Libby Appel is 95 years young.

Fourth of July week is here. A good part of our population is out of town now or planning to leave for vacation this weekend.  Your correspondent finds herself in neither category but rather with family in town for a visit.  Nothing like two preschool-aged grandchildren to put a crimp in news gathering.  However two happy items found their way to Around Davidson today:  birthday wishes for Libby Appel and happy golden wedding anniversary wishes for Tom and Yvonne Miller.

HAPPY 95th BIRTHDAY, LIBBY

Libby Appel celebrates her 95th today.  Happy birthday to a woman who is a friend to so many, not to mention a faithful supporter of DavidsonNews.net.  Libby has lived at The Pines for more than a dozen years and brought joy to so many there with her piano playing.  Not reading a note of music, Libby plays tunes by ear.  One can find her sitting on the piano bench tickling the ivories for social gatherings in independent living as well as health care.

Always dressed in beautiful, bright colors with the perfect matching accessories, Libby is a joy to know.  Who can resist her marvelous stories of World War II, her marriage, her children and her zest for life which continues today – at 95.

A birthday celebration for Libby Appel with her sons and their wives, (from left) Judy and Jens Appel, Peter and D.J. Appel.

DavidsonNews.net‘s David Boraks had an opportunity to record a 4-minute interview Libby a few months ago. And you can order a copy of her book, “Dancing with GIs” via the ad in our Guide section.

Libby’s two sons and their wives visited at The Pines 10 days ago to celebrate an early birthday.  Jens and his wife, Judy, came from their home on the outskirts of Richmond, Va.  Coming from North Georgia were Peter and his wife, D.J.  Sunday brunch at The Pines became a festive occasion with decorations and gifts from her family followed by birthday cake in Libby’s apartment.

So again, Libby, Happy Birthday, and keep right on celebrating!  She has plans for several big projects in the future including recording some of her piano favorites and perhaps another book of memoirs.  Can’t keep this youngster down.

50 YEARS FOR THE MILLERS

Yvonne and Tom Miller on their wedding day June 17, 1959.

Congratulations to Tom and Yvonne Miller who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on June 20, 2009 with a drop-in reception for family and friends at Davidson College Presbyterian Church Congregation House.

Their actual anniversary occurred  three days earlier on the 17th.  This was the day, June 17, 1959, when Yvonne Raftelis and E. Thomas Miller, a 1956 Davidson College graduate, tied the knot at Georgetown Presbyterian Church, in Georgetown, S.C.  At the time, Tom was a student at Union Seminary in Richmond and Yvonne was the Director of Christian Education for Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese, N.C.  Following graduation from seminary, Tom held positions as associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, associate campus minister at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, campus minister at the University of West Virginia and Austin College in Sherman, Texas.  Following four years as director of programming in Montreat, Tom served several interim pastorates. Then he spent 10 years and retired as senior minister at Forest Park Presbyterian Church in Statesville.

The Millers 50 years later, with an exact replica of their cake!

Yvonne  served in many capacities as the family moved to various church assignments including mom to their daughter, Michele Elizabeth Miller, and son, John Thomas Anthony Miller.  She taught kindergarten, served as editorial assistants for publications, administrative secretary and church secretary before Tom’s retirement to Mooresville enabled her to set up her Quilling Studio as a craft industry.  (Quilling is the ancient art of rolled paper sculpture.)  Yvonne continues to create beautifully quilled pictures, cards, ornaments and 3D art items.

Tom and Yvonne’s children are both married:  Michele (Davidson College ’87) and her husband, Charles Houck (also a Davidson grad), live in Davidson and have two daughters; John and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Boston and have seven month old twins, Jack and Abby.  Flying in a few days before the afternoon party on the 20th, Elizabeth purchased a sheet cake from Harris Teeter and made an almost exact replica of the original wedding cake by adding sugar bells, flowers and piping, as well as the original church and “bride and groom” decorations Yvonne had saved for 50 years.  What a nice occasion for a delightful family.

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Have news for Brenda? Write to her at hbarger@bellsouth.net.