Class of 1958
April 2005
DEAR '58ERS,
Well,
(a good Minnesota word) it takes longer to get these letters written than I
would have ever believed. It can't be
my advanced social life and it certainly is not age―so, it must be my
work schedule.
First
issues first. The Alumni Fund needs to
hear from you NOW. The Class of 1958 is
in embarrassing shape (well, almost) and we need more donors soon. We will be e-mailing and phoning until May
16 and you have a few days after that time.
Please, and I am begging, let me hear from you.
The
good news is that many of you have responded in the past two months. Thanks to all of the following for their
gifts!
HERBERT
ANDERSON, BILL BINGER, ANDERS
and JAN (NEIDT) BJORLING, BOB BROLIN, ROBERT CHRISTENSON,
PEGGY GOTFREDSON DELONG, CAROLYN CLOGSTON ENGQUIST, DENNIS
ERICKSON, MARLYS CHELGREN HEBAUS, ELLWOOD JOHNSON, MARLYS
JOHNSON JOHNSON, SHIRLEY LUNDGREN KANNE, JODY SPRINGER LANGE,
ROBERTA WALKER LORENO, DON MILTON, LEROY MUELLER, DON
OLSON, ROBERT OLSON, NANCY JOHNSON PETERSON, PATRICIA
MILLER PETERSON, BOB PETERSON, ROBBIE ROBINSON, OWEN
SAMMELSON, SALLY CLAUSEN TAYLOR, MARLENE ISENSEE THOMAS, CHARLES
THOMPSON, MORNA PELL TRAFFAS, SHIRLEY LARSON WARD and MARK
WIBERG.
I hope we can add more names soon. But, how about some news.
A
year ago, MARJORIE MCKAY MILLER had a great trip on the Trans-Siberian
railroad to Moscow and other stops. DON
LOOMER retired, un-retired and is now senior pastor of Elk Grove First
Baptist Church in Elk Grove, CA. ELLWOOD
JOHNSON says he is feeling great after three years of battling cancer. He came back to Minnesota to attend his 55th
high school reunion and to update the Lowry historical project and see friends
in Fargo, Minneapolis and elsewhere. JERRY
HESSER published a new book, Las Cucarachas' Tails, a storyteller's
travel escapades in Mexico and you can buy one (I did) by contacting
Jerry. SALLY CLAUSEN TAYLOR
winters in Mesa, where she often sees BARBARA SWANSON SWENSON. Sally has a new grandson and will be traveling
east in May for her husband's class reunion.
HERBERT ANDERSON and Phyllis have moved to Berkeley where Phyllis
is the new President of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Herbert is just completing a year as
visiting professor at Yale Divinity School.
ROLLIE HIRMAN winters in Florida and summers on a lake near
Outing and keeps very busy.
Check
the next Quarterly, which will be out soon, for a photo of MARGE LUND
KINNEY, LINDA ECKBLAD KNOCHENMUS, MARLENE ISENSEE THOMAS, JANICE
CALRSON STRAND, and CAROL LUND GARONE on page 37 or
thereabouts. BILL and Marlys
BINGER are still doing watercolor classes and enjoying retirement. CAROLYN LUND SANDVIG reports that
Gene ’57 represents the USA in International Speed skating while daughter,
Susan, is an international referee.
And
still more news, PAUL BORG is leading a "trip of a
lifetime"―a Norwegian Coastal Voyage with a taste of Sweden and even
some of Finland. I think the closing
date was April 15 (sorry about that), but Paul can be reached at peborg@att.net
or 253-857-2118. Sounds exciting! ROBBIE ROBINSON teaches English and
coaches track and football at Mountain View High School in Mesa. Robbie was the 5A State Track Coach of the
Year and a finalist for the National Boys Track Coach of the Year. Congratulations! BETH CHOI, the widow of our classmate CHANGIK, who
passed away many years ago. Beth
remembers the Annual Fund each year.
Thanks for the gift and the poem.
Dorothy Busch, wife of CHUCK BUSCH, also remembers the Fund each
year and reminds me from a last class letter that they have eight
grandchildren, one at Gustavus, one at Hamline and the rest in high school
waiting to make that decision.
Another
special thank you list, for their support.
LEE ANDERSON, NOEL BEHNE, BJORLINGS, JIM EDMAN,
PHIL LINDAU, STAN LARSON, KAREN HOLMEN HUBBARD, DUANE and
SONYA (HARBO) TALUS, MARK WIBERG and MARLENE HAUGEN WIDMARK.
So,
(another good Minnesota word) that's all the news to report.
Please
remember the Annual Fund before the end of May. You can designate your gift or not, just make sure you join the
rest of the class.
Cheers!
Owen
Sammelson
P. S. The
Alumni Office will add some campus news here:
Campus Briefs
Gustavus has been known for its strong tradition of alumni
participation in annual giving. Gusties support their Alma Mater in many
ways and show their pride with their gifts. All alumni and current
students have benefited from previous and current support. Gustavus will
be as strong as its alumni want it to be. The 2005 Alumni Fund closes May
31. Make sure you are included with many members of your class and other
alumni that have chosen to keep Gustavus strong. Three easy ways to give
– send your check to the Alumni Office (by using the enclosed envelope), call
866-487-3863, or on-line at https://secure.gac.edu/giving/giving.cfm.
Alumni Awards
The Gustavus Alumni Association has announced 2005 award
recipients. The Greater Gustavus Award to George Torrey ’55
for his lifetime volunteer service and philanthropy to the College. Distinguished
Alumni Citations to G. Barry Anderson ’76, Apple Valley, MN,
associate justice, Minnesota Supreme Court; Deanna Nelson ’64, Cary, NC,
president/founder, BioLink Life Sciences, Inc.; Rick Webb ’73, Edina,
MN, owner of Ciao Bella, Zelo and Bacio Restaurants; and John Wirth ’75,
Pacific Palisade, CA, writer/executive producer, Paramount Studios. First
Decade Awards to Joe Gaugler ’95, Lexington, KY, assistant
professor, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of
Medicine; Debbie Lightly Mascaro ’95, Fargo, ND, research scientist,
North Dakota State University Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
Sports
The Gustavus women’s hockey team finished third at the NCAA
national championship after winning the MIAC title, the men’s basketball
team won the MIAC regular season title and conference tournament and
advanced to the NCAA national tournament, the men’s swimming and diving team
won the MIAC title and placed seventh at the NCAA national tournament and had
seven swimmers earn All-America honors and the women’s team had four
swimmers earn All-America honors.
Extraordinary Students
Senior Rachel Batalden, a double major in mathematics and
secondary education with a 3.898 grade point average and two-time MIAC
All-Conference selection at setter for the women’s volleyball team, has been
selected as one of 56 student-athletes from across the country to receive a
$7,500 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Senior Paul Fraser, a music and computer science major has been selected
as the winner of the second annual Caltech-Occidental Composition Contest for
new music for concert band. The contest drew entries from all over the world,
and as the winner, Paul will receive a cash award and a recording of the world
premiere of the work at a concert by the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band in
Pasadena, Calif., in May.
Bricks and mortar
Southwest Residence Hall is being constructed across the Campus
Drive from the arboretum on the west side of the campus and is scheduled to be
finished by June. The L-shaped facility is configured with apartments for
four and six and will accommodate nearly 200 students. A hostel space for
summer programs and confirmation retreat groups is included in the residence’s
plans.
With the new Southwest Residence Hall coming on-line, the College will be
taking down Wahlstrom Hall to make way for future residential
construction. Crews will start the dismantling process in July with
asbestos abatement, and the Kasota-stone residence hall will be razed in
August. Alumni returning for reunion and commencement festivities on May
27–29 will be able to take a last tour through the building’s public areas,
stairwells, and walk-through sections following a “decommissioning” ceremony to
be held on Saturday morning, May 28.
Construction crews working on the renovation of Old Main discovered a
cistern under the basement flooring in March. Gutting the interior has
provided evidence of layers upon layers of remodeling done over the years,
including an old stairwell in the middle of the building and what appears to be
an attempt to raise the third-floor ceiling. The Old Main project, which
includes the installation of an elevator in the northwest corner of the
building, is scheduled to be completed in August.
The education and nursing departments have been relocated to the newly erected Mattson
Hall, which is sited just west of the Schaefer Fine Arts Center and Prairie
View Residence Hall, on the south side of the campus. These departments
will remain there until a new social science center is built at some point in
the future.
Upcoming Events
Association of Congregations Meeting – April 23
G.I.V.E. Community Service Day – April 30
Class of 1955 and 50-Year Club Reunions – May 27 & 28
Commencement – May 29
Alumni Fund closes – May 31
Reunions on Homecoming – October 7 & 8
Nurses Reunion – October 8