R Connections

Co-Class Agents:

Liz Matelski ’03

[email protected] / (920) 475-7415

Elayne Monnens Norweb ’03

[email protected] / (917) 509-4826

Spring 2019

Happy Spring Class of 2003!

What a long winter it has been! Ripon even closed campus this year…which NEVER happened while we were there! Needless to say, I think we are all looking forward to the warm summer months, so mark your calendar for Alumni Weekend, June 27-30! It is really a special weekend, even when it is not your reunion year!

Here are some updates from your classmates. We would love to include more in the next letter, so please continue to share your news with us!

Class notes:

BRYAN GERRETSEN ’03 of Ripon, Wisconsin, started a new position at Quad/Graphics Inc., as the New Product Development Specialist.

ELIZABETH HALEN ’03 writes “2019 finds me a till running both of my businesses, Flying Monkey Bakery and Condiment inside Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. I was voted President of the Reading Terminal Market’s Merchant’s Association, the first female to ever hold the position.”

TIMOTHY HANEY ’03: Mount Royal University sociology professor Tim Haney comes by his passion for natural disaster research . . . well, naturally.

Three of his major life events have been punctuated by natural disasters. The birth of his and his wife’s first child occurred at the height of the 2013 southern Alberta flood; their wedding day in 2005 was disrupted by a powerful tornado in Wisconsin; and, their housewarming party in New Orleans was cancelled thanks to Hurricane Katrina.

It’s a trifecta of events that led to a perfect storm of sorts and a passion to help families and communities better prepare for, and respond to, catastrophic disasters.

In short, disasters kept on following Haney so he decided to follow them back and is now the director of MRU’s Centre for Community Disaster Research.

“After Katrina, I decided if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” jokes Haney, 37, from his Glamorgan area backyard in southwest Calgary. “I didn’t choose this career path, it chose me.”

At the height of the flood that took place five years ago, Sara was “very pregnant” with the couple’s first child.

Ironically, on June 22 when huge swathes of Calgary were still under many feet of water, the couple watched the comedy Evan Almighty — a modern take on the Biblical tale Noah’s ark. Hours later, Sara went into labour at 2:30 a.m.

Since so many roads were closed off as a result of the flood — including many in the Bowness area — the anxious couple didn’t know if they could make it to Arbour Birth Centre on 16th Avenue N.W. as planned. Thus, the midwives they had been working with came to them instead.

“We had not planned on having a home birth,” admits Tim, “but the flood forced our hand.”

Sara in front of floodwater during 2013 flood the day before Evan was born. For Licia

Corbella story on Mount Royal University professor Timothy Haney. Photo supplied by Haney.

At 6:15 a.m. on June 23, a healthy seven-pound, two-ounce baby boy was born in their bungalow. Thanks to the movie they had just watched, the flood that was occurring and the name already being on their shortlist of baby names, the couple named their new bundle of joy, Evan. He turns five on Saturday.

The couple had met at Ripon College in Wisconsin, both getting their undergraduate degrees from there. On their wedding day — June 4, 2005 — a powerful tornado wreaked havoc on Ripon, felling trees, knocking out power and blocking roads just 20 minutes before their wedding ceremony was set to start. “A lot of our guests couldn’t make it and we were married in the dark without light, without electricity and air conditioning, so in our wedding photos we have sweat running down our faces,” Tim says with a chuckle as Evan plays with a new toy truck nearby.

Recently, Sara had another home birth — of son Adam — on May 7 and because of their track record, they were fully anticipating early flooding in Calgary as a result. Thankfully, none occurred.

But it was their experience with Hurricane Katrina that whipped up Haney’s anger and then passion about natural disasters, eventually leading to his career focus.

The couple recalls that while living in New Orleans, they had just moved into a new place. Sara, a high school science teacher, and Tim, who was just starting work on his PhD at Tulane University, planned a housewarming for Sunday, Aug. 28, 2005.

Hurricane Katrina had already caused enormous destruction in the Bahamas, where it started on Aug. 23, and then in Florida, as it gained strength. By Saturday, Aug. 27, it became obvious that New Orleans would be in the path of the hurricane, so the Haneys packed up a couple of days of clothing and headed to the home of a friend’s mother in a safe area of Louisiana away from the eye of the storm.

Needless to say, their housewarming party was a non-starter — permanently. After two weeks away, the Haneys went back to their devastated and mostly abandoned city. They moved back into their third-floor apartment, essentially becoming “urban campers” and living without electricity or running potable water for months.

As the months dragged on and survivors returned to the below sea-level city, every street became lined with refrigerators filled with rotting food — reminiscent of Calgary neighbourhoods flooded in 2013.  

“The smell was overwhelming,” recalls Tim. Outside of the more than 1,800 deaths caused by the Category 5 hurricane, “for so many people, including for us, Katrina is really defined by the smell of rot.

“There’s a certain anger that comes when you see 80 percent of your city wiped out because in New Orleans’ case it didn’t have to happen that way,” he says. “There’s a whole series of political, environmental and economic decisions that played out and allowed New Orleans to have a flood protection system that was in such utter disrepair that it failed.”

Homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward that had been destroyed by Katrina (and untouched since). For Licia Corbella story on Mount Royal University professor Timothy Haney. Photo supplied by Haney.

Katrina wasn’t done messing with the Haneys’ lives. In December, because of massive flooding, Tulane University slashed its operating budget in order to rebuild its infrastructure and Tim’s PhD program was shut down.

His PhD supervisor got a job at the University of Oregon and with little hesitation, the newlyweds followed.

It was on the west coast where the couple realized they loved the mountains and the west.

“When we moved to Calgary in 2009, people said: ‘Oh, you do disaster work, so it’s a little strange to move to Calgary because disasters don’t happen here.’”

But then the Slave Lake fire happened on May 14, 2011; two years later, on June 20 came the 2013 flood; and on May 1, 2016, the Fort McMurray fire took place.

Not surprisingly, Sara says their family is well prepared for any disaster. They have a 72-hour kit (as prescribed by the Calgary Emergency Management Agency) in their car and another in their home that contains first aid equipment, clothes, food and water for at least 72 hours. They keep important documents saved on the cloud, which can be easily accessed in case of emergency.

Sara not only grows much of the family’s food in their backyard but has the knowledge on how to do it, should world food supplies be disrupted.

Even little Evan knows all about disaster resilience. “There are some toys in there,” he says as he points to the 72-hour bag. “I’d also grab bunny,” he says of a well-worn stuffy, “and this truck.”

VANESSA LAMB ’03: environmental studies; lecturer in geography based in Melbourne, Australia

BIO: After graduation from Ripon College, Lamb received a master’s degree in conservation biology and sustainable development from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ph.D. in geography, focused on environmental politics, natural resources and development geographies, in 2014 from York University, Toronto, Canada. With the help of Ripon faculty, Lamb spent six months interning in Bangkok, Thailand. She has since continued to research environmental issues in Southeast Asia, researched for the Greater Mekong Program for CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE), obtained additional WLE grants to support fellow researchers, and worked with the Salween River project. She works at University of Melbourne- School of Geography.

Quotes: “The campus atmosphere was lovely. I went to high school in ‘small-town’ Wisconsin. I was interested in environmental studies, and Ripon had interesting environmental work going on inside and outside the classroom (local restoration, coursework, etc). The other students I lived and studied with and the support of professors at Ripon College were instrumental in moving forward with my studies.”

