Newsletter for SHS, Class of 1963
Volume 3 - Feb. 20, 2003
(02/09/03)
I thank you for all the updates. How exciting! It is amazing what this technology lets us do.
I have not heard about a reunion. Is there one planned?
This August 31 Wade and I will be married for 35 years. We have now been in Kansas City for 7 years.
Our oldest child, Michelle Marie is now 30 years old. She was married Sept 9, 2001. They had been at their honeymoon location for 6 hours when they heard of 9/11. She is now Mrs. W. S. Steele III. She is the Area Commercial Sales person for the Chicago Loop area for Enterprise Rent A Car.
Our other child, Bryan, turned 24. He graduated from Baker University 2 years ago this coming May. He is living here in Kansas City. He is interviewing right now hoping for a job change.
Wade is still working in the Insurance business. He retired from St. Paul Insurance Company and is now a branch manager for General Casualty Insurance Company. His passion is golf.
I am a homemaker involved in many volunteer organizations. My main focus is as Coordinator of a National Nondenominational Bible study involving approx. 100 women and 100 children. I am working on a golf game.
Wade and Ellen (Backstrom) Johnson
Bouska, Allen (Snooks)
(01/22/03 )
It is always a shock to find one of "ours" gone. A roll call mailed to me several years ago listed
several gone then. It seems in the near past when we were all together.
I often wonder what happened to MISS COYNE the english teacher. She was the one that got me through freshman english in college w/o having
to enroll in bonehead.
Well, an update on me. Just completed the last payment on one Dairy Queen, put it in hock to buy the strip mall the other one is in. The Bi-plane should be
complete this summer, pictures of it will follow then.
Best Wishes, Snooks
Brant, Marilyn (Spatz) - (DeWayne)
(12/15/02)
Happy Holidays!
Bells are ringing, carols fill the air and we're counting our blessings.
DeWayne and I are thinking about each of you: loved ones, friends, colleagues and neighbors who have shared life's experiences with us throughout the years. Since we wrote last, we've been blessed with healthy grandchildren, active adult children and successful medical procedures and a new granddaughter.
Bionic DeWayne is feeling great - the best he has in years with a right hip replacement, left knee replacement and his pacemaker. He works out three days a week and volunteers at least twice each week for a community or church organization. At home, you'll find him in "the study" working at the desk, reading in his favorite chair or enthusiastically watching football or (KU) basketball games.
I continue to keep an active schedule - balancing performance improvement consulting with family and community groups. I have tried to walk more frequently and enjoy singing in the Praise Choir. As funds allow, we've enjoyed hosting family vacations. Nov. 2001 was the last big trip with seven grandkids and their parents. This fall, DeWayne and I relaxed on Sanibel Island in Florida.
Cora Elizabeth Spatz was born Sept. 5, 2002 to Jeff & Ricinda Spatz. This Tulsa family now has three girls with Claire, 3 years and Emma, 5 ½ years helping care for Cora.
Malinda & Mark Choitz have been in Corvallis, OR for five years. Garrison is a 6th grader with Grant in 3rd and Galen in 1st grade. They are an outdoors family and enjoy camping in their tent trailer.
Michele Webb, Sam and Sarah leave near us. Sam is a 1st grader who loves to read and Sarah is a 4th grader who aspires to be a vocal soloist. She has the lead in The Nutcracker play next week. Eric & Michelle Ann Thompson are busy professionals and outdoor sports enthusiasts who spent several cold mornings in the deer stand.
That makes the total of seven adults and eight grandchildren. We spent Thanksgiving in Oregon and will see our other three families in the next couple of weeks.
We'd be delighted to see any of you when you are in the Kansas City area. Reunions are wonderful. DeWayne reconnected with two cousins this fall that he hadn't seen in years.
Hugs, smiles, stories and bonds of love are God's gift to us each day of the year.
Thank you for sending your email greetings, newsletters and cards. We enjoy them in January, for a second or third reading, as well as the day they arrive.
