R Connections

Kathy Wade
248-470-4336
[email protected]

David Jonas
202-251-9640
[email protected]

Spring 2018

Greetings classmates from Kathy!

Every year around this time, I start planning my summer events. While summer is short here in the Milwaukee area, there are a ton of events. In Milwaukee, you have to try hard to NOT find live music outdoors every night from June through August. Summerfest is one of my favorite events. In my opinion, there is not much better than live music, outdoors, with a great group of friends!

My second favorite event has become Alumni Weekend. I have attended almost every Alumni Weekend since 2008. My terms on the Alumni Board were great because I was able to volunteer to “work” events. The work was difficult: talk to people about the College and maybe (usually) drink a beer. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Besides the class reunion dinner, I really enjoy the welcome reception on Friday night at the Hughes House. Saturday is full of events. The State of the College presentation is very informative. Saturday ends with an All-Alumni Dance. Music, outside, dancing, and hanging out with great people all take me to my happy place! It is an extra special bonus that it is at the College, one of my much loved places.

I hope that as you put together your calendar for the summer that Alumni Weekend is at the top of it. It is June 21 through June 24. Our reunion dinner is on Saturday, the 23 in West Hall at 6:00 p.m.! I hope to see you all there! Please check out the full agenda at www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.

I do want to throw a challenge out there. Last year, the Class of ’87 CONTROLLED the dance floor at the All-Alumni Dance. In the previous years, the DJ starts playing more recent music as the night progresses, but, because of their domination, he kept playing mostly music from the 80s! It was so much fun! I hope we can continue that dominance and keep the music in the 80s! It is the best after all!

The second challenge I have for you is increasing our class gift. On Saturday of Alumni Weekend, we will be presenting a check to the College as our class gift. At our 25th Reunion, 21% of our class participated in contributing to the class gift. Our current participation rate is below 10%. It would be wonderful if we could increase our participation level to 30% as it is our 30th Reunion! Please consider making a gift of $30 or more before June 30. All gifts from our class count towards the participation, no matter the designation.

Class Notes:

ZEV BARNETT ’88 of Aurora, Colorado, shared, “Looking forward to seeing any old folks that make it to Ripon in June! I’m busy still running my homeless outreach called Peanut Butter Plan, and spending most hours of the day building a global CBD business and brand called Maven Hemp.”

LYNN PROBST BENAVIDES ’88 of Waterford, Wisconsin, wrote, “Thanks for reaching out, David and Kathy. I am dumbfounded by how fast time flies. I truly feel as if the days at Ripon College are a few years in the past not 30!
During these past 30 years, I have enjoyed a wonderful teaching career in the Waterford Graded School District. I have enjoyed teaching 5th grade, 4th grade, and currently 3rd grade. I have also been blessed with a wonderful family. My husband Chris and I have 5 children. Our oldest three have successfully graduated and have followed their career dreams—educator and electricians, while our two youngest enjoy sports and activities in the Waterford area.
As I get older, I am nostalgic for the warmth and relationships that existed during my Ripon College Days. My children love to hear the stories of my escapades, my academic growth, and my friendships at Ripon. I hope that one of my two youngest daughters will follow in my footsteps and attend Ripon College.”

ALLISON JANISCH CHRISTOPHE ’88 of Zurich, Switzerland, shared, “Nothing really to report. Loving living in Zurich.”

BRAD MCDONALD ’88 of Milbank, South Dakota, wrote: “Been strange not having twins at Ripon as my sons, ALLWIN MCDONALD ’17 and SETH MCDONALD ’17 graduated last May. It was me who cried at graduation. Back in 1988, I just wanted to get out of there and meet up with MIKE PIERSON ’88 and go fishing. Unfortunately my youngest is avoiding touring Ripon for next fall – too much family history.

Retirement is going fine. I wanted to retire at 50, was able to do it at 49 1/2, who can say that? I expect motor home shopping will commence when the youngest daughter moves out this summer.

I have been steadily unloading my backlog of stuff; we have way too much. My next project is selling our 1970 Mercury XR7 convertible. It is Ripon red in case anyone in the market for a classic.

I don’t find myself without things to do. I’m writing as a columnist for the Watertown Public Opinion. I was runner up for the best column in South Dakota last year so maybe I can make a run for the gold this year. Writing the best column in South Dakota is sort of like being the toughest Muppet, but it’s not bad for a chemistry major with an MD degree though.

I published a novel entitled Curse of Panther Creek under my pen-name, Olaf Danielson, in October.

I also put out a field guide for the Birds of St. Martin, FWI that actually went to print one hour before Hurricane Irma hit the island, destroying much of what I had written about. It is a pretty book, but it became out of date the moment it was printed. Oh well…I could have been there when it hit, I was scheduled to fly in four days later……..our house……….destroyed.

I expect a much more enjoyable project, Confessions of a Pike Whisperer, to be up on Amazon in April. This chronicles my fishing adventures (under the name Olaf, of course) and also includes 100 pages of exploits of my record birding year in 2016. I think I’ll be featured in Wisconsin Outdoors Magazine in May, give or take an issue. I think that will beat my last interview on “Animal Talk.”

I’ve added attending the Finnish wife carrying championships and ringing a cow bell at the alpine events at the 2022 China Olympics to my bucket list and now have 27 things left to do before I wrap this life up; hopefully I have many years to do it. I’m still looking to add to my list. Ideas appreciated”

CHARLES NAILEN ’88 of Arlington, Virginia, shared, “I have been working at the State Department for 4 years already. As I write this, I am in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa, finishing up a 3 week training stint. I will be going to Manila for 3 weeks in May as well. We also had to move in January due to water damage in our apartment from a busted water pipe. We just moved to another apartment in the same complex. Our new address is:

Chuck Nailen
3000 S. Randolph St. #169
Arlington, VA 22206
In Closing

If you have had any changes in your address, email or snail mail, please let the College know by going to www.ripon.edu/update-contact-info/.
David and I would really enjoy seeing you in June! I know many of us keep in touch through social media but seeing you face to face would be so much more fun!

Sincerely,

KATHY

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

Class Agent:

Dan McNaughton ’86

(612) 209-2996 / [email protected]

Spring 2018

Class of 1986,

All of us grieve differently, often reminiscing on the interactions and influence of these classmates we recently lost. Here are my personal reflections:  

The news of the early passing of three of our classmates recently put me in a reflective mood and revealed the influence DAN STRAND ’86 and ALAN DAUS ’86 had on me that I was blind to for years. I interacted a lot with Dan and Alan at Ripon. Even though DAVID GATZKE ’86 and I were both Philosophy majors, we did not have much contact.

With Facebook, we are able to follow the lives of classmates we would otherwise lose touch with, except at the occasional reunion. The revelation via Facebook that Dan had the devastating and rare disease MSA was shocking. With every update, more of Dan’s former students would express their gratitude for the ways in which Dan had made their lives better. Stories of inspiration lead to contemplation and reflection.

In a way I may have been Dan’s first student. We partnered on our lab project for Modern Physics sophomore year, recreating Millikan’s famous oil drop experiment. We had to calibrate equipment, determine the experiments margin of error, conduct the experiment, record and decipher the results. Calm when I panicked at the failure of our observed result, Dan was patient and kind when explaining errors I made calculating the margin of error built into the experiment. Our verified results and the joy he had in the shared success brought me a lot of pride. What I realized later, some of his joy, maybe most, was from helping another person grow. Dan knew and shared his talent with the world.

I became aware of the impact Alan Daus had on me after spending time with him at a reunion. Alan was a track teammate and Physics major. During our time at Ripon, Alan and I were friendly but not friends. He was order and discipline, a distance runner, in the ROTC program, an Eagle Scout, and organized. I operated a little more haphazardly. I ‘heroically’ met deadlines by pulling all-nighters and borrowing classmate’s notes. Jealousy of Alan would hit me around 4 a.m. with miles to go before the finish line.

It took a good fifty to sixty lost opportunities until I was able to apply any order to my chaos.  After hearing of Alan’s passing, I became aware that he was a big reason I strove for any kind of order in my life. I wish I could share this revelation with him.

I am sure many others have a great memory or story of impact from the three classmates we lost recently. Please send your remembrances and stories of Alan, Dan and/or David to [email protected] or [email protected] so they can be shared with everyone in the fall letter.

 

DAN

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

Class Agent:

Heather McFadden Barrie ’85

 

Hello Class of 1985!