MICHAEL MAXWELL ’03 of Rolling Meadows, Illinois performed for the first time at Stage 773’s 6th Annual Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival on the weekend of May 18th-20th.

ELAYNE MONNENS NORWEB ’03 states “Crazy year in the Norweb household! We helped some friends start a family! I was the gestational carrier (no genetic connection to me) of their baby girl, Vivienne Lynn, who we welcomed on January 12. She is absolutely perfect and I am feeling fully recovered! She lives in San Francisco but we stay in touch and hope to remain close for years to come!”

There is so much going on at Ripon right now, I hope you are able to stay on top of the emails, Facebook page and mailings to stay connected!  

Keep in touch!

Liz & Elayne

Submitted by: Elayne Monnens Norweb

Co-Class Agents:

Leigh Mlodzik

[email protected]

Corryn Siegel Greenwood

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Dear Class of 2002-

Here is your class letter. We would love to hear from more of you. Send us an email or a Facebook message with an update!

JOSH MASON-BARKIN ’02 moved to Phoenix, Arizona in June, 2018. Working as a photographer and operations specialist for List Logix, a company specializing in media for the real estate industry.

LIZ WEBB BEELES ’02 reports “this is my sixth year living and working in Salem, Oregon. Continuing in my communications role for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, I will soon be graduating from the REAL Oregon (Resource Education & Agricultural Leadership) Program. The program offers opportunities to travel the state with a cohort of leaders to learn about the diversity of agriculture and natural resources.   

When I’m not working, I paddle lead with a dragon boat team on the Willamette River (April-October). Dragon boat teams have 20 paddlers, a caller, and a tiller (to steer). Our Salem community has six teams that travel to races throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Last year, the Portland Dragon Boat Festival had 68 teams compete over two days in downtown Portland! As a result of this involvement, my husband and I were excited started a small design business last year, where we create paddle sport casual apparel and stickers. ”

JAMIE GRANT ’02 is currently the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

CORRYN SIEGEL GREENWOOD ’02 was invited to speak at the 44th Annual March of Dimes Perinatal conference. The topic of her talk was the use of a sepsis calculator in infants born to mothers with Chorioamnionitis.

MARTHA DOBKE NETZLOFF ’02 says “I got married two years ago in April. I have a 9 year-old stepdaughter. I teach Special Education and am a strong union member in Madison Public Schools.”

We hope you are doing well and would love to see an update from you in the next newsletter!!

Sincerely,

Leigh Mlodzik and Corryn Siegel Greenwood

Submitted by: Leigh Mlodzik

Co-Class Agents:

                        Nicole Baumann-Blackmore

[email protected]  

Dante A. C. Houston

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Hello Class of 2001!

Our Alma Mater has been bustling with activity; hosting mental health needs and wellness panels, students participating in State Collegiate Honors Band, fantastic theater performances, and the Women’s Basketball program making the NCAA D3 Tournament. We are also excited to share a few class notes, highlighting the accomplishments and life happenings of those we shared so many collegiate experiences with.

2001 Ripon College Class Notes:

SARAH NEUMEYER ’01 of Kodiak, Alaska had a baby boy in September 2017. She says he is a wonderful joy in her life. She continues to work as a fisheries biologist in Kodiak, Alaska.

VICTORIA NYTES ’01 of Kalispell, Montana began teaching high school French and Social Studies at Summit Prep School, while continuing to teach a couple of courses at Flathead Valley Community College.

JACOB SUMNER ’01 of United Kingdom is still living in London, working in Paris, Frankfurt and London.

CANDY PLENCNER VONDRA ’01 of Chicago, Illinois got married in 2014 in Maui, Hawaii. In 2016, she received her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and had a baby girl! She continues to work at William Blair & Company in Chicago as a senior portfolio associate, where she has been for the last 13 years.

MARK BECKER ’01 of Delavan, Wisconsin was honored by the Milwaukee Business Journal as one of this year’s 40 Under 40 Award recipients. He is Co-Founder of Geneva Supply Inc.

DANTE A. C. HOUSTON ’01 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been promoted to Manager of Predictive Index Services (PI) with his employer, Titus Talent Strategies. He was also recently appointed to serve as Alumni Trustee for Ripon College.

Did we miss your news/updates? When was your last trip down memory lane? Buzz B’s is gone, but Red’s and Roadhouse are still hotspots! It is time for you to come “Home” and visit your Alma Mater and the greater-Ripon community? Come and share your news in-person during Alumni Weekend, which is slated for June 27-30, 2019.

Nicole Baumann-Blackmore         Dante A. C. Houston       

                             Life. Well. Lived.

Submitted by: Dante Houston

Class Agent:

Andre Miksha ’00

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Some news this season for the 2000’ers!

Class Notes:

Sarah and TONY MCCLINTOCK ’00 welcomed their first child, Clara Kay, on January 14th.  The McClintocks live in Concord, Wisconsin. Sarah owns and operates Highland Ridge Stables there in Concord, and Tony is a real estate agent for Shorewest.

CAMILLE CARLSON CLEMONS ’00 contributed her experiences to Sales Success Stories: Real Stories from Real Sellers, 60 Stories from 20 Top 1% Sales Professionals, published in October 2018.  Camille is the Business Development Director of SGG Group’s US operations.

KAREN FISCHER ’00 recently retired and is splitting her time between Wisconsin and northwestern Washington state to see her children and grandchildren.  

Red Hawk forever,

Andre

Submitted by: Andre Miksha

Class Agents: Leilani Kupo

[email protected]

Sarah Eng

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Greetings from your ’98 Class Agents!  

As winter continues move throughout country, we hope you all are staying warm and safe! A big thank you to those who shared their updates! We always like to hear updates from you!  See below for campus and class news.

Best,

Sarah, Leilani

Campus News

President Messitte on Sabbatical

President Messitte is on sabbatical this spring, and Ed Wingenbach,

Vice President and Dean of Faculty will be serving as Acting President in his place. That shift in Vice President Wingenbach’s responsibilities means some changes in the Dean of Faculty’s office. Three people will share the duties of four positions: President, Vice President and Dean of Faculty, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, and Special Assistant to the President and Liaison to the Board of Trustees. Professor Andrea Young and Professor Rebecca Matzke will join Vice President Wingenbach to ensure all of these responsibilities are covered, with Professor Young serving as Acting Vice President and Dean of Faculty and Professor Matzke serving as Dean of Faculty Development.

College Consensus ranks Ripon College on its Top 50 list of Most Innovative Colleges. Ripon is recognized for its 20-credit applied innovation Catalyst Curriculum and its dedication to bringing Career and Professional Development resources into all four years of a student’s time on campus. Ripon is just one of three schools in Wisconsin to make the list.

Ripon receives National Science Foundation grant to study quantitative reasoning

A team of Ripon College faculty has received a National Science Foundation grant of $297,715 for the project “Building Capacity for Interdisciplinary Quantitative Reasoning Instruction.” The grant award, number DUE-1822414, is funded through the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources solicitation. The grant will provide support for faculty to develop expertise in quantitative reasoning and to study how the College’s approach to quantitative reasoning instruction affects student attitudes and learning gains.

Class Notes

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

KRISTIN DODDS ’98 of Greendale, Wisconsin started a new position in August 2018 with Komatsu Mining Corporation in Milwaukee as a Senior EHS Specialist. She also re-enlisted for 6 more years with the US Army Reserves and is currently a Staff Sergeant with the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Green Bay.

