Class of 1956
April, 2007
GAC ’56ers: Quite frankly we thought our telephones would
ring off their hooks or our e-mail boxes would be flooded with responses when
we offered the opportunity for a fellow classmate(s) to volunteer to replace us
as 1956 class agents. To our surprise,
nary a call or e-mail arrived, so we can only assume that you would miss our
smiling faces in photos featured in the Gustavus Quarterly?! ☺ OK, we will temporarily continue as
class agents. That will give us an
excuse to get-together on the
Greetings ’56ers from
Carolyn Jens Brusseau called and assured me one letter did NOT a class agent make, so I will take this opportunity to chat with you ’56ers on a kind of hit and run basis.
Since I spent only the last two years at Gustavus, I am not sure if this mandates a class letter half as long or twice as long. We can decide when I run out of words. (Paul doesn’t think that can happen.). It also probably means that lots of you never heard of me, so this is my time to tune in to you...and perhaps in subsequent letters you might take your turn to let us take a peek into your life...OR you can fast forward here to more interesting news.
Gustavus
was a part of my life since I moved to St. Peter at age three where my grandpa,
who lived next door, taught Greek, Latin and math. He had been in Gustavus’ first graduating
class, after putting himself through school in a bootstrap operation. He saw education as the best way out of the
poverty that drove his family in 1872 from
My
parents were absolutely delighted when I quit the inappropriate boyfriend and
wanted to go to Gustavus, one of the better decisions of my life. Paul ’55 and I have been in
I
dabbled in substitute teaching, Girl Scouts, Sunday school and other stay-at-home
mom stuff until 1974 when the new pastor at our church decided we needed a
preschool and put gears in place to provide preschool to our neighborhood for
22 years. We felt lucky to get paid for
what we enjoyed. Because we live a long
way from our roots in
This
last month we were lucky enough to have two sets of ’56 visitors...some kind of
record. Carl and Faith (Walfrid) Lindell came in February for a couple of days, and
we took that opportunity to go to our nearby redwood park for a walk and a
picnic by the sea at
When Faye Reber and her friend, Angella, came by in March for a few days, we visited a couple of gardens, and had our share of medicinal dark chocolate with its anti-oxidant benefits as a high priority. We continued to talk too long in the evening and needed to use the same sign-off at night as we did during practice teaching....sleep fast! In both cases, much of the time was spent TALKING and hearing about the good stuff going on now, and in the past. That was the best part. And that was the part I missed when we suddenly cancelled the trip we had planned back to Gustavus for the May 2006 - 50th reunion.....when our daughter, Ann, had major surgery. As I sat at the hospital, waiting for the news from the ENT surgeon who, with great skill and hi-tech miraculous instruments, repaired the 1 cm hole in the thin sinus bone next to the brain, where the spinal fluid was leaking out....I knew you were all having a great dinner. But I knew I needed NOT to be THERE because I needed to be HERE.
I
spent much of the next several weeks doing stuff moms do...fetching things and
shaping cups for her to use to drink (NO STRAWS and LIE FLAT) and explaining to
her kindergarteners why she would not be there to say goodbye at the end of the
year. I cried just like she did, even
though I’d planned NOT to. She has now
been given dismissal from the ENT people, and has taught another year of
kindergarten that looks like a United Nations class, most non-white, a real
mix. Our lives go from the highs of laughter,
joy and so many opportunities for thanks in our daily lives....to the lows of
watching the pain of folks we know as they struggle with disease and loss, and
those we do not know who make the evening news that makes me cry. We have the wonderful fun of seeing our
grandchildren in their drama and sport events...and the sadness of the lady who
came to the food closet for free food because she had just added five mouths to
feed since her grandchildren had come to live with her…because her daughter went
to prison. We will celebrate our 50
years of marriage by going in July with our family back to our honeymoon cabin
near
Consider picking up the ball for the next letter to help out Jo and Carolyn in thanks for their very efficient service as class agents...really VERY classy agents.
(I guess this letter turned out to be twice…or more…as long!)
Mary Andreen Carlson
1956 Guest Letter Writer
CLASS NEWS
Here are some notes you will want to see that have come into the Alumni Office:
Liz Brown Webster writes from
Ray “Padre” Johnson from
David
’57 and Evelyn (Johnson) Borg from
CAMPUS NEWS
Alumni Awards Announced
The
Alumni Association announces the following 2007 awards selected by the Alumni
Board of Directors. Greater Gustavus
Award – Given to those who, by deed,
have notably advanced and aided
Distinguished Alumni Citations – Recognizes outstanding and exceptional professional achievement
Paul Peterson ’94, principal, St. Peter High School, Minnesota State High School Principal of the Year.
Margaret Anderson Kelliher ’90, house speaker, Minnesota House of Representatives.
First Decade Awards – Recognizes early professional achievement
Jennifer Pleuss Spande ’97, diplomat,
Political and Economic Section, U.S. Embassy,
Alexander Hill ’97, senior scientist, Medtronic, Inc.
The Greater Gustavus Award and Distinguished Alumni Citations will be presented at the Alumni Banquet on Saturday, May 26, and the First Decade Awards will be presented during Homecoming Weekend, October 13.
Energy Wars
Linnaeus Symposium Celebrates Birth of Carl
Linnaeus
In
celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus,
the Swedish botanist who established genus/species used today, Gustavus will
host its second Linnaeus Symposium: Linnaeus @ 300 on
Upcoming Alumni Events
Linnaeus Symposium - April 25
Gustavus Association of Congregations – April 28
MAYDAY! Peace Conference: Community Food Security - May 2
Celebrating 75 years of the Gustavus Choir - May 5
Celebrating 75 years of Theatre Reunion - May 11-12 <gustavus.edu/alumni/reunion/Theatre/index.cfm>
Class
of 1962 - 45th Anniversary
Class
of 1957 - 50th Anniversary
50
Year Club