 

No doubt for those of you (which includes me!) still residing up North – der hey!  – Cabin Fever is setting in about now. We long for the day when the robins return, the gloomy frozen tundra turns to a luscious green, and the trees start budding. But as you know, the groundhog saw his shadow and I’m afraid we’re in for another six weeks of winter!

 

Don’t let that get you down – there’s so much planning to do before the snow melts. Start with marking your calendar for Ripon’s 2018 Alumni Weekend – June 21-24, 2018. Visit ripon.edu/alumni-weekend/ for additional information.

 

Well, I don’t know if you remember me but I defected to your class in 1983 when I decided to do the three year program. My former classmates from the Class of 1986 are quick to remind me of my defection! Remember that guy I was dating when I went to Ripon, Tom? Well, I’m still with him 35 years later (25 married years!) We live in Hartford, Wisconsin where it was super cool to host the US Open last year. We have three children: Erin (19), Nick (18), and William (16).

 

Low and behold I have a Ripon legacy – ERIN BARRIE ’20 is a sophomore this year. She’ll be the Class of 2020 – how fun is that! She too is an RA residing in Scott Hall (apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!). She also is on the swim team (way more athletic than her mom!) and loves the new Willmore Center. If you haven’t visited the campus recently, you’ll be jealous of the awesome Athletic Center they have. Every time I am in the Willmore Center for a swim meet, it is a walk down memory lane for me as I look at the Hall of Fame! Coach Elaine is featured and the photos from her teams are a blast from the past – no doubt all of you will recognize someone in the plethora of photos on display. Erin also spends a lot of time in the Rodman Center – so talented in the fine arts, unlike her mom. She’s an amazing artist, sings on the Choral Union Choir and looks forward to getting more involved in the theater as she customizes her major in Interior Architectural Design through the theater department.

 

I hope all of you are doing well, and that you’ll consider coming to Ripon in the summer of 2020 for our 35th Year Class Reunion! It’s not too soon to decide if you would like to be on the reunion planning committee. Stay tuned for further details!

 

Well that’s enough about me and my family. I was so excited to hear from some of you and look forward to hearing from more of you as time goes by – keep the emails coming!

 

Recently, JIM ESTEN ’85 has been slowly transitioning out of the tech field and now owns a boutique gym called No Bounds Training & Wellness Center in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. He’s teaching boot camps, qigong, meditation, and breath work…as well as hosting a myriad of other activities at the Center doing extensive outreach activities for Advocates of Ozaukee, the Red Cross, and the Saukville Food Pantry. His oldest of 8 kids is back from the Peace Corps and currently working on cruise ships as a youth director. Two kids are in college — both in Indiana.  Remaining 5 are still at home. Caryn and Jim just celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day! Jim has accepted a position on the board of directors of Advocates of Ozaukee County — a local nonprofit fighting domestic and sexual abuse. Jim says: “If you’re in Cedarburg, stop by would love to share stories about life — those are best told over extended sessions of wine ‘tasting’. If you’re in the area, hit us up. We’ll pour!”

 

This past October 2017 NADINE KINGSTON SALEM ’85, JULI WELK JENSEN ‘85, CAROL MALEC LUND ’85, MARY PURDO PEKSA ’85, CAROL WOOD BROOKS ’85, JEAN KELLOGG CLARK ’85, got together in Sedona for the time in over 30 years! Some of us have seen each other over the years but not six of us at one time. It was a truly amazing, fun filled, dancing, laughing weekend!

 

 

STEVE TEMPLIN ’85 – Steve’s life story since Ripon…Attended grad school at Marquette and received his PhD. Taught 1/2 year at UW Center in Manitowoc; one year at Marion College in Fond Du Lac; and for the last 20 years I‘ve been teaching at Cardinal Stritch University in Glendale. I have to put up with students just like me when I was at Ripon every single day…Poetic justice!!!???

 

Think Spring!

 

Heather

 

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

Class Agents:

Connie Herbon Moser

[email protected]

Vicki Vicha Erickson

[email protected]

Spring 2018

Greetings Class of 1984!  

I sit here and write to you very early in the morning from the side of the Canyons in Park City, Utah. VICKI VICHA ERICKSON ‘84, or Fritz as most of you remember her, and I have been coming to Park City with our families and friends for twenty years. This year, the snow is pristine (Thank goodness, because two weeks ago the mountains were barren), the skiing has been fantastic, and I have still been able to venture down quite a few challenging hills. Every year we back it down a bit from a challenge perspective, but it is fun to see the next generation take the hills with a vengeance. Next year, we hope to have SARA SHARER ’84 join us; she tried this year but was unable to make it.  

As I sit here with a BIG cup of coffee and Advil in hand, preparing for the next day of skiing, I would like to describe the buzz around campus focusing on three exciting areas: the Willmore Health and Wellness Facility, the new curriculum and enrollment. First, the Willmore Health and Wellness Facility. Over the last six years, I have had the honor of sitting on the Board of Trustees with DENA WILLMORE ’67. She has held most positions on the board and was the first female Chairman of the Board of Trustees. More importantly, she is a wonderful and giving human being and I thank her for her mentorship and her “pay it forward attitude” to Ripon. For those of you who have not seen the facility, all I can say is “WOW.” The facility has features for every student on the Ripon campus. The focus, when building, was to incorporate it into campus life and be an extension for the community. And, the college has succeeded. It is now one of the most used facilities on campus by students and residents! Please plan on coming to visit in June of next year for our 35th Reunion.

The next big project the college took on centered on the curriculum. With Dr. Ed Wingenbach, the Vice President and Dean of Faculty, leading the way, the faculty completely restructured and modernized the curriculum while maintaining the goal of a liberal arts education. In summary, “Ripon College’s five-course Catalyst curriculum rigorously develops the 21st-century skills that employers seek while streamlining the path to graduation. Catalyst ensures students are able to complete multiple majors and minors, study abroad and hold internships in four years. Students enjoy extensive freedom to pursue their passions and craft their own academic program of study.”  

Lastly, given the decline of college bound students, the Ripon faculty and executive team have placed a major focus on admissions and have now begun to see results from their work. Classes of 2018 and now 2019 (i.e., active enrollment going on) show an incline, but they need our help. Please refer and recommend Ripon College early and often.  

Now on to classmate updates. Over the last few years, I have reached out and asked for summaries from classmates. This year, two volunteered that have not provided updates to the college since graduation and I am very excited to share their summaries with you.  Thank you Jeff and Ivan!

JEFF SOLINSKY ’84 of DeRidder, Louisiana, writes, “It is with great pleasure that I submit this update of myself, my family and my life since graduation. It may be a little long as this will be my first ever update to my 1984 classmates. Please accept my apology in advance for its length.

After graduation I sat for both the OCAT and MCAT, as it was my desire to leverage my Chemistry-Biology major at Ripon into a career as an Ophthalmologist. I was accepted to the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago and then by Penn State Hershey College of Medicine for my follow on medical school training. Since I was in the Ripon ROTC program, the Army had first dibs on me.  Though I applied for an educational delay to serve and fulfill my obligation to the Army until after I completed my Ophthalmology schooling, the Army felt that my major was a perfect match to help fill a critically short chemical officer corps. I entered as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Chemical Corps. I contacted both ICO & Penn State and explained my obligation and situation. They both promised me a class slot once I completed my obligation to the military.

After finishing Chemical Officer Basic Course at Ft. McClelland, Alabama, I was offered a slot in up to three different Army specialty training schools before I reported to my first duty assignment. I chose Airborne Training and Ranger School. I completed airborne school in April 1986 and went straight into Ranger School a week and a half later. Which was some of the toughest (both physically and mentally) training that I have ever endured. I learned more about myself through those two courses than anything else I have done, before or since. I resigned my commission in October 1989 after spending several years in Germany then back to states and ending up at Ft. Polk, Louisiana where I concluded my service with a company command as a Captain, promotable to Major. Second only to my Ranger training, I treasure my time as a platoon leader and company commander. Those positions were the most rewarding of my lifetime. I value my time of service to my country in the Army beyond words.

