What’s that phrase about “something old, something new; something borrowed, something blue…”

We have a little of all that this week, but not as part of any wedding tradition!  “New” is Dr. Susan Heafner-Heun on the staff of the local Methodist church, though she’ll be “borrowed” by the Methodist Conference to focus on adult education.  Meanwhile, an “old” friendship sent Lacy Woods Dick and Rosa Shand Cumming to a college reunion, where they were a little bit “blue” when they saw up close that their alma-mater is now co-ed!

SUSAN HEAFNER-HEUN JOINS METHODIST STAFF

Davidson United Methodist Church (DUMC) welcomed a new minister on July 1.

Susan Heafner-Heun

When Berta Spencer officially “retired” at the end of May (although she will continue to work ten hours a month as Minister to Senior Adults), DUMC was in need of a new staff member.

Welcome to Dr. Susan Heafner-Heun who comes to DUMC as an associate pastor from work ministering to two small churches in Denver, NC. Previously she has held positions at Mt. Zion in Cornelius and First United Methodist in Gastonia where she overlapped one year with DUMC’s current senior minister, Jody Seymour.

Susan has an undergraduate degree in religion and sociology from Greensboro College, a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NYC and a doctorate of ministry from Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury. She is married to John Heun who works as an instructional designer and developer in the UNCC area. This energetic young couple lives in Huntersville’s Wynfield Forest and is currently waiting (very patiently) for news of adopting an infant from Ethiopia.
No stranger to this area, Susan is delighted to be in Davidson and brings her talent and enthusiasm for preaching and worship to DUMC.  She also will have a special focus on adult education – dividing her time between DUMC and a Methodist Conference grant to launch a new church in our area.  Susan is very much in tune with people’s questions, doubts and fears and welcomes a diversity of theological conversations.

Susan’s family is in Charlotte, while John hails from southern New Jersey. Both love the mountains as does their ShihTzu rescued from the pound twelve years ago. Welcome to town, Susan and John. We are glad to have you.

RECONNECTING AFTER FIFTY YEARS

Whew! A fiftieth college reunion? Sounds “old” but not when you talk to Lacy Woods Dick and Rosa Shand Cumming of Davidson who recently drove to Lynchburg, VA, at the end of May for their 50th college reunion. These energetic “young ladies” graduated in 1959 from Randolph Macon Women’s College: Rosa earned a degree in English literature with Phi Beta Kappa honors; Lacy’s degree was in history.

Fifty-eight women returned for the relaxing four-day reunion weekend with long hours spent reminiscing about their days at the all women’s college and their lives since. As Lacy remarked, “We were ‘gals’ of the fifties patterned to go out and get married once we had a degree in hand.” (How true for so many of us of that era, your columnist included.)

Rosa Shand Cumming (left) and Lacy Woods Dick.

However, with a degree from a liberal arts college, these women were also prepared to raise a family and then continue with a career. Most of their classmates, they found, had earned advanced degrees and a name for themselves in the workplace. Lacy returned to class to earn a MA in history; Rosa found time to pursue a Ph.D. in English literature. Although both are now officially “retired” from the workplace, they bring much to our community with their interest in many town committees and clubs.

Lacy and Rosa especially enjoyed having time to visit with their classmates and learn how their lives had taken different turns. For many, following divorce or widowhood, they had carved out a “new beginning” for themselves and were thriving. One classmate had gathered information on each member of the Class of ’59 in a booklet published as part of the reunion packet. What a wonderful way to reconnect and a real trip down memory lane! With a tinge of sadness Lacy and Rosa noted that their alma mater is now co-ed and has a new name, Randolph College. A sign of the times for sure!

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