JIM BEISNER ’71

770-570-7725 

[email protected]

Greetings, Class of 1971!

We are moving toward our 50th year since we graduated from Ripon College. 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 2021 Alumni Weekend, which will be June 24-27, 2021. We will be sharing our reunion celebration with the Class of 1970 as their reunion was postponed this year due to COVID-19. The goal is to get as many classmates as possible to return to campus and celebrate our 50 years of success that started at Ripon College. I invite any classmates interested in assisting in the planning of the reunion to contact me. Areas needing assistance include the Memorabilia Room, Service of Remembrance, and our class memory book. I want to invite all of you to consider spending a weekend at Ripon and enjoy some fellowship with your classmates. You will receive more details concerning the reunion events later this year.

Class Note:

LAURENCE B. HUNTING ’71 died March 11, 1979, from a brain tumor. At Ripon, he majored in Latin American Studies and was a member of Beta Sigma Pi fraternity. He traveled and had taught transcendental meditation in Mexico. (Ripon College was recently informed of the death of Laurence hence why this is being shared at this time.)

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 Annual 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. Since this is our reunion year, I urge your consideration to increase this year’s gift in recognition of our 50th reunion and all we have accomplished because of Ripon College.

Sincerely,

Jim

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

SCOTT A. NYQUIST ’69

Home: (239) 732-0523

Cell: (630) 632-1619

[email protected]

Dear Classmates,

Staying home for months now has given me a lot of time to reflect on my 73 years of life. I think a lot about my years at Ripon College. I met my wife of 52 years at Ripon. I got a first-rate education at Ripon. I made many life-long friends while there as a student and during my involvement with the College as an alum. I had the privilege of serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. The Alumni Board introduced me to alums who were at Ripon in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and to alums who were at Ripon five, ten, even 20 years before me. Regardless of the difference in our ages, we were all members of the same “family.” The stories we shared with each other (mostly true) were so similar, regardless of our time at the College. I treasure the friendships I made while on the Board and keep in touch with many of those I met while serving. I’ve also kept in touch with a lot of my classmates. For most of my 40-some years of working, my job involved a lot of travel. Instead of eating dinner alone while away from home, I would often contact Ripon friends a week or so in advance of my trip to their city and arrange to have dinner with them one night, sometimes in a restaurant, sometimes in their home. In many cases I got to meet their children and watch them grow up. I’ve even attended some of their kids’ weddings. I guess you could say my life has Ripon College woven into most of it. I send out about 120 Christmas cards every December. Forty of them are to Ripon friends.

Although I was a Chemistry-Biology major, classes I took at Ripon in Art History, Drama and Philosophy are ones that I value just as much as the science courses. Whenever Cynthia and I visit a city with an art museum, we try to always make time to visit. We love the theater, especially musicals. Many of my conversations with Ripon friends are truly philosophical discussions, especially after several glasses of wine.

In my last letter, I asked you to think about people from Ripon College who had a lasting influence on your life. For me, it was Chemistry Professor Earle Scott P’80/P’82 and Biology Professor Karen Weinke (now Karen Holbrook). They were brilliant in their field and excellent at teaching. They challenged you immensely. (Translation: Their courses were REALLY tough.) When you got a top grade in their class you were VERY proud of yourself. They always made time for students who were struggling or had questions. They both had a great sense of humor.

The other person who was very special to me was Dave Harris, Dean of Men. He was like a second father or a favorite uncle. You knew if you had a problem, he was always ready to listen and help however he could.

Last comment on my Ripon experience. I grew up in Chicago, mostly in the suburbs. I had only traveled to about four other states, all in the Midwest, before college. (I’ve been to 46 now.) My first year at Ripon, I met people from all over the country: NY, NJ, CT, MA, OH, CA, PA, DC, WI, MI, MN and even HI to name a few. I also met people of color for the first time, as well as people who practiced religions other than catholic or protestant. My high school of 3500 students was all white, save for four or five Asians whose parents were doctors or professors. My parents always disparaged people who were different from them. Going to Ripon meant meeting African-Americans, Asians and people of the Hebrew faith for the first time. Science tells us 99.8% of the DNA of all races is the same. I didn’t need science to determine people different than me were really no different than me. 

I hope some of you will share with me the experiences and people at Ripon that left a lasting impression on you.

Before sharing the news updates I received from class members, I want to share an article about our very own DON CHESTER ’69 of West Palm Beach, FL. The article appeared in the South Florida Hospital News & Healthcare Report. I contacted Don and got his OK to publish this as part of the class letter.

Profiles in Leadership

Don Chester is the Assistant Administrator and oversees community and governmental relations for St. Mary’s Medical Center and the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital. In his role, Don tracks and monitors legislation within the state and local governments, and is responsible for the community partnerships associated with the hospital. Don has been at St. Mary’s Medical Center & Palm Beach Children’s hospital for nearly 50 years. During his time, he played a crucial role in forming the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, which is a nationally recognized lifesaving trauma system serving the county’s two Level I Trauma Centers at St. Mary’s and Delray Medical Centers. On the 30th anniversary for the Health Care District, Don was honored with a Legacy Award for his contributions to the organization. Formerly an avid triathlete, Don was critically injured 16 years ago while running. Now, a quadriplegic, he dedicates his time mentoring others who recently became injured. Don’s goal is to give them the confidence and tools to go back to living a productive life. Don is a graduate of Ripon College and has a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Here’s the news I received from class members. I love hearing from all of you.

FRANK ANDERS ’69, of Chesterfield, VA, sends this update: “With COVID-19 restrictions in place it is the little things that create excitement. The hurricane yesterday (August 4th) passed through Virginia leaving us a much needed 5 inches of rain and curtailed my 7:18 tee time. On a more exciting note we generated a geyser in our crawl space this morning (the day after the hurricane) when a water line coupling separated creating our own swimming pool. I’ve just finished Dr. Seale Doss’ two books ‘Blood on the Risers’ (2018) and ‘Hattie’s Pink House’ (2020) and found them both enjoyable and easy to read.  Memories of philosophy classes with Drs. Doss, Hannaford and Tyree remain the highlight of my college experience. Social distancing has led to a wonderful experience of Zoom meetings with members of Beta Sigma Pi, many of whom I have not seen since graduation in 1969. To my surprise, I found that CHUCK WALDON ’66 and I, unbeknownst to either of us, were stationed in Chu Lai, Viet Nam at the same time — 1970 to 1971 — with the 198th Light Infantry Brigade and 1st Aviation Brigade respectively.  I suppose that this is a silver lining in COVID-19.”  

RICK BRANDT ’69, Tallahassee, FL writes: “I spent Thanksgiving last year with daughter Catherine in Richmond, VA. Spent Christmas 2019 with daughter Allison in Greenville SC. In February, I spent a couple of days with SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 and CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 in Naples, FL then met some friends from Rockford, IL in Longboat Key, FL. I canceled a European trip I had scheduled for May because of the pandemic. I have been going to my local gym since early May for exercise, because outdoor walks in the heat and humidity here this time of year are tough. I’ve also been reading my way through books, mostly history and non-fiction. Some re-reads. I’ve been trying to find things worthwhile on TV, which is hard. I’ve also been staying in touch with friends by phone or text or email. Pretty boring. Don’t have Covid but almost wishing I’d get it to just get it behind me…and to have something new to focus on…a new adventure.” ?

PERRY BREWER ’69 of Mount Juliet, TN emails us: The COVID-19 pandemic has put a crimp in most everyone’s lifestyle. As a result, the Brewers have done next to nothing.  No trips, no visiting relatives, nada.  I did manage to fit in a right hip replacement back in January before the pandemic escalated to today’s level. Also, I had a tooth pulled Monday, so I am down to pudding, jell-o, applesauce, scrambled eggs, ice cream, and baby food for the next week or so. I do need to get new frames for my glasses as the old ones finally corroded through.  So, with the monthly beer club, whiskey club and men’s dinner all cancelled until further notice I am reduced to lounging by the pool and playing golf once a week.  There may be a start up of frisbee golf and wiffle ball in September to keep all us old guys active but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, I am biding my time on the Del Webb Landscape Committee looking for dead trees and shrubs that need to be removed/replaced.

DON CHESTER ’69 of West Palm Beach, FL says: “Since the COVID-19 pandemic started I have been extremely busy as part of St. Mary’s Medical Center’s Incident Command Team. Florida, and Palm Beach County in particular, continue to be hotspots. Needless to say, there have been many challenges. While not at the Medical Center I have been actively participating in virtual runs on my hand cycle. For each event you are given a certain amount of days to complete the course. I recently finished a 114-mile hand cycle ride around Lake Okeechobee and a 75-mile ride across Alligator Alley from Sarasota to the East Coast of Florida. The next event is a 142-mile ride in Massachusetts.”

JACK FLECK ’69 of Pensacola, FL emails us: “Getting in an hour walk in July can be challenging here in Pensacola. A morning rain can usually keep the temperature below 85. This year my plant propagation has focused on various hibiscus varieties as well as trying more camellias.” 

