R Connections

1964 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

PAT OSTROM KOHNEN ’64

(925) 201-7377 / pmko@aol.com

Greetings to my ’64 Classmates,

I was hoping that by the time I wrote this Fall Letter most of COVID would be behind us. We are still being very careful here at Stoneridge Creek even though there is a high percentage of both residents and employees vaccinated. Outside guests can still only dine with residents at outside venues. Some excursions have started again. A group of us went to the Legion of Honor Art Museum in San Francisco. In order to dine inside at the Café we needed to show proof of vaccination. Some of my friends are starting to travel again, but I am waiting until 2022. I am thinking about a Great Lakes Cruise. Our Book Club is still meeting via Zoom, but a few of the clubs or committees are starting to meet in person with masks. My granddaughter in Sacramento is back at school in-person, but my three granddaughters in the Philippines are still doing distance learning.  

My oldest granddaughter who turned 25 on July 4th has moved back to California with her fiancé; she now works for the Sacramento Police Department. She was a criminal justice major in college.

I hope that you are doing well. Aging does come with challenges, but I am trying to keep fit. I now have a personal trainer twice a week to help keep me on track. I think word games are good for the mind. I have recently started to play Quiddler; it is a card game similar to Scrabble. It takes some thought, but not so much that we cannot chat while we play. Reading continues to be a special pleasure for me. During the pandemic I started to explore Netflix.

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, August 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first ever August Alumni Weekend. The weekend included a Commencement Ceremony for the Class of ’20. Next year the Alumni Weekend date will be June 23-26, 2022.

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. There are 250 first year students and nine transfer students. Seventy-one percent of the incoming class comes from Wisconsin. 74 students represent the 23 other states. The male/female ratio is 52%/48%. Ethnicity is 78% White, 11% Hispanic, 4% Black and 7% other. There are 100 first generation college students. The most common names among the class are Emily/Emilie, Isabelle/Isabella and Jacob.

Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. Many of you have been generous over the years. Even if you have never donated before this could be your year to make a donation. Before my husband, JIM KOHNEN ’64, died, we decided to include Ripon in our will. The College endowment recently hit an all-time high of $112 million.

I have some sad news to share, including that our classmates BILL BEYER ’64 died on July 24, 2021, and BARBARA CARLSON WATTMAN ’64 died May 28, 2020. 

WILLIAM “BILL” BEYER ’64 of Greenleaf, Wisconsin, died July 24, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in chemistry, participated in Theta Chi and was commissioned through ROTC. He had worked in healthcare. Survivors include his wife, CAROL HABERKORN BEYER ’66; and children, including ELISABETH BEYER NOLEN ’86. BILL BEYER ’64 and I were both chemistry majors and he was a Theta Chi fraternity brother of my husband JIM KOHNEN ’64.

BARBARA CARLSON WATTMAN ’64 of Wichita, Kansas, died May 28, 2020. At Ripon, she studied art. She also studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, earned a degree in art history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and studied at Wichita State University. She taught at Wichita State and the Wichita Art Association. She was active in the Oz Bicycle Club; and was a member of the Scandinavian Society, researched her Swedish heritage and traveled to Sweden four times. Later in life, she earned a master’s degree in gerontology and worked in the memory care unit at Catholic Care Center. She was active in the Adoration group at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Survivors include one son and two daughters.

RONALD SCOTT HEIDERICH ’64 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, writes, “My wife Kathy Heiderich died September 21, 2020. 57.5 years married! Love of my life. Died of renal cancer.”

RICHARD L. MOSCHEL ’64 of Ely, Minnesota, writes, “This was a year of staying in!”

I did not receive any other class information to share either from the College or from you. Let me know how you are doing; so I can share some class notes in my next letter.

Stay Safe,

Pat Ostrom Kohnen ’64

Submitted by: Class Agent: Pat Ostrom Kohnen

1966 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

BARRY SIMON ’66

(505) 967-5225 / sbarry@ktb.net

Dear Classmates of 1966,

For the past several Ripon bulletins with updates about members of various classes, we have been missing. And so, I bit the bullet and volunteered to be the Class Agent for 1966. Not very democratic, but…here we are.

1966. A long time ago. 55 years ago. We have all been on our personal journeys. Until our class disappeared from the update bulletins, I had been able to follow the initial steps we took to further our education with advanced degrees or to start our careers. I was always amazed at how many went on to careers in major businesses, moving up the corporate ladder to successful positions. I guess I didn’t realize the role business education played in our undergraduate years as I was planning for a career as a high school English teacher with some involvement in theater and chorus. The road I took eventually lead to a 25-year career in the television/film industry.

Then there were the marriages and growing families. Children were born and then grandchildren. Only recently did I become a grandfather when my husband’s daughter and her wife adopted a three-week-old baby. I now understand the joy of watching a child grow and develop from just a bundle to an alert and learning one one-year old child. Meanwhile, I have spent the ten years volunteering for Albuquerque Reads (the teacher is still in me), helping kindergarten kids with their developing reading skills. With some students it is a delight; with others it is a struggle; and with some it is a real challenge overcoming their developmental and emotional needs. But watching my granddaughter grow through a series of pictures sent daily from Brooklyn by her parents has been its own, ecstatic journey. Plus, I love sending her books and seeing pictures of her “reading.” The latest was her holding the New York Times…upside down. You have to start somewhere.

Now, at nearly 78, it’s about retirement. And while I have plans for the future—well, at least for tomorrow—I know that the years ahead are much shorter than the future when I left Ripon, diploma under my arm and hopes and dreams filling my imagination. I don’t know about you, but when I look back at my journey I am really taken aback at where I have been, the names I can’t remember, the challenges I faced, the successes I had, the regrets I harbor, the relationships I have been in and, in general, my life from the Midwest to the West Coast to the Southwest. 

I suspect that you, too, have had an interesting journey since 1966. And so, before the next Class Letter deadline approaches, I ask you to share where you are now: what are you doing, what you are proudest of, and what you look forward to in the days/years ahead. I welcome you to email me at sbarry@ktb.net or call me at (505) 967-5225. 

Thanks for taking the time to write, and I look forward to reading your observations. Finally, the Class of 1966 is back!

Your Unelected Class Agent,

BARRY SIMON ’66

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barry Simon

1968 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

PETER UHRIG ’68

(512) 762-1479 / Puhrig381@gmail.com

Dear Classmates:

Here we are at the end of another summer, and I hope it has been a good one for each of you. It might have been good if you were not anywhere near the wildfires ravaging parts of the west and northwest. It might have been very nice if you were not in states now facing critical water shortages. And it certainly might have been very pleasant if you were not in the path of a hurricane like Ida.

I hope none of these things affected you but these days, even events far away from where we live seem to spill over into our lives through loved ones who did suffer.

School News

After what must surely be called an unusual and we hope unique academic year, 142 members of the Class of 2021 were graduated on May 16, at the 154th commencement. This was quite an achievement for Ripon, needing to adapt procedures for the students that chose an in-person on-campus experience as well as needing to accommodate those who opted to study from home.

Alumni Weekend: Aug. 6-8 saw attendees from 29 states and from classes of 1961 to 2023. This was the first-ever August Alumni Weekend to take place since COVID-19 paused on-campus events. Alumni Weekend 2022 will go back to the usual end-of-June time. Save the date, June 23-26, 2022.

Fundraising Success: Fund-raising is always of critical importance to Ripon. I am happy to report a record breaking 2,087 donors supported the April 28th #OneDayRally and 3,600 donors supported the College over the fiscal year, which included contributions to the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. It’s no wonder our endowment continues to grow allowing our school to continue its role as a leader and model for what a successful small liberal arts institution should be.

Campus upgrade: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science recently received a thorough makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69, and his wife, Pat.

Classmate News

GUY R. ’68 HENSHAW and SUSAN SIEGEL HENSHAW ’68 of Danville, California, received Ripon College’s Medal of Merit at the commencement ceremony on May 16, 2021. In his acceptance speech, GUY restated his firm belief in the necessity of a liberal arts education and the strong foundation he received by attending Ripon. Congratulations to GUY and SUSAN for your continuing generosity and service to our school. 

STEVE HENIG ’68 and Kathy of Wake Forest, North Carolina, arranged a reconnection with fellow Theta Chi’s TED SEWALL ’66 and his wife BARBARA BRADFORD SEWALL ’65 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, this past July. PETER UHRIG ’68 and Linda, who now spend summers in Palos Park, Illinois, joined them. TED, STEVE and PETER were Theta Chi’s together. While together, they paid a visit to the campus and received a mini tour from JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07, Associate Director of Engagement.

We all remember Memorial Gymnasium but how many of us took note of the war memorial plaque, which used to be there? It contains the names of Ripon alumni who died in service to their country from World War I forward. It is now located along Seward Street, in the spot formally occupied by Memorial Gymnasium. 

As mentioned in the last Class Letter, if you have not been to the campus for a while, here is a link to the virtual campus tour: tour.ripon.edu. It gives a great birds-eye view of what our campus looks like today.

Finally, if you are interested in hearing news about your classmates, start by sharing some news from your life. It’s an important connection with those we do not regularly see. What may seem like a small thing to you is still a nice tidbit to share as well as larger changes and accomplishments in your lives. Please let us hear from you. My contact information is included at the beginning of this Class Letter, or you may send news to alumni@ripon.edu. 

Best Wishes

PETER UHRIG ’68

Submitted by: Class Agent: Peter Uhrig

1969 Fall 2021 Class Letter for R Connections

Select the link above to view the Class of 1969 Fall 2021 Class Letter.

Class Agent:

SCOTT A. NYQUIST ’69

(630) 632-1619 / scott.a.nyquist@gmail.com

Submitted by: Class Agent: Scott Nyquist

1970 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Outgoing Class Agent:

SUSAN HECHT GEBHARDT ’70

We are currently searching for a new Class Agent.