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

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

Submitted by: Leilani

Class Agent: Kristin Bazzoli Piotrowski ’97

414.841.8577/[email protected]

Spring 2019

Hello Class of 1997,

I hope this newsletter finds all of you well and enjoying the start to 2019.

Great things continue to happen on the Ripon College. I tried to narrow it down to a few highlights for this letter, but I really couldn’t choose! I encourage you to visit https://www.ripon.edu/news/ often to learn about what is happening on campus and in our alumni community.

Mark your calendars and save the date! The 2019 Alumni Weekend will be held June 27-30. While it is not a reunion year for our class, I encourage you to visit and see the changes on campus and in town. It is a great opportunity to connect with alumni, faculty, and staff. For more information, go to https://www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend/.

Don’t forget to send along any news or updates to your contact information to me anytime. You can also connect with our class on Facebook via the closed group “Ripon College Class of 1997.”

Wishing you a wonderful Spring and Summer!

Kristin

Class Notes:

SUZIE SOELDNER BARROCK ’97 is working as an Admissions Assistant at Lakeland University. She also joined a cover band called Hub City Mojo. She is on vocals and guitar. Congratulations, Suzie!

RACHEL BERK BATA ’97 was promoted to Patrol Sergeant with the Roselle Police Department in August. Her new position has many responsibilities, including supervising a shift of officers and running their Field Training Program. Congratulations, Rachel!

JOE BLOCK ’97 is the editor of the Star News, a weekly newspaper covering the villages of Sauk City, Prairie du Sac, Mazomanie, and Black Earth, in northwestern Dane County, Wisconsin.

CHRIS CORSTEN ’97 and his wife, Laura, welcomed their first child, son Ryan Mattias, on March 19, 2018. Congratulations, Chris and Laura!

BRYAN DOW ’97 had his first book, “Please Leave A Light On,” published in April 2018. Congratulations, Bryan!

TANYA HENNES NORTH ’97 and her husband, BRIAN NORTH ’96, of Middleton, Wisconsin, provided the following update: Brian and Tanya are currently in Middleton where Brian is a Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison History Department as a U.S. Army Fellow. Brian was promoted to Colonel (O6) in May and will command the 11th Signal Brigade at Fort Hood, TX in the summer of 2019.

JESSIE LOBERG ’97 married Dr. Jairo Paucart on July 16, 2016, in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Jessie and Jairo, who is from Bogota, Colombia, met while working together at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Colorado, where she was a veterinary technician and he was a veterinarian. They have two 4-legged children, Reina and Rojo who are Australian cattle dogs. They recently moved to Green Lake, and Jessie just started a new job as an Equine Specialist for Zoetis, a global animal health company. She covers Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan. Congratulations, Jessie!  

WENDY DAVIS LONG ’97 and her husband, DOUG ’94, sold their farmette and bought Wendy’s grandparents’ resort on Green Lake. They have completely remodeled and updated three of the cottages and are ready to rent them for their first full season starting in mid-May. Their website is www.terracebeachretreat.com for anyone interested. Wendy and Doug are grateful for the help and patience of their kids during this process. Their son is a freshman at Iowa State University, and their daughters are in 10th and 5th grades.

ANGELA FLEEGAL MIETZEL ’97 married Casey Mietzel on June 16, 2018. The bride and groom honored the groom’s parents’ memory by marrying on their 56th wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Angie!

RYAN PATNODE ’97 will retire from the U.S. Army on August 31, 2019, after 22 years of Active Federal Service. Thank you, Ryan, for your service to our country!

WILL RITCHER ’97 married ANDREA WILLE ’96 on July 1, 2018. Congratulations, Will and Andrea!

CATHY GLOVER THRASHER ’97 and her husband, Craig, became grandparents for the first time! Granddaughter Hadley Jean Thrasher was born on June 1, 2018. Congratulations to the Thrasher family!

BRIAN WALSH ’97 and his wife, AUTUMN PIONTEK-WALSH ’93 live on the Olympic peninsula in Washington. Autumn is a psychotherapist and owner of Five Acre School, an independent preschool and elementary school. After working for the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges directing the state’s prison education program, Brian now works for the Vera Institute of Justice on expanding post-secondary education in prisons across the U.S. Brian is working with Wisconsin colleges and the Department of Corrections on expanding their programs in prisons and loves coming back to the Midwest. Brian and Autumn have three sons, Cole (17), Jack (15), and Henry (12). Any Ripon alumni passing through Port Angeles should look the Walsh family up!

Submitted by: Kristin Bazzoli Piotrowski

Class Agent: Jason Wood

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Happy Spring Class of 1996!

We survived another winter, and what a winter it was for everyone in the Midwest. During the “polar vortex” of January, it made me think of what we would have done if that happened while we were attending Ripon. I think the four years while we were there, the college never shut down completely (I know, it is Wisconsin). And any when we did have a lot of snow we would just take a tray from the commons to go down the hill behind Bovay or randomly do snow angles in the snow. I don’t think we ever had to deal with that cold of weather. And I can’t even fathom attempting to walk from upper campus to lower campus.   

Over the past couple months I wasn’t able to see as many people as I would like to see from Ripon BUT I still got to see a handful; a nice brewery tour with LORI JUEL BERGERON ’95, a casual meeting with AMY TINCHER-DURIK ’96 in New York City and many adventures (and shenanigans) throughout the states Massachusetts and Wisconsin with JOAN GRZESINSKI ’96 and KYRSTEN KOEBACH ’96. It is always great to be with these people who we have known for more than half of our life (I know, dating ourselves). They are the people you can just be yourself and pick up that conversation like no time has passed.  And that is one of the things I will always cherish about my experience at Ripon College.

Lastly, remember that even though it isn’t our reunion year that you are welcome to attend the events held head on campus during Alumni Weekend, June 27-30.  The college hosts a wonderful weekend and is open to all alumni with lots of different activities. Thanks to everyone that keeps us posted on Facebook, Instagram and the other social medias out there with family pictures, amazing adventures or the crazy status update at 2am. It is wonderful to keep track of each other and their lives even though we might not see each other that often.   

Here is to a great summer!!!

Regards,

Jason Wood
Class of 1996

Submitted by: Jason Wood

Class Agents: Vince Padilla and Amy DeKeyser Padilla

[email protected] / [email protected]

Angela Keith

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Dear Class of ’95,

Will.  Winter.  Ever. End?  Here is Wisconsin, winter got a late start. November and December were pretty snow-free with reasonable temperatures. We did not even have a white Christmas.  Then January came, as did snow and bitter cold. I mean, -30 before wind chill, and -60 including wind chill?  What?!? The snow and cold continued into February, and now I’m writing this in early March, and it is currently 2 degrees outside. As much as I love my home state, I often question why I continue to live here. I think the snowbirds have it right! Go south for the winter and come back for the summer. Now if I could just sell that idea to my employer…

So what is going on at Ripon these days?  Here are a few cool events to highlight:

The Chamber Singers toured the state during spring break. Free events were held in Sheboygan, Waukesha, Watertown, Stoughton and Madison. For more information on the dates and locations, visit www.ripon.edu/news.

A one-day conference titled “Wisconsin and the World” was held on April 13 in the C.J Rodman Center for the Arts. Featured speakers included former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, and retired Army General and NATO Commander Wesley Clark. Along with numerous other speakers, the event focused on national security, international relations, foreign policy, domestic energy and economics.

