1. education
2. alumni and reunions

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RED CENT
NEWSLETTER
. . . a penny for your thoughts.
GRAND FORKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALUMNI NETWORK
LS
Est.
1881
The
D
HO
FO
SC
RKS
PUBLIC
O
Established and operated by The Grand Forks Foundation for Education, Inc.
BY JENNY L. AREL
Featured writers . . . 2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . 4
Music . . . . . . . . . . 5
Drama . . . . . . . . . . 6
Alumni Spotlight . . . 8
Alumni News . . . . . 10
Final Farewells . . . . 14
Foundation News . . 13
Reunion Info . . . . . 16
It’s Reunion Time!
pg. 8, 9, 16
A Special Thanks!
We would like to thank
L. “Kaye” Stephens,
C’53, and
Jack Beau Lac, C’52,
for their special work in
organizing and printing
our Class of ‘53 - 55th
Reunion book. Thanks
again from the Class of
‘53!
Legendary Teacher, Evelyn
Hager Hill will be
missed...read full obituary
on pg. 14
The Grand Forks Public
Schools Alumni Network
has been serving alums
and friends of Grand Forks
Public Schools
since 1992.
For membership and
Red Cent subscription info:
Web site:
www.gffoundation.org
E-mail:
[email protected]
Vol. 17 No. 4
Oct 2008
Six Educators inducted into the
2008 Teachers Hall of Fame
IN THIS ISSUE:
Read
The Red Cent’s
regularly
featured columnist,
JIM HAUGEN
. . . page 2
Six former educators were
inducted into the
Grand Forks
Public Schools
Teachers Hall of
Fame on Sunday,
October 19th at
1:30pm at the
Red River High School Theatre.
The induction ceremony was followed by a reception in the commons area.
Mr. Art Evju
Quiet…Influential…Built character…Confident...He was a good one!
These are many of the words that
have been used to describe Mr.
Evju, a math and physics teacher at
Central High School for nearly thirty years. Many former students
attribute their love for algebra and
physics to the experiences they
received from Mr. Evju and his
classes. A former student writes,
“He was not only able to teach in a
special way that made his subjects
interesting and understandable but
made you feel important and confident in what your were doing. He
built character.”
Mr. Evju began his career at
Central in 1942 as an algebra
teacher and the Senior Class
Student Council Advisor.
He is
known for being a very quiet educator with a BIG influence on his students. Mr. Evju put a huge level of
responsibility on the students in his
classroom. “Mr. Evju came along in
a time when I needed it the most,”
recalls a former student. “He was
one of the greatest influences in my
life. He made learning fun and I
was able to go from not having a
clue to becoming a professional in
the field of engineering.”
His theories on teaching were
influential and withstanding, as
many of his former students are
professionals and have made their
careers throughout the United
States and beyond.
Although much of Mr. Evju’s
time was taken up with his teaching
and advisory duties, he often found
time for his two greatest passions...fishing and traveling.
Mr. Evju was posthumously
inducted into the 2008 Teachers
Hall of Fame.
Ms. Catherine Gallagher
Ms. Gallagher a remarkable educator who became a notable first
grade teacher to many students at
Wilder Elementary School. Ms.
Catherine Gallagher taught at
Wilder for nearly three and a half
decades, from 1920-1946. A tiny,
slightly stooped lady – always in
high heels and always on the go.
Sounds like “the perfect” first grade
teacher.
Reading was one of Ms.
Gallagher’s
favorite
subjects.
Former students recall her passion
for reading and stressing its importance in her classroom. She is also
remembered for bringing music into
the classroom, often times she
would bring a pump organ and
teach her students sing-a–long
songs.
A former student recalls, “Ms.
Gallagher took a personal interest
in every one of her students.”
Ms. Gallagher was posthumously
inducted into the 2008 Teachers
Hall of Fame.
Mr. Lee Murdock
Mr. Lee Murdock, taught Physics
and Chemistry at Central from 1967
to 2002. Mr. Murdock had a profound influence on his students. A
former student is quoted saying,
“He influenced me more than any
other teacher I had at Central High
School. His classes were challenging, educational, and prepared me
very well for college.”
Mr. Murdock graduated from
North Dakota State University and
upon receiving a Bachelor of
Science degree, he accepted his
first teaching position in Oaks, ND.
He spent three years in the classroom in Oaks. In 1966, he decided
to pursue a Master’s of Science at
The University of North Dakota. In
1967, the Grand Forks Public
Schools was looking to hire a science teacher due to the addition of
Red River High School. Mr. Murdock
was happy to accept the offer and
began teaching at Central High
School while continuing to work on
his master’s degree.
Throughout Mr. Murdock’s thirtyfive years as an educator at Central
High School, he was recognized
numerous times for his work in the
classroom and for his impact on
student
achievements.
In
September of 1990, Mr. Murdock
received a letter of recognition from
Carleton College for his past teaching of one of their freshman students.
This particular student
noted Mr. Murdock was a person
who most influenced his development. Mr. Murdock showed dedication to inspiring the creativity and
independent thinking of his students. Mr. Murdock is also a past
recipient of the James B. Conant
Award for Excellence in High School
Chemistry Teaching; North Dakota
Outstanding
Physical
Science
Teacher Award sponsored by the
Education Committee of the North
Dakota Academy of Science.;
Outstanding Secondary School
Science/Math Teacher sponsored by
J. Lloyd Stone Alumni, Sigma Xi;
and a two time Staff Award winner
sponsored by the Grand Forks
Renaissance.
Mr. Murdock retired from teaching in 2002. He and his wife, June,
reside in Grand Forks. They have
continued on page 3
Grand Forks Public Schools
2008 Teachers Hall of Fame
Inductees
Above: Mr. Art Evju
giving instruction to
one of his Central High
School math
classes.
Above: Mr. Lee Murdock and one of his
students attempt a Chemistry experiment.
Right: Alice Sheppard, Home Economics
teacher at South Middle School and Central
High School.
Below on Left: JoAnn Quanrud, Learning
Disabilities teacher at Twining Elementary and
Middle School from 1964-1993.
Below on right: Ruth Nylund, Winship third
grade teacher from 1948-1971.
FEATURE WRITERS
Handprint on My Heart
BY EDITOR
GREG NELSON, R’75
It was 1947 and
the "war to end all
wars," World War
II, had been
signed and sealed
by world leaders
into history for
two
years.
During the war,
many
women
were left at home to not only raise their
families, but also to work in the factories and industries supporting the war
effort. "Susie HomeMaker" traded in
her apron for coveralls and a hardhat
and became "Rosie the Riveter" as
women found their way into the workplaces of America. The soldiers of
General Patton's Army came home to a
more independent and self-reliant
woman. This is the story of two of
these women.
Dorothy Travis
was born in 1904 in
Pierre, SD, and
received her undergraduate degree from
Yankton College in
South Dakota and her
master's degree in
business education Dorothy Travis
from
Colombia
University in New York. After teaching for a few years in her home state of
South Dakota, Dorothy ventured north
to Grand Forks and walked through the
front doors of Central High School in
Just Jim
1936 as a teacher of business education.
At the diminutive height of four
feet, ten inches, it was sometimes hard
to spot Miss Travis walking among the
students in the halls of Central High.
But, many of her students were quick
to point out that Miss Travis was short
in stature, but long on enthusiasm and
expertise in the field of business education. Miss Travis was a pioneer in
the concept of on-the-job-training for
students. She sought out jobs in many
of the business offices in Grand Forks
for her secretaries-in-training. Her
reputation as a teacher of extraordinarily skilled students was well known in
the business community and many a
former student just had to mention that
they were trained by Miss Travis, and
a job was almost assured. She stressed
the importance of responsibility, trustworthiness, and confidence to her students as they
ventured out
to work in the
world
of
business.
Along
with being an
outstanding
teacher and
mentor
to
hundreds of
Central High students in her thirtyfour years there, Miss Travis was a
nationally known author and expert in
the field of business education, with
the publication of several textbooks
and journals to her credit. She was
also a faculty advisor to "Tri-Y," a
social organization of young women at
Red Cent
October 2008
Central, and was active in Delta Kappa
Gamma and the American Association
of University Women. When Dorothy
Travis was inducted as a Charter
Member of the Grand Forks Public
School Teachers Hall of Fame, fellow
teacher Moine Gates said that even
though Miss Travis had small feet, she
left some very "big shoes" for him to
fill when he came to Central to replace
her as a business education teacher in
1970. Even after retirement, Miss
Travis was known to attend state and
national conferences in her field of
business education, always trying to
keep current on the latest trends and
ideas in her field right up to her death
in 1992. Mr. Gates said that along
with being an outstanding educator,
she was a fine lady who was admired
and respected by all that knew her. As
a teacher in World War II America,
Miss Travis knew that women could
work successfully in the traditional
"man's world" of business. One of
those students who was encouraged
and inspired by Dorothy Travis was
Gloria
CHRISTIANSON
Gilbertson, C’47, and this is Gloria's
story of how her teacher, Dorothy
Travis, left a "Handprint on her Heart."
Gloria was a member of the
Central Class of ‘47. Some of her
friends at Central were Marijo Loomis
Shide, Lylah Fulkerson, Alice Cape,
Jean Westin, and Joanne Larson.
Gloria's parents owned Handy
Grocery, a mom and pop grocery, at
511 4th Avenue North. Gloria remembers working at the grocery while
growing up along with other jobs at the
Grand Forks Herald, Woolworth's, and
My mind, my hands, my tools begin
their long journey,
BY FEATURE WRITER JIM HAUGEN, C’51
A repetitive process - sketch,
chisel, contemplate; sketch, chisel,
contemplate
Rough features emerge as, cautiously, chips are removed,
The upraised arm lengthens,
The Patriot
A closed fist,
A misshapen head,
Part of a shoulder,
Mr. K, an old friend, places a block
A bent elbow,
of wood in my care, evoking destiny,
A knot becoming,
A small piece, a large responA grasping hand,
sibility, a remnant of the grandeur of
Enclosing a crooked cane,
a walnut tree, rooted a century ago,
Leaned on by an old man,
decades before my birth, growing,
With flattened nose,
umbrella expanding,
Bearded chin,
Decades and rings of weathStanding,
ered growth, one, unknowingly,
Vest askew,
marking my beginning. I patiently
Legs apart,
survey this remnant of the tree,
Eyes intent,
slowly rotating it in my hands,
Watching a parade,
Searching for the wisp of an
Flag held high,
idea, my mind becoming one with
Waving,
the wood. Removing some rotted
A veteran of some earlier war,
parts at one end leaves a short stub,
Wearing his old helmet or
Two knots, reminders of long
beret,
ago proud branches, draw my attenA Patriot.
tion,
Four focused months mold him in
A vague image emerges - an arm
three dimensions,
held high, a tilted head, two eyes,
Shaped by my sense of beauty, lines
A person, doing something, yet and surfaces pleasing from every
to be revealed.
angle, highlighted by the natural
page 2
the States Theatre. She was a member
of the "hall patrol," which was a group
of students that served as greeters as
students entered school.
Gloria also did some volunteer
work in the school office, which
included delivering messages and
announcements to students and teachers in the classrooms. In Gloria's Class
of 1947, there was a group at Central
called "Tri-Y," which was basically a
social group of young women that
organized dances and social events at
Central and was advised by a group of
teachers that included Miss Travis.
