Elizabeth(Bonnie) Austin Tegen

David and Jennifer's children are proudly our surrogate grandchildren:
Cedric born1990
Ed (born 1991) and son-Barrett Andrew Jackson, born 2014
Jonathan born 1998
Benjamin born 1998

My profile is updated from Cogan to Tegen. Will and I are each on our second marriage. We were members of the Annapolis Crabtown Ski Club and met playing volley ball 25 years ago. After two years of volley ball and 23 years of marriage, I can honestly say that the " second time around is a charm."
Will is on his second career as a social studies teacher for 8th grade. I left teaching 8th grade math many years ago and have been in the healthcare field for the past 27 years. The last 13 of those are for a Joint Commission accredited Federally Qualified Health Center-Baltimore Medical Systems, Inc. Our health centers provide healthcare for those who are economically challenged in the Baltimore area communities.
We both are looking forward to retiring this year. At 57 years old , it will be an early one for Will but we want to travel more. It will be sad to leave the Annapolis area and the near by areas of DC, Baltimore and the Eastern Shore and all they have to offer, as well as, our dear friends here. Living full time at our second home on Cape Cod has long been a dream of ours. Will loves the Cape as much as I do. Life's pace is much slower there. We have considerable downsizing to do to fit into the smaller Cape Cod style house but we are ready. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to finally reunite with my childhood friend's and create new experiences for the last chapters of our life.
Will and I attended the 40th reunion and enjoyed the evening with long time specially dear friends as we reminisced and laughed. We are sorry to have missed the 50th but we were attending our nieces wedding in San Francisco. We wished you all an enjoyable weekend of activities and making new memories.

Update August 1, 2015: Will starts his last year of teaching in two weeks. He is putting in for early retirement in June. My long overdue retirement will occur sometime in 2016. We will have this house on the market in the next two weeks after I finish staging it. Renovation on our Cape house is scheduled to start in September; once we meet with the contractor and engineer to finalize the plans.
The plan is to replace the deck with what our contractor calls the Great Room. To me , with all the windows planned, it will be the sun room with a new deck off it along the backside of the house. The kitchen will be renovated and upgraded and the walk out basement will be finished off for a family/guest room area. Eleven pine and maple trees have been removed with 5 more planned to go; this will enable us to have solar panels on the new great room. It will be a relief not to have those tall huge trees swaying over the little cape house during storms. We have been fortunate to have those that fell in the past missing the house. Except one huge one that fell many years ago during a blizzard: It scraped the deck leaving it undamaged but filled with huge branches. We never heard it through the howling wind.
We are excited to soon begin a new chapter in our life. Will doesn't have any idea what his new occupation will be since he is many years away from full retirement. That will fall into place with time. If it is seasonal, that will give us more opportunity to travel for longer periods of time. On my bucket list, is a return trip to Europe; visit the village where Doc Martin is filmed, onto Scotland and Ireland and then to Paris to rent a flat for a month or two. I have been there quite a few times and always wanted to return to explore the city in depth, in the non tourist areas, as well as, the surrounding country side. I didn't make it the last time in Europe; so during the time in Paris, it would be nice to take a few days and return to Bamberg and Frankfurt, Germany where I lived for four years. I wonder how much it has changed after 40 years. Bamberg celebrated its 1000 year anniversary when I lived there. It escaped the war so the old city was quite intact.
Will's bucket list is more to travel the states. He traveled the world extensively with his family during his growing years. When he was 16, he and a friend Euro railed all over Europe for the summer. I convinced Will that he needs to go back for a newer and more mature perspective. Then, we will travel the states. Although, I would like to go to Pernambuco, Brazil. My g-g-g grandfather was the American Consult there , appointed by John Quincy Adams. I would hear family stories of the orange plantation he lived on and the Trading Company of ships he was part owner of. That was an occupation he got into because his wife's grandfather was in the trading business out of Marblehead. My g-g grandfather was born there and a big deal was made by the family that he was American because he was born under the American flag flown over the plantation. G-g grandfather became an importer on Milk Street in Boston until the great Boston fire. No doubt the plantation is long gone but I would like to get a feel of the place and where some of my roots had resided.
Our bucket list begins to grow. Added to that is the Sept, Boston Harbor Cruise reunion; provided the niece who recently graduated college doesn't get married then. It will be interesting to see how it all falls out.

