1985 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1985!

“Thriving in the face of adversity”
We are Ripon warriors! We face adversity head-on! We endure! We persevere! We encourage! We don’t give up! 
When I face adversity, I go through different phases, depending on the adversity (frustration, anger, perseverance, acceptance, facing situations head-on, moving on). I do a lot of self-talk, meditation, praying, focusing on my positive energy rather than the negative energy that brings me close to that “rabbit hole.” All in all, I believe adversity builds our strength and endurance for all the ups and downs our life journey presents to us.
Reflecting thoughts that have helped me thrive during adversity, especially this past year include:
Adversity can be turned to opportunity simply by adjusting our perception and our attitude. (Gayle Lynne Goodwin)
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind not with it. (Henry Ford)
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. (Mahatma Gandhi)
I asked fellow classmates how they thrive during adversity. I received the following from JEANNE TOMLIN GERBSCH ’85 and MARK MIHALIK ’85, respectively.
COVID-19 Challenges:
“I’m a school psychologist for a suburban elementary population. My school district has had in-person school every day since July 30. The precautions taken include masks, plexiglass screens between me and students, and lots of cleaning. Personally, I’ve been trying to eat and sleep well while also going for daily walks. We have had both students and teachers contract COVID-19 and whole classrooms have observed quarantine, but all have recovered to return to school. Our governor in Indiana has not prioritized teachers so there is still no plan for them to be vaccinated which is frustrating. I take it one day at a time and dream of travels we’ll make when it is again safe to do so.”
~Jeanne Gerbsch
“For me it was simple. I decided to retire! As a manager, I found it increasingly difficult to effectively manage remote employees. To me, the best thing about being a manager was interacting with my team – in person! As great as technology is, and the convenience of zoom, teams, etc., to me, nothing can replace in-person interaction. I really struggled with losing that, and was no longer enjoying my career. I was fortunate to have been in a position where retirement was an option. As such, my last day of work was 12-31-2020.  No regrets thus far!” 
~Mark Mihalik
And so, in the face of adversity, may you find the endurance and perseverance to ride the waves of conflict. I’m confident adversity will strengthen you as you ride life’s roller coaster!
Good news regarding Alumni Weekend! Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition including for our very own RUTH ANNE GERO ADAMS ’85, a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Citation Winner; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 35th Class Reunion, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

In personal news, my legacy, ERIN BARRIE ’20, graduated in the Ripon College Class of 2020!  🙂
In closing, may I suggest you face adversity one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time! Whatever it takes to get you to the “other” side.
Stay healthy! Stay safe! Be good to yourself!
HEATHER MCFADDEN BARRIE ’85/P’20
(262) 628-1377 / [email protected]
Your 1985 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Heather McFadden Barrie

1984 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1984!

I (VICKI VICHA ERICKSON ’84) hope that all is well with you and yours. Sending you all wishes of health and happiness as we try to put 2020 in our rearview mirrors. It’s been an interesting year of change and I’m hoping that there has been a balance of positives as well as challenges for all of you.
Over the years of writing and reading our Class Letters, I’ve learned our class is quite private. I am grateful to those of you who have shared some of their story with me either via email or by phone. Whether or not we were close in school, it is always a pleasure to catch up.
Class Notes:
KAREN MCCOY TACK ’84 of Riverside, Connecticut, is a freelance food stylist living in the NY area. Her positive memory of the past year will be spending time with her sons, Erik (25) and Liam (22).
DESIREE SWANSON STROM ’84 of Rochester, Minnesota, was one of those ‘fortunate’ parents to have a son graduating from high school and starting college during 2021.
SUSANNE SHEPHERD ’84 of Maple Shade, New Jersey, is currently a Warranty Claims Analyst at Subaru of America, Inc. She also recently became a grandma. Congratulations, Sue!
DAVE SHOGREN ’84 of Maplewood, Missouri, has been named as an outside trade advisor to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a four-year term on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Processed Foods. Dave writes, “This is volunteer work for me, but it should be a good networking and learning opportunity. I’ll have an opportunity to represent the voice of small/medium exporters in developing and sending international trade policy recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture.”
I had an opportunity to join SUSANNE SHEPHERD ’84, CINDY BEHNKE ’85, and BARB WILLIAMS CLAY ’83 for a Zoom spa evening hosted by MARY GERO GRONHOLZ ’84. We had fun getting caught up, sipping wine, and testing products.
While I’m not a big Facebook user, I enjoy the photos from BRET JAEGER ’84, ERIC LUSTY ’84, KEVIN DOHERTY ’84, LINDA ANDERSON ’84, JEFF SOLINSKI ’84, SHELLY ANDERSON BYRNES ’84, MIKE MULFORD ’84, and ANNIE WILLIAMS LUNDBERG ’84 share. With some of those food posts, we may need to have everyone bring a dish to pass at our next Reunion!
Good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend.  Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Don’t be a stranger – I’d love to hear from you. My phone number is (224) 656-3442 and email is [email protected].
Stay healthy & be safe,
VICKI VICHA ERICKSON ’84
(224) 656-3442 / [email protected]
CONNIE MOSER ’84
(847) 372-5410 / [email protected]
Your 1984 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Virginia Vicha Erickson & Connie Herbon Moser

1983 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1983!

The Clay family has remained healthy, safe, and thankful. Everyone in the immediate family has been vaccinated, but me (as of the time of me writing this letter)! I am in that group that isn’t quite old enough or an essential worker, so I am patiently waiting my turn. It seems so odd to be documenting this for a Class Letter, but history is in the making. 
We are heading to Colorado Springs in April to await the arrival of our first grandchild. John will be there for a week and then will need to head back home to teach school. I am able to stay for a month in an Airbnb just a half block away from our daughter and son-in-law. Exciting times as we await to meet our new grandson.
I’ve had the pleasure of connecting on a fairly regular basis with LEXIE SHEPARD KERMANI ’83, LYN ROSENBERG MCCARTHY ’83, ELI PETERSON GUZNICZAK ’83, and JULIE PYSCHER FELLINGER ’82. Also, I want to shout out to LARRY HUEBNER ’83 for networking with my neighbor who is a junior in high school. Larry was so gracious in meeting with him and having a second Zoom call to include his colleagues. Networking is a powerful way to give back and learn from others. Over the years, I have been trying to network with two new people each month. If I can be of help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 
Campus COVID-19 Updates:
Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested. Those who are interested in following the plans and procedures this semester, as well as tracking our COVID-19 positivity rate, can visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/ for more information.
#OneDayRally and Ripon Fund Updates:
Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28. Please save-the-date for this exciting day of supporting the Ripon Fund and sharing your Ripon spirit. This event has grown to be one of the most active days of virtual engagement for our entire Ripon College family, which means prospective students are taking note of this day, too. All alumni are encouraged to sport their Ripon College attire and post it on their social media platforms. 

• If you are interested in becoming a Social Media Advocate to promote our #OneDayRally and spread the word to reach our goal, please email [email protected] to receive a toolkit with resources in the days leading up to #OneDayRally.
• Thanks again for supporting the College this past year, especially those who supported the Ripon Fund, as well as #OneDayRally.

Alumni Weekend 2021:
Classes ending in 0’s and 5’s AND 1’s and 6’s will celebrate their reunions together because of the cancelation of the 2020 festivities. 2020 and 2021 award winners will be honored as well, including:

• Distinguished Alumni Citation: RUTH ANNE GERO ADAMS ’85, JAMES DANKY ’70, JON FASANELLI-CAWELTI ’75 (posthumously), BRIAN FREY ’91, LORI STICH OBLUDA ’91, WILLIAM QUISTORF ’80, and KENT TIMM ’81
• Outstanding Young Alumni: SARAH ANDERSON ’10, LUCY BURGCHARDT ’10, JEFFREY GRINDE, JR. ’16, and SAMUEL SONDALLE ’11
• Athletic Hall of Fame: NICHOLAS BEAMAN ’11, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS BUDZYNSKI ’98, TODD CIESIELCZYK ’87 (posthumously), SCOTT GILLESPIE ’11, AARON JOHNSON ’03, NATHANIEL KOK ’01, TROY YOUNGBAUER ’96

Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Class Note:
MARK FRANZEN ’83 and JANICE HEINZ FRANZEN ’83 of New Berlin, Wisconsin, are supporters of a new endowed scholarship that will link graduates of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Milwaukee and Ripon College, which will be called the The Franzen/Cristo Rey Endowed Scholarship. The full announcement can be accessed here. 
Thanks for the privilege of being your Class Agent and please take time to look for the blessings that come your way. Don’t hesitate to send me a class news update at any time. I always look forward to hearing from you!
BARB WILLIAMS CLAY ’83
(612) 749-5010 / [email protected]
Your 1983 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barb Williams Clay

1982 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1982!

What an interesting year this has been for all! I (KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82) hope that you are finding ways to continue to engage with others, whether it be work, play, virtual meetings or happy hours, or other ways! I think that many of us will be pleased when we can finally be together again!
Ripon College reports that things are going well at the school, with a healthy student body and many in-person classes offered. Admissions for next year are at a 30% increase from this year. Let’s hope for a continuation of this great trend!

Remember how much fun we had at our 35th Reunion (boat cruise on Green Lake, left)? As your Co-Class Agents, PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10 and I have been putting our heads together to come up with ideas for our 40th Class Reunion, scheduled for June of 2022! Several volunteers have stepped up to help and we thank you for your assistance! If you would like to take on any small part of this planning, from contacting classmates, to sharing old pictures, to organizing a fun outing, or something else, we are all ears! Please contact me at [email protected] or Peter at [email protected]. 
Let’s try to encourage as many of our classmates as possible to come back for our 40th Reunion! Whatever activities we choose for our group on reunion weekend, we are sure to have fun!
Class Notes: We have the following updates to share with you from our classmates:
ELIZABETH MELCHERT ’82/P’11/P’14 of Appleton, Wisconsin, writes, “Our daughter, KATIE LAVIOLETTE ’11, DPM, has completed her residency, is doing a fellowship in downtown Chicago in sports medicine, and is engaged to a classmate. They are planning for a New Year’s Eve wedding! I’m playing piano and organ for occasional online church services, am active in my twins’ Boy Scout troop, and have been working full time. We’ve stayed most busy during COVID-19, and happy to have had good health and vaccines!”
CHRIS ARTIG ’82 of Park City, Utah, reports that he retired on February 19th from 34 years as a senior engineer at Varex. 
THERESA SVITAVSKY COX ’82 of Durand, Illinois, retired in 2020 after 33 years of teaching physics and chemistry at Durand High School, Durand, Illinois.
LINDA JENSEN HALL ’82 of Cedar Falls, Iowa, writes, “KEVIN HALL ’82 and I have become avid pickleball players, and we were wondering if there would be any interest in having a fun pickleball match for our 40th Reunion. It is a fun sport that virtually anyone can play.” 
KEVIN SHERIDAN ’82 of Evanston, Illinois, writes, “2020. What a year! Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted many people’s businesses and ability to earn a living. The pandemic resulted in the cancelation of most of my live Keynote Speaking events. With that said, I have always found that there is always a silver lining to catastrophic events. Mine was the fact that I authored a management book 13 years ago called The Virtual Manager, which is all about remote work, remote workers, and virtual managers. Friends are calling me prescient. As much as I’d like to claim to be a soothsayer, this fact was strictly coincidental. The good news is that, as more and more organizations are finding the need to train their workers on how to best work in this new virtual work world, these organizations are also finding value in illuminating their managers on how to be the most effective virtual managers. The result is that I have a whole new income stream by conducting podcasts offering such training.
“On a personal note, I recently enjoyed a vacation in Scottsdale, Arizona, visiting one of my brothers. It was great to leave the brutally cold Chicago weather. Both of my daughters will graduate this year, one from The University of Texas in Austin, and the other from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. Thankfully, both of my daughters are healthy, happy, and achieving great grades. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them!”
Kevin was also recently named to The Employee Engagement Award’s Top 100 Global Influencers on Employee Engagement for three consecutive years, as well as being designated as a Senior Fellow at The Conference Board.
CATHY LOTHROP HAGER ’82 of San Ramon, California, writes, “We discovered the joys of vacationing in a motorhome. We were able to see family in Oregon twice over the summer very safely. To the right is one of my favorite pictures in Klamath, California that shows the signs of the times.”

 
 
 
 
 
STEVE SHEA ’82 of Cudahy, Wisconsin, writes, “I was elected to the Milwaukee County Board three years ago. The very first vote I cast as a member of the Board was to put a National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, N.O.R.M.L., sponsored referendum on the ballot. If that doesn’t remind one of Ripon College, I don’t know what does. Even though I didn’t run for office to reconnect with fellow Riponites, I saw classmate SIOBHAN CHAMP-BLACKWELL ’82 for the first time in 38 years when she came to town for a government conference.” 
As for me, KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82, my husband and son and I visited Yellowstone National Park this summer. It was my first visit to a National Park, and I think I am hooked! Other than that, we have enjoyed time with our kids (one grown and one in college) and are keeping busy with our work – me with the Austin, Minnesota Area Chamber of Commerce and my husband with the local PBS television station, KSMQ.
As for me, PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10, my news is that NANCY BUCK HINTZ ’82/P’10 and I have moved from Green Lake, Wisconsin, to Rochester, Minnesota to be closer to family. I will finish out my school year teaching here in Green Lake, and join NANCY in Minnesota this summer, and then will be looking for another teaching position in English to begin in the fall in Rochester. Teaching both in the classroom and on-line at the same time this year in the pandemic has proven most challenging! NANCY adds: We are happy to share that we are the proud grandparents of an eight-month old granddaughter and two grandsons, aged two and five years. If you find yourself heading our way, please let us know!
Obituary: Sadly, one of our classmates passed away in late 2019 and we just learned of it. 
BRENDA JOCHUM FOELKER ’82, age 59, passed away on December 6, 2019. She bravely fought mental illness for many years. Despite her courage and the best efforts of family and friends, the disease was incurable. Brenda was born on March 23, 1960, the daughter of Marvin and Patricia (Cowgill) Jochum. She graduated Valedictorian of Rio High School, then received an Undergraduate Degree in Economics from Ripon College. Her love of travel and music was fostered in college when she traveled extensively with her choir through Europe. This love of travel took her on many more U.S. and international trips with her family. Brenda spent many wonderful years as a homemaker, raising three children and living in Green Bay, WI. She was a loving and devoted mother that was active and involved in their schooling, sports and activities. During that time, she remained involved in the community as well as choirs and orchestras including the Dudley Birder Collegiate Chorale that took her to New York to sing at Carnegie Hall. Throughout her life Brenda also enjoyed reading, tending to her gardens, loved her dogs and holidays with her family. Brenda is survived by her daughter, Allyson (Matthew) Warren of Cincinnati, OH, Benjamin (Ann) Foelker of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Courtney Foelker of Cincinnati, OH, and her three grandchildren. Brenda was preceded in death by her parents and her brother David Jochum.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
Alumni Weekend:
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Looking Toward the Future:
As we find more of our long-lost classmates, we will share emails with Ripon College so that those classmates can stay up to date with other things going on at the college, in addition to all our reunion plans! If you have moved, or changed your phone number or email, please update your contact information with Ripon College here, https://www.ripon.edu/update-contact-info/.
As we close our spring Class Letter, let’s take this reminder to stay engaged, celebrate those that you love and stay connected, whenever possible. We wish to personally thank all of you who have taken the time to write and share your stories. 
Until next time, stay happy, be healthy and fill your days with fun!
PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10
(920) 229-4399
KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82
(507) 279-1091
Your 1982 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kristen Rasmussen Olson and Peter Hintz

1981 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1981!