BILL GEBHARDT ’69 of Frankfort, IL writes: “SUE HECHT GEBHARDT ’70 and I are no longer Illinois residents. We sold our house in Frankfort and bought the lot we’ve been looking at for over a year. It’s on Swan Lake in Portage, Wisconsin! We have all our stuff in storage for six months. We hope the new house we are having built will be done within that time frame. We will probably become permanent Florida residents only due to tax implications. So six months in each location. Once situated, we’ll accept guests in either place. I’m still getting chemotherapy, but it’s down to every two weeks, and starting next month it’ll be once a month. Still taking chemo pills. But I feel good. Played golf three times this week. Can’t score like I could but I’m older too. Sue missed her 50-year reunion in Ripon when Alumni Weekend was cancelled due to COVID. We have been fortunate to stay away from it so far. I’m being extra careful due to my poor immune system.”

ALICE HALL HAYES ’69 of Washington, D.C. writes: “What a year 2020 has been!  I never believed that 1968 could be topped as so memorable. The good news is that there were good times and good things that we did during this pandemic. We even took a few side trips before the  long term social isolation started. One trip was to Hilton Head, South Carolina to the annual Gullah Cultural Arts Festival which is breathtaking for its artistic range, covering music, paintings, dancing, food, basketmaking, etc.

During our social distanced timeframe, Ed and I have done a lot of gardening, enjoyed reading some new books and authors, and walked some new pathways and public gardens. Additionally, we participated in several of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in D.C. with our church and neighbors. I am still saddened by the passing of Congressman John Lewis but definitely appreciate the push for justice that he worked so tirelessly to achieve.

To highlight the joy of this year, Ed and I welcomed a new granddaughter, Josephine, in May.  Because the young family lives in New Orleans, my husband and I have not held Baby Josephine yet, but are looking forward to our next trip which will be to meet her. Our budding plans for our trip are to rent an RV and drive down to meet her in late August or September. Wish us luck!”

DEBBIE HAMELE KUKLA ’69 of Carmel, IN emails: “My husband, TOM KUKLA ’70, and I went with five friends on a private tour of Australia and New Zealand this January. It was the trip of a lifetime- breathtaking beauty and wonderful people. Made it home before COVID hit!”

PHIL MCCULLOUGH ’69 of Woodstock, IL sends this update: “I have been working every day down at my office at Northwestern University Medical School. Patricia is recovering from her second shoulder replacement procedure, which had been pushed back a couple of months as it was elective. Fortunately, from what I recall from anatomy class, she has no more shoulders left to operate upon. Just started teaching my Advanced Psychopharmacology class to the 3rd-year residents. It is via Zoom which is new to me. Speaking quite a lot with CHRIS OGLE ’80, Ripon College’s Dean of Students, about plans to re-open campus safely in the fall.”

JOAN NOVINSON NICHOLSON ’69, of Port Townsend, Washington, writes, “My husband, DWIGHT D. NICHOLSON ’70, worked in the Upward Bound program for several summers as a direct result of the influence of Dr. Erv Breithaupt and Rev. Jerry Thompson. Today he volunteers at the Community Boat Project with high school students from the area as part of a continuum of volunteering with youth. The son of one of the Upward Bound participants spent two weeks with us in the summer. We received a philosophy of life at Ripon that I believe would be a challenge to match.”

SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 and CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 of Naples, FL write: “Like many of you, we have been staying home to avoid exposure to the COVID virus. Cynthia busies herself doing gardening, knitting & crocheting projects and watercolor paintings. Her crafters club has been making blankets and hats for the local children’s hospital. Now they are making stuffed animals to be used as Christmas presents for the kids. Scott continues as President of the Homeowners Association and is enjoying reading. He can highly recommend “Wait ‘Till Next Year,” by noted historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, especially if you are a baseball fan. At this writing, the baseball season has begun and Scott is glued to the TV watching every Cubs game. (Hopefully play will continue.) We celebrated 52 years of marriage on March 9th, a quiet evening at home. We had planned to attend Alumni Weekend 2020 and were disappointed when it had to be cancelled. Sadly, our annual August visit to Germany to see our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter was also cancelled. Scott talks with six fraternity brothers every Wednesday night via the Zoom platform. We are becoming experts at ordering online from Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Amazon, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble and others. 

DON PARK ’69 of Cambridge, MD sends this news: “We have been traveling a little. Spent a week with our daughter and her family at Hilton Head week of July 4th and just completed a week at the beach in Ocean City, MD. We miss dining out. Don’t risk even “al fresco” dining. If we aren’t cooking for ourselves then we order for pickup.  We did have a porch added to the back of our house. Now we have a nice view of the river.  Love the Beta Sig monthly Zoom house meetings. Great to catch up with the brothers.”

NICHOLAS “CHIP” RETSON ’69 of Aiken, SC sends this: “I have become a Zoom Meeting & Webinar expert! In my role as Chair of our local Chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). I have been hosting almost daily meetings on the new COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Loan programs and helping our clients start and grow businesses. It’s been rewarding but I can’t wait to get back to more face-to-face mentoring and workshop presentations. 

I have two great books I recently read and highly recommend them to all – “Empire of The Summer Moon,” by S.C. Gwynne, which is about the Comanche Indians and the interruption of their lifestyle as farmers moved westward into the Plains. A well written history of both cultures. “The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend,” by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, is a similar cultural history of the northern plains Indians — basically the Lakota Sioux who had been forcibly moved westward out of Minnesota. The key leader is Red Cloud, born into a dysfunctional Indian family. Through wisdom and courage, he ultimately brings together the largest number ever of warriors from numerous tribes to fight the US Army. One take-away for me from these books is how the failures of different cultures to even try to understand the culture of their opponents always leads to terrible waste on both sides.

Lastly, this Fall I will become a member of the Ripon College Alumni Association Board of Directors and look forward to working with others to support the College. “

ART SCARLETT ’69 of Glenshaw, PA writes this: “I won’t complain about canceled plans and trashed trips, however, COVID lock down has had interesting, unforeseen, benefits. Even though Alumni Weekend was cancelled the Brothers of Beta Sigma Pi, still held their traditional Thursday evening Alumni Weekend kickoff party at ROBERT “BOB” FLECK JR.’S ’65 Green Lake home – via ZOOM. Over 70 Brothers from the ’60s to mid ’70s were invited and about 35 attended! It was BYOB — virtual beer and brats were served — terrific view of Green Lake and the usual reminiscing with long-time friends. All time zones of the 50 states were covered. Discussions lasted over 2 hours and covered personal adventures and the perceived state of the College and beloved professors. Professor of Philosophy, Seale Doss triggered quite a lively reaction from lawyers and educators on the call. They were, in turn, admonished by acting house Sergeant-at-Arms, H. Keck:  “Those Brothers who joined the conversation to reminisce about Seale Doss, his influence on us and the philosophical applications of complex common law, have been fined the equivalent of a case of beer for: “intense discussions way over the head of an average Beta Sig.” Additionally, for those who referenced obscure authors and quoted from their published works ….. your fine is two cases.” Payable next Alumni Weekend.

I had no idea of the adventurous life Seale Doss had before his tenure at Ripon and that he has written at least two novels since he retired to New Mexico: “Blood on the Risers” (2018) and “Hattie’s Pink House” (2020). I’ve ordered both books. Thanks to KURT THORNBLADH ’70 for his efforts and patience in making these virtual house meetings happen and keeping us connected. Founded in 1964, Beta Sigma Pi has not existed on campus since 1994. However, the brotherhood is still strong. Looking forward to our next virtual house meeting and very curious to see who shows up. Who will I recognize?”

CYNTHIA KLINGEL SPRING ’69 of Meredith, NH emails us: “I am Chair of our Black Lives Matter Task Force in my congregation. I have been doing a lot of reading to try and understand the issues.  Part of my interest in this comes from knowing ALICE HALL HAYS ’69 and SAM JOHNSON ’69 at Ripon. I keep wondering if they or their children or grandchildren have been stopped by the police. I grew up protected from harassment just because of the color of my skin. And I was oblivious to it!  Lots of work to be done before we can really claim that this is the land of the free!”

BOB “OTTO” WACHHOLTZ ’69 of Papillon, NE writes: “My bride bought 13 jigsaw puzzles and traded for three more.  And not the 48-piece US states from our grade school days.  Eyesight and sanity (?) are slowly returning.  Hopefully the current insanity is just a minor speed bump in retirement.”

Several of you emailed me pictures. I forwarded them to the College but will also upload them to the R Connections website: www.ripon.edu/rconnections

So this is the part where I ask you to support Ripon. If you have not yet made a gift to Ripon College this year, please consider making one. A gift of ANY amount is sincerely appreciated. Just about all small colleges struggle financially. It’s kind of a way of life for them. The pandemic has thrown a real curve ball into their already stretched finances, so please be generous. You can specify where you want your money to go: scholarships, building fund, endowment, library, athletic dept., etc. You can give in memory of a professor or a classmate. Our class had 32 individuals who supported #OneDayRally, a special giving day for Ripon College, as well as 19 individuals who made a gift to the Emergency Assistance Fund. Thank you to all of you who gave to Ripon! Finally, please consider making the College part of your estate plan. It’s easy to do. Contact SHAWN KARSTEN ’09, Vice President of Advancement, at [email protected] if you have questions about this.