Dear Class of 1970,

After waiting patiently for your Class Reunion to be celebrated, it sure was nice to be able to celebrate your class during August’s Alumni Weekend festivities. For those of you who could attend, it was a joy to have you back at your Alma Mater, a place that you can always call home. For those of you who we missed, please know that you are always welcome back at any time. All of you are now part of the Golden R Club, which you automatically join once you celebrate your 50th Class Reunion. There is a special celebration at each Alumni Weekend for Golden R Club members, which you are always welcome. This past Alumni Weekend, there were alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, on campus August 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 through 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Your class had 17 people attend the Saturday evening gathering. Enclosed you will find your official 50th Reunion photo commemorating this milestone event. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to the traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022. We had two of your classmates submit their reflections from the weekend that are shared with you below.

JON MEYER ’70 of Aberdeen, Washington, writes “I want to thank all the Ripon people who helped during my Class Reunion. They were unfailingly polite, efficient, and, most importantly, they were friendly. As a member of the Class of 1970 who hadn’t been on campus since graduation, the reception I received made for a very positive experience.”

LINDA WARD MACK ’70 of Elm Grove, Wisconsin and Scottsdale, Arizona, writes this reflection from her experience at Alumni Weekend:

“The Class of 1970 finally got our 50th Reunion a year late! For those of us who had planned and looked so forward to our awesome gathering in 2020, the actual reunion in 2021 was bittersweet. It was a disappointment that most of those who had planned on attending in 2020 couldn’t come for 2021, yet it was gratifying that, though the event wasn’t as planned, we did it! To those classmates of 1970 who didn’t attend, know you were missed.

“Our delayed 50th Reunion was combined with the 50th Reunion for the Class of 1971, Alumni Weekend, and a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020. Alumni gathered at the Commons to register on a rainy Saturday morning. Wisconsin had little rain leading into August and then Ripon got slammed with a devastating storm uprooting large trees and knocking out power for the city earlier that week. It was amazing that the College even managed the Alumni Weekend!! Rain prevailed all weekend, and yet spirits weren’t dampened.

“As an ADPi, I planned on meeting sorority sisters CHRIS BELTZ MAAS ’70, SUE BRADLEY SORENSEN ’71, JANET BEAN GADDIS ’71, and BEVERLY MOESCHEL HIRSEKORN ’72 who had flown in from Colorado! PHYLLIS HOLLYER ’70 was unable to attend at the last minute. For the 2020 Reunion, a group of ADPi’s had planned a get-together for classes of 1968-1972 with more than 45 gals coming. We went from 45 to five in 2021.

“At the Saturday morning registration, there were a number of familiar faces, though I was thankful we all had name tags. After a meet and greet, we decided to tour campus. Changes most evident are the street closures in front of Commons, Tri-Dorms, and Johnson Hall. It is still an amazingly beautiful campus. The Commons has had a facelift! The Lane Library renovations create a learning environment based on technology. Central campus looks the same, while the newer state-of-the-art gymnasium, known as the Willmore Center, and the fine arts center, known as the C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, expand the campus footprint, their addition to the College is breath-taking. WOW!! The gym is a tribute to past athletic accomplishments while creating opportunities for today’s team’s success. The fine arts center is a venue for today’s student artists surrounded by works of art from the past. Impressive!

“The downside of our campus tour was Johnson Hall. For those of us who lived there in the ’60s, it is still the same 51 years later. Johnson Hall is neat and clean but it has the same cabinets in rooms, closet doors, etc., like we never moved out. I have no idea what other residence halls look like. My son, DAVID MACK ’97, graduated from Ripon in 1997 and the Quads were still the Quads. My daughter, ASHLEY MACK ’07 lived in Johnson Hall, too! It’s the same as it was in the past at present, but I hope for updating in the future!

“After a delicious lunch at Knuth Brewing Company in town, we met to see other alums. In typical fashion, though, we stayed in our own groups! It was fun seeing alums from other years and mingling with faces and names we recognized. It was great to see long-time past Class Agent JIM WALSH ’70 there. Having worked on a number of reunions with him and enjoyed his newsletters over the years, thanks JIM!! DAVE READ ’70, another of our former Class Agents, was also in attendance during the 50th Celebration, and his time serving is appreciated. Recent Class Agent SUE HECHT GEBHARDT ’70 and husband BILL GEBHARDT ’69 attended looking no worse from his health challenges. Thanks, SUE, for keeping us updated and hope you are in your new house!

“The Golden R Club and Reunion Celebration dinner highlighted the day featuring a formal sit-down dinner with drinks and dessert and a welcome by Ripon College President Zach Messitte and Board of Trustee members. Following their remarks, each one of us ‘oldies’ were recognized and received the Golden R pin. I guess getting old is an achievement unto its own! Our gratitude was expressed in our $220,504 class gift in honor of our 50th Reunion. A great gift to give our gratitude to RC!

“The evening ended at The Spot. No, not OUR Spot, rather The Spot, which we used to call The Pub! Our Spot is closed and gone, this is The Spot of the day. It’s like a coffee bar and sells beverages. Quite nice actually and clearly convenient! A fun day was had by all! Good work RC staff. You knocked it out of the park!

“Sunday morning had 30 or so of us gather for the Remembrance Service in the Commons Pickard Dining Room. The local pastor, JEFFREY DODSON ’06, from the First Congregational Church next to East Hall spoke as we all reflected on those classmates that didn’t live to see this day. Memories were all we had of our time together. Wish we had had a list of all of our classmates who had passed away from the Class of 1970. Always know that you are not forgotten.

“Afterwards, we had a tasty buffet brunch at the Commons that reminded us of the many meals we had there. I remember coming to dinner on Monday after house meetings, dressed up for dinner Thursday and Sunday dress, or ‘borrowing’ a tray for sledding? BTW I still have mine! Finally, we headed home with more memories of times past to last another lifetime….till we meet again, my friends and classmates of Class of 1970!”

NEWS AND NOTES FROM RIPON COLLEGE

Past Fiscal Year Update: A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors, including many of you from your Class of 1970, who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus Upgrades: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat P’04. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which is a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year: Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

CLASS AGENT UPDATE

Your Class Agent, SUE HECHT GEBHARDT ’70 has faithfully and caringly served her alma mater for over six years, and, now that the 50th Class Reunion is over, she has communicated that she is hoping that someone else will take over the reins. We thank SUE for her service and for helping to ensure that your class stayed connected over the years.

What does it take to be a Class Agent? Class Agents write a Class Letter each fall and spring that includes updates from classmates. The Office of Constituent Engagement helps with every step of the Class Letter including providing any classmate updates they receive, and they take care of sending out the Class Letters both through email and through the U.S. postal service. Being a Class Agent provides a direct line of communication with a staff member at Ripon College, and it is a great way to contribute to the success of your Alma Mater. 

Here are some reasons why you may want to consider being a Class Agent:

• You will have unique opportunities to get information, often before our general alumni population, and you will get to know campus staff and administration on a more personal level.
• You will help the College keep track of the contact information of classmates, helping ensure that all of us get to keep in touch. This is also important to help keep classmates connected to the larger Ripon College family.
• It feels good to give back to your Alma Mater in such a tangible way!

If you are interested in becoming a Class Agent or you simply want to learn more about this opportunity, email me, JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07, associate director of engagement, at schatzingerj@ripon.edu, or you can call me at (920) 748-8354. Thank you for considering this opportunity! 

I want to again take this moment to congratulate you on reaching this milestone of celebrating your 50th Class Reunion. We hope you will come back to visit campus in the future – you are always welcome!

Jolene Rueden Schatzinger ’07, Associate Director of Engagement
schatzingerj@ripon.edu / (920) 748-8354

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

1971 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

JIM BEISNER ’71

(770) 570-7725 / jim.beisner@gmail.com

Greetings, Class of 1971!

It is hard to believe we were starting our freshman year fifty-four long years ago, just as the Class of 2025 did this fall. Classes officially started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. The Ripon College community is growing. As of August 27, Ripon College welcomed a class of 250 first-year students and nine transfer students. This compares to the fall of 2020, which had 241 first-year students and ten transfer students.

Seventy-one percent of the incoming class come from Wisconsin. Seventy-four students represent 23 other states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. While COVID-19 restrictions have limited the number of students from foreign countries, Ethiopia and Myanmar are represented.

Although there is a large time gap between our start at Ripon and theirs, the quality of education has not changed in all those years. Through the support of our time, talents, and treasures, Ripon College has maintained a superb educational experience. Coming back for Alumni Weekend provided an opportunity to see this first-hand. There were alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, that were on campus, August 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Our class had 15 people attend the Saturday evening gathering, but many more were seen around campus during the weekend. Enclosed you will find our official 50th Reunion photo commemorating this milestone event.

It was so good to get together and reminisce about our time at Ripon so many years ago. The update provided during the Alumni Weekend State of the College program, as well as information that is shared in the Ripon Magazine and the online newsletter concerning current College activities along with department updates and alumni news, continue to show the excellent contribution Ripon makes to the nation and State of Wisconsin.  

As a reminder, we are now considered part of the Golden R Club. As a Golden R Club member, we are invited to join with all Club members (those who have celebrated their 50th Reunion and beyond) for a special celebration held each year during Alumni Weekend. I hope to see many of you at future Alumni Weekends! Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to the traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Campus News

Previous Fiscal Year Update: A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together.

Campus Upgrades: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which is a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

I want to especially thank the classmates who so generously gave to our class gift in support of our 50th Reunion. Our class was able to give Ripon College $25,945 and had 39% of our classmates contribute to the gift in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021. These funds will support the many and varied operations the College provides students that enhance their learning experience. I urge your consideration to continue your support of Ripon by increasing this year’s gift in recognition of all we have accomplished because of Ripon College. 

Sincerely,

JIM BEISNER ’71

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jim Beisner

1973 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73

(630) 987-9388 / jeanlederer@yahoo.com

Dear 1973 Ripon Classmates,

Happy 70th Birthday to all of you, who, like me, are turning or turned 70 this year! COVID’s ugly head certainly caused havoc last year and now this. So sad to hear of the many cases appearing now when it seemed we were doing so well. Florida seems particularly hard hit.

