Verne B. Churchill Jr., an influential marketing executive and generous, larger-than-life family man of many talents, died peacefully Thursday at North Shore Evanston Hospital after various illnesses. He was 87. Born in Chicago and a 60-year resident of Northbrook, Churchill was best known in his career as President, CEO, and later Board Chairman of Market Facts, Inc., an Arlington Heights-based marketing, research and information firm.

Submitted by: DevStudent

See the message below from Joseph Mazza ’51:

Carl M. “Sarge” Patterson, Jr.  in later years known as “Bud,” died December 31, 2019 in Evanston, IL, age 91. He was my roommate in the class of 1951, a member of Omega Fraternity and  Student Body President his last year at Ripon.  A sergeant when he graduated from Howe Military Academy, it earned him the nickname “Sarge” at college, where he majored in Economics. The military shaped his character, which was one of straight-arrow integrity, loyalty, discipline and service. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a 2nd Lt.  Married to the late Marilyn Kordick, he is survived by three sons.

Submitted by: DevStudent

It feels like after 30 years, my Ripon education and experiences and friendships, and subsequent life have come together in a really wonderful way. 

I feel that Ripon, along with my family,  was my foundation and springboard for a rich life, one measured by experiences and relationships. My work as a physical therapist in private practice (yaharatherapy.com) feels like a culmination of these experiences and people. I get to help people get better, but I also get to focus on prevention, wellness, and trying to be part of a reimagined system of health care. 

Dance Company was at the core of my Ripon experience; affecting every realm of my life (physical, organizational, emotional, social, environmental). After a winding journey, I finally landed on a certification in massage therapy and then a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in my 40s. Along the way, one of the experiences I had was as a ballroom dance instructor. Non-profit work (Whitman-Walker Health in metro DC) gave me crucial experience with administration, fund-raising, support-group facilitation, and coordinating volunteer programs. 

One of my projects, Ballroom Basics for Balance(TM) [ballroombasicsforbalance.org], started as a whim and has grown. It’s a class that helps improve balance and prevent falls in a fun way, using dance. We collaborate with students, educational institutions, government and private agencies, community members, and more.  Recently, UW-Madison created a video about it. Please enjoy and share! https://news.wisc.edu/ballroom-balance/

This video feels like a representation of my good fortune to have a loving and valuable community, which includes Ripon College. What I get to do every day is not work, but a culmination and continuation of the education and experiences and people. I want to share with my classmates and alma mater and future grads as a proud one, myself!

My life includes a happy home in Madison, WI with my wife and many critters. 

Submitted by: DevStudent

Submitted by: DevStudent

Dave Read ’70, Gary Lederer ’72, Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer ’73, Kay Ingerski Kempner ’70, and Dennis Kempner ’70 meet up for a 50 year mini-reunion in Punta Gorda, Florida!

Submitted by: DevStudent

Mike Berens

617-512-5753 / [email protected]

Trista Moffat-Larco

920-257-4800 / [email protected]

Class of 1999: greetings from Trista and Mike! We hope this letter finds you enjoying the fall. We did not receive any updates to include as class notes this time around. Back in the day, the class notes likely proved to be a fun way to keep up with the accomplishments and lives of our classmates. In a world of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more … it seems class notes fall by the wayside for many of us. If you have any updates you’d like to share, we’d love to include them in the spring letter. Please send them to Trista, Mike or the College!

The summer came and went quickly for many of us. For those able to attend the 20-year class reunion, we hope you were able to enjoy some of the highlights like the seminar, 1851 Awards Dinner, class lunch, all-alumni parties, golf and the Sunday brunch.  

