Rumor Has It - July 2024

She got butterflies. They met seven years ago in Austin; Melissa Estrada was finishing at The University of Texas, and Anthony Jay Nichols had accepted a job at Google. As a surprise, on their fifth anniversary, he rented out the Cockrell Butterfly Center in Houston and proposed to her. Their March 9 wedding was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at boutique hotel Casa Cien, and included a rooftop welcome party and a rehearsal dinner at a private home. Their wedding dance, surrounded by 10 bridesmaids in a lush setting of pink and purple flowers, ended with a shower of butterfly confetti. The couple honeymooned in Lake Como and Venice, only 11 miles from the largest butterfly farm in Italy. Happy for the couple to spread their wings were parents Claudia Baumann and William J. Estrada, and Timothy Nichols and Olguis Gonzalez Nichols.

TUNE IN FOR SENIORS At the Memorial High senior car parade, the talented seniors of Memorial Broadcasting Company (MBC713) rode in separate cars but celebrated together. From left: Mary Ella Saueressig, Max Wang, James Klingberg, Jeanette Belt, Nicki Polocheck, Callie Gormley, and Reese Scarborough. Not pictured: Carson Lotz, who was out of town.

Bandwidth. Mary Ella Saueressig, Max Wang, James Klingberg, Jeanette Belt, Nicki Polocheck, Callie Gormley, and Reese Scarborough were in high resolution to celebrate graduation. The talented Memorial High seniors of Memorial Broadcasting Company (MBC713) transmitted their school spirit at the Memorial High school car parade in various cars with their future colleges. Mary Ella is going to University of Alabama, Max is going to play football at Harvard, James will be playing football at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Jeanette is going to University of Texas, Nicki is going to play basketball at University of California San Diego, Callie is going to University of Texas, and Reese is going to University of Arkansas. Let’s broadcast it. 

Aerodynamic. May in Houston was dreary with flooding, but for Cynthia and Mickey Mills, Miami was sizzling with torque at the Grand Prix. With over 200,000 race enthusiasts, the modern and luxurious Paddock Club with gourmet cuisine and free flowing champagne was home for the Mills. They luxuriated in the owner’s suite with outdoor balconies directly over the Start/Finish Line. They saw celebs like Marc Anthony and Camila Cabello, as well as professional athletes.

SHOPAHOLIC HEAVEN Admitted shopaholics on their Hong Kong trip were (from left): Deborah Dunkum, Mary Maxey, Ann Laird, Susan Hansen.

Asian delights. The Silver Moon set sail from Tokyo to Singapore, carrying a Houston group of friends that included Deborah Dunkum, Mary Maxey, Ann Laird, Susan and Dick Hansen, Pam and Bill Sengelmann, Lucy and Hal Moorman, Kathy and John Orton, Mary and Randy Wilson, and Connie and Tommy Wright. Stops were made in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. The group celebrated milestones, attended Destination Lectures by “Scholar at Sea” Dr. John Freedman, and learned shopping tips from “Shopaholics Anonymous” lecturer Carole Klein. Carole hosted a “Shop and Tell” get-together on the final cruise day, and the Houston group were proud to show off their treasures. 

Neighborhood that parties on. The Piney Point Manor neighborhood met some of their newest neighbors when celebrating their 18th Annual Spring Cocktail Party. Julie and Kasper Bihlet were gracious hosts in their gorgeous home, welcoming Cindy and Brian Atlas, Elizabeth and Clay Pritchett, Amy and Erik Voss, Susan and Richard Colquitt, Allyson and Dan Mark, Adriana and David Bain, Parendi and Berzin Bhandara, Brandy Humphrey, Amy Huynh, Bhavani and Ketan Patel, Billie Akhave, Vinod Kaila, Anuja Mehta, Roz and Byron Cooley, Kitty Oldham, Alisa and Richard Rowe. Guess who will be hosting next year?