Forty years ago, we were already into our final semester at Ripon College. Ready to go out and face the world and meet or make the destinies that Ripon prepared us for. Careers, families, and other adventures and challenges loomed ahead. Today, many of us are preparing for, or engaged in, new adventures, being empty nesters, grandparents, or even retirees. Overall, I think our class has done well by our alma mater. 
2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges for many, but the isolation imposed by COVID-19 forced many of us to think about how much we value our relationships with family and friends. I know it prompted me to reach out and reconnect. Hopefully, for you as well.
On the list of things to be proud of this last year was the $240,789 that the Class of ’81 contributed to the College. Not bad, but there are still a few classes that came in ahead of us. On April 28th, the College will hold this year’s #OneDayRally. Please keep it on your calendar and let us see if we can beat last year’s giving. Thank you all, for your generosity and your investment in the future.
Each time I hear from or read about Ripon or one of our classmates, I think about how lucky I was to have part of the Class of ’81. I had the pleasure to listen to a live virtual Valentine’s Day concert performed by WANDA HOUSTON ’81 and her band. Beautiful music that brought back some great Ripon memories. 
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www,ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special video recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 

• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 

• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition including for our very own KENT TIMM ’81, a 2021 Distinguished Alumni Citation Winner; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebration, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

We are looking for volunteers to help plan events and activities for the Class of 81’s Class Reunion. If you are interested, please reach out to me.
Class Notes:
TOM ABENDROTH ’81 of Evanston, Illinois, writes, “Terri and I continue to do well living in our little circle of safe family and friends. Since the cold weather, it has shrunk to our daughters Kate, Eliza, and the men in their lives. I have now been Chair of the Ripon Board of Trustees for four meetings and three of those have been virtual. I never would have imagined that. We did make it to Tanque Verde Ranch in Arizona for Thanksgiving this year, keeping the streak alive. Kate and her long-time beau Rob got engaged there. We are thrilled. We also got a couple of outside visits with my dad, BOB ABENDROTH ’51 and stepmom when the weather was still nice – meeting them at the stable where they keep their horse. They just got their second vaccine dose. Very grateful for that.”
TERRY CRAMER ’81 of Cable, Wisconsin, writes, “BRENDA JONES CRAMER ’82 and I moved permanently to Lake Namakagon in Northern Wisconsin, two years ago. We really enjoy every season and everything the area has to offer. We are just finishing up snowmobile/snowshoe/XC ski/ice skating/ice fishing season and preparing for the maple syrup season. After that, we are adding a puppy to the family – a flat-coated retriever. That and the lake should keep us busy through the summer. I will definitely be at our Reunion. I actually go every year to play in the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble. Over the holidays, we drove to Beaver Creek, Colorado for our nephew’s wedding (KEVIN ’82 and LORI JONES KING ’84’s son). Then onto Houston to play with the grandkids for a week. Then back to the lake. It was a nice little 4000-mile road trip.”
BLAINE GIBSON ’81 of Grafton, Wisconsin writes, “My daughter gave birth to a son last month, so I am a second-time grandfather.” Blaine was a featured panelist for a program through the Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion featuring Ripon College’s black alumni during Black History Month on February 11th with fellow classmate, KEN PINCKNEY ’81.
CAROLYN GUY ’81 of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, writes, “My wife, Crystal, and I are planning to join all of you for the 40th Class Reunion and we hope to enjoy some golf for the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble.”
WANDA HOUSTON ’81 of Sheffield, Massachusetts, writes, “There’s been a lot going on and 2020 has not been easy, but we keep moving forward. COVID-19 has forced all of us to do old things in new ways. As an entertainer, my world was turned completely upside down. Suddenly, what I do for a living was deadly to myself and others; every performance a super spreader event. So, we’ve bonded together and Zoomed, live-streamed, and recorded performances so that those accustomed to weekly shows could get their “fix”. It was also a way for us musicians to have the relief we get from being together and playing. The response from our fan base has been eye-opening and heart-warming.”
DAVE ’81 and KRISTEN KOHLES JANSSEN ’82 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, writes, “We traveled to Boulder, Colorado, this fall to celebrate the wedding of our son, Greg, (Ripon College men’s tennis coach in 2013) and Lindsey Sadler. Also found time to take a trip to Maui in February to escape the Wisconsin chill.”  
SUSAN FORREST-LOBB JEFFREYS ’81 of Phoenix, Arizona, says, “2020 was actually a good year for us. Mike is still in IT for Wells Fargo and made the work-from-home pivot fairly easily. I’ve really enjoyed seeing him more during the week! We’ve all managed to stay COVID-free and we got out a bunch of times in our self-contained motor home. The national parks were blissfully uncrowded! I did a lot of soul-searching this spring. I have realized after retiring from my corporate IT career that I would rather wear out than rust out on the couch. I did a number of powerful exercises to discover what would bring me joy and energy in the future. Long story short, I discovered that my Behavioral Super Power is Influencer and I’ve decided to become a Life Coach. I have named my business Courage Rises. This year will be all about creating video interviews on everyday stories of courage and bravery, teaching productivity and time management in a MasterMind format and gaining coaching skills. I’m excited (and a little nervous) about this new endeavor. Website to come, but for now, you can find my video interviews on YouTube by searching for @CourageRises. The first ones are a little rough, but they get better. :-)”
DONNA LESLIE ’81 of Mount Holly, North Carolina, writes, “Like most people I have been pretty much hanging out at home- although I am getting better at pickleball and the dog gets LOTS of walks. I hope to be able to make our Class Reunion, but that will be contingent on the speed of the vaccines here in North Carolina.”
LARRY NIKOLAUS ’81 of Colorado Spring, Colorado writes, “As for KATHY HARBUT NIKOLAUS ’81 and I, we have faced COVID-19 with lots of outdoor time, neighborhood walks, mountain trail hikes, some skiing, and tackling an overdue kitchen remodel. Like many of you I have been working from home 90% of the time still supporting the Space Force and mastering the art of Skype, Teams, and Zoom. Teaching my 86-year-old mother how to Zoom led to weekly Sunday Zoom meetings with her and all my siblings. Keeping my Boy Scouts engaged during COVID-19 has been a challenge, but I have managed to keep it going with virtual meetings and even a few virtual campouts. We plan to make it to the reunion and are looking forward to seeing all of you soon.”
KEN PINCKNEY ’81 of Glendale, Wisconsin, appeared with his wife, Lora L. Hyler, and their son, Will, on Thursday, Sept. 17, via Skype on the national television program “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest were the hosts. You can access a feature of this story here.
ANDREW ’81 and SUSAN ANGELL SCHMIDT ’80 of Wausau, Wisconsin, write, “Our son, Alex, will graduate from UW Madison’s School of Law this May. He is the fourth generation, fifth Schmidt to be an attorney. We are very proud of him. Sue and I also contributed to the first dog park for Wausau. This summer we can finally take our dog, Topaz, for a run in our city’s new dog park.”
Some sad news:
MARSHA L. BILLUPS-WEST ’81 of Richmond, California died July 30, 2020. At Ripon, she participated in volleyball. She previously had been a quality control manager for Greenworks USA. She was an active member of the Berkeley Mount Zion M.B.C. and was involved with numerous of its ministries, including culinary and greeters. She was an avid fan of the 49ers and the Golden State Warriors. She enjoyed playing tennis, shopping, reading, watching old movies, and attending concerts. Survivors include her husband, Larry D. West; her mother, Catherine Billups, of Richmond, California; one daughter and one stepson. 
Thanks to all of you that sent me notes for our Class Letter. Keep them coming.
Best wishes,
Larry
(719) 314-5531
Your 1981 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Larry Nikolaus

1979 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1979!

Well, as we get close to celebrating a year under wraps, it’s good to know that we’re all still here living, breathing, and enjoying life as we know it. To my knowledge, we have not lost anyone from our class to the virus. I know it’s funny for us, but, if you’re like me, you’ve been taking advantage of the “Senior Hours” at the local stores. Hey, we worked hard for this. I’m glad to know that we are all still here, still at it.
Here are some Class of 1979 News: 
LAURIE KOMBEREC OSBORNE ’79 of Oakland, California, became Laurie Bartlett on February 22nd when she married her long-time beau, Lyle. From the pictures that were on Facebook, she looks happy. Congratulations to the happy couple.
MIKE ZAHN ’79 of Merril, Wisconsin, has been busy writing and playing songs on his guitar. They are actually pretty good and Mike has an excellent voice. 
JAY KYP-JOHNSON ’79 of Batavia, Illinois, and a couple of DU’s in November launched The Phoenix Student Scholarship at Ripon College. The purpose of the scholarship is to support Students at Ripon who have had to overcome difficult life circumstances in order to continue their education. So if you are so inclined to give to Ripon in addition to the Ripon Fund, consider sending some money for the Phoenix Fund. 
MATTHEW BLAIR ’79 of Lexington, Kentucky, is sounding better as observed on Facebook. Let’s keep him in our prayers.
Speaking of prayers, BETH PALMBACH NEMECEK ’79 of Neenah, Wisconsin, is in need of a kidney. While she did have the successful transplant a couple of years ago, over the winter, COVID-19 struck and, as a result, her transplanted kidney was affected. She is back on dialysis and that is a saving grace, somewhat. We all know we’d rather see her in the same form as she was during our last Reunion. So, if you know of any way to help, reach out to Beth. 
TIM BEAUCHAMP ’79 of Seattle, Washington, had shoulder surgery and, from all indications, he’s doing much better. Rumor has it that he’s supposed to be Russell Wilson’s replacement when he leaves because of that rocket arm strengthened by the surgery. 

KEVIN L. WARMACK ’79 of Chicago, Illinois has had a busy and exciting February. He was featured in the CNO Financial “Associate’s Spotlight” for his comments concerning Black History Month. While the comments were exceptional, the picture that accompanied the comments was even better. KEVIN was dressed in Tiger Woods Red and Black but the Red was a Ripon College shirt with the Traveling Rally Cap. The picture was taken at Pearl Harbor on Saturday, December 7, 2019 while KEVIN was in Hawaii for “work!”
 
 
 

Kevin, along with BLAINE GIBSON ’81, KEN PINCKNEY ’81, and RYAN GAILS ’13, was a panelist on a Zoom call sponsored by the Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion. They discussed our professional lives after Ripon College as black men and answered questions from student interns that delved into subjects like our first steps after graduation; favorite parts of our Ripon College journey among a number of questions. 
COVID-19 Updates:
Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in the Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. 

• Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested.
• If you are interested in following the plans and procedures for how the College is faring with and tracking the COVID-19 positivity rate, you can visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/ for more information.
• For additional Campus news and talking points, you can find more at www.ripon.edu/news/.

#OneDayRally and Ripon Fund Updates:
Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28. Please save-the-date for this exciting day of supporting the Ripon Fund and sharing our Ripon spirit. This event has grown to be one of the most active days of virtual engagement for our entire Ripon College family, which means prospective students are taking note of this day, too. All alumni are encouraged to sport their Ripon College attire and post it on their social media platforms. As the day gets closer, you will be hearing from me.
Alumni Weekend 2021:
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Closing:
Pray for the College and the students. These kids are facing things that we could never have imagined in our years at Ripon. 
As always, it is a pleasure to write to Y’all. Also, when you get news, don’t hold on! Drop me a note so I can make your Class Letter the best!!!
Finally, until the herd immunity is there, wear your mask, wash your hands and get your COVID-19 shot (although I am enjoying a shot of Johnny Walker Red as I write this!!)
Love Always, 
KEVIN L. WARMACK ’79
(773) 220-5360 / [email protected]
Your 1979 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kevin Warmack

1978 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1978!

I hope this first Class Letter of 2021 finds you and your families in good spirits and most especially in good health! At the start of 2021, most of us are qualified (or just about qualified) for a priority COVID-19 vaccine group at age 65. Perhaps our fall letter will finally be when we have arrived at our new normal, post-virus, with vaccinations, and without masks and trepidation. 
As a class, it appears we have weathered the last year in fairly good health, but I expect that all of us have friends and family that have been affected and others of us are facing some very serious health challenges unrelated to COVID-19. That makes this an important time to reach out to our fellow classmates and faculty. I see that LARRY LAUX ’78 checked in on retired Professor Wayne Larsen in the last few weeks. MIKE CHAMBERLAIN ’78 and CHIN-WEI FONG’s ’78 request for publisher recommendations for their book detailed in our updates below gave me a chance to reach out to Professor Doug Northrop and Ripon College President Zach Messitte. The Ripon faculty and administration were happy to assist just like when we were students. Doug and Zach were immediately responsive to Mike’s request with recommendations for publishers.
If any of you would like to reach out to other classmates or faculty and need contact information, please let me know. I will do my best to find a way to help you reach out to them. 
The college continues to respond to other issues of great importance to us. You may recall from our spring letter last year that DANNI CALDWELL’s ’78 son is engaged to a woman, Suyi, from Myanmar. In January, Suyi was still there since getting her visa proved to be challenging in the former administration, compounded by COVID-19. Next, there was the added complication of the military coup following a general election on February 1. Suyi’s sister LYNN WHUT HMONE ’12 is a Ripon grad. Danni reached out to make sure Ripon leadership was aware of Lynn’s and Suyi’s plight. On February 9, President Messitte responded to Danni and other Ripon alumni and students by sending a letter of concern to United States Secretary of State Blinken urging him to “do everything that you can to protect democracy in Myanmar.” In the last decade, Ripon has graduated more students from Myanmar than from any other country outside the United States. Messitte further opined in his letter that “On behalf of our Burmese students and alumni, we stand with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace and development.” As of this writing, Suyi is still in Myanmar, but it was heartening to see that the college shares Danni’s concerns and did its best to help call attention to the issue and petition for a solution with the US government.
President Messitte has also led two very informative Zoom Town Hall meetings in the last six months to update Ripon alumni and to answer any questions. Any alumni are welcome to listen in to these updates and pose questions for Zach, his staff, and faculty representatives. If you cannot attend future iterations of these virtual sessions, please feel free to pass me your questions and I will pose them for you to the Ripon leadership.
Two key topics you may have interest in from those Town Halls is how Ripon is dealing with the COVID-19 issue for classes and how fall enrollment is coming along. Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested. With regards to enrollment, fall enrollment is projected to be the best in eight years!
I continue to work with our online class page on R Connections to add recent Class Letters to the archive and was able to add the list of our past Class Agents to the cover page in the last month. The past service by JEFF JOHNSON ’78 (78-84), HOWARD MOFFET ’78 (84-88), DANNI CALDWELL ’78 (88-95), JEANNE SPYCHALLA LIETZAN ’78 (95-99), and ROB MEYER ’78 & LYNN BANNON ’78 (01-07) is very much appreciated and should not go unrecognized.
Finally, congratulations to LISA WOLLAN ’78 on her selection to the Ripon College Board of Trustees! Our influence at Ripon continues to build as Lisa joins LIZ PECHA-POELKER ’78 on the Board. See some details in the classmate news section below. Take a minute to send Lisa a note of congratulations for accepting this honor to help guide the college during these very challenging times. Remember that both Liz and Lisa can help channel your issues and questions to the Board and provide a very accurate, up-to-date perspective with regard to the goings-on at the College.
HEADLINES FOR THIS LETTER: 

• ’78 Classmate Updates
• Faculty Updates of Interest
• Sad News
• #OneDayRally on April 28th 
• Alumni Weekend 2021 Updates
• Class Letter Updates for Fall Letter

