of Museum Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He works in Rock Hill in charge of exhibits at the Culture and Heritage Museum of York County. Elizabeth Marie graduated from Davidson College in 2002 and Yale Divinity School in 2006. She currently is the Associate Rector at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson and Episcopal Campus Minister at the college.

At home in Davidson are Elizabeth Marie, Will and Liam.

The late afternoon wedding included a number of friends and associates connected to the Episcopal Church including The Rt. Rev. F. Neff Powell, Bishop of SW Virginia, The Rev. Doctor David Buck and The Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough of St. Alban’s and The Rev. Doctor Rob Spach, Chaplain of Davidson College. Maid of Honor was Ann Andrews Melchionna, sister of the bride, of Roanoke. Bridesmaids were Ann Pickney Bonner-Stewart of Raleigh, Terra Dyer Gill of Asheville and Maury Gage Wahtera of Nashville. For Best Man, Will chose Liam Kinchloe Roberts, his seven year old son who was just two when his mother, April, died. Groomsmen included Joseph Tate Gardner, III, of Los Angeles, James Jacob Obi of Charleston, and Kesler Thompson Roberts, Will’s brother. Flower girls were eight year old Liliana Tess Bennitt of Charlottesville, and five year old Grace Boudreau Roberts, nieces of the groom. The wedding reception was held at The Shenandoah Club in Roanoke.

Following the wedding, Will and Elizabeth Marie took some time to get settled in their Davidson townhome in the St. Alban’s neighborhood before greeting friends and neighbors at a January reception held at St. Alban’s. At the end of January, the couple enjoyed a 10-day honeymoon, stopping first in St. Martin to finish their scuba certification. Afterwards they boarded a sailing ship visiting five small islands and giving them a chance to do some diving.

Belated congratulations to this young couple and son, Liam. They all enjoy outdoor activities so look for them around town and take a minute to wish this new family well.

Proud mom Dawn Blobaum and favorite pooch, Jet, pose with Neal Bartl on Woodlawn prom night.

NEAL BARTL HEADS TO SEWANEE

Congratulations to Jim Bartl and Dawn Blobaum of Lorimer Road whose son, Neal Bartl, graduated June 7 from Woodlawn School. A member of the school’s third graduating class and a Woodlawn student for the past eight years, Neal received Woodlawn’s Community Service Award for service learning. His community service included three years as a tutor for Amigos de Cristos and three summers at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in the medical lab. He begins college with two scholarships: The Ecce Quon Bonum award from Sewanee and the Presbyterian Hospital Volunteer Scholarship from Presbyterian Hospital. He has volunteered at Presbyterian’s Emergency Department in Huntersville for the past two years. This dedicated young man will attend Sewanee in Sewanee, Tenn., in the fall and is hoping to pursue pre-med studies at the school (joining former Davidsonian John Swallow who was recently named Provost at the “University of the South” as the school is officially known). In addition to his parents, his Aunt Colleen Berman and her husband, Glenn, came from Urbana, Ill., to cheer for Neal at the commencement exercises.

Before packing his bags for college, Neal is spending a week at the beach with his Woodlawn classmates and will work in the dining room of The Pines this summer, plus playing golf in his free time.

Hough grad Spencer Chisholm is headed to Alabama!

JOINING THE CRIMSON TIDE

Spencer Chisholm is headed to the University of Alabama this fall. The son of Lora and Tom Chisholm of River Run, Spencer graduated from W.A. Hough High School on June 9. He recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout through Boy Scout Troop 58 and enjoys outdoor activities including golf, scuba diving, disc golf, and wakeboarding. He anticipates a major in Civil Engineering at Alabama.

TWO GRADUATES IN THE KERR FAMILY

Congratulations to Martin and Sallie Kerr who attended two graduations this spring. In May they traveled to Emory, Va., to cheer as their oldest son, Russ Kerr, graduated from Emory and Henry College on May 5. Not letting any grass grow under his feet, Russ started a one year internship with Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, on May 16. A theatre major at college with a concentration in directing, Russ will be working as an assistant to the artistic director at the theatre in Sarasota.

Proud parents Sallie and Martin Kerr with their oldest son, Russ, at his graduation from Emory and Henry College.

Sallie Kerr (left) and grandma Peyton Tarry of Oxford, N.C., join Will Kerr to congratulate Dan Kerr on his graduation from Hough High School.

Youngest son, Dan Kerr, graduated this month from Hough High School and will attend Furman University in the fall. This summer Dan is lifeguarding at The Swimming Hole and elsewhere in our area. Not to leave Martin and Sallie’s middle son out of the news, we learn that Will Kerr is a student at Clemson University expecting to graduate next year. With a major in Finance and Accounting, Will is spending this summer working with a financial consultant in Charlotte.

NOTEWORTHY NOTE

Ah, yes, it is summertime – no term papers to write, economic theory to slog through – just a time to relax and let those creative juices flow. And indeed, they are flowing with recommendations for naming the new calf on Barger Farm (See Pets & Animals: “Help name the new calf at Barger Farm.”) Just to give you an update: at present, ideas for this 85+ lb. bouncing baby boy include “Moo,” “Sieben-Up,” “Hugh Heffer” (great idea but this cutie might take offense at being called a “heifer”), “Bobby” (after Bobby Johnson), Baby Huey, Baron Barger, Mudpie, Apfelsosse, Heiter, and Klinsi. The contest will run until the end of June so put on your thinking caps and join the foolishness by sending your entry to hbbarger@gmail.com.

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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbbarger@gmail.com.