Update April 5, 2016:
It is great to be retired after 55 years in the working world-March 4, 2016. I am a workaholic so it will be a new experience for me to have time to do what ever I want. My BMS family celebrated my thirteen years with them and my retirement by throwing an outstanding party at a fine restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy. I was emotionally overcome by the awards, endless kudos, expressions of love and gifts through out the program. I was feted the whole week, up until my last day, with luncheon parties hosted by the various committees I led, co-led or participated on. I worked with amazingly dedicated and passionate individuals who make a difference in the lives of our patients. I finally realized that I too made a difference in my journey through life; that is the success that I strived for.
My husband, Will, topped the week off with a surprise party that he couldn't keep a surprise for long. It became a full blown event. I usually prefer to prepare the food myself-my own artistic expression, but it was nice to have it catered; to relax and enjoy the event for a change.
Now, on to a new chapter in our lives. The newest event is that: Will's daughter Elizabeth Carol Tegen, 25 years old, just came into our life. We are thrilled to have her join our family and look forward to getting to know her.

Update Sept. 2018:
Will checked off one item on his bucket list when we joined his sister's family in Hawaii Jan of 2017. They rented a gorgeous, open air, glass three tiered home;
walled on one side with water falls and quoi, in the hills of Ka'ala overlooking Honolulu and Waikiki beach. What a wonderful opportunity to continue to bond with his daughter Elizabeth, who joined us from Annapolis , MD., and for her to meet her extended family. It was not the same place I visited in 1984. I didn't recognize the city or beach through all the sky scrapers. Give me St. Croix anytime, my preference for a tropical experience.

Elizabeth and her boyfriend came later that July to visit the first time in our newly renovated home on Wellfleet, Cape Cod. It has been a joy to have her in our lives and to create lasting memories.

Our next great adventure is to have her join us the end of October when we travel to Bainbridge, Washington to visit Will's sister and to meet his nieces new born twins in Seattle. We plan to take in the sites in Victoria, Canada while there.
The end of March, 2018, it was my turn to check off an item on my bucket list. We toured the United Kingdom; Ireland, England and Scotland, for 16 days. My favorite spot of all was Port Isaac, the site of the Doc Martin series. We spent 3 days just in that area alone touring. Second best was Bamburgh Castle and the town to which one line of my English heritage is linked. Of course the whole trip was fantastic. I had been to Wales and the old Londan before and didn't care to see the modern London with its new sky scrapers and giant Ferris wheel. Will did a fantastic job driving on the left, especially on one lane country roads that were bordered on both side by hedges.

My longest and dearest memories of those years are my friendships with Michael Razza, Joanne Wilker, Richard Bono and Eleanor Baker, which took root during our Bigelow days from seventh grade on. They are part of who I am and they will always have a special place in my heart. I chuckle when I think of Eleanor and the wall in her yard and our gab sessions. Then there is the only detention that I ever received in Riley house because her father drove us to school one week and I was late to homeroom. I fondly remember the Junior prom with Richard and the Senior Prom with Michael. Joanne always could bring tears of laughter; especially, as we "bombed" around in my little red Saab during Senior year. I always found it interesting that, for the four of us after college, our careers first started out in teaching.

Bigelow

others

No

After June 2016, we will be retiring and downsizing to our second home on S.Wellfleet, Cape Cod.
Physical address: 30 Drummers Cove Rd, S. Wellfleet.(phone number is cell: 410-279-9559)
Mailing address: P.O. Box 728, S. Wellfleet, MA 02663
See attached photo of our retirement home, pre-renovations.. It is taking months to sort and get rid of 31 years of accumulation to fit into our second home, which is considerably smaller. We will have to do the same there. We definitely won't miss all that cleaning and maintaining.
As of Dec 2020, our 2nd home is 747 Monroe RD/Rt 135, Bath NH-physical address only.

I heard about it on the school bus. Everyone was responding with shock and disbelief.

