Class of 1968

November 2006

KRIS WRITES…

Hello Class of 1968! John and I went down to Gustavus on September 9 for the annual Class Agents Meeting (now with all the reunion committees its called Volunteer Leadership Day). It’s fun to be back on campus and if you haven’t been there for awhile it definitely has changed. And they told us about some new endeavors. Wahlstrom is gone and it’s a parking lot now. There will be a new football field and stadium, just north of the current one, of which the construction has just started. The old stadium was decomissioned just last Saturday after the last home football game (we won, against Augsburg). They had all the former football players that were in attendance come down on the field and help pass a box that contained a shovel of dirt from the old ground to the new. There will be a new baseball field and they are using the same grass―good recycling. Actually the grass has been moved six times!

President Jim Peterson, who graduated in the Class of ’64, talked to us about new leadership roles, enhancing our visibility and the wind turbines for energy that the college will install. This new technology will help Gustavus trim their $1.4 million electric bill every year.

I wanted to know how much tuition was for this year―$30,000 which 15% to 20% of the students actually pay. The other 80% or 85% are on financial aid.

Another thing they started this year was “Gusties Gather” which is purely a social event across the nation. It was iniatied this past year on August 6, maybe some of you attended one in your area. It is for anyone who wishes to host a few (or as many as you like) fellow Gusties and reconnect or connect for the first time. Next year it will be in September and I am pretty sure that all of you will be getting an invitation.

Coming soon we will have a new Gustavus Adolphus Alumni Website―“find a Gustie”, “welcome to the directory”, “search directory”, a “Class Page,” “Class Agents”, etc., etc.

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF US!!!!!

I hope that you have been having a wonderful time celebrating. Sixteen (16) of us celebrated our 60th birthdays in Lake Tahoe for five days―more about that later. Us turning 60 means that in two (2) years we will all be celebrating our 40th Gustavus Reunion―that went fast. We were handed sheets to start planning our 40th Reunion and John, Paula, and I would love to hear some ideas from all of you on when (fall or spring), what you would like to do (dinner, heavy hor d’eovres, a brunch, lunch, picnic) and where you would like to have it (maybe Friday night in the Cities and then Saturday down at Gustavus or all at Gustavus on Saturday). We are starting early and are very open to almost anything. Please let us hear from you.

My class news comes from our 60th birthday celebration in Lake Tahoe in July so I am going to try and fill in some of the blanks from the people that I saw at Lake Tahoe. Bill and Valerie Jungck Sanders have moved to a little town close to Dallas, TX. They have been busy landscaping, building, and fishing and Valerie has continued her painting and it is outstanding. One afternoon we all went to “Angie’s Mountain”―Jim and Angie (Kuper) Christmann have a cabin on top of this mountain and it was breathtaking. Joe ’66 and Diane (Ostrom) Morgensen have a condo close to Lake Tahoe and they ski every weekend all winter and do mountain biking every weekend all summer. Some of us had “extra” people living with us―Ron and Jean (Henke) Dowdy have their daughter and two grandchildren living with them while their daughter goes to law school. Sue Swanson Foster has her daughter and granddaughter living with her. John and I had our son living with us for 5 years―I did a lot of reading about the “boomerang” generation. Dawn Nelson is enjoying retirement and doing lots of traveling as is JanaLee Sponberg. They both live in the Washington, D.C. area so if you are out there be sure and look them up. Barbi Gray Wenschlag has finished building her house on the golf course in Brainerd―but I don’t know any house or yard that is ever finished. Connie Bohn Edwards had a third wedding in two years and now all of the children are married. She is still teaching elementary education in Detroit Lakes. Karen Monson Peterson is teaching half-time in the St. Paul Schools and she and Dick Peterson have a lovely (actually 2) cabins on Lake Vermilion―one is on an island with spectacular sunrises. Keith and Liz (Vinz) Keller traveled to Quantico, VA for their son’s graduation and commission and JanaLee was able to join them. Liz works for Adoption Minnesota in Minneapolis and Keith is employed at ABB Optical. By the way, Keith is recovering nicely from hip replacement just several months ago and it went so well that in a couple more years he’s going for replacement on the other one! Diana Dornack Hoffman is working two jobs―one is teaching English as a second language and she also works at Curves. Cheryl (Braunworth) Carlson is retired and she and Phil enjoy some traveling. Kathy (Eaton, Burmaster) Asted has started her own consulting business Asted Consulting specializing in setting up offices for small dental and doctor practices.

JOHN WRITES…

On Monday September 25th I was invited to attend Blake Shelton’s retirement party as he closed out a 23 year career with Wells Fargo. Blake actually graduated in ’69 but would have graduated with us if he hadn’t opted for the five-year plan! Anyway, got to see some Gusties there that I hadn’t seen in many years and it was great to be able to reconnect. From the class of ‘68 the Kellers were there as was Mike Karels. Mike works for the Metropolitan Council in St. Paul and is heading for retirement although he is planning another five years. Mike is still into drag racing and gets in as many trips down the 1/4 mile as he can every summer. From the class of ’66, Bill Salenger and Bob Fox with their wives; and from the class of ’69, Dave Swanson and his wife. It always amazes me that when two or more Gusties gather the stories just flow and it almost seems like we are all transported back to our college days laughing and remembering what a great time we had on “the hill!”

Kris mentioned that 80 to 85% of the students enrolled are taking advantage of the student aid that the college provides and you might ask where those dollars come from. Those dollars are supplied from all of the Alumni giving through the Alumni Fund which seems to me a very special way to return the favor! Over the years we all have had the privilege to supply the dollars to help all those students that have passed after us and we need to be very proud of what that represents. Last year the class responded with a total of $43,220; better than last year by over $12,000 dollars...Thank you!

As we all settle in on the big 60 I certainly hope that all the celebrations were as magnificent as the accomplishment of reaching this milestone but we need to move on! The next one will be our 40th reunion and plans need to be set so that we can make this get together as special as we can. In the months to come we’re going to be extending some invitation to join the reunion committee but you don’t have to wait! In fact, we ask that you don’t wait and throw your name in the “hat” now! If that isn’t going to be possible how about some suggestions about what you’d like to see at our 40th that would make this special for the class! No matter what the idea―don’t hold back let us hear from YOU!!!!! Stay tuned, there is lots more to come, we’re only two years out!

Kris (Lundberg) and John Moorhead and Paula Navarro

1968 Co-class Agents

CAMPUS NEWS

Honor Roll of Donors

If you haven’t had a chance to find yourself online, please go to: gustavus.edu/giving/honorroll to check out the 2005-2006 Honor Roll of Donors. The Honor Roll of Donors recognizes those who made gifts to Gustavus between June 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006. To find your name or check your class results, just point and click from your home or office computer. For those who do not have access to a computer, you may call toll-free 866/487-3863 to receive a copy in the mail (supplies are limited).

Obtain Life Insurance at Group Rates

September was Life Insurance Awareness Month. According to a recent national survey, 68 million Americans have no life insurance. Fortunately, the Alumni Association sponsors a life insurance plan, Life for Life, with exceptional features and low initial rates. Maximum coverage is $2 million and insurance can increase repeatedly even if your health fails and you become uninsurable. Obtain information online with the Alumni Association partner, www.meyerandassoc.com/ma/gustavus or call 800-635-7801 for more information about this and other sponsored insurance.

Omega Kappa Fraternity Celebrates 100 Years

The OKs celebrated 100 years of Modesty, Diversity, and Brotherhood on Saturday, October 21, at the Science Museum on Minnesota in St. Paul. The evening was filled with stories, photos, shared memories, artifacts, histories, and singing.

Gustavus Alumni Professional Apparel

Check out the two new oxfords on sale online through the Gustavus Book Mark. The Book Mark is offering a women’s and men’s long sleeve shirt in a variety of colors and sizes. The shirt features an embroidered three crowns and Gustavus. A great idea for holiday shopping for your favorite Gustie. Check them out online only at www.bookmark.gustavus.edu/.

Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

On Saturday, September 30, Gustavus inducted the following people into the Athletic Hall of Fame: Deborah Jungwirth Borman ’87 - Volleyball, Tina Pulido Draper ’87 - Gymnastics, John Huepenbecker ’80 - Football, John Jambeck ’62 - Swimming, Deanne Sand Johnson ’89 - Tennis, Dick Kumlin ’55 (posthumously) – Basketball, Dan Prochnow ’78 - Golf, Jerilyn Ree ’88 - Basketball, and Stacey Rodman ’89 - Swimming.

Gustavus Legacy Award for Gustavus Admission

Mark Anderson, Vice President of Admission and Student Financial Assistance, is pleased to announce the Gustavus Legacy Award for new students beginning with the incoming class of 2007. Renewable awards of $2,500 per year are given to new students whose siblings are current Gustavus students or graduates or whose parents or grandparents are Gustavus alumni. Scholarship recipients must have a high school grade point average of at least 3.5 or an ACT of 26 or an 1170 (Critical Reading + Math) on the SAT. For more information contact the Admission Office at 800/GUSTAVU(S) or email <admission@gustavus.edu>.