WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU???
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
Volume 12, December 2001
This month our newsletter brings holiday wishes, lots of life happenings, baby news and
some sad news.
Recently I posted a request concerning any information on some of our classmates. Julie
(Mjolsness) Lindstrom sent me some information she had heard about Mike Novacek, but she
hadn’t been able to verify it. She wanted me to know about it in case I could follow
up on it. I took what she knew, did a little research on the internet, had Tammy
(Schlinger) Siems do some work in Bismarck and I made about 10 phone calls. I eventually
was able to confirm the story Julie had heard about Mike with his aunt and his father. So,
it is with great sadness that we have found that another one of our classmates is
deceased. Mike passed away on 11/20/89 in Los Angeles, just six days short of his 27th
birthday.
Some of you may wonder why he has info. in the reunion book. We were not able to verify every single classmate. Dan used a driver license data base to make an educated guess on a couple of people. He used height, eye color, hair color, estimated birth dates, etc. to hopefully make a match. Mike’s information was one of these. Obviously we know now that it was completely wrong, but it was all we had to go on. I will let you know that there are not many of these in the book, only a small handful, if we could, we called you and verified the information, unfortunately not everyone has a published phone number, answers their phone, responds or returns mail that does not belong to them.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone or for any wrong information that is in the book. But, we made every attempt to verify what information we had; it is all we could do. If we had any reason to believe the information we found was correct we posted what we found in the reunion book, mail that did not come back to us was assumed to be correct information. This was the case in Mike’s situation; thus that is why he has an address in the 2001-reunion book.
On a more positive note, our interview this month is with Lisa (Moser) Kienzle, still in Bismarck, married and loving life!
Thank you to Deanna (Giesinger) Dailey for her interview last month. It was great to see Deanna at the WJH reunion this summer, she looks great! It also was fun to read every thing she has been up to since high school, still the same Deanna!
Next month watch for Kyle Frieze and in Feb, watch for Chuck Glaser. Kyle and Chuck are still great friends though they live hundreds of miles apart. In the months to come we have interviews with Mike Ehrmantraut, Scott Brandt, Jay Yeager, Sheri Halbakken and a host of others, all people who graciously volunteered for the interview, how nice, I love those kind of people! You all know who you are, a big thank you everyone who keeps stepping up to the plate!
Have a great month everyone! I hope each and every one of you has a very wonderful holiday season with your family and friends! Safe travels to those of you who are traveling! See ya in the New Year! Lauri
this newsletter is dedicated to the memory of
NEW THINGS FOR 2002
There are new things to watch for in 2002, our SECOND year! We are going
to begin posting congratulations for birthday and anniversaries, actually I started this
month. If you haven’t already, please remember to send me the month and year of your
anniversary and birthday. My philosophy is that we are all creeping up on 40 so I figured
we might as well celebrate together!
Maybe it will ease the pain! MAYBE!
We are also looking for graduation information. If you have a child you will be grad. from high school or college this spring, please let us know. We would like to have the date, from where, and any future plans, if they know them. I will see to it that it is posted in the appropriate month.
Also, we will continue with the one interview per month format, this will help us get well into 2002 before I have to begin begging for those interviews. Please feel free to send in those interviews if you have been working on them though, I love receiving those, they are such a wonderful e-mail surprise!
"In-depth and Personal with…Lisa (Moser) Kienzle"
Name: Lisa Moser Kienzle
Career/occupation: Sr. Claims Analyst, ND Workers Comp
Home: Bismarck, ND
Family: Carey (husband), Savanna (daughter), Logan (son), Chester (dog)
Spouses occupation: Truck Driver
Greatest accomplishments: Have yet to achieve!
People whom you admire and why: My mom – her compassion, morals, and wisdom
What do you have in your pockets: loose change
Fantasy (or reality) job: any type of work with dogs
Latest book you've read: Almost Heaven (kind of sappy)
Favorite music/musicians: old rock ‘n roll, of course! Bob Seger, Aerosmith
Recommended movies: "The Other Sister"
Favorite cities and why? Bismarck – peaceful
Where have you traveled? Fargo! MN, SD, MT, AK
Favorite foods: Chicken Alfredo
Pet peeves: late people, people who don’t use signal lights, and people
driving while on their cells!!
Memories of Bismarck (good ones): Still makin’ memories; drives down river
road, playing" in the park with good friends.
Memories of BHS (good ones): None
I can be contacted at: lkienzle@wcb.state.nd.us
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU!
We would like to wish all of you a safe and blessed holiday season!
Remember to take the time to celebrate the small joys in your life and to reflect on what
this season is truly all about! God Bless!
See you in the New Year!
Lauri, Kevin and Rachel Eckmann
May all of your hopes, dreams and wishes this holiday season come true.
Have a blessed holiday!
Dan Raszler & BHSClassof81.com
To: Steve & Heidi Pflipsen and family and also Brad & Renee
Wolfer and family; as friends we were more like brothers and at holiday times more than
any other I wish our families were close enough for get-togethers. For this Christmas more
than any other I can remember, I'm thankful you're both doing well and that you and your
families are healthy. A Very Merry Christmas to you and to the Class of '81.
Ray Horner and family
God Bless and keep everyone today and always! Happy Holidays
everyone!!!!!!!!!!
Aaron & Nadine (Schaffer) Morelli
THE REUNION VIDEO IS
NOW AVAILABLE
Please remember if you want a reunion video you need to contact Dan
immediately. He is taking orders and would like to know approximately how many he will
need!
??PARTY TIME IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA??
K. Ray Horner(BHS/CHS) and Sandy Gross(BHS) both live in Southern
California and were talking about putting together a social opportunity for all of those
living in the area. They would like to know if anyone else from the three schools is
interested in getting together. Ray can be contacted at rhorner@dixiecrating.com
for more information!
CLASS AAA STATE
CHAMPIONS
The Bismarck Demons won the State AAA Football Championship in early
November, beating top-ranked Fargo South 21-9. This was the school’s eighth state
football title; the last time they had won a state championship was in 1985! GO DEMONS GO!
(submitted by Robin (Middaugh) Jossert, for more on this story go to
www.bismarcktribune.com)
CONGRATULATIONS…
Sheri (Nordstrom) Driscoll and Brian celebrated their 15th anniversary on
November 13. They spent it at the Shangra La Suite at the Radisson in Fargo, do we need to
say any more?
Barb (Matejcek) Schmitcke has let us know that her daughter, Melissa, has
made the Wachter Wildcats dance team! Who knows we might have a future Demonette in our
midst!
Kevin and Mary Nelson will be celebrating their 10th anniversary on Dec. 27th.
Scott and Penny Carlson will be celebrating their 16th anniversary on Dec. 28th.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU!
BIRTHDAYS!
This person was so prompt at getting his information in that I decided
to
highlight his birthday this month!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Tim Williams
he will be turning 39 on Dec. 24!
LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Nadine (Schaffer) Morelli and her husband, Aaron, have moved into
their new home in Cape Coral, Florida. They were looking very forward to their first
Thanksgiving in their new home!
Monte Olmstead has a bit part in a 1963 musical called "She Loves Me",
which is being performed in Minneapolis. The Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movie "You've Got
Mail" is loosely based on this theater production. He said it is a pretty young cast
of energetic people and egotists, and he tends to limit his contact with the egotists.
Don Nelson e-mailed me recently to let us know that he is well, and is still in a
"desert" somewhere having fun. He is working hard and getting the camp set up.
He still has had no word on when they will be coming home but they are hoping for a date
to shoot for. They have set up over 260 tents, 20 different type of shelters for offices
and work centers and improved a lot of permanent buildings for recreation centers and
workspaces! There are still a lot of improvements to do but he said it sure looks
different here in just 7 seven weeks.
He did have other news, he has made a big decision in his life! He has decided to retire
and it will happen sometime after the lift stop/loss program ends that is holding all
military in during Operation Enduring Freedom. He included some pictures from his current
deployment, wherever he is, they are below. Maybe we should hold a contest called
"Where in the World is Don Nelson???
The first photo shows Don on the far left with some of his crew, the "dirt
boyz", as he calls them. The second picture is a beautiful sunset, wherever it may
be! ;)
Kevin Nelson let us know that he has a couple of trips planned for the New
Year! In January he and his wife Mary will be attending the annual winter meeting for the
National Society of Professional Engineers in Washington D.C. They will be attending on
behalf of the North Dakota Society of Professional Engineers, of which she is the
Executive Secretary and Kevin is the Secretary-Treasurer. Kevin is also the web designer
for NDSPE, www.NDSPE.org.
In February, he will be going on a 17 day trip to Africa on a church
mission for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The mission is to consult
with various people in the Central African Republic to set up schools and educational
facilities.
Sheri (Nordstrom) Driscoll also mentioned that they would be celebrating
Christmas on the South Shore Drive in Detroit Lakes. All visitors are welcome! Contact me
for a phone number if you want to get together with Sheri and her family.
Welcome to the world
little one…
Megan (Gerboth) Affa and her husband Dean welcomed their daughter
Madison Anne, into the world on Tuesday, November 27.
Madison was 9 lbs. 14 ounces and 21",
Megan has let us know that they are all are doing very well!
Lori (Schneider) and Scott Westbrook welcomed their son,
Bryan Hunter, into the world on Saturday, November 26. .
Bryan was 4 lbs. 3 oz and 16¾".
Mom, dad and baby are all doing great!
Our sincerest congratulations to all of them!!
Condolences
Our sincerest condolences to Char (Beck) Garrett and her family.
Her father, Emil Beck, passed away on November 11th in Bismarck
Please remember them in your thoughts and prayers.
SAM BAKKEN
Recently Sam Bakken's parents were in touch with Dan via the website. The
very much appreciated what we have done in memory of their son and wanted to
thank his classmates for remembering him.
They shared with us that Sam passed away during a dry land training session
for hockey. At the time he was a senior in college, one of the hockey
captains and was pursuing his dream of becoming an ophthalmologist. After
Sam passed away his hockey jersey and his number, 18, were permanently retired and
now hang in the Concordia Field House. A scholarship was also established at
Concordia. It is called the "Sam Bakken Student Athlete Scholarship Fund".
It is given to male or female hockey players who are upperclassmen with a
GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible.
The following letters were written in memory of Sam. They were featured in
the Concordian (the Concordia College newspaper) on September 21, 1984.
Remembering Sam
Sam Bakken, a senior from Rochester, Minn., died Monday. Bakken was majoring in
pre-medicine and was co-captain of Concordia's varsity hockey team.
We Mourn his loss.
In Sam's memory, the Concordian dedicates Kahill Gibran's The Prophet collection.
A
ND AN ASTRONOMER SAID, MASTER, WHAT OF TIME? AND HE ANSWERED:YOU WOULD MEASURE TIME THE MEASURELESS AND IMMEASURABLE. YOU WOULD ADJUST YOUR CONDUCT
AND EVEN DIRECT THE COURSE OF YOUR SPIRIT ACCORDING TO HOURS AND SEASONS.
OF TIME, YOU WOULD MAKE A STREAM UPON WHOSE BANK YOU WOULD SIT AND WATCH ITS FLOWING.
YET THE TIMELESS IN YOU IS AWARE OF LIFE'S TIMELESSNESS, AND KNOWS THAT YESTERDAY IS BUT
TODAY'S MEMORY AND TOMORROW IS TODAY'S DREAM.
AND THAT THAT WHICH SINGS AND CONTEMPLATES IN YOU IS STILL DWELLING WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF
THAT FIRST MOMENT WHICH SCATTERED THE STARS INTO SPACE.
WHO AMONG YOU DOES NOT FEEL THAT HIS POWER TO LOVE IS BOUNDLESS?
AND YET WHO DOES NOT FEEL THAT VERY LOVE, THOUGH BOUNDLESS, ENCOMPASSED WITH THE CENTRE OF
HIS BEING, AND MOVING NOT FROM LOVE THOUGHT TO LOVE THOUGHT, NOR FROM LOVE DEEDS TO OTHER
LOVE DEEDS?
AND IS NOT TIME EVEN AS LOVE IS, UNDIVIDED AND SPACELESS?
BUT IF IN YOUR THOUGHT YOU MUST MEASURE TIME INTO SEASONS, LET EACH SEASON ENCIRCLE ALL
THE OTHER SEASONS.
AND LET TODAY EMBRACE THE PAST WITH REMEMBRANCE AND THE FUTURE WITH LONGING.
Viewpoint
We as students, hear them all the time --what we might call "buzz words" at Concordia; but until a situation develops where we realize that such "buzz words" actually describe the college, we down play them as merely cobber recruitment jargon.
A death of a Concordia student is like a death in one's own family -- a tragic situation -- as was proved this week. When Sam Bakken died, descriptions of the college as having "a friendly atmosphere," as being "a concerned, caring community," as being "people focused" and thoughtful" came to - clearly - be true.
Sam has many friends at Concordia, and as word spread of his death, students rallied together to comfort one another. Even acquaintances and people he had not met yet grieved. The situation was simple; Sam was running around the Concordia track, collapsed and died.
His untimely and unexpected death haunts us all. We wonder why it wasn't us, as it could have been, gauging by the suddenness in which one - who seemed to be in control of both his physical and emotional well being - was taken from us.
We remember Sam in a joyful light, however, and rejoice in the ways he enriched and continues to enrich our own lives.
And so we will go on caring at Concordia; we will continue to be thoughtful and
people-focused; we will be friendly to and show concern for others...holding true to these
traits used to describe this college - traits which we often take for granted.
Dirk Meuleners
Please note, Dan also received Sam’s obituary and his senior
picture from his Sam’s parents,
he has posted them both to the Memorial link of our web page.
DO YOU KNOW WHO
THIS?????
A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE FOR SOMEONE IN OUR CLASS…
This photo was also found in the Concordian on September 21, 1984. It appears as if someone else from BHS was in the news that month. The article states that this person was a candidate for Homecoming King. Third guy from the right, is that a familiar face???
Now, tell us Phil, did you win???
New Phone, New E-Mail Addresses, and
New Postal Addresses
We have received new e-mail addresses for the following people: Tari (Andrusak) Fettig, Jody (Ismir) Lockwood, Barb (Morlock) Steinke, Keith Remmick, Mary (Schmidt) Ohlhauser, Scott Brandt, Dawn (Allmendinger) Nelson, Lori (Pettis) Grishkowsky, Elizabeth Miller, Beth (Wheeler) Greff, Duane Gross, Shane Winistorfer, Karla (Bernhardt) Larson, Tammy (Lund) Reis, Randy Cleveland, Dennis Hopfauf, Kelly (Malard) Anderson, William Lucas, Perry Jahraus, Eric Fernandez and Terri (Wilson) Hodgins
We also have new postal addresses on Nadine (Schaffer) Morelli, Kyle
Frieze
and Tammy (Lund) Reis.
If you would like any of the new info., contact me!
(For privacy reasons, I will not post that type of info. on this web page.)
We now have e-mail addresses for over 200 classmates,
if you would like to find someone let me know!
!SPEAKING OF E-MAIL ADDRESSES!
DO WE HAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS????
Periodically I send out info. which is not included in this newsletter, like e-mail
changes, address changes, etc. For privacy reasons we do not post that type of info. on
the web page, unless someone includes it in their personal interview. We will try to
update all of that info. via e-mail only. I would love to keep you informed also, but I
need to know how to contact you!
PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME!!!
Personal notes:
Does anyone know how to reach these people?
Remember when
……
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE US
GO?
I am having great fun doing this for all of you every month! I am more than welcome to
your ideas! Feel free to let me know your thoughts and impressions on where you would like
this newsletter to go or what you would like to know more about! Also, if you are willing
to be interviewed, contact me, I would love to hear from you! See you next month! Lauri keckmann@packersrock.com