While in Louisiana, a place that I had no desire to visit and, after arriving, had no desire to stay in, I met my beautiful bride, Darla Goins. I met her in the spring of 1989 and we married on November 11 of that same year. In 1995 we added our “one and only” to our family, Eden, our daughter, born January 21, 1995. As of this writing, Darla and I have been married for 28 years and Eden is 23 years old. Eden graduated with a BS with a major in finance last May (2017). She joined my employee benefits and financial planning practice following her graduation.  I could not be more proud of the young lady she has become. Beautiful and smart like her mother and tenacious like her father. Wink, wink. We love to travel the world together and have been to so many wonderful places across the globe. When at home, I enjoy gardening and woodworking in my woodshop when not tending to my honey bees or horses.

So, to sum up the past 28 years since landing in Louisiana and leaving the army; I unknowingly came to an unexpected (and unwanted) paradise, met a perfect, beautiful helpmate (Darla and I are truly a perfect match made in heaven) and together we produced our Eden.

See you at our next class reunion.”

IVAN PETERS ’84 of Prior Lake, Minnesota, writes, “Since graduation, I have enjoyed working for larger companies at technical lead software development positions. I worked in the financial division of GM for 9 years, and then changed to United Health Group in 2010. Currently, I am the technical practice lead of our Pega Enterprise solutions architects. Pega is roughly a fancy database-based Java case tool. Throughout my career, companies have suggested that I pursue management, but I like the technical lead position. Although they now bring me into management meetings to provide technical advice. Currently we work with both Amazon and Microsoft.

I met my wife, MaryKay, the summer of my junior year at Ripon, when 6 of our DU fraternity met at Mack Brown’s Minneapolis house on way to a multi-week Boundary Waters canoe and camping trip.  A Ripon girl I went on a date with brought her to meet us. We now have 3 daughters and one son, a son-in-law and a granddaughter. (We had a smash hit barn wedding for them). I still have my incredible computer programming cultivated social skills, but my family puts up with me.  We live in a southern suburb of Minneapolis. MaryKay resigned her awarded marketing regional management position at Babies ‘R’ US in the 2008 depression when they merged marketing into the stores. She was bummed, and I like to make her happy, so I cashed in my investment hobby and bought multiple rental properties to start a business that she runs. She now also runs a daycare for our 2-year-old granddaughter.

Two of my kids still live at home, paying off student loans. We all try to meet Sundays for dinner.

My wife’s favorite place is Disney World, so one of our vices is going there every Spring/Fall for 2 to 4 weeks each trip with various friends and family. Our next trip is March 9, though I enjoy fall wine fest more. I found the best places to get strong Margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas before going on rides or attending my wife’s shopping, though now with a granddaughter we have a more appropriate excuse to go. We are Disney annual pass holders.”

Connie

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

1966

Nancy Burrows

[email protected]

 

Summer greetings to all!

 

Although I only heard from two members of our class this time around, I hope everyone is enjoying a great summer. I must admit I had to shorten the “mail in” time in due to personal plans.  

 

JOHN BURROWS ’65 and I are doing well and are grateful for family, friends and good health. We are traveling to Lake Como for a week and down to Florence, Italy with friends for a two week trip next week! We enjoy traveling and know we will truly enjoy all of the side trips. We are  especially looking forward to the Bernina Express train through the Alps and a day in St. Moritz! Lake Como is known for beautiful scenery and excellent food. We will diet when we return. We are also planning a family reunion with children and grandchildren at Sunriver Resort in Oregon. Time is precious and family time to celebrate 50 years of marriage and John turning 75 seemed to be in order.

 

PAM KURZ GOODE ’66 ([email protected])

“Having endured a horrible winter and an even worse April (24″ of snow mid-month and 8″ shortly before that!) we were glad to escape to Syracuse, NY to visit our son and his family.  And yes… the weather in Syracuse was much better than in WI! We took our NY grandson on a 4 day trip to the Hyde Park area — lots of Roosevelt sites, spectacular Gilded Age mansions like the Vanderbilt’s, Storm King Art Center, etc. We had a great time and also spent a while in Buffalo NY where we stayed in a renovated state mental institution which is now a hotel called The Henry and, yes, they did let us out and no lobotomies were performed (that we know of)!! Now where was I?

 

We are off next week to visit friends in Northern Minnesota, but not much travel planned for a few months after that.  We might take a trip south in the late fall to visit more Civil War sites — a shared interest of ours. Beware, if we are in your area we may turn up on your doorstep! We hope to see BOB FLECK ’65 and RUTH POTTS FLECK ’66 this summer in Green Lake and hopefully a few other old Ripon classmates along the way.

 

In between trips, we keep busy in beautiful Door County and enjoy spending time with our daughter’s family. It’s nice having two grandsons just a few minutes away!

 

Hope all of you are enjoying life,  

 

Pam and Terry”

 

BARRY SIMON ‘66 ([email protected])

“I have seen film of me as a young child on my knees in front of a large radio counsel, rocking back and forth in time with the music playing. That was probably the start. It was in high school where I began to explore the performing arts through the school talent show and short plays.

But it was at Ripon where it became manifest.

 

I remember sitting at the lighting board at the old church that had been transformed into a theater after the Ripon College Theater burned down. At that moment I decided that instead of going to NYC to pursue theater, I would go to film school and learn the art of movie making that I had studied in the first such class taught at Ripon. As a preteen I had taken out books from the library about movies, perusing them with a sense of wonder since movies were my escape. However, it was this class that taught me that movies were actually an art and that I might be able to make them myself!

After four years at what was then called USC Cinema (George Lucas, Randall Kleiser, John Milius, and Caleb Deschanel–actress Zooey Deschanel’s father–were all in the class ahead of me and John Carpenter was in my class), I enter my long road in film and television. For the last 10 years of that journey I created a company with a partner that turned electronic press kits into a necessary aspect of movie publicity as I traveled around the world for nearly every major studio, directing short documentaries about the making of movies.

Prior to this I was a film and video editor, having been the latter for the first year or so on a new television show, Entertainment Tonight, which brought satellite dishes to all the stations that bought this syndicated half hour Hollywood news show and thus birthed the beginning of satellite delivery of real news, replacing the old “Get the film to the lab so it’s developed, edited and ready for the six o’clock broadcast!” It also started, I believe, the shift from news-as-news to news-as-entertainment. Sorry.

All the while I still practiced one of my Ripon College minors, education. For one year out of Ripon I taught high school English where I learned I wasn’t very good at classroom management, something they didn’t teach at Ripon at the time. Then in my film career, I taught various classes about filmmaking, editing and electronic press kits, classes that didn’t require management since the students wanted to learn this stuff.

 

While at USC as the editing T.A. (again teaching), I wrote a booklet on how to do negative cutting (a long, tedious process that, I believe, has gone the way of the buggy whip thanks to technology) which found its way to the other film school in town at the time–UCLA. Word had it that it was the “art” film school while USC was the “commercial” one. But negative cutting was still negative cutting and very boring no matter the film’s intention.

 

Now that I’m retired, I am still teaching as a volunteer with Albuquerque Reads. I have two 5 year old kindergartners who I work with during the school year, teaching them from the alphabet to sight words. Watching them learn to read is a joy beyond words. Not having children and grandchildren, I think of them during my school year sojourn as my “children,” planting seeds that go beyond learning to read, seeds about focus, dedication, attempting the unknown, being challenged, overcoming insecurity and fear, and believing in themselves. They are the future and my hope is that in some small way I help them at the beginning of their life’s journey.

I also returned to theater, becoming involved in local productions. I created and now coordinate the recording of a podcast for the Albuquerque Theatre Guild to promote local productions which educates listeners to the ins and outs of shows, thereby bringing together my publicity and production experience. Plus, I volunteer with the Music Guild of New Mexico, teaching youngsters what an orchestra is andleading to Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” which once more involves education and entertainment.

While doing this, my regular current entertainment activity is a monthly interactive game show I, as we used to say in the 60s, “liberated” from a similar idea in another state. It’s called The Liars’ Game and involves three storytellers, two are telling the truth and one is lying. The audience has to figure out who the liar is. And usually most get it wrong.

It’s great fun working with the storytellers on developing their 10 minute tales and promoting the show in a city that has slightly over 600,000 people. So this brings together everything I have been doing since I graduated–entertainment, production coordination, story creation, education and publicity.

The point of this long narrative is that Ripon and the education it gave me has served me well and still does fifty-some years later, except, maybe, barely learning how to use a slide rule in order to pass the Concepts of Science class. I traveled the world, created programming, entertained millions, educated others and continue to do so probably until I can’t do it any longer. I am thankful for what Ripon gave me and has allowed me to pass on.