’78 Classmate Updates: 
MICHAEL CHAMBERLAIN ’78 of Auburn, New York writes, “CHIN-WEI FONG ’78 and I spent the first six months of lock-down (March to August 2020) working on a book, tentatively titled, A Comprehensive Guide for International Students Applying to College in the United States. As you know, the landscape is littered with college guides geared toward high school students here in the United States, but there are no such guides for international students seeking admissions to US colleges. 
“The manuscript, now completed, has a heavy emphasis on liberal arts colleges with details on over 200 schools – including Ripon. The problem we’ve run into is the publisher that Chin-wei had lined up is no longer able to go forward with the project due to geo-political circumstances. That has left us scrambling a bit to find another publisher. What I am wondering is whether any of our classmates may have some leads or suggestions for nonfiction publishers or agents that we could contact? If so they can contact me or Chin-wei, with both our thanks.
Other than that, Chin-wei has been spending his time locked down in Malaysia and Singapore while I have been enjoying forced isolation here in Auburn. So, in addition to collaborating remotely and electronically, we have had frequent three-hour phone calls during the narrow windows when we’re both awake.”
KAY DREXEL HOLT ’78 of Sylvania, Ohio writes that she is “Still teaching at McCord Junior High. It’s been an interesting year, to say the least. There have been many challenges, but I have wonderful students who work hard and we have managed to persevere. I am still having fun teaching – plan to teach one more year for sure and maybe two. Speaking of small worlds: Bill & I went to Disney for Christmas, golfed almost every day. We got paired up with a cousin of one of my current students! Last, but definitely not least: My first grandchild was born in April 2020 so I will never say 2020 was the worst year ever — It ranks right up in the top for me!”
Smokin’ JOE KEEGAN ’78 of St. Petersburg, Florida challenged me on Facebook to the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Pushup Challenge in September. So, we recorded our efforts doing 25 push ups for 25 days and posted our videos to raise awareness for the plight of folks with PTSD. It wasn’t a fundraiser per se, but we did raise some funds for PTSD assistance organizations and definitely raised others’ general awareness of those both from the military and all walks of life that struggle with PTSD.
ROB “Tex” MEYER ’78 writes that he “Celebrated Birthday #10 on Feb. 28th for Cooper, the Super Duper Pooper Scooper Coonhound. Cooper has been keeping me alive here in Moscow, Idaho.”
The Reverend PAUL NANCARROW ’78 of the Twin Cities in Minnesota writes, “Thanks for checking in with us alumni/ae of ’78. It’s been a crazy year for all of us, I’m sure, and it’s kind of reassuring to be remembered by our class agent and our alma mater. When disruption and isolation can be such prevalent experiences for people, it’s always good to maintain the connections we have. 
“I don’t have much news to report: I’m just enjoying retirement. We’re sort of homebodies anyway, so when the pandemic required social distancing and staying at home, we were pretty much already there- we just had to start wearing masks. Not having a job to go to daily (and on weekends) meant I could do a lot more bicycling this past year: in 2020 I logged over 2,600 miles on streets and paths around southeastern Minnesota. That’s a big personal best for me–and a big step up from riding my old touring bike around campus at Ripon. While I haven’t published a new book, I have been writing a blog of theological reflections at paulsnancarrow.wordpress.com. That’s been a great way to gather up my academic studies and my parish experience into thinking about Spirit and life. Thanks for being in touch.”
GREGG PETERSEN ’78 of Columbia, Maryland has pursued birding and bird photography since the advent of the pandemic last March in lieu of teaching watershed classes that were cancelled by COVID-19 restrictions. He has used the nearby Gunpowder Valley Conservancy and Howard County Conservancy fundraising challenge events as forums to improve and showcase his photos of birds and other outdoor subjects. During a recent bird walk seeking Short-eared Owl sightings, he coincidently met Professor Doug Morris’ (see also Professor Morris’ obituary below) daughter Carla during a discussion about birds in Wisconsin. He now has another new local friend with Ripon ties. Carla said one of her best friends is Jenny Bowen who she attended Ripon High School with. Jenny is the daughter of our recently departed Professor John Bowen. It’s a small world. 
A classmate said you might be interested in his participation in a COVID-19 vaccine trial, so here it is: “I’m last in priority for vaccination at age 64 here so I volunteered to be part of an investigative vaccine protocol. I am a lab rat two shots into Phase 2 of an experimental protocol for the ARCTURUS-0021COVID-19 vaccine…which means I either have been given the placebo or one of three different levels of the experimental vaccine in a series of three shots given over a period of three months. Phase 1 is where they make sure the vaccine is not a danger and folks won’t have major adverse reactions. Phase 2 is to test the efficacy of respective doses. The protocol does not require me to be exposed to the COVID-19 virus. However, if I am infected with COVID-19 through day-to-day contact, I then report the infection to the vaccine investigation team that is led by two doctors and they bring me in for additional visits for interview, blood draw, and treatment if needed. After each of the three respective shots, I keep a daily diary of symptoms for a week, and after that, if I experience symptoms that may be COVID-related, I log those and if needed, make an exceptional visit to the research facility. Each time I visit, they take a few vials of blood and check vital signs to see how the vaccine is percolating in my system. For all of this, there is also a nominal fee paid for volunteering of up to $750 total. When I first signed up, the protocol duration was 14 months, which I thought was reasonable, but then they amended the protocol and extended the trial time to 20 months. At the end of the 20 months, they tell me if I received the experimental vaccine and in what dosage amounts. If at any time I decide I do not want to continue in the trial for the full 20 months and get vaccinated with an approved vaccine, I can opt out and do an exit physical. So, it’s possible that I may bail out if some activity I participate in requires vaccination, but I am in no rush to opt out now. And that classmates, is what is entailed in volunteering for a COVID-19 trial.” 
LISA WOLLAN ’78 of Minneapolis, Minnesota is a new member of the Board of Trustees at Ripon College. Lisa earned an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management. She has worked for Dun & Bradstreet; in consumer-packaged goods brand management for General Mills (Minneapolis) and Kraft (Chicago); as vice president of marketing for a division of Keystone Foods; doing international consulting projects in India, Argentina and Thailand; and in marketing for Wawa Inc. in Philadelphia. She retired in January 2019. The official announcement can be accessed here.
Faculty Updates of Interest:
Paul Schoofs, professor emeritus of economics, and Patricia Parker Francis, professor emeritus of economics, are quoted in an article in the September issue of Insight on Manufacturing, based in Appleton, Wisconsin. “New Deal: Dairy Industry is optimistic USMCA can deliver a boost” states: “2020 was poised to be the year Wisconsin’s long-suffering dairy industry finally began to rebound, but just as the future was brightening, the pandemic hit. … One bit of help for the dairy industry could come from the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, which went into effect July 1.” They also continue to give interviews about current economic issues for area radio stations.
William Woolley, professor of history emeritus, was profiled Sep 2, 2020 in the Ripon Commonwealth Press. The Ripon Rotary Club had awarded its highest honor, the Paul Harris Fellowship, to Woolley for having made significant and lasting contributions to the community.
Sad News:
WAYNE G. DAVIS ’76 of Winterset, Iowa died on November 6, 2020 at the age of 66. At Ripon, he majored in art, worked at WRPN Radio and the College Days student newspaper, and was a member of Beta Sigma Pi. Survivors include his wife, Kim, and one son. His first wife PATTI CARVER DAVIS ’76 died in 2002. More details in the Ripon Magazine.
THOMAS A. HOEHNE ’83 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin died January 13th, 2021. Thomas was the brother of TED HOEHNE ’77 and brother-in-law of KAREN STOCKDALE HOEHNE ’78. More details in the Ripon Magazine. 
Professor Doug Morris of Middleton, Wisconsin professor emeritus of music and founder/artistic director of the Green Lake Festival of Music, died Dec 4, 2020. He received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Tennessee, his master’s from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a baritone soloist, lecturer, conductor, composer, adjudicator and clinician, and led numerous choir tours abroad. He was at Ripon for more than three decades, teaching, coaching voice students and conducting the choirs, and won numerous teaching awards. He founded and served as artistic director of the Green Lake Festival of Music, and also was the choral director at First Congregational Church and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Ripon. He was an avid tennis player and won several state championships. Survivors include his wife, Sharon Fitzmorris; one son, two daughters and two stepdaughters.
Louise Shang of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a former archivist at Ripon College, died November 22, 2020. Survivors include one son. Her husband, Professor Emeritus of English William Shang, died in 2015. More details in the Ripon Magazine.
#OneDayRally on April 28th: 
Our goal for the next #OneDayRally is “78 for ’78” (donors). We had 63 donors last year, so we ask that 15 more of you to give this year. Please be kind (and responsive!) to LOUISA GEBELEIN JONES ’78, LISA WOLLAN ’78, LIZ PECHA-POELKER ’78, SUE FEITH SHANNON ’78, and me if we call or email you around April 28th for your support. Oher class agents are calling me to find out what our secret to participation is. It is quite simply each of you donors continuing to demonstrate your affinity for Ripon in its “Most Loyal Alumni Class” as Louisa Gebelein Jones has named us. If you prefer, you do not need to wait until April 28th to give, you can mail your contribution in now with a note designating the funds for the #OneDayRally. The mailing address is: Ripon College Ripon Fund, PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971-0248.
Here are some school year 2019-20 class giving ranking statistics that embody our class’s generosity: Class of ’78 #1 in Total Number of Donors (85, next closest class is ’69 with 68), #3 in Total giving percent (behind ’47 & ’48 who have a total of 4 and 12 solicitable donors), and #9 in Total (Amount) Giving ($143, 820.21). We continue to climb the total giving board as our circumstances allow, but our main goal is to have as many classmates participate as possible.
Alumni Weekend 2021 Updates:
I know many of us can’t wait to travel again, so I wanted to mention that the College has announced plans for this summer’s Alumni Weekend. Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Class Letter Updates for Fall Letter: 
We always want to hear from you! In a serious final note, ROB MEYER ’78 said I could share with you that he is recovering from throat cancer surgery. I request that you please keep Rob and our other ailing classmates in your thoughts and prayers. Despite the expected bills from his extended hospital stay, Rob will still be giving to One Day Rally, just like every other year. That’s a great example of the indomitable Class of ’78 spirit!
Best wishes and warm regards,
GREGG PETERSEN ’78
(410)-884-0407 / [email protected]
Your 1978 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Gregg Petersen

1977 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1977!

Serving as our Class Agent means that I write one letter each semester that is sent to members of our class. I’ve been in this role since the spring of 2010 when NANCY BERRY TOLLESON ’77 phoned me one evening and asked if I’d be willing to rescue her from the Class Agent role that she had been serving for five years. She had followed in the footsteps of LARRY MALCHOW ’77/P’14, MARSHA TOLL ’77, and CLAIRE SANTARELLI GREGOIRE ’77. It has been a great privilege to have this role. If you have dreamed about taking over, talk to me, otherwise, I’ll keep serving.
This has been fun because it has brought me closer to our college than I had been in most of the years since 1977. And it has occurred partly during the years that two of my children attended and graduated from Ripon. Between this role, being a parent, and attending some of the annual Alumni Weekends, it sometimes feels like college wasn’t really 44 years ago.
I like hearing from you (either directly, or through notes you send to the College) because it helps me write this letter. I noticed that this time I’ve heard from three women, all with the letter “J” beginning their names. Let’s have some more variety in my next letter.
Class Notes:
JEAN “J.J.” VAN NAME ’77 moved to the Bay area of California in 2018 primarily for the strong Shakespeare community and has been cast in five plays, recently receiving a BATCC (Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Circle) nomination for Best Principal Actress in the San Francisco premiere of THE CAKE.
JANE STURTEVANT ’77 of Surprise, Arizona, writes, “I traveled to Iceland just before the pandemic started. Gorgeous place, so glad I went!”
JEAN BLACK ’77 of Inverness, Illinois, replied to my Facebook request for news to share: At the moment, nothing significant to add, just varying episodes of sadness throughout the past year. We were saved as a year ago we were set to sail on the Grand Princess – the one that couldn’t dock because of COVID-19. Wow! So, after that lots of bird watching, yard work, walking, cleaning, and dealing with several family health scares. Now constantly shoving mounds of snow and chipping inches of ice off of our driveway while waiting to get the vaccine in our arms. Looking forward to getting out to see people again!
Personally, I am finally free of a job. In October I decided my employer wasn’t respecting COVID-19 safety enough, and I was worried. With only five months until my planned retirement date, I decided to leave a bit early. I must say that I enjoy retirement and the change in responsibilities. I had been an IT Department worker and was always on call.
I was a member of the Beta Sigma Pi fraternity. The fraternity ceased existence years ago. But we had one member, Harvey Keck, a very mysterious guy who seemed always to be around while apparently unseen. (Okay, he is a myth.) In the past several years Harvey has been sending emails to all of us and has gotten us to start having monthly Zoom meetings. Because most of us didn’t know each other, and others have been forgotten, one of our members (MIKE ZEHFUS ’76) took on the role of collecting short “bio sketches” from the brothers and then sharing. That’s been fun to read. Any interest in doing something like this with our class?
MICHAEL POULOS ’77 shared something with my fraternity brothers, and I’m sharing with you. In 1976 the College celebrated its 125th anniversary. In 2021, we celebrate the 170th anniversary. Michael wrote, “For the 125th, I conducted the brothers of Beta Sigma Pi kazoo band, and then I conducted the Ripon College Chamber Singers in my own ‘Choral Variations on Happy Birthday Ripon College’ in a packed Memorial Gym.” You can hear his recording here.
You may be aware that Ripon College has been working to increase the size of its endowment so that it has the money it needs to help students attend an affordable school. In March, it was announced that the endowment had grown to $100 million. Zach Messitte, Ripon College’s 13th president, said: “The larger the endowment, the less we have to rely on students’ tuition dollars. Over the decades, alumni and friends have been incredibly generous, believing in our mission. They have donated their time, treasure and talent to make sure our future will continue to be bright.” We are still growing the endowment and welcome your help. To read more, click here.
As you know, Ripon College is always seeking donations. The fiscal year ends June 30, so this date is always mentioned in fundraising appeals. Normally we have an Alumni Weekend in late June, just before that deadline.
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021
In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 
AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.
Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
I believe this letter will be emailed to you, so perhaps this announcement will reach you in time. Ripon College will celebrate One Day Rally (#OneDayRally) on April 28. This is a newer tradition. At its core, #OneDayRally is meant to bring everyone together as a community to celebrate an institution that has shaped the lives of so many in unique and similar ways. Join us in reaching our goal of 2,021 donors in 20 hours and 21 minutes! 
Last year, 2015 donors contributed $1,918,598 for the Ripon Fund and the new Emergency Assistance Fund. Please join us this year. We’re even having a photo contest if you have an old picture, or even something newer, to share, click here.
Remember that your financial help is very important to help keep Ripon a competitive and quality institution. Your donations are important every year. Your participation is very important.
Here is a picture from Alumni Weekend in 2019. Pictured from left to right are: JEAN BLACK ’77, MARYJO MACSWAIN ’77, Myself (Alan), CONNIE JESS ZOLKOSKE ’77, and my wife Diana P’08/P’14. Inspire yourself to attend this summer, or any summer. Our class has a five-year get-together in 2022 to celebrate our 45th anniversary of graduation.
Please send news about yourself either to the College or to me to be shared in our next Class Letter. We’d love to hear from you. Also, if you aren’t already a member of the Class of 1977 Facebook group, please join.
Always for Ripon, 
ALAN LAWRENCE ’77/P’08/P’14
(920) 730-9515 / [email protected]
Your 1977 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Alan Lawrence

1976 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1976!