A noteworthy accomplishment from the past few months is the #OneDayRally. Kudos to the staff that supported the outstanding collection of $1M in 18 hours, 51 minutes! Thanks to each of you who were able to contribute to the #OneDayRally or via other means. The 91% student satisfaction rate touted by Ripon College is a fine example of the Ripon College staff putting alumni donations to great use! Let’s see if we can beat that number in 2020.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the passing of Coach Julie Johnson. A great leader, mentor and friend to so many of us from the Class of 1999. Coach Johnson passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2019, at the young age of 53. She set records and impacted the lives of countless Ripon grads. Coach Johnson will be dearly missed. She was an exceptional person.

Trista and Mike wish you a wonderful fall and holiday season. We look forward to seeing some of you at future Ripon College events. Thank you for your continued support to Ripon College.

TRISTA and MIKE

Submitted by: Mike Berens

2007

Lindsey Kreye Heil

[email protected]

Stacy Krusa Teachout

[email protected]

Liz Leach Morrell

[email protected]

Adam Krueger

[email protected]

Hello Class of 2007 –

We hope all is well with you and yours as another summer draws to a close. With fall quickly approaching, it still feels like school should be starting – even 11 years after graduation!

Over the summer, some of us had the opportunity to visit Ripon for Alumni Weekend. It is astonishing just how much has happened in the year since our reunion. This spring, Ripon completed #OneDayRally, A Day of Giving for Ripon. The response – including from many of you – was OVERWHELMING. The college raised more than $600,000 for the Annual Fund in only 18 hours and 51 minutes. There’s no question Ripon inspires continued passion in its alumni and friends.

It can be easy to let Ripon slide from your thoughts after all of the excitement we had during our 10 year reunion. Don’t wait four more years to revisit with your Ripon experience. Connect with a Ripon friend or classmate you haven’t chatted with in a while. Take part in a Rally Hour or other Alumni event. Make a donation to the Annual Fund. Visit campus for Alumni Weekend 2019 (June 27-30). Drop an email to a faculty member who was influential. Read the latest Ripon news. We spent more than a thousand days as Ripon students but we’ll spend many more as Ripon alumni. Let’s continue to build the bonds we started there as we move through all our next adventures.

Read on for some exciting updates from classmates. Are you realizing you have news you’d like to share with your Ripon network? Be sure to share with the Office of Constituent Engagement ([email protected].) or any of our Class Agents.

KATY GRIFFITHS ANDERSON ’07 of West Lafayette, Indiana, is working as a Registered Nurse at Indiana University Health Urgent Care in Lafayette, Indiana. Her husband, Tim, completed his PhD in Entomology in August 2017 from Purdue University. They welcomed a son, Jorin Timothy, on December 2, 2017.

BRYANT BEDNAREK ’07, of Berlin, Wisconsin, will be Assistant Principal of Wautoma High School starting the 2018-2019 school year.

REBECCA PERK BRUSCH ’07, Charlotte, North Carolina, is a stay at home mom but recently joined Mamma Can Do It, a company that designs and sells PDF sewing patterns, as their head of marketing. She has been able to combine her passion for sewing while still staying home with her daughter.

LINDSEY KREYE HEIL ’07 of Savage, Minnesota, writes, “I will be finishing my Master’s in Special Education from Concordia University Saint Paul in June 2018.”

PETER JENSEN ‘07 of Columbia, Missouri, was awarded the W. Charles Redding Dissertation Award from the Organizational Communication Division at the International Communication Association. The title of his dissertation is “Organizing Possibilities Examining Normative and Alternative Nonprofit Organizing Practices.”

TYLOR LOEST ’07 of Ripon, Wisconsin, wrote “After 8 years, I will be leaving Ripon College and heading to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. There I will become the next Corporate Relations Coordinator.”

TYLER OTTO ’07 and ALISON KRINGS OTTO ’08, of Winneconne, Wisconsin, had a baby boy, Gordon Marshall Otto, on November 30, 2017 weighing 2lbs 13 oz and measuring 15 inches long. Everybody is healthy and happy.

Don’t forget – our class Facebook page (Ripon College Class of 2007) is a great way to reconnect with Ripon peers!