 

Meanwhile, when you are in Albuquerque on the second Monday of the month, stop by Empire Board Game Library and play The Liars’ Game. Just maybe you can figure out who’s lying. But don’t bet on it. That’s one class they don’t teach at Ripon.”

 

Hopefully the members of the class of 1966 are all doing well. Have a super summer! NANCY

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

1967

Kathryn “Kathy” Santimays Dunn

(704) 633-8999 / [email protected]

 

“In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.” -Edith Wharton

 

Dear Class of 1967,

 

As I write, the class of 1968 is preparing for their initiation into the Golden R Club. What great memories they will make! Though they will be hard pressed to surpass our fantastic weekend! Only four years to our 55th!

 

Many of us are feeding our “insatiable intellectual curiosity” by traveling.

 

DAVE LEIFHEIT ’67 and wife, NANCY OLIVER LEIFHEIT ’69, of Elmhurst, Illinois, write, “Most of our traveling this year was in the US. We spent time in Seattle with our kids and grandson, in Nashville for a family wedding, in Charlotte, North Carolina for another family wedding, and in Wisconsin at our cabin. To top it off we went to Costa Rica in January and enjoyed 94 degree weather before coming back to more than 8 inches of snow! The spring months were spent volunteering with AARP Tax Aide doing taxes for those who appreciate the help. At the family wedding in October, we were with all eight Oliver siblings in North Carolina, including my brother SCOTT OLIVER ’69! Such a fun reunion!”

 

JUDY WILKINSON NEIL ’68 and BILL NEIL ’67 visited SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 and his wife CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ‘69 in Naples, Florida in January. A couple of months ago Judy and Bill were in San Francisco and had lunch with NANCY WADLEY KEOUGH ’67 and Professor Phil Clarkson who taught at Ripon while we were there.

 

KATHLEEN KRANBUEHL KRAHNKE ’67 of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, writes, “Loving retirement on Hilton Head Island while keeping involved with kids through Backpack Buddies and The Boys and Girls Club.”

 

NANCY WADLEY KEOUGH ’67 was visiting a friend in Beaufort, South Carolina recently. I was in Hilton Head so we were able to get together for lunch in Harbor Town. After a short time back home, she and her husband are making a return trip to Ireland and adding Scotland.

 

Greg and I will have had an amazing two weeks in San Francisco and Hawaii with our youngest grandchild, Oliver, by the time you read this! We’ve taken his older brother, Zach, and sister, Hillary, in the past. I hope you are all feeling chipper and enjoying the gift of each day!

 

A little aside about Ripon, the city: Smuckers is made there and the Farmer’s Almanac is published there. That’s your Jeopardy trivia for today!

 

KATHY

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

1969

Scott A. Nyquist

(h)239-732-0523 / (c)630-632-1619 / [email protected]

Hello Class of ’69!

As Ripon Chemistry Professor Jack Powers would say, the theme of this letter should be “intuitively obvious:” the Class of 1969 will celebrate its 50-year Reunion next year, June 29, 2019. Plans for the reunion are well underway.

 

Here are the members of the Reunion Committee as of June 15, 2018:

 

Frank Anders

Bobbi Suess Anders

Nancy Gonia Bajorek

Sam Johnson

Tom Mace

Phil McCullough

Scott Nyquist

Don Park

Chip Retson

Steve Ruoff

Bob “Otto” Wachholtz

John Wolfe

Dan Wolfgram

Joan Knutson Wolfgram

It’s not too late to join the Reunion Committee. We need more people!!!! Just call or email me if you’re interested. Each committee member is calling a modest number of others in the class, encouraging them to attend the reunion. Our goal is to have all 213 members of the class (for whom we have contact information) receive a call urging them to come. Whether you join the committee or not, pick up the phone and call your old roommate, fraternity brother/sorority sister, guys you played with on the football/basketball team, etc. Tell them you are coming to the reunion and you want them to come, too. Need a phone number or address for them? Email me.

 

There is a Facebook page for Ripon College Class of 1969. Watch for posts about the reunion. Join the group and post info about yourself and your reunion plans.

 

Alumni Weekend 2019 will start on Thursday evening June 27th. The college has a slew of activities for the Golden R class (that’s us!). Plan to be in Ripon all weekend from the Thursday night Welcome Party through the Service of Remembrance and Farewell Breakfast on Sunday morning. Make your hotel reservations NOW because there are only a few hotels in Ripon and they fill up fast. There are also plenty of places to stay in Green Lake, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, and the college offers dorm rooms to stay in over Alumni Weekend. There is no charge for Golden R Class members to stay in the dorms. (But also no A/C).

 

Now I know some of you are a little hesitant to come to the reunion. Maybe you’ve lost some hair. Maybe you’ve put on a little weight. Maybe your career didn’t turn out the way you hoped it would. Well, I have news for you: people don’t care if you look like a billiard ball or have to get your clothes from Omar the Tentmaker. They don’t give a hoot that you didn’t become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. They just want to see you and talk about those days back in the 60’s when we all roamed the Ripon College campus together. They want to relive those times spent together at The Spot or cramming for that Econ final. They want to talk about the game against Lawrence our senior year or the crazy 8:00 a.m. classes we had  . . . even on Saturday. They want to remember the jokes you played on your roommate (and the ones they played on you). This is your chance to relive your misspent youth and laugh together with the friends you made so many years ago.

 

If you have pictures from our days at Ripon, please send them. An electronic version is best so please scan them (or take them to a place that will scan them for you) and email them to me. Also, we will set up a Memorabilia Room in Pickard Commons where mementoes of our time at Ripon will be on display. So, if you have beer mugs, fraternity/sorority pins, freshman beanies, letter sweaters . . . anything from our days at Ripon that you can share, please send them to Amy Gerretsen, director of constituent engagement at Ripon College. Items you send in will be returned . . . or if you don’t want them back, they will be donated to the College Archives.

 

Finally, it is traditional for the 50-Year Reunion Class to make a special financial contribution to Ripon College in celebration of their induction into the Golden R Club. So I’d like to ask you to make an exceptionally generous gift to Ripon this year. Remember you can designate how your gift is used: scholarships, faculty, library, building fund, endowment, athletics, unrestricted, etc. You can also make your gift in memory of a classmate or professor.

 

So are we clear?   50-YEAR REUNION . . .  JUNE 29, 2019 . . . BE THERE!

 

To get you started thinking about 1969, here are a few things about that year:

• Richard M. Nixon inaugurated 37th President. Spiro Agnew is VP.
• Sen. Edward M. Kennedy pleads guilty to leaving scene of fatal accident at Chappaquiddick, Mass. in which Mary Jo Kopechne was drowned – gets two-month suspended sentence
• In August, more than 500,000 people gather in the small, upstate New York town of Bethel (near Woodstock, N.Y.) for four days of rain, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.
• Children’s Television Workshop introduces Sesame Street.
• US population: 202.6 million. Median household income: $8,369
• The FCC bans all cigarette advertising on television and radio.
• Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the moon.
• ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) goes online in December, connecting four major US universities. It is the foundation upon which the Internet will eventually be built.
• Films: Midnight Cowboy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Easy Rider, True Grit
• Billboard Hot 100 Single Most Played by DJ’s: “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies.
• Record of the Year Grammy Winner: “Mrs. Robinson,” by Simon and Garfunkel
• Books: Mario Puzo, “The Godfather”; Philip Roth, “Portnoy’s Complaint;”  Kurt Vonnegut, “Slaughterhouse-Five”
• Born: Jennifer Aniston, Ellen Pompeo, Matthew McConaughey, Brett Favre, Cate Blanchett, Renee Zellweger, Chaz Bono, Matthew Perry, Jack Black, Sheryl Sandberg, Emmett Smith, Donnie Wahlberg, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwen Stefani, Ice Cube

 

Updates from Classmates

 

Here is the recent news I got from you guys.

 

NANCY GONIA BAJOREK ’69 of Elmhurst, Illinois says: “ANNE SHILLINGLAW ’69, TIM TRIER ’69 and I took a recent trip to New Orleans celebrating the 50th anniversary of a European trip we took together with MARY PATTERSON STEVENSON ’69 in 1968. We still miss Mary and have fond memories of that trip . . . especially meeting up with some other Ripon students in Rome and climbing the Trevi Fountain together (with local Polizia joining us). Great to continue to share and make memories with friends from Ripon.”

 

MARK BAUER ’69 of Pewaukee, Wisconsin sent me this: “Still married to my first wife, Dr Cindy Bauer, (who is still working in Urgent Care). I have been retired from orthopedic surgery for 3 years, enjoying free time to attend the Apple Store, take German classes, travel and raise carnivorous plants. We live in Pewaukee, Wisconsin but also have a small condo 60 miles north of Milwaukee, on Elkhart Lake. TIM TRIER ’69 has a condo next to mine. PHIL MCCULLOUGH ’69 visits him each summer.”

 

We have two adult children in New York, my daughter in Manhattan and a son in Brooklyn. Another son, a radiation oncologist, lives in a suburb of Phoenix. Two other sons live in the Milwaukee area, a pediatrician and a dentist. We all gather during the July Fourth holiday in Elkhart Lake.”

 

MARGARET WALKER BLIGHTON ’69 of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin writes: “I finally retired on March 30th! I spent 30 years managing the design and development of In-Store Displays for various companies like Brach Candy, Nabisco, Kraft, ConAgra, and Miller Brewing. I just moved to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, my 14th since I packed up boxes for Germany where FRED POETSCH ’68 was stationed for a year after a tour in Vietnam. Spending my summer playing golf and sailing…and enjoying my grandchildren!  I highly recommend retirement!”

 

DAN DYKSTRA ’69 of El Macero, California sent this: “A little over five years ago, I retired from work as an attorney with the Corps of Engineers. That lasted 6 months as my office asked me to come back part time. Now it feels right to retire on a permanent basis as of July 1st. It was a good ride. While I was working part time, I received recognition as a Distinguished Employee. This means I now have my picture on the wall with pictures of a bunch of other old guys. However, I am the only attorney so recognized, which is an honor. The part time work also helped to finance some wonderful trips to South Africa, the Dalmatian Coast, Tuscany and Amsterdam. And, hopefully, our 50th reunion. That pretty much sums up my past 5 years. See you all next June.”

 

ALICE HALL HAYES ’69 of Washington, DC writes, “The past 8 months have been busy ones for me and Ed Hayes, my husband of 45 years. We celebrated the occasion of our anniversary at a family brunch on April 22nd. The next month, my family enjoyed our son’s celebration of his milestone 40th birthday. Our daughter, Kia, flew in from New Orleans to surprise her brother. She came straight from her work at the Innocence Project of New Orleans (IPNO) and from a ceremony recognizing the successful release of an innocent man who had been imprisoned for 40

years.

 

Prior to the “busyness” of 2018, my Ripon College roommate, JANE CREWS CONWAY ’69, and her husband, Steve, visited DC and we arranged a rendezvous in October 2017. Jane had lived in our

same DC neighborhood before we moved here. We enjoyed an evening of joyful catching

1. Additionally, I am keeping very busy with community organizations which support boomers

like us in staying in our homes, stimulating our brains with travel and events, and promoting

public safety by speaking out against gun violence through the “‘Yellow Tape Project.’”

 

ERIC “RICK” HENRY ’69 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sent this update: “Hard to believe nearly FIFTY years have passed! Remain anchored in Pittsburgh after 40 years with Hearst Broadcasting and after retiring. Spend winter months on Longboat Key in Florida.”

 

FRED HUSSEY ’69 of Tiverton, Rhode Island emailed this update: “After graduation, I attended law school at the University of Illinois for two years, broken up by a stint in Stuttgart, Germany in the Army Signal Corps. I quit law school when I found out that I didn’t like law, and would hate being a lawyer. I started working as a civilian in human resources at a Navy R&D lab in Newport, RI in 1976. While working there, I earned an MBA from the University of Rhode Island. I retired as a Government employee in 2007, having worked my way up to Human Resources Director. The highlight of my HR career was the responsibility for implementing a pay-for-performance personnel system as a DoD S&T Demonstration Project. I had the opportunity to work with other DoD Demonstration Project managers in Washington and actually influence legislation to address hiring, performance, and retention issues at the DoD S&T labs. A week after retiring, I went back as a consultant and worked for nine more years as a contractor.

 

I met my wife, Jo Ann Faris, in Newport, and we have been happily married for 35 years. I am now on the administrative board of the Stone Bridge Fire District, which provides water for fire protection and customer use for our small town of Tiverton. For several years I worked at the Essex Steam Railroad in Essex, Connecticut as a student fireman on a steam locomotive, until the migraine headaches that were triggered by the noise, bright light, and heat became too much. It was an incredible experience, almost worth the migraines.

 

As a lifelong Cubs fan who was terribly disappointed in 1969, 2016 was a special year. I knew it was a good omen that my street address (108) matched the number of years without a World Series win. I was happy to play my part.”

 

DAVE LEE ’69 and SUE STEGER LEE ’69 of Appleton, Wisconsin want you to know: “Sue and I have led high tech student vision screening through our Appleton Noon Lions Club. Working with area school districts our club has screened 34,000 students since beginning the program in 2014, and more than 13,000 screenings this school year alone. I will become a district governor for the Lions Clubs for 2018-19. It will be a busy year for Sue and me as we visit 70 club meetings in east central Wisconsin, host a convention, and attend the international convention in Las Vegas. We will be seeking to get two or more campus Lions clubs started within our district. Sue and I celebrated our 50th anniversary last fall by doing the sweltering Fox Cities Marathon. You know that life is a marathon.”

 

STEVE LEITSCHUH ’69 of Ft. Myers, Florida emailed me: “As I approach my 71st birthday (July 11th), I find myself both musing back and looking forward. I play back all the great memories from wonderful years at Ripon College and time spent with the brothers of Beta Sigma Pi. And I am excited for the new adventures to come at next year’s 50th class reunion!

 

Because I live in Ft. Myers, Florida and SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 and CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 are Naples, Florida residents, we get together regularly. Last year the Band of Four (Beta Sigs), Scott Nyquist, ART SCARLETT ’69, ROB HANDEYSIDE ’69 and I rented a home for a week on Anna Maria Island, Florida. It was wonderful fun… the beach, cooking, cards, memories. This year BroKation 2 is at Cape Canaveral, with an awesome day’s adventure at the Kennedy Space Center. 

 

I am semi-retired, continuing to do Medical Administration consulting. I find my head in the game helps keep me mentally sharp. I want to travel more. Bucket list includes the state and national parks. My passion is riding my Harley. I participated in the 2013 Harley-Davidson 110th anniversary in Milwaukee and plan to be in Milwaukee this Aug 29-Sept 2 for the 2018, 115th anniversary. Great experience! And if you can make it, check out the H-D Museum. It is incredible! Many music and other events are on the lake shore festival grounds. 

 

I enjoy time with my wife, sons and grandkids and my brother ROB LEITSCHUH ’73 in Vermont. We ride our Harleys together. Look forward to seeing you all at the Ripon college 50th next year!”

 

SCOTT A. NYQUIST ’69 and CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 of Naples, Florida: “Travelled to Miami March 29 for Opening Day at Marlins Park where we watched the Cubs beat the Marlins. Flew to Pittsburgh in June for the wedding of ART SCARLETT’S ’69 and SHERYL SWENNES SCARLETT’S ’70 son, Jamie. Enjoyed a visit with DON PARK ’69 and his wife, Dana, at the wedding. Met FRANK ANDERS ’69 and BOBBI SUESS ANDERS ’69 in Punta Gorda, Florida for dinner on Memorial Day. Enjoyed visits with many Beta Sigma Pi fraternity brothers in Ripon over Alumni Weekend ’18, including all those mentioned above, plus BOB FLECK ’65, DON MCDOUGALL ’66, RICK BECKER ’66, BRUCE BUBACZ ’67, MASON SHERWOOD ’68,  JAY TAYLOR ’69, KURT THORNBLADH ’70, WAYNE YAKUMA ’72, BRUCE TAMMI ’72, GREG DRYANSKI ’74, MIKE POULOS ’77, BLAINE GIBSON ’81 and, KEVIN DYKSTRA ’83. ”

 

KEN PORTER ’69 and BARB KNIGHTS PORTER ’69 of Killington, Vermont: “We are enjoying our first summer in Vermont where it is “cooler in the mountains.” We are here as Barb recuperates from recent hip replacement surgery and the welcome physical therapy to get her feeling better after a rough few years of hip pain. This past winter ski season at Killington Mountain was good for Ken with 100 days on mountain and trying hard to keep up with 5 grandchildren. As Barb gets stronger we plan day hikes on the Appalachian Trail which passes nearby.”