Holiday greetings to each of you. Happy New Year!
Marilyn & DeWayne Spatz
10516 Reeder
Overland Park, KS 66214
Coltrain, Marva Jo (Jody) (Kruft) - (Ray)
(05/14/02)
Dear Stephanie:
We have been so busy since 9-1-1 as Jim is in the Air National Guard and got activated. He was due to retire last October but then our nation disaster occured and so he is still awaiting his retirement. He came home the other day and said they told him it may not be till December 31,2003 before they can release him.
During this time, his mother passed away (she was almost 88 years old) and that his us hard. She was a wonderful woman.
Well must go for now but will keep you in touch real soon. Take care and thanks for your help.
Sincerely
Jody (Marva) Coltrain Kruft
(8/26/02)
All is well with us. We are having a stretch of HOT weather lately. Not quite like Kansas but for here it is warm. It has been in the high 80's and even low 90's and us northerners are not use to it.
We are planning a Surprise birthday party for my brother who turns 50 this year. Just a youngster, right? He has had some bad health problems lately so we thought we would have a party for him as we felt he needed it.
Well must close for now. Hope all is well with you and your family. I will write more later. Have a safe Labor Day weekend.
Love
Jody Coltrain Kruft
Cross, Kenton (Kelly)
(Emailed 02/06/02)
Hi Stephanie,
49 years is a long time, I was just wondering if I should tell you my life history after our graduation date?? I must admit that the first 9 years was quite an experience. Like the old saying "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT"! Not to say that the last 40 were dull!
I am Kenton Cross, but I now go by my middle name which is Kelly.
The only classmate I have met since I returned to Kansas is Alan
Grigsby.
Thanks again,
Kelly Cross
NOTE: I sure hope Kelly shows up to fill us in!
Dawdy, Bill (Nordstrom, Diana)
(02/09/03)
We have 3 now, 2 grandsons, & the newest was a beautiful granddaughter.
Take care,
Dianna
Downs, Janet (Fezette)
(02/21/03)
Hi Steff,
I am enjoying reading up on all of the classmates. I will call you or e mail you when I am in the KC area. To update you further on the pst 4o plus years here goes.
I am married 37 years to a wonderful man from Michigan. He (Richard) retired from the Dow Chemical Company 2 years ago. We decided to stay in Zionsville where we had raised our boys. We have a wonderful life here with many great friends. Our boys, Bob and Mike are both graduates of Ball State University. Bob majored in Chemistry (like his father) and Mike majored in History. Mike was the one with the fine arts aptitude(like me) and was a singer in high school and at Ball State. Both are now married. Bob & Heidi have a wonderful 2 year old Renee; and, another little girl coming in May. Bob works for the Waters Corporation as a sales rep. He sells sophisticated lab equipment to Universities, Pharmecutical Companies and Corporations. Mike and Shelley were married last August. He was laid off right after their honeymoon and is job hunting.
I am active in Realestate and still do some interior design on the side. I sing in our church choir and in past years have performed in little theater and Oratorios.
Thanks Stef for keeping all of us informed. I would love to hear from anyone. My e mail address is JFezatte@aol.com If you are in the Indianapolis Area( or if anyone needs a place to stay for the 500) let me know. We live in the colonial village of Zionsville, which is 20 minutes from downtown Indianapolis. We have plenty of room. We would love to see old friends. Our telephone number is: 317-733-9252.
Janet Downs Fezatte
Dyer, Ralph
(3/02/2001)
Biography: Graduated from Drake University 1967. Retired from the US Air Force Reserves in 1990 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Served 11 years active duty and 11 years in the reserves. Hired by United Airlines in 1979. My current position is Captain flying B-757 and B-767 flying out of Denver, CO.
I have contacted the Salina High School Web site and they said all they need is your web sites address to be included. If you will send me that address, I will be glad to forward that to the www.usd305.com web site.