Mother Cleveland (Eastern Star) and Dad Vosburgh(Masons) who were sponsors for the Rainbow Girls were very influential. I was a very shy person, which no one would believe now, and they nurtured my self esteem, gave me self confidence and belief in myself. Because of them, I ran for Faith which lead to my term serving as Worthy Advisor. I acquired the courage to recite the rituals in front of a 'massive", to me, audience in the Masonic Hall. I became captain of the Rainbow Girls Drill team which marched in the Memorial Day parades and performed at various events at other Masonic, Eastern Star, DeMolay and Rainbow Girls organizations. From them, I learned acceptance, compassion and to pay it forward. Combined with the values my own parents instilled in me, the choices I made in life were affected by them. I changed my business goals to one of contributing to society and affecting the lives of others. The path started with teaching where I did have an affect on the lives of many students, not just in education but their personal lives. A point came after 20 years in the education field when I changed professions. I entered the healthcare field which was timely. I worked for The Annapolis Medical Specialist office of 13 physicians and in particular for a prominent oncologist and his nurse. It was timely, because my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and died before the year was out. Because of my two team members I was able to deal with this experience and my loss. It gave me the empathy to help provide support and assistance to our patients and their families.
For the last 13 years, I have been providing administrative support at a non profit healthcare organization, Baltimore Medical Systems, Inc. We have 410 employees to include 57, give or take, dedicated clinicians serving 5 health centers and 8 school base health centers. They provide services to the underserved and uninsured.This includes those who come through the resettlement program from all nationalities seeking refuge in our great USA. As Director of Quality and Corporate Compliance Officer, I assure that we comply with the standards set for providing quality and safe care for our patients. That includes advocating for patients whose complaints reach my desk on a daily basis. That shy young girl of 50 years ago could never have imagined enjoying a role that has others turning to her daily for guidance, problem solving and trouble shooting behind the scenes in a fast past healthcare organization. Thank you Mom Cleveland and Dad Vosburgh because I love what I do. I do look forward to retiring though after delaying it these past few years.

First, We would see how we could help our family and friends, as well as, make sure we were financially secure. Then, we would set up an organization that would benefit, on an on going basis, our favorite charities , such as, the Audubon Society, Wellfleet Land Conservation, Cape Cod Outreach for the Homeless, Service Dogs for Vets, Komen -breast cancer, The Red Devils-support for breast cancer patients, American Vets, and preservation of American historical sites, to name a few. With what is left over, Will and I would continue to spend the rest of our lives traveling the world, relishing in and being thankful for all life has to offer and looking for ways that we could continue to pay it forward.

Grade school was spent moving back and forth from MA to NY while my father obtained his Bachelors in engineering at North Eastern, Masters in electrical engineering at Columbia and eventually his Doctorate in the Spoken Word. They were traumatic years because I attended three different first grades, two different second grades and two different sixth grades. No wonder I was shy. Then came the summer before entering Jr. High when we finally settled in Newton, only to have my family move to PA my senior year leaving me behind at my request. I was determined to attend the Sr. Prom and graduate from Newton High School with my friends. My favorite memories of Bigelow Jr. High are the 8th and 9th grade dances. I remember the first school dance in the 7th grade. It was a Halloween dance at the YMCA. I wore a white party dress with a black pattern of some sort and my mother curled my long hair, which was usually in a pony tail. I was so excited and nervous. My grandmother was visiting for a month from California and she was so tickled to be present while my parents sent me off to my first dance. The eighth grade science teacher was chaperoning, Mr. Whitney. He came over to me (and others) and said the boys aren't going to ask the girls to dance, you need to ask them. It was the scene of "boys on one side and girls on the other". Shy me said no but he insisted, pointing to Frank Grant, and urging me, " go ask him. He is standing all alone". So, not one to be disrespectful to my elders request, I, with great embarrassment, went over and asked him to dance a slow dance. I was so nervous and traumatized, I can't remember what happened after that. Did we dance or did he turn me down? I don't remember the rest of the night.

