Marsha Adams Celebrates The Big 6-0

By Judy Kestner

Marsha Whiteside Adams, the first-born child of Dr. Robert and Maxine Fieg Whiteside, recently celebrated her sixtieth birthday with an adults-only get-together at the vacation home of her brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Kathi Whiteside.  Marsha's siblings and their spouses, Anne and Kevin Still and Bob II. and Kathy Whiteside, and her hubby, Bill, joined the festivities.

Marsha writes, "Too late in life my sibs and I have discovered the joy of getting together with our spouses--but not our parents or kids--to spend a few days celebrating whoever is having the big birthday.


"In early August we had a birthday rendezvous for my 60th, and that began my month long party. We met in Door County, WI, the peninsula of Wisconsin, on the Green Bay side. Jeff and Kathi have a darling 100 year-old cottage and a beautiful power boat there and graciously hosted us for a long weekend. We had a hot day (yes, they do have a few in Wisconsin) and spent the day at a beach on an island pigging out on sweet corn and Jeff's famous ribs. The next day was cool and a bit rainy but didn't stop us from taking a long cruise on their boat.

"One memorable moment--champagne and cake for dinner. Don't tell Mom! "

Here is a photo of the Whiteside kids on the "yacht."  Nice looking crew!

Sonja Davie Passes Away

By Judy Kestner

Sonja Thorsland Davie, sister-in-law to Jean Davie Fieg, died in Cooperstown on December 13 at about 3:00 in the afternoon from complications of a lung disease.


Sonja and her husband, the late Raymon Davie, are remembered as gracious hosts, opening the doors at their lakeside camp and their home on Pioneer Street not only to members of their immediate family but also to friends, acquaintances and friends-of-friends alike.  The conversation was excellent, the food superlative and the love palpable.

Jean Fieg, whose late husband V. Philip Fieg is founder of the Fieg Family Newsletter, said, "I always think of Sonja as being 39," and that young-at-heart attitude was her signature. 

Sonja's niece Diana Monaco said she was laughing and joking almost right up to the end.  I can hear her now.

Sonja is survived by daughter Lori Price, her husband John and son Jack of Leesburg, VA, and son Stephen Davie, his wife Sharon and their children Kyle, Ryan, Peyton, Dylan and Keelin of Chittenango, NY.

There will be a memorial service in the spring of 2011.

Photographer Adams Posts Asian Trip

By Greg Fieg

Bill Adams Jr. this year finished posting the results of his Southeast Asian photographic excursion, adding shots of Viet Nam to an online collection which previously included pictures of Egypt and various domestic locales.

The former Iowa Hawkeye, 30, who used his business degree with a heavy computer science emphasis to land a job as a psychiatric genetic research data base designer, is attempting to step into the photographic field full-time.

Billy traveled to Viet Nam's Mekong Delta in January with two Vietnamese-American friends whose acquaintance he made in his city of residence, Iowa City, IA.  The trio traveled for more than a month by bicycle, motor scooter and automobile from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi as Billy immersed himself in the culture.  He was welcomed with open arms as he visited the homes of his friends' relatives, who presented him with a dinner of roasted rat.  (Yum yum.)  During the trip he also tasted wild boar, squid, snails, snake, fried pig intestines and other local "delicacies." 

Often the food was purchased from street markets where there is no refrigeration, so everything was prepared fresh.  The Vietnamese also eat dog meat, but as far as Billy knows he didn't have any.  (Whew.)

Bill's pictures can be seen at http://www.billadamsphoto.com/, which features a broad collection of his work, and at http://www.billadamswedding.com/, which specializes in matrimonial subjects.  He also has a sideline as a rock and roll drummer. In fact he says, "I got my start (in photography) in college around 1999 shooting photos and video in the local punk rock scene."



Billy is the son of Marsha and Bill Adams Sr. of Dakota Dunes, SD and the grandson of Maxine and Dr. Robert Whiteside of Sioux City, IA.  He contributes free-lance work to the Iowa City Press-Citizen, the Chicago Pioneer Press and the Cedar Rapids Gazette.




Viet Nam Haircut -- Billy was waiting his turn....



Col. Edward L. Fieg Assigned to Middle East

By Greg Fieg

Col. Edward L. Fieg, who has been serving as deputy chief of medical staff at Travis Air Force Base in northern California, has received another assignment in the Middle East.  Dr. Fieg has been named director of Joint Combat Casualty Research in the Afghani and Iraqi theaters of war and will depart April 10, 2011.  This will be his fifth overseas assignment and his third in the Middle East.  The positions he has held include acting surgeon general for the Afghani government, a post which earned him the moniker "Edward of Kandahar" and a Bronze Star for service above and beyond the call of duty.

Ed is the son of the late Franklin W. Fieg and the former Marina Pizano, and grandson of Lothar Fieg Sr.