Dear Folks, A couple of years ago I posted the following unusual reunion of Pattie Faix and me. In view of my recent postings of the 1938 trip my father took to France and Switzerland, I thought of Pattie. This is what I had written about our reunion at the time. An Unsual Reunion June 24, 2001 I've been wanting to share this story with you ever since it happened a week ago Saturday, June 16. That was the afternoon that we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our Town of Porter Historical Society museum. The turnout was more than we had expected and many meaningful speeches were given by village, town, county and state dignitaries. During the ceremony our society president acknowledged those of the society who had contributed to the museum's ongoing work and when he mentioned my name, I stood up as he requested. After the ceremony we gathered around the refreshment table and socialized. I had barely had my first sip of punch when I saw a gray-haired woman heading straight for me with a pleasant expression on her face. She was a total stranger to me but it was obvious that she just couldn't wait to ask me an important question. After she made certain that I was Vee Housman, she said, "My father used to work with your father." Well that pleased me that somehow she had connected my name with my father and I obviously assumed that her father had worked with mine at Pittsburgh Metallurgical Co. while he was there between 1940 and 1951. But she surprised me when she said that our fathers had worked together at Vanadium (Vanadium Corp. of America). What?? Vanadium?? That was back in the 1930s!! And then that's when I just had to blurt out, "Who ARE you??" With a big smile on her face she said, "I'm Pattie Faix." Oh my GAWD, Pattie FAIX!! I remembered her name instantly! And at that moment we took a step back into time to over 60 years ago in Niagara Falls. Back to where we both remembered knowing each other because our families socialized with each other. At best, I was only 9 years old the last time we saw each other and she was 10. But even at that early age we knew what was going on in our fathers' careers. She said that her father was an engineer at the plant and so was mine. I asked her if her father went to France with my father and she said that he didn't because of health problems at the time. Nonetheless, she knew precisely what I was talking about regarding the trip to France (in 1938). The company had sent a couple of their engineers over there to study the new French furnace and bring back suggestions as to how to improve the production of ferroalloys. When I mentioned that I recalled that Jack(?) Strauss went with my father, she nodded her head in agreement. I asked her if she remembered the Chadwicks-Gert and "Chad" (! Gordon)-and yes she did. Chad also worked at Vanadium. I mentioned hearing my father on the phone in the middle of the night when the plant called him because of some emergency regarding the furnaces and remembering him sleepily (but with sober authority) telling them to add more Indian ore or more African ore or some other such solution to the problem. Pattie knew exactly what I was referring to. It was obvious that she had heard similar conversations when she was growing up herself. Later that evening I realized what an amazing conversation we had. Not only did we instantly remember each other from over 60 years ago, more than that, it was the first time that I had ever had a conversation with anyone who recognized the term African or Indian ore in regard to the manufacture of ferroalloys. Especially a WOMAN!! One more thing. I finally got around to asking her what encouraged her to attend our society's celebration. She said that her friend dragged her along because she knew that Pattie was interested in history. She added that she's active in the Sanborn Historical Society and that her last name is now Rhoney. They live over the Rhoney Funeral Home in Sanborn. We let each other know that we're both in the phone directory and I know that I can just pick up the phone and talk with Pattie Ann Faix any time I want. It's been over a week since our reunion and I'm still in awe over it. After SO many years, it was like we just had to touch base with each other to reaffirm our childhood and share memories of our fathers and the ferroalloy industry in Niagara Falls in the 1930s. It was sooooo great!! Well, to get back to the present, for the past few days I've been trying to get in touch with Pattie but I only get their answer machine. I finally called another nearby number and got to talk with her sister-in-law Cindy. I told Cindy the whole nine yards of Pattie and me and our parents and the Vanadium and the trip to France in 1938. Cinday said that Pattie and her husband Paul are spending the winter in Ft. Myers, FL, but she gave me Pattie's telephone number and I gave Cindy my phone number and email address. After reviewing what Pattie told me several year ago regarding the fact that her father's health prevented him from accompanying my father, et al, in 1938, I'm still hoping that she would like to read about it. We'll just have to wait and see. vee