50-Year Reunion
Class of 1958
Reunion dates ― May 30-31, 2008
April 2008
Dear ’58ers,
Spring is finally here in the northland! JIM
EDMAN found the last fury of winter as he flew into Minnesota and traveled to Willmar for the memorial services for his mother. Twelve inches of snow in Swedeland.
May 30 and 31 is five weeks away. Luckily we are old enough to not worry about
our physical appearances before our classmates.
What is, is what you see! After many conversations with classmates, I
am also aware health issues exist for almost everyone and we will all try our
best to minimize them during the anniversary celebration. The day after, time to reach for whatever
helps you!
The schedule of events and registration form was mailed a
couple of weeks ago. The alumni office
hopes you will be able to register by May 23.
There is also a list of hotels in the brochure; please note that the
AmericInn in St. Peter is full. I
understand several groups of classmates plan to live it up in one of the
residence halls!
The schedule begins with the first reunion seminar at 2:30 on Friday, followed by the
Class of 1958 Memorial Service in Christ Chapel. After the class photo outside the Chapel, we
have a social hour in The Dive in Jackson Student Union. The Dive, of course, is the location of the
old swimming pool, once inhabited by swimmers STAN LARSON, PAUL BORG, ROLLIE HIRMAN, and BILL BINGER and
Aquatic League members, LOIS
JUNGAS MARSTON, MARLYS JOHNSON
JOHNSON, CLAUDETTE ANDERSON MC
COLLAR and others who were not in the 1958 yearbook.
By the way, page 100 of the 1958 yearbook features members
of the Women’s Athletic Association, which included RUTH RAARUP MITCHELL, BARBARA
JOHNSON MORRIS, BARBARA JENSEN OLSON,
PAT TRENCH ROSENBERG, MARTHA BANKE CURTIS, and leader KAREN LANGE THORPE. And now there are 13 varsity sports for women
and almost as much fun.
After the social hour, the Class of 1958 banquet is in
Alumni Hall (remember the old running track in the student union) with a
program created by CAROLYN LUND SANDVIG and her noble band of helpers.
JIM MCPHERSON’s
seminar on “Tried by War; Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief” will start at 10:30 and will be followed by a book
signing. At 12:30 we are welcomed into the 50-Year Club,
whether we are ready or not!
It will be a great weekend with ample opportunity to share
stories, inflate stories, fabricate a little here and there and lots of “do you
remember”?
The reunion committee has nearly completed the phoning of
classmates with 101 indicating they plan to attend the reunion, 44 were
undecided at the time they were phoned, 36 are unable to attend and 8 still to
be reached. Our goal is 60% or 113
classmates in attendance.
Some news notes…..ROBBIE
ROBINSON is retiring after 50 years of teaching and coaching in Brownton,
Mora, Rochester
and Mesa, AZ
at Mountain View High School, where he coached four state
championship teams. CARL EDMAN is retired from the road construction business in Des Moines, IA. JERRY
HESSER retired from Lutheran Social Services in 1995. He and Dana moved to their summer home on Lake Collinwood
in the Dassel-Cokato area. They spent
eight winters living and traveling in Mexico. Jerry found time to do some writing,
including a book “Las Cucarachas Tails;”
a storyteller’s travel escapades along the ways of Mexico.” I bet he will have a few copies at the
reunion!
SHIRLEY LUNDGREN KANNE
My years at Gustavus were very special to me as that is
where I met and married Bob Kanne
and our two daughters were born in St. Peter.
Bob was a ’58er, but he changed his major, so he graduated with the
class of 1959. We both claim ’58. After graduation, Bob accepted a job with
Superior Oil Co in Bloomington,
MN where I still reside. I was a stay at home Mom raising our two
daughters. When the girls were in the
upper grades, I accepted a job as a Family and Consumer Science teacher (the
old Home Ec) with the Eden Prairie
schools. I worked in the Middle School
and retired after 26 years. Mrs. Walker
and Miss Noleen would be so proud. We
had several Gusties on staff and I had some classmates’ children as
students. Bob and I enjoyed family,
friends, traveling and golf―and I still do. I lost Bob in 2001, but I am still continuing
to enjoy retirement and my four grandchildren.
I hope to see many of you at the reunion.
JEANETTE WESTBERG JOHNSTON
Cameron “Scooter” ’60 and I are now living in Moscow, ID. We moved here almost three years ago to be
near our two daughters, Siri and Mia and our five beautiful and active
grandchildren, ages 1 to 13. Our son,
Eric, lives in Bozeman, MT.
We do like Moscow
with the endless opportunities at the University of Idaho
and Washington State across the border. With those two, I should at least learn to
use the computer. (Jeanette’s note is
handwritten) Or, I could go to the senior
center, library or Scooter could teach me.
We have tried that, but it doesn’t work.
We have found a church here in Moscow,
an ELCA Lutheran with some liberals and some conservatives. It is relevant and most of the people, some
of the time, let God work in their lives.
Maybe I should study theology or just continue reading Esbj. Enough said!
See you at the 1958 - 50th reunion!
CAROLYN LUND SANDVIG
After the girls were out of high school, I took my first
“Inward Spiritual Journey” with two psychologists to Hawaii.
Classmates MIKE and MARCIA (HALGREN ’57) DALE were also in the group. This led to bigger and better groups of
volunteering on mini-peace corps trips to developing countries, Kenya, Tanzania, Belize, St. Vincent Island and also to Mississippi and the Navajo reservations in
the southwest. This was a life
challenging experience. I found parents
all over the world, from every station in life, who wanted exactly the same
things for their children; food in their tummies, a roof over their heads,
peaceful surroundings and an education.
I highly recommend this alternative vacation idea to all. I did this for fifteen years and I’m tempted
to get back to it!
------------------------
I keep writing class letters as long as one person a month
sends me a “thank you.” This time it was
AARON MOEN. Thanks.
MARK WIBERG is one of several
members of our class that has set up a family scholarship. In this case it is in memory of his parents,
Perley and Bernice (Anderson)
Wiberg ’26 ’28 and his sister, Martha Wiberg Thompson ’55. Thanks for your contribution! RUTH
PEIKERT MADDOX is planning a trip to Turkey before the reunion. And, thanks for your contribution!
JOANNE
NELSON MCCARTHY recently climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa. In her words,
“After I lost my husband, Charles, last summer, I decided I
needed a challenge in my life, having been a hiker, and a trekker in the
mountains of New Mexico. I decided to climb Kilimanjaro. Having made the ascent to the top I can tell
you what it takes: 1) strong mental and
physical strength, 2) one must remain focused, no matter what happens and 3) I
had no problem with the altitude. There
were six of us; five made it to the top, one had to be taken down the fourth
day. I was the oldest in the group! I loved the trek, it was everything I had
hoped, and more.” Joanne lives in Santa Fe and we hope to
have a photo of her mountaintop experience in the Quarterly. Congratulations
on your outstanding achievement!
I am sorry to report the death of GERALD YOUNGQUIST on March 23, 2008.
Jerry had just made a pledge and gift to Gustavus and his wife, Rozella,
responded to my thank you note by saying that Gerald was in poor health. A note a few days later told of his
passing. Jerry transferred to Gustavus
from Iowa State after he decided to enter the
ministry. He was the pastor of First Lutheran
Church in Monmouth, IL
from 1971 to 1995. Gerald served on the
Board of Trustees at Augustana
College in Rock Island, IL
and was very active in Rotary International.
He was ordained into the ministry of the Augustana Lutheran
Church in Detroit in June 1962,
being the last pastor to sign its clergy role before that body became part of
the larger Lutheran
Church in America.
May 31 is the deadline for gifts to the 50th
anniversary class! Don’t be late!
The committee set a goal of 80% participation for our class
as a means of expressing our appreciation for the education we received and to
send a message of support for future Gusties.
We are now at 58% and need to hear from more of you!
Thanks to the following for their recent contributions!
MARY
ELLEN YOUNG, JEANETTE WESTBERG
JOHNSTON, PAUL BORG, AARON MOEN, MIM ANDERSON OLSEN, RON
MICHELSON, JODY SPRINGER LANGE, BARBARA ANDERSON JOHNSON, LYNN and JANICE (CARLSON) STRAND, MARLYS
JOHNSON JOHNSON, RUTH LIND CHRISTENSON, MARJORIE MCKAY MILLER, NANCY
JOHNSON PETERSON, KAREN MATTSON
BRUNING, CAROLE LAMBERT CAMERON,
KAREN HOLMEN HUBBARD, JEANINE LUNDAHL OLSON, STEVE HILDING, DARLENE THOMPSON KRIEWALL, BOB
BAUGH, LOIS WALFRID JOHNSON, RUTH PEIKERT MADDOX, MYRTICE
JOSTAD HANEY, ROBERTA WALKER LORENO,
HERBERT ANDERSON, MERYL NELSON JESSEN, RUTH
RAARUP MITCHELL ADE and DONNA (ELVESTROM) SPONBERG.
I am very sorry to learn from CAROLE LAMBERT CAMERON that she will be unable to attend the
reunion because of her husband’s health issues.
Carole sends her greetings to everyone and regrets she will be unable to
be Katie Luther for us. The breakfast
will continue as planned.
Remember to send in your registration by May 23!
Remember to send a contribution if you have not done
so! We are slightly over $85,000 on the
1958 class scholarship and just over $40,000 on the Chapel accessibility
project. Both totals include gifts and
pledges. Thanks to the 110 of you who
have made a contribution!
Let’s devote the reunion to being with each other and
remembering the place that Gustavus has in our lives. This will be our last great reunion, so be
sure to come!
Cheers!
Owen Sammelson
1958 Class agent
swansam@hickorytech.net
618 West Nassau
St Peter,
MN 56082