Eclipse. They had the GPS set on the back roads for their eclipse adventure to Canyon Lake near San Antonio. Geoff Russell and friend Nancy Younger Kruka rented a recently remodeled double wide Airbnb. Nancy brought enough food for ten people, which they only ate about half of, according to Geoff; they enjoyed two great Italian meals in Canyon Lake. The eclipse itself was pretty amazing, despite it being overcast. When they took their glasses off, they realized that the area was almost completely dark, in a wonderful way. They plan to go to the next one with less food. 

EXECUTIVE BUSY BEES The new hive of Busy Bees at the Houston Junior Forum are: (front row, from left) Jaye Keepers, Debbie Berner, Kim Vidor, Krista Parker, Amelia Alder, Rita Berry, and Diana Root; (back row, from left) Deanna Berlanger, and Kaleigh Sale. Not pictured: Dale Kurtz, Lauri Wasmuth, Sharon Cook, Susan Fisher, and Linda West.

Busy bees. It was quite a scene of colony building at the Houston Racquet Club for the Houston Junior Forum’s 2024-2025 Executive Committee Installation. The president, “Queen Bee” Susan Rosenbaum, handed the gavel to the new master beekeeper and queen, Krista Parker. Krista has an admiration for worker bees and knows her new board will have those traits. The new hive consists of president-elect Sharon Cook, treasurer Diana Root, vice presidents Jaye Keepers, Dale Kurtz, Rita Barry, Lauri Wasmuth, Deanna Belanger, and Susan Fisher, and secretaries Amelia Alder, Keleigh Sale and Linda West. Newly elected members to the Recruitment & Admissions Council are Dawn Amithor, Gena Castilla, Ivonne Delgado, Charlotte Howell and Lisa Laumbach.

WIT reunion. Eva Archer Smith, Ginny Gremillion, and Suzanne Kerr were having lunch one day and discussed having a reunion of the WIT (Women in Transition from jobs and locations) group. All it took was an email – 20 members gathered for dessert and wine at Four Leaf Towers. By the time the two hours were over, a few officers were selected to manage quarterly get togethers. Some in the circle dishing on the last five years since they were together were Sally Dwyer, Jo Reid, Sue Bennett, El Matha Wilder, Sandy Wotiz, and Susan Cooley. Their former leader, Susan Lieberman, resides in California. Missed but not forgotten.

ARTISTIC BIRTHDAY An artistic 40th birthday celebration was held in artist Vincent Fink’s studio. From left: Cedrick Oudinot, Vincent Fink, and Anne Oudinot.

Artistic birthday. Where would an artist celebrate his 40th birthday? His studio, of course! Friends and family arrived at 5 p.m. for Vincent Fink’s 40th. His wife Tina Fink created her own art with hors d’oeuvres. World class muralist Anat Ronen gave Vincent a special gift bag of her art and Kyle Fu brought his well-known origami. Some of the many artists at Winter Street Studios that helped “paint the town” were Rhonda Lanclos, Olga Porter, Olga Tarasova, Monique Weston, Eddie Hall, Pius Knight, and Crystal Park. If you have seen the mini mural rooster painted on an electrical box at Little York and Hirsch, it was finished by Vincent during his birthday week. Something to crow about!

NORA’S HOME Chairs Arshad and Shazma Matin oversaw the World of Wonder celebration benefiting Nora’s Home. (Photo: Daniel Ortiz)

Home away from home. Doctors Osama and Lillian Gaber founded Nora’s Gift Foundation in honor of their seven-year-old daughter Nora who, after a fatal accident, donated several organs. The Foundation went on to create Nora’s Home: 32 family suites and support for pediatric patients traveling to Houston for solid organ transplant. This year, chairs Shazma and Arshad Matin oversaw the Nora’s Home Gala “World of Wonder” with belly dancing, and performances from International Voices Houston and Rhythm India. The event raised $820,000 from over 500 supporters. Dr. George Malloy got a standing ovation after a patient whose life he saved was interviewed. In the crowd were Ann and Karl Stern, Carla and Cole Dawson, Drs. Katherine and Peter Pisters, and Susie and Joe Dilg.

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