There were approximately 150 seniors in
the Central Class of
1947. Gloria remembers that basketball
was the big sport of
the day, with students
following their winning
team from town
Gloria
to
town
during the seaCHRISTIANSON
Gilbertson, C’47 son.
Some of the
favorite
hang-outs
were Woolworth's, the Teen Centerhome of the "Jitterbug" (dance of the
time), and the Palace of Sweets where
you could get a dish of ice cream covered with hot fudge and nuts for only
fifteen cents. Gloria treasures all of
these memories along with the memory of her teacher and mentor-Dorothy
Travis. She credits Miss Travis with
helping to get her a job at the Bridston
Insurance Company, and inspiring her
to think that a girl could accomplish
anything that she set her mind to.
Because of that encouragement, Gloria
continued on page 3
beauty of the walnut grain,
‘Til, sanded and oiled, my
vague idea stands as a gleaming
sculpture.
Mrs. K, pleased at the result, offers
her insightMy mind has been magically
led, a force beyond intentions,
My destiny - uncover this Patriot,
Entombed in a tree trunk, hidden from view, for a century or so Finally standing free.
The Red Cent
Published quarterly (Aug, Oct, Feb, and
May) by the GF Public Schools Alumni Network,
for the fun and communication of Network members. Annual membership fee: $33.
Alumni Network Advisory Committee: Tracy
Helgerson Abentroth, R’78; Laurie McEnroe
Bakke, R’73; Barry Branvold, C’70; Dimpy
Johnson Budge, C’34; Dan Dybwad, C’66;
Shirley Zintel Emerson, C’48; Diane Sondreal
Hilde, R’71; Kathy Keifenheim Hill, R’68; Sandy
Jacobson Rios, C’69; Ken Sherwood, C’49;
Richard Soule, Chair, R’69; Virginia Brett
Stewart, C’51; Jody Thompson, C’80.
Editor: Greg Nelson, R’75
Executive Director: Jenny L. Arel
Executive Assistant: Shannon Webber.
The Alumni Network is established and
maintained by the Grand Forks Foundation for
Education, Inc., PO Box 5475, Grand Forks, ND
58206-5475, 701.787.4866; email:
[email protected]
Exec. Director
Jenny Arel,
Exec. Assistant
Shannon Webber.
Red Cent
October 2008
page 3
“Handprint on My Heart” continued from page 2
went on to the University of North
Dakota and completed a degree in
Commerce
(now
Business
Administration), a degree that in 1951
was traditionally a "man's degree."
Gloria was president of her sorority,
the Tri-Delts, and often invited Miss
Travis to be her guest at social events
held by her sorority. After graduating
from UND in 1951, Gloria devoted
her time to raising her two sons and
supporting her husband in his law
career as did many women of her era.
She held many offices in the PTA
while her sons were in school and
when her husband retired, Gloria followed her passion and became a travel agent, spending the next fifteen
years traveling the world and helping
others to do so as well. Gloria and her
husband have now retired and live in
Roseville, MN, but every once in a
while her memories will find her sitting with friends on the sunny steps of
Central High School. And Gloria will
always remember Dorothy Travis, the
teacher who challenged and inspired
her and left a "Handprint on her
Heart."
RED CENT TRIVIA
While visiting with Gloria Christianson Gilbertson in the past month she
told me that her brother, Floyd Christianson, was very active in the Kiwanis
Organization and was the originator of the "Dollars for Scholars"
Scholarship campaign. Many of you, as students, have gone door-to-door
collecting money for these scholarships and thousands of dollars in scholarships have been awarded to deserving students thanks to the insight of Floyd
Christianson and the Kiwanis Organization.
CENTRAL CLASS OF ’58 REUNION
Jo Dunn, C’58
Greg Nelson, R’75
In 1958, the Everly Brothers song, “All I Have To Do Is Dream,”
was at the top of the charts and couldn’t have been a better
theme for the Central Class of ’58 Reunion held in Grand Forks
on September 19th-21st. When I walked into the Hilton for the
reunion dinner and dance on Saturday night, there was a feeling of elegance in the air. Men in coats and ties and the women
in fine evening wear set the tone for a night to be remembered
and cherished. It was as if the 1958 Central Prom had aged a
“few years” but was still the classy event that it was fifty years
ago. In 1958, students dressed up a bit more for school than in
modern day. Skirts and sweaters for the ladies, and corduroy
pants, button up shirts, and letterman’s jackets for the men, set
the tone for the importance of high school at that time, and
these students have carried that tradition forward with them as
they grew older.
Judy Rae Rossow Smith and her committee put together a
great weekend for close to 170 returning students, spouses,
and guests. Friday was a time for informal family and friend
get-togethers at several places in town. On Saturday there
were tours of the Ralph Engelstad Arena and, of course,
Central High. On display in front of the Hilton was Neil
Hensrud’s classic ’58 Edsel, welcoming everyone in for an
evening of dining, dancing and sharing memories with old
friends. A bouquet of fifty-six balloons was released in remembrance of those classmates who had passed away. Glen (Ole)
Olson received two standing ovations as he stood among his
classmates and family at the banquet and remembered the
nicknames of friends, sang some songs and shared special
memories of the Central Class of ’58. Growing up in the 60’s, I
remember Glen as “Big Daddy”, one of the morning voices on
Grand Forks radio. Each of the members of the Class of ’58
received some memorabilia including a CD of some of the hit
parade of songs from 1958 and a medallion of Widman’s
chocolate and a personal bottle of wine, each adorned with the
“Redskin” logo, a tradition gone but not forgotten. The evening
closed with a dance played by local 60’s band, “The Fabulous
Cornerstones.” Band member Steve Rood said this was one of
the classiest events that they had ever played. It was a great
way end to a perfect evening for the Central Class of 1958.
More on the Central 1958 Class Reunion and other class
reunions on pages 8-9, 16. Enjoy!
continued from page one
three children and five grandchildren.
Congratulations to Mr. Lee
Murdock on his induction into the
Grand Forks Public Schools
Teachers Hall of Fame.
Ms. Ruth Nylund
Ms. Nylund began her twentythree year teaching career in
1948 at Roosevelt Elementary
School, where she taught third
grade and sixth grade. One of
Ms. Nylund’s former students
says, “Besides being such a fine
teacher, Ms. Nylund embraced
life enthusiastically. She had so
many interests, and her conversations about many of them fascinated me.”
Ms. Nylund had a passion for
science and social studies. She
would often bring her love for
government and politics into her
classroom.
Election time was
exciting for Ms. Nylund and her
students as she would hold
debates in the classroom. Again,
a former student recalls, “I
played the part of a Republican--with another student being the
Democrat during the 1956
Eisenhower-Stevenson
campaign. Imagine! We were only
third graders!”
Ms. Nylund was also known
for her love of drama. She was
known for being a performer herself. She loved putting on class
plays for all of Roosevelt school.
Ms. Ruth Nylund was posthumously inducted into the 2008
Teacher Hall of Fame.
Ms. JoAnn Quanrud
Ms. JoAnn Quanrud has been
nominated by former students,
colleagues and friends. As a pioneer in the field of Learning
Disabilities, Ms. Quanrud helped
launch a special education program at Twining Elementary and
Middle School at the Grand Forks
Air Force Base.
After graduating from Fertile
High School, Ms. Quanrud set out
for Minneapolis to become an airline flight attendant but unfortunately was not able to be accepted into the program because she
was one inch too tall. With much
disappointment, JoAnn packed
her bags and was headed back to
her parent's home in Fertile, MN.
Her father suggested that she
begin teaching at a nearby rural
school and work on her degree
during the summer months.
Reluctantly, JoAnn accepted the
advice of her father but only on
the terms that she would have to
teach for just one year.
Ms.
Quanrud enrolled at Mayville
State University and eventually
graduated from the University of
North Dakota with her teaching
degree. She continued to teach
in rural schools and found she
had a strong compassion for students with disabilities. "Some
students just don't learn the
same way as others," she says.
Her fondness for these struggling
students steered her towards
pursuing a Master's degree in
Special Education.
After completing her Master's
degree, Ms. Quanrud accepted a
teaching position at Twining
Elementary and Middle School in
1964 eventually retired in 1993.
Ms. Quanrud put in quite an amazing run for someone who was only
going to teach for one year. A
former co-worker states, "I
admired her dedication and hard
work.
She had the smallest
classroom with likely the biggest
challenges. Her students were
the most important to her and
they knew it." Ms. Quanrud had
a dramatic impact on student
learning
and
achievement.
Hundreds of students benefited
from this pioneering educator.
Ms. Alice Sheppard
Alice taught home economics
in junior and senior highs in
Grand Forks and in Minnesota
communities for thirty-one years.
She remembers feeling she was
doing more than just teaching
skills. “I was preparing young
people for home management
and family living,” she explained
in a recent interview.
Peg Brennan, Central High
School home economics teacher
in the 1920’s and 1930’s and a
2000 inductee into the Teacher
Hall of Fame, inspired Alice to
major in home economics education at UND. Alice’s first teaching
positions following graduation in
1938 took her to the small rural
Minnesota
communities
of
Belgrade and Worthington. There
she taught junior and senior high
as well as community college
classes. A few years later, as a
young professional looking for a
new experience, she tried her
hand at social service work for
the Farm Security Administration, helping low income families.
She described that job as a
“royal experience” for someone
who had never lived on a farm,
driven country roads or experienced the challenges of a large
family.
In 1942, East Grand Forks
offered her a chance to get back
to the classroom. Since Alice had
nurtured a high school friendship
with a young man by the name of
Wyman Sheppard, she was glad
to get back to the Grand Forks
neighborhood. During five years
of teaching in East Grand Forks,
she married that young man.
Alice remembers fondly her East
Grand Forks High School class of
l947. Many became lifelong
friends and were on hand to celebrate Alice’s 90th birthday in
2006.
Mrs. Sheppard took a leave of
absence from teaching to stay
home with her young children,
daughter Jean and son Bob, until
1958 when an offer to teach
home economics at South Junior
High School interrupted her plans
to work on a Master’s Degree.
Over 25 years in Grand Forks
schools, Alice had taught family
living skills to two generations of
young women and men and had
moved from South Junior to
Central. Over the years she had
developed innovative approaches
to teaching child care to the
babysitters of the day and the
moms of tomorrow and family
finance to the teenage consumers of the day and the home
owners of tomorrow. In addition,
and on a lighter note, she recalls
that boys were so much fun to
teach, at least in the kitchen,
because they’d eat anything
regardless of calories.
Alice retired in 1982 to give
full-time attention to her new
business, Wy’s Floral Shop.
Sports Memories and Highlights
Red Cent
October 2008
page 4
Central 1990 Girl’s Soccer
Senior, Anne Stevens, executes a flawless corner kick.
1982 Red River Volleyball Team
Pictured L to R Back Row: Beth Bohlman, Kathleen Kresl, LaRae Lein,
Sandy Hagen, Dawn Zimney, Heidi Spicer, Chris Dvorak.
Pictured L to R Front Row: Pam Curran, Tammy Mankie, Rachel
Hougum, Denise Bower, Denise Swatlowski.
Today’s Sports
Paukert Fights A Battle Within
(Reprinted from article written by Greg DeVillers
for the Grand Forks Herald, August 17, 2008.)
Fall practice began Monday for the Grand Forks
Central High School boys' tennis team. Terry
Paukert was disappointed that, after nine seasons as an assistant coach, he wasn't with the
Knights to start the season.
