Rockford, Ill., friends gather in Sun Lakes, Ariz. Pictured left to right: Nancy Stutman, Sun Lakes; Betts Mayer, Portland, Maine; Dottie Ashley, Wheaton, Ill.; Rose Hobart, Rockford, Ill.; Jan Rathke, Sun Lakes; and Kay Stanicek, Sun Lakes.
Nancy Stutman
Six women from Rockford, Ill., reunite yearly in Sun Lakes where three of the six seventh grade friends now live. Jan and Rich Rathke were the first to arrive from Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1998, followed by Nancy Stutman with her husband Bill, who came from San Diego in 2000. Kay and Bill Stanicek, from Rockford, who had been wintering with their daughter in Scottsdale, made Sun Lakes their permanent home in 2003.
Sun Lakes then became the reunion destination from where the Midwesterners and east coast friends gravitated to escape the cold. Rose Hobart, Rockford, Ill.; Dottie Ashley, Wheaton, Ill.; and Betts Mayer, Portland, Maine; arrived this April after a snowy winter to reunite with their junior high school girlfriends.
All met when they entered seventh grade in Rockford, Ill. Since their 10th high school reunion, the group has stayed in touch regularly—even traveling to Italy, England, and France together and to each other’s home periodically in Wisconsin, New York, California, Maine, and Arizona.
The energy surrounding this group is unusual, and they are constantly stopped and asked to tell their history, which they are delighted to share with strangers. After all, how many people have that many friends living at ages 87-88 with whom they Zoom twice monthly?
The girls love to enjoy the weather, share memories, play Hand and Foot, go shopping, see a show, and just relax. They relish the idea that they’re still able to be together.
Their backgrounds are quite varied. Jan is a graphic designer and calligrapher. Kay and Rose both worked at Rockford Hospital where Kay recruited doctors and Rose was a patient medical coder. Dottie is a real estate broker, Betts a psychotherapist. Nancy owned a fashion publicity agency in New York City for 30 years and is a published calligrapher.
In Sun Lakes, Jan and Kay are active members of P.E.O. Nancy is publicity director for the Jewish War Veterans, Post 619 and is on the screening committee for the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival. Betts is a painter and aspiring improv player. Rose enjoys gardening and Dottie sings in choirs.
Nothing seems to be slowing these women down.