R Connections

Gregg Petersen

(410)-884-0407 /[email protected]

Spring 2019

Dear Classmates:

Happy New Year to you all!  This will be a short note for us but with some great classmate updates.  Back on campus, “Doctor Bob” Wallace and Professor Paul Schoofs are retiring this semester, Ripon enrolled its largest freshman class in some time, and another One Day Rally is coming up on May 1.  Also, I know LOUISA GEBELEIN JONES ’78 and others of you will be pleased that the lady Red Hawks won the Midwest Conference basketball championship this past February.  Look for details in the overall campus news.

HEADLINES FOR THIS LETTER:

• ’78 Classmate Updates

• Ripon #OneDayRally May 1st

’78 Classmate Updates:

BARB DOERRER-PEACOCK ’78 of Tempe, Arizona says, “I am now the Associate Conference Minister of the Southwest Conference-United Church of Christ…and loving it. Enjoying life in Tempe,  Arizona, three adult kids still live near us, plus our 8-yr old granddaughter- joy of our lives!”

DOUG KINGS ’78 of Ellenton, Florida joined a Facebook chat on our Ripon Class of ’78 page between BARB DOERRER-PEACOCK ’78 and LOIS VAN LEER ’78 to add: “Alright, I’ll get into this, as well. I am now Pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Holmes Beach, Florida on Anna Maria Island.”

LOIS VAN LEER ’78 of Eugene, Oregon writes: “I am now the minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, Oregon. I hope to retire in 3-4 years. My early jockdom has resulted in becoming the Bionic woman with 4 joint replacements: 2 shoulders and 2 knees. I hope is to continue with less body abusive sports such as pickleball, kayaking, and hiking. I have come full circle in my ministry as I began in campus ministry in Eugene in 1981. May all beings be well!”

“The Pirate Poet of the Palouse, ROB “TEX” MEYER ’78, is still in the Kremlin of the Inland Northwest, Moscow Idaho. He writes: “The Cowboy and The Coonhound are still surviving, despite dental surgery for both of us in early Winter.  Winter? We got nothing to complain about compared to Wisconsin, Minnesota, New England…or most places.  Still regretting the fact that we missed June 2018 Reunion, we hope to travel in 2019…if Meyer sells some more bad poetry, or a 20-year-old screenplay, or his fourth novel.  Ya nevah know.  Go, Mariners!  [Fat Chance.]”

GREGG PETERSEN ’78 of Columbia, Maryland was elected to the Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS) Board of Directors in October. ANS is the oldest independent environmental organization in the Washington, D.C. region and it is a leading organization linking conservation activities with environmental education in the area. In addition, in connection with his watershed education related volunteer efforts with area environmental organizations; Gregg exhibited illustrated benthic macroinvertebrate scoring charts that he developed for local ponds and streams at the annual Maryland Water Monitoring Conference in Linthicum, Maryland in December. More recently, Gregg taught a Lunch and Learn class about macroinvertebrates to the staff and some members of the Center for Watershed Protection in Ellicott City, Maryland. Of the seven measures of health listed by the Environmental Protection Agency, “the biological condition (of which benthic macroinvertebrates are a part) of a waterbody is the ultimate indicator of watershed health.”

JIM SWENSEN ’78 of Valdese, North Carolina, writes, “Back at Baker Furniture, Kohler no longer owns us! Have a new grandson to make a brother to his older sister. My son is in the Army and looks like a E-5 (Sergeant) promotion is happening soon. My daughter is still an O.T. in Arizona. Gardening and wine making/prepping are in full swing.”

LISA WOLLAN ’78, of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (just for a very short time longer) sends: “I officially retired from Wawa on January 4, 2019 – yay!!! I’m so grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have come my way since our Ripon graduation, and I am so excited to start this new chapter. I just returned from a spectacular month-long trip to New Zealand with my sister and brother-in-law – truly the trip of a lifetime. Highlights included: exploring the Hauraki Gulf on a friend’s sailboat; enjoying the spectacular wineries on the north and south islands; coastal hikes in beautiful Abel Tasman National Park; a 1:30 a.m. stargazing experience on Mount John; visiting seal colonies in the Fiordland National Park during our 3-day Hollyford Track hike; gazing at the forest below from the Redwood Treewalk bridges; experiencing the world’s newest geothermal area in Waimangu Volcanic Valley; and feeling Kiwi warmth and friendliness throughout our trip. Now I’m busy getting my house ready to put on the market in spring and I’ll be moving back to Minneapolis to be closer to family. I’m sad to leave this wonderful area but excited to be coming back to the Midwest and reconnecting with my MN/WI friends!”

Photo Caption: Lisa Wollan ’78 visiting Waimangu Volcanic Valley where the world’s youngest geothermal system is

located in New Zealand.

