Pryor Scrapbook Bessie Mae, 2008

Dear Bessie Mae April 15, 2008 I was so excited to hear about the dinner in your honor. I am sorry that I will not be able to be there to see you once again, but I did want to write you a letter to thank you for all that you have done for Harding University and the Regina social club. I have very fond memories of having Regina meetings once a week in your home. You were always a gracious host and you made all of feel welcome at every meeting. You made your house a "home away from home" for all the girls in Regina and especially to me and my sister, Da'Lynn Kay Clayton. You were such a great example of what a Christian woman should be. Thank you for the years you served Regina and for the years you and Dr. Joe served Harding. I can still hear him give announcements in chapel. I cherished the years I spent at Harding. I learned the importance of missions, of giving back to my community, and of being a good teacher. Harding also provided a place to meet my husband. We came to Abilene, TX twenty-five years ago for Warren to complete his masters in missions. We ended up staying in Abilene so we could raise our two children in a small Christian community. I am teaching World Geography at Abilene High School and my husband Warren Alkire, brother to Sherry Alkire Thompson, is a computer consultant for Novell. We have spent several summers going on mission trips to Mexico and Brazil. In two months my daughter will be leaving to spend two years in Salvador, Brazil helping a mission team develop a c_hildren' s ministry. When she returns home she plans to get a job teaching in a bi-lingual elementary school. My son, Joshua is a sophomore at ACU and is majoring in Bible and English. He would like to complete a doctorate in Theology and Literature so he can preach and teach English at a Christian college. It is hard to believe that my children are now the ages that we were when we attended Harding. We are so thankful for our Christian education and we can see what an influence it has been on our children's lives. I know you and Dr. Joe sacrificed so much to teach at Harding University, and I truly appreciate the influence that you were to me and my husband. You have had a part in the spiritual development of thousands of students over the years and that influence continues to spread though their descendants. May God continue to bless you with good health, kind family members, and a joyful retirement. I love you deeply and truly appreciate you for the love you showered upon me while I was at Harding. Love, Denise Kay (1977-1981) Denise Alkire 1917 Shoreline Dr. Abilene, TX 79602