 

NICK “CHIP” RETSON ’69 of Aiken, South Carolina writes: “I have begun a long RV trip to Oregon in the international Airstream gathering. I am in Wyoming right now following part of the Oregon Trail. The airstream event is from June 23 to July 1 and then I will pick up the end of the Lewis and Clarke Trail that I missed last summer and head across country to Wisconsin for a visit. Hope everyone else is having a great summer.”

JOHN RODGERS ’69 of Menominee Falls, Wisconsin sent this update: “My wife, Carol, and I recently returned from a river cruise along the Danube, Main, and Rhine Rivers from Vienna to Amsterdam. We had an enjoyable time and unexpectedly ran into another alum from Ripon College. On our last day, we were walking through the Amsterdam Central Railway Station when CHRISTOPHER SHAW ’65, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, approached us and asked about the Ripon College hat I was wearing. Ironically, we discovered we had been on the same river cruise and had even eaten dinner together, but had not discovered our Ripon College connection until he saw me with my timeworn Ripon College hat. We got together with Chris and his wife Pat for lunch, reminisced about our Ripon College days and discussed our travels, past and future. What a wonderful highlight to a marvelous vacation.”

 

BOB “OTTO” WACHHOLTZ ’69 of Papillion, Nebraska writes: “Recent (Jan 31) retirement isn’t going as I had hoped.  Now that winter hibernation is over I still haven’t found time to resume my golf game and join the senior circuit.  However, softball and ice hockey take up four days of each week with new and aching muscles reminding me of my motto ‘never too old to be stupid’.”

 

JOHN WOLFE ’69 of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania says: “My main news is I am still working as I am fortunate enough to still have NIH funding.”  

 

That’s all for now. Remember to send Ripon College your new address if you move and to notify them of a new email address if you create one. Keep in touch. I love hearing from you guys.

 

Always for Ripon,

 

Scott

 

Scott A. Nyquist

P.S.   50-YEAR REUNION . . .  JUNE 29, 2019 . . . BE THERE!

Submitted by: Olivia Heck

Dorothy Schattschneider answered the call to come home on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at Ripon Medical Center after several years of much loving care and concern from relatives and friends.

On the cold and blizzardy Sunday morning of February 6, 1921, Dorothy’s father walked the railroad track into Ripon to secure the assistance of Dr. Christian Senn and his 15 year old nurse, Margaret Welk (Senn) to assist him, Victor Boers and wife, Antolena (Buetow) Boers in Dorothy’s birth, at the family farm on Locust Road. Dorothy attended Loper School, Longfellow School, and the Ripon Secondary Schools, graduating with honors in 1938. With the assistance of the annual AAUW and Ripon College Competitive Academic Scholarships, she attended Ripon College and graduated with a B.S. degree from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and an M.S. degree from UW-Madison. She was honored with election to Pi Lambda Theta and Delta Kappa Gamma, both International Honor societies for Women in Education.

Dorothy began her 45 years of teaching, in Green Lake and Fond du Lac County rural schools; followed by Fox Lake Public Schools; Wadsworth, Illinois, Elementary School as the Reading Consultant; and ending her career with 30 years in the Fond du Lac Public Schools- McKinley, Sabish, summer sessions at Theisen and Goodrich, with several evening classes in English Improvement at FdL Vocational and Technical Institute.

There were several firsts involved in Dorothy’s career. She was the first married woman to receive a contract in the FdL School District- heretofore, married women were only granted “Letters of Appointment” which could be terminated at any time for any reason. She initiated the FdL Area Spelling Bee, the annual Spanish Pronunciation Contest, the annual Foreign Language Field Trip to the Milwaukee Folk Fair, the Sabish annual Poetry Contest, the citywide Delta Kappa Gamma Literary Contest, piloted a Sabish Gifted and Talented Project- her students retitled themselves as the T.A.G. Group! She assisted with the school newspaper, yearbook, and forensics program. She served on the FdL District Book Selection Committee (Censorship), a building committee, an Administrative Placement Committee, and as the Sabish English and Foreign Language Department Coordinator.

Dorothy was a member of the Fox Lake Girl Scout Council, the FdL AAUW Association, the Alpha Theta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma of which she was a charter member and served as its secretary and also president for two terms. She assisted with Congressman Steiger’s Campaign Committee. She enjoyed a week of guest lecturing in the Geography Department at UW-Oshkosh, and hosting 15 student teachers from the Education Department of Marian College and UW-Oshkosh. She was currently a member of the FdL Area Retired Educators’ Association and a lifetime member of WEA and NEA.

Lester Laboyeske and Dorothy were married on July 2, 1944, with the Rev. Egon Schieler officiating, at a home ceremony. They lived in homes which they built in North Fond du Lac, Taycheedah, and on Bay Road, Green Lake. They enjoyed golfing, hunting, fishing, and traveling to scenic and historic areas in most of the states, including Hawaii and Alaska, Mexico, Costa Rica, Islands of the Caribbean, Panama, and to visit relatives and “People to People” friends in Germany, Austria, and Denmark. They were charter members of The Green Lake Preservation Society and took great pride in their successful efforts in the sewering of Green Lake and other conservation projects. Dorothy served as the secretary and treasurer of GLPS for 10 years. After 56 years of happily married life together, Lester expired on August 19, 2000.

On January 5, 2002, Carroll Schattschneider, a lifetime friend, and Dorothy were married at Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ in Ripon, with The Revs. Rebecca Johnston and Tom Meyer officiating. They enjoyed retirement in their Green Lake home, memberships in the Ripon Lions Club and The Federated Church of Green Lake, until Carroll’s death on September 19, 2006.

Throughout her lifetime, Dorothy was active in the mission of Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ in Ripon as a Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Department Coordinator, Vacation Church School Director, Scholarship and Pastoral Search Committee Chairs, two terms as Council member- also serving on the executive board and as secretary, and as a member of the Mission Committee. In 2001, she was honored with the Angel Award by the congregation. In 2014, Ripon Lions Club recognized Dorothy, with the highest Lions award given, the Birch Sturm Fellowship Award.

Dorothy is survived by her stepdaughter, Lori (James) Purath and their children Stephanie and Christopher; nieces, Wanda Boers of Ripon, June Smith, and Doris LeViness; nephew, Victor (Audrey) Boers II and their children Jason and Jered of Pine Grove, PA; five godchildren; several dear cousins; and many dear former students and colleagues. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Victor and Antolena (Buetow) Boers; a brother, Lawrence; and nephew, Roger Boers.

A visitation for Dorothy will be held on Friday, September 27, 2019 from 9:00 am- 11:00 am at The Federated Church of Green Lake, 489 Scott St., Green Lake, WI 54941.

A memorial service for Dorothy will be held on Friday, September 27, 2019 at 11:00 am at The Federated Church of Green Lake, with Reverend Karen Gygax Rodriguez and Rev. Dr. Kevin P. Mundell officiating. Inurnment will take place at Hillside Cemetery, City of Ripon, WI. Memorials may be directed to Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ, 343 Scott St., Ripon, WI 54971, The Federated Church of Green Lake, 489 Scott St., Green Lake, WI 54941, and Ripon Lions Club, W13201 Cork St., Ripon, WI 54971. A sincere thank you to the staff of Maplecrest and Ripon Medical Center for their exceptional and compassionate care. Dorothy is “Going Home to Stay!”

Please visit www.butzinmarchant.com to send online condolences

Submitted by: DevStudent

Anna Sherwood, age 59, of Ripon, WI, passed away on Thursday, September 19, 2019 at her home due to her struggle with depression.

Anna was born on October 11, 1959, the daughter of Sidney and Arleen (Sommerfeldt) Sherwood. Anna worked as a custodian at Ripon College. She was also a lifetime member of Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ, where she served as a church usher and a former Sunday school superintendent. Anna had a passion for helping others and made a lasting difference in the lives of many children through her work as a Boy Scout Leader and a mentor for Green Lake County Social Services. Anna was also a proud member of the Nepeuskun Anti-Horse Thieves Association.