Hello Classmates!  
We are sure most of you are glad to put 2020 in the rearview mirror and are looking forward to some sort of return to normalcy in 2021! I (PETER TUZ ’76) had my first COVID-19 vaccine shot last week and can’t wait for the second. Having a daughter in Germany with our three grandchildren, not being able to travel was the real bummer for me in 2020. We are sure many of you have similar stories. Feel free to share them with me ([email protected]) or MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76 ([email protected]). 
As you plan your year, one event we would like you to add to your 2021 plans now is our 45th Reunion.
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

In the meantime, since our last Class Letter we have heard from DAVE SCHWIER ’77 who is retired, living in Minneapolis, has had COVID-19, and is now enjoying a well-deserved trip to Costa Rica with his wife KATHY CULLEY ’80.
Fellow Minnesotan, PHIL JENNI ’76, continues his work as executive director for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, mostly remotely from his home in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Like many of us, he hasn’t been able to visit his children and grandchildren who are living in Madison.
GERALD ROTHROCK ’76/P’12 is now officially a snowbird, spending half of the year in Maine and the other half (plus one day) in Florida where he and his wife Liz ’P12 purchased a house in the past year.
CHIP SOUTHGATE ’77 and his wife MARCY BILLINGTON SOUTHGATE ’77 have lived in Keene, New Hampshire for 30 years. They have four grandchildren. He, DAVE SCHWIER ’77, and PHIL JENNI ’76 took a bike trip around Wisconsin’s “Driftless Region” a few years ago and were able to visit Professor Bill Woolley P’92 at his home in New Berlin, Wisconsin. Chip shared the accompanying photos of the three bikers as well as one of Dave, KATHY CULLEY ’80, Paul Axelrod P’12, Michelle Fuerch P’12, Marcy, and Chip on a trip to Costa Brava in 2018. They all look exactly the same to me. 
CANDI HUTCHISON ’76 writes, “I am back in Colorado after a longer than originally anticipated time in Louisville, Kentucky. Up until Louisville, we had lived in several places, each for a handful of years. The impetus for the locale was to experience various parts of the country. The south-central region, in my opinion, is an unsung jewel, both in beauty and history. I’m not sure what had us embedded in the area for so long but the snug complacency seemed to deaden an inner vitality, so it was time to wake things up. I went to grad school in Boulder and spent my early adult years there. When it was time to pull up stakes, I knew then I would return west someday. I wasn’t sure it would be Colorado but here I am in Loveland, Colorado. I thought I would rebuild my staging and home/business styling company of 15 years here, but I should have known since my intention for the move was a psychic angioplasty, opening the channels for enhanced flow, that trying to recreate the same situation could not occur. Over a few months, I would set up staging appointments with homeowners and realtors and a plethora of extraneous reasons lead to most being canceled. It became quite humorous and a resounding ‘OK, I get it,’ prevailed. In waltzed COVID-19 and out sprung brushes, paint, and an expanded dedication to my fine art. Like with most new ventures, getting the word out is part of the leg work. I am using our Class Letter to do just that. (Thank you MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76 and PETER TUZ ’76 for picking up the well-championed job from JULIE CARLSON ’76 and connecting us once again.) I invite you to visit my website (candi-art.com), share it with others, and give an original art piece to someone special. This year is our 45th Class Reunion and stepping out from around the corner is our 50-year Class Reunion…oh, my gosh! Ripon memories remain vivid and those experiences were a rich and vital launchpad.”
TOM BROMAN ’76 of Barneveld, Wisconsin, spoke via Zoom on November 11, 2020, for Dr. Barbara Sisson’s “Biology of Cancer” class at Ripon College. The discussion centered on President Richard Nixon’s “war on cancer” and the impacts it has had on technology and research. Classmates MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76 and STEPHEN PUGH ’76 also joined via Zoom for Tom’s discussion.
ELLEN COLE SMITH ’76 of John’s Island, South Carolina, writes, “We are moving after 22 years in Atlanta to Seabrook Island, South Carolina.”
MARK TESIK ’76 of Portage, Wisconsin, is a chaplain at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. He is thrilled to see our new Class Agents are hard at work and looks forward to our 45th Class Reunion in 2021!
RICHARD RUSSO ’76 of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a new member of the Ripon College Board of Trustees. The official announcement can be accessed here.
KITTY NORTON ’76 moved to Springfield, Virginia, in January 2020 to live with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. She has been working with Wells Fargo Advisors for the past 22 years. She wishes us all a happy and safe 2021 and adds that she’s ready to travel and would like to see friends and fellow 1976 classmates JULIE CARLSON ’76, KAREN VOWELS EARLE ’76, and RUTH ANN STODOLA ’76. 
We also have some sad news to share:
WAYNE G. DAVIS ’76 of Winterset, Iowa, died Nov. 6, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in art, worked on WRPN radio and College Days student newspaper, and was a member of Beta Sigma Pi. He was an advertising director for Mills Fleet Farm, vice president of advertising for Central Tractor Farm & Family, and director of marketing for MicroFrontier. He was owner/president of TYPExpress and Digimage Arts where he used his skills in photography and videography in website development and marketing. He enjoyed traveling and served as a documentarian and ambassador for the Madison County Chamber of Commerce and secretary for the John Wayne Birthplace. Survivors include his wife, Kim; and one son. His first wife, PATTI CARVER DAVIS ’76, died in 2002.
We hope to hear and/or see from as many of you as possible in 2021. 
Stay safe!
Peter Tuz ’76
[email protected]
Michele Baran Wittler ’76
[email protected]

Submitted by: Class Agents: Peter Tuz & Michele Wittler

1975 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1975!

To gather or not to gather – that is the question – like so much of COVID-19 pandemic life for the past year! I certainly would like to gather, and the good news is I now have information to share about this summer’s Alumni Weekend plans. Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition including for our very own JON FASANELLI-CAWELTI ’75, a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Citation Winner; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 45th Class Reunion, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

In personal news, I’m enjoying my new job as editor of twice-a-month and monthly news magazines and relish any time walking on the beach with my husband or hanging out with my grandkids (Matthew is 4 ½ and Amaris is 3 ½, he loves LEGO fire engines and she loves to toss a ball, so much fun!), but I’d like to see all of you, too!
In California, we have seen COVID-19 cases decline rapidly since the Christmas holiday. This makes sense. A contact tracing study in New York State of 46,000 cases found 74% came from private family or social gatherings (and my guess is masks were not worn). But California’s vaccine rollout has been slow and confusing with shortages, and people have different opinions about whether older people (65 and up, like us) should get the vaccine first (because the death rate is higher for people age 65 and up) or whether teachers should get priority so children can get in-person instruction.
Ripon College started classes virtually on January 25 after campus-wide testing and then the small number of cases and low positivity rate of .26 percent allowed in-person instruction to begin. The campus dashboard shows zero percent of isolation and quarantine beds in use as I write this. Updates are posted at https://www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.
Despite the challenges, the campus reports good news on the admissions front: A 30% increase in deposits by incoming freshmen, a 40% increase in athletes three times more students from the four-county area surrounding Ripon, about even between men and women, with 35% first-generation students, which is up slightly.
I will say I am looking forward to our Class Reunion the first weekend in August, and so is RICK ESTBERG ’75 our Ripon Jeopardy host. He emailed me before a Zoom call in which we received updates on Alumni weekend saying, “This year I don’t think we can be stopped!” Hopefully, we get to see many of you at our Class Reunion on Saturday, August 7.
Also, #OneDayRally will take place on April 28 to generate support for Ripon College. The goal is to get 2,021 people to give (How did they pick that number?!!). You’ll see updates on Facebook throughout the day. The theme will focus on how things change, but overall stay the same, and how Ripon College is thriving in the face of adversity. Alumni leaders will be promoting this day with t-shirts and stickers so now you’ll know what #ODR means!
Here’s the class news. Please email me at [email protected] to submit more news anytime you have anything to share!
BILL BRADBURN ’75 of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been designated an Indiana Artisan because of his crafted writing instruments. He is among 221 visual and food artists in 56 counties whose work carries the prestigious designation. You can read a feature story on Ripon College’s website here.
“My desire is to design and make writing instruments that blend utility and beauty,” Bradburn says. “Owners might transcribe to-do lists and manuscripts, lecture notes and love notes, symphonies and sympathy letters. Only writing tools crafted with great care can fully honor their owners and what they will record. Quality and uniqueness are keys to the work. I want the owners of my writing instruments to have complete confidence in the quality and durability of their purchases. They know that they will not see an identical design anywhere else; their writing instrument is distinctive.”
See his work at penchant4.com. Email him at [email protected]. At Ripon, Bradburn majored in drama.
DIANA “DUSTI” AUSTRING ’75 emails from New Zealand: “I’m still relishing my personal sanctuary space here on Waiheke (Aotearoa / NZ) and have now lived at the same actual address for over 21 years! This from the gal who’d never lived in any one town longer than three years, and attended 13 schools before coming to Ripon for three years.
“I’ve finally kinda-sorta retired except for the continued casual relieving I do at our local library. There wasn’t a lot of work from March-October, but I’ve been back to 1-2 shifts per week on average. I love spending time working in my yard (quarter-acre with BIG TREES in the front half), playing with my 13-year-old Choc Burmese cat, Bijou (who thinks she’s the bees’ knees when it comes to clowning around), reading, and playing pickleball several times per week (when lockdown permits, of course!) And, of course, still keeping my USANA business going–EveryDay4Life–and taking my nutritionals every day, and haven’t been sick and am still on no meds of any sort. 
“I spent a lovely month in Perth (Australia) with my youngest son and his family (Kris & Tory, and granddaughters Natasha Caroline (5), Sienna Rose (3), and Isabelle Scout (1) from January to February 2020. 
“Then back home for a week before heading to Tombstone, Arizona for a visit with my siblings on the “home turf.” Drove to Colorado (with my sister ROBERTA AUSTRING ’70, who lives in Kodiak, Alaska) the first weekend of March and had a great family reunion with cousins, some of whom I hadn’t seen since the ’60s! That was when everything COVID-19 started hitting the fan up there, but we managed to get through our weekend with no issues among the 30-odd people who descended on one cousin’s luxurious B&B at River House, in Durango, Colorado. 
“Was back quietly enjoying the property in Tombstone when advised by the New Zealand government on the 15th that if I wanted to get back into New Zealand, I should do it ASAP because they were likely to close the borders soon. I managed to change my flight from the 30th to the 19th, and had a surreal trip back home. I arrived on the last day they still allowed returning travelers to use public transport to get home–and was allowed onto the Waiheke ferry only after all others had boarded, being ushered to the top deck all by myself. Didn’t really matter that I was required to isolate for 14 days, as that’s when the first lockdown happened anyway. A friend who returned the next week was required to go straight into managed isolation regardless of living locally, so I was very lucky to get back when I did!
“With COVID-19, we’ve been through two lockdowns (the 1st total lockdown from 25 March-27 April; the 2nd all-but-lockdown from 12-30 August) and are likely to have more as there are still citizens returning from overseas (and far fewer leaving) so many that our population has grown to over five million now. Returnees are isolated/quarantined for two weeks, but there have been a couple of instances of COVID-19 in the community from frontline workers and/or people just out of quarantine who then test positive. So far they’ve been caught and tracked quickly enough, but there’s always a chance… 
“I feel almost guilty to be here with virtually no COVID-19 threats or restrictions at present, and knowing what is going on in the U.S. and so other many parts of the world. Masking is required for public transport, but there are no current gathering or travel restrictions, and life goes on again almost as ‘normal.’ Our ‘Team of Five Million’ stands ready, though, to react quickly should it again be needed.
“I hope that things improve elsewhere and that you will, indeed, be able to have a gathering later in the year.” She’s at [email protected].
LITA KATZ ’75 of Silver Spring, Maryland, emails: “My grandson was born April 15. He and his parents live only about ten miles from us, but because of the blankety-blank pandemic we haven’t been able to get together much. We all isolated for a while when his daycare was closed toward the end of December, so we got together on January third before he went back to daycare and my daughter Sarah went back to work. I hope to get to the reunion in June, and do some other visiting in the Midwest.” She’s at [email protected].
LINDA MOGICATO SASSER ’75 is still enjoying life in Arizona with Carey, her husband of 41 years. Since COVID-19 put a kibosh on her live speaking, in 2020 she began doing webinars, and currently offers some on memory, brain health, and sleep. Linda and Carey stay active by biking, kayaking, swimming, and playing bocce. My son, Scott, is an attorney in California, and daughter Nicole and husband in Orlando are due to give Linda and Carey their third grandson in March. Linda’s book “Brain SENSE: A Guide and Workbook to Keep Your Mind and Memory Sharp” continues to sell on Amazon. She’s able to be reached at [email protected].
MARY ELIZABETH JENKEL DELK ’75 emails from Austin, Texas: “COVID-19 numbers in Texas are dropping and things seem to be getting ‘back to normal’ pretty quickly. We were able to see our grandkids throughout, which helped considerably. We all spent Thanksgiving in Green Bay celebrating my mom’s 90th birthday. It was a real treat to all be together. If any of you find yourselves in Austin, Texas, please call or stop by!” She’s at 763-442-0919 and [email protected].
SCOTT TREMBERTH ’75 emails from Henderson, Nevada: “Glad you’re doing good, Jondi! Stay safe.” He’s at [email protected].
And I have some new emails for classmates.
R.P. ASHLEY III ’75 is at [email protected].
JON FASANELLI-CAWELTI ’75 is at [email protected].
GLEN NESPER ’75 is at [email protected].
LESTER PAGANO ’75 is at [email protected].
ANDY RICHARDS ’75 is at [email protected].
And I’m looking for new emails, if you can help, for STEVE ANDERSON ’75, EDDIE CASELBERRY ’75, BARBARA POTTER DAVIDSON ’75, RANDY GOREE ’75, and DENNIS O’LEARY ’75.
Please stay in touch and let’s hope for the best in 2021!
JONDI GUMZ ’75
H: 831-461-1120 / M: 831-461-5946 / [email protected]
Your 1975 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jondi Gumz

1974 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1974!

It’s been a wild winter in Chicagoland. Most of our snow arrived all at once, accompanied by frigid temperatures. But, as I write this, we are experiencing mild weather which is melting the ice and starting to make headway on getting rid of the snow. Everyone here is ready for spring. We are also ready for a bit more freedom.
Many of you report having received your first COVID-19 vaccine and are looking forward to the second. By the time you read this, ANDY MACLEOD ’76 and I will have received both our vaccines, as well. Of all the things we look forward to doing, safe stress-free visits with our family tops the list. How about you?
I know many of us can’t wait to travel again, so I wanted to mention that the College has announced plans for this summer’s Alumni Weekend. Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

I will try to keep you informed as to updates on Alumni Weekend. Also, since many of us have fond memories of the Heidel House, I thought you would enjoy hearing that the new owners have been making extensive renovations and plan to reopen this summer. In addition, the Heidel House yacht was sold to a company that plans to provide sightseeing tours around Green Lake. It will dock at the Heidel House, as well as downtown Green Lake. This is all in the early planning stages but I will try to keep you informed. If you are interested, you can follow the Heidel House’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HeidelHouse2021. Heidel could be an additional gathering spot (and lodging) for our 50th Class Reunion!
A few of you report some pandemic weight gain, and I’m sure you’re not alone. We have been ordering carry-out and delivery from our favorite spots to help them stay afloat, but it soon became apparent we would have to increase our daily exercise. Happy to report we seem to have found a balance, thank goodness!
On that subject, SCOTT DICKS ’74 of Middleton, Wisconsin said, “The pandemic is keeping me very bored. My coffee and Scotch consumption are up, which probably explains my weight gain. However, I have been trying out all kinds of new recipes which hasn’t helped my poundage either!”
SUSAN DELVALLE CARR ’74 of Columbus, Ohio, retired as a Youth Services Librarian at the Westerville Public Library. Congratulations, Susan! Now you will have more time for your own reading and anything else that strikes your fancy!
MARK CHEVALIER ’74 of Annandale, Virginia, writes, “My daughters, Jacqueline and Caroline, delivered two baby boys a week apart!” Wow! Heartiest congratulations, Grand-Dad!
KIM KOBRIGER ’74 of Henderson, Nevada, reports he has bought a condo in Henderson, and now has guardianship of his 16-year-old granddaughter, so now finds himself a parent again. He adds that he is “sad about the state of our country and politics…why people can’t still care for each other and disagree is beyond my ability to comprehend. I fondly remember discussions at Ripon about many things we did not agree on but we still were civil and friends – very, very sad.”
Back before winter really hit hard, CHRIS OVERLY WALLACE ’74 of Homer Glen, Illinois, spent some time working on a house with Habitat for Humanity. Chris likes to keep busy, and Habitat is certainly a worthy endeavor. Hats off to you, Chris!
Thanks to BETH KALMAN KARON ‘74 of Rochester, Minnesota, as well as SCOTT DICKS ’74, who both took the time to notify me of the passing of ROBERT “BARNEY” MERRITT ’74, of Wilmington, Delaware. Barney passed away at home on January 13, 2021, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife Maria, his three sons, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Zachary, and his sister, Joan Merritt. Donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Finally, I would like to thank all of you who continue to support Ripon College, especially via the Ripon Fund and #OneDayRally. The Rally is coming up on April 28, and you will be hearing more about it in the coming weeks. 
Meanwhile, stay warm, stay safe, and keep me posted on what you are up to.
Let’s talk soon! We can keep in touch in our Facebook group: Ripon College Class of 1974!
Jan
(630) 920-2450 / [email protected]
Your 1974 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jan Petrovski MacLeod

1973 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1973!

