Greetings, Class of 1972!

Dear Classmates,

I trust that this letter finds you and your loved ones well. Daylight is getting longer each day, which could only mean that spring is fast approaching. As winters go, this one has been relatively mild here in New York City: although it can be in the 60s one day and 31 with snow the next… I find myself musing about the severe, snowy Wisconsin winters between 1968 and 1972. The last 50 years have gone all too quickly. I hope that many of you will return to campus to celebrate this milestone during Alumni Weekend, which is planned for June 23-26, 2022. I am sharing a picture from the All Alumni March during Alumni Weekend in 2002 to help the memories of fun times at past Reunions begin to flow! It would be great to have as many of you as possible attend.

There are so many strong bonds within our class and within surrounding classes. During the past year, I have heard from our Ripon College Family as far back as the Class of 1969 and as recent as the Class of 2010. It was great to see SHARON WALTON ’73 on her recent visit to New York. GARY LEDERER ’72 and JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73, hosted classmates LINDA BRASSINGTON DANIELS ’72, AL GASIOREK ’73 and LYNNE HORNE GASIOREK ’72 in Bonita Springs, Florida. GARY and JEAN also enjoyed dinner in late January with TOM ALTHOLZ ’72 and SUELLEN “SUDY” REIGLE ALTHOLZ ’73. I am sure that there have been several mini-reunions as we all start to travel more after COVID-19 distancing.

We are still asking for volunteers to join in the planning of our Class Reunion. The College has assigned staff to work with us to make Alumni Weekend a memorable event. If you are unable to serve on the committee, we ask you to let us know as soon as possible if you are likely to attend our Class Reunion on Saturday, June 25. Please encourage at least one other classmate that you would love to see to be there as well. Here is a link to the 50th Reunion Survey: alumni.ripon.edu/50threunion that you can fill out online, or enclosed in this Class Letter is a hard copy of the survey that you can fill out and return with the envelope provided. The information from this survey as well as any pictures received will be used to create our 50th Reunion Memory Book. You can also scan pictures and email them to [email protected]. Be sure to include a short description of the picture and write 50th Reunion Memory Book in the subject line of the email. All individuals who contribute to our Memory Book will receive a complimentary copy at our Class Reunion. The Memory Book will be sent to you if you cannot attend our Reunion in person and you submit information for it.

Trustee MARK FRANZEN ’83 is leading the entire Ripon community, along with the Presidential Search Firm Russell Reynolds in the search for our 14th President. The next President of Ripon College should be named in the next couple of months. In the meantime, Dr. Andrea Young continues to serve as Interim President.

I would like to thank all of you who have supported Ripon College in the past and ask that you make a contribution this year in celebration of our 50th Class Reunion. You will hear more about this from SUE MIJANOVICH KEY ’72 who has graciously agreed to lead the Class Gift effort.

Your Class Agent,

STEPHANIE GREENE ’72
Your 1972 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Stephanie Greene

Greetings, Class of 1977!

Dear Classmates,

45 years ago, this spring, many of us were enjoying our final semester at Ripon College before graduating. Alumni Weekend, with the primary focus on June 25, will be our 45th Reunion gathering. Classes have special get-together gatherings every fifth year. This is a year for our class to come together. I hope you will consider joining us. As Class Agent, I have a role in this planning, but I really would like a committee to help me.

So far, helping me with our Alumni Weekend Reunion are MARYJO MACSWAIN ’77, JEANNIE BLACK ’77, and CONNIE JESS ZOLKOSKE ’77. Are you interested in also helping us?

#OneDayRally 2022 is on April 27. This is a one-day fundraising rally that began several years ago and has become popular. It has been an effective fundraiser, but it has also proven to be a bit of fun and a way to competitively rally alumni classes. It would be great if you would check in to the Ripon.edu website or on the College’s social media sites that day and join in! All money contributed by you, whether for the #OneDayRally or any other fundraising effort during the year, counts towards our “Class Gift” for the Alumni Weekend competition.

Here are notes about some of our classmates:

MARSHA TOLL ’77 of Saint Louis, Missouri, writes “I was fortunate enough to have a visit from SUE LEE BARTLETT ’77 and her husband BILL BARTLETT ’75 in November 2021. They made the trek from Berlin, Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri. I have never had guests/friends who bring their own tools to help me fix something, but they did! And Sue brought many wonderful gifts for my recovery from a broken foot. We had a great day at a bird sanctuary near St. Louis and were joined by GINGER NEWTON JACOBI ’77 and her husband Jan Jacobi for dinner. It was truly a special evening and weekend that was a bright spot in an otherwise challenging year. And what’s more fun than knowing we met at 18 and are now discussing Bartlett and Jacobi grandchildren! I hope to make a trip north to see the Bartletts in 2022.”

MIKE MODL ’77 and PEG LITTLEFIELD-MODL ’77 of Brussels, Wisconsin, celebrated 50 years of knowing one another in September 2021 and 41 years of marriage. MIKE practiced law for 30+ years at Axley in Madison, focusing on federal court litigation in the areas of employment, constitutional, and intellectual property law. MIKE retired last year then he and PEG moved to Door County where they are enjoying sunsets, afternoon cocktails, and the sound of the waves.

HARRY QUINN ’77 and SUE LAMBERT QUINN ’79 currently live in Bel Air, Maryland. Along with HARRY’s 45th Ripon College graduation anniversary, he and SUE will be celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary later in 2022. HARRY is a Vice President for Science and Technology Corporation managing the company’s support to Department of Defense customers. SUE continues her support of education as a tutor and as a substitute teacher. They enjoy traveling and love going to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands where HARRY pursues his nature and underwater photography hobby. They have two children and three grandchildren. They plan to attend the Reunion.

PAT BAUER ’77 of Chicago, Illinois, writes “In 2021, after 42.5 years working as a copy editor and an editor at Encyclopedia Britannica, I retired to devote myself full-time to vacation. Well, and also to my grandchildren.”

She tells me she will miss us at the Reunion this summer but promises to join us in five years. PAT recalled her long employment history with Encyclopedia Britannica. I’m including it because it demonstrates some changes we’ve seen in the past 45 years.

When I started there, Encyclopedia Britannica was primarily the set, and only some portion of which got new articles every year. These articles were written by experts in their subjects. They sent in manuscripts, either typed or written longhand, which compositors then translated into printed galleys. As a copy editor, I proofread the galleys. After editing, copy editors then fact-checked and copy-edited each article. In later stages, we adjusted the text as needed to make it fit in its allotted space and appear pleasing to the eye. Copy editors were the last check at each stage. I worked on the Macropedia, the part of the set that had the long, in-depth articles, such as Angiosperms, as well as all the country articles. 

When we started publishing online as well, the online articles did not have the space constraints that print articles did. Each article was then in a computer file, with the text that was to appear online but not in print in a different color, and copy editors had to ensure that both versions were correct and coherent. 

Later, through a series of accidents, I became an editor of the Britannica Book of the Year. By this time the company was much smaller, and editors were increasingly responsible for writing as well as editing. I was responsible for a chronology of the important events of each year in every part of the world in politics, sports, arts, and business. I also kept track of major disasters and maintained movie and literary awards tables. I also wrote obituaries and biographies and an article about major anniversaries of each year. 

For several years that book was our only remaining print project, and eventually, it was discontinued. For the last few years, I was assigned to write articles on a wide variety of subjects and to update other articles, often with a focus on popular culture.

MARYJO MACSWAIN ’77 of Verona, Wisconsin, writes, “I have been spending a lot of time planning international travel and then canceling the trips because of COVID-19. Hope to make it overseas this summer. I am very active in Participatory Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO), a Madison organization that is a self-directed, volunteer-led, nonprofit organization that offers lifelong learning opportunities. Most of us are approaching or actively enjoying retirement. We share a passion for learning and a desire to stay engaged with the world and with others who share their interests. I take classes, do committee work and this spring am co-teaching a class. I encourage Madison area alumni to join in.”

JEANNIE BLACK ’77 of Inverness, Illinois, is helping with our Alumni Weekend Reunion, so we’ve exchanged some mail. We’re both busy, despite retirement. We both wonder how we ever worked and managed to get other stuff done. Summarizing an email from JEANNIE, she describes some of what keeps her busy:

“I haven’t been able to get as much done regarding Ripon as I have hoped. A few funerals, some health issues, plus pressing issues with my IATE (Illinois Association of Teachers of English) group and trying to get our conference organized in Decatur, Illinois. I am on the board – for many, many years and have been a past president, run a conference before, etc. Currently, I am the conference sites chair and am dealing with a new person on the board who is running the conference this year, so there is a lot to mentor and do. Both boards have pressing things to be done at the same time, it seems.”

ANDREW MARVEL, JR. ’77 of Weston, Massachusetts, died September 5, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and participated in tennis and Phi Delta Theta. He also studied at the Boston Architectural Center. He operated Marvel Construction Co. for more than 40 years. He was an Eagle Scout, talented painter, master chef, competitive tennis player, pianist, shellfish connoisseur, amateur inventor, and lover of all activities involving the ocean and heavy winds. He also contributed to his community, serving on the Josiah Smith Tavern and Old Library Renovation Committee. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth “Beanie” Marvel; and three daughters.

NATALIE S. ADAMS ’77 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, wife of former Ripon College president Bernard S. Adams, died Feb. 13, 2022. In Ripon, she was a founding member of the Green Lake Festival of Music, board member and president of the Ripon South Woods Park Association and a choir member at First Congregational Church. She enjoyed tennis and for one year coached the Ripon College women’s tennis team, leading to a conference championship. After retiring in Colorado, she was a member of Broadmoor Community Church where she was a member of the choir, chair of the Arts Committee and a lay caregiver minister. She also served as president of the Symphony Guild and volunteered at Pikes Peak Hospice. Survivors include one son and one daughter.

I sent an email last May relaying a note I had received from GREGG PETERSEN ’78. He was telling me about one of his classmates, a guy many of us knew. “I’m reaching out on behalf of my classmate, former Class Agent, and friend ROB “TEX” MEYER ’78 who you may remember from his days at Ripon with his Stetson hat and his WRPN radio shows. In the last couple of months, ROB had procedures for throat cancer and some other very serious issues. In the last week, he was contacted by a nurse to discuss possible hospice options. He has some helpful neighbors, but no real family left beyond his Ripon “family.” He has fond memories of the classes of ’75, ’76, and ’77.” ROB and I corresponded a bit, and he apparently heard from some of you, too.

I was informed that ROB died on November 22, 2021, at age 65. GREGG tells me that our class contact with ROB really helped make a difference in his quality of life in his final months.

And, about myself. I retired in late 2020 to avoid working in an office during the peak of Wisconsin’s COVID-19 problem. I had intended to work a bit longer. Last year, without much planning, my wife and I decided to buy a house near Roanoke, Virginia, and move into it. Awkwardly, we really weren’t ready to move or to sell our Appleton, Wisconsin house, so we currently own both homes. We intend to make some improvements to the old home and get it emptied and sold this spring.

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!

As I’m sure you already know, one of the functions of alumni associations is to help raise money to keep their organizations alive and relevant. Ripon College is both, but always needs our money to keep doing it well. All money that you donate during our fiscal year, which ends June 30, counts in contests each class competes in. This includes the Ripon Fund (previously called the Annual Fund), the upcoming #OneDayRally coming April 27, special drives, and a final push before the Reunion. It all counts, and it is all appreciated.

More information will be sent to us in the coming months about our Reunion at Alumni Weekend, and the Class Gift that we will be presenting to the College. Please look for it.

Remember, also, to refer prospective students to Ripon College. That used to include our kids. Maybe you have grandchildren or other relatives thinking about college.

Ripon is a nice city to call home for a while. In fact, Ripon was recognized as having one of the “Seven Best Downtown Areas in Wisconsin!” And it was recognized as “One of the 10 Most Magical Christmas Towns” in Wisconsin. Come visit this June.

Always for Ripon,

ALAN N. LAWRENCE ’77
(920) 422-2347
Your 1977 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Alan Lawrence

Greetings, Class of 1982!

Dear Classmates,

KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82 /P’20 and I (PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10) write to extend a personal invitation to you to attend our 40th Reunion at Ripon College the week of Thursday, June 23 – Sunday, June 26, 2022!

Time has certainly flown by. Forty years ago, we were engrossed in our social lives and studies in our last semester at Ripon, hoping it was going to be a good one, in nervous anticipation of what would follow after graduation. Despite the years that have passed, it is not very difficult to remember steak night in the Commons, football games, intramural sports, Homecoming, annual “Air Guitar” contests, Springfest, the almost weekly all-campus parties and events hosted by various living groups including Derby Days, Sigma Chi’s Mash Party, Frisbee Golf Tournaments, Merriman’s Toga Party, DU’s Road Rally, Friday night movie night in the Farr Hall pit (remember “Night of the Living Dead?”), standing in the dinner line at the Commons reading the newspaper, taking classes and hanging out with our favorite professors, the gravy lady at the Commons, the Bar Brigade, Jim’s Liberty Inn, reading the eye-opening “First Bite” articles in the Days, Schlitz pitchers for $1.25 at Benders, Swamp Water and the disco floor at The Spot, late nights at the Wayside and Red’s, STEVE SHEA ’82’s music reviews in the paper, ROTC, the freezing winter westward walk over the hill toward the Quads, the Friday and Saturday revelers coming back from the bars, the sometimes odd classes we took to fulfill our liberal arts requirements, jostling for the one phone for each living group, sharing a common tv, pledge weeks, the 100 Days Party at the Beckoning, the Student Senate, WRPN radio shows, as well as a host of other memories unique to each of us. Some of us, like me (PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10), even married our classmates. While the years have taken us all many miles and experiences hence, hopefully, you have some special memories of special bonds with some of your classmates. It would be great to reconnect and come together again for this very special weekend.

Special Events
We, your Class Agents, as well as the rest of our Class Reunion committee, have been working hard to make our 40th Reunion memorable. We’ve arranged for a class social on Friday night outside at the lawn of Hughes House across from Bartlett Hall, and we would love to see you participate in the Class March at 10 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the State of the College address, our class boat cruise on Green Lake on Saturday afternoon from 1:15-2:30 p.m. (we did this on our 35th Reunion and it was a blast), and our Reunion celebration on Saturday evening. We have secured the beautiful Great Hall for our Class Reunion dinner (quite a coup, I might add), and we will dine in style in this beautifully renovated space.

Our classmate, SUSAN BUNDOCK ’82, will be honored at the 1851 Awards Dinner and program on Friday evening as a 2022 Distinguished Alumna! Some may wish to attend that gathering.

Other Fun Alumni Weekend Events
Other highlights of the weekend include opportunities to participate in other fun events:

• All-Class Gathering at Roadhouse Pizza – Thursday evening
• Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble at The Golf Courses of Lawsonia – Friday
• Lunch and Wine Tasting – Friday
• Campus Tours – FridayFaculty Talks – Friday
• Rally Walk/Run – Saturday morning
• Class of 1982 Boat Cruise on Green Lake – Saturday
• Greek Socials – Saturday
• “That Was Then” Storytelling Session – Saturday
• Reunion Celebration – Saturday evening
• Farewell Brunch – Sunday

Accommodations
It is our goal to ensure we do not let another year pass without celebration! We all deserve this chance to get away and reconnect with old friends and possibly make some new ones! Please reserve June 23-26, 2022, and make reservations soon! There are accommodations in Ripon, Green Lake, and Oshkosh, as well as on-campus accommodations in the dorms, if you dare. Here are some of the numbers:

• Mapes Hotel (use code RCABJUNE online)
• Heidel House Hotel (Green Lake, 920.807.0300) and Cobblestone Suites (Ripon, 920.748.5500), but you must call for the Alumni Weekend rate.
• Other area lodging information can be found at www.ripon.edu/lodging.

Online registration for the Reunion and on-campus lodging will be available April 1 at alumni.ripon.edu. Now is a good time to reach out to your old roommates or friends to encourage them to join you on campus this summer! We are looking forward to welcoming back many old friends and perhaps some classmates who haven’t been back to campus in years, if ever. If you are one of the latter, please consider this a very warm invitation to come home for the weekend. You will experience nostalgia at its best and you are sure to feel 40 years younger, at least for a brief time!

Please feel free to contact us with questions and mark your calendars for this truly special reunion!

Memories: Class Special! 40th Reunion Memory Book to be Available in June. Please send us your photos and memories! We are working on a memory book for our class (digital and print), which will capture some great old and new photos and updates on our class. This is where you come in! We will be collecting photos (old memories and current photos), along with any information about yourself and your family or memories you would like to share. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the Memory Book! Please submit any pictures and type in your updates here. Pictured above, Commencement 1982.

If you prefer to respond by mail, we would love to hear your thoughts on one or more of the topics below:

• Where were your favorite places to go, on campus and off, and why?
• How did you make your own fun at Ripon? Fond memories.
• What was your favorite music and why was it special? What songs remind you of Ripon days and why?
• What was your most memorable all-campus party and why?
• Who was your favorite professor and why?
• What was your favorite downtown hangout? What made it special or extra fun?
• What sort of impact did Ripon make on your life?
• What is your favorite memory of your roommate (be careful here!)?

Send your photos or thoughts to our Memory Book committee, KRISTIN KOHLES JANSSEN ’82, LAURA NORRIS ’82, or GREGG RIEDER ’82. In return, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book for your own special walk down memory lane. You won’t want to miss this chance to reminisce!

See you at our Class Reunion!

PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10
(920) 229-4399

KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82/P’20
(507) 279-1091

Your 1982 Class Agents

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

Greetings, Class of 1987!

Hello, Class of ’87!

Hope this letter finds you happy and healthy. After more than two really weird years of a global pandemic and everything that came with it, we are so excited about our upcoming 35th (you read that right) Reunion scheduled for June 23-26. We are really hoping to see as many of you as possible! So, mark it on your calendar, make your reservations and reach out to your Ripon classmates and encourage everyone to come for the weekend! Our “official” party is on Saturday the 25th on campus at “The Spot” (we knew the area as “The Pub”).

We’re thrilled with our location and its proximity to the “The Dance” (the all alumni party) – there’s a rumor that there’s a trophy for the class that dominates the dance floor and it’s ours to win!

Also, the #OneDayRally fundraising drive is coming up on April 27th. It is a great day to get involved on social media to support the College and consider making a contribution to our Class Gift. Look for more updates on that too!

If you have any questions about the Class Reunion (or want to get involved in planning it) please reach out to either one of us at [email protected] or [email protected].

We have some sad news to report about our classmate, GWENDOLINE “GWEN” JONES ’87. GWEN died Aug. 29, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in history and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her husband was THOMAS “TED” JONES, a professor of German at Ripon College from 1963 to 1995, who died in 2013.

Here are a few updates from our classmates that we noticed on social media.

• MAUREEN FARRY DOLAN ’87 and her husband, JAY DOLAN ’85, are on the move again, relocating from Northern Wisconsin to Southern, Illinois. Hope the move goes well!

• Longtime friends, RENEE PFEIFER-LUCKETT ’87 and CHRISTINE ELLIOTT ’87, managed to get together for a fun-filled weekend. We’re sure that a fabulous time was had by all.

• SHERRY THOMPSON ’87 and her husband, MARIO FRIEDEL ’86 are Songa, an acoustic duo performing folk, blues, and country jazz. They’re performing during our Reunion weekend at Vines and Rushes Winery in Ripon – Saturday afternoon from 2-5 p.m. Really, do you really need more reasons to come to our Reunion?

• LAURI GOEDEN ZOBRACK ’87 has some very cool news. LAURI writes, “I have been a Criminal Defense Investigator since 1987, shortly after graduation. My career started in Wisconsin where we owned and operated our own investigative agency for about ten years. Following that, I worked for the Wisconsin Public Defender’s Office in both Waukesha and Racine Counties and for the State of Minnesota Board of Public Defense. Never a dull moment in the world of criminal defense! I love my job and have never regretted my career path! I am now located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota with my husband and new puppy. We are recent empty-nesters, with one son in college at UW-Eau Claire and our youngest in the Air Force, stationed at Hurlburt Field in Florida.”

Can’t wait to see you all at the Reunion!

Your Class Agents,

DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87
(860) 455-6108

CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87
(312) 402-6207

Your 1987 Class Agents

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

Greetings, Class of 1992!

Hey, Class of 1992!

This is an important year for us…it’s our BIG 3 – 0 Reunion!! We need to get as many of us back on campus as possible because how fun would that be?? I don’t know about you, but I’m a little bit shocked that we’re old enough to be the 30th Reunion class because we just had our five-year a couple of years ago! …and those were the old people! LOL!

This is a reminder to mark your calendars…June 23-26, 2022…Alumni Weekend in Ripon. Please plan to join us. More details about Alumni Weekend will come from the College and registration for the weekend events opens April 1st, but here’s a preview of what is planned:

Friday, 24 June 2022

• Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble
• Lunch and Wine Tasting
• Campus Tour
• Faculty Talks
• 1851 Awards Dinner & Program – Friday – Congratulations to BRAD ALBERTS ’92 for being selected as a 2022 Distinguished Alumnus!

Saturday, 25 June 2022

• Greek Socials
• “That Was Then” Storytelling Session
• Class March and State of the College
• 1992 Class Reunion Celebration – Saturday in the MLK Lounge (Harwood Memorial Union)

To help you plan, room blocks are available at the Heidel House (Green Lake, 920-807-0300) and Cobblestone Suites (Ripon, 920-748-5500), but you have to call for the Alumni Weekend rate. Check out ripon.edu/lodging/ for other lodging options. On-campus lodging registration will be available April 1, 2022 at alumni.ripon.edu.

We want to hear from you! We love to hear what everyone is doing so please share all your exciting news with BONNI, ERIN, and myself (or send it on to the Office of Constituent Engagement…they’ll get us the information). Here are a few exciting updates we received:

BRAD ALBERTS ’92 of Dallas Texas was recently written about in D Magazine about his tenure as the CEO of the Dallas Stars. Read the article here.

TARA LACHAPELL ’92 is the Director of Enterprise Applications at St. Norbert College.

GEOFF GUEVARA-GEER ’92 of Ripon, Wisconsin, associate professor of Spanish at Ripon College, had an article published in the November 2021 issue of the journal Chasqui, meaning an Inca messenger, in Volume 50, Number 2.

There’s a lot of exciting stuff happening on campus. You can check it out at ripon.edu/news. There are posts about current students and faculty and even retired professors. Here’s an update from one of my favorites…Dr. Woolley P’92! He has a new book being published in March 2022, it details how he believes the modern U.S. Army was created. The book was inspired by one of the courses he taught at Ripon, American Military Instructions.

Before I wrap up this Class Letter, I want to thank everyone that has supported the College this past fiscal year, especially those who supported the Ripon Fund and the #OneDayRally. Let’s make this the best fundraising year for the Class of 1992 since we graduated! Please consider donating in honor of our 30-year Class Reunion, any amount makes a difference. Let’s make an impact! You will hear more about our Class Gift efforts from KATE BURRALL JUSTIC ’92 who has graciously agreed to help lead the Class Gift effort. (FYI – #OneDayRally 2022 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27.)

Here’s your to-do list:

• Make travel plans to be in Ripon for Alumni Weekend
• Share your updates
• Make a donation to Ripon in honor of our 30th Class Reunion

See you in June, Class of ’92!!

Sincerely,

JUDEE STOJSAVLJEVIC FISCHER ’92
(262) 332-0622

ERIN M. MCCORMACK ’92

BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23
(262) 617-7421

Your 1992 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: JuDee Stojsavljevic Fischer, Bonni Dembroski Fredrick, and Erin McCromack

Greetings, Class of 1997!

Hello, Class of 1997,

I hope 2022 has started off well for all of you. I want to start this letter with the BEST NEWS. The College is moving forward with plans for an in-person Alumni Weekend this year! While I cannot believe this year marks 25 years since we graduated, and I am wondering where the time has gone, I am also looking forward to celebrating this milestone with all of you. Please mark your calendars for June 23-26, 2022. Plans are still coming together, so keep an eye on the Alumni Weekend webpage (ripon.edu/alumni-weekend/) for additional details as they become available and information on how to register. At this time, I can share that we have the following planned:

• 1851 Awards Dinner and Program on Friday, June 24, 5:15 p.m. We have two classmates who will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame: MIKE MILBURN ’97 (tennis) and MIKE DIEDRICK ’97 (football). Congratulations to both of them for this accomplishment!
• Class boat cruise on Green Lake on Saturday, June 25, 2:30-4:30 p.m. The cruise departs from Green Lake Conference Center.
• Class dinner at Roadhouse Pizza on Saturday, June 25, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Dinner includes a buffet of hors d’oeuvres, pizza, beer, wine, and soda.

If you are interested in helping with additional planning, please let me know.

In other news, I am looking forward to interacting with you all during #OneDayRally on Wednesday, April 27. If you haven’t been part of it yet, jump in and engage via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, or whatever your favorite platform is to join in on the fun with the College. As a reminder, all gifts made to the College, whether on #OneDayRally or any time during this fiscal year, do count towards our special Class Gift that our class will present to the College during Alumni Weekend.

I frequently talk about how special our time at Ripon was and the benefits of an education at a small, liberal arts college. One of the greatest of those is connection to each other after all of these years. It is easy to stay connected to Ripon and to our class. Here are some suggestions:

Send any news or updates to your contact information to me anytime.

• Send any news or updates to your contact information to me anytime.
• Connect with our class on Facebook via the private group “Ripon College Class of 1997.”
• Attend one of our class’ virtual happy hours. They are held on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. CT. Link: ripon.zoom.us/j/98774717075.
• Subscribe to Ripon’s monthly eNewsletter. You may subscribe here: ripon.edu/alumni/monthly-newsletter/.
• Visit ripon.edu/news/ often to learn about what is happening at our Alma Mater.
• Go to class pages through alumni.ripon.edu/rconnections/ and see updates from alumni from around the world and from every class year.

Thank you for staying connected to Ripon and supporting our Alma Mater. I wish you and your families a wonderful year ahead, and I hope to see you in Ripon in June for our 25th Reunion!

Class Notes:
AMBER BERES ’97 of Indianapolis, Indiana, recently started a new job with Cyara as a Carrier Manager. Congratulations, AMBER!

AARON GOLDSTEIN ’97 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was the keynote speaker at the virtual community prayer ceremony and award presentation in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 17 held at Marian University in Fond du Lac.

BRITTON KAUFFMAN ’97 of Davis, Illinois, and his wife, Katie, will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary this year. They have two children, Tyler (17) and Hannah (15). Tyler will be graduating this spring and plans to attend Middle Tennessee State University to study Secondary Education and join the ROTC program. Hannah is a sophomore and plays volleyball and softball and is about to get her driver’s license. This year marks BRITTON’s 21st year of teaching, and he continues to coach just about everything, from girls’ basketball to varsity baseball to football. In their spare time, he and his family enjoy boating and spending summers on the beach.

KRISTINE PETERSON ’97 of Madison, Wisconsin, is engaged to marry Jason Scott on November 26, 2022.

CAREY WITT-ROEBEN ’97 of Hannover, Germany, started a new role together with her partner helping internationals get settled in Germany. To add to our Instagram/Facebook presence, they launched a new website, www.expathelpsexpats.com in January 2022. CAREY also says, “If any of you come to Germany, please get in touch. We don’t have an alumni meeting (yet) in Hamburg.”

See you this summer at our 25th Reunion!

KRISTIN BAZZOLI PIOTROWSKI ’97
(414) 841-8577
Your 1997 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kristin Bazzoli Piotrowski

Greetings, Class of 2002!

Dear Class of 2002,

We hope you are making plans to join us at Alumni Weekend on June 23-26, 2022. We will have a class party at good ol’ Roadhouse on Saturday, June 25th in celebration of our 20th Class Reunion. See you there!

Other highlights of Alumni Weekend include opportunities to participate in other fun events:

• All-Class Gathering at Roadhouse Pizza – Thursday evening
• Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble at The Golf Courses of Lawsonia – Friday
• Lunch and Wine Tasting – Friday
• Campus Tours – Friday
• Faculty Talks – Friday
• Rally Walk/Run – Saturday morning
• Greek Socials – Saturday
• “That Was Then” Storytelling Session – Saturday
• Farewell Brunch – Sunday

More information and updates regarding Alumni Weekend can be found at alumni.ripon.edu/special-events/alumni-weekend.

Also, remember to mark your calendars for another #OneDayRally on April 27th! This would be a great day to consider making a contribution to our Class Gift, which we will present to the College during Alumni Weekend. Thank you to all of you who have supported the College in the past fiscal year. As a reminder, any gift that you make during this fiscal year will count toward our Class Gift.

Class Updates: 

Have something to share? Let us know at [email protected].

ANN MARIE IBIS KREITZER ’02 lives in Delafield with her family, husband Greg, daughters Elsa (eleven), Greta (nine), Hanna (six), and their pandemic puppy, Hank. She coaches basketball and soccer for her girls and is currently the Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Talent Development for Kohl’s. ANN MARIE is looking forward to connecting with friends, especially her AXO sisters at the 20th Reunion!

Our class is still looking for an additional Class Agent (or two!!). It is not a large amount of time commitment. I promise. It is a great way to connect with classmates and to support our Alma Mater! I would also love more help with planning our Reunion, which could simply include volunteering to encourage classmates to attend. Please contact me if you are interested and would like to find out more about being a Class Agent or about helping with our 20th Class Reunion.

Hope to see you this summer,

CORRYN SIEGEL GREENWOOD ’02
(502) 269-5577
[email protected]

Submitted by: Class Agent: Corryn Siegel Greenwood

Greetings, Class of 2007!

Hi, Class of 2007!

We hope this letter finds you well! In just a few short months, we will be gathering to celebrate our 15th Reunion. The Reunion planning is well underway, so make sure you keep an eye out for various updates, as well as registration for Alumni Weekend (open online April 1). Alumni Weekend and especially the Class Reunion is such a great time to connect and reminisce with former classmates and we hope to see many of you on campus June 23-26, 2022! Our Reunion will be celebrated on Saturday evening.

In addition to making plans to attend our Class Reunion this summer, all of us have an opportunity to support our Class Gift in a special way this year. Ripon’s #OneDayRally, a day of giving that is a fun day to follow Ripon College’s social media accounts, is also a great day to consider making a contribution to our Class Gift. We will present our Class Gift at Alumni Weekend, and it is a way that we can come together to support our Alma Mater. Remember that the percentage of class participation matters, which means a gift of any amount is important and makes a difference.

Below, you will find some updates from our classmates as well as College news. Enjoy!

JOSHUA ENGLISH ’07 of Louisville, Kentucky, writes, “The title of my short story is ‘The Human Animal’ and it won the 2021 Ember Chasm Review Fiction Contest. I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my wife, Jessie, and am a Senior Lecturer of English at the University of Louisville. My stories and reviews have appeared in Hobart, The Rumpus, Black Warrior Review, and a few other places; my short story collection, ‘Local Beasts,’ is presently a semi-finalist for Texas Tech University Press’s Iron Horse Prize for a 1st Book of Prose.”

MATTHEW HILDEBRANDT ’07 of Ellsworth, Wisconsin, writes, “I recently married Marena on September 18, 2021. Her current occupation is a clinical educator/registered nurse.”

PATRICK KERSTEIN ’07 of West Lafayette, Indiana, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health Sciences, and a member of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience. He received his BA in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and received a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, where he used advanced mouse genetic techniques to study the developmental processes that guide neuronal cell fate and connectivity in the visual nervous system. The goals of the Kerstein Lab are two-fold: 1) identify the genetic-molecular factors that define neuronal cell types and guide neuron-specific connectivity in the visual system, and 2) identify the gene-environment interactions that disrupt normal nervous system development during ocular toxicant exposure.

JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07 of Ripon, Wisconsin, writes, “I am 100% looking forward to celebrating our 15th Class Reunion together! I hope to see as many of you as possible! Don’t forget to book your reservations if you plan to stay in a hotel, otherwise, there will be room to stay on campus during Alumni Weekend and that could make for some fun memories! Being that I work at Ripon College in the Office of Constituent Engagement as the Associate Director of Engagement, I am lucky enough to get to reconnect with some of you when you come back to visit and it is a real joy for me. Please do let me know if you are ever back in the Ripon area. I’m sharing a picture of when classmate, MATTHEW HILDEBRANDT ’07 and spouse, Marena, visited Ripon this past fall. It was great catching up with you, MATTHEW! As far as personal news goes, I was recently honored to receive the Legacy Award at Ripon College’s MLK Spirit Award ceremony that ‘recognizes a distinguished alumni who displays leadership and advances the cause of justice and equality in our community and society.’ This is an annual award so keep thinking about who you might want to nominate next year. I wish all of you a good spring where you can get outside and enjoy nature, and I hope to see you this summer for our Reunion!”

MARY STERRETT ’07 of Seattle, Washington, writes, “I graduated from Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship in Charleston, South Carolina, and received my MPH at Johns Hopkins. I now work as a perinatologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, and volunteer to teach with Global Ultrasound Institute.”

STACY KRUSA TEACHOUT ’07 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, recently received the Pinnacle Caregiver Award in which healthcare providers are recognized for providing exceptional care to patients. STACY is a critical care float Registered Nurse at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

HEATHER WITTIG ’07 of Redgranite, Wisconsin, died Nov. 9, 2021. At Ripon, she had a self-designed major in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. She played basketball and intramurals. She started her career at the Waushara County Sheriff’s Department in 2009, then became the jail administrator at the Waushara County Jail in 2014. She enjoyed traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and celebrating her Irish heritage.

Ripon in the news!
Earlier this year, Ripon, Wisconsin was recognized as one of the “7 Best Downtown Areas in Wisconsin.” Only in Your State News describes Ripon as a “charming little college town that is filled with revitalized buildings, great restaurants, lively pubs and unique shops.”

The search for Ripon College’s 14th president:
Former Ripon College President Zach Messitte left his position at the end of the fall 2021 semester to return to his hometown of Washington, D.C. Dr. Andrea Young took over as the interim president of Ripon College beginning in January and is the first woman to lead the College in its 170-year history. How cool is that?! Over the next several weeks, Ripon College’s search consultants will advertise the position and search for potential candidates. The search committee anticipates that the first round of interviews will begin in March.

We are looking forward to a memorable 15th Reunion, so make sure to get the date on your calendar! We are hoping to have a great turnout at our Reunion and would love your help with spreading the word. If you are interested in helping us reach out to fellow classmates, please email one of the 2007 Class Agents to get added to the Reunion Planning Committee. As always, don’t be a stranger, and make sure to share your life updates. Thanks for continuing to support Ripon College. Take care and be well!

Hope to see you at our Reunion!

ADAM KRUEGER ’07
(857) 389-8617

LINDSAY KREYE HEIL ’07
(952) 944-7528

STACY KRUSA TEACHOUT ’07
(920) 345-1048

LIZ LEACH MORRELL ’07
(920) 279-0779

Your 2007 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Adam Krueger, Lindsay Kreye Heil, Stacy Krusa Teachout, and Liz Leach Morrell

Greetings, Class of 2012!

Happy New Year, Class of 2012!

It has been great seeing so many updates on our Facebook group and beyond and, despite the past two years of the pandemic, it’s amazing seeing so many classmates thrive. Can you believe we will also be celebrating our 10-year Class Reunion this year? Please remember to save the dates of June 23-26, 2022, and we hope to see you on campus to reconnect in person and see the numerous upgrades around Ripon! During Alumni Weekend, in addition to celebrating our Reunion, we will also be recognizing three award winners from our Class of 2012. GISELA ORTEGA ’12 and ERIN SCHAICK ’12 are both being honored as the 2022 Outstanding Young Alumnae recipients. ARIS WURTZ ’12 is a 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee for his achievements on the basketball court. Congratulations to GISELA, ERIN, and ARIS! We look forward to celebrating with you at the 1851 Awards Dinner on Friday, June 24.

We are also actively looking for classmates to join me (BRANDON TAYLOR ’12) and ERIN SCHAICK ’12 as our Class Agents – please email ERIN and me to let us know you are interested!

Thank you to those who supported the College this past fiscal year (July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021), especially those who supported the Ripon Fund, as well as #OneDayRally. We had 34 donors from our class and 2,773 total donors! #OneDayRally is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27, 2022, and more information regarding #OneDayRally will be forthcoming.

We hope you’re all safe, healthy, and ready to take on whatever you encounter in this new year!

Without further ado, here are the life updates you’ve shared with us recently:

HEATHER VANCUYK ANDERSON ’12 of Appleton, Wisconsin, had the opportunity to be a gestational surrogate and delivered a healthy baby last May. Heather and her husband will be celebrating ten years together this summer.

ARIEL DICKINSON ’12 of Madison, Wisconsin, welcomed a baby boy last July. Dorian is healthy, happy, and loves music. She has been working at Epic for six years now and still loves training there.

SHARON KLAPPERICH DOLL ’12 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, had the opportunity to take over the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition course at the school where she teaches. She could not love it more and has enjoyed working with motivated students who can discuss complex pieces such as “A Modest Proposal” but being able to stay grounded with her special education supported 9th graders.

RENEE DEBRUIN EISLEY ’12 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, moved into a new house this past summer and is expecting her fourth baby soon!

RACHEL WEYKER FELDMANN ’12 of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, is expecting her first baby in early March!

KATHARINE SHADLE GAILS ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, left her manager job in September and has since been working on her art skills and is currently writing a children’s book! She is taking illustration classes to illustrate the book herself. She has a special shout-out to her amazing husband for his support through all of these recent changes.

ANNE RABACAL GROSS ’12 of Germantown, Wisconsin, is welcoming her first child within the next couple of weeks! She is looking forward to spending the remainder of winter and most of the spring inside, cuddled with her baby boy and her ten-month-old husky. She was recently promoted to Senior Research Analyst at Principia Consulting.

LISA HILLEREN ’12 of Chicago, Illinois, is looking forward to seeing people at our reunion! She is still in Chicago and has been at Adage Technologies for about six months and loves it. They are also hiring a bunch (full remote) so if you’re a project manager, programmer, or marketer, definitely reach out for networking!

AURORA POLLEI LAMKA ’12 and SPENCER LAMEKA ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, love being parents to their determined, smiley girl, Millie (eight months old). AURORA is teaching Kindergarten in Milwaukee and SPENCER works for a managed care organization.

BRYANT VANDE KOLK ’12 of Ellicott City, Maryland, finished his Ph.D. and moved to Ellicott City, Maryland in May. This past summer, he joined the Alumni Board for Ripon College and he became a godfather to his niece. He is still a principal systems engineer at Northrop Grumman, working with teams of fellow engineers to solve mission-level analysis questions for our customers. And, this winter he joined a local queer hiking group full of amazingly kind members.

JESSICA BRUNGARDT LARSON ’12 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is expanding her family, adding another little boy in April. She still works at the County Attorney’s office in Colorado Springs, but her position has changed so she is working in Family Treatment Drug Court and Well Baby Court doing child protection cases and added adult protection cases to her caseload as well. She has really enjoyed the changeover to a more collaborative system.

KATE HAMM FRIEDL ’12 is a Business Process Owner for Bostik’s Americas region, in the process of remodeling her house and moving to Arizona with her one-year-old twins.

MEGAN MCGEE NORRIS ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin, just moved into a new house closer to work. She loves being a GAL in Racine County and continuing to take private cases as well. Somehow, she and the family continue to be relatively healthy, and she is just grateful for that.

GISELA ORTEGA ’12 and ZACH VORNHOLT ’13 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have been growing professionally this year! In November, GISELA was promoted to Director of Startup Community at gener8tor, a startup tech accelerator. Most recently, one of the companies GISELA worked with was able to raise $7M which was a huge win. ZACH has been working at G Strategies, LLC for the past eight years where he’s grown to his Director position at the company – working on political campaigns and with non-profits across the country. When they’re not working, they are spending a lot of time being active running, hiking, or riding their Peloton bike. They’re looking forward to splitting up their time further in 2022 in Wisconsin, California, and traveling across Mexico.

LAUREN PIERRE ’12 of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, is now the Access Services Librarian: Circulation Supervisor at Cedarburg Public Library and has been in the new position for about four months and is enjoying the change of pace.

AMY SPRANGER ROSSMANN ’12 is expecting her first baby in June 2022 and was promoted to English Department Chair last August at St. Cat’s High School in Racine.

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12, his wife, Christina, and his puppy, Waffle, are settling into their home in San Francisco, California. BRANDON is still at LinkedIn as a Senior Project Manager on the HR Enablement team and will be celebrating his one-year work anniversary in April.

ERIN SCHAICK ’12 of Concord, New Hampshire, is AVP, Director of Development and Community Relations at CATCH Neighborhood Housing in Concord.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing, and we hope to see you in person this summer!

Be well,

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12
2162 43rd Ave., San Francisco, CA 94116
(406) 274-4708

ERIN SCHAICK ’12
82 Warren St. Apt. 3, Concord, NH 03301
(920) 312-3825

Your 2012 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Erin Schaick and Brandon Taylor

Greetings, Class of 2017!

Hey, Classmates!

Writing the last class update before most of us convene in Ripon for our 5th Reunion feels so unreal! How have nearly five years passed since we wore our graduation regalia on that sunny day in May? Reliving some of those rare warm, sunny days in Ripon couldn’t sound like more of a blast. In case you have already forgotten, our Class Reunion will be on Saturday during Alumni Weekend, which is June 23-26. The College has put together some gatherings exclusively for the Class of 2017! On Friday, we will have Knuth Brewing Company all to ourselves and Saturday will be our official 5th Reunion at The Other Side in J’s BBQ.

If you are still looking for a place to stay for the weekend, a reminder that room blocks are available at the Heidel House (Green Lake, 920.807.0300), Cobblestone Suites (Ripon, 920.748.5500), and Boarders (Ripon, 920.748.7578), but you must call for the Alumni Weekend rate. Other area lodging information can be found at ripon.edu/lodging/. Online registration for the Reunion and on-campus lodging will be available on April 1 at alumni.ripon.edu.

Imagine how much fun you could have if you made plans to stay on campus with an old friend! That is what we plan on doing. You can even request a suite if you end up with a bigger group. What could be a more unique reunion experience?! We look forward to seeing everyone there!

We want to send a special note of appreciation to our classmate WINONA HOLMES ROBBINS ’17 who has served as our Class Agent since graduation. Thank you for your five years of service, WINONA, and we hope to see you at this summer’s Reunion! We would like to invite a new classmate to join us in being a Class Agent.

What does it take to be a Class Agent? We write a Class Letter each fall and spring, and we include updates from classmates as we receive them. Being a Class Agent gives us a direct line of communication with a staff member at Ripon College, and we collaborate closely with the Office of Constituent Engagement to write Class Letters. The College will take care of sending out Class Letters both through email and through snail mail.

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 JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07, associate director of engagement at [email protected], or you can call her at (920) 748-8354. You can contact one of us at any time. Because we are celebrating our Reunion this summer, we are hoping that we can have the open Class Agent position filled as soon as possible. Thank you for considering this opportunity.

Finally, #OneDayRally 2022 is on April 27. This is a one-day fundraising rally that began several years ago and has become popular. It has been an effective fundraiser, but it has also proven to be a bit of fun and a way to competitively rally alumni classes. Consider checking in on the College’s webpage or follow the College’s social media sites that day and join in! All money contributed by you, whether for the #OneDayRally or any contribution to the College during this fiscal year, will count towards our Class Gift.

Class Notes:

KONNER FELDHUS ’17 of Denver, Colorado, will learn where he will be doing his residency in March and will graduate from medical school in May!

JORDAN BRABAND ’17 of Batavia, Illinois, writes that she is excited to announce a career change! After four and a half years at FIS, she will be moving to Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management division.

Hope to see you at our Reunion this summer!

KONNER FELDHUS
(303) 280-5835

ERIN CANON
(414) 469-5945
Your 2017 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Konner Feldhus and Erin Canon

To the Class of 1962,

Although our class is currently without a Class Agent, I, Dan Behring, am reaching out to all of you. Some of you may remember me as Sledge, Stanley Sledgenowski, a role I played in a talent show during freshmen orientation week so many years ago. I am encouraging you all to join me on-campus for Alumni Weekend, June 23-26, 2022. 60 years! Can you believe that!? I would like to have some company.

Where has the time gone? Each one of us can answer that question if we spend a few minutes reflecting. We have come a long way and done a lot of things along the journey we have been blessed to be able to take. Some of you have probably read the story about all of us starting out on a train ride, uncertain where we are going and uncertain when we will get off. Well, all of you getting this note are still on the train ride, and I hope you will add a tourist stop along the way in Ripon for Alumni Weekend and our 60th Reunion Celebration this summer. Let’s celebrate our lives together on the train ride we shared back from 1958 to 1962.

Now I know some of you are already thinking, why would I want to do that? I understand. Most of us are pretty much strangers and so it would be easy to say. Well, I can think of a couple of reasons to visit campus in June:

• Capture some of the good memories of 60 years ago

• Check in on how everyone looks

• Thank each other for the shared memories

• Remember those of us who got off the train early

• Check up on old flames and friends

• Meet the new College leadership and make sure the College is in good hands

• Walk around and see yourself then and feel gratitude

• Capture energy to continue the train ride for new destinations

Now I also know that some of you may be thinking this is going to be a hassle. As we age, a lot of things seem more difficult. Travel, packing, getting out of normal routines, health issues to take care of, more than we would like to admit, become barriers. Well, stand tall, take it head on and say “I’m not going to give up, I’m not going to give up,” and plan the adventure.

Our 60th Reunion celebration will be held on Saturday evening, June 25, 2022, but there are plenty of activities scheduled throughout the weekend for the Class of 1962 to enjoy.

The details of the weekend are still coming together, but here is what I know:

• Friday, June 24 – Weiske Golf Scramble, Campus Tours/Classes, Prairie Walk, Awards Dinner, Alumni-Faculty-Staff Social

• Saturday, June 25 – Class March, State of the College, Greek Socials, That Was Then, Golden R Reunion, All Alumni Party

As events firm up, the College will bring you up-to-date about schedules, registration, and safety protocols.

• To help you plan for attending Alumni Weekend 2022, make your lodging reservations early with these resources: Heidel House (Green Lake, 920.807.0300) and Cobblestone Suites (Ripon, 920.748.5500) both have room blocks, but you must call for the Alumni Weekend rate.

• Other area lodging information can be found at http://www.ripon.edu/lodging/.

• Online registration for the Reunion and on-campus lodging will be available April 1 at alumni.ripon.edu.

I promised myself that I would not get as involved for this reunion as I did for our 50th, and after Carol Pickhardt Fancher got off the train, I resisted taking on what she did so well. But, I will work it out with the College so that we will have a special gathering room for at least Friday and Saturday just for our class. The 60th deserves some special consideration.

Here is what I need from you: Bring any memorabilia you have that you can share with the rest of us. If you are like me you are trying to find some place for stuff you have. If you have some memorabilia that was special for you, bring it along and share it with others, maybe the archives will be interested in adding it to their collection. We will have tables for displays.

My partner of 60 years, Nancy (Steeno), also a member of our class, and I are planning on arriving June 23 and will be on campus on the 24th and 25th. Please consider joining us. Stay on the train and grab a short tourist stop at a place that meant so much to us and where we stopped before. Let’s do it again.

I would love to hear from you if you plan on joining Nancy and me on campus for the 60th Reunion Celebration in June – [email protected]. To make it easy, just say “I plan on being there.”

Hope to see you!

Dan Behring
(231) 889-5402

Submitted by: Dan Behring

Greetings, Class of 1956!

Hi to all fellow Classmates!

Greetings from sunny Florida, though sometimes it seems it’s not very warm. Our senior center is open again and I enjoy attending most days. I enjoy going to Florida Orchestra Concerts about once a month for ten months out of the year. I play keyboard for a nursing home service once a month and I sing in the choir. Unfortunately, our handbell choir is still MIA.

Here are some Class Notes to share, and please contact me to share more at any time:

GERRY JENSEN JAMES ’56 of Dunwoody, Georgia, is still using the e-mail [email protected]. She reports her activities are curtailed because of Omicron. (I think all of us can relate to that!) She broke her foot a couple of months ago but was able to maintain contact with friends and family through the internet. A lot of her family is in Atlanta.

HARRIET BRUCKMAN ROOP ’56 is still in Costa Mesa, California, and has been a widow since 2011. She raised two children and has volunteered for many years. For 40 years she has enjoyed traveling and assisting others with their quests to enrich their lives. She has been back for several reunions.

EDWIN CROMEY ’56 of Tuxedo Park, New York, writes, “Life because of and after Ripon College: In 1934, I was born in Brooklyn, New York. For the first 18 years of my life, I never travelled beyond the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Ripon, Wisconsin, was a culture shock. In September of 1952, I arrived at the College and moved into a brand new dorm called Scott Hall. The student population was about 500 – two of which were from New York City and were minor celebrities. My academic aim was in the area of the ‘Gentleman C.’ To my surprise, I was enjoying classes and received my first A in second-year French. Philosophy became my major with Dr. Tyree. I played freshman football, wrestled, appeared in musicals and dramatic productions, worked in the kitchen, joined the Lambda Delta Alpha fraternity. There was a warmth and friendliness I remember whenever I think about Ripon. I left because of distance and a partial swimming scholarship at a college closer to home. I have donated to Ripon for many years not so much for development but as thanks for my experience there.”

ROGER GERTENRICH ’56 of Portland, Oregon, was highlighted in the November issue of the Portland Tribune in advance of Veterans Day. “Korean vet continues to give back” highlights ROGER’s efforts to preserve Portland’s maritime history, including its wartime shipbuilding history and other links to naval history. Here is the link to the article: https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/527671-420838-korean-vet-working-to-memorialize-uss-oregon-in-portland

It is with regret that I tell you the ROXANNA GRISWOLD FORMAN ’56 died April 2020 from COVID-19. She was preceded in death by her husband George H. Forman and her parents. She is survived by a daughter, Kimberly, and a son, George, and by five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She loved playing tennis, singing in the choir, and reading. She loved her cat. But most of all she enjoyed her children and grandchildren.

College News:
Remember the Harwood Memorial Union? I remember us gathering for the meals and playing cards. What do you remember?

The recent big campus news involved bidding farewell to President Dr. Zach Messitte, Ripon’s 13th President. The search is on for a new President of Ripon College. The interim president is Dr. Andrea Young. She keeps up with the times and can be found on Twitter (twitter.com/RiponPrez) and Instagram (instagram.com/riponprez).

Thank you to all who are able to donate at any time during the year, as well as to the special giving day known as #OneDayRally, which will be held on April 27, 2022. This is a one-day fundraising rally that began several years ago and has become popular. It has been an effective fundraiser, but it has also proven to be a bit of fun and a way to competitively rally alumni classes. Consider checking in to the Ripon.edu website or on the College’s social media sites that day and join in!

Would you believe that Ripon College is 171 years old? The picture below, I assume, is what it looked like 171 years ago. Impressive, huh?

All of us are invited to Alumni Weekend which will be June 23-26, 2022. There will be a Golden R Reunion that our class is invited to attend every year at Alumni Weekend. So we can go to a Reunion every year! Neat!

More information regarding Alumni Weekend will be available at alumni.ripon.edu/special-events/alumni-weekend/.

Our Class Letters can be viewed at any time at this link: alumni.ripon.edu/rconnections

Our yearbook can also be accessed online. Here is the link: https://issuu.com/ripon_college/docs/crimson1956

If you want to look at other years, I suggest trying just changing the year in that string (substitute the year you want).

Now is the time to end this letter. I am looking forward to hearing from each of you with your thoughts, and your news.

Sincerely,

GLORIA BERTSCHIE LUDDECKE ’56
(813) 468-0997
Your 1956 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Gloria Bertschie Luddecke

Dear Classmates,

This second year of the Pandemic was a most unusual one for my wife, Sandy, and myself as it was for most everyone else. But living in a very small town of just 800 people in Montana we were not affected by COVID-19 as most people were in the USA. I am happy to say our three children and eight grandchildren are healthy and we welcomed our first great-grandchild. The documentary on my life was accepted into 19 Film Festivals and we even won a few awards. And, the really exciting news is Sandy and I are now entering into “the next chapter” of our lives as we will be moving to Costa Rica in the spring of this year. I will still have my same email address which is [email protected]. Drop me a note and I will write you from Jaco on the Pacific Ocean.

Class Notes

RONELL BRADBEER ANDERSON ’59 of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, writes “I, like many others, found my plans were limited due to COVID-19. Luckily, I have not gotten it and hope to be more active in 2022. I have a large collection of antique valentines and I organized, photographed, and displayed them on various websites including Facebook. It kept me busy particularly since I went through two quarantines in my independent living apartment at Maris Grove in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. I welcome any of my classmates to email me at [email protected].”

CLIFF EIMON ’59 of West Bend, Wisconsin, writes “I am 86 years old and have four children and seven grandchildren with the youngest one-year-old and six still in high school. I am a “snow bird” and play golf twice a week. My two sons are great golfers and I enjoy playing with them. Our games have switched. They play the blue tees and I play the forward tees. God has blessed me.”

Don’t forget, all of us are invited to attend our Golden R Reunion Celebration that is held annually during Alumni Weekend. This year’s Alumni Weekend will be June 23-26, 2022.

Stay safe and well. God Bless.

DAVID MIRISCH ’59
(760) 715-0580 / www.dmirisch.com

Submitted by: Class Agent: David Mirisch

Dear fellow Classmates,

Greetings from Southern Oregon! The response to my request to hear back from you about what has happened in the past year was disappointing, however, it is my hope that it was due to busy schedules. In any event, here is what is happening in our world.

AKIRA TOMITA of Japan, writes, “Greetings from Japan!!! Last night, I happened to skim through “Freshman Handbook” which brought me back to good old memories of my Freshman Year in 1957 of wearing “beanies,” having a “fresh-sophomore greased-pole fight,” polishing shoes for upper-class students, carrying books for them, etc. I also enjoyed “shaving cream fight” in the hallway of Scott Hall for which some blamed us being childish. The floor supervisor, Nick Whiteman, was busy getting out of his room and yelling, “All right, guys, get quiet and back to your rooms right now!!!”

“I continue to foster my friendship with TIM BURR, BILL PYE, and PETER JOCHIMSEN. A few years ago, my wife and I enjoyed staying at TIM‘s at Oostburg, Wisconsin, over three nights and seeing BILL at Ripon- it was my first time to see him after our Ripon days. We also had an honor to be welcomed by PETER at his home in Iowa City. ALLEN ANGSTEN invited us to his home several times. I cherish my friendship with them. Both my son and daughter had a privilege to visit Ripon College some years ago. I’m glad I attended Ripon College!!!”

MARYANN CLAUDER JESSE of Downers Grove, Illinois, writes, “Life goes on, hooray. COVID certainly put a hold on social life here. The holidays were better than last year-family could be together and everyone was vaccinated and tested. Hopefully, things will lighten up by spring. I wish I had more exciting things to tell, but maybe by the next time this Letter goes out, I will.”

And here is an additional note from MAC CLAUDER JESSE when I called her to remind her to respond for an update for our Class Letter: As an addendum to the first message… Ms. KRIEPS should let you all know everything she is involved in and does. I talk to her and have to catch my breath thinking about it. Another reminder…never give her your phone number…she’ll nag you to death. BARB, you had better put this in the newsletter. Love you! (Love you, too.)

SUGAR MALTBY BALMES of Mount Prospect, Illinois, writes, “I wish I had some exiting things to put in the class letter but I do not. Surely one of the best times this past year was our small, rain-drenched 60th reunion. It was great to see MARA LATSONS WARREN, KAREN SCHNEIDER CENTER, and MARY BACCHUS MILLER, all of whom look fabulous and share many joyful memories of our Ripon years. We were thrilled to spend some time with CLAUDETTE BEAL ROSELAND ’60, who was determined to come to Ripon in spite of battling serious health issues. Sadly, CLAUDETTE passed away just three months later.

“Because COVID-19 took over pretty much of our lives for the past two years, travels were very limited to my happy place, Key West, Florida, where I have family and memories of decades of visits there. COVID-19 also took away the two volunteer jobs I enjoyed since retiring from teaching. Because of a chronic medical issue, I must walk every day, a challenge I enjoy in summer but am forced to do on a treadmill all winter. The highlight of my days is a trip to the gym almost every day…gets me out to enjoy the sight of other masked aging exercisers. I do read many books while on that treadmill. Looking forward to resuming in-person activities (I hate ZOOM) and some more traveling!”

I am sad to report the passing of BOB TYKAL. The good part about this news is that he is reunited with his wife MARILYNN DEPLEWSKI TYKAL ’60.

ROBERT “BOB” TYKAL of Davis, Illinois, died May 4, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in physics and mathematics, participated in student government and athletics, and was commissioned through ROTC. He received a master’s of business administration degree from the University of Chicago. He served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. He was an information systems executive at Motorola Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois, for more than 30 years, retiring in 1996. He enjoyed time at Lake Summerset and his second home in Naples, Florida, fishing, golf, and singing in church choirs in Illinois and Florida and in the barbershop quartet Three Shots and a Chaser. Survivors include three sons and one daughter. His wife, MARILYNN DEPLEWSKI TYKAL ’60, died in 2014.

This is from JACKSON PARKER in response to my question about why more of “you guys” did not attend the Reunion last year.