The Five Little Peppers in the fifth grade, along with Nancy Drew and Tom Swift series; The Good Earth, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and various stories by William Faulkner, Anne Frank-Diary of a Young girl, Crime and Punishment, Silas Marner, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer in Jr. High; and the movies, West Side Story and Gone with the Wind in high school were the source of morals that had an impact on how I looked at life's situations. They gave me insight into people, their character and personalities. I am sure there are many more if I gave more time for thought. I was raised in a protected environment, the source of my naivety; so books and movies enlightened me. I heard my mother and grandmother talking about a book they read. They couldn't believe that someone wrote it. They were so hush, hush when I entered the room. Well, of course when I saw it laying around I picked it up. Peyton Place opened the door to a forbidden world; one that was not for discussion in my family.

The loss of both my parents, extended family members and friends through out my life are moments in time that make me realize just how precious life is. I over come the pain by celebrating their memory and giving thanks that they had a role in my experiences as I fulfill my destiny.

The best moment of my life would be the day that Will came into my life's path. I was sitting on the side lines on a field at St. Johns College in Annapolis because I had torn ligaments in my thumb when diving for a spiked ball. I was unable to play due to a cast on my hand and arm. As I watched the two volley ball games in action, a ball suddenly landed in my lap. Who came running over to retrieve? Why, none other than Will who was a new member to the Crabtown ski club and one of its many activities-volleyball. As I handed the ball to this handsome 6'2" guy with dimples on both sides of his warm smile and twinkling eyes, he stood there looking at me. It was as if time stopped for both of us. Suddenly his name was called from the distance and he said, "how come you aren't playing?" I held up my casted hand and smiled. The rest is history.

I have been fortunate to be able to touch the lives of others as they have touched mine.

The next fifty years, I hope to catch up on all the things I didn't have time to do the first fifty. I would like to slow life down with retirement. When not traveling with Will, I hope I can rekindle old and dear friendships that have been on hold with time and make new friends that will expand my horizons more. Genealogy is a great interest of mine. Through my fathers line I obtained the documentation that qualified me to become a sister in the Daughters of the American Revolution. I have started investigation into my mothers line which I tracked back to Leechburg, PA but I haven't had the time to delve head on into it. Gardening and getting in touch with nature is a new hobby in the last ten years. I love to escape into that new world which allows me quiet moments to contemplate and reflect. I would love to develop my artistic talents and pursue painting. I was fortunate to take lessons for two years at St John's College's extra curriculum activities under a renowned artist. My talents are limited but the desire is there; who knows what could transpire if I had the time. Painting seashells, flowers and pine cones is more my interest than the nude models that surprised me my first day of class. There are endless ideas to consider which I'm sure would exceed the allotted time available in the next fifty years. I hope the days go slower than the last fifty so I can bath in every hour.

I would like all those I love or know to remember me for the wonderful memories we shared and how rich our lives were because of our ties.

I wish we could make the reunion because I would especially like to spend time recalling good memories with Michael, Joanne, Richard, Eleanor and Lyn.

There is not enough time to enjoy and participate in all that life has to offer.

My goal was to make a difference. I feel I achieved modest success.

I wouldn't say it is a regret but I wish I became involved with sports instead of just my studies. I was athletically inclined and was asked by the Jr. High gym teacher to try out for basketball. I was also good at field hockey and loved volleyball, the latter of which I took up later in life for fun.

There was a time when I could list a number of regrets but I have since learned to appreciate the good aspects of the experiences that led me to this point in my life. To wish I had made different decisions would have changed life's paths and I can' t imagine a more wonderful life than I have now with Will or David and his family. We are all looking forward to spending a joyful week at our place on Cape Cod the end of June. It won't be long before the twins are off on their own life's path as are their two older siblings. Therefore, I have no regrets if my choices whether good or bad brought me the joy of family and friends at this point in my life. There is no longer, "if only".

My father always told me to think about the consequences of my actions. He said that once you tarnish your record, it will follow you the rest of your life. On that note, I defer to a quote from Mark
Twain, " Always do right, it will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

The fear of disappointing my parents and losing the trust they had in me would have prevented me had the thought ever crossed my mind.