I saw something on Facebook early in January that said: “I have had the seven-day trial of 2021 and I don’t want it.” The first month of this new year was certainly trying.
As I began to write this, GARY LEDERER ’72 and I were completely frustrated trying to sign up to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Hours spent waiting for an on-line appointment to pop up or on the phone waiting for someone to answer so we can sign up. We know we were not alone in our frustrations, but really it seemed appointment sign-ups could have been a lot easier. We did finally get our first vaccines, Gary traveling to Miami and me to Palm Beach Gardens, both trips over two hours each way. We got the shots, that is the important thing. Gary’s second dose is in three weeks and mine in four.
Many of you have been touched by COVID-19. For those of you who have lost loved ones, you have my sympathy. For all of us who have been kept from family, friends, and the business of our normal lives, I hope the vaccine works and life will return to normal. I know it will never be the same as it was, and that is okay. But, like many of you, I want to be able to get on a plane and see my children, cuddle my grandbabies, and travel the country I love. 
I am thankful for Zoom and Facetime. Every Sunday evening, I Zoom with Ripon friends: KAREN TESCHNER DORN ’72, SUE MIJANOVICH KEY ’72, LINDA BRASSINGTON DANIELS ’72, LYNN HORNE GASIOREK ’72, and NITA JACKSON PARKER ’72. We catch up on our weeks, talking about what is happening in our worlds as well as the world as a whole. Gary and I Zoom or Facetime with our children and grandchildren, so at least we can see their faces, even if we cannot give them the hugs we would like to. I am missing hugs so much!
Before I get to the news from classmates, I want to share something that MARIAN “OZ” OSSMAN ’73, wrote: “I’m not alone in turning 70 this year. Generally, I dislike decade birthdays but it occurred to me that I spent four wonderful years at Ripon in the 70s. After graduation, I launched my adult life, traveled, pursued further education, and started new relationships before marrying in ’79. Now, looking forward to the 70s once more, I can’t help anticipate what will come when COVID-19 is under control. More travel, new relationships with grandkids, perhaps learning something new? I’m grateful for my good health and a good life built on my Ripon education that has carried me to this new decade.”
Let’s rock these 70s like we did before!” I agree with her: let’s embrace turning 70 and enjoy the decade with as much enthusiasm and spirit as we had in our Ripon years!
That being said, let’s remember Ripon College when we think about our charitable giving this year! Thanks to each of you who contributed this past year either to the Ripon Fund, #OneDayRally, or both! Our financial support of the College benefits the students attending now, and guarantees that there will be a place for students in the future. Remember to keep up to date through www.Ripon.edu/news. Also, check out feature articles at www.Ripon.edu/publications. 
My plea for news brought in the following responses:
EVELYN COLUCCI SUZDAK ’73 of White Plains, New York: “COVID-19 has taken travel options out of my retirement equation for now. Keeping busy with indoor water aerobics. Taking a Collegium course at the local college on the philosophy of unity. Interesting… I never took a philosophy class as an undergrad.”
MARIAN “OZ” OSSMAN ’73 of Hopkinton, Massachusetts: “Before COVID-19, in the Fall of 2019, I spent three weeks in France exploring Paris, Provence, and sailing the Cote d’Azur. I arrived home the same day that KAREN “MURPH” LOWERY ’73 arrived to spend a long week with me. Once my jet lag abated, we were limited by rainy weather but still hiked Walden Pond, explored the North End, and experienced The Christmas Tree Shop. Murph and I have traveled together before but this was her first visit to Massachusetts. She’ll be back. During COVID-19, I’ve been lucky to continue riding which kept me active and engaged. I even rode in the Champlain Valley Virtual Horse Show, racking up a heap of ribbons! Old dogs and new tricks come to mind. Most recently, I had a total shoulder replacement in early January which was done as a day surgery! Fortunately, I’m healing very well and should be back in business and better than ever soon. While recuperating, I hosted a 70th birthday bash, outdoor around a bonfire, and as well as a Zoom Inaugural Gala with friends from CA, FL, GA, IL, WI, and, of course, Murph in AZ.”
MIKE MIZEN ’73 of Lakewood, Ohio: “We remain guarded but well. Did a 5500+ RV adventure to Idaho last fall taking all the back roads and small state and national park campgrounds. Typically we would be skiing in February but the COVID-19 numbers in Pitkin County are way off scale. Our families are also in good order. Alison, Trip, and Kael welcomed Paisley Joan Gaul last March; on the eve of the state of Ohio shutting down. Jennifer and Joe will be expecting their first child in April. No vaccines for us at this writing but PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’75 remains a licensed RN and is now part of the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps.”
MARTY MORRIS ’73 of Portland, Oregon: “Here’s some input from Oregon….Not doing much. I’m staying at home, minimizing going out in public, wearing a mask, and waiting for my turn for a vaccination, which will be a few more months for my group. The good news is that I discovered a Ripon grad Class of ’02 living two blocks from me in Portland. His Ripon College license plate frame gave him away. We are going to get together when it’s safe. More news like that. I ran into a freshman drinking buddy, DAVE LAPORTE ’73 on the Nextdoor app. He had just moved here. We too will meet when we feel it’s safe to.”
PAT WILKE EPTING ’73 of Aransas Pass, Texas: “2020 started out with a cruise, a quarantine (flu), and a quick trip to see my uncle in Florida before the pandemic hit. In March, LEX ‘72 found out he needed thyroid surgery just as the hospitals in Texas closed for elective surgery. Not wanting to get stuck in Texas for the summer, we decided to head north. Also not wanting to have a mechanical breakdown in the mountains of Oklahoma, we reluctantly traded in our “Hickory Nut” with its 125K miles for a new car, dubbed “The Groot.” Cross country travel in April was surreal. We packed food, Lysol spray, and Clorox Wipes. There were almost no cars on the roads and almost no people in hotels. It was a relief to pull into our driveway in Wisconsin. Lex found one of the nation’s top Thyroid surgeons in Appleton and all went well. The farm was a welcome respite for the summer, and the kids were able to join us for Lex’s 70th birthday (after the obligatory self-quarantine). Now we’re back in Texas, hoping to score a vaccine without spending the night in “The Groot” waiting for a drive through vaccination clinic to open. (Agent Note: She and Lex got their vaccines!!!) Never a dull moment, in spite of the pandemic!”
I will add that Pat has shown her amazing puzzle making skills on Facebook and I am impressed!
MARY-CHRIS “CHRISTMAS” PALINSKI WINN ’73 of Monticello, Wisconsin: “My news that I’m very excited about is that I will be marshaling on Hole #14 at Whistling Straits for the Ryder Cup from 9/21-9/26/21. My shifts are on Tuesday and Saturday. Stop by and say hello – unless I’m holding the “Quiet Please” sign??! I Can’t wait!”
I will definitely keep an eye out for you on TV! What a fun thing to be able to do! Enjoy!!!!
DON DEW ’73 of Eagle Bay, New York: I wrote a long email as Gary and I had not heard from him in ages. I will paraphrase a bit: Don has five grandchildren. His oldest son, Don, and his wife, Anne, live in Big Moose with their three kids. Don works remotely so he can be in the Adirondacks and enjoy living in the mountains. David lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Niki, and two kids. He has his own website business. He writes that, “My legal address and mailing address is Big Moose (Eagle Bay Post Office) but I spend quite a bit of time with my partner, Michele, in Chittenango, New York near Syracuse. I also have a home in Colorado in the mountains. I love to ski and despite COVID-19, I go there on a regular basis to ski with friends.” Don also said he was diagnosed with leukemia seven years ago, but has been in remission for three years. He is closely monitored by his doctor. Don says, “I eat well, exercise a lot, and the drug worked. I am certainly one of the fortunate ones. I still fly and am able to do all of the things I have always enjoyed.” Don also said he had a second career as a seaplane pilot in the Adirondacks. 
JIM STONE ’73 of Brookfield, Wisconsin: “Like all of us, I had a very weird 2020 and it is looking the same for 2021. I started 2021 with getting a new dog since our old Bichon passed. We now have a Teddy Bear puppy. The dog had to have friends, so we got a brother and sister cat- we are very busy at the condo. We started renovating our 1999 ranch condo starting in April and ended in August. We have it the way we want it to be at half the cost. I have been meeting with TIM PETERSIK ’73 every two weeks or so and enjoying lunch and beer together. We have met with JANE RUNKEL FREDERICK ’74 and JOHN FREDERICK ’73 for a few meals and have been staying safe. My son moved to San Diego, California  I drove with him from Ft. Myers, Florida to San Diego in the middle of January. It was a 39 hour drive and I realized that I was way too old for this. If anyone knows people out there, please contact me. Rachal and I just celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary and are staying safe during these trying times.”
SUDY REIGLE ALTHOLZ ’73 of Chicago, Illinois: “TOM ’72 and I hope that everyone is staying healthy and happy during this trying year. We returned from a wonderful 3+ week adventure to Argentina and Chile, including hiking in Patagonia on February 19th, 2020. We were hearing bits about a strange virus, in Spanish of course, but we had no idea that within three weeks the country would be such a different spot. We are lucky we had such a wonderful trip and we have stayed healthy and content throughout this past year. Yes, we know of several people who we have lost due to COVID-19. But our family continues to stay healthy. We have grandchildren in college, high school, primary school and pre-school and they all are doing okay. We hope all our Ripon College friends are doing okay too.
I had a nice long email from DOREEN CONFORTI CHEMEROW ’73. She and David are well, missing family, and travel, but have remained well. David by some fluke got them on the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shots in Palm Beach County so they are feeling very lucky.”
JANE STEFFEN KOLAKOWSKI ’73 of Verona, Wisconsin: “After 47 terrific years living in Virginia, PETER KOLAKOWSKI ’72 and I moved back to Madison, Wisconsin, this past summer to be closer to our kids and other family.”
BOB BRENNAN ’73 of Tomahawk, Wisconsin: “I recently watched The Eagles Farewell Tour #1 on Amazon Video. One of the songs was “Funk #49” (Joe Walsh was in James Gang before he joined The Eagles). Brought back good memories from Ripon in 1971.”
DAVID GROSSMAN ’73 of Centerville, Massachusetts: “Every day is closer to a vaccine! I’ve been playing winter golf, doing some clamming (its oyster season now) and enjoying the Cape life. I’ve read a lot of books on my iPad, taken care of my Havanese dog (picture if you need one LOL), and gone on daily walks around the neighborhood.”
BILL MACLEOD ’73 of Washington D.C.: “It’s tough getting news from 2020. Here’s what I’ve heard: DAVE BUNTEN ’73: still teaching high school and mourning Tom Brady’s drive-by decimation of Green Bay. Me: I finished a year on a task force at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ran the virtual Marine Corp Marathon, and infiltrated the January 6 insurrection. Now I’m a winding up my last year on the Ripon Board of Trustees.
MARY BOESE BOEHNLEIN ’73 of Cedarburg, Wisconsin: “I would just like a Reunion of some sort with the class of 1973. Let’s pick a place when this pandemic is over.”
Great idea Mary, we will have to work on it.
I am sad to report that STEVE ILLICH ’73’s wife, Ginny, recently died from liver cancer. Steve and Ginny were married for 38 years.
PHIL REID ’73 is living in Sarasota, Florida. He is now retired from his position as President of High Yield Productions.
I am sad to write that JOHN WINKLEPLECK ’73 of Naples, Florida, died on February 20, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and was a member of Theta Chi. He later was a member of the 1851 Club. He received a master of business administration degree in finance from Cleveland State University. He spent his entire career in banking in Cleveland, at Central National Bank, Ameritrust, and Key Bank, from which he retired. He was an avid golfer and loved racket sports, especially tennis, squash, and paddle tennis. He was a member of Tavern Club and Mayfield Country Club, serving a term as president. Survivors include his wife, Nancy; and one daughter.
Now for some good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend! Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Please stay healthy!
Cheers, 
JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73
(239) 390-1349 / [email protected]
Your 1973 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer

1972 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1972!

I hope that you and your families are doing well as spring heats up. After the challenges of the past year, I am sure that you are all ready to get outdoors and have some fun. New York is much livelier each day and the signs of spring are everywhere. I am especially happy that tennis will resume in Central Park in mid-April.
The Spring Semester at Ripon College has been active and robust. 

• Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. 

• Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested.

As you know Alumni Weekend was suspended last year due to COVID-19 and plans for Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. There will be two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 

• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 

• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.
  

Congratulations to GARY LEDERER ’72 and JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73 on the birth of their grandson Daniel Robert. While they have not been able to spend time with family for the holidays, they have continued to play golf and like many of us Zoom with friends and family. Recently, Gary and Jean met up with NITA JACKSON PARKER ’72 in Healdsburg, CA for lunch and a bit of wine tasting!

 
 
 
 
 
 
Next year will be 50 years since we graduated from Ripon College. Over the years we have enjoyed great support from our classmates. I thank you for supporting Ripon College in the past and I encourage your continued support. I hope that we will be able to reunite in Ripon for our Golden R Celebration in 2022. If you would like to help with our Reunion planning, I welcome you to contact me. 
Class Notes:
LYNN SPICER-TUCKER ’72 of Watertown, Wisconsin, writes, “My husband and I had an incredible trip to Australia in January of 2020 and we (finally) met my pen pal Lynne and her family. We became pen pals in 1963!”
NITA JACKSON PARKER ’72 of Healdsburg, California, writes, “I’m managing ‘COVID culture’ by Zooming on Sunday afternoons with SUE MIJANOVICH KEY ’72 of Lake Zurich, Illinois, and KAREN TESCHNER DORN ’72 of Arlington Heights, Illinois, LINDA BRASSINGTON DANIELS ’72 of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73 of Estero, Florida.”
SAMUEL WHYTE ’72 of Honolulu, Hawaii, died Sept. 19, 2019. At Ripon, he majored in history and participated in the Parallax student publication. Survivors include his wife, Cathy.
Sincerely, 
STEPHANIE GREENE ’72
[email protected]
Your 1972 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Stephanie Greene

1971 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1971!

Dear Classmates,
Our 50th Class Reunion is this year and one has to wonder where the time has gone. Many successes have happened to us since that special occasion that can be attributed to the education we received so many years ago. Our continued financial support of this vital mission will ensure incoming classes will experience the best quality education possible. Our 50th Class Reunion is scheduled during the new date of Alumni Weekend: August 6 – 8, 2021. 
We will be sharing our Reunion celebration with the Class of 1970 as their Reunion was canceled this past year. The goal is to get as many classmates as possible to celebrate our 50 years of success that started at Ripon College. This will be a great time to come back together as a class to reminisce and catch up on 50 years of experiences. I invite any classmates interested in assisting in the planning of our Reunion to contact me. Areas needing assistance include the Memorabilia Room, Service of Remembrance, and our class memory book. You can use the 50th Reunion Memory Book paper form or complete the form online at www.ripon.edu/50reunion to share your “mini history of your life these past 50 years.” I want to invite all of you to consider spending a weekend at Ripon and enjoy some fellowship with your classmates.
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special video recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebration including our Golden R Club induction, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Campus News
Classes officially started on January 25, 2021, with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. Beginning on February 1, 2021, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested.
Admission numbers for 2022 are looking up as there is a 30% increase in deposits and a 40% increase in student-athlete applications.
As of March 17, 2021, we had 32 class members donate to the Ripon Fund. This is a great start toward meeting our class goal. I encourage all classmates to support our efforts in making our 50th Class Reunion gift the best in recent years.
As we look back at our experiences at Ripon, we can all see the benefits we derived from that special time. In some way, the Ripon Fund assisted all of us. It underwrites all aspects of yearly operations, including but not limited to laboratory supplies, technological innovations, library resources, faculty support, financial aid and scholarships, athletics, opportunities to study abroad, the arts, and facilities. Thanks to those of you that supported the Ripon this past year. I urge your consideration to increase this year’s gift in recognition of all we have accomplished because of Ripon College. 
I look forward to seeing you at our Class Reunion in August! 
Sincerely,
Jim Beisner ’71
(770) 570-7725 / [email protected]
Your 1971 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jim Beisner

1970 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1970!

I hope this letter finds you and your family healthy and surviving this strange year. I also hope you are among those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. BILL GEBHARDT ’69 recently got his shots at the V.A. I have yet to get mine, but I will do so when we return to our Wisconsin home. We sold our house in Frankfort, Illinois, in June and thought that construction on our new lake house would begin then. Due to COVID-19 and construction delays on our builder’s other projects, they did not break ground on our house until September. Fortunately, we were able to spend July through October at my family cottage in Portage, Wisconsin, near the construction. November through mid-January we lived at BILL’s brother DAVE GEBHARDT ’66 house, and we will be at our condo in Florida through March. We are really looking forward to having everything finished and beginning this new adventure. Fortunately, with all this time, I know exactly where everything will go in the new house! 
Our older son, Matt, is still living in the Chicago area and is a golf professional at Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora, Illinois. He visited us and played with Bill in the member-guest golf tournament. They didn’t repeat winning their flight but they did come in second in that group. It was nice to have his company and help with projects around the condo.
Will, our younger son, continues with Canadian National Railroad and he and Tera are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their fourth child, finally a boy! Tera is homeschooling the girls again this year and they really enjoy it. They are able to socialize with kids in the neighborhood and participate in limited activities.
Bill continues to improve and his chemo treatments have decreased from once a week to once a month. He is enjoying the warm weather and golfs four to five times a week. I am slowly getting back to golf after my surgery in July, which was necessary to complete the surgery from the previous year. The remainder of my time has been spent planning all the selections for the new house and continuing to work on the Florida condo.
I’m sure you are wondering about our Reunion. The College administration has been evaluating all options and Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special video recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition including for our very own JIM DANKY ’70, a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Citation Winner; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebration including our Golden R Club induction, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Please stay safe and try to join us at our Reunion on Saturday, August 7, 2021. And remember to send in your “mini history of your life these past 51 years” if you have not done so. You can use the 50th Reunion Memory Book paper form or complete the form online at www.ripon.edu/50threunion.
If you have questions about how Ripon is dealing with classes you can go to www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.
Also, I really hope someone will volunteer to be our Class Agent. I have enjoyed this, but it is time for me to move on. If you are interested in being a Class Agent, or if you would like additional information, please email Jolene in the Office of Constituent Engagement. 
And now our Class Notes!
JIM DANKY ’70 of Stoughton, Wisconsin, co-curated an exhibit called Wisconsin Funnies that will be on display at the Museum of Wisconsin Art’s “mother ship” in West Bend and MOWA|DTN, located in downtown Milwaukee at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel. Wisconsin Funnies is the first exhibition to present the rich history of comics in Wisconsin. The nearly two hundred works by twenty-five artists will illustrate the major themes, innovations, and publications that characterize the state’s past half-century of comic art. The exhibition pairs hand-drawn original art with printed material such as comic books, alternative weekly newspapers, and other collectibles and ephemera. 
DOUGLAS DEWEY ’70 of Fort Wayne, Indiana, writes, “I retired December 7, 2016, after 40 plus years as a TV Broadcast Engineer at WPTA-TV, the ABC affiliate here in Fort Wayne.”
Please keep in touch! 
Sincerely,
SUSAN HECHT GEBHARDT ’70
(815) 260-1656 / [email protected]
Your 1970 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Susan Hecht Gebhardt

1969 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1969!