The support of academics, clubs, sports, the arts, and yes, things like keeping the heat turned on, are only possible with the support of alumni like us. If you have not made a donation to the Ripon Fund (formerly the Annual Fund), please consider supporting our Alma Mater and its current students. Some of my best memories come from our time in Ripon, and it means a lot to be able to give back. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online at www.ripon.edu by clicking on “Give” in the menu bar, by calling 877-231-0455 or by mailing a check to PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971-0248.

In the summer of 2020, we will celebrate our (yikes!) 25th Reunion. I had to do the math on a calculator to make sure that was right. When I volunteered for many years during Alumni Weekend, I would always look at the 25-year reunion attendees and think “Wow, they graduated 25 years ago. That’s a long time!” I guess it goes by faster than you’d think. As you make your vacation plans for summer 2020, please consider making a trip to Ripon in late June to celebrate with us. We’d love to see everyone. While connecting on Facebook and other social media is fantastic, there is nothing like the in-person interactions and reminiscing that takes place on a beautiful campus in the beautiful summertime here in Wisconsin.  

Until next time,

Amy DeKeyser Padilla ’95

Class Agent

Submitted by: Amy DeKeyser Padilla

Class Agent: Melinda Trainor Hutchinson ’93

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Hi All,

I hope you are all doing well and keeping busy. By the time we all see this letter, those of us in colder climes will be dug out of the snow banks and all of us should be enjoying some well-deserved warmer weather.   

Here’s the latest news:

SABRINA McGARY  ’93 of Dover, Delaware is now Department Chair of Biology, Delaware State University. 

ANGELA SHELDON SUZUKI ’93 of Los Angeles, California reports that she has a new assignment. She was recently promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.

MELINDA TRAINOR HUTCHINSON ’93 of Eagan, Minnesota…You may recall that I told you about starting ASL classes last semester. Well, I’m still at it. For my second semester I’m taking ASL 3, ASL 4 (each is an accelerated half-semester class), and Deaf Culture. Little did I realize what adding one more class would do to my regular schedule! On top of a full-time job, family, board secretary duties, and ‘other duties as assigned’ (who doesn’t have those anymore?), I now have a lot of homework. What I could do easily at 19 is not so simple at 47. Suddenly I realized how fortunate I was during my years at Ripon to be able to concentrate on classes and everything else Ripon had to offer–thanks to supportive parents, work/study, and Ripon’s financial aid package. It’s a very different situation these days for me and my new classmates, since nearly all of us have full-time jobs plus whatever-else going on in our lives. Still, I’m not planning to give up. This is a challenge, but I am learning so much!

OK, folks, your assignment for the fall is to send in your updates—big or small, we’d love to hear from you! Make sure you keep your contact information updated so you don’t miss any Ripon news. Contact the Alumni Office directly with changes at [email protected] or via U.S. mail to Alumni Office, Ripon College, P.O. Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971.  

Thank you!

Melinda

Submitted by: Melinda Trainor Hutchinson

Class Agents: JuDee Stojsavljevic Fischer

[email protected]

Bonni Dembroski Fredrick

[email protected]

Erin McCormack

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Hello Fellow 1992 Classmates!

Happy end of winter/beginning of spring – it’s time again for the class letter. This one is going to be focused upon Ripon College and Ripon area updates, because we didn’t receive any individual class member updates to include in this letter. Hopefully that means everyone is too busy enjoying the change of seasons regardless of where they live. I am writing this letter in Colorado Springs looking out at our view of the Garden of the Gods, the Front Range of the Rockies and Pikes Peak which are covered with snow and really looking gorgeous. Winter in Colorado is honestly a lot of fun. For future letters, I would like to encourage everyone to share their life updates with the Office of Constituent Engagement ([email protected]) at the college, or contact Bonni, JuDee or me, so we can highlight them in an upcoming letter.

One piece of news that JuDee recently shared is that the Heidel House will be closing on May 20 this year. Our class certainly has some fond memories of that place, so it probably feels as bittersweet for you as it did for me to hear this news. If you are in Wisconsin or find yourself visiting before May, it’s your last chance to head there for the classic Heidel House experience. According to local news reports, the property has been up for sale since 2016 and declining profits have led the corporate owner to decide to cease operations. Anyone want to change careers into hotel ownership in Green Lake?

Did you see the article in the recent Ripon Magazine on the career of Ripon alumna ERIKA DOSS ’78? Her last name may ring a bell. She’s the daughter of one of my favorite Ripon professors of Philosophy, Seale Doss, and she’s a professor at Notre Dame, where she teaches art courses. Art and Philosophy – classic liberal arts subjects – Ripon’s influence is everywhere, it seems.

The college wasn’t unaffected by some of the significant winter weather that hit the Midwest this season. Classes were canceled and the college was closed due to snowstorms and severe cold. Thinking back on our experiences, it seems almost unthinkable that classes were canceled due to the negative temperatures. Despite our complaints about winter in Ripon, I don’t think we ever had the crazy low temperatures that the Polar Vortex brought to the Midwest this year. BRRRRR.

Some interesting upcoming/past campus events include:

• Washington Semester Program Information Session
  • Those of you who participated while you were attending Ripon may be interested to know that this perennially popular exchange program continues on.
• A regularly scheduled EGOR group meeting in early March
  • Current students still care about the campus environment, just like our class did…
• “Wisconsin and the World,” was hosted by the Ripon College International Relations club in April, it featured several leading experts in national security, international relations, foreign policy, domestic energy and economics
  • Presenters included former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, and retired U.S. Army General and NATO commander Wesley Clark.

Some recent accomplishments by Ripon students include:

• LEXI REETZ ’19, a Ripon Softball pitcher, received the MWC Pitcher of the Week award – sounds like Ripon Softball’s season is off to a great start.
• Ripon’s Cycling team completed in Wisconsin Cyclocross events this past season as they target inclusion in the Collegiate Cyclocross Nationals next year.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on throughout the campus, and this time of year is when the students are hunkering down to work on their Senior Seminars. Speaking of academics and students, as always, the college needs and appreciates your support to continue the great traditions we enjoyed while also improving and growing to serve the needs of the current students. A great example of the difference that strong alumni support makes at Ripon is the Willmore Center which has revitalized Ripon athletic teams and supercharged the Exercise Science major which is hugely popular.

You won’t want to miss out on Ripon’s Second Annual Giving Day, #OneDayRally which is Wednesday, May 1! If you were planning on making a donation to the college this year, this day might be a great one for you to put on your calendars. Last year’s inaugural day was a big success, and we will need your help to achieve this year’s donor goal of 1,035.

Wishing everyone a wonderful spring, and please don’t forget to stay in touch with Ripon.

Sincerely,

JuDee, Bonni, and Erin

Submitted by: JuDee Stojsavljevic Fischer

Co-Class Agents:

Tracy Maher

[email protected]

Samantha Bailey

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Greetings, Class of 1991!

Hope you survived the long winter and by the time you read this are in the midst of a glorious spring in full bloom.

Class Notes:

SAMANTHA BAILEY FAST ’91 – I had a mini getaway in September to visit KRISTI VOROS ’92 in Seattle and once again failed to convince her to relocate to the Twin Cities. I’d have so much more success if she didn’t have access to our weather reports. Lucy the little black wonder dog died on December 7. She was 16.5 years old, which is remarkable longevity for a dog and it was her time, but I still miss her every day. We’re getting ready to head to Orlando for a professional conference that we’ve tacked on some vacation days for a trip to Harry Potter world. Ostensibly this is an extravagant birthday trip for our newly minted 10 year old, but it’s probably more about indulging my inner Hermione Granger.

KARL FELD ’91 I’m still living in North Carolina just outside Raleigh.  I never thought I would be in one place this long, but it’s going on 15 years now.  I feel I am comfortably gathering moss, though I definitely get my share of travel in.  My eldest daughter is out on her own and got a full-time, paying job this year!  My middle daughter is in high school and thinking either about veterinary school of virtual environment design.  My youngest is in middle school and wants to be a research or surgical medical doctor.  My company was sold to Ipsos North America, so now I report to an office in DC.  I continue to practice Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing), though I received a side kick to the head which put me out for 6 months with a nasty concussion.  I’ve also taken up violin, which I practice with my middle daughter.  Both she and the youngest are percussionists in their school bands, putting my piano instruction to good use.  My youngest is also now an avid guitar player.  Otherwise life goes, and I’m enjoying the pace, hospitality and weather which living in the South affords.

BECKY HUSTAD ’91 and BRIAN FREY ’91 — We celebrated out 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Arizona in October including Phoenix, the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Sedona, and many points in between. It was unseasonably cold and rainy, but we managed to have a great time anyway hiking and seeing the sights.  

CHARLIE MERWIN ’91 — Ellen and I are doing great in Barrington, Illinois, where I am still overseeing the Chicago’s northwest suburbs for a national financial services firm. We had a lot of travel this year with trips to Italy, France and England.  Our son John ’16 was in Mozambique with the US Army but is back at Fort Drum, NY now with his wife Rebecca ’16. Our youngest Katherine has graduated from college and lives in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Our latest Ripon “reunion” was at ESA KIIRIKKI ’91’S wedding last fall in Massachusetts.  Here is photo of me, LUKE HUSTON ’91 and ESA ’91.

MAURA MURPHY ’91 — I am doing well; still living in St Louis Park, Minnesota with my husband Steve, kids Truman and Claire and dog Benji – and still working at General Mills. I am looking forward to taking a trip to the Azores this summer with JULIE ARMATOSKI ’91, HEATHER THIEME ’91, RONA HENDERSON PARSONS ’91, KRISTEN GRAY ’91 and VICKI HAAS SYMONDS ’92.

LORI STITCH OBLUDA ’91 — No earth-shattering news here, since I’ve been staying closer to home lately to dote on our nearly-19-year-old kitty. With being around more, we decided to undertake some fairly significant home-improvement projects (adding several guest suites at our place in Park City… come visit!). We’ve taken a little time off here and there: managed to catch a few of the Sundance Festival films and some skiing in between (15 minutes from sitting in our living room to sitting on the lift!), and we took a 4-day mini-break to relax on St. Maarten for Bernie’s 55th birthday 2 weeks ago. Christmas week in Amsterdam (airline trip), and yesterday I caught a flight to Paris last night to spend a day with him during an airline layover there before returning to the construction… but the most exciting thing lately was petting this moose when she strolled up to me as I was returning with a load of 2×4’s from Home Depot yesterday morning!

Don’t Forget About Our Facebook Group

If you’re on Facebook, please ask to join our Class of ’91 group for updates and Ripon news. Alternatively, send your email address to [email protected] or text me at 612-978-4124 and I can add you to the group that way.

Warmly,

Samantha Bailey

Submitted by: Samantha Bailey

Class Agents:

Robert E. Corkery, Jr.

[email protected]

Christina  Maggio-Kellerstrass

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Hello Classmates!

As always, we hope this greeting finds you doing well!  

For many of us this was a challenging winter … snow, cold, icy the works … sort of reminds us of “crawling” to class in the bitter January Ripon days so many years ago … 29 to be exact.  So … 2020 is another milestone in our Ripon chapter … 30 years since graduation … yikes … where did the time go? Those were the days☺!

We are paying close attention to the efforts of our 1989 classmates as they prepare and organize their 30th reunion as they always do a great job and it will help us prepare for our gathering next summer.

In an effort to get ahead of our reunion, we’ll look into activating our 1990 class page on Facebook.  It seems like an efficient way for us all to gather and let classmates know if you’re attending the reunion.  More to come …

Just a bit of news to share from one of our classmates … BRENDA EUCLIDE WEITERMANN ’90 of Seymour, Wisconsin, has been awarded the WSCA School Counselor of the Year Award. Brenda is the School Counselor at Huntley Elementary, Appleton, Wisconsin.

If you have news that you want included in the class letter, please send it our way so we can make sure it’s shared with all of you.

Fondly,

Bob, Christina

Submitted by: Bob Corkery, Jr.

Class Agents:

David Jonas ’88

(202) 251- 9640/[email protected]

Kathy Wade ‘88

(248) 470-4336/[email protected]

Spring 2019

Greetings classmates from Kathy!

This past December, I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Carlsbad, California, away from the Wisconsin weather. While I was there, I hosted a Ripon Rally Hour! Seven people, not including me, attended the event. The attendees ranged in graduating classes from the early 1970s to 2018! It was a great group to talk to about one of my favorite topics, Ripon College! It always surprises me how much in common we all have!

Over the years, David and I have talked about giving back to the College by supporting the Ripon Fund, recently rebranded from the Annual Fund. One reason why supporting the Ripon Fund is so important is that it covers the costs to run the College for about 25-30% of the school year. Tuition itself covers 70-75% of the costs. Another reason why supporting the College is so important is grants and rankings are partly based on the participation level of Alumni in giving towards the Ripon Fund. For the Ripon’s fiscal year of 2017, our participation level was 18%. For our reunion year in 2018, it was 21%? Let’s try to increase our participation rate to over 30%. Donating money to the College is one way to participate.  Another way is to host a Ripon Rally Hour in your town. The College is working on a program to help alumni host a Rally Hour in areas that are not close to campus. The College sent me all of the materials to host the Rally Hour. I picked the location and the College did the advertising. If you would like more information about hosting an event, contact Yvonne Nicklaus at [email protected].   

Another way to give back is to attend Alumni Weekend, June 27-30, 2019. It is the Class of ’89’s reunion year. Besides the reunions of the 4s and 9s, (1984, 1989), the College has many all alumni events. If you haven’t been back to campus in a while, it is a great time to stop in! For more Alumni Weekend details, please visit https://www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend/.

Class Notes:

MARK BALADAD ’88 of Chicago, Illinois was recently hired as a General Manager at Glenview Tennis Club.

BARB BLAHNIK ’88 shared: 2018 was a year of downsizing and simplifying for me. I sold the house, the snow shovels and the lawnmower and now enjoy condo living on the Fox River in downtown Green Bay. Celebrating 26 years with the Farm Credit System as a Regional Operations Coordinator as it continues to check the box of working with and serving rural America and its hard working families. I have two grown children, three grandchildren and three grand dogs that fill my down time with family adventures. My best to all my Ripon family and friends.

KRIS DIEMER HAWLEY ’88 and FREDERIC “JAMIE” HAWLEY ’88 wrote: Our daughter RACHEL HAWLEY ’19 was accepted into UW Madison School of Pharmacy. She graduates from Ripon in May with a degree in Chemistry/Biology and will start at UW Madison in the fall. Our daughter Rylie Hawley will graduate from Toni&Guy Hairdressing Academy in April and will be licensed in Massachusetts.