Ripon’s #OneDayRally May 1:  

As you may recall, in the first ever Giving Day #OneDayRally last year, our class topped all other class year groups in participation by nearly 10% with 48 donations. This year’s #OneDayRally will be for the 24-hour period on May 1. If you have not made your Ripon Fund (formerly Annual Fund) or other donation to Ripon this year, May 1 would be a great day to do that and represent our Class of ’78. This is exactly what I will be doing while I participate in one of our quarterly D.C. area Rally Hours in Crystal City, Virginia (If Crystal City sounds familiar, it will be the new home of Amazon’s HQ2 location which will change the city name to National Landing).  

Class Letter Updates:  That’s it for this letter!  Please keep sending me your updates and have a healthy, happy 2019!

Best wishes and warmest regards,

Submitted by: Gregg Petersen

Class Agent: Alan N Lawrence ’77

[email protected] / 920-730-9515

Spring 2019

Dear 1977 Classmates:

Many of the classes from Ripon College have been using Facebook to successfully help classmates (and friends from other classes) keep in touch. I’d been wondering about this for our class. It finally took a note from MARYJO MACSWAIN ’77 telling me she thought it would be good for our class. She also agreed to co-administrator a class page with me.

So, we now have a Facebook page for OUR class. If you use Facebook please visit it and click the LIKE button. That will help ensure that you see news from your college and former classmates. If you don’t already use Facebook then I urge you to sign up (it’s free). This is our address:  https://www.facebook.com/RiponCollegeClassof1977. As you visit our page please leave a posting about yourself.

Because MaryJo and I are now Facebook friends I’ve been able to “follow” her recent grand adventure to Argentina and Chile. Join our page and ask her how it worked out.

Our Alumni Office shared this note from a classmate.

LAIRD DECRAMER ’77 and LINDA GLAUBITZ DECRAMER ’89 of Princeton, Wisconsin, write, “The Ripon tradition continues as both our children are matriculating at Ripon. CALLISTA ’20 is a junior and SULLIVAN ’21 is a sophomore. So glad they are having the “Ripon” experience.”

That reminds me that two of my daughters graduated from Ripon College. One of them recently added a granddaughter to my family, and the other is engaged to a member of her Class of 2014.

I know that some of you have already taken retirement, or early-retirement.  At 64 I’m feeling within sight of the time, though I haven’t set a goal date yet.  How is it working out for those of you who have retired, and for those still planning for it?

Alumni Weekend happens every June, regardless of whether it is one of our special anniversary years. Our next 5th anniversary reunion is in 2022. I plan to attend the Alumni Weekend this year on June 29. I hope to see some of you there. Because I have friends in other class years I always have a good time.

Please send news about yourself either to the college or to me to be shared in our next class letter. Always remember that your financial help is very important to help keep Ripon a competitive and quality institution. Your donations are important every year. Please consider making a gift to Ripon College this year. Your participation is very important.

Please write back to me or to the alumni office at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.

Always for Ripon,

Alan

Submitted by: Alan Lawrence

Class Agent: Jondi Gumz

[email protected] / 831-461-1120

Spring 2019

Dear classmates,

Big news for me — 26 years as an award-winning reporter at the Santa Cruz Sentinel ended Dec. 31!

The reason: Breast cancer.

In August, surgery (a lumpectomy) was successful. I did not want chemo, radiation or drugs with side effects, and health experts told me I had to reduce the stress in my life. I could not ignore that advice!

So I will be Grandma Jondi.

My son and daughter-in-law, who live close by, are foster parents. They have two adorable toddlers 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 whom they hope to adopt. When I see the children, they said, “Grandma Jondi, read to me!”

And I will!

In December, I attended the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium along with 7,499 doctors and researchers. Classmate BECKY HADLEY ’75 took time out to show me a section of the riverwalk most visitors don’t see, the John Marin exhibit, and photos of her very cute grandson — and I helped her connect with TERRY ’74 and KATHY WILLIAMS HOFFER ’74 in Vermont. Becky is painting now, and since she works fewer days at the hospital, she’s been traveling — Tucson, where her brother lives, and then to Christchurch, New Zealand, to see her niece perform with the orchestra there. See the photos on Facebook!

One of my inspirations was the book, “Radical Remission,” by Kelly Turner, a Wisconsin native with a doctorate from the University of California Berkeley, who researched how people survived cancer against all odds and found nine factors that made a difference. At the Annie Appleseed conference in complementary and alternative cancer treatment in February, I learned that training to become a “Radical Remission” teacher is scheduled for 2019, so I put my name on the waitlist. Email me at [email protected] if this topic interests you.

Of course, I am expecting to see you at our next Ripon College class reunion in 2020 (the last weekend in June).

Now for classmate news: We have authors — history, mystery, holding onto your brain cells and tasty recipes — travel adventures plus grandbabies so keep reading!

RICK ESTBERG ’75 of Severna, Maryland, and our very own reunion Jeopardy host, self-published “Berlin Daze,” a 390-page book on his “wild and unusual adventures” while living in (West) Berlin for seven years. The culmination of six years’ work, the book is on Amazon.com. Rick writes, “All I need is sales of around, oh, 4 or 5 million, and then I can retire and move back to Monterey in California.”