Anna is survived by her sisters, Nancy (Ralph) Baker of Oshkosh, WI, and Sue (Richard) Kohl of Ripon; brother, Ralph (Donna) Sherwood of Ripon; nephews, Josh Warren of Oshkosh, WI, and Chris (Tracy) Kohl of San Francisco, CA; niece, Angela (Brian) Kohl-Pitman of Pittsburgh, PA; special friends, Stewart Schumacher of Oshkosh, WI, and Robyn Hardy of Milton, FL; and her dog, Stanley. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sidney and Arleen Sherwood; aunt, Rachel Sherwood; and uncles, Somers and Wesley Sherwood.

A visitation for Anna will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2019 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ, 343 Scott St., Ripon, WI 54971.

A memorial service for Anna will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 11:00 am at Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ, with Rev. Dr. Kevin P. Mundell officiating. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Hillside Cemetery, City of Ripon, WI. Memorials may be directed to Community for Hope- Suicide Prevention and Support, 2700 W. 9th Ave., Suite 100, Oshkosh, WI 54904 or Friends of the Ripon Dog Park, Elizabeth Olson- Treasurer, 709 Thorne Street, Ripon, WI 54971. We want to remember Anna as she was, not her final act. The family is grateful for the Ripon Police Department and all of Anna’s friends and neighbors who have shown such kindness and support.

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

Submitted by: DevStudent

When Bruce Bubacz (BOO-boch) was growing up on the southeast side of Chicago in the 1950s, one of his middle school teachers called his mother to complain about the books he was reading and the influence he was having on his classmates.

“The material is a little too mature,” the teacher cautioned over the phone.

Mrs. Bubacz shrugged off the complaint.

“Oh, we’re not going to do anything about that. He’s doing what he’s doing,” she replied.

Decades later, Bubacz is still impacting students and is celebrating his 50th year as a formal educator and 47th year at UMKC, where he is curator’s teaching professor of philosophy and chair of the philosophy department.

“I think what she was really complaining about was the fact that the other students were listening to me, instead of her,” Bubacz, 74, says of his former teacher with a laugh. He sits in his office at one of two neatly organized desks, its surface covered in open binders, a mug full of pencils, and framed photographs of his dogs, his daughter and a moment from his wedding day.

Three brown bookshelves—full of texts on philosophy and law—line the room. Degrees, certificates and pictures of his former professors cover the walls. An empty, leather armchair sits near the center of the room and completes the office’s scholarly air.

“I always enjoyed telling other kids what I was reading about,” says Bubacz. “That may be one of the reasons I took the direction that I did.”

After graduating high school in Chicago, Bubacz went to Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he studied philosophy as an undergraduate. From there, he went on to get a master’s degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, where he taught for three years before receiving his Ph.D. in 1973.

That same year, Bubacz began working at UMKC as a professor of philosophy and has since served in many roles at the university. From 1979 to 1985, he served as the founding director of the College Honors Program (now known as the Honors College). From 1987 until 2000, he chaired the philosophy department. He served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2000 to 2002 and then as chair of the mathematics and statistics department from 2004 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007, he was UMKC’s provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs.

No matter the position he’s had at UMKC, Bubacz has always taught classes, which he sees as his true role at the school.

“Even when I was provost, I taught,” he says. “You’re not supposed to do that because you’re not supposed to have enough time. But I was not going to stop teaching. It’s what I enjoy most.”

His enjoyment is apparent while he works.

Nearly half a century after accepting the job at UMKC, Bubacz gets ready to begin an Introduction to Philosophy class on a Thursday evening in Katz Hall. Standing at the front of the room, he’s over 6 feet tall with slicked back grey hair and wearing square-rimmed glasses. He wears dark green pants with a tie to match, a white button-down with light green stripes and a mint-colored blazer. A gold kangaroo is pinned to the lapel, same as every day.

He begins the class by asking if anyone has any questions. A few students stir in their seats, but none speak up.

“Well, as usual, I have some questions,” he says with a smile and launches into a review of the previous week’s text. Fifteen minutes later, after Bubacz reads some of Plato’s Euthyphro aloud and cracks a few jokes about the text, a few students begin to perk up. He paces the front of the room, gestures with his hands and probes them with more questions. When a student raises her hand to answer, he gets excited and says, “Go ahead!” She answers correctly. “That’s right,” Bubacz says. “That’s exactly right.”

“You’ve been altogether too quiet today,” he says after the students fall silent again.

After instructing the students to engage in group work, Bubacz sits on a table at the front of the room and looks from group to group, tuning in, saying nothing. When he reconvenes the class, the students are more talkative than before. Ideas bounce around the room, and before long, a serious philosophical discussion is underway. Still, Bubacz doesn’t forget to keep things amusing.

“Some people don’t speak well in front of a group,” he says to the class. “Some people would rather have a root canal.”

At the end of the period, he stands facing the window and says, “Sorry today was not as nice a day out there as it has been.” He shrugs playfully. “I tried.” Bubacz walks among the students as they pack up to leave, talking to lingerers, laughing and happily answering a few questions.

Back in his office, Bubacz considers the rewards of teaching. “I love it. I take a great deal of joy out of the students,” he says. “I feel I can still work up the energy and engage them.”

Many people would become burned out after working in the same career for 50 years, but not Bubacz.

“There was this thing going around a couple years ago, about ‘How old do you feel?’ In my case, maybe 50, maybe late 40s,” says Bubacz. “You have aches and pains and creaks, but so what? What kind of enthusiasm do you have? How excited are you about what you’re doing? How much fun are you having?”

For Bubacz, the answer to these questions was sufficient to deny the contract buyout offered to tenured faculty members over 62 this year.

“When the deal came out, I thought about it for one minute, and that was it,” says Bubacz. “I said, ‘No, I’m having too much fun.’”

Bubacz made his decision despite a word from his financial adviser.

“You know, for someone of my vintage, the retirement plan here is really good, and my financial adviser is saying, ‘You’re essentially working for nothing,’” Bubacz explains. “I said, ‘But that’s not why I work.’”

Submitted by: DevStudent

Amy Christine (Ecker) Reisdorf, age 49, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, August 22, 2019 at UW Health University Hospital. Amy was born on April 27, 1970 in Enterprise, Alabama, the daughter of William and Rosemary Ecker.

Amy was an extremely intelligent and driven person who was successful at everything she pursued. A graduate of Ripon College and a proud sister of the Kappa Chapter of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, she enjoyed a highly successful career in the financial services industry. Her passions included midget auto racing, UW athletics, travel, and most of all her family and friends. Amy loved life and will forever be remembered as a great and loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend.

Amy is survived by her son Cade, father Bill Ecker, brother Chris Ecker, significant other Steven Wineke, and stepchildren Justin Reisdorf and Melissa (Taylor) Rezachek. She also leaves behind many other beloved family members and friends, and her beloved dog Cooper. Amy was preceded in death by her mother Rosemary.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 29th at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, 2420 St. Albert Drive, in Sun Prairie. Visitation will be on Wednesday, August 28th from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Cress Funeral Home, 1310 Emerald Terrace in Sun Prairie, and on Thursday, August 29th at the church from 9:00 am until the time of Mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family, which will be directed to organizations that Amy supported.

Cress Funeral Home
1310 Emerald Terrace
Sun Prairie, WI
608-837-9054

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

Grace Hoag Scott died on Feb. 9 after a long, love-filled life. Born at home on Feb. 1, 1925 in Tomah, Wis., Grace was a graduate of Ripon College, loved teaching and taught biology and chemistry to high school and junior high students. She spent her life as a devoted Lutheran who loved her family fiercely, instilling the values of education and strength in her daughters Judi and Linda, and her grandchildren. She often told her daughters “you can be anything you want to be,” inspiring and encouraging them to excel in professional careers.

Two significant moves shaped Grace’s 94 years. In her twenties, Grace launched a new life in Chicago, where she met her husband Jim Scott. They were married in 1950 and enjoyed a loving partnership of 68 years. In 1968, Grace and Jim moved to Dallas with their family.

Grace was a voracious reader and was President of Friends of the Public Library. She was always up-to-date on current events and loved playing in competitive bridge tournaments. She loved her schnauzers and a good manicure. In later years, she was a baseball fan who loved the Texas Rangers. Her favorite vacations were cruises with her children and grandchildren.

Grace is survived by her husband, Jim; her daughters Judi Dawson (Dale) and Linda Newman (Todd); her grandchildren Katherine Beherec (Sean), Jack Dawson, Madison Newman, and Grace Newman; and great-granddaughter Jacqueline Grace Beherec. She looked forward to seeing her parents and sister Helen in heaven.