Sincerely,

ADAM KRUEGER

LINDSEY KREYE HEIL

LIZ LEACH MORRELL

STACY KRUSA TEACHOUT

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

Jolene Rueden Schatzinger ’07 of Ripon, Wisconsin is the Associate Director of Engagement and Donor Relations at Ripon College as of January 2020. She also joined the Board of Directors of Freeland USA, a frontline organization working for a world that is free of wildlife trafficking and human slavery, which organizes an annual film festival in Green Lake, Wisconsin.

Submitted by: Jolene Schatzinger

This January, Entropy Magazine published another essay by Eric Atkisson ’94. Titled Point of Origin, it revolves around the French explorer Jean Nicolet, Eric’s father, and Eric’s nautical childhood in Green Bay and Door County, Wisconsin. It was the second of his essays to appear in print and the first since he completed a MFA in Creative Writing at George Mason University in May 2019. Eric has also had about a dozen magazine articles and short stories published since 2007. He currently works as a communications and marketing supervisor at the Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia.

Submitted by: Eric Atkisson

I got married on November 23, 2019 to Joseph Novak in Kirtland Ohio. Maggie Hall ’08 and Kali Jankovich ’07 were in attendance. Joe and I were then sealed in the Columbus Temple of the Church of Latter Day Saints on December 21, 2019. We are living in University Heights, Ohio. I am currently working as a Branch Services Assistant with the Cuyahoga County Public Library. Joe works as a Processing Engineer with Tect Power in Euclid Ohio.

Submitted by: Amy Piccirillo Novak

Mary P. Krueger, age 94, of Ripon, WI, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2020 in the home that she and her husband built, where they raised their family of five children and lived for 72 years.

Mary was born on September 8, 1925, the daughter of John and Georgia (Booras) Pappas of Ripon. She graduated from Ripon High School in 1942 and then attended Ripon College and UW-Madison. A lifelong resident of Ripon, she married Arden “Dutch” Krueger on June 26, 1948. As a young mother, Mary enjoyed sharing her love of the outdoors with her family during snow skiing adventures at the Sunny Valley Ski Club, and fishing and water skiing with friends and family at her parents’ cottage on Big Green Lake. Mary ensured that the Krueger household was a loving home to many cats over the years, and caring for creatures great and small, is a legacy that she has passed on to her children. Bird watching, and observing the wildlife of her Combe Street neighborhood, became fulfilling activities in her later years. Mary was a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Fond du Lac, WI and also Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ in Ripon.

Mary is survived by three sons, Kirby (Val) of Green Lake, WI, Kevin of Ripon, and Kurt (Maria) of California; daughter, Kea (special friend, John Toufar) of Markesan, WI; sister-in-law, Leona Krueger; nieces, Niki Russos and Loraine Wetzel; nephew, Ted Russos; cousin, Toula Sievers; and many other nieces, nephews, and cousins. Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Arden; son, Kelly; parents, John and Georgia Pappas; and sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Tony Russos.

Per Mary’s request, there will be no visitation or funeral services. The family wishes to extend a thank you to Agnesian Hospice and Denise Nelson for helping make Mary’s last days as peaceful as possible. Memorials may be directed to the Green Lake Area Animal Shelter, N6217 Busse Drive, P.O. Box 86, Green Lake, WI 54941.

Please visit www.butzinmarchant.com to send online condolences.

I returned to Ripon for my first ever reunion and got to spend quality time catching up with Class of ’79 pals, Jim Shanks ’79 and Alice Anthony Moy ’79.  Also enjoyed seeing Alan Lovell ’79, Matt Dacy ’79 and Lea Colquin.  Even got to chat with Professor Woolley following a Beta Sig gathering.  Following the reunion, I had a chance to spend time with Jeff Shanahan in Omaha.  Good to see so many young faces.

Submitted by: STORRS DOWNEY

My latest book, A Risky Solution for America: The Case Against an Article V Convention, was released in November 2018. The book argues that calling a constitutional convention for the sake of amending the nation’s founding charter would precipitate the erosion personal freedom, individual liberty and self-government.