Rick read a column Jan. 28 in the Washington Post, Section C front page, by Margaret Sullivan, titled, “Your paper’s being wrecked.  Stand by it.”

If you wonder why your daily newspaper is smaller, this explains why. Hundreds of newspapers are owned by private equity hedge funds, and their mission is not to serve the community but to boost profits, easily done by cutting staff and selling offices.

Rick will give a talk on “Berlin Daze” for 75 people at the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation’s quarterly meeting March 27 and sign books. He’s already 100 pages into his next book, a historical novel circa 1875 with the protagonist being John Wilkes Booth’s killer, Boston Corbett, arriving in San Francisco on the newly completed transcontinental railroad, on the very day the Palace Hotel opens. Rick writes, “He will end up being chased out of the state on that same railroad, but trapped in winter snow in the Sierra, in a snow shed near Donner Lake (one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever visited).” Rick is considering retiring sometime in the next two years, so he can devote more time to writing. He writes, “I’m already looking forward to next year’s Ripon reunion and hope we can get a great turnout.”

ANDY RICHARDS ’75 of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, reports “Retirement is great, especially when you can stay active all the time. Darlene and I continue to enjoy life in Howey in the Hills, Florida. I play golf about 4 days a week and have been enjoying my guitar lessons for several years now. It seems I am busier in retirement than when I was working. We took several trips in 2018.  We did the 15-day Baltic cruise with Viking last summer, with extended stays in Stockholm and Oslo. I highly recommend this trip as the land tours were awesome. Then in November and December we toured Thailand and Singapore. We loved touring the temples, beach time in Phuket and eating the wonderful Asian food. The people are very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel at home. I suspect we may stay closer to home in 2019, although we escape Florida in the summer, often in the Chicago area visiting our daughter Jenny.”

Here’s a scoop from LEN KACHINSKY ’75 of Neenah, Wisconsin: After 22 years of service as Fox Crossing Municipal judge, he is not seeking re-election. He writes, “In my semi-retirement, I am doing criminal appeals and cat socializing at the Neenah Animal Shelter.  Looking forward to the birth of our first grandchild in July.”

DORN CARLSON ’75 of Saint Leonard, Maryland, retired February 1 from his job with the federal government in Silver Spring, Maryland. He spent 40 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and was Sea Grant assistant director for programs. You can find him on Facebook.

STEVE ANDERSON ’75 of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, spent three days in California in February playing some golf in Palm Springs and some work in Anaheim at a medical device convention. He writes, “Weather was much nicer there than here in Minnesota! Plan to meet up with GEORGE ’74 and LOUISE RENIER ’75 BOOTHBY next June at Ripon.” Steve’s new email is [email protected].

DICK O’CONNOR ‘75 of Olympia, Washington, is looking at retirement in summer 2021. He writes, “We are joining friends this summer on a 10-day trip to Ireland this June, our first, but likely not our last. Need to see the farms near Castleisland where both of my dad’s parents were born and raised, so Kilkenny, Kerry and Dublin are the main stops with plenty of side trips planned…Will put reunion on the calendar; it comes at a good time of year for us, but planning that far out is always an interesting exercise. By #50 we should be fully retired and have a bit more control over where we go and when!” Dick keeps in touch with PERRY HOWLAND ’76, a fellow Theta Chi, who posts regular emails and pix (often of past fun events!) to fraternity brothers and spouses. Perry has been talking with classmates from ‘74 about their 45th reunion this year, the last weekend in June. Dick adds, “He is a new grandpa, and pics indicate he has shed a few pounds since he was my best man in 1977.”

JAN RUSSELL ’75 of Addison, Illinois, writes: “I’m still working and will be for awhile. Take care and hi to all.”

SUE CHAPMAN CARLTON ’75 of Fort Mill, South Carolina, writes: “Our big news is that we are moving to South Carolina. We are building a home in Del Webb – Carolina Orchards in Ft. Mill, South Carolina, just 20 minutes away from Charlotte, North Carolina. We hope to be settled by the end of March.” Sue’s mom died a year ago on Valentine’s Day and she was in charge of organizing the memorial service.

PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’75 of Lakewood, Ohio, traveled West on vacation with husband MICHAEL MIZEN ’73, skiing in Aspen and hitting the slopes with NANCY LAWS KERN ’75 and her husband George, and spending four days in Palm Springs with PETER ’73 and CAROL PARKHURST ’73 TULLIO. Peggi writes, “We saw LINDA MOHALSKI CARPENTER ’75 this fall while on an RV trip. We continue to love living on Lake Erie and being very close to our 22-month-old grandson Kael and our daughter Alison and her husband Trip. Our other daughter, Jennifer, and her husband Joe now live outside of D.C. and we enjoy visiting them to see all the sites.”

