For 14 former floormates, friendship never dies.

In the late 1950s, they were assigned to the first floor of Lincoln Hall. At that time, there were only seven rooms.

“We were all from different places, we all had different majors and different activities, but we were just close,” said Myrna Voudrie, a previous foreign language major.

The women lived together for two years, and during that time, developed an everlasting friendship that has lasted for more than 50 years.

Last Thursday, 10 of them came back to Eastern to share memories and see how the campus has changed.

They went on a tour of Booth Library as well as the building they shared many memories in-Lincoln Hall.

They said Lincoln Hall is not anything like how it was in the ’50s, and both Stevenson and the Student Recreation Center were not even built yet.

“A lot of us had not seen each other for 50 years,” Sue Wallin, a previous elementary education major said. “It was unbelievable. We picked up where we left off 50 years ago. My husband was amazed-we started to talk (and) never quit talking.”

One of the stories Voudrie likes to tell is about a turtle.

There used to be woods where the Rec is now. Often, the women would go on walks together there. One night, Voudrie and her roommate, Wallin, found a turtle and decided to secretly keep it as a pet, since pets were not allowed in the residence halls.

“(There was a) kitchen connected to Lincoln and Douglas. We would sneak down and get some lettuce for the turtle,” Wallin said. “I think we kept it probably a month or so.”

Another great memory, Voudrie said, was of the 1957 basketball season. That was the year Eastern made the nationals, which is similar to the OVC tournament today.

The tournament was played in Kansas City.

The women did not know where they were going to stay, and they did not have the money for it, but they drove to Kansas City because they wanted to watch the team.

When Eastern won the first game, it was unlike anything the campus had felt before.

Back on campus, there was a concert going on.

“At the intermission, they announced that Eastern won first game. All of a sudden the whole gym just emptied. People were going out and packing and trying to find rides and carpooling trying to get to Kansas City,” Voudrie said. “That was quite a big deal.”

Five of the 14 women met their husbands while attending school at Eastern. One of which, was introduced to hers by one of her floormates.

The two were standing in line by McAfee Gym (which was then called Lantz Gym) to register for their classes for the upcoming year. Sandra Bork, who knew Norm Bornkamp from the Newman Center, introduced him to Judy Breen.

“It was love at first sight,” Bornkamp said.

When the couple was reminiscing about the event Thursday, Bork did not even realize that they gave her so much credit for bringing them together.

The 10 ended their evening with a meal from Stevenson Hall.

“We just were all very close, but then we all graduated and all got married and went our separate ways,” Voudrie said. “We had a wonderful time, we hadn’t seen each other in 50 years. It was just really great.”

“It’s really an exciting time for us,” Wallin said. “We had such a loving wonderful relationship with each other and it never stopped, even though we didn’t see each other for years.”

Sam Sottosanto can be reached at 581-7942 or deneic@gmail.com.

Most of the women on the first floor of Lincoln Hall went on to become teachers, this picture was taken in 1958. (Photo submitted by Alumni Association)

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Ten women who lived in Lincoln Hall in the 1950s reunite in Stevenson Lobby. Bottom from left to right: Sandra Cameron, Mary Helen Hamilton, Jan Peterson. Middle from left to right: Ann Simpson, Joyce Dutton, Judy Bombkamp. Top from left to right: Myrna V

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