CAROL SHAY HORNUNG ’88 shared: The biggest update for me is the publication of my second novel, “The Ghost of Heffron College.” (under the name Carol Shay Hornung) Sharp Ripon grads might find a few references to their alma mater within the pages.

JULIE SIKKINK ’88 wrote: My husband, Daniel Lee, and I became grandparents on January 10th when our grandson, Reece Martin Lee Wahle, was born in Marshall, Minnesota. His mother, CHARLOTTE LEE WAHLE ’13 and his dad, Marty Wahle, met at Ripon when they both worked on staff there (Charlotte in admissions and Marty as the swim coach). A future Red Hawk?!

SCOTT WARMKA ’88 writes, “I’m still a little in shock. Twins Win! And no 9th inning closer drama.”

In Closing

As always, David and I love to hear from you!  If you have news to share, please email us, text us, Facebook message us, or call us!  Hope you all have a fabulous spring and summer!                   

Kathy,  David

Submitted by: David Jones

Class Agents:

Dorrie Smith Scranton ’87

860-455-6108

[email protected]

Chris Templeton ’87

312.402.6207

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Hello Class of 1987!

Happy Spring! (At least, we hope it’s finally spring by the time you get this – we’re over the snow and cold.) We love hearing from you and sharing updates with everyone.  Please keep the news and the updates coming!

Class News:

DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87 of Woodstock, Connecticut and MICHELLE MARTIN ’87 of Madison, Wisconsin traveled out to Southwestern Colorado last fall to meet up with CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87 of Chicago, Illinois, to spend a long weekend, hiking, off-roading, and fly fishing in the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, Colorado.  

Photo from left to right – Dorrie Smith Scranton, Chris Templeton, Michelle Martin

OLIVIA HECHT ’87 of Reading, Massachusetts, finds herself jetting around the world in her position as a marketing executive, while also curating decorative robot art created out of salvaged gears and circuit boards with other collectors in the Boston area.   Way to work that side hustle, Livy!

JANE SAUER BLANCHARD ‘87 of Reading, Vermont, has turned her life long passion for daisies into a business opportunity, “DaisyJane,” working to create urban wildflower gardens for her clients.  

KEN GRANT ’87 of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, is an official intern/vicar at the Genesis Lutheran Church (photo below) in Detroit and on way to ordination at the end of this year.   Nice work, Ken!

CAROL RAVITZ ’87 of Tucson, Arizona, has pivoted a long and successful career in marketing to a new chapter as a Real Estate professional in Tucson, AZ.  If this past winter has you longing to leave the snow, ice and cold behind for the desert of AZ, we’re sure Carol would be happy to help find you the perfect home.  

JANNAN ROESCH ’87 of Platteville, Wisconsin, is launching an online ETSY store specializing in collectibles and fashions from the ’80s and ’90s. We’re with you, Jannan – some of the best looks came from those decades.

Dorrie, Chris

Submitted by: Dorrie Smith Scranton

Class Agent:

Dan McNaughton

[email protected] / 612.209.2996

Spring 2019

Class of 1986,

Friday night March 1 I attended a fabulous sporting event. If you were not aware, Ripon’s Women’s Basketball team played a first round game in the NCAA D3 national tournament.  AMY GERRETSEN ’04, director of constituent engagement, arranged a pre-game happy hour and email blasted Minnesota alumni with information about the Ripon Women’s Basketball game vs. The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The pre-game gathering was attended by about 20 people which consisted of alumni, players parents, Ripon College staff and faculty. At the game, there were at least 50 – 75 Ripon fans plus the Ripon Women’s Softball team. The Red Hawks women worked hard, played fast paced and never gave up. They played an entertaining brand of basketball, showed no fear and tried to go toe to toe with St. Thomas.  I was very proud of the way Ripon College was represented by the players, the parents of the players, the alumni and the Ripon staff and faculty who attended. Unfortunately, playing the number three ranked team in the nation was a bridge too far.

Even with a loss it was great to spend time with Ripon people, cheering for a Ripon team, reliving great moments and creating new memories with alumni from various class years. I highly recommend you all look for opportunities to spend time with members of the Ripon community. To check out upcoming events, visit https://www.ripon.edu/rally-hours-regional-events/.

My youngest child, Evan, will be graduating from Ripon this spring.  These were the fastest four years of my life, I cannot believe I’m done paying for college!  Please reach out to me with any milestones, interesting interactions with Ripon connections or whatever is on your mind. My contact information is listed at the top of this letter.

Thanks,

Dan McNaughton ’86

Submitted by: Dan McNaughton

Class Agent: Heather McFadden Barrie

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Think Spring!  And Master the Art of Giving – Class of ’85!

No doubt many of you have endured a long and cold winter. Spring can’t come fast enough!  Here’s a thought…instead of letting the winter cold drive us insane – let’s refocus! Even if you’re enjoying warmer weather – let’s refocus our mindset for 2019.  

This spring’s message focuses on “Mastering the Art of Giving”. I’m calling on all of my fellow classmates to “give” to Ripon College this year. There are as many reasons to give as there are ways to give. Below are a few examples.

Give advice and encouragement. Visit your local high school and talk with students about college. Offer any advice the students seek. Share your Ripon College experience.

Give money. Set aside some extra $$ for the Ripon College Ripon Fund.

Give of your talents. Volunteer at your local high school and present during the school’s Focus on Career Days – share stories about your Ripon College journey and how your education led you to where you are today.

Give a recommendation/help with applications. Serve as a reference for high school students seeking letters of recommendation for their college applications, scholarships, etc.  Assist high school students in completing the necessary paperwork to apply to a college or to apply for a scholarship. We’ve all been there! Connect with your local Ripon College recruiter.  Meet with students who show an interest in Ripon College and share your experience as a Ripon graduate.

“Give others all that is alive in us—our interest, understanding, our knowledge, our humor, everything in us that’s good. In doing so, we enhance the sense of aliveness in others while enhancing our own. When we give, we get a “heightened vitality” of what it means to be human.” – Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving

Let’s Master the Art of Giving Class of ’85!  Share your “Ripon Giving” stories and let’s start a ripple effect.  I look forward to hearing from all of you!

 Heather McFadden Barrie ’85

Submitted by: Heather McFadden Barrie

Class Agent: Barb Williams Clay

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Greetings Class of 1983!

Minnesota is digging out of a February record snowfall totaling 39 inches. We are looking forward to spring and the summer months ahead. The Ripon women’s basketball team braved the March snow storm to play in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament. While the results were not what we would have liked, it was quite an accomplishment to win the conference and be a part of the tournament.

I just returned from a work trip in Napa and while the wine was amazing, the weather was quite wet, dreary, but much warmer than Minnesota. Having only been with the company (RGA) for six months, it was fun to uncover that one of the lead clients attending the forum, John Anderson, was from the class of 1989 and Phi Delt like John to boot. My job is taking me to Paris in April where I plan on meeting up with PAUL EVENSEN ’83 to tour Paris from the perspective of a local.    

Just before heading to Paris, I’ll be returning from a quick family trip to Colorado to attend my first Ripon Alumni Board meeting. The class of ’83 is well represented with LEXIE SHEPARD KERMANI ’83 (assigned to be my mentor ☺), KEVIN DYKSTRA ’83, and ROBERT BRANDFASS ’83.  Looking forward to serving on the board and engaging with the Ripon community.

Save the Date for #OneDayRally, May 1. Last year the goal was 425 donors and ended up with 940! Our goal for 2019 is 1,035 donors! One of our class goals is to increase our participation rate so please consider giving as every donation helps no matter the amount.  

Thanks for the privilege of being your Class Agent and take advantage of the springtime headed our way.

Barb Williams Clay

Class Agent 1983

Submitted by: Barb Williams Clay

Class Agents:

Cathy Lothrop Hager

[email protected]

Cell: 925-984-9713

Peter Hintz

[email protected]

Cell: 920-229-4399

Kristen Rasmussen Olson

[email protected]

Cell: 507-279-1091

Spring 2019

Dear Class of 82:

Your Class Agents hope you are all well, and by the time you get this letter, you will have dried out if you are in the west, shoveled out and warmed up if you are anywhere east of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, and seen some signs of spring. For some, it is the impending baseball season. For others, even just seeing a few blades of green grass and buds on the trees mean that winter may end soon!

As agents, we need to encourage you to continue your wonderful giving. At our 35th reunion in 2017 we raised $62,692 and 40% participation – 3rd largest gift (after the 50th and 45th classes). It was DOUBLE our 30th reunion total of $31,000! And the icing on the cake is that our classmates gave even more in 2018 ($76,000) – hopefully that impressive upward trend will continue. It’s one thing to have a great reunion gift, but it’s something special to hold it the following year and even increase it. And don’t forget the Legacy Society – a way to remember Ripon in our estate planning. Not a fun subject, but something I am sure most of us have had to deal with at this stage of our lives. And if you need a special day to give, put May 1 on your calendar for Ripon’s 2nd Annual Giving Day. It was a huge success last year. It also happens to be my Cathy’s husbands birthday – easy for her to remember and well before the June 30th deadline for the fiscal year.

If you are near Ripon at Alumni Weekend this summer, June 27-30, drop on in! We can congratulate WILLIAM FIEDLER ’82 for being inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night at the 1851 Alumni Awards Program. You can go to the All Classes Reception that we started and has now become a staple. We don’t have a reunion year, but we can plan a gathering of some kind. I (Cathy) am not sure I can make it, but Peter and Kristen plan to go and will gather the troops for a dinner out! We are so interconnected to other classes you can drop in on other classes or meet up with them later. The classes of 1979 and 1984 are having their reunions and would love to see some of us as well. Also, if you make it to the Green Lake/Ripon Area before May 20th, Heidel House is closing on May 20th. There are some great memories there as well. It has been up for sale for a while with no buyers.  

Do you have a favorite memory, professor, or event of your time in Ripon? Those have been featured in some of the Ripon magazines. We would love to hear what yours are and incorporate them into our letter. Just let us know at any of the emails above.

The last thing we would like is for you to please, please make sure your contact information is up to date, particularly your email address. We don’t have any classmate news to share right now. Please let Ripon know ([email protected]) your most current email address if you haven’t already.

Our next letter will be right after Alumni Weekend, where we will recap the events. The letters that are full of classmate news are the best (for Cathy, anyway).  

All the best,

  Cathy, Peter, Kristen

Submitted by: Cathy Lothrop Hager

Class Agent: Larry Nikolaus

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Class of ’81,

As hard as it may be to believe, It has been almost 38 years since we received our diplomas. In November, a number of the Delta Upsilon alumni gathered for their annual dinner near Madison, Wisconsin. It was attended by BILL KRIESE ’81, JONATHAN STERLING ’80, BOB GRANT ’79, DAN BESTUL ’80, JOE BESTUL ’84, and PHIL OUELLETTE ’80.

Here is some news from our classmates:

LARRY ’81 and KATHY HARBUT NIKOLAUS ’81 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, write, “We are enjoying our 15th year living in Colorado Springs since retiring from the AF. With our youngest off to college we are learning to be empty nesters and enjoying all the outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer. Kathy is working at a Physical Therapist doing outpatient orthopedics and I am in my 15th year working for MITRE as a systems engineer supporting the AF’s missile warning radars. I continue to be involved in the scouting program and has been a Scoutmaster for 15 years.”  

MARY FROH DOERS ’81 of McFarland, Wisconsin, writes, “I am still married to my high-school sweetheart, Randy, and this December we will be celebrating 40 years of marriage! We have two wonderful daughters, our oldest will be getting married this month in Brooklyn New York. Our younger daughter will be moving out to LA next month – yup, one on each coast! I am still working at Promega in Fitchburg, WI, where I am the Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations. No retirement in the near future quite yet! I’d love to meet up with some Class of 81 alumni in the Madison area!”

TOM ABENDROTH ’81 of Evanston, Illinois, writes, “Terri and I are anticipating the big 60 this year with lots of plans and no immediate intent to slow down. Our two daughters are out of college and working (Eliza) or in grad school (Kate and it’s Northwestern Law). We get to escape on short notice and have a little fun in between days practicing law. We got some horseback riding in Tucson over Presidents Day. We plan to celebrate our 60th with a bike trip in Bordeaux and a week in Paris. Life is good.”

ANDY ’81 and SUE ANGELL SCHMIDT ’80 of Wausau, Wisconsin, write that Andy spends time in the woods with our John Deere tractor and a 1978 Ford pickup with a dump bed, replacing culverts and building roads. The land is being logged this winter. We are excited to see the new growth in the spring.  If that isn’t enough to keep us busy, we replaced the deck at our house. The deck is finished but the stone walk needs a bit more work. Mother Nature brought colder temperatures early this year; we will finish the project in 2019.

Until next time,

Larry

Submitted by: Larry Nikolaus

Class Agents: Jeff Penney ’80

[email protected]

(574) 247-1182

Peggy Gero DaValt ’80

[email protected]

(608) 658-3779

Spring 2019

“Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.”

~Corrie Ten Boom

“Memory is the diary we all carry with us.”
~Oscar Wilde

Greetings Classmates!!

Here it is early March. There’s lots of snow still on the ground. Daylight Saving Time is around the corner, so at least we will have lots of snow and we can see it longer.  Well…maybe that’s not the way it should be. A co-worker had a bunch of daffodils she handed out to her staff. hey really did make the workplace seem a whole lot more “spring-like.”

For those of you that follow the class’ page on Facebook, I’m sure you have seen some of the information I share here. If you are on Facebook, please make sure you continue to add to the discussion on the page for our class.  The Class of 1979, 1981 and 1982 also have pages on Facebook.

The link to ours is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/283209381878413/

News In and Around Ripon

As with anything we have learned – change is always there. You will notice some changes to what Ripon College is doing to keep you more connected to them.

You never know when Ripon College or Ripon, Wisconsin will show up!! I have to say that the college and the community are doing everything they can to integrate and help students enjoy the quaintness that is Ripon.

Remember the Heidel House? We often went there for spring/fall formals, for workshops, for food. I loved their branding which was “Runaway and Heidel.” One of my friends from work loved this place, so I shared this with classmates, just the other day:

[First Ripon Good Cookies….now Heidel House]…sad…

http://www.riponpress.com/Content/News/News/Article/BREAKING-Heidel-House-will-close-May-20/2/20/13618?fbclid=IwAR0RKJv1-3nqHzKtKdRP5J1DLttwnxJEqAjyjWgO3BBkEupo2pipEDkWeQA

Classmate, CLARK WILCOX ’80, suggested that we get together as a group to have one last meal here. I am running a poll on the Class of 1980’s page. Several people have indicated interest. Currently, Saturday, May 18, 2019, is the favorite choice.  

[RIPON- The City] – While I was watching Channel 15 (NBC) out of Madison, Leigh Mills was showcasing a story about this place called Patina Vie and you can find their website and Facebook pages following:

(Website:  https://www.patinavie.com)

(Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patinavie

When Leigh said the place was in Ripon, I really had to stop and smile.

I recall going to the Class of 1982’s reunion (always go to someone’s reunion in addition to your own – it’s so much fun) and I truly got to see how much the City is doing its best to make it eclectic and quaint.

Check out the Facebook page and their website. I love what was done to the old building they rehabbed in good old Ripon. For those of us that shared the old downtown area, businesses like Patina Vie may just help to lure that special student to Ripon.

Enjoy!!

Catalyst Day

[Where does time go?] Greetings to you in the Class of 1980 (and other years). It’s been a really long time since I have taken time to write or share anything in here. As I sit here at the computer typing to you the wicked winter winds of Wisconsin are howlin’ outside my house. It feels worse tonight than it did a week ago with -51 wind chill outside. BRRRRR….

Yesterday, my Ripon Magazine showed up and tonight I was reading through it. I love hearing about our Alma Mater and love this edition. I am also reminded that it is almost Class Agent Letter time and I’m going to need to hear from some of you so that we have something to share!!

And….I was inspired reading the Ripon Magazine about this article, “What is the greatest life lesson you took away from your professors at Ripon College?”

The photos in the section with Dean David Harris and Jack Christ and Professor Brian Smith are priceless, as are the incredible gems of wisdom that many of our fellow Ripon graduates have shared.

If you have a favorite memory or a favorite snippet of life that you took away from our 4 years at Ripon College, would you care to share them here? I would love it if you’d allow me to share them in the Class Agent Letter that will be coming out soon.

The other thing that I’d like to share with you is the first Ripon College Catalyst Day on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. This is part of the new curriculum Ripon College began a couple years ago via a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. I share a photo of the page so that you can all take a look. If any of you are interesting in going to see what this is all about let me know. It’d be fun to just go back to Ripon to see all the new changes….and I think…..yup…there likely will not be snow.

Class of 1979 – Fellow Class Agent, KEVIN WARMACK ’79, and his co-chair for their 40th reunion, BETH PALMBACH NEMECEK ’79 invite anyone from our class who wants to attend their 40th…..watch Facebook for more announcements, the Ripon College website (http://www.ripon.edu) and snail mail, of course for Alumni Weekend 2019 information.  

It is a BLAST to go back to Alumni Weekend, especially when it’s not your class’ reunion. I had a blast with the Class of 1982 a couple years ago and got to hang out with CATHY LOTHROP HAGER ’82, JUDY GILBERT BORDER ’82, KEVIN DYKSTRA ’83, and RHEA BELL BEHLKE ’87. So much fun was had. Right? SUSAN ANGELL SCHMIDT ’80 and ANDREW SCHMIDT ’81 and some other DUs?

Class News

In what has become my shameless begging for news of classmates, this is what my plea brought forth the other day.  This is worse than cramming for an exam. To those of you that have shared your snippet of life since the last Class Agent letter, I thank you so much!!

SUSAN ANGELL SCHMIDT ‘80 and ANDREW SCHMIDT ‘81:

Sue is always there to give me a report!!  Thanks, Sue!! Here’s her report to me.

Hi Peggy!   I’m sending you half of our story.   The class of 1980 gets the first half; the class of 1981 gets the second half.

Our son, Alex Schmidt, graduated from Hamline University in May 2018. He started law school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is excited to start the step in his life!  

We said goodbye to Spritz as she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She was 17+ years old.   We welcomed Topaz to our family in September. She is an Australian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix and extremely cute. She is an 11-month-old puppy with bundles of energy…..(the rest of the story is continued in the Class of 1981’s entry….see ANDREW SCHMIDT ’81).

I recall the year, 1976….freshman year. English class with Mr. Ken Alrutz. He had a way of giving us all nicknames, and in some instances stuck. I remember him saying James. D (for JAMES D. GREENEBAUM ’80)….I got called, Margaret Peggy and I’m sure there were others. Anyway, my friend, James D, shared this:  

“My life is boring, Sorry.”

To which CHARLOTTE POHANKA SPARROW ’80 replied, “James D. Greenebaum…no way!!  ☺ “

To which he replied back:  “Way”

And then I responded:  “James D no way. Mine is boring.  I live under a rock….”

Classmates KATHY GOODBOUT ’80 and LISA HEIMLER ’80 shared this the other day:  “Lisa Heimler and I are our last day of a 9-day cruise. Have already booked another cruise for February of 2020.”

CHARLOTTE POHANKA SPARROW ’80 wrote: “DEB WILCOX ’80 and I celebrated our “special” bdays together with a long weekend in Quebec City last August. Had never vacationed together and had a blast enjoying the history, the walking, the people, the farmers market, the dining, the wining, the shopping. You name it.”

Co-Class Agent, JEFF PENNEY ’80 shared this: “I attended a lacrosse coaches clinic in Aurora, Illinois and met up with RUSTY RYAN ’80, JOHN GOSSELIN ’82 and BRYAN GHALIOUNGUI ’83 afterward. We had a spirited exchange of ideas, recalls of Ripon and old people ailments.”

1. SARA MAURER ’80 shared this “I retired January 1 after over twenty two years of practice as an anesthesiologist/pediatric anesthesiologist in Anchorage, Alaska. I would occasionally run into GREG GERBOTH ’81, who is a pulmonologist.”

DAN BESTUL ’80 and his wife, SANDY VAHLE ’79 BESTUL shared they “traveled to Cuba in early February. In our short time there, we traced 600 years of history through Cuban music, examined the state of US Cuba relations from the Cuban perspective, studied the transition of Cuban art from pre-Revolution to the present, witnessed the impact the collapse of the Soviet Union had on the Cuban economy and learned the secrets to making a great mojito.”

As for me, I get to keep in touch with ELLEN BARTH ’80, by phone or in person. Both of us have celebrated over 27 years working for the State of Wisconsin. Ellen works for the Department of Natural Resources and I work for the Department of Health Services.  The “r” word comes into conversations often. For me it’ll be later than sooner and for Ellen…stay tuned!! My co-breeder of Gordon Setters and I recently had a fun litter of 10 puppies of 5 boys and 5 girls born the day before Thanksgiving. We managed to travel a bit to deliver a couple of them. My brother, PAUL GERO ’82 and his wife, Nicki and children, have returned to Wisconsin from California. The Wisconsin winter greeted them with lots of love this year. Their return has been great for my mom, ANNE GERO P’80, ’82, ’84 and ’85 as it has given her great purpose to see and spend time with Paul’s kids; her grandkids.  

Thank you all for the information you share!!  As always, there is the Facebook group (here’s the link again, in case you really do want to sign-up and join us). It’s FREE!!  

The link to ours is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/283209381878413/)

Don’t forget – our 40th Class Reunion will be one year from now.  

SAVE. THE. DATE.  June 25-28, 2020!!  I hope to see lots of you there!!

Co-Class Agents,

Jeff and Peggy

Submitted by: Jeff Penney