SUSAN SCHREYER STANDER ’75 of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was in Palm Springs in November and visited LEON PASCUCCI ’75. She writes, “We had a delightful lunch together.  Leon’s husband, Michael Craft, is a mystery writer, and he will speak at my book club about his latest book, “Flabbergassed,” when they visit me in May. I also want to alert all my fellow drama majors to watch “The Kominsky Method” on Netflix and see if it doesn’t scream Lorrie Hull and The Lee Strasberg Method! (And by the way, the last time I was in LA visiting my daughters, I drove past Strasberg’s school on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. UnBELIEVABLE!”

MIKE PETERSEN ’75 of New Smyrna Beach, Florida is retired (for the second time) in early January after 18 years working for Northrop Grumman. He writes, “Just completed building a new home in New Smyrna Beach (Florida) near the coast and many golf courses. Plan to do some traveling with our motorhome to visit relatives and friends when not in New Smyrna Beach.”

ROSIE GAY FATHEREE ’75 of Alpharetta, Georgia, shared photos on Facebook of her daughter Katherine’s wedding in May.

DEE AUSTRING ’75 reports from Waiheke Island, Aotearoa, New Zealand, where she is hoping for rain: “I’m now officially a ‘senior’ with a New Zealand pension and a Gold Card that gives me free public transport and quite a few other discounts, too. I still do a bit of casual work at the local library, though that’s my only ‘job’ at present; still have a few accounts for my ProTem home-based office service; and am still (and always will be!) an associate with USANA Health Sciences, promoting high-quality nutritional supplements and skin-care products. Oh, and my third granddaughter is due in early June.  Wish they lived closer than Perth, Western Australia, but them’s the breaks.”

LINDA MOGICATO SASSER ’75 of Peoria, Arizona and her husband Carey have been enjoying living in Arizona for more than a year. Linda’s BE! Brain Enrichment Curriculumcontinues to be taught in more and more senior living communities throughout the U.S., and she travels nationally as a speaker on memory and brain health. Her book, “Brain SENSE: A Guide and Workbook to Keep Your Mind and Memory Sharp,” is due to be released in March. Look for it on Amazon.com and check out her blog post on ageism at brainandmemoryhealth.com.

RUTH GALES FRECHMAN ’75 of North Hollywood, California, reports her book, “The Food is My Friend Diet” is at Costco in Burbank. She expects her latest, “The Food Is My Friend Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook” with 19 tasty, delicious recipes to be published on Amazon.com in March.

Remember MICHAEL YUKNIS ’76? He and his wife live in Croatia. I remember his recipe for homemade bread with bacon! He keeps up with Ripon classmates on Facebook, and he shared tips for better cooking from The New York Times: Inventory items in your pantry — how old are they? How to keep track of spices so you get a fresh burst of flavor, not stale? Michael stays in touch with DAVID WHEELER ’74 who was in Marrakech in November and ERIC SORENSEN ’74 who traveled in December to St. Thomas in the British Virgin Islands, where he revisited the house where he stayed in 1972 while working in construction and connected with the grandson of his host family. For details, visit Facebook.

GAIL WEICKI MOORE ’75 of Soldotna, Alaska, writes, “Hope to see everyone in June 2020.”

That is June 25-28, 2020, and I second that motion!

With our reunion coming up, we should be ready to nominate a classmate for the Distinguished Alumni Award. Criteria are achievement in his/her field, service to the community and demonstrated loyalty to Ripon College. Award-winning television journalist HELEN HOLTER ’78 was honored in 2013. If you have thoughts for 2020, feel free to call me, 831-461-1120, or email me at [email protected].

Did you see that Ripon College ranks No. 1 in Wisconsin for how much graduates earn 10 years after graduation? See the map at the number-crunching website Zippia.

Thanks everyone for your support and well wishes!

Your Class Agent,

Jondi Gumz

Submitted by: Jondi Gumz

Class Agent: Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Dear Class of 1973,

When I write the greeting I don’t think of 1973 as being that long ago. But here it is 2019 and four months has gone by already. Time has a way of flying by so fast. Our 50th Ripon reunion will be here before you know it, so I hope you all have marked  your calendars that the last weekend of June, 2023 you need to be in Ripon! You probably will be sick of me saying that between now and then, but really it would be wonderful to get as many people back as possible! And I don’t want “I did not know the date” to be your excuse.

Our class has always been very generous to Ripon College and I hope this year will be no exception. Remember the Ripon Fund gifts should be in by Alumni Weekend 2019. Also, if you have not thought about it already, maybe it’s time to think about including Ripon in your estate planning.

A few of our classmates sent in news, and some of the news sent in was a bit longer than I can include  in my letter, so I have had to paraphrase, and hopefully did an okay job of it. Apologies if I did not.

KATE PARISH MILLER ’73 Richland, Michigan, writes,“I’m still doing some activist work for the environment. There is so much to do- environment, racism, low income housing, food assistance, etc! The shutdown hasn’t helped. Pipeline 5 – under the Great Lakes we are trying to push to Shut It Down. Trying to coordinate 350.org,  which seeks to get us away from dependency on fossil fuels, and Sierra Club and Citizens Climate Lobby which are seeking 100% renewables by approaching city governments. So much to do! All are healthy and hope you all are, too.”