Be sure to let Ripon know your new address if you move or if you change email addresses. Speaking of which, I only have email addresses for about half the class. I’d love to be able to communicate with more of you by email. Attached is a list of people for whom I have no valid email address. If you’re on it, please share your email with me. The college will not bombard you with emails and you can opt out of the emails they do send.

Also, Alumni Weekend 2021 will be held June 24-27, 2021. You can get more information from the Ripon College website. You can also register online there once the date approaches.

Keep in touch.

Always for Ripon,

Scott

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.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

Peter Uhrig ’68

Phone: (512) 374-0768 / Mobile: (512) 762-1479 / [email protected]

Dear Classmates:

“May you live in interesting times.” The origins of this expression are unclear but few of us can doubt that these are indeed interesting, as well as challenging and even scary times. We have all surely felt the effects of COVID-19 to some degree or another. My sincere hope is that none of you or your loved ones have been or will be sick with this virus.

Note about the Spring 2019 Class Letter: Because of COVID-19 distractions, some class letters (including ours) did not go out or get posted to the “R Connections” website (https://www.ripon.edu/rconnections/). Our full spring letter should now be found there.

Classes were set to resume on Monday, August 17. Reunite Ripon is a roadmap for the 2020-21 academic year. It is comprised of the policies, procedures and guidelines to ensure a safe return to campus and in-person learning. Faculty, staff and administrators spent the summer planning for this return while ensuring the safe preservation of Ripon’s learning community and personalized education. It is a result of studying the best practices from other colleges and universities, collaborating with local health providers and procurement of sanitizing and personal protective equipment to allow for the in-person experience. There will, of course, be changes to the way students learn, work and socialize.

Ripon Professor of Biology Mark Kainz has been working as a contact investigator for COVID-19 for Winnebago County Public Health near Ripon. He interviews people and gives them guidelines to help limit the spread of COVID-19. “We’re not the COVID cops,” Kainz said. “We’re actually on people’s side. We want to help the community and the individuals in it be healthy. While I’m sure it’s not on the top of anybody’s list to get called by a contact tracer, we’re actually trying to help you.”

1968 Classmate News:

RICK KAMMEN ’68 of Hilton Head, South Carolina has been selected by The Best Lawyers in America for inclusion in the upcoming 27th edition in the field of Criminal Defense.

ALAN RATTRAY ’68 of Mentor, Ohio writes, “Working hard with our several businesses trying to keep them all afloat.”

SCOTT MATHOT ’68 of Loudon, Tennessee writes, “Karen and I are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this year and taking the whole family for a week on Turks & Caicos…Yikes!”

Obituaries:

JEANIE SAKRISON VELARDE ’68 died of leukemia in June 2019. She was an accomplished quilter whose work has been shown in national juried quilt shows. Two of her quilts have been chosen to be included in an inspired-by-Elvis quilt exhibit at the Library of Congress.

SUSAN SMITH AMACHER ’68 of Lake Shore/Nisswa Minnesota died June 3, 2020. At Ripon, she participated in music and theatre, was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, and later was a member of Partners in the Legacy. She earned a master’s degree in theatre at the University of Oklahoma and a Ph.D in economics from the University of Virginia. She had a passion for theatre and music, sang in church choirs, and played the piano. She taught in public schools in Virginia and Oklahoma. Her husband, RYAN AMACHER ’67, died in 2016.

DIANN WATERBURY GRAEBER ’68 of Bonita Springs, Florida, died Oct. 17, 2019. At Ripon, she majored in English and was a member of Alpha Phi. She was an educator, manager, advocate, supporter and volunteer. She lived for many years in Connecticut. Survivors include her husband, CHARLES W. GRAEBER ’68; and two sons.

It has now been over 52 years since we graduated, but I think we remember the world we were entering as we left the comfort of the Ripon campus. 1968 was also a year filled with challenges, unrest, and new beginnings. I look forward to the good things waiting for us just around the corner.

Best Wishes,

Peter Uhrig ’68

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63

313-550-5094 / [email protected]

Hi Classmates!

I hope you all are surviving and even thriving in these troubled times. I also hope that hearing from Ripon classmates brings back memories of much happier times. We were surely blessed compared to today’s students. 

No doubt there are graduates of Ripon’s chemistry program that are involved in developing a vaccine. We wish them God Speed!

Class Notes:

EDWARD L. “NED” CLAPP ’63 of Cockeysville, Maryland, died Aug. 24, 2019. At Ripon, he majored in history and was a member and officer of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He taught in the northern Chicago suburbs for six years, then at his alma mater, Gilman School in Maryland, for almost 40 years, retiring in 2007. He taught ancient history, American history and world geography, and served as director of the summer school, assistant middle school head and dean of students. He enjoyed puns, gardening, reading, history, crossword puzzles, travel and listening to classical music.

VERNON CRONEN ’63 of Wilmington, North Carolina ([email protected]) writes, “Like most people, Myrna and I have been trying to lead virtual lives: Virtual dinners with our daughter’s family, virtual meetings with friends over virtual drinks, etc. Our cooking abilities have improved by necessity. I am trying to learn how to use new technologies for my hybrid classes next semester. My chairman and younger colleagues have been very helpful and tolerant. (Oh, right, all of my colleagues are younger colleagues — by much more than a decade.) I hope all you stay well.”

ARTHUR SCHARFF ’63 of St. Louis, Missouri ([email protected]) writes, 

“With all the experiences we have had in our lives (4,500+ Years – WOW), I encourage each of you to share some of your wisdom; Life lessons learned. You have it. Please share.  

We can set a new class letter standard for the 57 other graduating classes by sharing our truths, and our wisdom with a bit of humor thrown in. That adds learning and sharing to the usual name, rank, and serial number. 

If not now, when? If not you, whom?

Food for thought, gathered from members of my Presidents Councils: www.presidentscouncilstl.com

1. Wise financial counsel for grandchildren entering the adult world: Live on 80% of your income, save 10% for a rainy day and invest 10% in retirement and never touch it until retirement.
   1. Required reading for children and grandchildren: Common Sense by John Bogle; As a Man Thinketh by James Allen; A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard; The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason.
2. Talk less, smile more (find the mask on Amazon).
3. Listen, observe and do not judge. If all else fails, give away Dunkin donuts. 
4. COVID dilemma: Even when I didn’t know what I was doing, at least I had a plan. Now I don’t even have a plan.
5. Everyone’s crystal ball is foggy.
6. “Facilitating other people’s process is like being a midwife. When the baby is born, the mother will rightly say “we did it ourselves”’~ From The Tao of Leadership by John Heider.”

(Note:  The Winter 2019 issue of the Ripon Magazine included the article “What is the greatest life lesson you took away from your professors at Ripon College?” The article included answers from twenty alumni from various classes. In my request for input for the Spring 2021 letter, I will ask classmates their Life Lessons Learned Since Ripon. I look forward to your wisdom.)”

DAN SCHULTZ ’63 of Silver Spring, Maryland ([email protected]) writes,

“Peg and I just celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary on August 8 by having a happy hour pontoon ride on Lake Ripley, Wisconsin, where we are during the summer months, followed by champaign and steak tartar. We will remain here at our lovely lake until mid-September, then back to our Maryland home for the fall and then onto Florida for January-May. We are very lucky to have each other and have the places we do to hunker down during these crazy times and we and our family and core friends have all remained safe from the COVID virus.  

Golf is part of our life in each place and we enjoy our couple outings as much as we do playing with the gals and guys. I swim and bike, Peg walks and works out, we binge on t.v. programs, and have a picture puzzle going most of the time. We have virtually no social life other than Zoom gatherings. Our kids and grandchildren visits were all canceled here at the lake as well as in the spring in Florida so we have had each other and that’s about it. We are hoping for a regime change in November and a vaccine by the end of the year!

Three more years till our 60th reunion and the mortality tables say we all have a good chance of making it so see you then if not before!” 

LYNN SIEBEL SUNDELIUS ’63 of Kalispell, Montana ([email protected]) writes, “My traveling companion and I returned from a trip to New Zealand and Australia just as the pandemic was leaving S.E. Asia. I had to put down my old dog the month before we left and after two weeks home looking at the walls, I acquired my “COVID pup.” I question the wisdom of someone in our age bracket taking on a labrador puppy, but our forced proximity has made him one of the best-trained dogs on the lake. My weekly volunteer job with CASA has gone on without interruption, as the office is large and the staff is rotating days to accomplish effortless social distancing.” 

ROGER WHEELER ’63 of Southbury, Connecticut ([email protected]) writes, “I have been exercising by swimming at a lovely small lake in Bethlehem, Connecticut. I swim all over the lake. During the pandemic, I have gotten to know Zoom because I go to meetings that use it. It’s all right, but I miss seeing the actual people. Also, the Episcopal church I attend uses Facebook and films in the palace of Sunday services for people at home, and they plan to keep doing this for the entire year. I am so happy that Ripon College is starting its new year with regular in-school classes. So many colleges and universities are starting their school year online. I want to wish you all the very best and stay healthy.”   

WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63 of Grosse Pointe, Michigan ([email protected]) writes, “Nancy and I Facetime daily with our two granddaughters (10 & 7) who live in Grand Rapids, MI. I’m biking every day (nothing strenuous) and trying to clear out boxes of “stuff” we’ve collected over the years. I’ve even found and discarded the pay stubs from my 1963-1965 army days!”

Stay safe and pray for a vaccine!

Wayne

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

DAVID MIRISCH ’59

Phone: 760-715-0580 / [email protected]

During the COVID-19 time, I kept myself busy by donating my consultation services on fundraising events (during which I have been involved in 2,500) free of charge to any nonprofit in the state of Montana. For the first time in over a year, I was able to play a round of golf. And, I am proud to say that a full-length feature documentary on my life will soon hit the Film Festival circuit entitled “David Mirisch – The Man Behind the Golden Stars.” If you have a minute browse through the links on my website which is www.dmirisch.com. I think you will enjoy it.

Here are our class notes:

RONELL BRADBEER ANDERSON ’59 – Lives in an independent retirement community called Maris Grove in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and stays in touch with some fellow graduates. She has 4 grandchildren – one a CPA, one a teacher, one a nurse, and one an engineer. In her spare time she does on-line antique appraisals and reads, paints, plays cards, and cooks when inspired.

DONNA HAUBRICH REICHLE ’59 – She and her husband still live on Fripp Island, South Carolina. They enjoy cruising in their golf cart at happy hour, walking the beach at sunrise on turtle patrol, and enjoying their Lowcountry coastal lifestyle. They are active in the Loggerhead Patrol, yacht club and the Audubon Club. She recently became vice-president of the Women’s Club. Additionally, Dave’s book, The Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change: Sealing Ecological Energetics From Organism to Biosphere has recently been published. 

SANDRA FOX OSBORNE ’59 -She is catching up on projects that have long been put aside. She walks every day and takes pictures at the Mequon Nature Preserve incorporating her photographs in photo journals. She is proud of her granddaughter CORRIE OSBORNE ’17 who recently graduated from The University of Chicago’s School of Law and will begin as an Associate at Foley and Lardner in February.

CLIFFORD EIMON ’59 – He has four children and seven grandchildren, the youngest grandchild being one year old. His two sons are great golfers and they enjoy playing with him. They play from the blue tees and he plays from the front tees. He reminds them he used to “give them putts.” Now it is time they give him putts.

DAVID HILL ’59 – David and his wife 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.

ALLEN PETERS ’59.– He was a teacher, coach and Athletic Director at Reedsville High School in Wisconsin. For 32 years he has been putting on “Al’s Alumni Classic” where boys and girls basketball teams compete. Al awards a cash scholarship to a graduating student-athlete. During COVID-19, Al and his wife Barb have been enjoying quiet time in their home.

RICHARD J. RADEMACHER ’59 of Wichita, Kansas, died June 15, 2020. At Ripon, he studied economics. He served in the U.S. Army before pursuing dual master’s degrees in economics and library science. He was director of public libraries in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Wichita, Kansas, retiring in 1999. He also taught economics at Emporia State University. He was an avid gardener. Survivors include two daughters; and nieces, including AMANDA LIETHEN GLASS ’07.

DANIEL C. RAJEWSKI ’59 of Schaumburg, Illinois, died Dec. 3, 2019. At Ripon, he majored in economics, played football and participated in ROTC and Phi Kappa Pi fraternity. He served in the U.S. Army, mostly at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and was a first lieutenant. After working 20 years in the insurance industry, he ran his own business, Schaumburg Electronics, until retiring. He volunteered for the Schaumburg Citizen’s Police Academy. Survivors include his wife, Darlene; two sons, one daughter and two stepdaughters.

Please do keep sending me your updates. I do look forward to continuing to hear from all of you. Here is a picture I’ll close with from the Gig Harbor Film Festival in Gig Harbor, Washington, with my lovely wife, Sandra, and dear friend, Julie Andrews. 

Sincerely,

David

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

DEBORAH JOHNSON VAN SLYKE ’60

480-284-5564 / 619-889-5061 / [email protected]

Hi everyone.

This certainly has been an unusual time. I hope that all of you are healthy and COVID free. Yes, I took a test and it was negative so I am able to endure the heat dome that has descended on Scottsdale. For the last week, I have had to forgo my morning swim as the water was like swimming in hot soup. This week our nights are finally down in the high eighties. I try to keep in good spirits by thinking of going up the hill in the snow. Remember the Toilet Bowl?

Would love to hear from more of you. How are your grandkids? Have you taken up any new hobbies? I just read a piece by Frederick Buechner on old age. He said it is our second childhood that we can enjoy and that  “what young children and very old children have in common is the advantage of being able to sit on the sideline of things. While everyone else is jockeying for position and sweating it out, they can lean back, put their feet up, and, like the octogenarian King Lear, pray and sing and tell old tales and laugh at gilded butterflies.”

Was happy to hear from our artist CLAUDETTE BEALL LEE-ROSELAND ’60 of Cedarburg, WI (check out her website: www.claudetteleeroseland.com). Claud has had a difficult year including run-ins with cancer, a broken leg, and other medical annoyances. She is on the mend and in good spirits. I am hoping to be in Egerton for Christmas and plan to visit her studio. She is soooo talented!

GERALD R. KIERGAARD ’60 of Madison, Wisconsin, died Feb. 19, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in English and philosophy and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He also studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught for the Madison School District for more than 20 years. After retiring, he was a substitute teacher for the Monona Grove School District. He enjoyed bird watching, day trips,  woodworking, puzzles, casino trips, the Green Bay Packers and his dogs. Survivors include his wife, Yvonne; one son and one daughter.

BOB BORGER ’60 checked in from Waterville, Ohio. His wife Yvette is in the hospital with a variety of maladies. I remember Yvette from the 50th…delightful woman. Get well soon!

For those of you who are well…congratulations! For those of you who are going through bad periods or your spouse is, I am so sorry.  For those of you who are climbing the walls during this stressful time…you’re not alone.

Write me, call me, email me…….the next letter will include your news.

Take care, 

Deb

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

The following text is a copy of the remarks made at the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce event “A Night of Stars” on February 16, 2020, where Dr. JOHN BENKA ’60 was honored with the 2019 Park Ridge Lifetime Achievement Award.

He may have been born in Cudahay, Wisconsin, the son of a Milwaukee County Deputy Sheriff, but John Benka’s roots have gone deep in Park Ridge during his 22 years as Assistant Superintendent for Maine Township High School District 207 and his numerous volunteer activities both during his working years and after retirement in the community he has called home since 1973. 

Active in parish ministry at Our Lady of Ransom as a reader and distributor of Holy Communion, his faith has been a core to his professional and civic work and the philosophy of servant leadership. He served as Park Ridge alderman from 2000 to 2004 and served the maximum number of years as a library board trustee including two terms as treasurer, two terms as vice-president and on every committee during his tenure. He has coached Park Ridge basketball and football, delivers Meals on Wheels, and has volunteered for more than two decades at Franklin School as a tutor for the Benka home with the help of Rainbow Hospice, John was inspired to serve on the board of that organization. A founding board member of the Main Township District 207 Health Center, he also served on the Park Ridge Human Needs Task Force. 

After graduating from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1960, John served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army Chemical Corps in Ft. McClellan, Alabama. In 1962, he began teaching English at Ela-Vernon High School where he met his late wife, Diane. When Ela Closed, he moved to Stevenson to teach English and also coached football and basketball. When an opportunity presented itself, he accepted a position as assistant principal and Franklin High School in South Milwaukee. From there he moved to Milton, Wisconsin, where he served as principal and later as assistant superintendent. Recruited to Main Township High School District 207, he moved his family which by that time included sons, Tim and Andy, and daughter, Jennifer, to Park Ridge where he has lived, worked, and volunteered ever since.

He holds a master’s degree in Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and a Ph.D in Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Son Tim recalls, “I remember watching him work on those professional awards and honors, John has been recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Citation by the Ripon College Alumni Association.

Even though he retired from Maine 25 years ago, John still shows up when Maine colleagues are hospitalized or to pay his respects at their passing saying simply, “We are family, it’s the Maine Way”. Suffice to say, whenever and wherever there is a need in the community, John Benka steps up to do what he can do to meet it.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

Eric was recently hired to serve in the new position of Director of Communications at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, where he started as a public affairs specialist in 2011. In his new job he leads a division of up to 15 staff responsible for all of the agency’s external and internal communications, including media relations, speechwriting, strategic communication, and more. He continues to write nonfiction and fiction on the side and hopes to have more essays and short stories published in the years ahead.

Submitted by: Eric Atkisson

ERIC ATKISSON ’94 of Alexandra, VA, had two more essays published this year, “Point of Origin” in Entropy Magazine and “Noxious Animals” in The Hopper Magazine. Both can be found online. Eric still works at the Patent and Trademark Office, where he supervises all of the agency’s public and internal communications, and he recently agreed to serve on the Ripon College Alumni Association Board of Directors with CARRIE ROCA-DAWSON ’94 and JOY BORTZ SCHLEUSNER ’94 (also a new member).

Submitted by: Eric Atkisson

Susan Hecht Gebhardt

815-464-5761 / 815-260-1656 / [email protected]

I hope all of you are enjoying summer and are far from the storms, floods and excessive heat which much of the country is experiencing. WILLIAM “BILL” GEBHARDT ’69 and I are glad to be home despite the constant rain. We were fortunate to have been in Florida when our son, Will, and his family moved into their new home, but Bill has been helping him to build a deck. Since Will is an engineer you can imagine it is not your average deck. The weather finally cooperated so the yard could be graded and the front yard landscaped. The girls have been having fun playing in the dirt!  Our older son, Matt, the club golf professional, has been busy trying to keep the course playable in between all the rain.  

Bill and I will be attending his 50th reunion at Ripon next weekend. It is really hard to believe that much time has passed and that in one year we also will be inducted into the “Golden R Club!”  We will be staying in Ripon, (not in the dorms, though that sounds like so much fun), since the Heidel House has closed. Fortunately we found out soon enough and were able to find accommodations. I will report back on all the events and the food to help plan ours. I hope to meet with the College personnel planning reunions to get things started. The College will be sending out a questionnaire soon asking for volunteers to help plan our reunion. Please take some time to read the information, offer suggestions and volunteer to help. I will send you updates as I get them.

MARK HENKEL ’70 and HILDE BORMANN HENKEL ’73: “Well, today (May 29) is National Senior Health & Fitness Day, so all I have to share is that while we are happily semi-retired, we are very active in teaching taekwondo year-round (we are both seventh-degree black belts), twice a week, and we have additional activities here on the hobby farm: raising a new batch of chickens and working up and weeding with our huge raspberry patch giant garden and literally acres of lawn.” 

JAMES WALSH ’70 of Mukwonago, Wisconsin: “Lucky man. Last five years survived heart stoppage, prostate cancer, bleeding stomach ulcer, hernia and right knee replacement. Life is great! Family is great, 11 grandchildren.”  

Thank you for sharing your news with us and for your support of Ripon. Please volunteer to help plan our reunion. I will send you my thoughts on the ’69 reunion later this summer. Also please notify Ripon of any changes in address, email, or phone.

Sincerely,

SUSAN HECHT GEBHARDT ’70  

Submitted by: Susan Hecht Gebhardt

2012 – Spring 2020 Class Letter

Katlyn Lee Schumacher
608-558-9073 / [email protected]

Erin Schaick
920-312-3825 / [email protected]

Brandon Taylor
406-274-4708 / [email protected]

Hello, Class of 2012,

We hope you are all well! You provided us with some impressive life updates this year, as always, and we appreciate you staying in touch with us and Ripon College. If you would like to learn more about our classmates, be sure to check out R Connections online to learn more about all of Ripon’s alumni!

Class Notes:

JESSICA BRUNGARDT LARSON ’12 of Peyton, Colorado and her husband were blessed with a little boy in August, and also bought a house and got a puppy at the end of the year! She is an Assistant County Attorney in Colorado Springs doing child protection, delinquencies, and writing appeals, and loves where life has taken her.

ARIEL DICKINSON ’12 of Madison, Wisconsin and her husband, Casey Schenkel, celebrated their second wedding anniversary in August. They purchased their first home in June 2018 and she loves her job training customers and employees at Epic Systems Corp. in Madison.

LISA HILLEREN ’12 of Chicago, Illinois just closed on her first home in Chicago at the end of October. She works in academic affairs at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Most of her non-work time is filled with cycling; she recently completed a five-day tour from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh, and currently manages Chicago’s only open all-women amateur cycling team.

SHARON KLAPPERICH DOLL ’12 of Green Bay, Wisconsin is transitioning from Oconto to her new apartment in Green Bay, still teaching full time at Preble High School.

JEFF MARQUARDT of ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the sous chef for the Milwaukee Bucks players and coaches. He is celebrating his one-year wedding anniversary next month.

MEGAN MCGEE NORRIS ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin and her husband, Adam, welcomed an adorable baby girl in April named Ashlyn Marie. Colton is adjusting to life as a big brother and will be two in October. This means Megan is currently rocking that “2 under 2” life. She is loving working for herself and focusing on juvenile and family law in Kenosha and Racine County.

SAM MUTSCHELKNAUS ’12 of Cedarburg, Wisconsin has been hired by Aurora Health Care to be the full-time solo chaplain for the Grafton and Hartford hospitals. 

ALAINA NESBITT BENNETT ’12 of Greenville, Wisconsin and her husband AJ BENNETT ’12 have a daughter, Madison, who is 7 months old.

GISELA ORTEGA ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has made the jump to the private sector after many years of working in various housing and economic development non-profits and the City of Milwaukee. She has recently started a new role with gener8tor, a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences and fellowships.

AURORA POLLEI LAMEKA ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has accepted a position as a K4 teacher at Milwaukee Scholars Charter School.

ANNE RABACAL GROSS ’12 of Germantown, Wisconsin and her husband were very blessed to purchase their first home in November. Anne is also now a Research Analyst with Principia Consulting, a leading research and consulting firm focused exclusively on the building materials and construction industry.

TONYA REETZ ’12 of West Henrietta, New York just relocated to North Carolina, started a new job at Parker Hannifin, and bought her first home.

ERIN SCHAICK ’12 of Concord, New Hampshire is now Assistant Vice President of Community Relations with CATCH Neighborhood Housing and was recently named to the New Hampshire Union Leader’s 40 Under Forty.

JESSICA SCHMIDT ’12 of Ripon, Wisconsin has worked for Mayo Clinic for five years, and works from home, which she loves. Her kitty just turned two. She bought a house in August in Ripon and loves being a homeowner!

ERIC SCHUMACHER ’12 of Pewaukee, Wisconsin and his wife, Sarah, have an 8-month old, Jack, getting into trouble all over the house. He’s going to win the Masters in 2051.

KATHARINE SHADLE GAILS ’12 of West Allis, Wisconsin is now working part-time for the Milwaukee Zoological Society teaching children about animals. She also teaches English to children in China with a company called VipKid. She and her husband, RYAN GAILS ’13, got a golden doodle puppy this summer named Copper.

AMY SPRANGER ROSSMAN ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin and her husband Geoff bought their first house last June, and just celebrated their two-year anniversary in November.

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12 of Arlee, Montana is busy organizing his newly purchased home in San Francisco and planning his wedding for next June.

JUSTIN GAWLIK ’12 and BRYANNE TUDOR GAWLIK ’12 of Columbia, Missouri are expecting their first baby in July 2020.

BRYANT VANDE KOLK ’12 of Washington D.C. is employed through Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as a Graduate Fellow for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

SARAH WEINBERG ’12 of Minneapolis, Wisconsin has returned to the United States after 2.5 years of teaching English in South Korea with her fiancé, Jordan. They will be getting married in October. She is hoping to attend graduate school for library and information science.

Thank you to all the people who sent us their life updates on Facebook or via email! Feel free to contact the college (or us) throughout the year and we will be sure to include them in our class updates.

Erin, Katlyn, and Brandon

Submitted by: Erin Schaick

2017 – Spring 2020

Class Agents:

ERIN E. CANON ’17

(414) 469-5945 / [email protected]

KONNER D. FELDHUS ’17

(303) 280-5835 / [email protected]

WINONA M. HOLMES ROBBINS ’17

(650) 274-9231 / [email protected]

Dear Class of 2017,

It seems every community has a central figure that transcends themselves to lift their community to a higher place. Ripon College recently lost such a figure. Julie Johnson, longtime athletic director, touched more than just the athletic program at Ripon College. During her years as an integral part of the Ripon community, she helped Ripon athletics strengthen its presence in the D3 community. In addition to this, she forged a path for Ripon College athletes to be student-athletes that excel on and off the court, which could be felt by those of us not involved in athletics. Julie’s hard work and passion for life and her community is something all of us felt at Ripon and something that lives on within all of us. We hope all of you can take inspiration from Julie and be passionate about improving the community you are part of and bettering those around you.

Class notes:

ALEXANDRIA “ALLY” WILBER ’17 of Bonduel, Wisconsin, recently had her work published in the nationwide edition, America’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction.

ANGELA PAMPERIN ’17 of Ripon, WI recently began a journey as a worship leader at Immanuel Methodist Church in Ripon. They will be starting a new contemporary service that she will help lead. She also launched a blog in early January “kind of telling my story in a way”. The blog is called “Heartbeat’s Echo.” “All fun stuff that is challenging me as a person to be who I am.”

HANNAH METZ ’17 of Naperville, IL will be a School Psychology Intern for the 2019-2020 school year in the Valley View District in Romeoville, IL. She is done with her graduate school classes in June 2019! Hannah and FRANK STELTER-HOGH ’16 got engaged and set the wedding date for June 13th, 2020!

DANAE TESCH ’17 bought a house in Covington, WA and is expecting a baby boy in April!

VERONICA DELISLE ’17 of Oshkosh, WI is engaged to PATRICK “PATCH” HOFFMAN ’18.

KONNER FELDHUS ’17 of Des Moines, IA is somehow surviving medical school and recently joined the Advisory Council for the Iowa Chapter of The American College of Physicians.

AMY FELS ’17 of Milwaukee, WI “I am in year two of three of my History and Library and Information Studies graduate program at UW-Milwaukee. I have a wonderfully fun and challenging job working as a research assistant for a digital humanities project called the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. I’m looking forward to the summer because I’ll get to spend more time in Ripon completing a fieldwork experience in the College archives.”

BENJAMIN VORPAHL ’17 of Detroit, Michigan writes that he is attending dental school at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry.

HANNAH MACKENZIE GALLIMORE ’17 of Oshkosh, WI is wrapping up her second year as an Internal Auditor for Oshkosh Corporation. She also recently got married and held her wedding reception at Great Hall!

ALLISON MACKNICK ’17 of Chicago, IL works as a professional actress. She is currently on tour with The Jungle Book: the Musical with Alphabet Soup Productions. She and ANTHONY TAUSIG ’15 continue to find the best burger in the city and show off their dog, Tula.

SYDNEY RADANDT ’17 of Namibia, Africa has been working as a secondary math educator for the Peace Corps. She will be in Africa until 2020!

ZACH RINEHART ’17 of Grand Haven, MI is working at Grand Haven High school teaching children with autism in a self contained classroom. He is also the assistant varsity Coach in wrestling and football and is working towards his Special Education Certification.

EMMA BRONSON ’17 of Milwaukee, WI says, “killing it at work, moving to the Third Ward in April, and still enjoying beer.”

HANNAH DAVIDSON ’17 of Madison, WI recently moved to Madison and is now working as a baker and cake/pie decorator at Hubbard Avenue Diner in Middleton, WI. She is the proud new cat owner to Kit Kat! She is looking forward to taking culinary/hospitality classes at Madison Area Technical College!

NOELLE KORZENIEWSKI ’17 of St Paul, MN says she is “Graduating from Luther Seminary in May with a Master of Arts in Bible (literally I’ll be a master of the Bible, ha). I have been working on my two theses for my degree. One is called “Who Do You Say That I Am?” And it looks at how the character of Jesus is depicted in each of the gospels (I lectured on this in Dr. Brian Smith’s Christian Scripture class last spring) and the other is “Joseph and Judah: Two Brothers, Two Stories, One Faith” and it is about the Joseph narrative in Genesis as well as Judah’s narrative within it- looking at the themes of each brother’s transformative story in their own light. I’m actually moving back to Ripon in June! I can’t say yet what for but good things! Still working with dogs- my absolute passion. I have been a Team Lead and Dog Handler at Dog Days in St. Paul, MN for a year now and still aspire to open my own dog daycare/hotel business. That’s kinda it. I’m just really looking forward to being back in WI soon. Grace, our dog, and Marcus, my S/O, are just trying to get ourselves out of the snow we’re buried in here in MN.”

WINONA HOLMES ROBBINS ’17 of Valparaiso, IN recently moved back to the Midwest to embrace her new title as an aunt to a wonderful little boy. She is working at a fitness center and enjoying her life as a cat mom.

We wish you a wonderful summer and hope that you think of your happy memories from Ripon often.

Sincerely,

Konner, Winona, and Erin

Submitted by: Winona Holmes Robbins

2009 – Fall 2019

EMILY MEYER ’09

(920) 369-8707 / [email protected]

Hello Everyone!

First of all, thanks to everyone who was able to come back to attend any part of Alumni Weekend, and a special thank you to those of you who attended our dinner. Congratulations are also in order for JENAN KHARBUSH ’09 who received one of the Outstanding Young Alumni awards, and BRITTANY DICK ’09 and JOSH KRAEMER ’09 who were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame! It is so exciting to have three of our classmates recognized for their accomplishments in the same year.

I also had a lot of fun catching up with a lot of you who came for some or all of the weekend; I hope you had as much fun as I did! I also enjoyed introducing our son, James, to a number of you throughout the weekend (Lily stayed with grandma and grandpa and played in the pool, which was more exciting for her than hanging out with mom). I hope those of you who came had as much fun as I did, and that you’ll plan to return for our 15th reunion in what will feel like just a few short years. Of course, you’re more than welcome to attend Alumni Weekends between our formal reunions, there are always lots of people to connect with and things to do.

Our family has been quite busy since my last letter; we bought a house in Fargo, ND (and within 2 days we had to buy a snow blower….), moved (during the threat of an ice storm), spent several days at home due to campuses being closed due to the bitter cold, welcomed James to our family, and have just been generally busy since 2019 started. I hope that things will slow down in the next few months.

A couple of you sent me some updates you wanted to share with the class as well…

BRITTANY KAUFMAN PRATT ’09 lives in Nixa, Missouri, with her husband, Jeremy, and two-year-old daughter, affectionately nicknamed “Tiny Human” on social media. TH is thrilled to become a big sister in November 2019! Brittany was recently voted President Elect-Elect of the Missouri Psychological Association and will serve as President during the 2021-2022 term.

ANGELA TWAROSKI ’09 writes, “I’m about a month away from being with United Healthcare (UMR) for 5 years, the last 3 as an account manager/customer specialist. I work with one of UMR’s largest and most unique customers. Every day is a challenge, but most days I love what I do. Late last year, I was selected as one of UHC’s 2018 Service Heroes. Out of the approximately 400k UHC employees eligible, only about 400 are selected. We got an all-expenses paid trip to Florida, staying at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club for three days. The mornings were spent collaborating with other Service Heroes and UHC leadership about new directions to take the company in order to better serve our members, building bookshelves to benefit an Orlando non-profit supporting families of kids going through cancer treatment, listening to a few speakers, and being celebrated for our hard work and dedication. And the afternoons were spent exploring Disney parks and Universal Studios with my sister, REBECCA ANN TWAROSKI ’13, and my brother’s girlfriend.”

Updates that were shared with the college include:

HALEY MOERER MADSON ’09 of Ripon, WI has been named the new Director of Communication and Special Events for The Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. Madson will serve as the primary contact for media relations, organizational communication and special events. Madson brings more than 10 years of non-profit management experience in addition to her knowledge of communication, social media, web development, and relationship management to the DFP. Madson holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Ripon College with an emphasis in nonprofit management.

HANNAH EMANUEL JAHN ’09 and JASON JAHN ’07 announce the birth of daughter Miranda Rose Jahn on December 16, 2018. Hannah is an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Milwaukee and Jason is a Network Architect at Rockwell Automation.

THOMAS MILLER ’09, has been on staff for the University of Minnesota Crookston football program for the past three seasons and has been promoted to defensive coordinator. Miller will also retain his title as assistant head coach.

TANYA LISKO BLATY ’09 of Golden Valley, Minnesota, writes, “I graduated from an endocrinology fellowship at UW Madison in June of 2018 and am currently working as an endocrinologist in the Twin Cities. My husband and I welcomed a daughter, Charli, in our family this past December.”

CHARLES BELT ’09 was named the next William Woods University men’s basketball coach,  as announced by director of intercollegiate athletics Jason Vittone Friday afternoon.

“I am pleased and excited to welcome Charles Belt to the William Woods University family,” stated Vittone. “I think he’ll make a great addition to our university and our community. I believe he’s the right fit at the right time for our university, department and men’s basketball program. I’m eager to watch our program grow under his leadership.”

“I’m extremely excited and blessed to be given the opportunity to join the William Woods University family as the head men’s basketball coach,” commented Belt. “I want to thank Jason Vittone for his belief in me being the person to lead this program moving forward. I want to thank the entire athletic department staff, admissions, Dr. Mitchell and everyone who was a part of the search process for trusting and believing in me with this responsibility. I look forward to bringing an exciting brand of basketball to William Woods and the community of Fulton. We will recruit players with tremendous character who are eager to learn, grow and graduate. I can’t wait to get started. Go Owls!”

Belt comes to WWU after spending six seasons with the NCAA Division II Northern Michigan University Wildcats. He was the Head Assistant Coach for three seasons after spending three seasons as the second assistant. This past season, he helped lead the Wildcats to the GLIAC Tournament semi-finals. The team made their first postseason appearance in the 2017-18 season after an 11-year drought. In his six years with the Wildcats, the team garnered six all-GLIAC honors and 16 GLIAC academic awards.

Prior to NMU, Belt spent two seasons (2011-13) as an assistant coach at Beloit College. He helped lead the program from 17 conference wins in five years to 19 conference wins in two years. As a recruiter, he brought in a Midwest Conference honorable mention selection as a true freshman who ranked in the top 10 in seven statistical categories.

Belt also coached the boys 17U and 16U AAU Wisconsin Shooting Stars teams from the Ripon/Oshkosh, Wis. area and individual development camps for high school boys and girls in Wisconsin.

Belt played four years as the point guard for NCAA Division III Ripon College. He graduated from Ripon with a degree in business administration.”

A friendly reminder, if you are on Facebook, please make sure you’re a part of the Ripon College Class of 2009 page. Please also remember to keep Ripon College updated if you move or if you have exciting news to share with our class.

Take care!

Emily

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

EMILY MEYER ’09

(920) 369-8707 / [email protected]

Hello Again!

The weather is starting to warm up a bit and spring is just around the corner (or so I hope).  Life has been busy since I last wrote; Stephen has been promoted to a Warrant Officer I in the National Guard, so he has been away at school since the beginning of January, leaving me to solo-parent our 2 kiddos and dog.  January was rough with sickness in our house, and I did not work a full week in 2020 until the last week in January.  Outside of work, I’ve been volunteering with the Kappa Delta chapter at North Dakota State University and Lily has been loving swimming lessons.  James is on the verge of walking, which means running will soon follow and I am not ready for that.

