February 2019
March Business Lunch Wednesday,
March 6, 2019 11:00 a.m.
Open to all Members! Please join us!
Location: Home of Liz Wahlquist 46 Downs Lake Circle, Dallas, TX 75230
See Map Below
We encourage all members of the Clipped B’s to come to this meeting! We will have a short business meeting, but
this lunch is primarily for visiting and seeing as many of our former flying buddies as possible!
Enter the gate from Churchill Way!
A Word from Our President
Upcoming Club Activities Mark Your Calendars
March Business Lunch: Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 11:00 a.m. Liz Wahlquist’s Home April Board Meeting: Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 11:15 a.m. Spring Creek Barbeque, 12835 Preston Road, D/T 75230 Spring Luncheon: Friday, May 3, 2019, 11:00 a.m. See Notice below** Bent Tree Country Club
Jean Jordan, President Happy 2019 Clipped B's. 2019 will be an exciting year for the B’s. Our Business Meeting is Wednesday, March 6, 2019, and our Spring Luncheon is Friday, May 3, 2019. We start at the Bent Tree Country Club for lunch, announcements, and special presentations and at 1430 we head to the Marriott Courtyard Hotel for debriefing and snacks. If you can't make the 1100 luncheon at Bent Tree, feel free to stop by the Marriott for lots of fun catching up and pictures.
Around 1800 we break into groups and go to dinner. Wednesday, October 2, is our Salad luncheon. Thanks again to the Officers and the Board for agreeing to volunteer again to help keep our beloved Clipped B's the best retirement club ever. Hope to see you and invite other former Braniff flight attendants to join us. All our meetings are free to attend for your guests except the May Luncheon. Hope to see you soon. We always have membership forms handy if someone wants to join the fun. Thanks again for the honor to be your president
Jean Jordan
Clipped B's President
**This year we will be located in the Willow Room just left of the lobby, as the Oak Room will be under construction. Seating is limited to 120 so be sure to get your reservations in ASAP if you expect to attend, as we will have to create a waiting list once we reach that number! Cancellations require minimum of 3 days prior. The price of the luncheon is $33 and the final due date is Monday, April 29. Wine tickets will be available at the sign-in table for $9.00 cash which includes tax and gratuity. Valet parking is complimentary. ( Tips acceptable)
Again, please make your reservations early! Last minute reservations extremely unlikely due to limited space!
Christmas Party at Aggie Clarke’s Home
Clipped B's Annual Christmas party was held this year on Saturday, December 8, at Aggie Clarke’s beautiful home. There were 60 B’s in attendance this year, and there were lots of unwrapped toys for “Toys for Tots” and many brought a stuffed animal as well for the DFW Chaplaincy. There were items left from one of our spring luncheon auctions so we used them as door prizes. Mary Creason surprised everyone and brought Dodie Cronin O’Brien to the party. It was such a wonderful surprise since we had not seen her in many, many years! Dodie currently resides in Austin.
Aggie Clarke & Jean Jordan
Dianne Harrington, Barbara Walker, and Phyllis Kitchens
Sue Golden, Barbara DeMoulin Wojcik, Helen Adair
Helen Adair, Whitney Wagner, Leslie Wagner, and Dee Kirkpatrick
Front: Rita Parks, Judy Skeen, Millie Mauldin, Jo Fetterman Back: Dodie Cronin O’Brien, Beth Hickman
More Christmas Party Photos
Lynda Leachman, Helen Sandlin, Dumpy Gilby, Mary Lou Throneberry, Mattie Ivy, Terry Daniel
Airport Chapel Toys
Terri Hatch And Dr. Becky Motley
Linda Piper, Tanya Mitschke, Susie Mohr
•Browse Albums 37 Photos
Mary Ann Harris, Amber Laws, Barbara DeMoulin Wojcik
Kathy Logan Smith, Frank Maddock, Suzanne Maddock, Becky Motley
Christmas Party Pictures, continued
Front: Renie Galvin, Kay Moses Back: Judy Giles
Adrian Ricks, Lynda Leachman, Amber Laws, Aggie Clarke
BI Retirement Club Christmas Party Sunday, December 9, Frontiers of Flight Museum
The annual Braniff Retirement Club Christmas Party was held at Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field on Sunday, December 9, 2018. It was well attended by many of our Clipped B’s.
Inside the Sisterhood of Braniff Flight Attendants Conde Nast Traveler Magazine
By Michael Magers (JoAnn Magers son)
Some of my earliest memories are from photos—the images incongruous from today’s perspective. There’s Machu Picchu devoid of people, a tranquil beach outside the Somali capital of Mogadishu, an aerial view of a city emerging from an emerald-green jungle captioned “Da Nang, 3/69.” A young woman, my mother, pops in and out of the frame in a Pucci mini-skirt and coordinating top in swirling orange, green, and raspberry. Before I joined the picture, my mother, JoAnn Magers, was in an elite sisterhood of flight attendants (or “stewardesses”) who circled the globe in the 1960s and ‘70s. “I wanted to experience more than the traditional Italian girl in Brooklyn, which was to get married and have kids,” she says. “I wanted to do that someday, but I wanted to do other things first. I loved flying and I was living the way I wanted to die.” In the nascent jet age, she sought adventure and financial freedom through the (now-defunct) Braniff International, which itself was a trendsetter. Declaring 1965 “The End of the Plain Plane,” the airline swung into the mid-’60s with a rebranding campaign led by pioneering ad exec Mary Wells Lawrence, creator of iconic slogans like “I Heart NY” and Alka Seltzer’s “Plop Plop Fizz Fizz.” Italian designer Emilio Pucci created Pop-colored uniforms in stark contrast to the military-inspired styles of the past. Artist Alexander Girard color-coordinated everything, from the pastel aircraft paint jobs to the sugar packets. Flight attendants even sported the “Rain Dome,” a space-age plastic helmet designed to protect those Sassoon hairstyles and false eyelashes (surely a nod to the bright future ahead). The airline was emblematic of the intersection of fashion, design, sex—and unprecedented mobility. To show off the new livery, Wells created the infamous “Air Strip,” a slow delayering of outfits, in-flight, with a not-so-subtle burlesque that kept passengers rapt from the safety announcement to post-service cocktails. For Gayle Hodges, who started flying for the airline in 1963, Braniff’s bold, playful approach just added to the fun. “The way I looked at flying was that I put on a play outfit, which I called my uniform, and I ‘played’ flight attendant to a captive audience. I loved every minute of it,” she says.
Gayle Hodges in Pucci, and her younger self on a Braniff plane.
Fran Blanchard with a photo of her days as Head Stewardess on then-governor Ronald Reagan’s
campaign charter, provided by Braniff.
The women who walked the aisles of those gleaming 707s and BAC-111s were the face of the brand. The sexism is less than subtle in Braniff’s recruiting ads (which was representative of the industry at that time): Age, height, weight, complexion, grooming, and physical attractiveness were unapologetically part of the evaluation. (Sending a photo was a pre-interview requirement.) Perhaps less obvious, though, was the requirement for grace under pressure, the ability to think on your feet, to read a room, and a desire to see the world on your own terms—blurring the lines between empowerment and objectification. Stewardesses like my mother also volunteered to staff special Pacific Military Airlift Command (PAC-MAC) flights on Braniff aircraft, shuttling soldiers across the Pacific and into the widening conflict in Vietnam, starting in 1966. The women working these flights were given additional training and Geneva Convention cards to ensure proper treatment under international law if they were shot down or captured… all while kitted out in Pucci and three-inch heels. It brought the increasingly controversial war into an intense, personal focus for many. “I thought we were doing the right thing when I went over there, but then I would go into the cockpit and see this beautiful beach all bombed out,” my mother says. “[We’d] have these wonderful, excited guys on flights over and come back with guys that were so down.. I don’t think they ever completely healed emotionally. It was like two different flights.” Over the past few years, I’ve photographed my mother’s compatriots, hoping to preserve their incredible style and to share stories of a golden age of travel. Now in their 70s, the spirit of adventure that drove these women from small towns and strict families to seek out something new and exciting remains intact. Hodges left tiny Wink, Texas (population 1,046) to join Braniff and has now visited more than 70 countries, most recently Egypt. After Braniff first filed for bankruptcy in 1982, my mother became a Montessori teacher, and now inspires children to be independent through her stories of exploring far-off lands. She’ll join me on a trip to Cuba this fall. In many ways, these women grew up together, choosing a path distinct from their peers during a time when the average woman married at 20. The Braniff ex-stews keep in touch through an active alumni association. Fran Blanchard, who started flying for Braniff in 1964 and still maintains her Pucci uniforms in mint condition, misses the camaraderie the most: “You could fly with your best friends. It was a lifestyle most of us didn’t dream we could have,” she says. “If I’m still able, and can afford it, I am going to take my last trip on Virgin Galactic—maybe they won’t ask me to serve drinks.”
Fran Blanchard and JoAnn Magers wear the famous Braniff Bubble helmets.
Inside the Sisterhood of Braniff Flight Attendants (Continued)
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Prayers and Sympathy to: The family of Dirk Frederick Tollenaar of McKinney, Texas, who passed away November 10, 2018 at the age of 78. After attending college, he became a pilot and flight instructor. He served his country proud in the US Air Force Reserve. Throughout his extensive aviation career, Dirk worked for Northeast Airlines, Southern Air Transport, Frontier Airlines, Rosenbaum Aviation, Braniff International, and American Eagle. He was a Captain for Braniff International for many years, flying internationally to Central and South America. Dirk served as a pilot for the Dallas Cowboys in the Coach Tom Landry era where he developed his boundless enthusiasm for the team. He was also a member of the Braniff International Silver Eagles in Dallas. The family of Dave Cody. Jodie Cody's husband, Dave, passed away the morning of December 18 in a Mesquite, TX, rehabilitation hospital near his home after a 10 year battle with cancer, which started with a melanoma. No services. Dave requested his ashes be spread on the Muskogee River in Michigan where he spent time fishing with Jodie and friends. Jodie, Marisa (his daughter) and granddaughter will meet by the river in April to say a final goodbye. Jodie's address is 9505 Baskerville, Rockwall, TX 75087. Dave Cody served his country in the Army 1958-1960. He was hired by Braniff in 1964. He came back to Braniff 2 and Braniff 3. Along the way, Dave also flew for ONA, Buffalo Airways, the US Postal Service, Hawaii Express, Kitty Hawk, Polar Air Cargo, Connie Kalitta, Bahamasair and Ameristar and 5 others. In fact Dave is the Braniff record holder for having flown for the most airlines – 17 including all three versions of Braniff. Dave's wife, Jody, was the widow of Braniff pilot, Lee Pitcher. Dave was living in Rockwall, TX and was 81 years old when he passed away. The family of Rex Winters who passed away February 1, 2019. Rex began his aviation life flying for the Air Force. He was hired by Braniff in 1954 and came back to Braniff 2 until 1989. Post Braniff found Rex overseas for a year flying freighters in Angola. He returned to the states and became an instructor for American Airlines until retirement. Rex and his wife, Shirley, were living in the Dallas area when Rex died at the age of 88.
In Memoriam: Camille Cheryl Turner passed peacefully on November 17, 2018, following a brave struggle with Alzheimer's. She was born in Newark, Ohio on December 19, 1948. Camille experienced a beautiful and educating life. Upon graduation from Madera High School in California and Atlantic School in Kansas City, Camille began her flight attendant career with Braniff Airlines in 1967. Condolences may be left online at www.holtchapel.com Barbara Martell was born July 3, 1936, to James Arthur and Leila Marie Walters. She graduated Nampa high school "class of 1954" and later moved to Kansas City and worked as an airline stewardess for Braniff airlines. She flew to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she met Leonard J. Martell. They wed and had 3 children; Michelle, Andy, and Jack. She leaves behind 3 children, 2 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. Mary L. Chappell, 81, of Tega Cay, SC, passed away Saturday, November 24, 2018 at home. She was born May 11, 1937 in Duluth, Minnesota. She was a former stewardess for Braniff Airways in the late 1950s and was a BeautiControl representative throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Donna Uhler Stringer died at her home on December 14, 2018, after a battle with COPD. Donna was born in Allentown, PA, on 1 April 1947. She graduated from Harcum Jr. College in Bryn Mawr, PA, in 1967 as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Initially employed by the Central Intelligence Agency, she came home for a short period before her desire to see the world prompted her to become a Flight Attendant with Braniff Airways where she worked from 1970 until 1982. She met her husband, Neil, a new Braniff pilot, while they were both based in Minneapolis, MN. They married in Bethlehem, PA, in May of 1974. Peggy Joyce Howard Nadolski passed away peacefully at Sunrise Senior Living on December 15, 2018, after a valiant struggle to recover from a stroke she had suffered four years ago. She was born Feb. 13, 1924 in Marietta, Oklahoma. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, Peggy became a flight attendant with Braniff Airlines (1945 – 1948). She maintained an active role in the Clipped B’s, an association of former Braniff employees. She married Stanley John Nadolski in 1948. She was an avid golfer, tennis player and bridge player right up to her 90th birthday. Patricia Warner, 90, passed away Sunday, December 16, 2018. She was born in Dallas, Texas on June 6, 1928,. After graduating from Highland Park High School, she attended the College of William and Mary where she was honored with Homecoming Queen twice. She majored in Spanish and French and worked as a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines flying mainly in South America. In January 1953, she married Bill Warner, thus ending her flying career.
Corrections and Additions to Yearbook
CORRECTION: New Address for ATKINSON, Ms. Linda (67 – 89) 4/19; 61349 Fairfield Drive, Bend, OR 97702; 541/388-2397, cell - 541/876-7905; [email protected] New address for Gayle Johnson: 1010 Cumberland Ave. #414, West Lafayette, IN 47906; phone stays same. RETURNING MEMBERS: Corona, Detta (78-82); P.O. Box 191528, Dallas, TX 75219; 214-528-7912 and 214-549-1732; [email protected]; b’day 7/25 Burger, Violette Lesak-Lange (74-84); 104 Banyan Court, Victoria, TX 77901; 361-485-1770 and 361-648-9403; [email protected]; b’day 10/30 Mohr, Susie Horn (68-82); 931 Ranger Lane, Lantana, TX 76226; 214-850-7619; [email protected]; b’day 8/4 Moser, Mrs. JoAnn Hollingsworth (55-57); 2605 Lakeshore Dr., Port Arthur, TX 77640; b’day 7/26; Phone - 409-985-5031; JoAnn’s husband of 60 years passed away last February. She has 4 children, 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. She has stayed close with some of her Braniff friends that she flew with.
In Memoriam (Continued): Victoria Anderson-Maultsby passed away January 4, 2019, from cancer. There were two memorial services. The Dallas area memorial service was held at the Hurst First United Methodist Church on January 26. Vickie blew for Braniff from 1967 to 1989. After Braniff, she worked for the FFA as an accident investigator. She was the first woman to be hired by NTSB for accident investigation. Shirley Temple Bunn, 83, passed away December 4, 2018. She was born August 20, 1935 in Wilson, NC. She graduated from Charles L. Coon High School in Wilson, NC in 1953; graduated from Flight Attendant School and became a "stewardess" for Braniff Airlines flying international routes in DC-3 and DC-8 aircraft. A Celebration of Life was held on Tuesday, January 22 at Cason United Methodist Church where she was a long time member, 342 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444. Donations can be made in memory of Shirley to her church. Kristan Lynne McCully of Silver Plume passed away on Jan. 3, 2019, after a six-year battle with endometrial cancer. She was born on July 6, 1947, in San Antonio, Texas. Kristan was raised in a military family and lived in several states during her childhood, including Texas, Florida, Hawaii and Nebraska. She attended the Universities of Missouri and Texas before becoming a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines. After 20 years and two Braniff shutdowns, she decided to end her airline career, and in 1990, took on the management of the K.P. Café in Silver Plume. Dr. Kenneth Holder, 69, of Humble, Texas passed away Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Services were held on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at Holy Comforter Lutheran Church, 1901 Woodland Hills Dr., Kingwood, TX 77339. Kenneth was born in Clifton, Texas on May 2, 1949. His mother, Carol (Badger) was a nurse and his father, Wiseman was a physician. The family lived in Clifton and spent their summers in New Hampshire. Ken earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Rice University in Houston in 1971. He then followed in his father’s footsteps to work in the medical field. After earning an MD in 1976, he worked at several medical treatment centers in the Houston area. During the period when he was in medical school, Ken took some time off to become a flight attendant. He was one of the first four male flight attendants (called “hosts”) to work for Braniff Airlines. This job enabled him to travel, an activity he continued for the rest of his life. His enthusiasm for life and thoughtful advice will be dearly missed. Yolanda Meyer Robertson recently passed away . . . Details to follow.
A brave group of Braniff International fans, employees, and airline officials braved cold and rainy weather to gather today to celebrate the 135th anniversary of the birth of Braniff Airways cofounder Thomas Elmer Braniff. The event, held during the 90th year of the airline that Mr. Braniff cofounded with his brother Paul Revere Braniff, was conducted at the Braniff-Terrell gravesite at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas, Texas, and to the north of Dallas Love Field. Braniff Airways Foundation hosted the event along with the superb assistance of the general manager and chief funeral director at Calvary Hill Funeral Home and Mausoleum. Ben Cass, Founder and Chairman of Braniff Airways Foundation, would like to extend warmest thanks to everyone at Calvary Hill Cemetery and Father George Henninger. Also, there are never enough thanks for the many volunteers who keep the Foundation moving forward so smoothly. During the December 2018, Braniff Airways Foundation will enter into a contractual one-time payment agreement with Calvary Hill Cemetery to ensure that flowers will be perpetually placed in the two Braniff gravesite urns. New flowers will be placed in the urns during special events and on holidays.
Celebrating a Braniff Legend and His Family Braniff Airways Foundation
Father George Henninger David Preziosi, Braniff Foundation Board Member
Get Better Soon! Maggie Benesh fell and fractured her pelvis in two places in two places! She did not require surgery and is recovering and doing much better! Update on Jamie Bunch: MRI confirmed tumors. She met with neuro surgeon and he explained that tumors, possibly 2-3, are on her spinal column. One is touching her spinal fluid sac. Doctor is very confident he can get them out without complications, but until he gets in there, he won’t have all the answers. She is waiting on a call today to get scheduled ASAP. Brachy radiation is possibly an option at time of surgery. She thanks you for your prayers and sends hugs to everyone! Sue Golden is fighting a kidney stone and may have to schedule surgery in the near future! We missed her at our last Board Meeting (a couple of days ago). Liz Wahlquist had a boot on her foot at the Board Meeting Wednesday, as she dropped her tablet on her toes! Ouch! Get better, Liz!!
*********************************************************
THE CLIPPED B BUSINESS PAGES
Insurance: Josh Jordan (Jean Jordan’s son). Jordan’s Insurance Group Farmers Insurance 214-364-8280 [email protected], http://www.farmersagent.com/jjordan Real Estate: Gloria (Parrish) Van Zandt, Arlington Realtor Hill Group, 40+ years experience, [email protected], 817-939-8425, 2303 Roosevelt, #1, Arlington, TX 76016 Judy Giles, Realtor, Serving DFW, United Real Estate, 214-676-7156, [email protected], http://judygiles.com, JUDY GILES SMILES WHILE GOING THE EXTRA MILES Elizabeth Bentley, Ebby Halliday Realtors; call or text; 214-535-1513 or [email protected] “Your Home Town Realtor with The Ebby Home Team”. Experience the “Bentley Touch!” Cruises and Tours: Sarah Welch, Classic Cruises and Tours, [email protected], 903-743-5351 or 903-445-0444 (cell) Where in the world do you want to go? I can help you with travel plans. Cruises and escorted tours! Innovation in Aging: Barbara Crowley, Licensed Professional Counselor-Psychotherapy for Individuals 18 years and older Upside Therapy 1212 Coit Road Suite 105, Plano TX 75075 469.708.9021 Cheryl Maynard, We Help Seniors! Call 214-213-7481 or email http://www.seniorspaceshuttle.com Plan, Sort, Connect, Arrange for downsizing! Legal Assistance: Diane Harrington, 214-215-0024, [email protected], NO CONTRACT. www.greatlegalbenefit.com Legal and #1 in world ID Theft plan. THE CLIPPED B’S BUSINESS PAGE!! If you have a business you would like to promote, send that info for a two-line advertisement to [email protected] . It will be in each BUZZ NOTES for a year at a cost of $5.00. Send check made out to Clipped B’s to Sue Golden, 12220 Marbrook, Dallas, TX 75230.
Visit our website often for upcoming events, pictures, memorials! www.clippedb.org
A Word from Your Publisher
Hope you all had the best Christmas yet and partied your way into 2019! A BIG thank you for whoever sent me the “Inside the Sisterhood” article. I think two or three of my fellow Clipped B’s sent the article to me. As always, please let me know if you have a human interest story or exciting vacation/trip to share! You may email me at [email protected] with news, pictures, and updates! Thanks!