After more than 30 years in New Mexico, LEE HUFFMAN ’73 and wife, Christine, of Missoula, Montana, retired and relocated to Montana. They moved from Santa Fe to Missoula in 2015, one hundred years after his grandparents moved from Oregon to Montana. Over the decades in New Mexico, Lee says his Ripon visitors included SAM WELLER ’73, MIKE JUNEAU ’73, BILL ’73  and ROBYN MACKIEWICZ LAKE ’74,  STEVE FLOOD ’73, and JIM HUFFMAN ’70.

Lee commented on the passing of Ripon Professor Curt Thompson saying: “I had Curt Thompson for four economics courses,  although I was not an Economics Major. I learned everything I needed in Curt’s classes to properly cross examine economists in several cases. One of those economists served in the cabinet of several administrations.” Lee also mentioned BILL NEILL ’67 who sent him a nice note when Lee’s father passed away.

JOSEPH SANDRIN ’73 of Bayside, Wisconsin, works in Saudi Arabia as manager of a program supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its efforts to remediate and restore damages to the desert and coastal environment from the First Gulf War.  The project is funded through the United Nations and Iraq oil revenues, and is one the largest environmental restoration projects underway anywhere. He has been with Jacobs, Formerly CH2M Hill, which offers environmental and engineering consulting services.

GARY SHARPE ’73 lives in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and is still working. “It’s what happens when you marry a younger woman.”

WILLIAM H STARKE ’73 of Tucson, Arizona, writes, “Sold our house in Vail, Arizona and bought a townhouse in Wrightstown Square in Tucson. Major remodeling took three months to complete.”

JAMES B. THOMPSON ’73 of Salem, Oregon, was featured in an “Out & About” article relating to an art show at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. Water is Sacred: Water is Life” is the latest solo show by James B. Thompson a longtime Willamette University faculty member and mature artist at the height of his career. The author of the article wrote: “Thompson’s work has  a more rigorous feel, a seriousness of intent that is by no account dull, but rather, in its own way, both engrossing and liberating. Thompson, who creates variously in paintings, prints, and fused glass, usually works in series of images rising from the same theme and often  taking him a year or more to complete. His interests range from the historical to the geological, to the ways in which science and nature and human beings interact and to the human impact on the changing landscape… Thompson’s work never seems didactic. It is rather an exploration of the visual and intellectual possibilities arriving from a specific philosophical proposition and it seems to lead him to surprises as he traverses its terrain. His artist statement for Water is Sacred: Water is Life states his intention….clearly and succinctly: We can live without food for days on end but not without water, or we perish.”

HILDE BORMANN HENKEL ’73 and husband MARK HENKEL ’70 of Rudolph, Wisconsin,  along with their sons James and John just made history as all four earned their 7th degree black belts in Taekwondo. They are the first family in the Kukkiwon records of  the World Taekwondo to simultaneously achieve this level of expertise. The skill testing was completed by Robert Stevens , who holds the coveted Grade 1 Dan Examiner certification, the highest awarded by the World Taekwondo Academy of Seoul, Korea. Testing includes  advanced skill components, board breaking, and high intensity sparring, and writing a paper on techniques and teaching of Taekwondo. They also needed to meet age and time in rank requirements. Grandmaster Stevens refers to the Henkel family as “The First Family of Taekwondo.”  Mark and Hilde have recently taken over Stevens Taekwondo Academy after the founder and lead instructor retired. The couple enjoys teaching the classes for may reasons beyond the continuing fitness. Hilde says: “Taekwondo has been really great for us. We enjoy working together and enjoy providing the fun and discipline of Taekwondo for others.”

MIKE MIZEN ’73 of Lakewood, Ohio sent an email in late January: Finally some cold weather and snow in Lakewood albeit the promise of 3/4” rain and 50 degrees tomorrow. Have several chances to see Beta Sig’s this year. PETE TULLIO ’73 of Northridge, California, GARY SHARPE ’73 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, ROBERT GADDIS ’72 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and us in May and October. Childrens weddings are nice events to connect. We will ski in Colorado in February. They have consistent snow and cold. Our fall 2018 RV trip to the Gulf Shores was great even with the 100+ heat index for 10 days in a row. New found appreciation for crab claws. Beginning fall 2019 RV adventures. Perhaps Ontario Canada provincial adventures…

MARTY MORRIS ’73: Totally settled into Portland life now. Trying to enjoy the Great Pacific Northwest. In addition to the culinary adventures in town have been exploring the countryside and coast. Wineries, beach combing, camping, whale watching have all been enjoyable. Even took a trip to Hawaii which will have to be repeated. It’s amazing what one can do when freed from the commitments to work and other things.