“A reasonable question about “us guys.” I had fully planned to attend, and was really looking forward to it. We had a gigantic family reunion over the 4th of July (including cousins I hadn’t seen since we were seven years old; I’m somewhat older than that now) and saw 50 people during the week of the 4th through golf tournaments, banquets, and fireworks. I still planned to attend the reunion. However, Jackson Parker V, decided to be born on July 24th in Minneapolis. We were there, in our best grandparent mode. Then they moved to Milwaukee which is their permanent home. The mom, Sara, is the Head Dietician for both the Milwaukee and Minneapolis VA Hospitals and knew the Minneapolis hospitals and liked the birthing approach better than Milwaukee. Mom, Sara, Dad (Jackson Parker IV), and JP5 moved back to Milwaukee the first week in August, we came with them providing support and getting their house ready (our main home is south of Milwaukee; close enough that we are the number one babysitters). Thus, no Reunion. I can’t speak for the other guys who weren’t there except to say we don’t live as long as you females do and enter senility earlier; some would say shortly after we turn 16. There I am letting myself off the hook again. But in seriousness, the birth was both a tense and cherished event for us. We were concerned how our son might handle it – but we didn’t need to be. He’s a great Dad and full partner with the Mom. This after he had some VERY difficult teenage and early 20’s years. This is more than you wanted to know I’m sure, but I felt bad about missing the Reunion. My bittersweet sentimentality always looks forward to it…and time runs through the hourglass, doesn’t it. Felt I needed to explain because I truly missed not seeing you. And, I mean that.”

BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN of Medford, Oregon, writes, “As for me, life has slowed down a bit here in beautiful Southern Oregon. This past quarter I took three classes at Southern Oregon University but have decided that two is enough this quarter. In addition to that, I volunteer at one of the theatres here in Medford and subscribe to three other theatres. As you can tell, the visual arts play a major role in my life. Oh, and I am in two book clubs. The downside of belonging to a book club is that you have all those books to read! It’s like homework! The upside is that you read books you might not have chosen to read.

“I’ve also committed the egregious error of over volunteering at the community level. While my term on the City of Medford Budget Committee has expired, I still serve on two city commissions, the Medford Urban Renewal Agency and the Community Services Development Commission. That and Rotary serving on four committees, one of which I chair. I continue to be active in the American Association of University Women and am working on planning the annual Women’s Leadership Conference this May in Ashland.

“Every year my daughter and I make it a point to spend Thanksgiving week together. Last year I visited her in New York, and as always, it was memorable. There is no place like New York at Thanksgiving. We had tickets to the Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert but the fun part was being able to see the floats up close on Wednesday night prior to the parade. But the best part was that my granddaughter flew out from Chicago to spend the week with us. My grandson opted to remain in Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his aunt and girlfriend. This year my daughter and I hope to travel to Iceland. A friend and I were planning to travel to the Diocletian Coast to visit Croatia and perhaps Serbia this spring but now what with what is happening in Ukraine, we will postpone until next year. It would be interesting to see where Game of Thrones was filmed. Hey, who knows how much longer I’ll be able to travel? In between, I walk my two standard poodles and take classes at the athletic club. And that’s about it for me.”

I hope you can all make it to our Golden R Reunion celebration at Alumni Weekend this summer, which will be June 23-26, 2022. It is so good to see each other. Hopefully, we’ll celebrate with masks off!

Stay well, and please stay in touch.

BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61
H: (541) 778-6188 / C: (408) 309-1225
Your 1961 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barbara Krieps Laskin

Greetings, Classmates!

These are certainly trying times, but thankfully there are indications that COVID-19 is becoming manageable. But, oh, for the good old days!

Class Notes:

VERNON CRONEN ’63 of Wilmington, North Carolina, ([email protected]) writes, “Hi Classmates of 1963. There’s not much new to report. I continue to teach and do research at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. It has been great to teach face to face again (masked, and distanced of course). My wife and I do little outside the house as we are both at high risk for COVID-19. I hope to live long enough to eat at a restaurant (inside) and go to a basketball game. (UNCW has won 12 straight.) I very much appreciate my students and colleagues here and Myrna and I can still go to the beach, just ten minutes away. To those of you who, like me, will hit the 80 years mark very soon I offer this straight off a greeting card so it must be true: ‘Another day older only matters if you are a banana.’”

SUSAN KELLER MATTHES ’63 of Carson City, Nevada, ([email protected]) writes, “Hello, Classmates of 1963! How can it have been so long? Me turning 80 seems like somebody else – I really don’t feel much older than 60, except for a few occasional aches and pains! My husband and I have been staying safe in this COVID-19 environment – individual immunity is so important, as is diet and daily exercise. We haven’t done much in the way of travels these past two years – we’re hoping for some later this year, but it will all depend! Meanwhile, we enjoy the DVDs my husband has made of our past travels (now that we are ‘old and gray’ and we’ve seen so many beautiful places here in the USA!). ‘I never expected to see that’ are his words, often referring to growing up in Germany and seeing movies of the American West.

“I volunteer two-three times a month with Friends of the Carson City Library in our Browsers Book Store. It’s a really good store with volunteers even alphabetizing books, especially fiction and biography, by author! We’ve become a special place in Carson City! I also continue to volunteer as an election official here in Carson City – I remember starting in Hinsdale back in 1976!! Quite a run, wouldn’t you say? Do make sure you each get out and exercise your citizen’s right to vote. We each have a voice in the outcome if we all do vote! Stay safe, healthy, and enjoy each day – it is a gift!”

Unfortunately, there is sad news to report:

PAUL BERENS ’63 of Appleton, Wisconsin, died March 28, 2021. At Ripon, he studied economics and history. He was a member of Partners in the Legacy. He obtained a teaching certificate from Lawrence University and was a member of the National Guard. He had worked in retail clothing, had an antique booth at a downtown Appleton mall, and also was a teacher in the Milwaukee public school system. He enjoyed traveling, shopping and collecting antiques. He was a grateful member of A.A. for close to 50 years. He will be remembered by family and friends for his goofy smile and quick wit with a hint of sarcasm!

KAREN GOEPFERT JOHNSON ’63 of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, died August 7, 2021. At Ripon, she participated in Alpha Phi Sorority and became a lifetime member. In 1960, she joined her parents in Brussels, Belgium, and later lived in Germany while her husband served in the Army. They settled in Burlington, Wisconsin, where she worked in various administrative and clerical roles at Burlington Memorial Hospital for more than 25 years. She retired to Sturgeon Bay in 2002 and was involved with Birch Creek Music Theater, Crossroads at Big Creek, Friends of White Fish Dunes State Park, Miller Art Museum, Bay View Lutheran Church, and Learning in Retirement. She enjoyed painting, creating collages, attending concerts, knitting and participating in book clubs. Survivors include two sons.

HENRY “HANK” MATHEWS ’63 of San Diego, California, died February 22, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in mathematics and was a member of Delta Upsilon. He received an MBA in marketing from Loyola University Chicago.

MARCIA MACLEISH HIGGINS ’63 of Sarasota, Florida, died January 29th. She was born June 24, 1941, to Douglas and Jean MacLeish in Chicago. Marcia graduated Taft High School in 1958. She then attended Ripon College, where she was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority and met her husband, JUDSON HIGGINS ’62. She graduated in 1963 with a degree in Education. She worked as a teacher and later was the office manager for Libertyville Vision Center. She was an avid golfer who enjoyed travel and boating on Green Lake, Wisconsin. Marcia is survived by her husband, Judson Higgins; sons, Jeffry (Theresa) and Douglas (Carol); granddaughter, Madison; and sister, LORNA MACLEISH ’64. She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Caroline. Donations may be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation at www.nationalbreastcancer.org.

We all knew MARCIA as a good friend and as a strong supporter of Ripon College and of our class. As you know, she served as our Class Agent for years, and she and JUD hosted many get-togethers of our class at their Green Lake cottage during our Reunions.

Stay safe everyone, and hopefully, I will hear from more of you for the next Class Letter. Just think, next year we will be celebrating our 60th Class Reunion (June 22-25, 2023)! I hope that many of us can attend! This summer’s Alumni Weekend is June 23-26, 2022.

Until next time,

WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63
(313) 550-5094
Your 1963 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Wayne Wolfgram

Greetings to my ’64 Classmates,

The months seem to go by so quickly. I am writing this Spring Class Letter near Valentine’s Day. Writing these letters causes me to reminisce about my days at Ripon. I am remembering the Valentine’s Day at Ripon when JIM KOHNEN ’64, my future husband, presented me with a beautiful rose in a bowl and his Theta Chi fraternity pin in Farr Hall where we often studied together. JIM had a desk in Farr Hall because he was in charge of the Greenhouse plus the mice and cockroaches. In May, it will be ten years since JIM died. We dated for most of the four years we were at Ripon except for a time sophomore year when he announced that he planned to become a Catholic priest. He did not arrive at Ripon until the second semester of freshman year and my roommate set us up on a blind date, which I almost did not agree to. The Ripon Greenhouse had beautiful Bird of Paradise plants. We have several of those plants here on the Stoneridge Creek grounds. The grounds are a great place to walk and we have many beautiful trees and flowers to enjoy.

I feel grateful to be living here, it has been eight-and-a-half years. I enjoy the excursions and they are starting up again. I saw a Van Gogh immersion show and will soon see one for Picasso. I also like the opportunity to eat with other residents. The only downside of living here is when people I know decline and sometimes die, although at our age that would happen wherever I lived. June will be the big 80th birthday for me, but I know several people here who are in their 90s and doing well. I keep being reminded that if I want to do something and I still can I should do it now. At the end of August, I have a cruise on a small ship scheduled; it is called Bourbon, the American Experience.

The biggest news at Ripon is that a Presidential Search is underway for Ripon’s 14th President because Zach Messitte resigned at the end of the first semester. The Search Committee hopes to make an offer in late spring. I enjoyed meeting Zach Messitte a couple of times when he was visiting alumni in California. The interim President is Andrea Young. The Governor of Wisconsin has appointed Ripon Professor of Art, Rafael Francisco Salas, to the Wisconsin Arts Board. Do you remember Lester Schwartz P’88/P’89 when we were at Ripon? I have a black and white print of his hanging in my kitchen; it is a man playing a clarinet.

I always like to encourage you to donate to Ripon’s annual fund, known as the Ripon Fund. For the last few years, I have made a donation from my required IRA distribution. When the donation goes directly from my IRA to Ripon, I do not pay taxes on the money. Last year, our class did very well in two categories. In the Honor Roll, of all classes ranked for total giving, our Class of ’64 was number eight. Also in the Honor Roll, of all classes for the percent of class participation, our Class of ’64 was number ten. Congratulations to us!

I have a few class notes to share with you. If you have something you would like to share in the future you can either send it to Ripon directly or to me!

CAROL RUMMEL DINGMAN ’64 of Dallas, Texas, received the Lifetime Achievement award from Metrocrest Services for “exceptional individuals who have spent decades serving the Metrocrest community.” The award was presented at the Golden Gala on October 30, 2021 at the Renaissance Hotel in Addison, Texas.

JAMES S. KLEINHANS ’64 of Whitewater, Wisconsin, died September 1, 2021. At Ripon, he played basketball under KERMIT “DOC” WEISKE ’50, who had been his coach at Fort Atkinson High School. He was also a member of Sigma Chi. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He had a 40-year career in journalism, printing and publication, serving as editor at newspapers in Ripon, Minocqua, Arcadia and Menomonie. He also was senior associate editor of J.J. Keller and Associates in Neenah and administration officer in the Bureau of Information/Education with the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He was active in environmental issues and sports activities at local, county and state levels throughout his life. Survivors include his wife, Penny; one son TODD KLEINHANS ’86 and two daughters.

JUVENNA CHANG ’64 of Honolulu, Hawaii, writes, “I am fully retired and keeping active with pickleball, aquajogging, quilting, volunteering at church, etc. So far, I have weathered the pandemic, vaccinated. Seven grandchildren keep me motivated.”

MARJORIE GEORGE WILLIAMS ’64 of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, writes, “When I retired from my Monday through Friday job about ten years ago, I continued to work as a church organist, but began to expand my musical horizons to include piano jazz. Five years later I resigned from my church position and began performing piano jazz weekly in two amateur-friendly venues, one of them an upscale memory care facility and the other a church dinner gathering. When the pandemic struck, all of that was curtailed for a time, but now I am back playing at the memory care facility. It is so rewarding to see the residents respond to my music. The church crowd is another matter. With them, it’s a bit like playing at a supper club, with frequent applause and the occasional vocalist coming on stage to sing along as I play.”

I wish you all health and happiness,

Pat Ostrom Kohnen ’64
(925) 201-7377
Your 1964 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Pat Ostrom Kohnen

Dear Class of 1966,

1966. Seems like yesterday…except when I get up in the morning with a pain in my lower back. But yoga takes care of it until tomorrow morning. Then, it starts all over again. But who’s complaining? I’m here to see the sunrise for another day.

I’m sorry that those who wrote me for the Fall ’21 Letter didn’t get posted. My confusion. But, here we all are in the Spring ’22 Letter!

For me, besides the slight aches and pains of aging, things have been going fine. I love Albuquerque after 40 years in a traffic-clogged L.A. We even had two snowstorms this winter! Plus, we have over 300 days of sunshine.

Here are the messages sent by our Class members:

HELEN HANSEN and Bob Collier of Saint Paul, Minnesota, write, “Thank you so very much for picking up the 1966 Class Agent role. I loved doing it until my husband’s Parkinson’s simply left very little time. We now know more about Parkinson’s than we ever thought we would learn.” [Agent Note: In February 2022, HELEN wrote that “all is good.”]

SUSAN SCOTT LASHLY and MARK LASHLY of Chesterfield, Missouri, write, “Both MARK and I are beginning to find a new path with a little more freedom from COVID-19. Both of us are retired and are involved in some community work which we enjoy. Our travels have been cut short but we have still managed our annual Door County family vacation where we love being together with our entire family and also enjoy the opportunity to renew friendships with Ripon friends – the Goodes and the Matheses.

“Our three granddaughters bring us great joy and are quite grown up now – ages 22, 19, and 15, with two in college at Missouri State University and one a sophomore in high school. Happily, our children and granddaughters live here in St. Louis so we can get together often.

“We look forward to the time when everything can get back to normal and hope all of our Ripon friends have managed to stay healthy and will continue to do so.”

PAM KURZ GOODE and TERRY GOODE of Bailey’s Harbor, Wisconsin, write, “As for what we have been up to (other than being extremely careful due to COVID-19), still enjoying life in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin! So much to do with an active theater and art scene, plus classes at Bjorklunden and the Clearing. Retirement had been good to us.

“Under normal circumstances, we usually travel quite a bit – a month in Mexico, a couple of weeks out East, etc. We are both Civil War buffs (thank you Ripon history professors for that) so many of our past trips have been to visit those historic sites.

“We are very fortunate that our daughter and her family live just a few minutes away from us, so we see lots of them and are able to attend many of the events those two teenage grandsons participate in. Our son and his family live in Syracuse, New York, so we don’t see them very often, but we try to keep up with that grandson’s activities as well.

“Having both lost our mothers to Alzheimer’s disease a number of years ago, we are trying to do our part by volunteering at the Alzheimer’s wing of the local care center on a weekly basis. We also tend a local wildflower garden in a nearby park, which is open to the community. TERRY serves on several boards, including the Merriman Board of Regents.

“We were back in Ripon briefly in August with friends RUTH POTTS FLECK and BOB FLECK ’65 and managed a nice visit with Dr. Hannaford P’68, aka Spud!  Also, I touched base with SUZIE SCOTT LASHLY and MARK LASHLY this past summer here in Door County. We also stay in touch via email and phone with SUZAN HELGERSON PRUIETT and her husband in Tampa. That’s our life in a nutshell! Take care and, again, thanks for assuming the class agent mantle!”

WILLIAM DESCHER and PATRICIA OLSON DESCHER of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, write, “We support Hillsdale College and Prager University as do most of my friends of 60s at Ripon. Your Ripon College president turned us off when disinvited the previous U.S. V.P.”

JOAN CHURCHILL of Exeter, New Hampshire, writes, “Suffice it to say, my life has been amazing. I left in ’66 on my way as a technician to Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico where I am now a patron. Then, I went onto Pittsburgh where I got my MFA at Carnegie-Mellon in Scene Design. The rest of the history is pretty much fairy tale.

“As a Santa Fe Opera patron, I am invited to NYC for a preview of any new opera they will present the following summer. In October of ’21, this was for ‘M. Butterfly’ with both David Henry Wang, librettist/playwright, and Huang Ruo, composer. The real star of the evening, however, was Kangmin Justin Kim, the countertenor playing the title role. He would be a great reason to travel to Santa Fe this summer, if for no other reason.

“While in New York, I saw “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” at the re-opened Met. It was too long, but I found it interesting and obviously a breakthrough piece. The house was packed. Two days later I went to the “Turandot” which was only half full. Strange; everyone needs to see that Zefferelli production at least once. (Agent note: The MET in HD broadcast will show Turandot on May 22nd. Check to see if it’s playing where you live. Putting aside questions about ethnicity and cultural appropriation, Turnadot is a must-see, mind-blowing production [the set even gets applause] whose music is glorious.)

“I return to New York for another round at the Met in March, seeing the premiere of the new ‘Don Carlo,’ along with an ‘Eugene Onegin.’ Since I haven’t yet given myself over to flying, I take the Amtrak Acela that goes along the coast and it is pretty breathtaking.”

PAMELA BEEKMAN ROGERS and STEPHEN ROGERS of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, writes, “We are both retired, and we have been married for 55 years. We have two children, two grandchildren, and we vacation in Florida during the month of January. Both of us are enjoying good health.”

JERRY THORNBERY of Baltimore, Maryland, writes, “Here is a brief summary of my life after Ripon College:

• 1966-1967: attended Emory University and gained a MAT degree
• 1967-1970: high school history teacher at East Atlanta High, Atlanta Public Schools
• 1970-1977: graduate student in American History at the University of Maryland, College Park
• 1977 dissertation: The Development of Black Atlanta, 1865-1885
• 1977-1979: part-time college teaching
• 1979-2016: high school history teacher and coach

Here is a link to the Gilman School newspaper that discussed my career and retirement. Most of the information is true.

Family History

• 1969: Married Carrie Himes, since 1969 Carrie Thornbery
• 1977: Son Reece was born – now lives in Chicago (with his wife) and is a projectionist at the Music Box
• 1980: Daughter Meredith was born – still lives in Baltimore with her husband, still a Thornbery, and is a 911 dispatcher for Howard County

          Note: all our grandchildren have four legs

“In the second semester of our senior year at Ripon, a movie series was shown. It included five or six Bogart films. When I moved to the DC area to begin my near-decade-long career as a grad student (surviving in part on Carrie Thornbery Renewable Scholarships), revival movie houses were popular. I must have seen every film that Bogie made after 1940. I will sail away with Bogie and Bacall to Key Largo any time, but some of my favorite films have been made by John Sayles, at least the ones from 1979 to early 2000.

“I was so impressed with what Brother Metcalf had done that I resolved to run a series on my own if I ever had the chance. For a decade in the 1980s at Gilman School, I ran the Brand O Film Society, promoting a Sunday fall and spring series. I gave extra credit to my students and, using two 16 mm projectors, made enough to break even. (Agent Note: This was the only way a fan of film could see older films since the video wasn’t invented yet. As a film careerist, I envy young people today who can see any film at any time, even on their phone!) At first, I hired a student to show the films but toward the end, I did it myself. The trick was to thread the third reel in the dark and have it set up so perfectly that the audience did not know that I had moved from one projector to another.

“By the end of the decade, however, students no longer had much interest in movies (except mall action or slasher flicks) and some complained so much that I concluded they thought that attending my films was worse than writing a term paper. Consequently, Brand O sadly was shut down. Later, I tried to give extra credit for seeing certain films at The Charles (where my son worked). But, when several students told me that Riffi was about a bank robbery, I knew that it was time to end the movie extra credit.

“And now with the pandemic, who knows if movie houses can survive? I have lost much of my hearing so I need to see a film with Open Captions (OC), meaning the subtitles can be seen on the screen. Fortunately, I get an email each week from OCDC (Open Captions Washington, D.C.) that lists every film and the times that will be shown in OC in the D.C. area. Both the AFI Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Avalon in Chevy Chase, D.C., show OC films and both require proof of vaccination and masks. So, we have started back to attending movie houses. We don’t tell our daughter.

“Did you happen to see the 1969 French film La Piscine with Alain Delon? We saw it at the AFI this summer and then read the review In the NY Times and decided to see it again at The Avalon a week or so ago. The next night we streamed the American remake of A Bigger Splash with Tilda Swinton. It blew us away. What a brilliant remake. But to appreciate it, you first have to see the original.

“You are scratching your head, no doubt, wondering why anyone would want to leave the comfort of their TV room when they can stream movies at home. But, I like to see films on the Big Screen and want to support my favorite houses. Note that no movie house in Baltimore shows anything in OC. Yes, we are a provincial town. But as the bumper sticker says, “Baltimore, Actually I Like It.” And we live in the city, near the Johns Hopkins undergrad campus. Gosh—it just occurred to me that if you aren’t deeper into movies (thank you, Pauline Kael) you must be asleep by now. If so, so sorry.

“Okay, one more Ripon story that has never been mentioned to my knowledge in a class of 1966 note as classmates get deeper into nostalgia and prove once again that they are closing in on senility. Digression: if so, what does this email say about me?

“In the spring of 1964, George Wallace entered the Wisconsin presidential primary. His opponent was Governor John Reynolds, an LBJ stand-in. Johnson claimed he was too busy carrying out JFK’s legacy and running the country to enter any of the primaries. He got state pols to run in his place, especially in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Maryland. Reynolds had run for governor as an enemy of the sales tax, but once elected, signed a bill for the sales tax. Then he said that a vote for Wallace was a vote against him. Not a great move. And that did not factor in all the Wallace supporters in the state who were going to vote for the Alabama governor anyway.

“Wallace was to speak one night in Oshkosh and two of his critics that same night came to Ripon College to attack him. William Bradford Huie was an Alabama writer who wrote a number of novels (several that became movies— “The Americanization of Emily,” “The Revolt of Mamie Stover,” “The Execution of Private Slovik”). Today he is remembered, if at all, as the journalist who got the killers of Emmett Till to give him a story in Look about how they murdered the youth. They did the interview for the money and because, after being found innocent of the crime, they could not be prosecuted again. The other speaker at Ripon that evening was the famous Socialist, Norman Thomas.

“I remember both of them and some of what they said. Huie pointed out that Wallace was still getting mental disability checks from his World War II experiences. Wallace later replied, “So what. I still have more sense than any or all of those Washington politicians.”  Thomas began by asking the tech people to turn off his mic. He explained that he still was not used to those new fangle inventions. And clearly, he did not need amplification; his voice boomed across the auditorium (or was it the gym?). He asked the students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. When we got to “one nation under God” he exclaimed, “You can stop right there. Sit down. Students and friends, you have in a nutshell, the only contribution Dwight Eisenhower has made in eight years in office. He added ‘under God’ to the Pledge.” And then, he ripped into George Wallace and why all should oppose him.

“That’s more than enough THORNBERY for one sitting. But, here’s a little filler for the newsletter: Every summer since 1975, Carrie and I have gone to Belgium for July and August. Then you can add, that’s Belgium, Wisconsin, where we have a couple of shacks on Lake Michigan. Thanks to the pandemic (better not call it the Trump Virus in the newsletter), we did not make it there in 2020 as our daughter had us on lockdown in Baltimore City. But, we returned this summer to see that our $20,000 rockpile has stopped, for the present, Lake Michigan’s attack on our front yard. So far, so good. Our cottage is located on Sandy Beach South which currently has neither sand nor beach.

“Another piece of filler: Since 2016, I have spent part of my retirement in Wisconsin at our cottage and part of it in Baltimore, back at Gilman School, sitting in on a colleague’s fall English class on the literature of the 1960s. It has forced me to read two Kurt Vonnegut novels, Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five. I’m not a big fan but still glad I read them. In the spring semester, I read four or five Cormac McCarty’s novels. I came to appreciate the film version of No Country for Old Men after reading the novel. My real contribution to that literature course was to make sure that both my friend the instructor and the students knew that the correct pronunciation of that famous Wisconsin killer Ed Gein was Ed Geen, not Ed Gine, that came up in a discussion of McCarthy’s Child of God.

“Finally, a third and last filler: With the pandemic preventing me from attending a class at Gilman School, I had to do something to make Carrie think I wasn’t a total slug- Fat chance. For several months this spring, 2021, with the help of recently discovered letters my folks received from me in the late 1960s, I wrote a memoir about my first teaching gig, as a history teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools. It was written to amuse my former students of a half-century ago. Best comment: “JERRY, how do you remember all this crap?” The Johns Hopkins Medical Center has rated the memoir the best cure now known for insomnia. So, when I send it out, the reader is asked not to read the memoir while driving. I thank all of the contributors to this, my first “Class of 1966 Newsletter.” Given our ages, we have all lived very interesting and full lives, and I for one appreciate hearing about them.

“Let me add that this summer I am foregoing my annual trip to the Santa Fe Opera (if you have never gone it’s quite an experience given its location and the quality of its productions) and instead am going to the Central City Opera in Central City, Colorado. It’s located in a historic opera house built in 1878 (!) by Welsh and Cornish miners and town residents who had a tradition of music. Fortunately, it has been renovated several times over the past century and a half. Sitting in this theater is like going back in time and imagining what living in this once-thriving mining town that built an opera house must have been like.

“But before Colorado, I’m going to Brooklyn, New York, to see my granddaughter for the first time for her two-year birthday. My stepdaughter keeps me and her father, my husband, up to date with pictures of Raia nearly every day. But it will be great to actually see her and hold her in person. Plus, it’s New York City which means lots of theater-going, assuming the theaters will stay open and there’s something to see. Finally, I’m starting to make plans to see the Northern Lights in 2023 which assumes I will see 2023!”

In conclusion, as you may have read in the Winter Ripon Magazine, 2021 was the highest fundraising year ever for the college. However, just over 38% of our class contributed to this historic accomplishment. If you are in the 38+% who contributed, thank you. If not, perhaps you will consider making a donation during 2022 and, perhaps, we will not only beat the 2021 record but will increase the percentage of our class that is contributing. I look at it as planting seeds for the future as we help sustain the College while we help students by funding their education. It would be great to report an increase for the Spring 2023 Class Letter.

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from more of you for the next Class Letter. There are 168 of us still around, so let us know what you have done and are planning to do. My email is [email protected]. Don’t be shy.

Also, this summer’s Alumni Weekend will be June 23-26, 2022. After our 50th Reunion, we become part of what is known as the Golden R Reunion, which means we have a special celebration and dinner that we are invited to every year during Alumni Weekend.

This Class Letter is being snail-mailed in order to reach the most amount of Classmates. It is cheaper for the College to email out this Class Letter only. Therefore, I would encourage you that if you would like to stay up-to-date on your classmates’ activities, consider updating the College with your preferred email address using this form: alumni.ripon.edu/services/update-info/, or you can email me directly.

Yours—

BARRY SIMON ’66
(505) 967-5225
Your 1966 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barry Simon

Dear Classmates:

The expression, “spring forward, fall back” is how many of us remember what to do as we enter and leave Daylight Saving Time. For this Class Letter, l’ll let you know what is coming up for Ripon and what has happened in the recent, and not so recent, past.

College News
Goodbye and good luck: The recent big campus news involved bidding farewell to President Zach Messitte, Ripon’s 13th President. The late fall was filled with events and opportunities to say goodbye and good luck to Dr. Messitte and his family. His legacy includes the strong financial position of the College along with solid enrollment for the near future. I’m sure our class joins me in thanking President Messitte for his accomplishments, as well as for his vision and leadership before and during the pandemic.

Blast from our past: I hope you saw the article in The Winter 2021 Ripon Magazine, “Remembering Lester O. Schwartz.” Lester P’88/P’89 was a notable fixture on our campus from 1944 until his retirement in 1977. We knew him as an artist-in-residence and for his often unique, methods of teaching art, including having students spend time working at his Green Lake farm. I did not know, or had forgotten, that he founded the Department of Art at Ripon College. He was quite a guy and quite an artist.

Back in our day: We all remember going to the bookstore located in the Student Union. Over the years it moved over to the Pickard Commons. Beginning this school year, the Rally Store opened in Ripon Drug, just off the campus at the start of downtown. It features Ripon College items we used to buy at the old bookstore.

Ripon recognized: The town of Ripon was recognized as one of the Seven Best Downtown Areas in Wisconsin. It was also recognized as one of the Ten Most Magical Christmas Towns in December 2021.

Alumni Weekend: Alumni Weekend 2022 will go back to the usual end-of-June time. Save the date, June 23-26, 2022. Remember too, our class will hold its 55th Reunion next year (June 22-25, 2023). Hold the thought!

Fundraising: The spring #OneDayRally will be held on Wednesday, April 27. This special, one-day fundraiser has grown each year since it started. I hope our class will be a leader in showing support for our school and all it has accomplished.

Classmate News
MIKE CLAREY ’68 of Pymont, Australia, reports that Australia, where he has lived for 35 years, has had very tough COVID-19 restrictions. At one point last fall, it was closed to non-citizens who were not permanent residents. Because there was a required two-week quarantine in a hotel, at your expense, and with space limitations, about 30,000 Aussies who wanted to return were unable to do so. Additionally, if you wished to leave the country, you had to apply to do it. At that time, the Clareys were planning to leave in December for a visit with their older daughter in North Carolina, followed by some additional travel around the U.S., including a visit with ’68 classmate, JIM CLARK ’68 and wife, Martha.

Obituaries
RICHARD R. BROCKHAUS ’68 of Rockville, Maryland, died August 12, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in physics and philosophy and was a member of Partners in the Legacy. He received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Brown University and taught philosophy at Bucknell University. He later moved to the Washington, D.C. area and taught calculus and physics at Landon School for close to 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Ann; one son and one daughter.

DAVID KENNICOTT ’68 of University Place, Washington, died August 31, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in philosophy. After serving in the Army in Fort Knox and Bübligren, Germany, he received a Master’s degree in library science from UW-Oshkosh. He was branch administrator for the Pierce County Library Systems for more than 20 years. He enjoyed traveling and crossword puzzles, as well as traveling to car races along with collecting model cars and toys. He is survived by his wife, Elaine and one son.

BONNIE MACDOUGALL BECK ’68 of Hamilton, Missouri, died October 19, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in psychology and was a member of Alpha Delta Pi. She also received a degree in education from Loyola University, Chicago. She worked for 17 years as a Chicago public school teacher while also managing multiple real estate properties. She then bought and operated a family-oriented campground in Turney, Missouri with her husband, Oren D. Beck. Here, she continued her career in education as a school librarian. She is survived by two daughters and two unofficially adopted sons.

Social Media
Facebook connection: I encourage you to become part of our newly-revised Facebook group, Ripon College Class of 1968. If you were part of the Facebook 50th Reunion page, you are already included. It is a great way to connect with classmates and it is where we will post information about our 55th Reunion (hard to believe!).

In closing, we are always interested in your news. It’s an important connection for those with whom we have a common bond but do not regularly see. Please let us hear from you. My contact information is included above, or you may always submit a class news note at this link: alumni.ripon.edu/services/update-info/.

Best wishes,

PETER UHRIG ’68
(512) 762-1479
Your 1968 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Peter Uhrig

Hello Everyone!

I’m writing this in early February, watching the snow and ice storms rage across the country. Fortunately for CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 and me, it is in the upper 70s here in Naples, Florida, today.

Presidential Search
Most of you know Ripon College is in the midst of a search for a new president. President Zach Messitte officially left at the end of 2021. Dr. Andrea Young is the acting president until a new president is installed. She came to Ripon as a math professor in 2011, then assumed the position of VP of Finance in 2019. She is the first woman to hold the position of president at Ripon.

Faculty Publications
Philosophy Professor Emeritus Seale Doss P’78/’83/’88 has published two new novels: Hattie’s Pink House and Blood on the Risers.

Previously Professor Doss penned the novel A Game of Inches. They are available through Amazon.

Classes/COVID-19
Classes for the Spring semester started on January 18th. All campus personnel and students were tested upon arrival. There were 48 who tested positive and had to quarantine. Some classes are online, some in person, some a hybrid of both. Periodic COVID-19 testing continues for students, faculty, and staff. Most are vaccinated. All had to show proof of vaccination or obtain an allowed exemption by February 1st. Some large gatherings are not happening. Winter and Spring sports are taking place, at least at this writing. For more up to date news visit: ripon.edu/conoravirus-information/.

City of Ripon News
Ripon, Wisconsin was recognized as one of the 7 Best Small Downtown Areas in Wisconsin! www.onlyinyourstate.com/wisconsin/best-wisconsin-small-downtowns-wi/

Ripon also made the list of 10 Wisconsin Downtowns with Magical Christmas Decorations. https://q985online.com/the-10-most-magical-christmas-towns-you-have-to-see-in-wisconsin/.

Here is a view of downtown Ripon with the new lights strung across Watson Street, December 2021.

Ripon Sports News
The Ripon Women’s Basketball team won the 2022 Midwest Conference Tournament by defeating Monmouth in the title game, earning Ripon an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Ripon faced the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the first round of the tournament. The Ripon Men’s Basketball Team won their first conference championship in 23 years and earned the #1 Seed in the MAC Tournament. The Men’s Red Hawks suffered a heart-breaking loss to Cornell in a thrilling double-overtime game. Ripon’s Head Basketball Coach Ryan Kane was named Coach of the Year in the Midwest Athletic Conference. On the heels of Ripon’s first-ever Midwest Conference Indoor Track Championships, the Red Hawks’ coaching staff, led by Head Coach BOB WOOD ’09, were selected by their peers as the 2022 MWC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year.

55th Reunion
In two years, it will be 55 years since the Class of 1969 graduated from Ripon College. Those who attended our 50-year Reunion in 2019 had a fabulous time celebrating our induction to the Golden R Club. I’d be happy to coordinate another Reunion in June 2024 if you guys are interested. It would be a great opportunity for those who couldn’t make it in 2019 to reconnect with Classmates. The Reunion would likely take place on the Ripon College campus on the Saturday night of Alumni Weekend 2024 (June 27-30, 2024). Let me know if you would try to come. Of course, we are invited to attend Alumni Weekend every year. This summer’s Alumni Weekend will be June 23-26, 2022.

Ripon College #OneDayRally
This will be the third year for Ripon’s #OneDayRally, an annual day of giving. (It’s like Pledge Night on PBS.) The 2022 event will take place on April 27th. Even if you have already made a gift to Ripon, you are encouraged to participate in this fun event. Watch for details in the coming months.

SAD NEWS
EDWARD SIMETH ’69 of Appleton, Wisconsin, died Dec. 21, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in history, served as a resident assistant, was a member of Phi Delta Theta, and was commissioned through ROTC. He received a master’s degree in counselor education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. ED worked for 30 years in industrial sales with his brother, Steve. In his younger years, he played football, basketball, racquetball, and softball. He later enjoyed the outdoors, skiing, biking, camping, and kayaking. ED enjoyed learning and reading, including studies of Christian literature, health, finance, nature, and psychology, and also sang in his church choir. Survivors include one son and two daughters.

ED is the twenty-sixth member of the Class of 1969 whose death has been confirmed by Ripon College.

CLASSMATE NEWS
Here are the updates I received from members of the Class. I love hearing from you guys.

FRANK ’69 and BOBBI SUESS ANDERS ’69 of Chesterfield, Virginia, writes, “BOBBI and I are celebrating the December 22nd arrival of a grandson, Leland Theodore Anders, to our son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Kari Anders. COVID-19 permitting, we hope to spend time with Leland sometime this winter or spring in California. Life here in Virginia has been a fluid mixture of social distancing and masking along with rounds of golf in uncommonly cold weather along with knitting, bridge, and bible study gatherings. All functions are among fully vaccinated and masked friends. How different our society has become since the days of MMR and polio vaccination campaigns. One would have thought that generations of education could lead to greater enlightenment. Perhaps we are experiencing American ‘de-enlightenment.’ Thus far we have both avoided COVID-19 and all other viruses and hope that our fellow alum/nae/ni are equally fortunate.”

DON CHESTER ’69 of West Palm Beach, Florida, writes, “When I moved to Florida in 1970, I discovered Christmas is a bit different. The first year I was driving through downtown on Dixie Highway (US 1), there were Christmas lights strung across the road. My first thought was, this is great. They celebrate Christmas in Florida. As I got closer, I realized that the lights were actually plastic oranges. Since then, West Palm Beach has evolved from plastic oranges to a 35 feet tall sculpted Christmas tree made of 700 tons of sand and covered in lights. It was declared the winner of the USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice poll for the best public holiday lights display in 2021. Once in a while, I Google the temperature in Ripon to remind me why I live in Florida in spite of everything that makes this the weirdest state in the nation. Sally and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in November. We did not plan anything special because of COVID-19. Little did we know that our friends had something in mind. We received a message to stand in front of the house at 9 a.m. We started hearing sirens and seeing flashing lights. I’m sure the neighbors thought we were being raided by the SWAT team. A parade of four fire trucks, a dozen police cars, and cars of friends with banners and balloons. The parade stopped for a county commissioner to present us with a commemorative certificate. Great way to celebrate!”

PAUL GELB ’69 of Palm Springs, California, writes, “I stopped shaving during isolation and decided to keep the beard now that I’m venturing out. One of the things that kept me sane during this time was the ability to play tournament bridge online on a daily basis. Currently, I am a sapphire life master and I am closing in on diamond status. I also hope to start attending more face-to-face tournaments now that things are opening up a bit.”

ALICE HALL HAYES ’69 of Washington, D.C., writes, “My life was certainly turned upside down in late August when I suffered a stroke and a heart attack. After many examinations and physical therapy sessions, I have made some progress but the medical team is still assessing and coming up with additional diagnoses. It has all been a learning experience and I am much more knowledgeable now about nutrition and diet and care of the body. Despite my health concern, I am overjoyed to be able to spend time with my two grandsons – ten and seven years old – who live nearby in D.C. and with my granddaughter – 20 months old – who now lives in Philadelphia. I am happy to say that my spirit is good and I look forward to time with family and friends to more adventure, and to more communication with fellow alumni. I appreciate all good thoughts towards my full recovery.”

DEBBIE HAMELE KUKLA ’69 of Carmel, Indiana, writes, “I don’t have much to contribute except that my husband, TOM KUKLA ’70, and I have renovated a condo we purchased in 2020. We love our ‘happy place’ In Longboat Key, Florida, especially our view of the Gulf of Mexico and its stunning sunsets!”

NANCY OLIVER LEIFHEIT ’69 of Sycamore, Illinois, writes, “Not much has changed since last year! My husband DAVE LEIFHEIT ’67 and I flew to Seattle three times to see our kids and we head north to our Wisconsin cabin off and on throughout the summer. The best outcome of this pandemic has been Family Sibling Zoom with my brothers and sisters (eight of us) plus a cousin from Scotland and another from Australia every single Sunday at 4 p.m. central time since that very first Easter in 2020!  The bond among siblings young and old is stronger than ever! This includes SCOTT OLIVER ’69. We are at this moment driving to Oro Valley, Arizona, for two months, escaping the winter snow and temperatures for the first time- new adventures!”

SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 and CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 of Naples, Florida, write, “SCOTT had his annual October get-together in Siesta Key, Florida, with seven Beta Sigma Pi fraternity brothers: ART SCARLETT ’69, ROB HANDEYSIDE ’69, STEVE LEITSCHUH ’69, FRANK ANDERS ’69, MASON SHERWOOD ’68, RICK BRANDT ’69, and DON PARK II ’69. They spent five days reliving the stories of their days at Ripon College. (Some were mostly true.) Each night a different guy cooked dinner. The menu included R-Line hot dogs flown in for the occasion and homemade ‘Greeker sauce.’ Thanksgiving was spent in Ft. Myers, Florida at the home of SCOTT’s sister; Christmas Eve we hosted family at our Naples home. Had dinner with PHIL MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04 and his wife, Pat P’04, during one of their visits to Naples. CYNTHIA continues her almost daily FaceTime chats with our granddaughter, Emma, who turned ten last July. We have made plans to visit our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in Germany this year and are hoping it will happen. We couldn’t visit in 2020 and 2021.”

Pictured here is the Beta Sigma Pi gathering from October 2021.

Standing left to right:
ART SCARLETT ’69, ROB HANDEYSIDE ’69, SCOTT NYQUIST ’69, and DON PARK II ’69

Seated, left to right:
MASON SHERWOOD ’68, STEVE LEITSCHUH ’69, RICK BRANDT ’69, and FRANK ANDERS ’69.

JOHN RODGERS ’69 of Menominee Falls, Wisconsin, and Celebration, Florida, writes, “We can all agree the last couple of years have really limited our activities. COVID-19 has made it more difficult to enjoy our interests in the ever-shrinking window of time we have remaining. My wife, Carol, and I were bitten by the travel bug long ago and have traveled broadly within the U.S. and quite a bit abroad since our retirements in 2005. We have long had the desire to travel to Egypt and see the antiquities there. We were all ready to make reservations for Egypt in 2010 when the “Arab Spring” resulted in turmoil that made travel there impossible. In the summer of 2019, we made reservations to Egypt for November of 2020, only to be blocked from travel by the COVID-19 virus. We rebooked for November of 2021 with the hope things would calm down and we could make the trip. After two vaccinations and a booster, we were able to take our long-awaited tour, leaving on November 11, returning on November 27, 2021. There were many hoops to jump through but our guided tour with OAT was astounding. We spent some time in Cairo where we saw the Pyramids at Giza, museums, and enjoyed a typical dinner while visiting at the home of a middle-class Egyptian family. We visited Luxor and its antiquities, and for five days cruised the Nile on a dahabiya with eleven other fellow travelers. We took our first hot air balloon ride and rode a camel to the St. Simeon Monastery near Aswan. There are too many other memorable experiences to list them all. Two of the most amazing parts of the vacation were the total lack of crowds and the perfect weather. COVID-19 has tourism in Egypt way down and November is a very good time to travel. The wait was well worth it, and for a change, COVID-19 had a positive effect. Closer to home, we met CHARLIE ’00 and KERSTEN HOLM LARSON ’00, on our daily walk in the neighborhood. It turns out we have been neighbors for quite a while and didn’t realize it until they spotted my ever-present red Ripon College hat.”

BOB “OTTO” WACHHOLTZ ’69 of Papillon, Nebraska, writes, “I have little to report since the last newsletter. I spent time in New Hampshire during August and again in October – that was the highlight of 2021. We are waiting for the world to reopen so that we can resume traveling outside the U.S.”

TIM SOLIDAY ’69 of Tucson, Arizona, writes, “I recently started getting back into golf after about a 30+ year layoff. I have been spending lots of time at the practice range, lots of money on new clubs, and rejoining the club I resigned from years ago as well as lessons, new gadgets, etc. I frequently wonder why I am putting myself through this, but the occasional good shot keeps me trying.  If anyone has suggestions other than practice, practice, practice, and patience I would love to hear them.”

JILL ALEXANDER WILLIAMS ’69 of Snohomish, Washington, writes, “We were very lucky to be able to fly up to Sitka and Ketchikan (from the Seattle area where we live) in June before cruise ships were allowed to go to Alaska, so COVID-19 wasn’t a problem there yet. We kayaked in both areas.  (See picture below of JILL and her husband, Dick, next to the floatplane that took us into the Misty Fjords National Monument which has miles of fjords, lakes, and rugged snow-capped mountains with no roads.)  It was a wonderful trip and it was so nice to get away into such beautiful wild country.”

PERSONAL COMMENT
I usually don’t make personal comments in my Class Letters, but this subject is so important. I was a Chemistry-Biology major at Ripon and spent a lot of time in Farr Hall. Built in 1961, Farr Hall was state-of-the-art when we began at Ripon in 1965. But after 61 years, the building is woefully inadequate. Kudos to the science faculty at Ripon for continuing to turn out top science students under difficult conditions. Remember what Ingram Hall was like? It was 65 years old when we started at Ripon and was well past its prime. When Farr was built, there were no cell phones, no laptop computers, no internet. Color TV, microwave ovens, and space travel were in their infancy. There were no pocket calculators; we all used slide rules. And for entertainment, we listened to transistor radios or watched one of the three or four TV channels. (No cable TV.) Think about how far technology has progressed since 1961. If Ripon is to be a competitive liberal arts college, it must build a new, modern science facility. Renovation is not an option any more than it was with Ingram Hall. The Board of Trustees knows all of this. They know they must find a way to raise the $50-$60 million a new science center would cost. It will be a daunting task but one that must be accomplished. I hope all of you will consider supporting a capital campaign for a new science center if/when one is announced. This leads me to my next topic . . .

AND IN CONCLUSION . . .
Ripon College (and I) would like to thank all of the members of our Class who sent a gift to the College in the past year. Some of you donated more than once! Thank you! Thank you! Also, some additional Class members have included a bequest to Ripon in their estate plan. Outstanding! If you would like to give to Ripon, you can visit the College’s website, www.ripon.edu, or call the Advancement Office at (920) 748-8351. You can give unrestricted, allowing the College to use your gift where most needed; or you can direct where your gift is to be used: scholarships, endowment, faculty, building fund, library, athletics, etc. You can also give in the memory of a favorite professor or a Classmate. You can give annually or have a gift sent to Ripon monthly from your bank account. Ripon College accepts cash or credit card payments (and probably even Bitcoin). You can also give a gift of stock or any of your other assets. Please support Ripon College by making a gift. I could write pages on why you should support Ripon. My experience at Ripon shaped my life in so many ways. I know many of you feel the same.

Keep in touch.
Always for Ripon,

SCOTT A. NYQUIST ’69
7747 Martino Circle, Naples, FL 34112
(630) 632-1619
Your 1969 Class Agent

P.S. If you need a phone number, email address, or street address to reconnect with a roommate, fraternity brother/sorority sister, lab partner, or fellow ROTC cadet, contact me.

RIPON COLLEGE TRIVIA
Match the year of completion/opening from the list of years below for each of the Ripon College buildings (original version). Each year is used only once.
(1851, 1863, 1867, 1888, 1901, 1910, 1931, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1951, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1972, 2007)

• Bartlett Hall _______
• Campus Apartments _______
• East Hall _______
• Farr Hall of Science _______
• Harwood Union _______
• Ingram Hall _______
• Johnson Hall & Pickard Commons _______
• Lane Library _______
• Memorial Gymnasium _______
• Merriman House _______
• President’s House & Storzer (Willmore Center) _______
• Quads Bovay Hall _______
• Quads Center (Brockway) Hall _______
• Quads North (Anderson) Hall & South (Mapes) Hall _______
• Rodman Center for the Arts _______
• Scott Hall _______
• Smith (Middle) Hall _______
• Todd Wehr Hall _______
• Tri-Dorms _______
• West Hall _______

RIPON COLLEGE TRIVIA ANSWERS

• Bartlett Hall          1888
• Campus Apartments          2007
• East Hall          1851
• Farr Hall of Science          1961
• Harwood Union          1942
• Ingram Hal          1901
• Johnson Hall & Pickard Commons          1962
• Lane Library          1931
• Memorial Gymnasium          1910
• Merriman House          1940
• President’s House & Storzer (Wilmore) Phys Ed Center          1968
• Quads: Bovay Hall          1965
• Quads Center: Brockway Hall          1960
• Quads North: Anderson Hall and South Mapes Hall          1959
• Rodman Center for the Arts          1972
• Scott Hall          1951
• Smith (Middle) Hall          1867
• Todd Wehr Hall          1969
• Tri-Dorms          1939
• West Hall          1863

Information Source: Lane Library Archives Historical Time Line for the College.

Submitted by: Class Agent: Scott Nyquist

Dear Classmates,

The countdown to our 50th Class Reunion has begun! Alumni Weekend 2023 will be June 22nd to the 25th. Please put it on your calendars now. It would be wonderful to have lots of you turn up for the event! I will be keeping you posted on plans. Right now STEVE ILLICH ’73, [email protected], is working on a slide show and would like pictures of couples who met at Ripon and are still together. He would like “then” and “now” photos if you have them. Also, it is traditional to put a memory book together for 50th reunions. If you would like to work on that, please let me know. Again, remember the dates June 22-25, 2023!!!

This year’s Alumni Weekend is June 23rd to the 26th, 2022. GARY LEDERER ’72 and I will be attending as it is his 50th Class Reunion! We are looking forward to it, and hope to see many of you there. In the meantime, we have had some little reunions of our own. Recently we had dinner with Dr. Zach Messitte, RANDY ROEPER ’88/P’24 and SHAWN KARSTEN ’09 on Zach’s farewell tour. Always so good to learn firsthand what is happening on campus. We also got together with alums LYNNE HORNE GASIOREK ’72 and her husband AL GASIOREK ’73, LINDA BRASSINGTON DANIELS ’72, and husband, Dave.

A few days later we met up with SUDY REIGLE ALTHOLZ ’73 and husband TOM ALTHOLZ ’72 who have recently purchased a winter home in nearby Naples.

It is always so much fun to catch up with Ripon friends. If you have any pictures of your own mini-reunions, put them online at alumni.ripon.edu/rconnections/ or you can send the photos to me and I will get them to the College. Be sure to check in on Ripon’s news site and R Connections where you can read other Classes’ Letters, catch up on alumni postings, and learn what is going on on campus!

Thank you to the 51 of you who gave to Ripon College this past fiscal year. As you know, Ripon relies on its alumni for support and appreciates each dollar it receives. 51 donors represent 32.08% of us in the Class of 1973 who are available to give. That ranks us seventh in Class giving among all the classes. It’s now a new year and time to think again about giving. The Ripon Fund drive for your fiscal year gift goes until the end of the College’s fiscal year: June 30. Please give generously! And, thanks again to those who have given, and to those of you who will give in the future.

My appeal for news from Classmates as always seems to take at least two asks and a plea! Here is what I heard from Classmates for this Class Letter:

HILDE BORMANN HENKEL ’73 and husband MARK HENKEL ’70 are happy and healthy in Rudolph, Wisconsin, where they are semi-retired, still practicing law, teaching Tae Kwon Do, and hobby farming.

BILL BRUCATO ’73 of Sterling, Virginia, writes, “Swimmers MARK WRIGHT ’75 and KIM KOBRIGER ’74 flew in to see me December 8, 2021, here in Sterling. It was an outstanding visit! I credit MARK and KIM for starting the initiative to raise at least $125,000 to support Ripon swimming (The real goal is much higher – $175,000). Obviously, I am working on it, too, as I was a swimmer during our Ripon years.”

KEN ELLIOT ’73 and MARCIA FRUHMAN ELLIOT ’75 of Malta, Illinois, write, “Our son, Benjamin, has been named the Engineering and Operations Manager at Genova Technologies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has worked there for nearly 20 years. His wife, Amanda, is a pediatric psychiatrist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City and she is on the faculty there. Ben’s children, Carolyn, (age ten) has been competing at level four in gymnastics and his son, DJ, (age eight) is on an ice hockey team. Our daughter, Christina, has four kids (three girls and a boy). Her daughter, Brooklyn, (age 12) is competing in the Excel Silver program in gymnastics while the other three also take classes. All three girls are in dance classes and two of them are in swimming classes. One is a Brownie and another is a Cadette Girl Scout. It sure keeps us grandparents busy, since we are their major mode of transportation for school and after-school activities. We still have our store in downtown Sycamore. MARCIA makes things for the store and does the ordering while KEN has taken over most of the actual clerking in the store. We are still trying to find that elusive thing called retirement.”

CHRISTINE WOLK ’73 of Green Lake, Wisconsin, writes, “I am still not retired as a practicing lawyer but I am slowing down. I joined the firm of Krekeler & Strother SC in Madison as part of the departure plan. My sister and I were able to visit Paris in September for a river cruise. I felt safe from COVID-19. There were sani-pass demonstrations in Paris and police in abundance, but Paris is still the City of Light. I do not need to travel again soon. Leaving Paris Charles de Gaul was no picnic. I have never been so glad to go through customs in Chicago. I love my expedited entry card.”

MARILYN BAXTER CARVER ’73 of Wadena, Minnesota, and her husband, Johnny, are back in Arizona this winter, away from their summers in Minnesota. They were thrilled to host their children and grandchildren over the holidays, for a week of touring, bike riding, cookouts, and more. Now that the younger generations have gone home, MARILYN and Johnny are spending their time hiking and playing music.

JOE SANDRIN ’73/P’99 of Bayside, Wisconsin, writes, “Things continue to improve following a rough medical year in 2021. I am still seeing many doctors and doing physical therapy. I’m back to work starting this week with real plans to cut hours and ease into retirement by late spring or early summer. Of course, retirement will still include part-time work and consulting on my old projects a few hours here and there. Janice P’99 and I are planning a few road trips this year in our recently acquired RoadTrek Agile SS Class B motorhome and are practicing with day trips around Wisconsin. Longer trips are expected by summer. Things have been quiet as I have focused on recovery and stabilizing my Myasthenia Gravis impacts and treatments after a rough 2021. I am looking forward to a better 2022.”

KATE PARISH MILLER ’73 of Richland, Michigan, writes, “In my little COVID-19 world my family is vaxxed – adults and grands. Adults are also boosted. We are so fortunate. Some (adults and grands) have caught COVID-19 anyway but have gotten through it pretty easily! I am still building a house – COVID-19 has slowed it to a crawl but I am enjoying the journey, in slow motion. It is easier to understand the passive house, net-zero build.

“On another front, I continue to work for the planet. The latest effort on the oil side (think 350.org) is to encourage our senators and local leaders, school boards, local privately-owned stores, Federal Post Office… to implement ‘no idle.’ I have an assistant who keeps me organized and accesses the internet much quicker than I. In addition, 350.org ran a campaign to encourage people who hold credit cards that belong to banks who lead money to oil companies (primarily to explore and continue drilling, etc) to cancel their credit cards with those banks. There are twelve. I have been babysitting a new granddaughter once a week and doing playground duty with her brothers at school. I go to Duluth to see my daughter and family not often enough! I hope everyone is healthy and vaxxed and boosted! 2022 which will close with our 50th wedding anniversary on December 23 of this year.”

CHRISTOPHER CARR ’73 of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, is a consumer bankruptcy practitioner with over 35 years of experience. He and his wife, combined, have raised eight children. They have two spoiled Golden Retrievers. CHRISTOPHER expects his first grandchild soon.

MARTY MORRIS ’73 of Portland, Oregon, writes, “My spouse and I continue improving our little place on the coast. I might give up the city life? I am getting ready for another summer of camping around Oregon. Rain and snow levels are up so maybe there will be fewer wildfires. I have been going through old hard drives and DVDs and I hope I find some Ripon pictures for STEPHEN ILLICH ’73.”

DAVID GROSSMAN ’73 of Centerville, Massachusetts, writes, “While traveling out west this winter, my wife, Robin, and I stopped by San Antonio. We visited with BECKY HADLEY ’75 and her husband, Peter. BECKY showed us a giant tree made by the “Arbol” public art project she had worked on a couple of years ago. Here is a link for more: https://tinyurl.com/sanantonioarbol. Peter is displaying his photography at a local coffee shop. DAVID and Robin have been on the road since mid-December, traveling by car from Cape Cod to the Bay Area, California. We will be in Naples, Florida for all of February before returning to the Cape.

From left to right in the picture: Peter Szarmach and REBECCA HADLEY ’75, and Robin and DAVID GROSSMAN ’73 (taken January 17, 2022).

MICHAEL MIZEN JR. ’73 of Lakewood, Ohio, writes, “In March 2021, PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’73 blew her left ACL while skiing. Replaced and with diligent exercise, she is back…February 2022…Snowmass…

KRIS DAVIS ’73 of Appleton, Wisconsin, writes “Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well. Jim and I are fine; a few more aches and pains and sleeping at night is always a new adventure. Chocolate helps!!! We continue to stay active with family, friends, church, and now more outings (Earth, Wind & Fire comes to Appleton in May). We will go dancing at Northstar casino again soon. We hope to visit my parents in New York in April. I recently visited BEAMING, a program that uses horses to help veterans, youth, and seniors with various physical and emotional challenges to improve their well-being. I will be offering a class on self-esteem and one on how to reduce feelings of anxiety at the equine program BEAMING’s summer camp for teens in June. I will be sharing and teaching materials from a group for at-risk teens I created and led for Waupaca County with BEAMING’s director to use throughout her program. God bless.”

KATE LUHMAN WILLIAMS ’73 of Fox Point, Wisconsin, writes “I was going through some old boxes and found these two faded photos from the winter of 1970. Were we ever that young?! I sold my house and downsized to a luxury apartment a couple of years ago, but I still had some boxes to go through, which is a great mid-winter task. Hence the old pictures and other fun things I’m finding…”

KATHY SPANGARD PLAUSHINES ’73, JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73, KATY LUHMAN WILLIAMS ’73, KAREN JENNEKE ’73, DOREEN CONFORTI CHEMEROW ’73 circa 1970 in front of Evans Hall.

“Tide Charts: Ebb and Flow,” a posthumous exhibit of mixed-media artworks by JAMES THOMPSON ’73 was on view in Western Oregon University’s Cannon Gallery of Art earlier this year.

In other news, I am sad to report the deaths of CATHY MASSON LEWIS ’73 in October and SAM WELLER ’73 in September.

It is always good to hear from you. Keep sending me your updates and news.

All the Best,

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73
(630) 987-9388
Your 1973 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer