1961 – Fall ’21 Class Letter
1961 – Fall 2021 Class Letter
Class Agent:
BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61
H: (541) 778-6188 / C: (408) 309-1225 / [email protected]
Dear Classmates:
The 2021 Alumni Weekend was a wonderful trip of nostalgia. It was reassuring to see how much remained the same, yet it was also wonderful to see the excellent changes to the campus. Imagine my surprise when I noted the starting location of the alumni walk/run Saturday morning: The Spot! Ah, I remember it well. When the building where The Spot was located was sold to a publishing company, the College decided to name the student grill in the student union The Spot. Clever.
However, it was disappointing that only five of us attended from our year – all women! Joining me at the Golden R Reunion dinner were MARA LATSONS WARREN ’61, MARY BACHUS MILLER ’61, KAREN SCHNEIDER CENTER ’61, and EVANN “SUGAR” MALTBY BALMES ’61. It was a joy having CLAUDETTE BEALL LEE-ROSELAND ’60 meet up with us on Saturday afternoon although she could not stay for the dinner. But where were the rest of you guys? Hey, it could have been your last hurrah! Here is a picture of us at Alumni Weekend at the Golden R Reunion dinner with the donation check presentation:
In order from left to right:
RUTH POTTS FLECK ’66, MARY BACHUS MILLER ’61, MARA LATSONS WARREN ’61, BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61, KAREN SCHNEIDER CENTER ’61, and EVANN “SUGAR” MALTBY BALMES ’61.
Class notes:
MAC CLAUDER JESSE ’61 of Downers Grove, Illinois, sends her regards. Her son and daughter live close by so she can see her grandchildren every week. Following the Reunion, I stayed a couple of days with her before heading back to Oregon. During my visit we spent time searching for liquor from the Chicago Distillery Company to buy some Malort, which tastes God awful. Still haven’t tasted it yet. We had a wonderful time together. It’s a special treat when you reconnect with former friends and discover that your connection is as strong as if you had seen each other yesterday. Girlfriends forever!
MAC talked to JEANIE VERMILYE JOHNSTON ’61 recently who hopes that the three of us can go on a road trip together up to Ripon. Hey, how can we go to The Spot to buy a pitcher of beer? Anyone interested in coming along?
KAREN CARLSON ’61 of Novato, California, was married in Chicago in 1963 and, five years later, moved to San Francisco. With the birth of their daughter, Kimberly, in 1968, they embarked on a journey into the disability world where they were innocently and thankfully learners.
Upon her divorce, KAREN moved to Phoenix where she worked for a newspaper and went to Arizona State University. Upon graduation, she continued to the School of Law in Los Angeles and, afterwards, returned to the Bay area where she was employed by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company legal department and retired in 2000 after 20 years of service. KAREN continued working part time, at the Tiburon Library and Battleborn newspaper followed by a part-time job at a candy store for 17 years. Any free samples, KAREN?
As of this writing, due to COVID, she is at home writing Kimberly’s life story, their story of survival, and honoring the people who shined a light in their life. The title is, “Forty Years in the Desert, Now We’re in the Promised Land.” KAREN says she is a mother on her knees.
Now for some news from Ripon College:
Alumni Weekend:
Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.
Past fiscal year update:
A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.
Campus upgrades:
The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments.
Endowment:
The endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.
Start of the academic year:
Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols. To read more about the College’s COVID-19 response and current procedures visit ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.
Here is a link to the news stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news/.
Here is the link to the latest Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/.
If you use social media, check out these Facebook pages in addition to the main Ripon College page:
Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP
Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity
In memoriam:
CLAUDETTE BEALL LEE-ROSELAND ’60: May 28, 1938 – October 3, 2021
I was fortunate to reconnect with CLAUDETTE at Alumni Weekend. A remarkable person and artist. Her artwork can be viewed on her website at claudetteleeroseland.com.
Please, guys, stay in touch and keep us updated on what you are doing, and how you are surviving. I look forward to hearing from you, and to writing more updates from classmates in our spring Class Letter.
BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61