A few updates from our classmates:

BRITTANY PRATT KAUFMAN ’09 and her husband, Jeremy, welcomed their second daughter, Hannah Louise Pratt, on November 21, 2019. Big sister is over the moon! Also, Samantha was very excited she got to visit “where the Redhawk lives” during Alumni Weekend. We hope to catch more of you next time!

In other news, Brittany was appointed the Training Director of the Psychology Doctoral Intern program at Burrell Behavioral Health in July 2019. She has learned that running a training program is a bit like herding proverbial cats. If you have experience in this area, please feel welcome to send advice. If not, please send coffee. Or beer.

EMILY MATHEWS JANKE ’09 enjoys being a stay at home mom to two adorable curly-headed kiddos. While she may not be working to pay off the master’s degree she needed to have, being bossed around by a 2 and 4-year-old is really rewarding. In all seriousness, she feels very lucky to be home watching the little humans grow each day. She’s still happily married to a handsome lad. Oh, and she cleans houses in her spare time to earn a little extra $ to buy herself pretty things. Just kidding, it’s to pay back her student loan debt.

JOSH LEGREVE ’09 is excited to share that he was elected to a four-year term on the Board of Directors of the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.  His term starts this summer.

JENAN JAMAL KHARBUSH ’09 of Arlington, Massachusetts, received the Ripon College Outstanding Young Alumni Award during Alumni Weekend in June. She is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. She is a member of the Harvard Earth and Planetary Science/Environmental Science and Engineering Department’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belong Committee; and a mentor for Harvard Graduate Women in Science and Engineering.

JOSH KRAEMER ’09 of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, was inducted into the Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame during Alumni Weekend in June. He is a regional personal training director for Anytime Fitness.

Those are all of the updates I received.  If you’re tired of hearing just about me, make sure you send me an update.  My e-mail is right up there (points to the top of the letter).  I’d love to hear from you!  You can also submit updates directly to the college by visiting www.ripon.edu/alumni

~Emily

Submitted by: Emily Meyer

1998 – Fall 2019

SARAH ENG ’98

[email protected]

LEILANI KUPO ’98

[email protected] 

Hello, class of 1998!

As it turns out, our 20th reunion last year was just the kickoff event to my own Ripon reunion tour. I returned to campus last fall on an Eng family vacation, and then again this spring with JOHN HINDS ’96 to attend the retirement celebration of Professor Kurt Dietrich. We were delighted to see TRISHA STOMMEL LYNCH ’98 there and meet her family; Trish was among the alumni who returned to perform with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble for Professor Dietrich’s final concert in Demmer Recital Hall.

Thanks to all of you who sent in updates for the letter – the updates are the best part of class agenting, and we are always happy to read them and share.

CHRIS ANDERSON ’98 of Havre de Grace, NC, was recently selected for promotion to Colonel in the US Army. He is currently on the team developing the cutting-edge Long Range Hypersonic Weapon system, and splits his time between Huntsville, AL and the National Capitol Region. His next assignment is as a student at Senior Service College.

JASON “PEABODY” BROWN ’98 of Stevens Point, WI, is Assistant Manager at Shepherd and Schaller in Wausau, WI.

WILLIAM DEPPIESSE ’98 of Oshkosh, WI, was promoted to a Senior Business Banking Officer at the start of 2019.

KRISTIN DODDS ’98 of Greendale, WI, started a new position in August 2018 with Komatsu Mining Corporation in Milwaukee as a Senior EHS Specialist. She also re-enlisted for six more years with the US Army Reserves and is currently a Staff Sergeant with the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Green Bay.

DAVID HENRY ’98 of Tampa, FL, has been the Director for Enrollment and Student Success at FSU Panama City, Panama City FL since July 2018. Family is growing every day, happy and healthy.

STEPHEN KENNELLY ’98 of Fargo, NC, writes “This year has been busy, my family and I moved to North Dakota in March. In April we welcomed our second child James Patrick into the world. In the last year, I have started a new job with BNSF Railways and promoted within the Army National Guard.”

LISA M. KRAUS ’98 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, died Dec. 3, 2019. At Ripon, she majored in global studies and Spanish and played volleyball. She was a billing specialist with Spectrum. She loved water, the ocean and being on the lake. She enjoyed music and going to concerts, dancing, Salvador Dali, watching movies and watching sports, especially the Packers, Brewers, Lakers and Bucks. Survivors include her father, Robert Kraus.

TRISHA STOMMEL LYNCH ’98 of Flint, MI, writes “Shelly and I just celebrated four years with the dynamic duo and two years post-adoption. Isabella will be in second grade and Emmalaine in first.”

SHANNON MCKINNEY-FREEMAN ’98 lives in Germantown, TN, with her husband, Kevin, and four children (ages 4-13). Shannon was recently appointed interim Director of Experimental Hematology in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, TN) and Chair of Admissions in the new St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where she also co-leads the Developmental Biology course. Shannon was also awarded a Scholar Award by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and a large grant by the National Institutes of Health to study the basic science of the blood-forming stem cells of the bone marrow. In other news, her 13-year-old daughter recently discovered K-pop, which has taken over the household, her 10-year old’s Calico Critters collection continues to grow, her 6-year is excited to be an independent reader and her 4-year old loves practicing Taekwondo on his brother.

JOSHUA SATZER ’98 of Sun Prairie, WI, has entered his 20th year in the financial services industry with Prudential Advisors. He also enjoys coaching his 9-year-old daughter’s winter league basketball team through the Sun Prairie YMCA.

Until next time,

Sarah & Leilani

Submitted by: Sarah Eng

1998 – Spring 2020

SARAH ENG ’98

[email protected]

Dear Class of 1998,

Please join me in thanking LEILANI KUPO ’98 for her ten years of service as Class Agent. Kupo, it has been an honor to share this role with you, you will be missed!

Thanks also to those of you who provided updates (and photos!) – read on for more.

Class Notes:

JEN (ANSTEE) CHAVEZ ’98 writes “I’m still happily teaching Spanish in Glen Ellyn, Illinois to grades 1-5. I ran my first half- marathon last spring! Hope everyone is doing well!!”

KRISTIN DODDS ’98 married her long-time partner, Tony Meucci, in Pewaukee, WI on December 20, 2019. There was a great group of Ripon College alums on-hand to celebrate with them and Tony Sibley got to make a special wish with Santa Claus! Pictured in the group photo are, from left: Samir Patel, Tony Sibley, Kristin Dodds, Kelly (Johnson) Becker, Matt Becker, Andrea Wepner, Nicole (Gorski) Sutter, Jeri (Belongi) Loewe, Jason Loewe, and Heidi (Hitchcock) Marks.

ELIZABETH (BETSY) GARDNER ’98 was promoted to Store Manager in October of the Sunglass Hut Open Air store at Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota.

LEILANI KUPO ’98 serves as the Associate Dean of Students at University of California, Merced. She has been selected as a member of ACPA – College Student Educators International’s 2020 Diamond Honoree Class.

Thanks again for your updates, please keep in touch!

Sarah

Submitted by: Sarah Eng

2005 – Spring 2020

Co-Class Agents:

AMANDA ZAHN PRZYBYL ’05

(920) 299-1081 / [email protected]

DAPHNE MEYERS LEIGH ’05

(414) 841-7210 / [email protected]

Greetings Ripon College Class of 2005!

JUNE 26-28, 2020- If it’s not already on your calendar, BLOCK IT OFF NOW! You all need to be back in Ripon for our 15th year class reunion. The more classmates who come, the more fun we all have!  The Alumni/Constituent Engagement Office does a great job having a variety of things to do throughout the weekend. There have been A LOT of changes to campus in the last 15 years; it’s time to come back and see all of them. Since we’ve graduated, the following changes have been made to campus- the Bookstore moved (three times), new Student Activities Office in the Commons, Storzer is now Willmore with over a $30 million renovation, renovations to Todd Wehr to close in the breezeway/add classrooms, upgrade to East Little Theater, adding a tutoring/academic center into the Library, air conditioning in Johnson Hall Main Lounge (!), built the Campus Apartments, the Pub is now the Spot, Johnson got all new beds, Demmer and Benstead got facelifts, and so much more.

My update- Not a ton has changed with my family. Edward, 8, is half the time too independent and the other half not independent enough. TJ, 4, is running his own life already, at the top of his lungs, and driving me crazy. I love them both to pieces and wouldn’t change a thing as it makes them who they are, even if it has given me more grey hairs then I care to admit. My husband, Eric, and I just celebrated 20 years together and 10 years of marriage. Just writing that makes me feel older than I want to be. While all that seems to be much the same as past letters, what has changed is me. This past summer was transformational for me- I found my voice. I realized I can be and do anything I want to, that I can stand up for myself, and that I deserve to be really happy.  So I’m working through changes to get to the kind of happy I want to be. Change isn’t easy and sometimes it hurts the ones we love, but for me, I now know I can live a life that makes me truly happy. I’m looking forward to where this new confidence takes me!