Submitted by: Christopher Schaefer

Rick Schroeder ’67, age 75, of Greendale, Wisconsin, passed away December 25, 2019.

Rick is survived by his wife Teri Clapper; son Ricky (Chrysee) Schroeder; daughter Elizabeth Schroeder; stepdaughter Teresa (Scott) Swift; stepson Chris (Christine Dettmer) Cyr; sister Barb (Tom) Knoff; nephew Scott (Randi Mastroianni) Cohen; step-grandchildren Eowyn and Ronan Swift, Alex and Ceci Cyr; other relatives and many friends. Rick was preceded in death by his parents Elizabeth “Libby” and Walt Schroeder.
Rick was born at Fort Riley, Kansas, graduated from Shorewood High School, earned his B.A. in history and economics from Ripon College, and his M.B.A. from Marquette University. He served in the US Army with the 32nd Armor Regiment, Fort Knox, Kentucky, as a Tank Unit Commander. He worked in financial planning most of his career.
Rick had a wonderful sense of humor, delighting in good chats with his friends. He was actively involved with the Shorewood High School Alumni Association and threw himself into the coordination of SHS Class of 1963 reunions throughout his adult life. Rick was a history buff and a natural teacher. He was adept at German, engaging in cultural activities and outreach to young people interested in practicing their language skills. His love of the outdoors included fishing, archery, and hunting. Passionate in his love of dogs, Rick’s beloved canine companions were Shadow and Lucky.
Rick’s family thanks the Clement J. Zablocki Veteran Affairs Medical Center (Milwaukee VA) for the love and care they provided Rick during the past two years. Memorial donations to the Milwaukee VA or Wisconsin Humane Society would be deeply appreciated.

Visitation will be held Saturday, January 25, 2020, at 2 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m.

Obituary can be viewed here.

Carrol Maynard Falberg ’48 toured Scotland and Northern England in 2018. She visited the Ripon Cathedral while in the UK.

Former Ripon College President Frederick “Fred” Pinkham, age 99, of Holland, Michigan, died Nov. 26, 2019. He was Ripon College’s eighth president from 1955 to 1965, and was at that time one of the youngest college presidents in the nation at age 34.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1945. He graduated from Kalamazoo College and earned a master’s degree and doctorate in education from Stanford University. He also received honorary doctorates from Lawrence University, Kalamazoo College and Ripon College. At Ripon, he oversaw the building of several facilities, including Farr Hall, S.N. Pickard Commons and Kemper Computer Center, which was first built as a medical facility. He grew the enrollment and endowment, substantially raised faculty salaries, and helped found Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM).

He went on to work in the areas of higher education accreditation and on population and humanitarian issues. He was president and CEO of the Population Crisis Committee and was hired by President Gerald Ford as assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Pinkham and his wife, Helen, traveled all over the world assisting developing countries promote programs in primary health care, population and family planning. Later, he was involved with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, recommending grants for funding projects in numerous fields.

Survivors include two sons and one daughter.

Private family services will be held. He will have a cross placed at Arlington National Cemetery for his service during World War II.