KEN ’73 and MARCIA FRUHMAN ’74 ELLIOT of Malta, Illinois, Ken retired from teaching at Northern Illinois University at the end of August 2018. He works more at our store Made Just for You Gifts which features handcrafted gifts and home décor items. He would like to spend more time crafting himself, but family matters have kept us hopping. Maybe things will slow down in 2019 so he can enjoy his retirement a bit. Our daughter Christina added new baby Brynlee Rayne Williams to the family. She joins Brooklyn (age 9), Bria (age 4) and Bryson (18 months).

SUDY REIGLE ALTHOLZ ’73 of Chicago, Illinois, writes, “I’m sending this from New Zealand where TOM ’72  and  I are visiting for a driving trip for 3 weeks. We sold our house in Arizona last spring. Our plans are to travel a lot, and spend time with our boys and our grandchildren. We love our life in Chicago and all the activities we try to take advantage of. And we continue to stay in active involvement with Ripon, a special spot for us

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73 and GARY LEDERER ’72 of Estero, Florida, writes,

“We became grandparents for the first time on December 18. Emily Alice Lederer is adorable and we are all in love with her. She will be coming from California to visit us in Florida with her parents in March and we are counting the days. Gary and I keep busy with Guardian ad litem  cases. We have three cases with children ranging in age from 2 to 16. Each case is challenging and involves a lot of time. We find it rewarding and just hope we are making a positive influence in the children’s lives.”

For those of you who do not know: KEN MAGRATH ’73 passed away in December of 2018. Our sympathies to JULIE FENWICK MAGRATH ’73 and her family.

I do hope to hear from more of you for the next letter. I can see on Facebook that lots of you are busy doing many fun things: saw a picture of FRANK NEER ’73 at the Super Bowl, DARCI JAEGER JAYNE ’73 has an adorable granddaughter and puts some magnificent pictures of birds and Lake Michigan in her posts. BILL MACLEOD ’73  seems to be very adventurous, and PAT WILKE EPTING ’73 and LEX ’72 EPTING sure do like Taco Tuesday. JANE SCHORE ’73 who is a Realtor lists some magnificent LA properties that I would love to  wander through. Me, I just complain a lot about delayed aircraft keeping me from getting where I want to go when I want to get there. And for those of you who remember him Marvin will be off on a new great adventure in June. Look forward to it!

Wishing everyone a Happy Spring!

Jean

Submitted by: Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer

Class Agents:

Susan Frederick-Clarkson

[email protected]

Stephanie Greene

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Greetings, Class of 1972!

Last month I had the opportunity to have lunch with DAVID and DOREEN CONFORTI CHEMEROW ’73 and separately with SHARON WALTON ’73. Doreen and David were here from Florida for a theatre weekend. Sharon was here from California for a conference prior to going to London.

New York is having a relatively mild winter despite a few days of really cold weather and a trace of snow. I still spend most of my time playing tennis, knitting and doing needlepoint. I am so enjoying retirement.

Please update your contact information or send along any news notes or photos to Ripon College ([email protected]).

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy spring!

STEPHANIE GREENE ’72

Submitted by: Stephanie Greene

Class Agent:

Jim Beisner

770-227-2410

[email protected]

Spring 2019

Greetings, Class of 1971

It is hard to believe another school year has about passed by. We are moving toward our 50th class reunion in the next couple of years and one has to wonder where the time has gone. One thing I do know is Ripon is still providing the same quality education we experienced so many years ago. Our continued financial support of this vital mission will ensure incoming classes will experience the best quality education possible.

As we look back at our experiences at Ripon, we can all see the benefits we derived from that special time. In some way, the Ripon Fund assisted all of us. It underwrites all aspects of yearly operations, including but not limited to laboratory supplies, technological innovations, library resources, faculty support, financial aid and scholarships, athletics, opportunities to study abroad, the arts and facilities. I urge your consideration to increase this year’s gift in recognition of all we have accomplished because of Ripon College.  

Classmate News:

TOM BACHHUBER ’71 and LESLIE SMITH BACHHUBER ’71 of Wauconda, Illinois, moved to Wauconda, Illinois, to be closer to their family and granddaughter. Tom’s new book, “Transpirations: Guidance for the Head & Heart through Career and Beyond” was released by Caritas Communications in February, 2018. It is available on Amazon.”

ROBERTA QUINN-ANDERSON ’71 of Raphine, Virginia, writes, “Owner of a small horse farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Ride two horses daily, bushhog, fix fence, muck stalls, mow, weedeat, split wood, drive tractor, truck, horse trailer, show, trail ride…at age 69. Needless to say, nothing I learned at Ripon College ever contributed to my life.”

Dr. KARL R. WILHELM ’71 of Gainesville, Virginia, writes, “We adopted identical twins from China – they will be seniors in college next year.”

Always for Ripon,

Jim

Submitted by: Jim Beisner

Class Agent: Susan Hecht Gebhardt ’70

815-464-5761     wmacrogeb/@yahoo.com

Spring 2019

Greeting from sunny Florida.  