I am hoping things will come back under control so there can be a “normal” Alumni Weekend next June 23rd to the 26th. GARY LEDERER ’72 and I hope to attend, as he is part of the class of 1972, and this will be their 50th Class Reunion. I hope we will be able to connect in person with lots of our friends, but especially with SUE MIJANOVICH KEY ’72, KAREN TESCHNER DORN ’72, LYNNE HORNE GASIOREK ’72, LINDA BRASSINGTON DANIELS ’72, and ELENITA JACKSON PARKER ’72 who I have been Zooming with each Sunday through COVID. It would be wonderful to see them in person after months of flat screen visits! GARY and AL GASIOREK ’73 put in cameo appearances in some of the calls which added to the fun.

Alumni Weekend 2021 was postponed until August 6-8 on campus, with some virtual events leading up to the event. The August schedule included both 2020 and 2021 Class Reunions, and options for campus tours, socials, activities, reminiscences and plenty of time to explore campus and connect with each other. Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022. Some of the school’s finest scholars and student-athletes were honored with a Distinguished Alumni Citation, Outstanding Young Alumni Award or induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. On August 8th, a commencement ceremony was held in the Great Hall of Harwood Memorial Union for the Class of 2020, which had not been able to have normal graduation in May 2020, due to COVID.

In-person classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing. The College is following CDC guidelines in regard to COVID. Students began moving onto campus in late August. Seeing some pictures on Facebook of students, brought back memories of my first few days on campus. Hard to believe it was 50+ years ago. Some of those memories are so vivid. Who else remembers “Sweet Caroline” blasting from the Union as we were out on Tri-dorms lawn?

I want to thank all of you who participated in the #OneDayRally for Ripon and for each of you that has contributed to the Annual Fund. Ripon College relies on our continued support, and I want each of you to know how much your gifts are appreciated. Thank you!!! The Ripon College endowment fund is now at $112 million. Let’s keep it growing! Please continue to support Ripon College in the future. 

Updates from the campus include: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science – a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work – recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments.

I was pleased to hear from the following classmates:

MARTY MORRIS ’73 of Portland, Oregon, writes, “Under current conditions, I think my spouse, feline, and I made the most of the summer. We scheduled six camping trips throughout the high deserts of Central Oregon. This involved dodging wildfires, smoke, and COVID-19. Of course, it was one hot summer, too. For those that want to ask if Portland is as bad as it looks on the news, yes, probably worse. We let matters get out of hand, but our leaders are waking up to reality and I am confident PDX will be back to its fun, weird, and glorious self. Take care of yourselves out there!”

STEVE ILLICH ’73 of Georgetown, Texas, writes, “Please put out a plea for photos to go into the slideshow for our 50th Class Reunion. I am particularly interested in two things: first, photos of classmates who dated one another while in College and subsequently married. I’d like to have the “then” images. The other photos I’d like are those showing what classmates do for fun or in their free time. Those can include photos of classmates taking part in various activities or pictures of arts, crafts, and even photos taken by classmates.”

Digital images can be sent as email attachments to illich_s_k@yahoo.com. Hard copy images should be mailed to my NEW address: 116 Stephen Ln., Georgetown, TX 78626.

JOE SANDRIN ’73 of Bayside, Wisconsin, writes, “I have many things to share. After working full-time in Saudi Arabia since 2009, I returned to the U.S. on April 23. I will remain engaged in the project until at least the end of 2021, then phase into something resembling retirement.

“On a more challenging note, in August 2019 I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular autoimmune disease, and was undergoing treatment. Shortly after my return to the U.S. as we were trying to move around the various medications, I had a severe flare-up which put me in the ICU on a ventilator and a feeding tube for several days in early August. I have been informed I was a surly, confrontational, and a pain of a patient for the first couple of days. With the truly exceptional care provided by the Froedtert Medical Center here in Milwaukee, I mellowed out and recognized all they had done for me and that I would not be here now without their care.

“Home now, working with a new neuro-muscular specialist and a bunch of others to rebuild my strength and find the right treatment regimen. The initial recovery is going well and we will see where the coming appointments take us. Otherwise, I’ve been focusing on time with Janice as we near Anniversary 49 on December 23, our adult children and five grandchildren including Tristin, age 18, twins Gwen and Cheyne, age 17, along with Lorelei, age three, and her new brother, Joseph Brian, born 28 May 2021.  At least I am home with all of them now. Our youngest daughter’s wedding is set for October 2 and I will ensure I am able to walk her down the aisle and dance with her on her special day.

“We have added a RoadTrek Agile SS Class B motorhome for future explorations and relaxation time. We are trying local day trips and short excursions now with the intent for longer trips starting in 2022. It has been a year of massive changes in our lives, but Janice and I and the rest of the family are still hanging in there and looking forward to the future.”

MIKE MIZEN JR. ’73 of Lakewood, Ohio, writes, “We scrambled in February to fetch a COVID vaccination (Moderna for us) so by the end of March we were in that “fully vaccinated” category. This was important since we were expecting a third grandchild by our younger daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, Joe, in mid-April.

“Unfortunately, when PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’75 and her brother were skiing in March and she did a number on her left ACL. She had a successful ACL replacement at the end of April with therapy to follow. We got to see Fletcher Michael Malpass in early June. Therapy is now almost done with plans on skiing in February 2022.

“We will do two smaller RV adventures this year. The first just completed had us seeing friends and family in Michigan and Indiana with a brief but pleasant drive along the Ohio River Scenic Byway from Carrollton, Kentucky to Marietta, Ohio. The second trip will be to Richmond, Virginia, for a wedding. We are planning on taking a meandering direction with scenery and seeing some long-time friends along the way in both directions. Seeing the fall colors in Virginia, Pennsylvania, etc. is one objective.

“We remain flexible on the COVID issues but hope to connect in California with PETE ’73 and CAROL PARKHURST TULLIO ’73, ROB ’72 and JANET BEAN GADDIS ’71, and Gail and GARY SHARPE ’73 in November. Spending June 2022 in Ripon is a thought. PEGGI’s 45th was delayed a year, and 2023 for me is a desire. Whether we bring the RV is still a thought. I saw a fifth wheel parked by the athletic center in early August… just saying… this year!!!!”

JOANN SELLECK ’73 of San Diego, California, writes, “I attended a JANE SCHORE ’73 party in Los Angeles in August at one of her newly constructed real estate listings. Great time. (See our picture below.) We are both crazy enough to keep working instead of retiring! The not-so-spring-chickens (yikes, we both celebrated a decade change) JANE SCHORE ’73 and JOANN SELLECK ’73 who get together every couple of months.” 

DAVID GROSSMAN ’73 of Centerville, Massachusetts, writes, “My eldest son Daniel Lee (32) got engaged to Jazmyne Pollard (26) in July of this year. Daniel proposed to her at the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine. The couple presently resides in San Leandro, California. Daniel is a distribution manager for Budweiser and Jazzy is an elementary school teacher. The wedding of Daniel Lee Grossman and Jazmyne Pollard is planned for October 22, 2022.”

KATHY GRAUNKE ’73 of Seattle, Washington, writes, “Monty and I are fine here in Seattle. We had a nice visit from JOHN ’73 and JANE RUNKEL FREDERICK ’74 this summer- great to hear Wisconsin and some Ripon news. My twin sister, Kris, and I celebrated our 70th birthday here in Seattle with other family members present. It was so great to have them here.

“Monty and I, along with friends from our hiking group will travel to the Wallowa Mountains area of northeastern Oregon for four days after Labor Day. So far, the air quality there is pretty good. Greetings from the great Northwest to all my classmates! I look forward to hearing your news.”

KATHARINE PARISH MILLER ’73 of Richland, Michigan, writes, “All of my family is healthy. Both of my children now have three children – I am very, very blessed! I am currently building a Passive House Net-Zero. A Passive House is all electric using mini-split, CERV (circulation, energy, recovery ventilation), and it is a very tight (14” wall insulation, 24” ceiling) and therefore so is the ventilation. The house uses about 85% LESS energy than my regular house. It is Net Zero because I have solar panels and could be off the grid. There is also a bank of batteries if the power goes out for a while. Very exciting. 

“My passion to be an advocate for the environment is still very strong. I’m trying to encourage people to not idle when they stop to shop, get coffee, or mail a package. It is a no-brainer. Here, so many cars idle with nobody inside while the owners’ shop, get coffee…chat, etc. I have been working with various groups to stop Enbridge from compromising the Great Lakes! I hope everyone is doing well despite the pandemic!”

MICHAEL ZIEGENHAGEN ’73 of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, writes, “48 years since Ripon. 43 years of marriage to my wife, Darlene. Three daughters. Four grandchildren. Two businesses, but now happily retired. 26 years in our home in Moreland Hills, Ohio. I have been actively pursuing the interests I never had enough time for – golf, gardening, grandchildren, and bridge. There is so much to look forward to and I hope to see many classmates in 2023.”

CHRISTINE WOLK ’73 of Green Lake, Wisconsin, writes, “At my advanced age (70 on 8/28) I just joined a new law firm ‘of counsel,’ Krekeler Strother. My focus will still be bankruptcy and consumer law just in case your families could need me. I am also venturing soon (9/4/2021) on a river cruise in France – vaccinated and masked – with my sister, pandemic pending, of course. Je vais a’ Paris! I need an adventure!”

BILL MacLEOD ’73 of Washington, D.C., writes, “If you’re looking for silly stuff, here’s a shot of BOB KIRKLAND ’81, ANDY MacLEOD ’76, Dan Ault (in long black pants, a friend of Trustee MIKE MILBURN ’97’s), and me a couple of days ago. We were golfing in the ALS benefit tournament Wednesday at Cog Hill in Lisle, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. MIKE is one of the leaders and team captains. This is the biggest event for ALS in the country. We had a blast and helped a cause. SHAWN KARSTEN ’09 showed up with Ripon ringers – young alums from the athletic teams.” 

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73 of Estero, Florida, writes, “GARY LEDERER ’72 and I just completed a western adventure driving through parts of smoky Northern California, Oregon, and Idaho, and then a week at a dude ranch with family in Montana (highly recommended family vacation). We then headed down through Utah and stayed with friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Home for a few days now before we head out to help our son and his family move into a new home in Sacramento.

I would love to hear from all classmates either by email: jeanlederer@yahoo.com or snail mail to my home address: 22001 Sycamore Grove, Bonita Springs, Florida 34135. If you would like to share your email address with me and the rest of our class, I am planning on including a list of email addresses for those who want them shared in our next Class Letter.