"Initially, I felt like I was letting the boys down, not being
there," Paukert said. "But I know that I'm not."
That's because the 55-year-old Paukert is taking on something
bigger than a tennis match. The longtime local coach and
teacher is battling an aggressive cancer that was discovered
this summer in his salivary glands.
Paukert says he feels tired, nauseated and his throat is sore.
He has no feeling on the left side of his face. But he isn't
depressed; rather, he's looking forward to beating the disease.
1954 Central Golf Team
L to R: Bob Hanson, Dick Sampson, Dave Grinnell,
Bill Bohnhoff.
Paukert always has been an active, athletic person. He played
on Central High School hockey state championship teams in the
early 1970s. He was a tennis player and later a standout fastpitch softball player. He was an assistant hockey coach for
twelve seasons, four at Grand Forks Red River High School and
then eight at East Grand Forks Senior High. He was boys and
girls tennis coach at Senior High for more than twenty seasons
before joining the Central staff. When he wasn't competing in
sports, he was biking around Greater Grand Forks. He's never
smoked or chewed tobacco.
That didn't keep the cancer away. Telltale signs started showing themselves last winter. In mid-June, he had an MRI that
showed a malignancy. Paukert underwent surgery June 30.
After going through the cancer ordeal, Paukert says he doesn't
know if his life will be the same again. He doesn't know if he'll
be able to do all the physical things that have been such a big
part of his life again. But, "Mentally, maybe I'll be a better person if I do beat it," Paukert said. "I want to come out of this.
I want to live. I'm not ready to call it quits yet. And I'm not
worried about that yet. I do have pretty good faith."
The battle is one he doesn't feel he is fighting alone, especially
when the Internet comes into play. There is a Web site called
Caringbridge.org where he keeps in touch with Greater Grand
Forks with his own logs (www.caringbridge.org/visit/terrypaukert) and notes he receives.
1976 Red River Football
Pat Heffernan and Bruce Wessman, both seniors, find a little
relaxation on the bench.
"I can communicate with all my family and friends," Paukert
said. "If they want to write me a note, it's very uplifting. I've
been blessed with the outpouring from my family and from a lot
of friends. It's very, very rewarding to hear from people. It
gives me an extra bit of courage to keep fighting this."
Red Cent
October 2008
page 5
Making Music & Friends
1963 Central Band Officers
L to R Front Row: Bruce Spillum, Marlys Knudson, Kay Gasser,
Marcia Oliver, Cindy Weekly.
L to R Back Row: Douglas Wagner, James Rolland, Michael Bue,
David Lehr.
1959
Centralian
presents
“Oklahoma”
1944 Central Girls’ Sextet
The sextet of music loving girls performed their songs at luncheons,
churches, PTA meetings and club meetings.
1972 Central Concert Choir
Barb
Steenerson
plays “Laurey”
and Curt
Magneson
plays “Curly” in
the well known
musical,
“Oklahoma.”
1998 Red River Velvatones
L to R Front Row: Andrea Rogers (Marry Mi); Tiffany Koch
(Emma Gabber); Andrea Wiesser (Jeanie Us).
L to R Back Row: Andrea Mercer (Brandi Name);
Megan Fiskum (Miss B. Haven); Misti Koop (Miss T.);
Megan Geiszler (Connie Fused).
How can 63 individuals become a unit?...give them a cause...let them
work together...selling candy and buttons...doing concessions...and putting Marc Miller in charge of the cookie jar...then send them to
Indianapolis...endless hours on the bus...sleeping as much as possible...if
you were lucky - you got an upper bunk...reading in cold blood...coloring in someone’s coloring book...or maybe playing poker at the back of
the bus...and then there were the concerts...rushing off the bus and hurrying to get dressed on time...and then working hard to hold
pitch...because you talked all night the night before...or maybe pure
excitement kept you awake...so you finally learn to breathe...to put the
sound on the air...it was sometimes hard to buckle down and concentrate
on the music...when your mind was filled with the thoughts of your
night on the town...going out to eat someplace nice...or going to see
“1776” in Chicago...having three songs written for us to perform in
Indianapolis was extra pressure...as well as being an honor...it was a
week of experiences...mostly good ones...coming to a climax in
Milwaukee...when suddenly you didn’t worry about pitch...or right
notes...it just happened...and the words to “zions soldier”... “yes in
heaven you sure will be praising God eternally” brought tears to your
eyes...and 63 people became a unit to stay...
Catching some z’s on the Concert Choir bus!
1982 Red River Wind Band
L to R: Alicia Coesfeld, Becky Kellaher, and Danette Muggli.
The play’s the thing. . .
Red Cent
October 2008
page 6
Central 1967 “Kiss Me Kate”
Cole Porter’s twoact play was
directed by Mr. H.
Douglas Fosse and
Mr. Dwight
Sherwood. More
creativity than in
previous productions, reserved seat
tickets, and use of
a revolving stage
were among the
innovations in this
fast-moving
comedy.
1942 Central Drama
Actors squeeze in one
more run-through
before performing the
1942 Junior Class play
“June Mad.”
1986 Red River Theatre Guild
1983 Red River
“Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat”
Row 1: Alex Milne, Nikki Marquadt, Michelle Miner, Bryan Duncan, Lisa
Waddell, Bill King, Dan Borgen, John Warcup, Erik Harvey. Row 2: Mel
Forward, Todd Myrvik, Jenny Whittle, Janaan Castelli, Nicole Baus,
Dominic Wharram, Mark Olson, Oren Howe. Row 3: Brenda Riskey, Jenny
Meyer, Liz Comeau, Laura Vette, Joe Fortin, Non-member, Chris Fosse,
Kristi Middleton, Debbie Unruh, Chris Waller, Mike Ray. Row 4: Don
Willey, Joel Harlow, Peter Klokstad, Katie Cochran, Kristi Midboe, Rhonda
Larson, Cheryl Kersten, Shelley Kersten. Row 5: Mike Shea, Marty
Hodgson, Matt Anderson, Shawn Reese, Michelle Kuzel, Jackie Gausvik.
Sing it, Joe Miller and Chris Waterman!
Behind the Scenes
Cheryl Kersten, R’86,
focuses in on the stage.
1956 Central Junior Class Play
The cast of “Time Out for Ginger” seated L to R are: Linda Strobel,
Karen Simons, Darlene Halvorson, Tom Schimke, Judy Lindgren.
Standing L to R are: Ronnie Olson, Paul Anderson, Judy Rimestad, Lyn
Lovegren, and Kenny Meyer.
1972 Red
River
Improvisational
Theatre
Greg Mcgraw,
Mary Hanson, Jim
Torkelson, Joann
Plaas, Dan
Sweetwood, David
Finn, Greg Hallan,
Karen Kratochvic,
Joni Rio, DirectorH. Douglas Fosse.
1998 Central thespians enjoy their traditional
Sunday morning caramel roll breakfast.
Red Cent
October 2008
page 7
Sadie Hawkins goes Hawaiian
School DAZE
1936 CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
CHEERLEADERS
L to R: Harriet Bliven, William Purvis, and
Betty Jo Swindeman.
CHS 1940 “ON
THE
AIR”
1970 Central Seniors win the Sadie Hawkins costume contest with their
“Wizard of Oz” theme. Pictured L to R: Dave Tangen, Carmen Ulvedal,
Nancy Bjerke and John Andrews.
1980 Red River Homecoming
Full of festivities....eating contests, toilet paper wrap
contests, powderpuff, football and much much more!
Today’s School News
GFPS to send a delegation to nations. This initiative also affords our chil- collaboration. Previously, assistant superindren the opportunity to participate with stu- tendent duties were split between two posiSarpsborg Norway
Six teachers and two administrators from
Grand Forks will travel to Sarpsborg, Norway
this coming November as part of an educational exchange that began to take shape
approximately five years ago. Dr. Steinar
Opstad, of Sarpsborg, Norway, an entrepreneur, teacher, writer and Honorary Doctorate
recipient from UND planted the seed in the fall
of 2003 with GFPS administration. Since that
time, GFPS has sent a group of administrators
to Sarpsborg as well as a choir and band of
106 students and their chaperones from Red
River High School. The students participated
in the May 17, Constitution Day in Norway
which is a very special day and was a tremendous experience for all involved. GFPS has
also hosted two groups of educators from
Sarpsborg since 2003.
The purpose of this exchange is to sustain
and develop the relationship between our
schools and staff, our communities, and our
dents on joint projects with partner classrooms from Sarpsborg using technology.
This initiative is also supported by the City
of Grand Forks and Mayor Mike Brown.
Sarpsborg and Grand Forks are official sister
cities.
The initiative is supported by the
University of North Dakota Nordic Initiative as
well. This trip is funded by the teachers
themselves. The teachers and administrators
will stay in the homes of their Sarpsborg partners.
Grand Forks School District
reorganizes duties, committees
(Reprinted from the Grand Forks Herald,
September 24, 2008.)
The Grand Forks School District has reorganized the assistant superintendent positions and created three new committees in an
effort to provide for more transparency and
tions, assistant superintendent of elementary
and middle schools and assistant superintendent of secondary schools. This summer the
two positions were combined and now Jody
Thompson oversees both areas. In addition,
Dr. Terry Brenner is director of a new department, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment,
and Professional Development.
Dr. Brenner’s department will work with
three committees: District North Central
Association Committee, chaired by Jody
Thompson;
Curriculum,
Instruction,
Assessment, and Professional Development
Committee, chaired by Dr. Brenner;
Educational Enhancement Team(EET), chaired
by Dr. Brenner. The EET will provide a feedback loop for the other two committees and
will include Dr. Nybladh, Superintendent, and
Jody Thompson, Assistant Superintendent, as
well as principals, teachers, students, and
community members.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Red Cent
October 2007
MUSICAL SENIORS
ABOVE: Central 1958
Classmates converse
during their Friday
reunion gathering.
Glenn Olson, on right, and Dewey Cady teamed up for a song
or two at a Central High School dance during their Senior year
1958 at Grand Forks Central.
RIGHT: Maxine Johnson
made the nearly 2,500
mile trek to Grand Forks
for her 50th class
reunion. Maxine resides
in Hoonah, Alaska.
BELOW RIGHT:
Central Class of 1958
takes a tour of Central
High School during their
reunion held in
September.
THE REPRISE: Glenn Olson, on right, and Dewey Cady, on
left, pose for the reprise as Senior citizens at their 50th Class
Reunion.
page 8
Red Cent
October 2008
page 9
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Father
and son
fulfill
their
dreams of
seeing
Yankee
Stadium
Gary & Jackie Mitchell visited New York
recently with Jerry & Jean Harms. This picture was taken from Ellis Island with the
New York City skyline in the background.
Central Class of 1967 Gathering
1967 Central classmates gathered because Alan
Severson was coming to the Twin Cities! He missed our
40th Reunion last year and we were delighted to connect
with him. Alan and his wife, Pat, were given the quick
tour of the western half of the Twin Cities by Kathy
KENNEDY Stattine. We had dinner with Barry Wegener,
Henry 'Chip' Holt and his wife, Bonnie Bakke (Chip moved
to Bloomington after our junior year - but we invited
him to our 40th last year and he loved it and we loved
being with him and Bonnie), and Kathy's husband, Greg
Stattine. Greg is the photographer for the picture.