Bill ’69, and I are certainly glad to be missing the Midwest winter and are enjoying both the weather and continuing to work on the condo we purchased last year.  It is a work in progress, slowed by Bill’s time on the links. I have only done 9 holes so far. I had some unexpected surgery before Christmas and am finally able to swing a club again, though not very accurately.  If any of you are in our area, the Treasure Coast, send me an email or text (815-260-1656). We would love to see you.

We had a wonderful fall.  In September we took a Rick Steves trip to Greece, spending 15 days touring Athens and the Peloponnese.  We added 3 days on Crete to visit Knossos, home of the Minoan civilization. I was a classics major at Ripon and taught Latin for 20 years.  Having studied and taught Greek history and culture as well as Roman, it was overwhelming to finally visit the sites, and walk, climb, and run (Olympia, site of the first ancient games!), where the heroic figures had centuries ago. The food was outstanding and luckily all the walking took off the extra calories. The guide was an archeologist and fantastic, as were the local guides. I could have easily stayed another two weeks. The weather was great.  However, the mini-cyclone Zorba, which hit and flooded southern Italy, southern Greece, and Eastern Turkey, was two day behind us. It did alter the last two days of the trip. The sea was too rough and no ferries were allowed to the island of Hydrae. We had more time just south of Athens and in Athens. Our guide and the Rick Steves agents had to scramble to find accommodations for those unscheduled nights. They did a great job. I highly recommend his tours. They can be strenuous at times, but with a little conditioning, (we wish we had done more!), even at our age they are fun.

At the end of October, Bill and I spent a week in Colonial Williamsburg. It was my fourth time there, but it was 20 years since our last visit. I also majored in History and occasionally taught U.S. History, so it was fun to see everything again. The visitors’ centers at Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown have all been expanded and were a nice addition. We managed to get in a few rounds of golf also.

Our sons are still in the Chicago area.  Matt, our older son, is head golf professional and general manager of Calumet Country Club in Homewood, Illinois.  As I write this newsletter he and Bill are golfing in the member-guest tournament at our club, Meadowood CC in Ft. Pierce, Florida.  Matt is looking forward to actually playing in this event since he has organized so many in his career. Our younger son, Will, is a bridge design engineer and manager, and new engineer trainer for Canadian National Railroad.  He is based in Homewood, Illinois and spends one week a month in Winnipeg, Canada. He and wife Tera had their third daughter this October. They have their hands full! It is nice having the family so close.

Class Notes:

JOHN LEONARD ’70 of Cornwall, Vermont writes:  JAMES DANKY ’70 and I visited Ripon’s campus on January 21.  Guided by JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07 from the advancement office we were treated to an extensive tour of the campus, town of Ripon, and enjoyed lunch at the Mexican restaurant, El Fogon, (Dairy Queen in 1970).  We learned of the many programs, initiatives and upgrades. We appreciated the many changes and use of space. It was comforting to visit familiar buildings significantly upgraded to accommodate today’s technology and curriculum.

TOM BURTON ’70 of Oak Brook, Illinois writes: Dee and I are about to celebrate our 45th anniversary on St. Pat’s day, 3/17/74 seems like yesterday. Last year we downsized again and now are living in a condo in Oak Brook, just west of Chicago. We are in the same building where I met Dee on a blind date in 1973 and her mom still lives in the building. Mom is 99½ and still mentally sharp but fading physically. We are happy to be close to her and able to visit each day.

I am still working full time in my business and am blessed to be working with both of my sons and my youngest son’s wife, Danielle. She and I work as a team. We are doing business as Megent Financial which is owned by oldest son Eric and his close friend Ron. We are securities representatives and investment advisors. Our business has transitioned over my career from insurance to financial advisors. Actually, my grandfather started a career in life insurance on May 1, 1918 so last year was the 100 year mark. My dad joined him in 1947 and I joined my dad in 1972. Eric joined me in 1998 and Reid and Danielle joined Megent Financial in 2010 and 2012 respectively. I have no plans to retire and still enjoy the challenges and the reward of helping people. Working with my family and the great team Eric and Ron have built is fun for an old guy. Dee says it is adult day care.

The family is great and still growing. Eric and wife Tina will be married for 19 years this year. They have two great kids. Sydney is 15 and attends Benet Academy. She is athletic and also an avid equestrienne. She has shown in English, Western and Ranch style events with great success. It is a treat to watch her cut cattle and rope calves. She loves jumping and we have enjoyed riding together for more than 10 years now. Her horse is a great addition to the family.

Cade is 13 and attends Bridgedale Academy which is a hockey centered school. Cade is an outstanding hockey defenseman. He is currently playing in AA hockey in the Central States Division. He will probably attend Benet Academy next year.

Reid and Danielle have a 15 month old son named Rhett. They are expecting a little girl in May. I work remotely from their home several days each week to help with Rhett and allow Danielle to work with our clients. My usual workday consists of lots of playtime between naps, Rhett’s and mine.