Submitted by: DevStudent

Patricia Jenkins Steaffens ’53, age 88, passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2019. She was born in Chicago on July 22, 1931, the daughter of Howard and Virginia Jenkins. Pat graduated cum laude from Ripon College with a Bachelor’s Degree. On June 14, 1952 she married William C. Steaffens at Ravenswood United Methodist Church in Chicago. Pat worked as an Administrative Assistant at Nelson Industries for many years. She was a longtime dedicated member of Stoughton United Methodist Church where she served as the first woman Chair of Trustees, chair of the Worship Committee and SPRC, Lay Leader, and Member of the Annual Conference. Pat was a longtime member of the Madison Area Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America, and Oregon Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star where she served as Worthy Matron, Grand Martha, and Grand Representative Idaho in WI from 1995-1996. Pat was a founding member of the Southeast American Cancer Society in Dane Co. and was Volunteer of the Year in 1987. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. Pat is survived by her daughter, Debra Steaffens; son Jeffrey Steaffens; daughter, Susan Steaffens; daughter-in-law, Trinice Steaffens; granddaughter, Sarah Nuccio; grandson, Matthew Steaffens; great grandson, Michael Nuccio; great granddaughter, Abigail Nuccio; sister, Marianne Gallagher; and many extended relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, William; and son, Gregory. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Stoughton United Methodist Church, 525 Lincoln Avenue, Stoughton, with Rev. Cathy Christman officiating. Friends and relatives are invited to a luncheon, immediately following, in the church fellowship hall. Friends may greet the family from 10:00 AM until the time of services Saturday at church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Stoughton United Methodist Church or to the Fisher House Foundation in Milwaukee. Please share your memories of Pat by posting Tributes.

Cress Funeral Service
206 W. Prospect Street
Stoughton, WI 53589
(608) 873-9244

Obituary can be viewed here.

Robert J. Bednarek ’49 of Truro died December 7, 2019 at Seashore Point Wellness Center in Provincetown MA. He was 91.

Born November 24, 1928 in Berlin, Wisconsin, he was the son of Bernard and Mary (Butler) Bednarek. He was raised on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin. Robert was proud of his rural upbringing and his education from local schools including a one room school house in Green Lake County and later Berlin High School.

In 1946 he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Japan. He served our country while preforming his duties at the Far East Command in Tokyo primarily by typing copies of investigation reports and legal files of war crime evidence. Robert later mentioned he worked for a General because unlike most others they told him he listened well and typed quickly. While in Japan he became interested in their architecture which pointed him in that direction professionally. After his Honorable Discharge from the US Army he formally pursued his interest in architecture by attending Ripon College in Wisconsin. After his initial undergraduate studies at Ripon he participated in an exchange program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At MIT he continued his studies of drafting, design and architecture and after completing his formal education he worked on numerous residential and commercial design projects from his office in Cambridge and later Truro.

In 1957 Robert moved to Truro, with his partner Dr. Charles Davidson where he lived until his death. He loved the “backshore” of the Cape with its unforested hills covered with bearberry and its salt marshes. Until a few years ago he rode his bicycle or hiked to the shore every day, combing the sands for treasures, always with binoculars around his neck. He was an avid bird watcher, naturalist, preservationist, collector of local history and a common sight beachcombing the sands and surf.

Robert was a long-time member of the Truro Conservation Trust where he held positions as Secretary and Trustee Emeritus. He enjoyed the services and company of the Truro Council on Aging Senior Center, attended the Christian Union Church and was a member of the First Congregational Parish, established in 1709, both in Truro.

Robert’s comment about his beloved community was that “In Truro people go off in little houses in the woods and come out when they feel like it. That was the attraction for writers, artists, theater people between jobs – they could be alone and not be bothered.”

A kind, proud, observant, knowledgeable man, “Uncle Bobby” will be terribly missed by his nieces and nephews; Amy Stocklein, Brian (Jamie) Bednarek of Custer WI, Andrew (Amy) Bednarek of Rancho Palos Verdes CA, Mira (Dain) Trafton of Livingston MT and Jonas (Carrie) Bednarek of Verona WI and their families. He was preceded by his partner Dr. Charles Davidson of Truro, his brother Donald Bednarek of Madison WI, and his parents.

Family and friends will be invited to a celebration of Bobby’s life in the spring, at a time and date to be announced.

Obituary can be viewed here.

NIAGARA, Wis. — Ione (Radke-Hoehne) Harris, 92, died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Maryhill Manor in Niagara where she had been a resident since July 2012. Ione was loved by all who cared for her, and staff will miss her feisty sense of humor.

Obituary can be viewed here.