I moved numerous times in my early childhood, during my college years and then again married to my first husband who was a military intelligence career officer for the army. Habitats were in MA, NY, PA, FL, KY, AZ, VA, MD and Germany. I ended up in VA in 1976 upon returning from my first husbands 4 year tour in Bamberg and Frankfurt Germany. We moved around the DC area until settling in my current home of 31 years.

I received my license the first time. I think it was at Watertown. My first experience was with a stick shift in a Saab. The first time behind the wheel, my father had me drive up Waverly Avenue to Commonwealth, straight into Boston traffic-if that wasn't a challenge getting around the city shifting gears. Upon graduating Penn State, I was looking into buying a corvette to replace my little red Saab(Silly Auto Always Broken)which, for the year make I had, required oil added to the gas. My first husband to be said that I needed to be more practical. Thus, I ended up with another Saab. I think the thought of my heading to Miami, Florida, to teach, in a red convertible corvette, and leaving him behind to finish his studies made him a little insecure; now that I look back. I never did let go of the idea of wanting a sports car. Then one day in 1994, the pizza delivery man drove up in a blue, Honda Del Sol. I was smitten; I told Will, "that is my car!" Within the next week, I became the proud owner of a new blue, Honda del sol because Will said it is now or never. Twenty -two years later, I still won't give up my car and no one else gets to drive it. I even had someone stop me in the streets of Baltimore last year offering to pay a good amount of cash for my del sol. "No way", I said, as he begged over and over again! At 157,000 miles, it is at half it's life expectancy and still going strong. I expect to be driving around on Cape Cod with the top down for the next 150,000 miles. Though, it is about time for a paint job. I will honor it with one shortly.

We both love to cook but Will is the cook in our family. With the hours I work, because I am a workaholic, he would starve. So, I take advantage of a good thing. Had our lives connected at an earlier age, we probably would have had a small family restaurant business. My specialty would have been the dessert line with cheese cake as one of my favorite choices. Surprising, that is one dessert I never attempted to make. There was always tomorrow. Retiring to the cape will allow me to indulge in all the seafood I want since meat I can easily pass up.

The first engagement of 3 years occurred at 19 but was broken three months before the wedding. We renewed the engagement after I decided to return to complete college. The long distance relationship didn't survive my studies at Penn State. I had grown as a person and had greater expectations from life.
I met my first husband during exam week my last term at Penn State. My friend's fiancé fixed me up for a blind date with his fraternity brother because I had just broken off with a boyfriend. We became pinned and had a long distance relationship flying back and forth while I taught my first year in Miami, Fl. and he finished his double major in political science and education. After 17 years, we grew apart and had different goals and interests. He was an introvert and I had become an extrovert wanting to experience life beyond 4 walls and his books. I needed to continue to develop more as a person. He is a retired Lt. Col and recently retired as an Assistant States Attorney. He remarried within the year of the divorce and eventually moved to the Eastern Shore, MD.
I spent 6 years enjoying the single life swearing I would never marry again. I loved being my own person, accountable to only me and meeting new and interesting people. That was until the love of my life and my sole mate appeared on the volley ball field. He is 13 years younger but convinced me to marry anyway. We met May of 1990 and I have never ever regretted that decision. He is an industrious, outgoing, personable, giving, loving, big hearted person who loves life, people and laughter. We accept each other for who we are and support one another in our interests and goals. Life with Will is rewarding. We have simple wants and needs. We are looking forward to a quiet life on Cape Cod filled with adventures in further traveling. First, he is making arrangements for early retirement as an eighth grade social studies teacher in the next year and a half . Before pursuing a career in business-marketing and then teaching, he worked on the oil and chemical barges on the Mississippi river to Galveston for eight years. He loves the water having grown up on his families various boats. His own first boat was a miniature tug boat in Rumson, NJ. His goal upon retiring is to get a pontoon boat and spend his days fishing in the Cape Cod harbors.

I was on Baltimore Fox news many years ago when they did a story on Annapolis Medical Specialists, the staff and our oncologists who were helping patients to fight breast cancer.

I would never subject others to a skill that I greatly lack in.

Penn State University

Twentieth
Twenty-fifth
Fortieth