Hello from Naples, Florida. Getting through the pandemic is a little easier here since you can do things outside year-round. Still, the only trips Cynthia and I take are to the supermarket, pharmacy, doctor, or dentist. Our life is only marginally less boring than yours. We miss getting together with neighbors, friends and family. So far, there have been only two cases of COVID-19 in our little community of 112 homes and the two people had ZERO symptoms. Yep, never knew they had it, never felt sick. Weird. Also weird, the two others living in their house DIDN’T get COVID-19. The least little things become important during the pandemic. The other night, in a phone call to ART SCARLETT ’69, I mentioned my only venture outside for the day was to get the mail from the box at the curb. ART immediately asked me: “What did you wear?”
Ripon College vs. COVID-19 
Ripon College is surviving the pandemic pretty well. For the 2020 Fall semester, about a third of classes were online, another third in person, and the last third were hybrid (some sessions in person, some online). Ripon started the semester two weeks early, eliminated Fall Break, and finished the term two days before Thanksgiving. Less than 5% of the students were infected (in the middle of a state that had >25% infection rates). Each student had to sign a pledge to follow all the protocol (masks, social distancing, limited indoor groups, reporting symptoms immediately). The College had to scramble to find larger rooms for the larger classes in order to maintain distance between students in the classroom.
The second semester started on January 25, with enrollment at just over 800 students. Classes resumed (still one-third, one-third, one-third), the Commons, the Spot, and Starbucks opened for seated (physically distant) dining and the Willmore Center and Lane Library resumed normal hours of operation. However, everyone is asked to wear a mask, maintain physical distancing rules and adhere to proper hygiene regulations. The results of the initial COVID-19 tests for faculty, staff, and students that took place between Friday, Jan. 22 and Sunday, Jan. 24 were less than 1% positivity rate.  
Out of an abundance of caution, Ripon College decided to do a second full campus-wide testing event on Tuesday, Feb. 8. All students, faculty, or staff on campus during the Spring semester had to undergo a second test. Testing took place in the Willmore Center. Results were almost identical to those of the first campus-wide testing. The College then began random weekly surveillance testing, selecting and testing approximately a quarter of students, faculty, and staff each week. The effort by Ripon College to prevent COVID-19 from spreading has been exemplary. Kudos to President Zach Messitte and his staff. Their hard work is producing excellent results.
Pandemic Collateral Damage
Unfortunately, winter sports were canceled for all schools in our athletic conference. Spring sports are taking place but in a limited capacity and with a reduced schedule. The 2021 Commencement ceremony is still scheduled to take place outside on the lawn of Harwood Memorial Union on Sunday, May 16. Because of continued caution related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the status of public health across the country, each graduate will be allowed only two ticketed guests. Masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced.
Good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend. Classes that had Reunions canceled last year are celebrating this year, as are those classes that would normally celebrate this year. Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Additional Semesters for COVID-19-affected Students
Ripon created the Ripon Plus Semester(s) Program to help students enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year. Eligible students with academic reasons for returning will have their tuition waived for their ninth semester or fifth year.
Incoming
As of February 25, Ripon College had 142 deposits received from students who would enter as first-years in August. This is the class of 2025. (Yep, 2025.) This number of deposits is significantly ahead of recent years. They are shooting for an entering class of 250+ students.
Dollars and Sense
Ripon is considering another five-seven year capital campaign. Typically, these campaigns raise $50 million or more. No decision yet on what the money would be used for. Some feel it should go to the endowment, which currently stands at around $97 million. (Endowment comp’s: Coe $78M, Knox $170M, Monmouth, $122M, Cornell $82M, Beloit $88M, Lawrence $400M.) Others think the campaign should fund a new science and technology center to replace Farr Hall, a facility that was built in 1962. (Computers and calculators were not even invented then, let alone cell phones and iPads.)
Merriman House
Ripon is trying to figure out what to do with the still-shuttered Merriman House. The building is in very poor shape and requires an investment of significant capital to make it usable.
Zooming
My fraternity, Beta Sigma Pi, has been holding Virtual House Meetings via Zoom once a month. We’ve had as many as 40 guys on at one time. There are about 250 living members for whom we have contact information. I’ve reconnected with some guys I hadn’t seen in 50+ years.
Classmate News – Here’s the news I received from class members. I love hearing from all of you.
FRANK ANDERS ’69 and BOBBI SUESS ANDERS ’69 of Chesterfield, Virginia, send this news: “Bobbi and I are enduring the solitude of a COVID-19 year of discontent punctuated by weekly Zoom meetings both Ripon/fraternity and church-related. Who could have guessed in 1969 that Zoom would one day mean anything other than the speed attained sliding down Upper Sadoff below Bovay Hall in the snow or the roar of Richard Petty’s racing car. There is an ever-evolving dictionary of our language. Remember the Valley Girls and Ebonics? Now we have emojis. Yesterday I woke up and upon reading the New York Times learned that “woke” has somehow added a new meaning that makes no sense. Henceforth I must say that I arose from my nocturnal slumber since “woke” has been usurped. Seemingly educated people continue to follow the herd seeking popularity in catchy new words or uses of existing words. To say that I am mildly perturbed is actually an exaggeration. Who am I to complain or pretend to be an authority, after all, I did not major in English.”
VINCE AYE ’69 of Madison, Alabama, emailed this information: “Glad we had our class Golden R Reunion in 2019 and not 2020! I still have so many great memories from our gathering!! I must have slowed down back in July of 2020 and the COVID-19 virus caught me! First, I was in ICU, under a ventilator for three weeks — the doctors took care of clearing my lungs! I then spent two weeks at Vanderbilt Hospital to rescue my kidney, followed by two weeks at rehab to regain my strength and balance. I’m so very glad to have been delivered from the jaws of COVID-19 without any lingering illness! My new name should be Lazarus! My wife had COVID-19 at the same time also and we were in the same hospital, on different floors! She was in the hospital for only a week! She’s a tougher cookie than I am! I came back home on September 10, after being out of the house for seven weeks. I’m just about back to my pre-COVID-19 health now. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
These days, I’m squeezing blessings out of every minute – reading, writing, cooking, doing fitness, and at times, listening to a whole CD in one sitting! With Alexa I can play music that I don’t have – what a wonderful jukebox! I have this compilation of “1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die” book and I’m enjoying so much variety! Family-wise, my wife and I will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary this coming August. Through mergers and acquisitions, our original family of us two and three daughters have grown pretty big! We now have eight grandchildren and also, 1.7 great-grandchildren! I just sing  “… and I think to myself what a wonderful world…”. My heartfelt thanks to Ripon College for Chapter One of my life in America!”   
MARK BAUER ’69 of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, writes: “I am still enjoying the shuttered life of a poet. Shuttered, yes. Poet, no. With the medical background in our family, we believe in masking outside the home and avoid group gatherings. I am still waiting for a vaccine, either from the health organization of my physician or Meijer’s pharmacy. My wife Cindy, a physician in Urgent Care, has received hers; my son, a pediatrician his. Obviously, I am not traveling by plane until I have the vaccine. Everyone is concerned about the new strains already found in Wisconsin. We have been able to eat outside on warmer days if outdoor seating is available or we get the food curbside and head home. We have had our daughter at home from NYC since last March. She is working for a luggage company “at home” with us. We have frequent FaceTime with “remote” families in New York and Phoenix. We have done puzzles, read books, and retreated to our summer condo in Elkhart Lake (Wisconsin) 60 miles north. I also have a new outdoor sport: live-trapping those rascally squirrels who turn my lawns into practice fairways in the summer with disrupted turf and holes for black walnuts (three holes per nut, two remain empty to confuse competitors). The captured rodent is then introduced to a woody haven five to six miles away. Great sport. Mostly gray squirrels, occasional beautiful reds. And, of course, walking in the neighborhood to complete the activities. Aside from that, watching movies on Amazon Prime and Netflix is almost a nightly group function.”
DON CHESTER ’69 of West Palm Beach, Florida, sent this update: “Greetings from Palm Beach County where on any given day you can walk outside your house and find a python in your yard, an alligator in your pool, and, if it’s cold enough, frozen iguanas falling from your trees. Just another day in paradise. Like the rest of the country, the past twelve months have been dominated by COVID-19. The highlight of last year was driving up to St. Mary’s Hospital and not seeing three medical tents in the parking lot. If you have not already done so, I highly recommend you get vaccinated.”
BRUCE DAVIS ’69 of Naples, Florida, writes: “Not much to report. We are enjoying the weather here in south Florida. I play golf two-three times a week and stay home most of the rest of the time. I still work on learning how to play my guitars and have a couple of buddies that also play so we get together now and then. We had a community open mic night a couple of weeks ago and where ten people performed; it went well and those who attended enjoyed it.”
BOB FERNBACH ’69 of Castle Pines, Colorado, sent this: “Stacy and I have been doing little: no travel, no guests, etc., so we have been following news/politics, watching movies/TV series, reading, playing guitars (trying to learn new skills), upgrading our main audio/video system, taking daily walks, and shoveling snow!”
BILL GEBHARDT ’69 of Portage, Wisconsin, sent this news: “SUE HECHT GEBHARDT ’70 and I have officially become Wisconsin residents. We sold our home in Frankfort, Illinois, and have started building our new home on Swan Lake in Portage, Wisconsin. We’re less than an hour from Ripon. We don’t expect to move in until late spring and we are currently getting away from the cold in our Florida condo. Once the house is done we will be in Wisconsin for seven months and Florida for five months. We can’t wait.” 
ALICE HALL HAYES ’69 of Washington, D.C. sent this: “Since our last updates, we have all become more accustomed to socially distanced living in D.C. with masks, hand sanitizer, etc. Fortunately, my husband, Ed, and I have been able to visit our new granddaughter, Josephine, who was born in May 2020. We flew down to New Orleans to meet her and drove back to D.C. – a good way to see the country and to visit sites along the way. I highly recommend a one-two day driving trip back home whenever possible. We stopped at several locales along the way home. In historic Asheville, North Carolina, we toured the Biltmore Mansion, its gardens, and tasted the Biltmore wines. Somehow, we finished 2020 with totally different celebrations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. The highlights of 2021 so far have been the Biden/Harris Inauguration and Ed and I getting our COVID-19 vaccine shots. The message for the two of us during these times is patience, appreciation, and valuing family and friends.”
RANDALL KAWAMOTO ’69 of Honolulu, Hawaii, emailed this: “I hope all my classmates are faring well during these difficult times. Although the pandemic has been rough, I recently received an unexpected uplift in spirits by a kind gesture of gratitude. Following graduation from Ripon, I volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps and was assigned to teach English at a girls’ middle school in the port city of Busan in South Korea. I served in Korea from 1970 to 1973. Over 2,000 volunteers served in South Korea as teachers and health care workers between 1966 and 1981. At that time, South Korea was a third-world country stricken by disease​​​ and poverty in the aftermath of the extensive destruction left behind by the Korean War. South Korea is now one of the richest countries in the world. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Recently, as a gesture of gratitude, the government-run Korea Foundation sent COVID-19 ‘Survival Boxes’ to returned Peace Corps volunteers in the United States. The boxes contained quantities of masks and gloves for use in the pandemic, as well as some souvenirs to remind us of our time in Korea. I received my survival box from the Korea Foundation in December. This gracious gesture by the people of South Korea brought back many fond memories. Peace Corps Volunteers received far more than we ever gave in the countries we served during our years of service. It is an honor to be remembered in this way after 50 years.”    
DAVE LEE ’69 and SUE STEGER LEE ’69 Appleton, Wisconsin, write: “We are doing fine. Our second vaccinations are scheduled for March 1st. It’s been a quiet year – normally we screen more than 13,000 kids during the school year through our Lions Club, but nothing yet this year. I am being treated for prostate cancer. I had radiations last spring and two years of quarterly hormone therapy injections – only three more to go. These injections make one tired and fat, but I finally stopped feeling sorry for myself and started running again and working out at a gym. I have been vegan since last July and have sacrificed nothing with the change. I am beginning to feel the best that I have in years. ALERT for all the men: get your PSA checked annually and watch for increases, even if still in the normal area. 
Sue is doing lots of walking, working out, and is a superb handmade card maker. Our twelve grandkids are growing up too fast. Each of them is worthy of a story, but this time we’ll just talk about our grandson, Ian, who is a junior in high school. Ian just took fourth in Division 1 at state in the 500 freestyle swim with a 4:40. He’s the one who did the Alcatraz Sharkfest swim a couple of years ago. He is about to embark on aggressive fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society student of the year campaign. Regarding COVID-19, it’s been tough on everyone, but I really feel sorry for the kids. I guess that we had our world turned upside down in the 60s. There were challenging times for our parents as well. In closing, too many of my friends are dying. Let’s all work at capturing some more good years by controlling our body weight, and being physically and socially active. In the doing more for others category, this is a key time to dig down for more generous contributions to Ripon College. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon.”
NANCY OLIVER LEIFHEIT ’69 of Sycamore, Illinois, writes “Here we are in the longest year of our lives! DAVE LEIFHEIT ’67 and I have been very careful, staying socially distant, following all the guidelines, yet trying to keep ourselves busy and healthy throughout it all. Summer was so much easier as we could golf, walk, and see outdoor sights and even head to our Wisconsin cabin bringing all our own supplies so we didn’t have to interact with anyone. When this stay at home ends, we will all have to relearn how to interact with real, living, breathing in our midst humans! We have our first vaccines under our belts and are hoping for the second next week. I have rediscovered jigsaw puzzles, completing about 50 so far! We can Zoom into Zumba, tai chi, meetings and sibling Sunday gatherings!
The highlight of this pandemic has been the chance to meet with my seven brothers (including SCOTT OLIVER ’69) and sisters via Zoom every Sunday since last Easter! This has been amazing and now cousins from Scotland and Australia have joined us! After quarantining for two weeks, we flew to Seattle for the month of December to stay with our daughter and visit with our son and his family! We wore masks and shields on the plane, wore masks inside the house for a week, COVID-19 tested before and after we got there made this possible! Dave cross country skis right in our own neighborhood woods nearby daily in this time of so much snow! I’m more likely to stay warm inside! We were given the gift of Storyworth for Christmas which prompts us to write about memories, many of which include how we met and Ripon College! It’s been a fun trip down memory lane!”
PHIL MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04 of Woodstock, Illinois says: “The COVID-19 situation has made my psychiatry practice busier than ever during the past year. A small group of us purchased a golf course last year and we have been working on improvements and additions.”  
SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 and CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69, of Naples, Florida, want you to know “Scott has a weekly Zoom call with fraternity brothers FRANK ANDERS ’69, RICK BRANDT ’69, ROB HANDEYSIDE ’69, STEVE LEITSCHUH ’69, ART SCARLETT ’69, and MASON SHERWOOD ’68. The group is hoping to resume their annual get-together in October in Siesta Key, Florida. (The one in 2020 had to be canceled.) Scott is looking forward to the start of the 2021 baseball season. Cynthia studies German for two hours each day. She is a constant gardener (you can garden year round in Naples) and also is always knitting and crocheting. In recent months she has been making crocheted or knitted stuffed animals and hats for kids in the cancer ward of the local children’s hospital. We are both enjoying regular video chats with our nine-year-old granddaughter, Emma, who lives in Germany. Some days we each get a dozen texts from her and we are enjoying this while it lasts. We got our first COVID-19 vaccine injections on Feb. 24 and we celebrate 53 years of marriage on Mar. 9.” 
KEN PORTER ’69 and BARB KNIGHTS PORTER ’69 of Killington, Vermont, write: “Barb and I are safe and COVID-19 free. Unfortunately, we have not seen local friends socially since October when we could still meet outside. The Killington Ski Resort has figured out how to keep folks safe so life on the mountain has moved forward with great snow conditions and lots of visitors from out of state. Initially, those visitors seemed a scary thought but the resort has taken precautions, and we are enjoying our winter. We have no plans for travel this next year, but our COVID-19 vaccinations are underway and we have just received our first shots. Hopefully, that will allow us more freedom and we will start to plan at least some road trips. The best part of the winter has been our 15-year-old grandson who has been living with us since Christmas. He is an avid ski racer and his hometown has allowed him to do remote schooling. He is able to do school and then he and “Pops” go to the mountain to make some turns. We love having the company and BARB’s available for help with homework and editing his papers. It’s been a wonderful experience brought on by the pandemic, so we’re seeing positives in what has been a difficult time.” 
CHIP RETSON ’69 of Aiken, South Carolina, wants everyone to know he has a new mailing address. It is: 112 South Park Commons, Aiken, SC 29803-4525.
CYNTHIA KLINGEL SPRING ’69 of Meredith, New Hampshire, sent me this: “I have spent much of the last twelve months learning and unlearning our country’s history. I became the chair of our UU Fellowship’s Black Lives Matter Task Force a few years ago and realized that I would have a steep learning curve to really do justice to the position. So I started reading, watched videos, and attended webinars on racism and dismantling white supremacy. This fall, I began a three-year course (yes, at age 73!) called “Beloved Conversations.” It is a virtual course based in Chicago. Some 1,200 of us signed up! I have become much more aware of the sheltered world I live in and the “safety” my white skin provides. I grew up in a liberal-minded family and attending Ripon certainly helped to keep me open-minded. I was a KD on campus but, because we pledged a black girl and two girls from Hawaii, we went “local” in my Junior year. I was proud of us (still am!) I have also been “puzzling,” watching old Fred Astaire movies and baking. Happy to say that we received our first round of COVID-19 shots!”
OTTO WACHHOLTZ ’69 of Papillion, New England, writes: “Not much change from the last report, though my bride will get her first vaccine shot on February 17th. Maybe we’ll go out to dinner (what we’ve been dying to do) to celebrate after the second shot. We haven’t done that since last March. We have become addicted to jigsaw puzzles, but I think that was also a problem in my last update. I am still playing hockey on the weekends, indoor softball during the week, and I am remaining active in a volunteer emergency services organization. I hope that everyone is staying healthy and sane.”
JOHN WIECHMANN ’69 of Estero, Florida, sends this news: “Just hanging out here in Estero, Florida.”
Sad News
LEE W. MILLS ’69 of Lewes, Delaware, died Aug. 24, 2020. Originally from Hyattsville, Maryland, at Ripon he majored in art and also was on the Crimson yearbook staff for four years, serving as Editor-In-Chief his senior year. He was an art administrator throughout the Washington-Baltimore area, including director of exhibitions at Maryland Hall in Annapolis, assistant director of Montpelier Cultural Art Center in Laurel, Maryland, and interim executive director of the Rehoboth Art League in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He also worked with the architects and City of Gaithersburg to develop the Gaithersburg Art Barn. His work has been shown in galleries around the country, and he was active in amateur and professional theatre in the Washington area. He and his late husband, Donald Gardiner, owned and operated the Coastal Frameshop and Gallery in Rehoboth Beach. He enjoyed cooking and writing poetry.
MELODY MOLAND KANTEN ’69 of Baldwin, Wisconsin, died Jan. 11, 2021. She received a degree in fine arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and was an advertising executive for Colle & McAvoy Advertising Agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loved animals, living on a farm, downhill and cross country skiing, scuba diving, kayaking and flying. She also enjoyed riding horses, bicycling, walking and creating objects out of wood. Survivors include her husband, Tom.
All You Need is Love
Happy Belated Valentine’s Day to those of you who are still married to someone else in the Class of 1969. There are 13 couples who can claim this status. Best wishes also to the eight people in the class who are still married to a Ripon alum from another class.
Thank You for Your Generosity
A big thank you to all of you who made a financial gift to Ripon College between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. Our class gave a total of $264,830. Only three classes gave more than ours. I hope all of you will consider a gift to Ripon in the period July 2020 – June 2021. A gift of ANY amount is greatly appreciated. Your gift can be given with no restrictions or you can designate where it should be used: Scholarships, Endowment, Faculty, Lane Library, the Arts, Athletics, etc. Your gift can be in memory of a beloved professor or a classmate. Please give what you can.
Three Special Guys
Special thanks to classmates PHIL MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, BILL JORDAN ’69, and JOHN WOLFE ’69 who continue to serve on the Ripon College Board of Trustees.
Rally Time
In April every year, Ripon holds its annual #OneDayRally event, kind of similar to PBS pledge night or the old phone-a-thons, only online. This year it will be on April 28th. The goal is to get 2,021 people to make a gift to the College during the Rally. Please consider participating and making a gift that day, even if you already made a gift.
Final Thoughts
Be sure to let Ripon know your new address if you move or if you change email addresses.
Check the Ripon College website for the most up-to-date information on Alumni Weekend 2021 at ripon.edu/alumni-weekend. You can also register online there if/when the event will take place. I want to close by giving you a link to a video FRANK ANDERS ’69 sent to my attention. Please spend 3 minutes and 30 seconds to watch it. You can also find the video by searching “Perspective from someone born in 1900 on Coronavirus and COVID-19” on YouTube.
Keep in touch. Always for Ripon,
SCOTT A. NYQUIST ’69
7747 Martino Circle, Naples, FL 34112
Home: (239) 732-0523 / Cell: (630) 632-1619 / [email protected]
Your 1969 Class Agent
P.S. If you need an email address or street address to reconnect with a roommate, fraternity brother/sorority sister, lab partner, fellow ROTC cadet, contact me.
TRIVIA: Top 10 Majors of the Class of 1969:
History 40
Chemistry 18
Economics 24
French 14
Biology 23
Philosophy 14
Psychology 22
Political Science 10
Mathematics 20
Art 8
Source: Class of 1969 Commencement Program

Submitted by: Class Agent: Scott Nyquist

1956 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1956!

Since our numbers seem to be shrinking, it’s best now to keep in touch. That’s why I agreed to become our Class Agent. I enjoyed TOM LINDE ’56’s Class Letters, and I look forward to hearing from the rest of the class! We shared a few years at College and now we can share a few more by email, U.S. mail (called snail mail by many), or even Zoom. If I find someone to set up a Zoom meet-up when would be a good time for everyone? Please reach out to me with ideas of when you could meet virtually.
Class Notes:
EDWIN CROMEY ’56 of Toledo Park, New York, writes, “The General Theological Episcopal Seminary in New York City established a graduation prize in Liturgics in my name to be given annually.” 
KEITH GUISE ’56 of Greensboro, North Carolina, married Elena (from Mexico) 61 years ago. They lived in Venezuela, Mexico, and Milwaukee. He has been in South Carolina since ’86 when he retired to be near their daughter and son. He has had cancer and is now free of it. He likes golf. He has fond memories of RAY VANDE MOORE ’59. 
WOODY MOY ’56 of Topsfield, Massachusetts, says “I watch fake news, 2 naps” and sends his regards. (Not sure what he means by fake news but that’s what he said.) 
BARBARA BAUMAN LACY ’56 of Gainesville, Florida, married BILL WHITTLE ’56 in November ’56. Bill went into the Army. They went to Japan where a son was born. Then they went to Maryland and a daughter was born. Bill went to Vietnam and Thailand. He died at 43 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Barbara had brief stints as a substitute teacher, private investigator, and spent time doing clinic work. Barbara married Major Hal Lacy, a U.S. Congressman worker in Washington D.C. They moved to Texas. Barbara started painting. They retired to Gainesville, Florida. Hal died. Now Barbara volunteers at North Florida Humane Society, plays bridge, and volunteers at art galleries. 
I look forward to hearing from more people but this is still our beginning. 
College News In Brief: 
The entire college community has been tested and classes are back in session. Teaching is in person, online, using videos, Zoom, and the outdoors when possible or any other way faculty might find to use. (Picture students walking between classes with masks.) Summer orientation will be virtual.  
The #OneDayRally for giving is planned for April 28, 2021. Would you be interested in being a Social Media Advocate for that day? Email [email protected] and receive a toolkit of resources. Thank you to all who are able to support the Ripon activities with your donations. We had 15 donors this past year. Not all people in our age group have the income to do this. All donations from our class made before the end of the College’s fiscal year on June 30th will be part of the Golden R Reunion gift presentation during Alumni Weekend. 
Alumni Events: 
Last year’s 2020 class reunions were canceled due to COVID-19 so those who would have come last year are invited this year. Our Class Reunion is now planned for Saturday, August 7. Would you believe it is our 65th Class Reunion? The postponement from June to August was considered because of public health concerns (ours and community), vaccination status, and travel concerns.
 
Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 65th Class Reunion as part of the Golden R Celebration, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

I have not been to Ripon in many years so it is nice to see changes and scenes that are new. Here is a virtual tour of campus that was especially helpful for prospective students to view who were unable to https://tour.ripon.edu/. I thought it would be fun to take a look at a familiar building from when we were a student to what it looks like now. On the left is a picture from our yearbook where you can see West Hall in the background. On the right is a current picture of West Hall from a similar angle.


 
 
 
 
 
 
Where do you volunteer? I play keyboard at a nursing home service, belong to a senior citizen group that meets Monday through Friday, and volunteer shelving books at the library. Unfortunately, those are all suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions in this state. So now I play piano, read novels (online, or hardback or paperback), go to church, and enjoy my family when they come to visit. I just got a new iPad Max and a new iPhone XR. I had fun putting a new Otterbox and glass protector on the phone. Since my laptop is old and Microsoft Word got deleted when I installed Windows 10, I am now learning how to use Pages on the iPad. Pages is sure different from Microsoft Word! I have yet to start Numbers as an alternative to Excel. It should be interesting. I have been doing lots of searches on how to do this and that. 
I hope you found uplifting ways to enjoy the holidays in these trying times. I wish you all well as you face challenges of all sorts in these trying times – health, financial, distance from family and the “new normal” to name a few. 
If you are on Facebook, how about checking out Ripon College’s Facebook page? And, if you go on YouTube, you can watch previously recorded live events hosted by Ripon College by searching for the “Ripon College Live Events” YouTube channel. 
Your Class of 1956 Class Agent,
GLORIA BERTSCHIE LUDDECKE ’56
7100 Sunset Way, Apt. 308, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706 
(813) 468-0997
Your 1956 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Gloria Bertschie Luddecke

1959 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1959!