Submitted by: DevStudent

Ripon 50’s reunion group: left to right: Ned Lufrano ’54, President Zach Messitte, Bob Witt ’55, Verne Churchill ’54 and Bill Donaldson ’54 back home at Ripon visiting with President Zach Messitte.

Submitted by: Ned Lufrano

Louisville – Yes, there are 2 Ls in Willson! Mike died March 7, age 80. Born in Columbus, Ohio, in July of 1938; he was a graduate of U. of Ill where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. In 1961, Willson was selected as one of the first volunteers in the newly formed Peace Corps under the first director and one of the founders of the Peace Corps, R. Sargent Shriver. Following training at Rutgers University and meeting with President Kennedy at the White House, he and 61 other volunteers were assigned to Colombia, South America, where they worked in a rural community development program for two years. After that and a few years working in Chicago, Willson and his wife, Suzanne Brown of Carbondale, IL, lived in Panama and Venezuela where he worked for Grant Advertising and later, Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company. B&W moved the family to Louisville in 1969. Willson later was Advertising/Marketing Director for Kentucky Fried Chicken in Louisville until his retirement in 2000.

Mike was active in the Louisville Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Assn., Sierra Club and Audubon Society. He and his family were proud of his 25+ years of sobriety and celebrated this with friends. Always a sincere believer, the fact that the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016 made things complete for him. But he deeply loved his companeros of Colombia One and said that the Peace Corps experience was pivotal in his life.

Mike was preceded in death by two sisters: Laurie Flyte of Chicago and Jill Landem of Colorado, and by his son, Matt Willson of Louisville, Phoenix and Denver. He is survived by his sister, Haley Simon of Chicago, and two brothers, Peter Willson of Naperville, IL, and Mark Willson of Hinsdale, IL.

Pearson Funeral home is handling but there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, Mike would have appreciated contributions to any environmental or wildlife organization, animal shelter, or your own favorite charity.

Submitted by: DevStudent

James Murfey was born in 1947 in Cleveland, OH. On July 25, 2019 he lost a very short battle with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). He was 71. His wife of 33 years Janet, daughter Megan, son Brooks, daughter-in-law Katie, grandson Charlie and brother “Skip” were by his side as he peacefully passed. His family loved him dearly and miss him dreadfully. Jim attended Hawken School, Taft School in CT, Ripon College in WI, and got his MBA from Cleveland State University. He spent his working years at Pickands Mather and Cleveland-Cliffs. Jim was a longtime member of both the Kirtland Country Club and the Tavern Club. He served as President of the Board of Trustees of Red Oak Camp for many years. In 2005 the family moved from Kirtland Hills to a horse farm in NH, and from there to Aiken, SC five years ago. Jim, or “Murf” as his friends called him, loved golf, shooting, and spending time with his family. He was helpful to anyone with computer problems and was known for his sense of humor and silly one-liners. Jim was preceded in death by his parents Clara and Latham W. Murfey, Jr. and his younger brother William H. Murfey (Karen). He is survived by his middle brother Latham W. Murfey, III (Marion), several nieces, a nephew, and cousins. Private burial will be at held at the family plot in Lakeview Cemetery on Saturday, August 3rd in Cleveland. A 4pm service will follow at St. Hubert’s Episcopal Church, 8870 Baldwin Road, Kirtland Hills, OH and a reception at 5pm at the Kirtland Country Club. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that donations be made to Red Oak Camp. www.redoakcamp.org/donate.

Submitted by: DevStudent

Henderson, NV – Dwight Currier Harris, 87, died Thursday, July 11, 2019, under hospice care at 2012 Colvin Run Drive, Henderson, NV. Dwight was the loving husband of Marlys E. (Trimpey) Harris, with whom he shared 36 years of marriage.

Born September 4, 1931, in Pittsburgh, PA, he was the son of the late Elizabeth Zoe Currier Harris and Burtt Harris. Dwight attended Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; Princeton University; Dickinson College; graduated from Ripon University with the dual major of Finance and French; and earned an MBA at the University of Indiana and University of Pittsburgh.

Dwight’s career in banking spanned nearly 40 years, including Mellon Bank, Pittsburgh, PA, where he began investment research and analysis; Farmers Bank and Trust Company, Hanover, PA, as President and COO; and Peoples National Bank, Lebanon, PA, as President and CEO. In 1993, he joined the PA State Treasury as an investment officer and account manager until retirement in 2008. During his career, he served on various boards and community associations and was an avid fan of tennis, jazz, playing bridge, and gourmet food.

In addition to his wife, Dwight is survived by six children: Victoria Sands and husband Jeffrey of Burke, VA; Sandra and spouse Dianne Wainwright of Pittsburgh, PA; Judith Zang of Alexandria, VA; David and wife Katarina of Pittsburgh, PA; Ronald Davis and wife Ashley of Vancouver, WA; Jeffrey Davis and wife Connie of Apex, NC; brother Burtt and wife Carole; 11 grandchildren; one great-grandson; and was preceded in death by son Daniel Currier Harris.

Dwight never met a stranger and will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.

Private services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:

Wayland Academy, 101 N. University Avenue, Beaver Dam, WI 53916 (Class of 1950)

Ripon College, P.O. Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971 (Class of 1954)

Nathan Adelson Hospice, 4141 Swensen Street, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Submitted by: DevStudent

West Bend – Geraldine A. “Gerry” Birkholz, age 94 years, of West Bend, took her final journey home to the Lord on June 29, 2019 at St. Joseph Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Gerry was born on March 21, 1925 in Omro, WI to the late August and Elizabeth (nee Kersten) Birkholz. Gerry graduated from Omro High School and later from Ripon College. She did her graduate work at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Colorado.

Gerry taught English for 40 years, starting her career in 1947 in the Westfield School District. From 1949 to 1953 she taught in the North Fond du Lac School District, teaching dramatics at Roosevelt Jr. High in Fond du Lac from 1953-1958. In 1958, Gerry began teaching in the West Bend School District, retiring in 1987. She also was a Dramatics Coach, Forensics Coach, as well as the East Girls Golf Coach from 1972 – 1987. Gerry was also involved with the UW-Madison intern program.

Gerry was the only surviving charter member of Grace Lutheran Church in Omro and a current member of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church and their Senior Choir, Orchestra, and Missionary League (LWML). She was also a member of the Mayor’s Beautification Committee, West Bend Columns, Washington County Volunteers, Musical Masquers and Children’s Theater, the National Education Association (NEA), the West Bend Education Association (WBEA) and the Washington County Retired Teachers Association. She enjoyed traveling the globe, visiting over 40 countries. She also sailed on the QE II, and flew on the Concorde. Gerry was an avid Green Bay Packer and Wisconsin Badger Fan.

Gerry is survived by three nieces, Amy (Gene) Kriener of Burlington, Rebecca (Ed) Strey of Omro, and Elizabeth (Joseph) Bothe of Milwaukee; two nephews, Mark (Jessica) Birkholz of Milwaukee, and Henry Clement of Beloit; along with 13 great-nieces and nephews; eight great-great nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Maynard (Lois) Birkholz and twin brother Gerald (Joan) Birkholz; and niece & Godchild, Sue Clement.

Funeral services in remembrance of Geraldine will be held at 11:30 am on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 809 S. 6th Ave., West Bend. Visitation will be at the church on Wednesday from 10 am until the time of service. Burial at will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, July 5, 2019 at Omro Cemetery in Omro, WI.

Memorials to St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church (West Bend), West Bend Columns, Grace Lutheran Church (Omro), or Bethesda Home (Watertown) would be appreciated.

The Myrhum Patten Miller and Kietzer Funeral Home of West Bend has been entrusted with Gerry’s arrangements. Additional information and guest book may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.

Submitted by: DevStudent

Some Ripon men Class of 1971 got together at Buckhorn Cafe in New Lisbon, Wisconsin on August 26 for golf and rich reminiscing about their halcyon days at Ripon.

Submitted by: Thomas Bachhuber

DAWN STOLLFUS HART ’97 and her husband, Isaac, have opened Hart Mercantile in downtown Ripon. The store featured handcrafted decor and functional pieces for the home. She is pictured with her son Liam, 10, daughter Ella, 13 and husband Issac.

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus