David Stein (May 28, 2003) - I also have retired. First from John Deere
in 1985,
Second from
Pre-Mark International in 1995 and finally from Brunswick
in 2000. I have three children, two grandchildren and two
great grandchildren as well as one stepdaughter.
Last winter Joan and I
spent
several weeks in McAllen Texas and a couple weeks in Arizona.
I wish I had known that there were so many classmates spending the
winter in Arizona. Maybe next year we can get
together out there.
We
are busy with our RV club and touring the country but need to
get some fishing in between trips. Looking forward to the reunion in
August. If any of you ever get close to Tulsa,
OK we sure would like
for
you to stop in. We are actually seven miles north of Tulsa on hwy 169.
____________________________________________________________
News from John and Barb Kirk (May 22, 2003)
(For
some reason, this program seems to like the Kirk's apostrophes.)Dear members of the class of '53. It sure is great to read all the
information and accounts of our classmates. In this day of
computers,etc.,we sure have come a long way since Anna Kramers typing
class. We can still remember how the room shook when she said "GO" in
her speed typing drills and we all hit the capital key at the same time
We live in Barrron WI and we have been here since 1960. John quit
teaching in 1981 and repaired antique clocks and is still buying and
selling antiques and collectibles. He still plays the trumpet and goes
to various nursing homes throughout the area furnishing music for all
the patients. He plays in a seven piece band of all retired musicians.
Four of them are retired band directors.
Barb retired from the lab at Jerome Foods in l997.She remains very busy
with church work and taking care of her mother who now lives in Barron.
We both enjoy gardening and our back yard which is in the center of
Barron but has a creek running through it. We have so many wild
creatures and birds frequenting our feeders and property.
We are looking forward to seeing you all again to renew and share our
experiences both past and present.
____________________________________________________
News from Minnard and Edith Hojem (May 22, 2003)
My wife, Edith, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary
last fall with our 6 children, most of their spouses, most of our 22 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren home to
celebrate with us! (I started earlier than the rest of you!) Edith retired from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in
1991 to help our youngest daughter with her new-born twin girls, who are now two beautiful young ladies. I retired in
January of 1996 after 31 years as an Operating Engineer for the Transit Division of the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities;
in short, a "transit bus driver!" I am writing a book about the experiences of those 31 years!!
After retirement, Edith and I delivered new motorhomes for
Winnabago out of Forest City, Iowa for two summers, just to see the country! When we had a few days free we would drive down
and pick up a motorhome and deliver it. We always had a choice of which way we wanted to go, so we would pick a different
direction each time just to see different country. Two years ago we delivered a new motorhome to Anchorage, AK for Great Alaskan
Holidays, a rental company in Anchorage. We had rented from them a few years earlier for 18 days as we traveled
around southern Alaska with our son and family. Then we flew to Wrangell, AK where our son and his family live and spent a
week with them before flying back to Wisconsin. We fished for salmon and halibut while there and I caught a 75lb halibut,
very good eating! They have their own boat, so it is always fun to go visit with them and fish.
Edith and I spend a few days each week at our church office
in Ellsworth doing volunteer work. We do marriage counseling, the news letter and calendar, library tending and I do the men's
ministry work. I had a three way bypass in April of 2002 and am feeling great. We moved to Baldwin after my surgery and this
April bought a beautiful twin home here and we are so happy with it. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.
Minnard & Edith Hojem
___________________________________________
A NOTE FROM JIM PRICE MAY 20, 2003:
(Sorry, Jim. The automatic mechanism in this website removes apostrophes.)
Hello, classmates. Im really looking forward to seeing many of you in
August. Looks as if well (we will) finally have more than just an evening
to spend with each other. Maybe we can catch up on fifty years of life.
Ive been rereading other mail on the website and have discovered
Ill
have to take a crash refresher course in Mrs. Nestingens class.
Ive
forgotten what Uff-da means.
How many memories I have
of our days in the Spring Valley School
System. Some of you have written about high school days, but I think
Ill confess to something that happened on my first day in school. I got
lost in Spring Valley.
We moved to Spring Valley
from Menomonie. We first lived in the
Ofstie house on the south end of town. Ofstie family on the East side
and the Anderson family on the West side. Anyone remember Harold
and Robert Anderson? Anyway, Mom took me to school that first day
and after a visit to the office, I was taken to Mrs. Holts classroom
where I met many of you. I recognized Joe Fujko (remember him?)
(Kathy, his parents operated the telephone office before you moved to
S.V.), but the rest of you were strangers but not for long. The morning
went fast and finally it was time to go home for lunch. I went outside
the
school via the south door and had no idea which way to turn to go home.
Surely not East or West, but was it North or South? After a little
wandering, I saw Harold Anderson and walked home with him. On the
way back to school, I made sure I surveyed the land to make sure Id
never get lost in Spring Valley again. I still have our class picture
from
that year, and a note from Mrs. Holt advising me I had forgotten to
turn in my tonnette (sp?). Screech.
Later, Mom and Dad bought
the Lewiston home and we moved to the
north end. During those years in school, I made some terrific friends
and had some great times with you. Ive had the good fortune to keep in
touch with Jim and Diane Duberke and with Tom and Marlene Forthun
(ask Tom about becoming engaged to Marlene), and I wish I had kept
in closer touch with many of the rest of you. As I page through our
yearbook, or magazine, I remember many good times, and as I just
look back on my life, I remember many other good things about life in
Spring Valley. It was different then. I liked it better.
Biography? Retired from the
Air Force in 1974 and from Civil Service
in 1997. Ive lived at many addresses, been in many places, but settled
in Dayton, Ohio in 1968. Marjie and I have five children. Marjie
brought two daughters into our marriage and I two daughters and a son.
Those children have blessed us with eleven grandchildren, and we have
been fortunate to have them all live within easy traveling distance.
That will change in June when Marjies youngest daughter and family
will move to Owatonna, MN. More reason for us to travel north. By
the way, Marjie is a retired math teacher. She taught at the middle
school level.
Im looking forward to the
reunion and an updated address list. We like
to travel and perhaps can stop in your town for a chat. Likewise, our
home is open to any of you who happen to be in the area.
See you in August.
Jim