It has been an interesting year for my wife, Sandy, and me. We presently live in the very small town of Superior, Montana, with a population of just 800 people. And, I am happy to say that our county has not had one death due to COVID-19. I have been working on the publicity campaign on the Documentary on my life that is presently being accepted into film festivals throughout the United States. And, even one in Italy. The documentary is titled “David Mirisch – The Man Behind the Golden Stars.” The rest of the day I spend time with my daughter and our three grandchildren, watch Netflix movies, read some books, and donate my time to help nonprofits in Montana and Idaho with their future fundraising events. I am so blessed that I am still healthy and strong.
How are you, dear classmates? Please send me any news or updates that I can share in our future Class Letter. 
Here are our most recent class notes: 
RONELL ANDERSON ’59 of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, writes, “Hi Dave, who could have guessed such a thing as being hit with this pandemic? I feel the worst for my two youngest grandchildren who are in college virtually now.  Sadly, they are missing the college experience that we were so fortunate to have…. the inspiring teachers like Dr. Tyree, the fraternity and sorority bonding, the dances, the Spring Sing, the athletics. We had such a great time. As a widow, I have given up our house and moved to an independent living apartment in a complex called Maris Grove. Until the virus hit, the social life was fun and vibrant. A group of ten widows ate together and participated in lots of the 109 different group activities that are offered. Since COVID-19 hit I have been in and out of quarantine as contact has dictated. I have read lots, painted, and connected with others interested in antiques, decorating, and collecting…. especially early valentines from the 1800s. I still work as a consultant and appraiser of antiques. I would love to hear from more fellow Ripon friends. My address is 405 Oakleaf Terrace, Glen Mills, PA 19342.”
DAVID HILL ’59 and his wife of Saint Petersburg, Florida, have been enjoying their time at home reading and watching Italian and French TV programming. Because of COVID-19 they had to cancel two overseas vacations.
Some sad news to share: 
THOMAS E. SHARP ’59 of Ripon, Wisconsin, died Oct. 17, 2020. He was a certified electronic technician and repaired televisions and radios for several area firms, including Johnson’s TV, Ruby’s TV, Paul’s TV and Dan’s Audio Plus. He served on the church council of Our Savior’s United Church of Christ and was treasurer for five years. He also was a member of Investments Unlimited and was an avid reader. Survivors include his wife, Jeanne; and two sons.  
VICTOR G. WOESTE ’59 of Eugene, Oregon, died March 1, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and participated in WRPN radio, football, ROTC and Phi Kappa Pi. He later became a Partner in the Legacy.
I now have information to share regarding Alumni Weekend. Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our Golden R Reunion, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

 I look forward to hearing from more of you. Stay happy and healthy!
DAVID MIRISCH ’59
PO Box 793, Superior, Montana 59872
(760) 715-0580 / www.dmirisch.com

Submitted by: Class Agent: David Mirisch

1960 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Hello Everyone:
Hopefully, all of you have gotten your shots and are enjoying good health. For many of us who have been staying home more, it makes hearing from our classmates even more meaningful. There is not a lot of news so this will be a shorter than usual letter. Please, please, write, email, phone, or appear at my front door to let me know what is going on in your lives. In this time of isolation, it is a joy to find out what is going on in the lives of others that we know. Yes, our numbers are diminishing so it is really important to stay in contact.
Class Notes:
JUDITH PELINO BALL ’60 of Brighton, Michigan, sent me STANLEY BALL ’60’s obituary. He passed on Feb. 15, 2020, at the age of 82. He was the father of five and grandfather of four. He got his MBA at Indiana University. At Ripon, he majored in Economics and was a Theta Chi. He worked at Ford Motor Credit Company for 31 years in the Commercial Paper Dept. and retired as Assistant Treasurer. After he retired, Stan and Judy were honored to work at Send International, an international agency, in fundraising for eight years. He also served on the Cornerstone EPC mission committee for 13 years.
BARBARA KOUBA HOFFMAN ’60 of Vernon Hills, Illinois, died Oct. 23, 2020. At Ripon, she was my Alpha Xi Delta sister and roommate. She was a biology major. She had a varied career as a violist, orchestral musician, microbiologist, and a gemstone specialist. She was a member of the University of Chicago Orchestra, North Shore Chamber orchestra, and other classical music groups. She also ran two Chicago marathons. She had one daughter and two grandchildren.
GEORGENE KLANER KOBLENZ ’60 of Sugar Grove, Illinois, died in January 2021. She also was an Alpha Xi sister and a Biology major at Ripon.
Now on to happier news:
JOHN BENKA ’60 of Park Ridge, Illinois, received the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award on February 16, 2020. He has been and is still active in many city and education projects.
DEE GRAY HOLDEN ’60 and DANNY HOLDEN ’60 of Phoenix, Arizona, write that their salvation in Arizona during this nasty COVID-19 time was being able to visit with their son and his family who live nearby. It was a time of cancellation in visiting with the USAF grandson in Maastricht, Belgium, to meet his fiancé. We did visit our USN grandson in Bremerton, Washington. He is a submariner on the USS Kentucky.
DIANE GOTZ RANIERE ’60 of Schaumburg, Illinois, wrote to commiserate with me on the loss of all Yahoo group sites including ours.
Since ED SIEBEL ’60 of Balboa Island, California, has had a home law office for years, the pandemic has not disrupted his routine. Living full time on Balboa Island, 200 feet from the beach reduces the pain of staying “home.” Three of his five kids live close by. Ed and Sue keep busy with parents of developmentally disabled children to obtain the support they need from their governmental districts.
As for myself, I had to purchase a new bookcase as my already large book collection has expanded during the shutdown here in Scottsdale, Arizona. Three cats serve as bookmarks as I read. I also swim daily and walk which gives me the strength to “badger” all of you to give me your news.
Speaking of news, I have good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend! Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8 and will focus on alumni awards recognition; 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations including our 60th Class Reunion Golden R Celebration, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our 60th Reunion celebration on Saturday, August 7, 2021. 
Stay well. Stay happy and bless you all.
Deb
H: (480) 284-5564 / C: (619) 889-5061 / [email protected]

Submitted by: Class Agent: Deborah Johnson Van Slyke

1961 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Dear Classmates:
Greetings from southern Oregon, home of the extraordinary Oregon Shakespeare Theatre. It was good to hear from you and allow me to share the class news.
DANIEL BENKA ’61 of Hopewell, Virginia, wrote on July 23, 2020, that during a return home to Virginia after a Packers stock holding meeting he stopped in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, to meet with BILL SOUTHERN ’61, a fellow Merriman fraternity brother. He said it was wonderful to reconnect. Sadly, he said that almost a year to the day of their visit, Bill passed. Dan expressed his wish to attend our 60th Class Reunion celebration. He said to look for a fat grey-headed man with a cane! But, sadly, the following message came recently from JIM KALANGES ’61: “DANIEL BENKA ’61 suddenly passed away on the first of February 2021 while attending a convention in Arizona. Jim reports that Dan’s wife is in the hospital possibly with COVID-19.”
JEANIE VERMILYE JOHNSTON ’61 has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, since 1967. She has remained in close contact with her freshman roommate, LYNNE JOHNSON CLAFFEY ’61 of Brookfield, Wisconsin. She married SID JOHNSTON ’60 in 1959 and they had two children, a boy and a girl. Jeanie is not only a grandmother but a great-grandmother! She and SID remained friends after their divorce and she reports that he passed in 2017. Jeanie has played tennis for many years four or five days a week, but now plays two days a week. She is happy that she can still play and plans to take pickleball lessons. While employed, Jeanie worked in a Phoenix-area school district. Upon retirement from the school district, she became an administrative assistant in her church. Then, she finally retired! She and Lynne drove up to Ripon a few years ago during the summer but the campus was mostly closed. Her years at Ripon were some of the best of her life. A few years ago, she had lunch with MARY ANN CLAUDER JESSE ’61 of Downers Grove, Illinois who was visiting her sister in Scottsdale, Arizona. 
JACKSON PARKER III ’61 of Kansasville, Wisconsin, says that he hopes to attend our 60th Class Reunion. He is in good health and still pretty active currently involved in Black Lives Matter including both community and school systemic issues, and other related social justice issues in the Burlington and Racine communities. In addition, he is active in Rotary Club. He sings as a tenor in a community choir and serves as its president. Of course, they have now become virtual as they are now performing via Zoom. He reports that he made his first Zoom recording of his tenor part after only about 20 tries! But the group sounded pretty good after ten or so of the other members recorded their parts to cover him! He said it was weird, but rewarding.
Although their home residence is in the Racine/Burlington area of southeast Wisconsin, their Green Lake cottage serves as a haven for the family, including kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews. He reports his kids work from home in either Green Lake or California and hopes the California contingent (oldest daughter and two grandkids) can visit during August. His nieces and nephews live in Minneapolis and he spent early July with them at Green Lake. In his “spare” time, he reads and gardens.     
DARRELL JOHNSON ’61 and BETTY BURMEISTER JOHNSON ’62 of Green Valley, Arizona, have moved to a new home across town. After 19 years living in Green Valley, they are downsizing!
BILL PYE ’61 lives in Excelsior, Minnesota, about 30 miles outside the Twin Cities and on the lake. He reports that he still works with his active brothers of Sigma Chi in Ripon. They had a Sig Reunion Group that met annually in Ripon until COVID-19, so last year they met via Zoom.  Included in the group were DAN BEHRING ’62 and NANCY STEENO BEHRING ’62, GORDY ENK ’62 and ELISE WERNER ENK ’62, HOWIE MYERS ’61, NED PIERRON ’62 and BJ CHRISTENSEN PIERRON ’63, JOHN ROGERS ’62, BOB HAUGOM ’62, KAREN KONRAD ALLAN ’62 (wife of DON ALLAN ’61, deceased), JOHN KORBEL ’60, and others. He reports that has been in contact with LEE JESS ’61 and MARY JO PIEHL JESS ’62 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Bill is semi-retired as a management consultant and banker. Sadly, the pandemic has prevented him and his wife from their annual trek to an island off the coast of Belize. Oh well, perhaps, next year.  
AKIRA TOMITA ’61 sends greetings from Kanagawa-ken, Japan! He reminisced about his freshman year in 1957, and shared these memories: Wearing “beanies”, fresh/sophomore greased-pole fight, polishing shoes for upper-class students and carrying their books, a shaving cream fight in the hallway of Scott Hall ended by the floor supervisor, Nick Whiteman, who yelled, “All right, guys, get quiet and back to your rooms right now!!!”
He has remained in touch with TIM BURR ’61, BILL PYE ’61, and PETER JOCHIMSEN ’61. A few years ago, he and his wife enjoyed their visit at the home of TIM BURR ’61 at Oostburg, Wisconsin, and meeting up with Bill in Ripon. In addition, they saw Peter at his home in Iowa City, and then ALLEN ANGSTEN ’61 in his home several times.  
PHILLIP WATKUS ’61 sends best wishes to us all. He lives in Kohler, Wisconsin, with occasional visits to their summer home in lovely Door County for maintenance. He very much misses dining in Door County, always a prime attraction in better times, which is not possible now, unless you want to do curbside pickup. Somehow, curbside pickup loses something in translation. The area is still pretty, but the County officers have asked folks with summer place there, like him, to stay home. So, they do unless there is something that really needs to be done. 
Photography and nature hikes are still a great get-out-of-the-house cabin fever escape. All of his photo club activities and other hobby group meetings are via Zoom, which at least keeps them in touch with friends. In his spare time, he is catching up with woodworking projects that were put aside for a couple of years. He is almost done with his fancy router table and has been cranking out a few wood-turned pieces for his children and friends as well as for a store at one of his favorite haunts in better times, The Clearing Folk School Bookstore and Gift Shop in Door County. Woodturning is great fun and with all the Ash available these days, thanks to the Emerald Ash Borer, this fine hardwood is free for the asking. In addition, he does computer database programming. He commented that he has remained in touch with MARK CODY ’61 and his wife.
As for me, BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61, well, upon graduation, I entered a management training program with Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. in Chicago where I was able to move up the ranks in retailing. Then, one day, my husband came home and said pack your bags, I’ve been accepted by the State Department and we are moving to Washington, D.C. What?? After a wonderful year in D.C. working as the assistant to the Director of Public Safety for the D.C. Council of Governments, my husband came home from work to advise me that we had to pack because he had been assigned to Arabic language training in Beirut, Lebanon. “Where’s that?” I said. We spent ten wonderful, exciting, years in the Middle East. I was fortunate to be able to work in the embassies where we were stationed as a reports officer. Our last tour in Beirut was especially a treat as I was able to obtain a master’s degree in English Literature at the American University of Beirut. While we were on leave that summer in Ireland and England, fighting began again in Lebanon and the State Department ordered an evacuation of all non-essential personnel. What does it mean to be non-essential anyway? So, I placed my two daughters on a plane for America to stay with my parents while I returned to Beirut to pack up our household effects. Not to put it too dramatically, but my last night in Beirut was spent watching the red glare of bombs and Katyusha rockets. 
Returning to America was an adjustment, to put it mildly, and after I lost my husband, I was drowning in a sea of grief. A sermon by the priest in church about focusing on what you have and not what you have lost encouraged me to accept a job as the executive director of a private, invitational, bar association, in a far-off galaxy – San Jose, California. It was a good move for me. I was able to become active in the non-profit community serving on several boards, fund-raising for some, active in Rotary, a book club, AAUW, Alpha Chi Omega alumnae group, competing in agility with my two standard poodles who were also therapy dogs, and serving as a lector in my parish. After the association decided to leave California, I accepted a job as a management analyst with the County of Santa Clara and retired three years ago. A theatre friend and I had been visiting Ashland, Oregon, for the past 28 years, to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and other world-class theater the area offered. I knew that when I did retire, it would be southern Oregon. I like to tell everyone that I live between two wineries and a cattle ranch! It’s true! Since moving to Medford, I have once again become active in the community, serving on three City of Medford commissions, Rotary, two book groups, working out at the gym, and taking classes at Southern Oregon University. Oh, and walking my girl standard poodle. Sadly, I lost my older daughter 12 years ago, but she is with me through her two extraordinary children, my grandson and granddaughter, who live in Chicago. My younger daughter lives in Brooklyn, New York. I have been fortunate to stay in touch with JOANNE TOSTRUD JOHNSON ’60, JUDY BROCKEL BAUM ’63, and MAC CLAUDER JESSE ’61.
This summer, we’ll be celebrating our 60th Class Reunion during Alumni Weekend. Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.
JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. 
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25. 

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session. 
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Class of ’61 in Memoriam
JULIE “JUDY” BROCKEL BAUM ’63
DANIEL BENKA ’61 
PATRICIA HORR MATAELE ’62
BILL SOUTHERN ’61
DANIEL L. BENKA ’61 of Prince George, Virginia, died Jan. 26, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and participated in football and Phi Kappa Pi. He was commissioned through ROTC and received the ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate recognition. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1987, including tours in Vietnam, three years in France and two years in South Korea. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1978. While serving, he received his master’s degree in economics from the Florida Institute of Technology. He then worked with the Department of Defense and Dominion Energy. He was a member of several community groups and served numerous high-level posts with the Jaycees. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth; one son and one daughter; and a brother, JOHN BENKA ’60.
WILLIAM W. SOUTHERN ’61 of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, died June 12, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in psychology, participated in athletics and Phi Kappa Pi, and was commissioned through ROTC. He served in the Army and completed a master’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University. He enjoyed walking his dog, taking trips with his wife, and attending local basketball games, tennis matches, track and cross country meets, and school events. Survivors include his wife, Marie; two sons and one daughter.
That’s about it, folks. Hope to see you at Alumni Weekend and our 60th Reunion this summer on August 7, 2021. Please be there to help us remember those whom we have lost. And, stay well.
BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61
[email protected]
Your 1961 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barbara Krieps Laskin