Here is what is going on with your classmates:

SAL DE LOS ANGELES ’05 writes, “2019 was an incredibly accomplishing year for me: graduated law school, passed the bar, began my legal career as a staff attorney at Legal Aid Chicago, and successfully ran my first marathon ever: the Chicago Marathon! Given my circumstances, after completing my BA at Ripon College, it took me nearly 12 years to develop a strong financial backing to pay for law school. So, from 2005 through 2016, I managed community education programs at the Alzheimer’s Association in Los Angeles and saved enough to put myself through law school completely and entirely committed only to my studies. It paid off! I successfully graduated debt free. From the start, I knew that my legal career was a worthwhile investment. I am proud to say that today I am a licensed practicing attorney in Chicago specializing in public benefits.”

“After leaving Ripon, I never intended to return to the–sometimes bitter cold–Midwest, but life has its ways of helping me follow my destiny. For the foreseeable future I am living in Chicago. I look forward to setting roots in this great city, perhaps investing in real estate: buy a house. I look forward to reconnecting with my Ripon College buddies. While I have been living in Chicago since summer 2016, I have not been able to reconnect due to my studies. But now that I have returned to the workforce, I have also regained my weekends. This is the start of next chapter of my life and the best is yet to come.”

REBECCA SNITILY ELMENDORF ’05 writes, “As of March 2019, I was promoted to Assistant Vice President at TCW, where I have worked since 2013. And in September we welcomed baby boy Nathaniel to the world. He has already traveled to the Midwest and met some of my Ripon friends. We are thinking about going to the 15 year reunion this year. It definitely does not feel like 15 years since I have been to Ripon! Hope everyone is well!”

MARY GRANT HASTE ’05 writes, “We are now a family of 6 and recently bought a new home in Speedway, Indiana. After taking several years off from teaching to raise our children, I now work part time at a Montessori School in Indianapolis Public Schools as their Family and Community Engagement Liaison, and coach their elementary and middle school robotics teams.”

ALISON GALSTER HOSTAD ’05 writes, “I’m in Flagstaff, AZ and for the last few years I’ve gone from Federal archaeologist, to part-time Archaeologist/Operations Manager for an Environmental Consulting firm and full-time mom to a little boy. I recently left the position with the firm to explore freelancing as a Heritage consultant and business owner of Lucia Light of Northern Arizona (www.lucialightnorthernaz.com) where I guide my clients into a healing meditative state with the use of a hypnagogic light.”

CHARLES JOHNSON ’05 writes, “I’m currently still residing in Minneapolis, MN. My daughter, Charli, just turned five, our mini piglet, Cami, is turning three, and we, Raven Jones and I, are currently in the stages of wedding planning. I still own and operate a small automotive financing dealership, which allows me to mess around with cars every…single…day. I’m completely out of the landlord business at this time, but feel a little lost without any properties to manage! I look forward to getting updates on others from our class and hope everyone is well.”

PETER KANE ’05 writes, “My wife, daughter, pug and I moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas this past summer so my spouse could start her PhD program at the U of A. I worked remotely for a while but ended up finding a job down here.”

LINDSY KOLDON ’05 writes, “I got married in June!”

AMANDA GUAY KREJCAREK ’05 writes, “Gene and I crossed an item off of our bucket list and traveled to Augusta, Georgia in April to spend two days at the Masters Golf Tournament.”

PAUL ’05 and SARAH McGILL LARSON ’05 write, “We don’t have much to say, other than we love our new place in Green Bay. Parker (6) is in first grade. Tanner (4) is in a 4K program. Paul is still transitioning into the actuarial profession with interviews and some academic credentialing. Sarah loves her job and students at Bay Port High School.”

CORY MCEWEN ’05 writes, “I’m currently teaching Middle School P.E. in Boynton Beach, FL at Franklin Academy. I’m coaching the JV boys basketball team & the boys baseball team as well. I will be moving into a new house with my wife Lindsay & Dog Jameson on Feb. 20th 2020 in Deerfield Beach, FL.”

RENEA VORPAHLMERTENS ’05 writes, “Hi All!  Exciting changes have happened in the last 6 months. I was promoted at Acuity to a Staff Claims Consultant. Among other duties, I train new claims employees and can finally put my education degree to good use. We have also moved just south of Green Bay to Bellevue, WI, and spent our first Christmas in our new home. Now that we are settled, we are looking forward to exploring our neighborhood.”

MACKENZIE ROYAL ’05 writes, “The year has been quite the whirlwind!  My husband competed on the TV show American Ninja Warrior in Tacoma which was a fun experience!  We bought another house and prepared our first house for rental.  We are thankful to have found great renters!  We  welcomed a new dog into our family after losing one earlier in the year.  His name is Waylon and he only has three legs, but he’s one of the fastest dogs at the dog park! We continue to ski lots (40+ days a season! ) including taking an amazing trip to France in February.”

GWEN SEFRHANS-MURPHY ’05 writes,“My two children, Lucy (almost 3) and Nolan (14 months) keep me busy. I’m currently serving as a pastor in a Lutheran church in my husband’s hometown in Western Illinois.”

Everyone else: Please, please, please send an email, text or call me and let me know how you’re doing and what you’ve been up to. I’d also love to get an updated address or e-mail address from you so Ripon can get you all the important Ripon mailings (like this class letter!).

A few more thoughts from me: Time for my annual plea to donate to the Ripon Fund. You have to have one great memory of your time here that sort of sums up your college career, right? Give those feelings to other prospective students by giving back; we’ll take that money to provide programs they enjoy, the help they need and the scholarships they can’t be here without. Give now while that memory is fresh in your mind. The website is simple- https://www.ripon.edu/give. What memories will you make now because of the memories you made here at Ripon? Stay in touch and let me know!

All the best!

Your Class Agent,

Amanda

Submitted by: Amanda Przybyl

2000 – Spring 2020

ANDRE MIKSHA ’00

(317) 219-9275 / [email protected]

Our Twentieth Reunion is nearly here! It was great to see so many folks during our Fifteenth Reunion — but that was five years ago — and twenty years is significant enough to bring in an even bigger crowd!  Some key information to share about the reunion:

• Alumni Weekend is June 25-28, 2020.
• Hotel blocks are available at Cobblestone Suites (formerly Comfort Suites) and Boarders Inn.  Get into the block by calling directly but do so soon or miss out!  Other options include on-campus housing at a swanky $55 per person per night and, of course, AirBnB and VRBO.
• Registration is available for the golf scramble as of March 1st and the full weekend online registration on April 1st.  Check out www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend for details.
• Your Reunion Planning Committee is comprised of yours truly, Julie Kaiserling Pfeil, Sadie (Geiger) Mleziva, Camille Clemons, Patrick Casey, Austin Durham, and Kersten Larson.

#OneDayRally fundraising was a smashing success last year and is set for April 29, 2020.  Let’s get our number of donors to a multiple of twenty this year for our Twentieth!

Some classmate news:

• Tim TIM BARBER ’00 is an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Unit at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, having spent all of 2018 and half of 2019 in the Civil Litigation Unit within the DOJ.
• Patrick PATRICK CASEY ’00 has been nominated for Minnesota Attorney of the Year for 2020 and appeared on KEYC in Mankato in January to discuss the nomination.

There must be more news out there than from just my two buds!  Send in any news you have either to the school or directly to me by email or via this link.

Red Hawk forever,

Andre

Submitted by: Andre Miksha

Submitted by: Gregg Petersen

1974 – Spring 2020

JAN PETROVSKI MACLEOD ’73

630-920-2450 / [email protected]

Hello everyone!

Are you all as ready for spring as I am? It hasn’t been a bad winter here, but I am ready to get back outdoors, play in the dirt, and get stuff growing. And I really look forward to my morning coffee on the deck.

Andy and I celebrated our November anniversary in Green Lake with dinner at Norton’s and a concert at Thrasher Opera House. We saw Jimmy Webb and Robin Spielberg, and they were wonderful. I plan to be back in the area in April for the Ripon Wine Walk, and I hope to meet up with CHRIS OVERLY WALLACE ’74. I have never been to anything like that before so it will be a new experience. It will be especially nice if spring is “springing” in Ripon by then. I promise to take pictures!

The only people I heard from this time around were FREDERIC “TERRY” III ’74 AND KATHY WILLIAMS HOFFER ’74 of Danville, VT, who wrote: “…still in Vermont, an area known with great affection as its Northeast Kingdom. We remember our mortgage officer in 1979 citing some national banking standards and saying, “You’ll be gone in seven years.” It’s been a great place to raise two kids and a wonderful community to be involved and apparently make a difference. We see from time to time Linda and Don Tase, Jennifer Batt, and Cindy and David Wood, all of whom have well-established roots in northern New England. We were deeply saddened to learn that JAMES THOMPSON ’73, a great friend and much-admired professor of art at Willamette College in Salem, Oregon, died in November. James was a giant among his Ripon College family – thoughtful, respectful, and incredibly talented.”

I was very sad to learn of MARY MUNRO ’74’s passing in December. I always found her to be a lovely and kind person, who had a sweet sense of humor and always had time for a quick chat whenever we met on campus. Mary is survived by her husband, Bill Leiner, and their three children, as well as her many Ripon friends who will miss her dearly.

I hope you are all well and thinking about returning to campus for Alumni Weekend. Even when we are not having a reunion, it’s always a great time, and you can usually run into people you know who are glad to see you and catch up on your life. This year it will be held June 25-28, and I hope to see you there!

All the best-

Jan MacLeod

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement