'Gilmer Girls Slumber Party' held

Courtesy Photo ‘THE GILMER GIRLS Slumber Party’ had dinner at Walden on Lake Conroe’s Yacht Club.

“The Gilmer Girls Slumber Party” was attended recently by a group of Gilmer High graduates of 1950. Hostesses were Glo Lee Gordon and Ray Nell Payne Bustin of Walden on Lake Conroe. The Gilmer Girls who were “lost in the Fifties” were Marlene Mitchell Bolton of Tulsa, Okla., Sara Davis Dumas, Betty Foster Finney, Mary Ann Ragland Patterson and Nelta Buie Ray of Gilmer and Mary Belle Althouse Smith of Longview.

As you might expect, there was very little slumbering at our first slumber party in 57 years. We were all a bit giddy with excitement.

There was much laughter and sharing of memories of slumber parties of long ago, the good times growing up in Gilmer and the events of our lives since graduation.

We were entertained royally by Ray Nell and Glo who have beautiful homes and live a few blocks from each other in a lovely area, Walden on Lake Conroe. Ray Nell lives on the lake and Glo lives on the golf course. Each one did not know the other one lived at Walden until they met at a social function. They have been enjoying visiting each other regularly since then.

Our hostesses had a lovely reception for 50 of their friends so they could introduce them to “The Gilmer Girls,” followed by dinner at the Yacht Club. We felt really special. On Thursday we toured Montgomery where they have done an excellent job of preserving their history. We saw a restored church from the mid-1800s that was awesome. We had lunch at Martha’s Bloomers Home and Garden Shop’s Tea Room in Navasota. The wild flowers on the drive there were outstanding.

I was hard to leave and go our separate ways but we plan to reciprocate their hospitality soon by bringing Ray Nell and Glo home for a Gilmer Slumber Party.

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