Stay well, 

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer

1975 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent: 

JONDI GUMZ ’75

H: (831) 461-1120 / M: (831) 461-5946 / jondigumz@yahoo.com

Dear classmates,

This year, I have focused on my health with a new doctor, Leigh Erin Connealy, in Irvine, California. She’s seen 40,000 patients and has written a book about what works. After a healing crisis in June — two meds prescribed at the same time were too much for my body — I’m back to 95%, thanks to my Earthing.com mat, and working on the other 5%, reading an intriguing book by Dr. Robert Nagourney in Long Beach, California. At the end of August, my husband and I got away to Bodega Bay to camp with our son and daughter-in-law and their kids, ages five and four, first camping trip for the kids, and they loved pancakes cooked over a campfire and digging in the sandy beach.

My sister SHERYL ALBERS ANDERS ’76 of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, called me to say she’s participating in a Sauk County Historical Society program on Storybook Gardens in Wisconsin Dells — she was the Good Fairy and I was Little Bo Peep & Little Red Riding Hood way back when.

As for the Ripon College Alumni Weekend, the weather was stormy all three days in August, and turnout was skimpy. I was lucky to be able to connect with LOUISE RENIER BOOTHBY ’75, her husband GEORGE BOOTHBY ’74 and SUSIE SAPPINGTON ’75 on a Zoom call set up by the College before the event.

Let’s hear from RICK ESTBERG ’75, our Ripon Jeopardy guru, who hosted the game for Alumni Weekend:

“This year, for the first time I can recall, the big weekend was something of a washout, literally as well as figuratively. I can’t remember any other reunion where we had issues with rain, but this year we got more than our fair share. I saw the sun a bit on Friday afternoon, and that was it. All planned outdoor events ended up getting moved indoors, one after another as the College waited for weather updates. Turnout was, in a word, poor…”

“For me personally, there were only a couple of highlights. President Zach Messitte and his senior staff did a great job bringing attendees up to speed on recent college events, most especially changes forced by the pandemic. They fielded all questions thoroughly and honestly.” 

“And then there was Jeopardy! The good news was that, for the first time, I was able to go digital with a very realistic game board projected on a large screen. It was also a great venue: the Heritage Room upstairs in the Commons was very classy and could accommodate up to about 60. Sadly, with only 20 minutes to go before start time, we were all still unsure whether there would be a game at all. But we ended up gathering some folks from various classes and I think the total number of players was 18, spread over five tables. It was a great game and went down to Final Jeopardy to determine the winning table. The alumni office really helped out a lot — a big thanks to all of them. Bottom line: it was something of a ghost town on campus and that was sad, since we so infrequently get to see each other. Let’s hope that circumstances are very much different four years from now so we can do it up big for our 50th!”

Next, let’s hear from classmates who braved the weather and all to attend the Ripon Reunion:

SUZANNE MONROE POULOS ’75 of Evanston, Illinois, reports: “Yes, it was a wet weekend but engaging indoors. RICK ESTBERG ’75, LITA KATZ ’75, and I were the only ones from our class. We “had” to allow other alums to participate in Jeopardy for a decent audience, and our table won handily even though RICK was emcee! MICHAEL POULOS ’77 and I also hung out with Beta Sigma Pi (BSP) at their events with founding brothers and 50th Reunion classes of ’70/’71 (see picture). BSP has been holding monthly Zoom meetings for over a year now. With music on hiatus until next year, I have been spending time on genealogy. I have traced all lines back to the 1700s with some a millennia more. It turns out I come from a long line of Plantagenets — some who lost their heads in the Tower of London —and back to Alfred the Great, Rollo the Viking, and beyond. Six years ago, we bought a commemorative book on the anniversary of Magna Carta and contributed to the publication. Little did I know then that I am a descendant of King John and the lead baron, Robert Fitzwalter, of Runnymede fame. I recently learned the current Game of Thrones is based on the Wars of the Roses between the York and Lancaster families of which I had ancestors on both sides and some who changed sides. This was all so confusing when studying this long ago but now is beginning to make sense (relatively speaking). The real mystery though is determining the wife of Edward the Exile (1016-1057), who was brought up by King Stephen of Hungary. Her name is Agatha. Some attribute her as King Stephen’s daughter. Others suggest she was the daughter of the Grand Prince of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise. I have a personal reason to support the latter theory. When in Hungary several years ago we visited the monastery at Tihany where Stephen’s nephew, King Andrew, is buried. For some unknown reason, a modern statue of Andrew and Anastasia, his queen, captivated me. Now I know that’s because she is Agatha’s sister! In any event their daughter, later St. Margaret, became the wife of King Malcolm of Scotland, who you may recall killed that guy Macbeth because he murdered Malcolm’s father King Duncan. When I was 16, I became interested in my Scottish ancestry, and hand-wrote several lines back to the 1600s. Now I found a line that appears to go directly to Rob Roy McGregor, something my grandfather alluded to. I’m still trying to confirm this, though. To be able to go so far back in history has been humbling and informative, and lots of fun learning.”

LITA WEISLOW KATZ ’75, another Reunion attendee, emails from Silver Spring, Maryland: “RICK ESTBERG ’75 did such a great job of talking about his book at the Reunion that Amazon put it on back order! I also ordered one of WARREN BLUHM’S ’75 books at the same time, and it was shipped immediately. At least the rain held off for the 1.5 hour Ceresco Prairie tour. My husband, Bert, and I are in the picture in the newsletter that Ripon sent out. On a personal family note — now that we have to fit a high chair into our sukkah, we bought a bigger one for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot.”

KATHY KURKE ’75 emails from Ormond Beach, Florida: “I would have loved to have reconnected with all those who made it (to the Reunion). We spent the last year as caregivers for Rich’s brother, who had Stage IV pancreatic cancer. He came up to stay with us as he navigated 13 rounds of chemo, a rest, and then six weeks of daily radiation. Then recuperation for six weeks before he headed to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville where there is a marvelous surgeon who specializes in inoperable pancreatic cancer. After nine hours of surgery, the surgery was proclaimed to be a success. After several weeks of staying with us, he is back in his own home and getting stronger every day. Meanwhile, I put off back surgery while we cared for him. But now that I am free to undergo the surgery, COVID is so bad in our area that all non-emergency surgeries are cancelled. Florida is full of people who felt the vaccine was dangerous and then learned that not having the vaccine was worse. My aunt was one of those. She died last week. I know other people who have lost their lives or have been very, very ill. Please get your vaccines and wear masks in public! On a much lighter note, I have become one of six ‘resident artists’ at the Conklin Center for the Visually Impaired. We will be having quarterly shows for the visually impaired. Each piece of art will be designed with the visually impaired in mind and can be “viewed” by touching. We will also hang some of our more traditional works in the facility. I had an ‘artist’s block’ during much of COVID, but this has created a purpose and triggered my creativity again. I am also painting again in my own studio and will go back to entering shows and selling my work once COVID dies down a bit more. I would love to hear from some of my old Ripon friends. My old email address is not working well, so please update my contact address to: kathykurke@me.com” 

LINDA MOGICATO SASSER ’75 of Peoria, Arizona, also has a new email: brainandmemoryhealth@gmail.com so update your contact list. She also uses lindaleesasser@gmail.com.

SUSAN SCHREYER STANDER ’75 of Paradise Valley, Arizona, emails: “Things in Arizona have been quite eventful. My daughter, Kelsey, was married at home on April 24. We held the entire non-super-spreader event outdoors, and we were able to COVID-test the twelve people who were not fully vaccinated (they were all negative) and no one became ill afterward. It was a glorious day and I am still basking in the afterglow! I have become involved with a fabulous project currently on exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum, called The Violet Protest (www.violetprotest.com). It’s a nationwide public engagement project that utilizes 8″x8″ textile squares composed of equal parts red and blue fibers to protest political divisiveness and encourage bipartisanship. To date, 2,300 makers from every state in the nation have contributed almost 14,000 squares. We have been visited by members of the U.S. Congress, and hopefully on Sept. 1, by Senator Kirsten Sinema. National Public Radio did a three-minute segment on ‘All Things Considered,’ and PBS is interested in doing a documentary. The goal of the project is to collate and package these squares and deliver a bundle of approximately 25 squares to every member of the 117th Congress. Ann Morton, the artist behind the project, and I will be heading to Washington D.C. in December, where we will hand-deliver the packages to the Arizona Congressional delegation, the Problem Solvers Caucus in the House, and the Group of Twenty in the Senate. The remaining packages will be mailed to members of Congress. We are still raising funds to cover our packaging and mailing costs, so if any of our classmates would like to help, please go to the Violet Protest website and click on the donate tab. Anyone who wants to contribute a square is also encouraged. That’s all my news. Stay well.”

SUSIE SAPPINGTON ’75 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes: “It was soooo nice to see you on the Zoom call with LOUISE RENIER BOOTHBY ’75! You were gone before I could tell you or say goodbye to you. As they say, it felt just like yesterday! I hope by next year we are back to normal and can go to the Reunion. I hope your health holds up and thank you for talking about it with us!

PHIL BOLDA ’75 of Tempe, Arizona, emails: “I can tell you that my wife and I have just canceled a weekend trip to New Orleans — long-planned but ill-timed. I attempted to get onto the Zoom call for the Class of ’75 Reunion, but the link I had would not work. Perhaps I messed up the time? Hope that by the time of our 50th many of our current issues will have passed. I promise to be there and to help as I can to promote turnout.”

PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’75 of Lakewood, Ohio, emails: “With COVID restrictions lifting a bit last spring my brother and I ventured out for a few days of skiing in Colorado and I, unfortunately, fell on the first day ripping my left ACL out — an injury our surgeon told us he normally sees in ten-year-olds! I had a very successful ACL replacement surgery the end of April and have pretty much returned all my previous levels of activity — I do plan on skiing next season! We welcomed a new grandson to our family April 20, Fletcher Michael Malpass. Our daughter and her husband live outside of D.C. and we plan on traveling there in September to babysit so they can go to a concert — we are trying to see them every month if we can. Our other daughter and son-in-law live within walking distance of our home here in Lakewood, Ohio — Kael is four-and-a-half attending an all-day pre-K program now and Paisley 18 months — we see the four of them quite often. We just returned from a small 12-day RV trip beginning in southwest Michigan traveling down through Indiana and coming home along the Ohio River — it was fabulous to see towboats pushing barges along the Ohio River. We may do another fall trip and are hoping to connect with Kevin and LINDA MOCHALSKI CARPENTER ’75 in Tennessee. My best to all of my classmates and maybe we can connect in Ripon next June!”

LEON PASCUCCI ’75 in Rancho Mirage, California, emails: “All is well with us in Rancho Mirage. Mike’s newly published short story in ‘Palm Springs Noir,’ an anthology, is being well-received, and I continue writing hotly contested letters to the editor of our local paper as a Democratic Party enthusiast (my college Libertarianism seems so yesterday!). Happily in touch with classmate SUSAN SCHREYER STANDER ’75 among a few.”

DIANA “DUSTI” AUSTRING ’75 emails from New Zealand: “Still retired (though also still working casually at our local library); still three granddaughters — now two, four and six years old — who are still in Perth, Western Australia; still doing some community volunteering and some work around the house and the yard; and I haven’t done any travelling this year and none is planned for the near future. After six months of COVID-free life here in Aotearoa (except for a few incoming cases in managed quarantine), we’ve been hit with Delta in the community a couple of weeks ago and gone straight into full lockdown (essential services only), and although it looks like we’re reaching a plateau, we’ll stay in lockdown here in the Auckland area for at least another two weeks. The rest of the country gets to step down to level three on Wednesday. Unfortunately, some of the first cases were young adults, so it spread through social groups, work, play, churches, nightclubbing, concerts, high school, and university classes in the few days before the first case was tested and lockdown started. The last few days we’ve only had small increases, so we’re hoping… My Chocolate Burmese, Bijou, still helps me stay sane with her antics and games! Hallelujah for crazy cats!”

DICK O’CONNOR ’75 emails from Olympia, Washington: “Cathy retired on 7/31, I retired from teaching when I graded my last finals in June, so we are now finally an official retired couple! We kicked it off with our son’s wedding on that same 7/31, followed by a couple of days taking out-of-town siblings (all from northern Illinois) to the Pacific Ocean and Mount Rainier, two experiences that are sadly lacking in the Midwest. We are now taking time to look at volunteer opportunities, projects around the house, grandkid-sitting (during the week, how fun!!), and travel plans. We’re camping at Mount Rainier the last week of August (right when my former colleagues will be conducting high school orientation!) and hope to line up a few more trips in September, when the weather is good, the crowds are gone, and we are finally free to go places. At this point, I can say that the ‘Six Saturdays and a Sunday’ routine is a joy, and we are learning to be careful we don’t end up busier than we were before. Thanks for keeping us all in touch. See you at the 50th?”

DALE HARING ’75 emails from Skokie, Illinois: “Renee and I are both retired, but one of my contacts asked if I could help them out with a little consulting. Turns out to be between 25 and 30 hours a week for the last 18 months but at least I can work from home and pretty much on my own schedule. This is a good thing as we are taking care of our 14-month-old granddaughter at least two days a week, which is probably the best part of being retired. On September 1, we leave for a few days in Seattle and then a week cruise to Alaska — which seems odd considering the current state of the Virus, but we have both been vaccinated and received our boosters and the cruise line tests everyone before boarding so they have never had a case on board. Here’s hoping their record holds. I was sorry to hear the Reunion was poorly attended, we thought about going, but again decided the risk of the Virus was too great considering the cruise, our granddaughter and Renee’s 93-year-old mother. I imagine many others that might have attended had similar concerns. But thank you for your continued efforts to keep us up on Ripon happenings. Hard to believe we graduated 46 years ago. Stay well.”

STEVE ANDERSON ’75 emails from Eden Prairie, Minnesota: “Nice to hear you and husband are grandparents. We have three and as you know, they are a blessing. I have spent many business dinners in Bodega Bay as a great place to dine while on business in Santa Rosa. My wife and I are missing our trips to Europe during the summer months due to COVID uneasiness. We will try to swing a long weekend in early December in Paris. Our adult kids are virus safe and taking time at our log cabin in Northwest Wisconsin. Life is good and time is more and more precious each day. Thanks for the work you have done on behalf of the ’75 class over all the years.”

JIM CURTIS ’75 reports: “Still living in Clinton, Connecticut. Retirement is still a few years away with my two kids in college. My son, Sam, is halfway through a nursing degree at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services in Boston. My daughter, Alena, is a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire — and at this moment would like to be in law enforcement. We’ve survived and thrived in the world of COVID as all family members are healthy and active. While I’m very involved with my sporting goods sales agency (since 1994) —managing seven sales reps with a business partner — I’ve managed to stay competitive with my golf game, playing in state and regional tournaments as a senior and playing well and placing in the top ten in Connecticut. As a member of my golf club for 30 years, I also won our club championship in 2020—becoming the oldest to ever win it. And, I partnered with JOE BELANGER ’75 this summer to win our Member Guest tournament! Hope to get back to campus next summer!”

DAVE STOCKDALE ’75 has a new address: 2180 Lemon Ave., Englewood, FL 34233. The best way to connect with BRUCE GUILFOILE ‘75 in Japan is by email: brucekguilfoile@gmail.com.

Connect with LINDA MOGICATO SASSER ’75 at: brainandmemoryhealth@gmail.com

Thanks for keeping us up to date.

I hope to see you all in person in the future. In the meantime, I’m asking for help to find these classmates for which I do not have a current address or email: PEYTON ANNESS, JENIFER LUTZ BATIOLA, RICHARD BOWEN, WENDY GELLERSTED BRAUN, SILVIA CAMPOS, LYNNE MARCUS CLARK, MARTHA CONNOLLY, KENNETH EBERT, VIVIAN GEORGE, JOHN GIBBONS, ROBERT GIBSON, RUTH KEAZIRIAN, JEFFREY SCOTT MUELLER, ROBERT MUNSON, BROMLEY PALAMOUNTAIN, ARNOLD PERLICK, BARBARA JONES REINECKE, CHRISTINE CLEM RUSSELL, GILBERT SANCHEZ, CURTIS TAYLOR, MICHAEL WATKINS, DEAN WILLIAMS, and JOSEPH ZAJAC. 

Some sad news to report:

JON FASANELLI-CAWELTI ‘75 of Muscatine, Iowa, died March 30, 2021. At Ripon College, he majored in history and art, played trumpet, and participated in track and cross country. He continued to play trumpet later in several bands and orchestras in the Muscatine area. He received his bachelor’s, master’s, and MFA degrees from the University of Iowa School of Art, and served as a teaching assistant in the print department. He was an artist and printmaker who exhibited national and internationally and specialized in the art of 15th-century intaglio printmaking. He had a passion for history, music, and printmaking. Survivors include his wife, Diane Calzaretta; and two daughters. 

More news from Ripon College:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to the traditional end of June: June 23-26, 2022. All class years ending in the numbers two or seven will be celebrating their Class Reunion at Alumni Weekend 2022!

Past fiscal year update:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the more than 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. A new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, a new asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

The Ripon College endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Aug. 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the academic year:

Classes started on August 30 with in-person classes. The College is of course following CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety. To learn more about what Ripon College is taking to make sure students attending the fall semester are protected from the COVID-19 virus, see: ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.

Here are some links to stay up to date with Ripon College:

News stories: ripon.edu/news/ 

The latest Ripon Magazine, which includes features on alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/

Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 

Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity

That’s all for now — hope to see you in person soon! Let’s stay in touch! 🙂

Your Class Agent,

JONDI GUMZ ’75 

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jondi Gumz

1976 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76

wittlerm@ripon.edu

PETER TUZ ’76

petertuz@aol.com

Hello, Members of the Class of 1976,

Our 45th Reunion has come and gone. Alumni and guests from 29 states were on campus August 6-8 representing classes from 1961 to 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first Alumni Weekend held in August and probably the last. Plans are to hold next year’s Alumni Weekend at the traditional end of June period which falls June 23-26 in 2022. Members of our class who participated included STEVE BINKLEY ’76, JULIE CARLSON ’76, ALLEN MCCUE ’76, TOM BROMAN ’76, MARK TESLIK ’76 and MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76. STEVE and MICHELE were presented to the school with a check for $100,000 raised from members of our Class of 1976. Our contributions matter, and we are grateful to all who participated.

There is a lot of other good news from Ripon you might be interested in.

On April 28, 2021 donors from around the world participated in Ripon’s fourth annual day of giving, known as #OneDayRally. In total, more than 3,600 donors supported Ripon this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other fund-raising initiatives.

The campus continues to get some much-needed face-lifting.

In Farr Hall of Science, the McCullough Family Lounge recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat.

A new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for our Department of Mathematical Sciences, as well as other departments. 

In addition, thanks to generous donors, strong markets and great leadership, Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and was at $112 million as of as of Thursday, August 19, 2021.

Like many educational institutions around the country, Ripon started full in person classes on Monday, August 30th. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. There is a comprehensive program to help the campus community with vaccinations if needed.

We have some sad news to share of our classmate:

JEFFREY P. CLARK ’76 of Poynette, Wisconsin, died May 9, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and participated in baseball, Phi Kappa Pi, Phi Beta Kappa, Partners in the Legacy and other Ripon memberships. He received a law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He worked for his entire 42-year career at Lathrop (later Boardman) & Clark. He served as president of the State Bar of the Wisconsin Elder Law & Special Needs Section, and of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He loved sports, especially the UW Badgers football and basketball, and played curling and golf. He enjoyed landscaping, history and travelling. Survivors include his wife, Susan; son ADAM CLARK ’07; daughter LAURA CLARK CULLINANE ’02; and brothers JAMES CLARK ’68 and JOHN CLARK ’71.

Lastly, we are happy to correct a grievous error that was published in the Ripon Magazine a few months ago — GEORGE ANASTOS ’76 is still with us! In an almost unbelievable series of unfortunate coincidences, we were given information that a George C. Anastos of Cottage Grove, Minnesota had passed away in February 2021. However, he was not the GEORGE C. ANASTOS ’76 who attended Ripon and graduated with us in 1976. All of us look forward to seeing GEORGE at a future Class Reunion. Sincere apologies to GEORGE! 

Speaking of reunions, are you involved in gatherings with members of class? Let us know about your news and about these gatherings. There is something precious about being in touch and being together. STEVE PUGH ’76 and BABS JANSSEN PUGH ’78 were recently on campus as a stop on their months-long holiday trip from New Hampshire to Wisconsin. They loved touring the Willmore Center and STEVE PUGH ’76 reminisced about a PE swim class with CANDI HUTCHISON ’76 and SARA REDMAN JUMP ’76 helping a classmate who broke his ankle jumping off the diving board. DAN SHERMAN ’76 was also on campus in August; he was on a motorcycle trip from New England to points west and back. In a couple of weeks a group of Alpha Delta Pi sisters, including JUDY REISINGER DAVIS ’76/P’10, CAROL WARREN SACHEN ’76, and PEGGY ZAREK ODDO ’76 will be gathering in Door County. In October, JULIE CARLSON ’76, SHANE MCCAMEY ’76, GLENN PINCUS ’76, FRED THEISEN ’76, JEFF GILLIS ’76/P’09, BETH GALLER GILLIS ’78/P’09, and SHARON GRIGGINS ’76 will gather in Green Lake and spend some time on campus. This summer, GAIL DOBISH ’76, spoke at a Green Lake Festival of Music event honoring the founder of the Festival, Ripon College Professor of Music Doug Morris.

It would be wonderful to gather on campus during each Alumni Weekend. And, it is not too early to think ahead to our 50th Class Reunion, a very special occasion in 2026! 

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you.

All good wishes,

PETER TUZ ’76

MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jondi Gumz

1977 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent: 

ALAN LAWRENCE ’77/P’08/P’14 

(920) 422-2347 / alan_lawrence99@yahoo.com

Dear Classmates,

2021 was once again a deviation from normal thanks to what COVID has been doing to our world. In 2020 it caused the cancellation of our annual Alumni Weekend, but this year we managed to schedule two events. The first was mostly virtual, on the traditional weekend in June. The second was mostly in-person on a date in August that had been hoped would be safer.

Despite living only 70 minutes from Ripon, I missed the August event. I’ve been busy, and it was a rainy weekend. But, MARYJO MACSWAIN ’77 and JEANNIE BLACK ’77 attended, as they usually do. They contributed this description for us:

“Alumni Weekend 2021 was a blast despite the rain, which wasn’t forecasted until a day or two before. However, the College did an amazing job of making last minute changes from all outdoor activities to protect people from the rain and storms, as well as implementing excellent COVID mitigations. There were lots of people attending, plenty of activities to enjoy, and even about ten different tents for the Saturday dinners and activities. Unfortunately, the rain moved the dinners inside but that ended up being well done! The new food service was terrific and provided great meals and options. The Service of Remembrance on Sunday morning was well attended as we remembered our classmate, BIRGIT ABROMAITIS RETSON ’77, and others. The College did a great job in every area, especially considering the circumstances of a devastating storm in Ripon the week before, COVID procedures, and the rain that changed plans. We weren’t able to attend graduation (for the Class of 2020), but we heard it went very well. Attendance wasn’t nearly as high as previous years but it seemed like a lot of 50-year alumni and many younger ones, too.”

Next year, during Alumni Weekend in June we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of our class graduation. In turn, our class will be meeting for our 45th Reunion celebration the weekend of June 23-26, 2022. As the Class Agent, I have a role in this planning, but I really would like a committee to help me. If you are interested in helping, then please write to me.

Here are notes from two of our classmates:

HARRY QUINN ’77 of Bel Air, Maryland, writes “Things are going fine for SUE LAMBERT QUINN ’79 and me here in Maryland. Our son, Michael, has three children, one of which lives with her mom here in Maryland so that we get to see her often. Kela is eight and she keeps us on our toes. Mike lives in Missouri and has two boys, one about 22 months old and the other almost four months. We went out to see them in late March. I am still working for the Science and Technology Corporation managing our Department of Defense work. The work is great and keeps me busy. I manage the finances, do some program management, deal with the customers, and hire scientists, engineers, and others when I can. For fun, I do some photography, mostly underwater, but some above. The underwater photography I do in the Caribbean, mostly around St. John in the USVI. St. John is my happy place. Our daughter is my hiking and snorkeling buddy! Earlier in June, we went up to the New York Finger Lakes region to sightsee and visit wineries.”

ANDREA MORRIS ’77 of La Habra, California, writes “I am retiring this July after 36 years in the NICU. I do get to go out on a high note as I am receiving the Mentor of the Year award from my national organization, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. While leaving the clinical side of care I am continuing to teach in the NICU CNS program at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Looking forward to traveling, both nationally and internationally along with other fun things like remodeling the home (groan).”

And, about myself, ALAN LAWRENCE ’77/P’08/P’14. I’ve retired and my wife decided we don’t need to live in Appleton, Wisconsin anymore. Within a few months we decided that we could move, and then what we needed in a new community. Ultimately, Roanoke, Virginia was selected. It will be an interesting new chapter for us. We bought our “new” house last month and are frantically packing up for our move. So, this Class Letter is briefer than normal.

We also have two deaths to report from our classmates.

STEPHEN C. SNYDER ’77 of Cameron, Wisconsin, died Jan. 31, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in biology, participated in the Wilder Field Station several times and began an interest in radio work. He received a degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He worked for more than 40 years as a forestry technician for Rusk County and as an announcer for WWIB Radio for 41 years. He enjoyed the outdoors and fishing, racquetball player, his faith, and performing as a keyboardist and singer.

BIRGIT ABROMAITIS RETSON ’77 of Williamsburg, Virginia, died May 11, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in English and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega/Alpha Gamma Theta. She later was a charter member of Partners in the Legacy. She received a degree in nursing from George Mason University. Survivors include two sons, including PHILIP RETSON ’15, and one daughter.

The other day, I received a letter from Ripon’s Vice President and Dean of Faculty, John Sisko. He was inviting me to make another gift to help support and enhance Ripon College by making a gift to the Ripon Fund. This is always a worthwhile endeavor.

I’d like to highlight a couple of points from Dean Sisko’s letter: “Ripon College is a student-first and student-centered school. The College is dedicated to providing a premier, immersive and accessible liberal arts education. Ripon College is a tier-1 national liberal arts school; it is a best-value school; and it is a top college for social mobility. But Ripon College is much more. For those of us with experiences of Ripon, the College quickly becomes part of our own internal understanding of who we are: who we are as individuals and who we are as members of a community.”

Please send news about yourself either to the College or to me to be shared in our next Class Letter. We’d love to hear from you.

Remember that your financial help is very important to help keep Ripon a competitive and quality institution. Your donations are important every year. Your participation is very important.

Always for Ripon, 

Alan

Submitted by: Class Agent: Alan Lawrence

1978 Fall 2021 Class Letter

Select the link above to view the Class of 1978 Fall 2021 Class Letter.

Class Agent:

GREGG PETERSEN ’78

(410) 884-0407 / sig29@aol.com

Submitted by: Class Agent: Gregg Petersen

1979 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent: 

KEVIN L. WARMACK ’79

(773) 220-5360 / kwarmack@gmail.com / kwarmack@sbcglobal.net

Greetings All,

Just like in our college days when I had a paper due, I’m sweating out working up this Class Letter. It didn’t help that I was under the weather the last couple of weeks, but I’ll muddle through. By now, Ripon has resumed classes and the football team won convincingly using a new offense and new defense! But you didn’t come here to hear that talk- you want to know what’s going on with your classmates, so here it goes!! 

Class of 1979 News and Notes

Class of ’79 Zoom Call – On Wednesday, August 6th, we had a mini-class reunion of sorts through Zoom. Appearances were made by TERRI HOMMERDING ’79 of Crystal, Minnesota, PAM DURKIN CEMEL ’79 of Naperville, Illinois, MIKE ’79 and GAIL GOODRICH ’79 TRACY of Overland Park, Kansas, TOM OAKLEY ’79/P’08/P’25 of Stoughton, Wisconsin, MATTHEW BLAIR ’79 of Lexington, Kentucky (So glad to see and talk to him!), PAUL TESSENE ’79 of Urbana, Illinois, and of course, BOB SCHMITT ’79 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. To put it simply, damn good time was had by all!! We will do it again in the near future and those that missed out, better be there!!

LAURIE SANDERS ’79 of Oakland, California, writes, “I survived the Caldor (California) fire!! I got married in February, I’m semi-retired and loving every moment!”

ROYCE DUNBAR ’79 of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, writes, “My wife, Brenda, and I both retired in May. Brenda had over 40 years in a career as an RN. I retired after 18 years at Wells Fargo as an Operating Systems Engineer. We’re planning on lots of travel. I’ll continue to do my outdoors thing – backpacking, fly fishing, hunting. I also plan on composing more music.”

BETH PALMBACH NEMECEK ’79 of Neenah, Wisconsin: Keep Beth lifted up. She still needs a kidney. But in spite of all that, her spirit is still strong!!

JEFFREY GRIFO ’79 of Little Falls, New Jersey, died May 15, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics. He worked in New York City’s garment district before a long career as a caddie master for Maplewood Country Club and Crestmont Country Club in West Orange. He enjoyed golfing, traveling, cooking, and jazz and blues music. Survivors include his wife, Laura; and one daughter.

STEVE RASHID ’79 of Evanston, Illinois, and his family were featured in a review/article published March 10 in the Chicago Tribune. Steve, who is a composer, producer, recording engineer and performer, is also the co-founder and artistic director of Studio 5, which is a performing arts center in Evanston, Illinois. Below is a picture from the show titled “Into the Mist.”

Béa and STEVE RASHID ’79 (from left), their son Daniel (on screen) and son Robert sit around the piano at Studio 5 in Evanston on March 9. They are all involved in a livestreaming show titled “Into the Mist” that takes people back to 1927 to visit gamblers, drinkers, flappers, musicians, and other interesting types. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

NEWS AND NOTES FROM RIPON COLLEGE

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Past Fiscal Year Update:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 

Thank you to the over 3,600 donors, including many of you from our class, who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus Upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat.

Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

Closing:

Pray for the College and the students as they return for the start of class. These kids are facing things that we could never have imagined in our years at Ripon.

As always, it is a pleasure to write to y’all. 

Also, when you got news, don’t hold on! Drop me a note so I can make your Class Letter the best!!!

Love Always, 

KEVIN L. WARMACK ’79

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kevin Warmack

1982 Fall 2021 Class Letter

Select the link above to view the Class of 1982 Fall 2021 Class Letter.

Co-Class Agents:

PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10 

(920) 229-4399 / hintzp@gmail.com 

KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82 /P’20 

(507) 279-1091 / kolsonc21@yahoo.com

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kristen Rasmussen Olson and Peter Hintz

1983 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

BARB WILLIAMS CLAY ’83

(612) 749-5010 / BarbaraLClay1@gmail.com

Greetings Class of 1983 – 

Fall is upon us and for the first time in 38 years, JOHN CLAY ’83 will not be preparing for the new school year. We made the retirement decision in late April and now retirement is starting to feel real as the 2021 school year begins. Work with RGA has been great and I am thoroughly enjoying my new role as chief of staff. Three dates have been set and reset for returning to the office. When we return, we will go to a hybrid of two days in the office (Tuesday/Wednesday) and three days optional for work from home. 

A silver lining of the pandemic is that I was able to work from Colorado for the month of April, spend time with my two daughters and son-in-law, and celebrate the birth of our first grandchild, Atlas Keoni Clark. Keoni means John in Hawaiian, JOHN was called Keoni as a little boy when he lived on the Big Island, and Lizzy and Jim met in Hawaii. Full circle so that was pretty cool. The Clay family has been healthy, safe, and happy and we wish the best for all our alumni friends. 

Class Notes:

MARGARET ALGAR AARON ’83 of Oregon, Wisconsin, writes, “I retired recently after a career in public administration. In my spare time, I have continued a hobby of music recording. I am a jazz and blues singer.”

Some sad news to report:

THOMAS A. HOEHNE ’83 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, died Jan. 13, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in art and criminal justice and participated in the Parallax publication. He painted houses and worked as a field foreman for Green Giant in Ripon; at a career placement center and as a supervisor in a commercial laundry in Chicago; in a supermarket in upstate New York; and for a wallpaper factory in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He enjoyed sports, playing baseball and track in school, and enjoyed football and the Green Bay Packers. He enjoyed reading, watching movies, collecting and antiquing. Survivors include one brother, TED HOEHNE ’77; two sisters, SUZANNE HOEHNE KILLIAN ’75 and VICKI HOEHNE MATHIAS ’77; and a sister-in-law, KAREN STOCKDALE HOEHNE ’78.

ELIZABETH ANNE “LISA” FREEMAN ’83, a native of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, died June 28, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in psychology and participated in Alpha Delta Pi. She earned a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Music was a passion. Survivors include her parents, A. John and Maria Freeman.

Here are the updates for Ripon at the time that this letter is written:

• One Day Rally was a wonderful success with a record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 
  • The Class of ’83 came through with flying colors with 33 participants and the 2nd highest class for giving totaling $253,211
• Our endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.
• The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 
• Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols. Here is a link for information on Ripon’s COVID-19 response and current procedures: ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.
• Check out this article that highlights more information about the incoming class –  https://ripon.edu/2021/08/31/the-face-of-the-class-of-2025-our-new-first-years/
  • 250 freshman and nine transfer students
  • 40% first-generation students
  • 24 states represented 
• There are an array of positive things happening at Ripon and you may enjoy checking out the following links
  • Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty –  ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/
  • News stories published by the College – ripon.edu/news/ 
  • Ripon College Center for Politics and the People – facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 
  • Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion – facebook.com/ripondiversity 

Thanks for not only being a very fun class but for your involvement in supporting Ripon College. Our 40th Class Reunion is just around the corner… June of 2023! Mark your calendars.  

BARB WILLIAMS CLAY

Class Agent 1983

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barb Williams Clay

1984 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

VICKI VICHA ERICKSON ’84

(224) 656-3442 / vericks@gmail.com

CONNIE HERBON MOSER ’84

(847) 372-5410 / clmoser24@gmail.com

Happy Fall, Class of 1984!

I hope this message finds you all well, safe, and healthy. These last 18 months have been crazy for all of us; both happy and sad. COVID has impacted many of our lives and we have not done much in the way of travel, reuniting with family and friends, etc. As a result, there is not much to report on the class of 1984. VICKI VICHA ERICKSON ’84 and I spent the Fourth of July weekend with DONNA REARDON GOLDBERG ’84 and had much fun with wine, good food, and great friends.

I did speak with MIKE FRANCOLUCCI ’84. VICKI and I were going to attend the College’s golf outing with him and MARK SPRAGUE ’84 in June. But, I ended up buying a home in Franklin, Tennessee so I began the onerous move process and was unable to attend. I heard from MIKE that they had a great time while in Ripon.

Other stats from Alumni Weekend: Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, August 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

On another note, we cannot thank everyone enough for the generous donations committed to Ripon College in the last fiscal year. These donations allowed us to ride the COVID wave to a record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world to support Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that, regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Outside of #OneDayRally, Ripon had over 3,600 donors who supported the College through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. THANK YOU!

In addition to allowing us to move through COVID in a financially healthy way, the Administrative team, staff, and many others focused on much-needed campus upgrades. The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Thank you, PHIL! Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Another amazing feat accomplished with the generous giving: The Ripon endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million. 

Start of the Academic Year: The new class is at 250 freshmen with nine transfers. Over 70% of the new students hail from Wisconsin. The rest represent 23 other states and two countries. Ripon maintains its reputation with an incoming class holding an average GPA of 3.42. Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

For other news about the College:

1. Link to the news stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news/ 
2. Link to the latest Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/
3. Facebook pages that you could follow, in addition to the main Ripon College page:

1. Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: www.facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 
2. Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: www.facebook.com/ripondiversity 

This is a short note, but VICKI and I are all hopeful that you are happy, healthy, and safe. Would love to hear from each of you. 

Please make sure you are are receiving emails from Ripon College. Much of the College’s communication, including the monthly newsletter and our Class Letters are sent out electronically. Email alumni@ripon.edu with your preferred email address to ensure that you are in the loop when it comes to our class as well as any news and events from Ripon College. 

More to come next time,

CONNIE HERBON MOSER ’84 

VICKI VICHA ERICKSON ’84

Submitted by: Class Agents: Virginia Vicha Erickson & Connie Herbon Moser

1985 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

HEATHER MCFADDEN BARRIE ’85/P’20

(262) 628-1377 / hammbarrie@gmail.com

New school year! New journey! New lifelong friendships!

Fresh start, new beginnings, the Class of 2025 began that journey this fall!

We can all relate to “new.” God knows in the past 18 months that we need “new!” What a great time to reflect on our personal journey as Ripon College alumni, renewing that college spirit we had in our late teens and early twenties!

When I think of my life journey, I can easily sum it up in an acrostic using our alma mater! My College experience further developed my character which is exemplified by each of the words identified below. I am confident you can identify with it as well. 

Let’s remember the Class of 2025 in our prayers as they begin their college journey. May their Ripon College experience continue to build their character by instilling all the words identified below in the life journey that awaits them! 

Resilience “When the going gets tough…the tough get going!” You know it! Be resilient in the face of headwinds, challenges, and struggles that just make you want to throw in the towel! Resilience builds character and helps us endure the unprecedented. 

Individualism At day’s end, we are all individuals that collectively join together to become a community. Individualism is so important to build our own character identifying who we are, what we become, and how we affect others. As we’ve all heard, you have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others!  

Perseverance Who hasn’t had to persevere in some shape or form on our life journey! Rising from failures, overcoming adversity, and most importantly never giving up!

Optimism Think of all the synonyms for this – hope, confidence, encouragement, faith, positive energy. When we lose optimism, we become doubtful, hopeless, pessimistic, gloomy, or depressed. Keep feeding that optimism through the face of adversity and you will reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

Neighborly We need “neighborly” now more than ever! Taking care of one another like we’re all one big family. This is critical to enduring the challenges we face and the challenges we will continue to face in the future.

And so, in closing, I hope this letter finds you all charged and energized for a new year, new beginnings, new adventures – everything new! New is the key to enduring any challenge we face head on. Shake things up if you’re stuck. Reinvent yourself. Get out of your comfort zone and you will find yourself a master of R. I. P. O. N.!

For those of you who were able to attend Alumni Weekend 2021 and celebrate our 35th Class Reunion – on behalf of Ripon College, we hope you had an amazing time reconnecting with classmates – lifelong friends and enjoyed reminiscing about your College days at Ripon. My biggest blessing of the weekend was my daughter, my legacy, ERIN BARRIE ’20, participating in her graduation ceremony on Sunday, August 8! Best day of 2021 for ERIN and me no doubt!

Stay healthy! Stay safe! Be good to yourself!

HEATHER MCFADDEN BARRIE ’85/P’20

Submitted by: Class Agent: Heather McFadden Barrie

 1987 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87

(860) 455-6108 / dsscranton@gmail.com

CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87

(312) 402-6207 / christinetempleton17@gmail.com

Hello, Classmates!

We hope this newsletter finds you doing well. Here are a couple quick updates about our classmates, but the big news is that our 35th (no idea how that’s even possible) College Reunion is coming up next year, June 23-26, 2022! It would be so wonderful to see as many of you as possible, so please save the date! Also, if you’d like to help plan the event, please reach out to us (CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87 and DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87) – we’d love the help making this Class Reunion our best one yet!

Some updates from your classmates: 

JOHN SWALLEN ’87 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, was named to Ripon’s 100 for 100 in a Midwest Conference’s Centennial Celebration. Ripon selected 100 student-athletes from the last 100 years in the MWC. Such a great honor for a well-deserving guy. Congrats, John! Read the article here: https://riponredhawks.com/news/2021/7/13/mens-soccer-ripons-100-for-100-john-swallen-87.aspx

BILL TOURLAS ’87 of Elmhurst, Illinois, seems to be enjoying early fall weekends in Wisconsin (our favorite time to be there too) visiting old haunts like the Heidel House and Norton’s and meeting up with friends TANYA SCHWARTZ-ROEPER ’88/P’24 and RANDY ROEPER ’88/P’24. 

ALICE LIGHTNER JOHNSON ’87 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, writes that she’s just returned from a beautiful road trip to drop off her youngest at college in Oregon. 

BARRY GOTHARD ’87 of Burlington, Ontario, in Canada, has been on a personal quest to kayak all the lakes of Ontario this year and invites classmates to join him if ever in the Great White North. 

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022. All class years ending in the numbers two or seven will be celebrating their Class Reunion this next summer at Alumni Weekend, which includes us!

Previous fiscal year update:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the academic year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

Questions related to what steps Ripon College is taking to make sure students attending the Fall semester are protected from the COVID-19 virus:

If you think your classmates are interested, you can provide this link for information on our COVID-19 response and current procedures: ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.

Helpful links to be aware of:

• News stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news
• Ripon Magazine, including features of alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications
• Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 
• Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity 
• Our own Facebook group for the Ripon College Class of 1987: facebook.com/groups/302922556458629

Looking forward to seeing you at our 35th Class Reunion in June!

Your Class Agents,

DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87

CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87

Submitted by: Class Agents: Dorrie Smith Scranton & Chris Templeton

1988 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

DAVID JONAS ’88

(202) 251-9640 / djevents@aol.com

KATHY WADE ’88

(248) 470-4336 / wadekas@sbcglobal.net

Dear Classmates,

I (DAVID JONAS ’88) know it has been a while since I have actually written. As many of you may have noticed on social media, I have been spending a lot of time commuting between Baltimore and Chicago. As we get older, apparently so do our parents. Age, health, and mind all seem to be affected and, unfortunately, it’s not just one parent but both. Both of my parents are now over 87. Dad at 90 is the caregiver for my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s during COVID. Dad’s health has started to decline with the stress of caregiving. So, if one parent is not in the hospital the other one might be. 

On a brighter note, I have spent a lot of time with my parents, cleaned out their condo, and seen a lot of my friends. I also was able to slip in a visit with MINDY YOUNG ’91 on one of my last trips to Chicago.

My job has been remote since March of 2020. We will probably go back to some version of the office by October or November once we have an office to go back to. I hope that everyone is staying safe as we navigate a new normal.

CLASS NOTES

SEAN DUGAN ’87 of East Leroy, Michigan writes: “At the end of August, I participated in the regional tournament for axe throwing in Indianapolis. I’m not sure I’m really in the class, (87? or 88?) but maybe it’s news that I’m pretty sure I’m the oldest guy in the regional tournament. I’ve won the local seasonal leagues six times in the last few years. Hoping to go deeper in the region this year. Maybe I’m the top axe thrower of Ripon alumni? I accept all challengers!”

STEVE FORDHAM ’88 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, writes: “My eldest daughter is finishing up her senior year in college and my youngest son is a Marine stationed out in Bangor, Washington. I am working from home full time as a product owner/project manager for an Internet-based company that works primarily with property insurance carriers. I spend a lot of my free time scuba diving so obviously I’m still a total chick magnet.”

JAMIE HAWLEY ’88/P’19 of Halifax, Massachusetts, writes: “KRISTEN DIEMER HAWLEY ’88/P’19 and I spent the month of July at our cottage in Minocqua, Wisconsin. After 2020, it was great to finally see family again. After our time together at the cottage, we drove back to Massachusetts, and I embarked on a solo six-week fishing road trip mainly based around fly fishing. I hit the road with the goal of not spending a single night in a hotel room or paying for a campsite. I spent my nights camping for free on BLM land, national forest land, or with family and friends. 

“I set up my truck for remote camping with a rooftop tent, water filtration, camp kitchen, a battery system that could power my fridge for days, and bear spray! I knew many of the areas that I wanted to fish/camp in would have me find myself off-grid for an extended time, so I subscribed to Gaia GPS which allowed me to download maps and travel off-grid for days at a time. I also used a Garmin InReach satellite communicator to stay in touch with my family. 

“In Wisconsin, I fished the Prairie, Willow, Rush, and Kinnickinnic. In Wyoming, I fished Prune Creek, the South Tongue, and North Platte (Miracle Mile). In Colorado, I fished the South Platte, Cache la Poudre, and North Platte. I caught (and lost) many beautiful brown, brook, and rainbow trout (all released). 

I worked my way out to Monroe, Oregon where I visited my mom! After the fly-fishing part of my trip was done, I headed back to Minocqua and met up with fellow Ripon alum KRAIG FRIEDMAN ’90. We got our mandatory COVID tests, hooked up the boat, and headed to Ontario, Canada for a week of fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike on Eagle Lake. After KRAIG and I returned to the USA, we met up with Ripon alum KATHY WADE ’88 for some local Minocqua beers and dinner! It was a heck of a trip, and I learned a ton for the next one.”

KRISTEN KNOLL-CARLSON HOLLES ’88 of Laramie, Wyoming, writes: “I just started a new job as an Academic Advisor for the University of Wyoming College of Nursing. It’s a nice, new challenge for our new lives as empty nesters as our youngest started college this year. Both girls are back in the Midwest.”

CHUCK NAILEN ’88 of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: “I will be starting a new job soon, pending a background check, at the DEA Academy at Quantico.”

KATHY WADE ’88 of Glendale, Wisconsin, writes: “I celebrated my 25th anniversary with Kelly Services in January of 2021! GREG MILLER ’88 and I have met for dinner a few times in the last year. In July, I met MATT KITTELL ’88, his wife Cathy, and their three daughters in Raleigh, North Carolina. We drove to Lake Lure, North Carolina, for a weeklong vacation with JIM DONNELLY ’88, his wife Jane, and their son. We had a great time! I left the more adventurous stuff like zip-lining and climbing 499 stairs to the top of Chimney Rock to the rest of the group. (I took the elevator and climbed the final 44 stairs!) In September, I had a family event in the Minocqua area. While in Minocqua, I hung out with JAMIE HAWLEY ’88/P’19 and KRAIG FRIEDMAN ’90. On my way home, I met AMY SCHWAAB ’88 for lunch. At the Ripon event at the Brewers vs. Cubs game, I had a great conversation with RANDY ROEPER ’88/P’24. He is working at the College as the Associate Vice President for Development and Operations. where his son is a sophomore.  

CAMPUS NEWS

I wanted to share an article that was just published by the College featuring the profile of our new class of students on campus: ripon.edu/2021/08/31/the-face-of-the-class-of-2025-our-new-first-years/.

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Don’t forget our next Class Reunion will be at Alumni Weekend 2023 (June 22-25)!

This past fiscal year:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 

Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science – a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work – recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat P’04.

Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

An update on Ripon’s Endowment: 

The College’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the 2021 Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols

Here is a link to the news stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news/ 

If you did not receive that latest copy of the Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty we have included the link: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/

We wanted to share two Facebook pages you may be interested in regarding topics that are going on at Ripon:

Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: www.facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 

Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: www.facebook.com/ripondiversity 

As always, KATHY and I hope that you will continue to support Ripon by donating to the Ripon Fund. We love hearing from you whether on social media, email, or phone calls so feel free to reach out to us anytime.

David

Kathy

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kathy Wade & David Jonas

1989 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

MITCHELL ROSIN ’89

 mitch.rosin2@gmail.com 

NICOLE ZENS LINDBERG ’89

nicolelindberg67@gmail.com 

Dear Class of ’89,

With the dark winter of 2020 behind us, we are all looking forward to some sort of return to normalcy in the pandemic. NIKKI is busy opening a new travel business (check it out!) and sending her kids off to the farthest reaches of the U.S. (Tacoma and Anchorage). MITCH is keeping busy with his consulting business (splitting time between the coasts) and in the final phase of completing his doctoral degree. For all other updates, please check out our Facebook group (“Ripon College Class of 1989 + Riff Raff”), which is where you can find the most up-to-date information about our classmates. We do have some sad news to report that we thought we would share here so that all are informed:

PETER W. JOCHIMSEN ’89 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, died April 17, 2021. He had attended Ripon College and Kirkwood Community College. He worked for North Prairie Tile Works and made specialty tiles, some used in historical buildings. He enjoyed biking, camping and studying Gen. George Custer. He participated in the St. Paul Curling Club and Soo Line Community Garden. Survivors include his father, PETER R. JOCHIMSEN ’61 and his mother, Grace; and an uncle, WILLIAM G. JOCHIMSEN ’61.

Something to consider: What doesn’t kill you mutates and tries again. If you are not vaccinated, you are part of the problem. Get vaccinated. 

Stay safe out there!

Nikki

Mitch 

Submitted by: Class Agents: Mitchell Rosin & Nicole Zens Lindberg

1990 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

ROBERT E. CORKERY, JR. ’90

(508) 930-9027 / bcorkery@aol.com

CHRISTINA L. MAGGIO KELLERSTRASS ’90

(708) 764-1881 / christinacl27@aol.com

Greetings Classmates☺!

We hope this message finds you healthy and doing well!

Many of you may have seen each other this summer for our delayed 30th Class Reunion. Although it was a different format than in year’s past it was great that Ripon found a way to have a safe and fun gathering. Hard to believe 30 years has gone by and many of us have our own children now in college or in some cases even graduated and off doing their own thing. 

Be sure to check out the “Ripon College Alumni Group” on GOODREADS.com. It’s open to any Ripon College alumni, and includes a comment section on things such as “What was your favorite book read at Ripon College?” If you’re looking for recommendations, it’s a good place to start☺! 

Be sure to share news about your own personal happenings so we can include them in our next Class Letter. In the meantime, here’s the latest Ripon news. 

RIPON COLLEGE NEWS

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

This past fiscal year:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 

Thank you to the more than 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science – a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work – recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for our math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

The College’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

Links you may be interested in exploring: 

• News stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news 
• Latest Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications

• Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: www.facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 
• Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: www.facebook.com/ripondiversity 

May you all have a safe and great fall and holiday season!

Your Class Agents,

CHRISTINA

BOB

Submitted by: Class Agents: Robert Corkery, Jr. & Christina Maggio Kellerstrass