Charlie Zick,
retired teacher
and administrator along
with his son,
Greg Zick,
R’91, recently
attended one of the final baseball games played at
Yankee Stadium. Both Charlie and Greg have been lifelong Yankee Fans.
Pictured in both photos are Ted ‘Slim’ Iverson, Harold
Nordness, Lee Rau, and Bob Nygaard. The above photo was
taken on their graduation day in 1950 from Central High School.
The second photo was taken at either their 50th or 55th class
reunion. All of these gentlemen are retired and have families
with children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.
Photo was submitted by Harold Nordness.
Central Class of 1948 gathers for 60th Class Reunion
in September in Grand Forks
C’48 Classmates pictured L to R:
Robert Wood, Shirley ZINTEL
Emerson, and Glenn Rudrud.
Alumni NEWS
1940s
Archie McCrae, C’42,
of Salem, OR, writes that he
and his wife, Phyllis, celebrated sixty-one years of
marriage. Their son, Jim, a
retired US Navy commander, is a pilot for Skywest
Airline. Daughter, Jean, is a
marine biologist for the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife. The couple’s
son, Bill, is
a developer
in downtown
Portland,
OR. They
have four
grandchildren and
one greatgrandchild.
Archie
spent thirtyfour years
in public
school
administration in
ABOVE:
Archie McCrae, Oregon
after receivC’42
ing a
BELOW:
Rosemary
Bachelor’s
BRUNDIN
degree in
Gomer, C’41
Business
Administration and a
Master’s degree in
Education from Lewis and
Clark College. He retired in
1983.
Rosemary BRUNDIN
Gomer, C’41, of Lafayette,
CA, shares that she has
recently returned home after
spending several weeks in
Grand Forks. She was helping her brother, Jack, move
to Tufte Manor. Rosemary
was shocked to see how
much Grand Forks has
changed since the flood.
She writes, “I needed a map
to find my way around!
The most wonderful change
of all is the complete lack of
flies and mosquitoes. I
expected to be eaten alive
and didn’t see a single mosquito. Congratulations to
Grand Forks on your eradication program.”
Fred Bjornson, C’43,
had moved away from
Grand Forks before the ‘97
flood, but was unfortunately
affected by the June ‘08
flooding in Cedar Rapids
where he and his family
reside. His office was
destroyed and personal
records lost, but his family
and their possesions escaped
harm. Fred reports that
some of Cedar Rapids leaders visited Grand Forks to
receive advice on rebuilding. Fred calls it, “Grand
Forks common sense!”
Fred remembers skating
and playing hockey as well
as playing basketball (in
stocking feet) at UND. He
also enjoyed playing baseball in the neighborhood
and caddying at the Grand
Forks Country Club (located
in East Grand Forks). Fred
still has his “Perfect
Attendance” award from
first grade at Winship
Elementary. Fred would
like to have another
Phoenix, AZ area reunion if
others are interested.
Maureen MARTIN
Lee, C’40, still resides in
Windmere, FL where she
has lived for fifty-seven
years. She and her family
are celebrating the birth of
her two great-grandchildren
while mourning the loss of
her husband, Charles A.
Lee, who passed away in
2006. Maureen and her
brother, John, who lives in
California, are the last surviving of six siblings.
Maureen retired from teaching in 1986 after thirty-four
years of teaching first and
second grade as well as
kindergarten in Orange
County, FL.
She fondly recalls
tobaggoning, skating at
UND, and spending summers at the pool just one
block from her house.
Maureen appreciates the
wonderful teachers she had
at G.F. High School.
Luba DIAKOFF
Schnable, C’45, of
Fanwood, NJ, is proud to
announce that her second
grandson, Alexander (4
months old), was baptized
into the Greek Orthodox
Church in July. Luba herself celebrated her eightieth
birthday in
August.
Luba’s
daughter
and sonin-law and
their two
sons live
just ninety
miles
Luba DIAKOFF away and
Schnable, C’45 are the joy
of her life.
She was widowed in 1981.
Luba continues to give private violin lessons in her
home studio and currently
has twenty-five students.
She also has a student performing orchestra. Luba
keeps busy performing in
two community orchestras
and string quartets as well
as attending chamber music
sessions in France, Italy,
and Spain.
Winter memories for
Luba include ice skating,
sledding, eight foot high
snow drifts, and watching
ski jumpers on the banks of
the Red. Luba also sadly
recalls her Winship
Elementary principal, Miss
Coger, dying during a
snowstorm. During the
summer, Luba was busy
with Girl Scouts, bicycle
trips, the State Fair, and
YMCA camp with “Ma”
Cusey. She and Mardelle
Vig, Barb Banik, and
Phyllis Indridson all completed junior life saving
Red Cent
classes. Luba wonders
where her old neighborhood
gang, Alice William,
Charles Cape, John and
James Hundley,Walter
Moran are. She also would
like to catch up with Phyllis
Indridson Nedrud and
Norma Benwell. Luba’s
world science teacher and
United Nation planning had
a strong influence on her.
Luba also credits Leo
Haesle with spending many
hours with students so they
could practice for state
music competition. All that
practice paid off because
Luba was awarded first
place for solo violin in
1944!
Thomas Smith, C’42,
of Fort Worth, TX, shares
that he took an exciting
train trip through South
Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia,
and Tarzania in February.
This was the last major part
of the world he had not
already seen. Tom is now
planning an even longer and
more exciting train trip
which will start in Beijing
and travel through China,
Kazaristan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Stalingrad,
and Moscow.
1950s
Terrance Havig, MD,
C’57, of Naples FL, says it
was wonderful to see
classmates last September
at the Class of ‘57 Reunion
in Grand Forks. He thinks
they are all older but hopefully wiser. Terrance, his
wife, Amy, and their
daughter, will return to
Jenny Lake Lodge, WY for
their annual visit in mid
September.
Terrance has been
retired for six years from
cardio-thoracic surgery and
is busier
now than
when he
was in
surgical
practice!
He will be
occupied
October
through
Terrance Havig, November
MD, C’57
with his
South
Dakota hunting ranch.
Terrance recalls good
times hunting and not so
good times when his car
wouldn’t start in the winter! Terrance remembers
winning the 1956 basketball championship. His
summers were spent at
Maple Lake. Other memories include English with
Mr. Rolfson and chemistry
with Doc Winters.
Terrance asks that we pray
for Linda Boe.
Joanne VOLLAND
Jensen, C’52 (and proud
of it!), writes that she and
her husband, Wayne, cele-
October 2008
page 10
Grocery Store Honesty
BY Joan ROLLER Goehl, C’53
The saga of the neighborhood groceries
continues, with Jim Haugen’s original article,
and then Lefty Sorem’s follow-up article
where he mentioned he thought there was a
Riverside Ma and Pa store, too. There was
indeed a Riverside Grocery, run by a very
nice older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Porter. It was
on Fenton Ave., where I grew up, along with
Dave Morken, Chuck Bundlie, Dick and Don
Paul, Hank Booth, Gloria Beebe, Shirley
Jordahl Nelson, Dick Hentges, Joe Mahowald
and other North End kids.
This grocery store was only a block from
our house, and my mother would often send
me down there to get groceries for her. This
always included a treat for my efforts, and
our charge account there was one of those
where you didn’t swipe your plastic, or even
sign your name, you just said, “Charge it.” I
was given permission from Mom to get a
piece of candy or pop whenever I wished, but
I needed her permission first.
One day I was naively eating three chocolate malt balls in our house when my mother
came into the room. She asked where I had
gotten the candy, and I don’t remember what
I replied, but the next thing I knew she
dropped everything, took me by the hand
and marched me down to the Riverside
Grocery. I know my feet didn’t hit the sidewalk as we went. My mother was a laid back,
fun loving person, and seeing her angry was
a rarity, but I surely pushed her button on
this one. I had to confess to Mr. and Mrs.
Porter that I had stolen the candy and that I
was very sorry. They very nicely said, “Oh,
that’s all right.” But, my mom thundered,
“No, it isn’t, charge my account!” It was a
painful lesson on honesty, learned at our
neighborhood grocery store. It was also the
first and last thing I ever stole in my entire
life.
Riney, C’53, and I are now retired, he from
his OB-GYN practice and I from Roller-Brown,
Inc.
We now spend our winters in our
Minnetonka home and summers at our
Bemidji cabin, with fun travel in this big,
wonderful world in-between.
We met at
Bemidji when we were eight years old, when
our parents had cabins next door to each
other, and this continues to be our favorite
nest. Life has been very good to us, and I’m
sure a lot of this is because of the solid roots
we learned back in our formative days in
Grand Forks. Could there possibly have been
a better place to grow up?
Joanie ROLLER Goehl & Riney Goehl, C’53
Red Cent
October 2008
Alumni NEWS
page 11
Retirement Doesn’t Mean You Stop
Living
BY GUEST WRITER
Morley Glicken
I'm writing a book about retirement
with a colleague
who manages an
equity fund. I'm learning a lot about
things I should have thought through
before I stopped working full-time.
Things like how we all transition from
work to leisure at our own pace, that
there are natural ways of staying
healthy that work as well or better than
medicine, and that retirement can be a
very creative time in our lives.
What I've learned the most is that we should cherish our
families and friends. They are the support networks that
keep us engaged and help us stay at an even keel emotionally. My daughter Amy got married in May and now I have an
additional support group and a larger family in the form of
my son-in-law's assorted brothers and sisters, and aunts and
uncles. For someone whose extended family was mostly lost
in the killing fields of Europe during the Holocaust it feels
as if my support system has grown by leaps and bounds.
I've also learned that those of us who continue our creative work and do what we'd always dreamed of doing are
the ones who live the longest and the happiest lives.
Optimism is also key to a long life as is openness to learning. There is a good deal of truth to the notion that 80 is the
new 60. I play tennis with men over 80 and some of them are
very good players. Yes, we hurt, and our knees aren't young
knees, but we get out and try, and that's what matters most.
Work is important for some of us. After telling my partner Patricia that I wouldn't drive the two hours down to
Phoenix to teach part-time at ASU again, no matter what-that it was too tiring and too much work for the little I was
being paid --when I was asked to do it again I said yes,
immediately. Why? Because I enjoy every minute of it,
including the drive, the teaching, and the smart students who
keep me on my toes. And it makes me feel 20 years younger
to be around young people. So I'm teaching again this fall
and forget that I'm 68, it's the new 48. Heck, it's the new 38.
My daughter and I are developing an amazing relationship where we confide in one another and talk from the
heart. I'll drive down to Tucson to see her soon and we'll talk
about finances, and make plans for my eventual demise, and
feel like two close and loving friends doing it.
My classmates at Central High had a 50th reunion and I
wasn't able to attend. I feel badly about it and I want them to
know that the years I spent with them from Belmont
Elementary through Grand Forks Central and on to UND
were very good years. No one can tell me that we weren't a
talented and unique group of people because we were. I hope
those of you who knew me and feel a kinship will come
visit. Prescott is a gem and I'd love to share it with you.
Finally, what I'm learning from writing this book on
retirement is that the word "retirement" conjures up a false
notion of inactivity. In reality the retired people I know work
and play hard. They're involved in charity work, they travel,
and many continue to work or enter new careers. Most of all,
the dreams they dreamt, as children are now the dreams that
move them on to new adventures and new experiences.
Retirement is about independence. The trip I always
wanted to take to Argentina to visit my grandfather's family
in Buenos Aries is on the agenda. So is a trip to Israel with
my cousin to explore the archeological sites I've always
wanted to visit. I want to take the train across Australia and
scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. And there are other
dreams I hold inside my heart. I'll achieve them, too, because
part of being from North Dakota, like that great lover of the
state, Teddy Roosevelt, is to go into the arena, and take the
risks that more timid people would never take. These are the
words of TR and they will hopefully guide us all as we look
forward in our lives to fulfilling the dreams of childhood:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points
out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds
could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust
and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who
comes short again and again, because there is no effort
without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive
to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great
devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at
the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring
greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and
timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
brated their fifty-third wedding anniversary this summer. Their two daughters
live in the Seattle area with
Joanne and Wayne’s four
grandchildren. Their son
lives in Japan where he
writes lyrics for some of
the top Japanese rock
groups. The Jensens live
in Kirkland, WA and are
enjoying their retirement
traveling
(especially cruising) and
getting
together
with former classmates.
Terrance
McCosh,
C’58, of
Seattle,
shares
that his
research
on the
ABOVE:
“Good
Joanne
Ship
VOLLAND
Lollipop”
Jensen, C’52
has been
BELOW:
Terrance
published.
McCosh, C’58 This
research
establishes the type of vessel (bonus vescellum candide), it’s special attributes
and transitory existence.
Terrance’s daughter,
Theresa, a marine biologist, is busy restoring
salmon habitats. Terrance
also divulges that he is
involved with a top secret
project, second only to the
Manhattan Project (at least
as secret as it was in
1944)...he is restoring a
Boeing B-29 Super
Fortress. :-)
Terrance’s favorite
winter memories include
skating doubles at the
Winter Sports Arena with
the prettiest girls in Grand
Forks (Kay, Gaye, Linda,
Leah, Maralyn, Trisha, et
al). Springs and summers
were spent hiking from
Central Park to Lincoln
Park through the mud and
stinging nettles while listening to the mourning
doves. Terrance also
recalls hiding in his jungle
hammock, tied between
two trees, during a thunderstorm, and he survived!
Another memory involves
standing midspan on the
old Point Bridge in the
gently falling snow, evoking the sensation that the
structure and he were ever
ascending.
Terrance remembers
Mr. Koehnlein, general
science teacher, SJ, liked
his balsawood and paper
model airplane (Corsair)
and bought it for five dollars. Terrance shares that
he learned that his interests
and skills were appreciated
and valued by a grown-up.
Jim Newland, C’58,
of Omaha, writes that a
faculty development room
in the new medical education building at the
University of Nebraska has
been named in honor of
him and his wife, Myrna.
Although retired, Jim has
continued with teaching
and his wife still works at
the University of
Nebraska. The couple’s
three children, Anne,
Jennifer, and Matt, are all
well and are spread out
around the country.
Jim recalls the autumns
in Grand Forks were beautiful and “...delightfully
prolonged.” In the summer, it was never too hot to
play tennis, unlike summers in Omaha! Jim
writes that his lasting love
of music is owed in part to
the strong music programs
in Grand Forks and the
teaching of Jim Preston
and Dwight Sherwood.
Yvonne ‘Bonnie’
LERFALD Egertson,
C’58, and her husband Joel
have moved from Reston,
VA to a condo on Lake
Erie with a lovely view of
the Cleveland skyline.
Yvonne and Joel still go
south for the winter. Their
daughter, Jo Ann, and her
husband and two grandchildren live in Columbus,
OH.
Yvonne’s
mother
Ester
Lerfald
still lives
in Grand
Forks.
Yvonne is
a retired
Yvonne ‘Bonnie’
librarian.
LERFALD
She spent Egertson, C’58
six years
at the University of
Minnesota Law School
Library in Minneapolis,
seventeen years at the
American Newspaper
Publisher’s Association
Library in Reston, VA, and
five years at the “Freedom
Forum” library in Roslyn,
VA, a sponsor of the
Newseum.
Yvonne fondly remembers the snow and writes
that, “Sometimes it
squeaked when you walked
on it and sometimes it
blew up into a sunny sky
and sparkled like diamonds.” She loved skating
in the park after school and
white Christmases.
Yvonne feels she had wonderful teachers in Grand
Forks. She credits “Doc”
Winters’ chemistry class
with helping her develop
good study habits.
Eileen PEDE
Anderson, C’58, of
Riverside, CA, writes of
her husband, Richard
“Dick” Anderson, C’58,
passing away in July 2007.
She took care of him for
eight years while he was
on dialysis waiting for a
kidney transplant. Eileen
hopes everyone will consider being an organ donor.
Eileen has two sons,
Michael and Scott. Both
are police detectives,
Michael in Corona, CA
and Scott in Ontario, CA.
Eileen recalls late night
ice skating on the rink her
dad used to make. In the
summer, everyone had
wonderful vegetable gardens and with six brothers
and a sister, all who graduated from Central, they
could play for hours on
end. Eileen believes the
great teachers, who insisted students learn, had a
strong influence on her.
She enjoyed the wonderful,
carefree experience of
growing up in Grand
Forks.
Dennis Haugen, C’57,
of Edmond, OK, shares
that he enjoyed attending
his 50th reunion last year
and was pleased to see
how well the city has
recovered from the flood in
‘97. Dennis has been
employed in the insurance
industry in Oklahoma for
more than thirty years and
has no plans to retire.
Dennis’ wife, Rita, is a
director of nursing for a
home health agency. They
have two daughters, Tricia
and Anne. Tricia is a
buyer for Neiman Marcus
in Dallas and Anne, a CPA
for a bank, is married with
a daughter and a son on the
way.
Dennis remembers
walking home from
Central Park on cold nights
after tobaggoning. During
the summer between his
sophomore and junior
years in high school, he
worked at the Starlite
Drive-In and made many
good memories. Dennis
feels classmates and
friendships formed during
school have influenced his
life.
Vivian HAUGEN
Burress, C’54, lives in
Fayetteville, NC with her
husband. She reports that
she does not regret retiring
at age sixty-two. She
enjoys not being tied to an
employer’s time clock and
being able to decide what to
do and when. Vivian and
her husband recently spent
three and a half weeks traveling to
Wyoming,
the only
state her
husband
had not
yet visited.
Along the
way, they
Vivian Haugen,
visited
C’54
family in
Oklahoma
City and many military
museums. Joyce has two
sons. Ron and his wife,
Karen, have three children
ages twenty-two, nineteen,
and fifteen. Tim who is
married to Heather, welcomed their son in April.
continued on page 12
Alumni NEWS
Alumni News, continued
Vivian’s daughter, Cathy,
married Arjay in October.
Vivian remembers ice
skating, tobogganing (what
they call a knit cap in NC!),
being a spectator at school
sports, and the freedom to
walk all over town without
fear. Vivian spent her summers relaxing at Riverside
Pool and in Baudette, MN,
in town and on the farm.
Vivian writes that she especially enjoyed the good
music instruction in school
choir. She has continued to
sing in church choirs.
Vivian says, “Music feeds
my soul!”
Peggy Hanson, C’56,
writes that since she retired
six years ago she has been
living in Park City, Utah.
She has a part-time job at
Deer Valley Resort during
the ski season. Peggy
shares that her miniscule
pay includes a season ski
pass which makes a fun job
even better. Peggy says, “I
love my mountains, winter
and summer.” Peggy’s
brother, Larry Hanson,
C'60, and his wife, Sharon,
moved to Bernalillo, NM, in
1970 following his retirement. Their two sons live
and work in the Bay Area.
Peggy is looking forward to
hosting the Hanson family
for Thanksgiving. Larry's email address is
[email protected].
Vicki Braund, C'78,
Peggy’s daughter, is a
physician in the geriatrics
department at EvanstonNorthwestern Hospitals in
Illinois. Her husband,
Michael Mercury, is a neuropsychologist in the same
hospitals. They live with
their two daughters, Sarah
(13) and Lauren (10).
Northbrook, IL. Peggy’s
mother, Alice Hanson, the
widow of
Lawrence
Hanson,
former
Central
High
School
principal,
lives near
Vicki BRAUND, Vicki in
C’78
Northbrook.
Alice
enjoys attending concerts
and plays that her greatgrandchildren are in. She
celebrated her 101st birthday last March. Vicki's email address is [email protected].
Peggy’s daughter, Tracy
Braund, C'81, lives in
Eagan, MN, and works as a
senior financial analyst for
Thomson Reuters. Tracy's
e-mail address is
[email protected].
Pat BETTSCHEN
Dietz, C’56, of Hudson,
WI, writes that the past
few months have brought
about a major life change
for her. Ron Dietz, Pat’s
husband of thirty-six years,
died unexpectedly at their
home in June. A month
later, Pat was grateful for
the distraction of preparing
for her role as “Constance
Crawford” in the Hudson
Phipps Center for the Arts’
production of
“Drop
Dead,” an
adult murder/mystery farce.
Pat would
love former classPat
mates to
BETTSCHEN
visit or
Dietz, C’56
call (715381-1455) if they’re in the
Twin Cities area, just minutes from Hudson.
Ida NELSON
Parenteau, C’51, of
Orange, CA, shares that all
five of her children are
doing well. Ida, herself,
traveled to Kenya last July
on a short term mission.
Ida writes, “What an awesome people! And, being
able to see ‘The Body of
Christ’ through God’s
eyes.” In November, Ida
will be on another mission
trip to Chennai, India.
1960s
Marianne STEEN
Dike, R’69, of Spokane,
writes that for seven weeks
last summer she traveled to
India and had an amazing
time. She teaches ESL to
adults from around the
world and loves her work.
Marianne’s older daughter
lives in Seattle and just finished a year with Americorp
and Literacy Program. Her
younger daughter lives in
San Francisco and is getting
a Master’ s in Art.
Marianne’s husband of thirty-four years is a substitute
teacher. They were really
looking forward to camping
in August by the Pacific
Ocean with their daughters.
They have a cat, a dog,
three zebra finches, and nine
tropical fish. Marianne
loves dancing, enjoys gardening, swimming, singing,
making art, writing, and
hiking. Being in chorus was
the best
part of high
school.
Marianne
is planning
to attend
the fortieth
reunion
and is only
Marianne
sorry that it
STEEN Dike,
will be her
R’69
first. She
looks forward to being able
to reconnect with her classmates after so many years.
Marianne’s memories
include chorus class, drama
club, and the performances,
the operettas (she remembers her hair not being
Red Cent
October 2008
Dr. Brian Nord, R’99, has joined his father, Dr.
James Nord, C’65, in his dental practice in Grand
Forks. The family dental practice was started in
1943 by Dr. Oscar (Corky) Nord, Brian’s grandfather and James’ father.
ready and getting a lot of
noticed did not have a
help with taking the curlers
proper license plate. :-)
out at the last minute during
Duaine Sanden, C’63,
“Half a Sixpence!”), Kathy
of Grand Forks, has been
Reilly as the wonderful
inducted into the Grand
cowardly lion. Marianne
Forks Fair and Speedway
remembers Dale Mossefin,
Hall of Fame after twentyas Santa Claus, gymnastics,
five years as track announcFrench class, and Reader's
er. Duaine has also been
Theater.
serving as the president of
James (Jim) Swanson, the North Dakota
C’63, of Los Altos, CA,
Associated Press
writes that he recently pub- Sportscasters and writers
lished his new progressive
organization. Duaine is sinbook, “The Bush League
gle and very active in the
of Nations: The Coalition
community. He is the chair
of the Unwilling, the
of the Crimestoppers Board
Bullied and the Bribed-the as well as involved with the
GOP’s War on Iraq and
ND Employer Support and
America. Jim’s blog
the Guard and Reserve
appears at
Delegation.
www.bushleagueofnations.com
Duaine remembers all
Even though Jim’s lived
the great games during the
many more years outside
fall and winter while he was
North Dakota than in his
growing up and the kids
native state, his roots are
who played in them. His
firmly planted in Grand
summers were spent helping
Forks. He is forever grate- to grow the family business
ful for the wonderful pubat Maple Lake Pavilion and
lic educaassisting in marketing the
tion he
fairs in the area. He
received at enjoyed announcing for
Lewis &
demolition derby’s, stock
Clark,
car racing, and 4-H events.
Wilder,
Duaine shares that the radio
Valley, and club at Valley Jr. High got
Central.
him hooked on radio.
Jim
is
Phillip Armstrong,
Jim Swanson,
thankful
he
C’66,
of Atlanta, has been
C’63
grew up
practicing law for thirty-five
where he did, and the
years and plans to retire and
memories of good times
move to Lake Oconee, east
and great friends remain
of Atlanta, in two years.
vivid and many. Jim
Phillip’s daughter, Katie, is
writes that, “I hug each of
a University of Georgia
you!”
graduate living in Los
From the vantage point Angeles and working as a
of the Silicon Valley, he
therapeutic recreational spewatched, supported when
cialist. His son, Phillip, Jr.,
he could, and applauded
is also living in Los
various efforts to expand
Angeles and is pursuing a
innovation and entreprecareer in music as a
neurship in North Dakota,
singer/songwriter.
including those of the
Phillip recalls as a kid
UND Center For
running the hose in the winInnovation headed by
ter to make
Bruce Gjovig.
a backyard
Along the way Jim
ice rink. In
received, as a nice thank
the summer,
you, a couple of "LUV
he would
ND" license plates from
fish for
the ND Commerce
northern
Department, one of which
pike in
he recently gave to a
Turtle River
neighbor kid who has some (shhh...a
Phillip
of that great North Dakota
well-kept
Armstrong,
blood, and whose trike Jim secret!).
C’66
page 12
Phillip feels that making the
basketball team coached by
Marv Skaar influenced him
by teaching him that miracles do happen.
John and Lorie
DENCKER French, both
C’65, of Grand Forks, write
they visit their one year old
granddaughter, their son
John Gregory French,
C’84, and their daughter-inlaw often in Phoenix (especially in the winter). Their
son and his family love AZ
winters with no snow. John
and Lorie’s daughter, Jenny
FRENCH Hart, C’87, her
husband, and two sons,
Dustin (21) and Hunter (14),
live in beautiful LaCrosse,
WI.
Lorie recalls ice skating
and attending hockey games
as well as trying to keep
warm and yet freezing her
fingers and toes. John loved
to hunt during North
Dakota’s fabulous falls and
still hunts a
great deal
now.
Summers
were spent
swimming
at
Riverside
Park Pool
Lorie
and eating
DENCKER
great hot
French, C’65
dogs at the
“Canteen.” They also loved
to dance at the tennis court
dances, YMCA dances, and
the Maple Lake Pavillon
dances. John and Lorie
enjoyed “cruising the
Kegs.” Growing up, they
had “...fun and lots of
laughs. We made many,
many friends in high school
and they are still our dear
friends, even today. The
Class of 1965 was a fun and
loving group, and there
were very few “cliques”
back then.”
Bruce and Mary
ANDERSON
Koppenhaver, C’60 &
C’61, live in Verndale, MN.
They have three adult children and four busy grandchildren with whom they
enjoy staying in touch.
Bruce, a CPA, is semiretired and busy serving as a
city councilman and president of Wadena’s Immanuel
Lutheran Church Council.
Mary writes that she and
Bruce are still best friends
and enjoy many activities
together.
Bruce and Mary both
grew up and attended
schools in Grand Forks.
They feel it was the best of
times and fondly remember
many classmates and school
activities. Both Bruce and
Mary enjoyed great teachers
and received a wonderful
education.
Phyllis EBERTOWSKI
Meyer, C’60, lives in
Beloit, WI, where she is
retired and does volunteer
work. Phyllis has been
working to raise funding for
twenty-four hour supervi-
Red Cent
October 2008
page 13
Grand Forks Foundation for Education News
Grant recipient thanks the
Foundation for Education
I wanted to thank the Foundation for the
Spring 2008 Mini-Grant our school
received. I was able to order some wonderful Health materials that will enjoyed
by our students. While teaching Health
last year, I had many problems with trying to find up to date manipulatives in the
district. Now, we have a fabulous variety
of games, movies, and hands on manipulatives that will help reinforce the lessons
taught in Health. I am sending some pictures of a few of the manipulatives purchased. This is just a few of the cool
things that we now have! Thank you
again for your generosity!
Nadine Carriere
West Elementary
Alumni News, continued
sion of people with disabilities. Phyllis’ daughter with
Down’s Syndrome is still
living independently. She
also has a grandson who has
chosen to work for the FBI
and a granddaughter
who is an
RN.
Phyllis
remembers
ice skating in
her neighPhyllis
bor’s homeEBERTOWSKI made rink
Meyer, C’60
and dancing
during the
noon hour at the YMCA.
During the summer, she
used to collect pop bottles to
earn money for penny candy
at Gene’s Grocery. Later,
she worked in the cafe of
Miller’s Grocery to save
money for a trip to
Milwaukee after graduation.
Doug, R’68, and Sandy
Norby, reside in Grand
Forks where they own
Norby’s Work Perks. Doug
is juggling work with pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree at UND. Doug and
Sandy have three children
and five grandchildren.
Matt Norby, their son, has
now joined the business.
Doug
recalls
Herman
Allen tying
his skates at
Elks Park
when he
was a small
boy. He
Doug Norby, also fondly
remembers
C’68
playing golf
and the A&W’s onion rings
and mushroom and steak
sandwiches! Doug writes
that he had many great
teachers who helped him,
but Jean Hollenbeck, his
fourth grade teacher, was his
favorite.
1970s
Meridee GREEN
Danks, R’79, of Grand
West Elementary students using health
manipulatives purchased with Mini-Grant
funds.
Foundation Receives Grant for
SPA and Renaissance
The Grand Forks Foundation for
Education has received a $2000 grant
from the US Bancorp Foundation. The
Forks, has moved to a historic home on Reeves Drive.
She has two children, Kylee
(9) and Maxx (7), who
attend Century Elementary.
Meridee has worked for
twenty-five years as a physical therapist in Grand Forks,
full-time in the UND PT
Department and flex-time at
Altru Hospital.
Meridee enjoyed the
toboggan slide at Lincoln
Park and skating at Cox
Park when she was growing
up. Summers were spent
playing softball and hanging
out at Elks
Pool every
day.
Meridee
credits sports
(basketball
and track)
with helping
Meridee
her to learn
GREEN
to work as
Danks,
R’79
part of a
team. Sports
also enabled her to establish
lifelong friendships and
gave her activities to participate in she still enjoys.
Kim FETSCH-Braun,
C’73, of Hansville, WA,
writes that she and her husband, Jeff, celebrated the
birth of their first grandchild, Kimberly Anne, in
February 2008. Jeff and
Kim have been married
since 1980 and have four
children. Angela (26) is a
mom; Kristin (25) is a firefighter; Michael (23) is an
electrical engineer; Sarah
(20) is a college senior and
plays college volleyball.
Lorie works for General
Electric Healthcare as the
senior director of implementations. Her position
requires a lot of travel.
Growing up in Grand
Forks remembers she and
her friends throwing their
ice skates in the trunk of the
car to go “skating.” Instead,
they would drive around
town and around the Kegs
and A&W...of course, gas
was only thirty-five cents a
gallon!! As a kid, Lorie
would go to Maple Lake in
the summer with the Murray
family. In high school, she
went with friends to soak up
the sun and do a little partying. During her sophomore
year in high school, Lorie
visited the counselor’s office
and saw a display about
blood and how it is used to
diagnose diseases. She
made a decision then to
become a medical technologist!
Paul Whalen, C’79, of
Jupiter, FL, is still trying to
catch his breath after starting his own environmental
consulting firm after working for the state of Florida
for fifteen years. He and his
wife, Bonita, have been
married for fifteen years and
have three children, Tara
(12), Aidan (9), and Clare
(7). Paul writes that he is
“...working on retirement in
training..” by riding his
Harley in the North Carolina
mountains (www.carolinahouse.net). Paul remembers
the fun he had during the
Flood of 1979 working with
Dean Cox, R’79, Pete
Simonson, R’79, John
Koch, C’79, and Robbie
Johnson, C’79.
Odney Ellingson, R’72,
of East Grand Forks, writes
that on March 31, 2008 he
retired from the East Grand
dollars received from U.S. Bank is regranted to the Summer Performing Art
and Renaissance Programs at Red River
and Central High Schools.
The U.S. Bank seeks to build strong
partnerships and lasting value in our
communities by supporting organizations
to improve educational opportunities and
to enhance the cultural and artistic life
of our community.
As the local school foundation, the
Grand Forks Foundation for Education
supports SPA with funding from the
Foundation’s SPA Endowment.
If you are interested in a making a
contribution to the SPA or Renaissance
Programs or to any of the other
Foundation supported programs or
scholarships contact Jenny Arel,
Executive Director at 787-4867 or
[email protected]
Forks police department
after twenty-nine and a half
years.
1980s
Kelly LOVELACE
Mitchell, C’83, and her
husband Troy have moved
and now live in Jackson,
TN. Troy
retired in
2005 from
the Marine
Corps after
twenty-two
years of
service. He
Kelly
changed
LOVELACE
Mitchell, C’83 gears and
became a
locksmith
and is now the owner of
Mitchell’s Lock and Safe.
Kelly is a stay-at-home
mom. The couple has
seven sons and one granddaughter.
have two children, Matthew
(3) and Logan (8 mos).
Scott is
employed
by New
England
Financial
where he is
an
Investment
Scott Messmer,
Advisor
R’95
Representative and Principal
for the firm. Scott was
recently the winner othe
Houston National Match
Play Club Championship.
Laronda BLESSING
Brewer, C’95, of Durham,
NC, emailed that she and
her husband, Randy, welcomed their son, Galen
Thomas, last year in May.
Laronda also recently
received a Master’s of
Public Policy degree from
Duke University.
1990s
Scott Messmer, R’95,
of Houston, TX, emailed
that he and his wife, Rachel,
Childhood memories
By Guest Writer, Peggy Hanson, C’56
During the long winter
months in Grand Forks,
we were always looking
for ways to spend our
evenings. After building snow forts after
school, washing the
supper dishes, listening
to "The Shadow" on the radio, or playing
Monopoly, we often turned to reading.
Books were not as easy to obtain then,
and we had to devise ways to get our
hands on reading material. Books were
expensive to buy; I think a new Nancy
Drew book cost almost a dollar, but we
shared books with friends. The elementary schools had some classroom
libraries, but not real libraries like schools
do now. I remember fondly trips to the
downtown library across from Central
High School. Berniece Betsch was the
librarian for the downstairs children's
library. We were only able to check out
four books at a time, no exceptions. We
brought the books to her check-out desk
open to the back covers to be stamped
with the due date. I remember going
through the Walter Farley horse series
and the Albert Payson Terhune dog
books. Everyone read the Nancy Drew
and Hardy Boys mysteries, and sometimes we had to find books to get information to complete our Girl Scout or Boy
Scout badges.
Now children have television, video
games, text messaging, and all kinds of
electronic gadgets to occupy their time.
Even stuffed animals have web sites on
the computer. There are new children's
books published every day, but I worry
that children won't take the time to read
them.
I just got back from the library with six
books! No one glared at me for taking
too many books, and if I have to renew
one or two of them, I won't get in trouble.
I love libraries!
Final Farewells
Former Red Cent Guest Writer
Evelyn Hager Hill passes away
Evelyn Hager Hill, 91 of
Grand Forks, North Dakota,
passed away Saturday,
September 20, 2008 at Altru
Hospital.
Evelyn Hager Hill was
born on February 25, 1917,
in Norway, during a visit
there to see the families of
her parents. She was born in the same home in
which her mother had been born, and she was
the only one of seven children to be born in
Norway.
She attended school in Flaxton, North
Dakota, before moving to Grand Forks where
she attended Central High School and graduated in 1935. She graduated in 1939 from the
University of North Dakota with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Teaching. She taught
business education for six years in southern
Minnesota in Kerkhoven, Sleepy Eye, Morris
and Thief River Falls.
Evelyn later returned to teaching at Central
High School and at Schroeder Junior High
School. She taught for 30 years and retired at
age 71. She especially enjoyed working with
UND student teachers in addition to teaching
and was recognized by UND for her service.
Evelyn had been a member of the United
Lutheran Church since it was built in 1931.
She taught Sunday School and sang in the
choir. She especially enjoyed her ULC Circle
and the Rebekahs.
Evelyn was interested in people and
belonged to many organizations including
AAUW, DAV Auxiliary (life member), Grand
Forks Retired Teachers Association, NDEA,
Altru Alliance, was Worthy Matron of Acacia
Chapter No. 12 of the Order of the Eastern
Star in 1967 on the board of Rainbow for
Girls and received the Grand Cross of Color,
past President of Past Matrons of O.E. S,
Kiwanis Women, Grand Forks Senior Citizens
Association and the Sons of Norway.
Evelyn was a remarkable individual with
incredible energy and enthusiasm. She faithfully cared for her husband, Gene, as his
health failed in his later years. She had a great
spirit and enjoyed participating in the
community that she loved and had lived in for
so many years. She thankfully never had to
give up driving her beloved red car and
remained active until her final day.
Evelyn is survived by her daughter, Linda
(Randy) Pladson, C’ 66, Lakeville, Minnesota;
son, Clark Eugene (Celeste) Hill, C’72,
Grand Forks, North Dakota; three grandchildren, Corey J. Pladson, St. Louis Park,
Minnesota, Craig A (Kristin) Pladson, St.
Louis Park, Minnesota, and Nathan M. Hill,
Grand Forks; brother, Dr. Jerome P. Hager,
Coon Valley, Wisconsin.
Mary HAXO Mansell, C’40, passed away on
June 14, 2008. Mary graduated from UND in
1944 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She
joined the Navy upon completing UND and was
stationed in New York City and later Florida.
After the war, she moved to Pasadena, CA.
Upon completing a degree at Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music, she moved to San
Diego, CA and taught in the public schools. She
leaves two sons, a brother, and a sister.
Curtis O’Dell Shupe, C’42, passed away on
March 31, 2008 at the age of eighty-three. Curt
enlisted with the U.S. Army Air Corps and
became an officer and instructor of B-24, B-25,
and B-29 Bombers. After the war, he began
working as a pilot for Joe Foss’ Flying Service,
a business that Joe had purchased from Curt’s
father, Cecil.
Curt married Sue Adele Kessler and made their
home and raised their three children in Sioux
Falls, SD. When Curtis wasn’t serving our
Red Cent
country, he was a businessman and entrepreneur. Upon retirement, Curt and Sue became
snowbirds during the winter and spent many
summers at their cabin on Lake Campbell, SD.
Curt was an avid hunter, fisherman, and golfer.
He was a wonderful husband, father, friend, and
mentor. Curt’s wife survives along with two
daughters, a son, eleven grandchildren, and one
great-grandchild.
Lyle S. Nelson, C’36 , 91, passed away on May
13, 2008 in Bismarck, ND. Lyle worked for
Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad for forty
years from which he retired in June of 1978. He
was active with University Luthern Church and
Advisor to the Luther League. He was also a
lifetime member to both The Elk’s Lodge and
IOOF Lodge. For eighteen years, he and his
wife volunteered at United Hospital. Lyle loved
league bowling, fishing, golfing, playing cards,
and walking with his wife. One of his greatest
passions was the lake cabin he built on Big
Turtle Lake north of Bemidji,. MN. Lyle is survived by his wife, Doris; three children, eight
grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
Carol M. LARSON Amundson, C’47,
Wayzata, MN, died peacefully at home in the
company of her beloved husband of fifty-nine
years on April 22, 2008 at the age of seventyeight. She married C. Gordon Amundson on
October 3, 1948. They made their home in
Wayzata, MN. Carol is survived by her husband
and two children.
Darrell F. Adams, SJ‘56, passed away
November 16, 2007. Darrell and his wife,
Lavonne, enjoyed having the 50th class reunion
at their home and visiting with all of his school
friends. Darrell will be greatly missed.
Michael Roy "Obie" Obregon, R’79, age 47,
passed away peacefully on August 21, 2008, after
a courageous battle with cancer. Michael is survived by his loving wife, Annie; two children, his
parents, two brothers and one sister.
Todd Dietrich, R’86, age 40, of Watertown
passed away on August 19, 2008. Todd enjoyed
the outdoors sporting clays shooting and hunting.
Todd loved playing soccer with his daughter Alysa
Jo ...always being a loving Dad. Survived by his
wife Jodie and daughter Alysa Jo. Parents Donald
and Mary Dietrich of Grand Forks. Father-in-law
and mother-in-law Gary and Bonnie Daub of
Enderlin; two brothers-in-law; two sisters-in-law
and several nieces and nephews.
Red River ‘73 alum Timothy A. Wald, 53, Grand
Forks, ND passed away August 10, 2008, in
Minot, ND as a result of a car accident. He served
in the Army from August 1973 to August 1976 in
Korea. He was employed by American Crystal
Sugar, went to school to be a lineman in Mandan,
and then worked for the City of Grafton until his
electrical accident in 1985. After rehabilitating, he
worked as an electrician, then as a lineman supervisor at the GF Air Base. He retired due to an additional injury in 1994. He enjoyed his garden, canning with his mother, and coin collecting. He was
an active member of the YMCA, donating produce from his garden to them, and other local
To honor and to remember. . .
Contributions* to the Grand Forks
Foundation for Education
have been given in memory or in honor
of the following former
students or educators:
In memory of:
Douglas Wolenetz, R’76
Agnes Johnson, family member
Bruce Johnson, family member
Dr. Connie Kliengartner, family member
Richard M. Compton, family member
Derrold Turner, family member
Bill Nelson, friend of the family
*contributions received between Aug. 1, 2008 - Sept. 30, 2008
If you’d like notification of your gift sent to the
family of a memorialized individual, or to an honored
individual, include complete contact information. Send
memorials to Grand Forks Foundation for Education,
PO Box 5475, Grand Forks, ND 58206-5475
October 2008
page 14
charities. He was a lifetime member of the VFW
Post 3817, the American Legion Post 157 of East
Grand Forks, the 32° Masons, and the Kem
Shrine. Timothy is survived by his wife, Cheryl;
two sons, three daughters, four brothers and three
sisters.
Jack R. "Jack" Lynch, C’36, age 90 died very
peacefully, with dignity and grace, on August 10,
2008. Jack served in the US Army in the
European theater in WW II. He owned the Grand
Forks Floral for twenty years. and later ran the
Grand Forks Ice and Fuel Co. until he sold it and
then went on to his next career as a realtor and
broker. He retired at the age of eighty-three. He
and Annie enjoyed entertaining and being with
people. He played bridge and golf and loved
spending time at the lake. He had a passion for
Grand Forks High School and Sioux athletics. He
is fondly remembered by his daughter, Cindy, and
his other daughters, "the Painter girls", Paulette,
Christine, Jacqueline (who was also his goddaughter), and Joline. He is also survived by a sister-in-law and a niece.
Wanda BAKKEN Quesnell, C’41, beloved wife
of Gerald Quesnell for sixty-three years, passed
away July 10, 2008. Gerald writes that the couple
had many travels to Norway, all of the East Coast,
Mexico, Canada, and many visits to North
Dakota.
Floyd Orin Sand, C’38, passed away June 6,
2008 in Montrose, CA. Floyd was the eldest of
seven Sand siblings to graduate from Grand Forks
Central. He leaves behind one son and two grandsons.
Eleanor Helgaas Finlay Otte, C’34, passed away
March 16, 2008, in Bremerton, WA. Her children
Jana and Joel miss her greatly.
James Ulseth, C'53, died August 17, 2008 at the
age of 73 following a stroke. The Ulseths also
lived in Knoxville, TN, where cancer of the vocal
chords caused him to withdraw from the
Knoxville Choral Society in 1988. He continued
to enjoy music, playing piano, organ, accordion
and guitar. He also enjoyed photography and
working with home computers. He retired to
Sequim in 1993. He is survived by his wife, five
children and their spouses, a sister and eight
grandchildren. He also is survived by "adopted"
Colombian daughters, son and grandchildren who
called him "Papa Jim."
Lovina B. LARSEN Rowley, C’40, a long time
resident and librarian in El Paso, TX passed away
on January 1, 2008 at her home. After graduating
from Central, she graduated from UND and later
earned a degree in library science from the
University of Wisconsin. Lovina worked for the
Department of Defense to open and manage
libraries at military installations worldwide. After
several moves with the military, the family resettled in El Paso. Lovina is survived by a brother,
aunts, three cousins, a niece, and a nephew.
James W. (Ozzie) Osmundson, C’57, age 69,
passed away on May 3, 2008 in Georgetown, SC.
Jim was a professional painting contractor. He
painted the original smiley face with a wink on the
water tower in Grand Forks, on the orders of his
boss H. C. Osmundson. Jim and Rozean moved to
Myrtle Beach in 1992 to be close to their grandchildren and for Jim to play golf. Surviving, in
addition to his wife, Rozean, and his mother,
Viola, are: two sons, one daughter, one sister,
Jeanette Osmundson, C’59, of Grand Forks; and
six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Barbara Ann NELSON Evenson, C’53, passed
away on Sept. 4, 2008. She was employed by the
UND School of Medicine for nineteen years.
Barbara was an active member of United Lutheran
Church, singing many years in the United
Lutheran Cathedral Choir, the YMCA (water aerobics), Central High School Class of 1953
Alumni, and above all she enjoyed events with her
family. She is survived by her children, Susan
(Clayton) Johnson, C’73 Grand Forks; Charlene
Ekeland, C’75, Twin Valley, MN; Sherrie
Evenson, C’78, Portland, OR; Bradley (Pamela)
Evenson, Arvilla, ND; and Vickie Evenson
Gonzales, C’83, Grand Forks; twenty grandchilcontinued on page 15
Red Cent
October 2008
page 15
Teacher Talk
Trip of a Lifetime
(Reprinted from article written by Lisa Gibbons for the Grand Forks
Herald, May 5, 2008.)
Lois Delmore, English teacher at Red River High School, will
share her experiences from what she calls "a trip of a lifetime"
with her students for the rest of her teaching career. Delmore
spent two weeks in April on a guided trip in Germany with a
group of other educators chosen from around the state.
"It was an unbelievable hands-on learning experience,"
Delmore said excitedly.
Time spent at a Holocaust concentration camp was the most
emotional, she said, and inspired her to teach her students
about the Holocaust, drawing on her visit there. "It was the
most moving of all the days," she said somberly. "It just was
a really eerie feeling...It is something we can't afford to ever
forget."
The trip had three main goals, Delmore said, to awaken
people to the horrors of the Holocaust; to strengthen
German/American relations; and to give the American teachers
a taste of education in the foreign country.
The group met with bankers, politicians, officials, educators
and more. "Germans are very interested in our politics,"
Delmore said. "There was not one paper we saw that didn't
have something on our presidential candidates, especially
Hillary and Obama." But Delmore has found that U.S. citizens,
particularly her students, are very interested in Germany.
Delmore's students wanted to know about German schools,
students and life. "They had a lot of questios for me," she said.
Delmore returned April 18 and headed right back to teaching at Red River, where she's been for 32 years. Schools in
Germany were wonderful, she said, and most students speak
both German and English. "They're just like students here,"
Delmore said with a smile.
The tour group represented different areas in North Dakota,
as four educators came from rural districts and four from larger ones. The ninth, Jon Martinson, is with the North Dakota
School Boards Association and helped organize the trip. "We
got pretty close as a group," Delmore said. "We did everything
together." The group spent time in Amsterdam, Hanover,
Wolfenbuttel, Hildesheim, Berlin, Dresden, Freiberg and
Frankfurt with their German tour guide.
Berlin was Delmore's favorite part, she said, because the
group met with political officials there. "It scratched some of
my political itches," she said laughing.
Red River High School English teacher, Lois Delmore
(center), and her tour group stand in front of the
Reichstag, Germany’s capitol building, in Berlin.
Final Farewells
dren; eight great-grandchildren; a
brother; a sister; and sister-in-law.
Dorthea Kathryn Larson, C'45,
Leeds, ND, passed away August 11,
2008 at the age of eighty-one. She
spent her married years in the Devils
Lake area. She enjoyed her involvement in the Republican Party and
Eastern Star. Dorthea is survived by
her husband, Lee, three children,
eight grandchildren, three greatgrandchildren, a brother, two sisters,
and a sister-in-law:
Howard A. Nelson, C'63, of Grand
Forks, ND died Tuesday, September
9, 2008 in his home with his family
by his side at the age of sixty-three.
Howard is survived by: wife: Brenda,
SJ’68, Grand Forks; sons: Bryce
(Shauna) Nelson R’85; Blair
(Elizabeth) Nelson, R’90; daughter,
Brandy (Emery) Starkweather;
Stepson: Chad (Jessica) Skarperud,
R’90; Matthew (Jenn) Skarperud,
R’92; Ryan Skarperud, R’94;
Timothy (Stacey) Skarperud, R’96,
and nine grandchildren.
Mary Helen Dryden, C’41, age 85,
died Tuesday, September 2, 2008, at
Valley Eldercare. A lifelong resident
of Grand Forks, She graduated from
the UND where she was a member of
Alpha Phi Sorority, an association
she retained throughout her life.
Mary Helen worked for Lumber
Dealers' Supply for many years, retiring in 1985. An avid curler, she was
the national treasurer of the U.S.
Women's Curling Association for
several years. Mary Helen had
enjoyed spending summer weekends
at her Maple Lake cabin. Mary
Helen is survived by several cousins
and close friends.
Gerald (Jerry) Feist, C'61, of Grand
Forks, ND, died Thursday, August
28, 2008, at the age of 65. Jerry
worked as a semi driver. Survivors
include a daughter, Leah; grandson,
Justyn; brothers, William, Grand
Forks and Adam, Park River; and a
sister, Elizabeth, Grand Forks.
Jean R. PRATT Lunsford, C’40,
passed away on July 24, 2008, after
an eight year battle with Alzheimer’s
disease. Jean was widowed two
years prior to her death. She is survived by all five of her children and
their families, which include ten
grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
Leslie John Vatnsdal, age 43,
passed away on May 31, 2008 after a
courageous battle with brain cancer.
He grew up in Grand Forks and graduated from Red River High School in
1982. He was an outstanding marks-
continued
man, an avid fisherman and golfer,
and an excellent billiards and
pinochle player. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and
this included spending time at the
farm, hunting, fishing, watching the
UND Fighting Sioux Hockey Team
and the Minnesota Vikings. Les
attended UND and graduated with a
degree in Business Management and
went on to use that well. He started
his career in management, with two
years at Target before starting his
twenty year career with Menard’s.
Les was involved in the Minot
Builders Association, Edison PTA,
and several local pool leagues. He
was a member of Our Lady of Grace
Catholic Church, Ducks Unlimited,
Pheasants Forever, the National Rifle
Association, and the Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation. Les is
survived by his beloved wife, Cory,
son, Travis, daughter, Cassidy, parents Gene and Judy Vatnsdal, C’57,
Grand Forks; sister, Lori (Orman)
Anafarta, R’78, Forest Lake, MN;
sister, Linda (Mark) Keehr, R’79,
Grand Forks; brother, Jamie (Julie
Molstad) Vatnsdal, R’88, Grand
Forks; mother-in-law, and numerous
brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts,
uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Colin Dale "Mac" MacDonald,
C’53, passed away on March 31,
2008 in Carmichael, CA from complications following a five year
unsuccessful battle with prostate cancer. He was 73. He received a
Bachelor's of Science Degree from
UND and did graduate work at the
University of Michigan. He worked
with Acacia Life Insurance Co.,
CalWestern Life Insurance Co.,
American General Life Insurance
Co., and CalFarm Life Insurance Co.
His greatest joy was his involvement
with Ragtime music. Mac was a
long-time member of the Sacramento
Ragtime Society and served as their
webmaster for some years. Although
not a performer, he loved listening to
others play his beloved rags. He was
particularly interested in supporting
the Youth Program of the Sacramento
Ragtime Society. To honor him, both
the Sacramento Ragtime Society and
the Sutter Creek Festival will be dedicated to Mac this year. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Elliott
MacDonald, one daughter, one son,
two stepsons, brothers Donald Bruce
MacDonald, C’47, Grand Forks and
Richard Wallace MacDonald, C’53,
Peoria, Illinois; seven grandchildren,
and several nieces.
Send obituaries to the Alumni Network, PO Box 5475, Grand Forks,
ND 58206 or email [email protected]
Retirement In Florida
BY GUEST WRITER
Glenn Offerdahl, C’46
Here it is September and my wife, Enid, and I are really enjoying our retired life in Florida. Yesterday we attended our
grandson's wedding on St. Petersburg Beach. It was a real eye opener, believe me. The minister, bride and bridal party, groom
and groomsmen were all barefoot and dressed in khakis and white shirts. After the ceremony, we went into the hotel for the
reception and a very enjoyable afternoon and dinner. The bride was from England and her mother, sister and their mates came
for the ceremony. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
We have been very blessed this fall with the weather. We ducked Fay, Gustaf, and Ike. We are praying we will keep on
avoiding them. We've been here thirty-two years and haven't had to evacuate yet.
We don't hear from many people in Grand Forks. We get most of our information from the Red Cent. We wonder how the
Class of 1946 is doing and how many are still in town?
Well, this is short I know, but what has an eighty year old man got to write about?
Glenn Offerdahl
Red Cent
October 2008
page 16
‘ Til We Meet Again. . . reunions and gatherings
45th Reunion- CHS Class of 1964
July 17, 18, 19, 2009, Holiday Inn, Grand
Forks. Contact: Carolyn King Email:
[email protected] or
Phone: 218-327-3333
For more information go to:
http://chs64.weebly.com/
50th Reunion- CHS Class of 1959
June 12-14, 2009 at the Hilton Garden Inn
in Grand Forks.
Check out our new web site at
http://www.gfclassof59.com
Don't forget to complete the survey so we
can include your information in our souvenir
reunion booklet. If you would like to
receive information about the reunion and
the survey by mail, please drop me a line:
Susan INDRIDSON Yost, 235 Dove CT,
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 or email:
[email protected] See you in '09!
30th Reunion- RRHS Class of 1979
July 24-25, 2009
Details pending
Website: www.redriver79.com
20th Reunion- RRHS Class of 1989
July 17 and 18, 2009. Location and details
to be determined.
Contact: Julie Rygg
Phone: 701-740-1742
Website:www.visitgrandforks.com/main.php/
eventplannerform_login. Password and user
name are both RRHS89
55th Reunion-CHS Class of 1954
September 11-12, 2009 at the Hilton
Garden Inn in Grand Forks.
Contact: Ken Dawes
Phone: 701-775-0106
Email: [email protected] or
Contact: Darlene Monson-Holien
Phone: 701-746-7673
Email: [email protected]
All other classes not listed here are
looking for reunion coordinators.
Please contact the Alumni Network if
you are interested in coordinating your
class reunion.
Send your reunion info, news and photos to:
The Alumni Network, PO Box 5475, Grand Forks,
ND 58206-5475. Emailed photos are preferred in
jpg format to: [email protected]
St. James Class
of 1958
High school memories
include sporting events
and graduation day for
the class of 1958.
St. James Class of 1958 Reunion
September 19-21, 2008
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
GRAND FORKS, ND
PERMIT NO. 481
PO Box 5475
Grand Forks, North Dakota 58206-5475
Grand Forks Public Schools Alumni Network
Bryant Hansen traveled all the
way from Zurich, Switzerland
for the C’ 88 reunion. He
reported that it was well
worth the trip!
Pictured L to R: Bryant Hansen,
Jeff Ihlan, Don Hegge, Shawn
Riske, Dave Grubb.
Samuel Meblin, C’46 and Philip Hicks,
C’46 celebrated their 80th birthdays in
June. More than 100 guests joined in the
celebration with entertainment provided
by Sam’s jazz musician friends and sonin-law, Jay Alexander, a renowned professional musician.
On the Right:
C’88 Classmates pictured starting from the
back, L to R: Michele
BYRNE Lange, Deb
NISEBET Sclair,
Jennifer WILHELMI
Dorsey, Kathy GILLIES
Barker, and Angie
GROUNDS McLean.
Central Class of 1988 Reunion
Correction
On page 12 of the August 2008 issue of the
“Red Cent,” we misspelled George Bohnen’s
and David Kestler’s name in a caption of a
photo of a 1955 Central High School general
science class. We apologize for the error.
Cleaning out your closets?
WANTED: A Forx yearbook from
1952. Please contact the Alumni
Network office at 701-787-4866.
Pictured Back Row, L to R: Jason Ingersoll, Tod Sellheim, Jennifer BURES Hodny,
Chris Morque, Travis Herbeck. Pictured Front Row, L to R: Vic Ames, Eric Odegard,
Stacie GUSTAFSON Petterson, Kathy GILLIES Barker, Jeff Ihlan, Gene Freeman, Jim
Johnson