We are enjoying traveling as always. The entire family goes to Mackinac Island each August for a week at Grand Hotel. Bike riding and pool time are our favorite activities. Sydney and I enjoy the horses also. We go to Disney World with the kids but don’t try to keep up with their pace. We enjoy skiing in Vail every March but I am no match for Cade or Sydney. I had my right knee replaced in 2017 but still can ski as badly as before. We still go to Galena in NW Illinois several times a year although we sold our log home there in 2003. It was a great place but too much work.

I am looking forward to the 50th reunion. The last 50 years have gone quickly but they have been great. I am a big fan of casual activities and think a relaxed dinner would be great. So much of the fun at each reunion seems to happen when we get together at Norton’s and the Heidel House (closing May 20).

Thank you for sharing your news with us.  Please continue to keep in touch with your Ripon friends and send me some news later this summer for the fall R Connections.  Also include any suggestions for our 50th reunion in 2020.  We love to hear from you.  Please notify Ripon of any changes in address, email, or phone.

Sincerely,

Susan Hecht Gebhardt

Submitted by: Susan Hecht Gebhardt

Dear Class of 1955,

ART LUNDEBERG ’55 has asked me to write on his behalf this spring. Due to some recent health challenges he finds that he is unable to write a letter this spring. He has high hopes to have something for you again in the fall. In the fall letter, he would like to highlight ‟During your time at Ripon, how did you get home for Christmas?  Did you drive, take a

train, bus etc…?” He would like to include these responses in the fall letter. Please email him your response. His contact information is listed above.

Classmate News:

ARTHUR ABT ’55 of Bonita Springs, Florida, writes, ‟Our condo had NO damage due to Irma, wonderful warm sunny winter in Florida Nov. 1 to May!”

He wishes you all a happy and healthy spring and summer.

Sincerely,

Yvonne Nicklaus

Associate Director of Engagement and Outreach

Submitted by: Art Lundeberg

L-R Mark Henkel ’70 and Hilde Bormann Henkel ’73 with their sons, James Henkel and John Henkel received their black belts.  The diamond side punch is characteristic of the 7th degree form, called cheunkwon.

Submitted by: Mark Henkel

Jackie Alcorn ’65 and family visited Ripon last summer.

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

Left to right – Mary Ulland Perabo ’67, Diane Vaughan Longcore ’67, Kathy Santimays Dunn ’67 taking a break while hiking at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park.

Submitted by: Kathy Santimays Dunn

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

Submitted by: Dorrie Smith Scranton

Submitted by: CJ O'Reilly

A mini-1968 class reunion in October 2018 at the home of Steve and Kathy Henig in North Carolina. Clockwise from bottom left; Steve Henig, Diane Whiteley, Rick Kammen, Kathy Henig, Peter Uhrig, Doug Whiteley and Linda Kammen. (Photo by Linda Uhrig)

Submitted by: Peter Uhrig

Presidential Gathering in Southwest Florida at the home of Gary ’72 and Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer ’73 on February 25, 2019.

L to R: Scott Reynolds ’74, Roger Key, Debra Reynolds ’74, Sue Mijanovich Key ’72, Gary Lederer ’72, Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer ’73, Acting President Ed Wingenbach, Karen Teschner Dorn ’72, Linda Brassington Daniels ’72, Cynthia Sanborn Nyquist ’69, Scott Nyquist ’69, Dave Daniels, Janice Paine, Matthew Paine ’18, Allan Dorn.

TOMISSA PORATH FREISLEBEN ’10, DAVE FREISLEBEN ’07‘s wedding on October 13, 2018 at the Wisconsin Historical Society. L to R: VINNY ROCCO ’11, DANIELLE SCHOLFIELD ROCCO ’10, HANNAH WENDLAKE DUFFEY ’10, KATERINA YOUNGBERG ’10, SARAH GUSTAFSON RUMPF ’10, KASEN RUMPF ’12, TOMISSA PORATH FREISLEBEN ’10, DAVE FREISLEBEN ’07, WESTON RADFORD ’07, RYAN LUEDTKE ’08, PAT KERSTEIN ’07, JAKE SEVERANCE ’07, LESLIE REINKE LUEDTKE ’08, EMILY YOUNG ’10.

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

TOM HORVATH ’84 and LARRY HUEBNER ’83 were in meetings at Kennedy Space Center where they reconnected. On the last day, they had a few hours to visit the historic sites at Cape Canaveral. This picture was taken at Launch Complex 5, with a replica of Freedom 7, the capsule that took Alan Shepard into space as the United State’s first astronaut.

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

Drew Lufrano, grandson of NED LUFRANO ’54, at Camp Thunderbird for Boys in Bemidji, Minnesota.

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

PAT ANDREWS GANDER ’67, SUZANNE BALDWIN LENNOX ’67, BOB LENNOX 67′ in Charleston, South Carolina.

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus

BECKY HADLEY ’75 & JONDI GUMZ ’75 met up in December at The Pearl in San Antonio where Becky lives before viewing the John Marin art exhibit. Shout out to TERRY HOFFER ’74 in Vermont!

Submitted by: Yvonne Nicklaus