After church one Sunday morning in 1957 on the steps of Logan Hall - (left to right) are juniors and best friends, Marguerite "Peg" Crockett Allen, sue Sybert Allen, Judy Grove Kinter, Gerte Mortensen, Starling Simmions Bradley and Patricia Graves Berry. Today, the self-proclaimed "techie grannies" keep in touch via e-mail, say Sue Sybert Allen. "Now, we've all finally mastered computers and we keep in touch instantly."

"Do you girls remember what I taught you in 1959?" Grete Mortensen asks her former classmates in a thick Danish accent. "Skumgumipude," chimes Peg Allen, Starling Bradley and Judy Kinter. "I must have been out that day," laughs Sue Allen. "That's foam rubber pillow," Kinter explains. "I remember that like it was yesterday. I held up my pillow and asked Grete how to say what it was in Danish, and she taught us all. I also remember 'mis mis mis.'" "Kitty, kitty, kitty," says Peg Allen almost simultaneously. "That's a pretty good memory for 43 years later," says Bradley.

"It was a Sunday morning after church," says Sue Sybert Allen ('59), holding a 1957 photograph of herself and five Logan Hall suitemates on the front steps of the residence hall during their junior year.

Last summer the six suitemates returned to campus (some for the first time since graduation) to recreate the 43-year old photo of Marguerite "Peg" Crockett Allen of Harrisonburg; Sue Sybert Allen of Camden, N.C.; Judy Grove Kinter of White Post, Va.; Grete Mortensen of Denmark; Starling Simmons Bradley of Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Patricia Graves Berry of Charlottesville.

Mortensen, who was an exchange student in 1957-58, returned to the United States in 1997 and visited with all five Logan Hall friends individually. But until last summer, the six friends had not been in one place since graduation -- 43 years prior.

The six "59ers" lived in a suite on the third floor of Logan Hall -- Rooms 308 and 309, Mortensen recalls. "Three girls to a room on opposite sides of a common bathroom," she says.

"I don't know how three of us lived in such a small room," Sue Allen wonders.

After taking time out to recreate their photo, the roomies inquire about whether they can see their old room. Just then, a student exits the locked entrance of Logan Hall, and the eager roomies grab the door before it closes on their opportunity. Climbing the stairs to find their old rooms, the group passes a male student walking down the steps munching on a donut and drinking a Coke. Feeling quite conspicuous, Allen quips, "We're the building inspectors," to a round of giggles from her friends. Starling Bradley chimes in, "Yea, your mother sent us," prompting a chuckle from the startled student, and remembrances of "housemothers' rules" from the group.

As luck would have it, Sarah Sample ('05) is in her room -- now designated 319. "Well, either they changed the room numbers sometime during the last 43 years, or we've all got bad memories," laughs Mortensen.

Sample, who lets the women take a peek into 2001 JMU student life, apologizes for the "disorganization and messiness," but the roomies all give the same knowing glance. "Honey, we had three girls to a room, with three beds, two desks and not nearly enough closet space for girls who had to wear crinolines," Sue Allen replies.

"We couldn't wait to move into Wayland Hall during our senior year," remembers Peg Allen. "It was brand new; they were building it right next door while we were juniors. We jumped at the chance to live in a new dorm."

After pointing out the old laundry shoot, the housemother's door and built-in-the-wall phone booth stations to Sample and her friends, the 59ers say their goodbyes, thanking the freshmen for their hospitality.

Heading back down the three flights of stairs the group offers condolences to freshmen making the hike with boxes of clothes and supplies.

"I certainly don't remember it being this hot," quips Sue Allen. "Or the steps being this steep," Bradley laughs.

Michelle Hite ('88)