You should
receive another Email from me and it will contain the email I sent to
usd305.com. If your no familiar with that web site, type in
www.usd305.com--click on Schools--then select Salina High Central—select
alumni. There you see a listing of other class web sites. 1963 is not
there. Again I will sent the address to that web site if you want me to!!!
Thanks,
Ralph
Federspiel, Sharon (Anderson)
(02/10/03 )
Hi! Many will not remember me as I was only there 5 months. Sharon Federspiel. I now live in St. Louis. Work for a printing company 26+ years. I have a son that lives in WA (not married) and a daugher that lives in Louisville has 3 girls and a boy; 18 to 13. I go by the name of Anderson now.
Take care all.
Sharon Anderson
Garrison, Linda (Wyatt)
(02/01/03)
To update you, we now have two grandchildren. Jon has Sydney, who is 2 years old (probably already had that information). Jennifer had a little boy in November. His name is Ethan Spencer Webb. Jon and Pamela are expecting another child in August. I knew once that the kids decided to have children that we would most likely have them all at once. My kids had to get with it. Jon will be 35 in April and Jennifer was 32 in December. Just don’t know where the time has gone. In my mind, I am still only about 30 something.
Well, best close and get busy.
Linda Wyatt
Gruber, Mike (Garey)
(01/23/03)
To bring you up to date with us. We are still in Houston running
a Property and Casualty Insurance Agency.
Our two daughters are both
grown and single. Angie is an unemployed geologist at the moment but
she does work for us some in the agency. Alisa is now a Civil Engineer
and doing well. Our family is healthy and we are grateful.
I'd love to
hear from any of you.
Garey Gruber (known as Mike Gruber in Salina Class of 1963)
Guge, Sherry (Workman)
(02/13/02)
Just letting all my friends know that after a lot of thought and prayer I will be staying in South Carolina. I will not open Shear Reflections. I will come to Michigan for a couple of weeks in May to clean out and close and then will come back here. I will not sell this year as I don't know what the future holds. Hope I can see all of my friends and family while I am there. More on when I will be there later. Sher
*NOTE: Sadly, Sherry lost a son last year to a traffic accident.
(01/24/03)
We have had snow and miserable weather here and no one knows how to drive in it. I just go my merry way. Everything has been shut down. I go back to work tomorrow.
I cut my nails and have started playing my guitar again. I have to build up my callouses. I'm going to buy myself a "Baby Taylor". It fits my little frame so much better than my Yamaha. I have promised myself a new guitar for years and this is it.
Sher
Johnson, Wade (Backstrom, Ellen)
(Emailed 02/09/03)
I thank you for all the updates. How exciting! It is amazing what this technology lets us do.
This August 31 Wade and I will be married for 35 years. We have now been in Kansas City for 7 years.
Our oldest child, Michelle Marie is now 30 years old. She was married Sept 9, 2001. They had been at their honeymoon location for 6 hours when they heard of 9/11. She is now Mrs. W. S. Steele III. She is the Area Commercial Sales person for the Chicago Loop area for Enterprise Rent A Car.
Our other child, Bryan, turned 24. He graduated from Baker University 2 years ago this coming May. He is living here in Kansas City. He is interviewing right now hoping for a job change.
Wade is still working in the Insurance business. He retired from St. Paul Insurance Company and is now a branch manager for General Casualty Insurance Company. His passion is golf.
I am a homemaker involved in many volunteer organizations. My main focus is as Coordinator of a National Nondenominational Bible study involving approx. 100 women and 100 children. I am working on a golf game.
Wade and Ellen (Backstrom) Johnson
Lobdell, Richard
(06/16/02
Hi Steph,
Thanks for the reply. I had seen your website and read through a lot of it. It is
interesting to see news of our classmates, some of whom I had almost forgotten.
You ask for a potted bio, so here goes:
After SHS, I went to KU, finished a semester early, and so spent the "last"
semester in Jamaica. Then to Wisconsin for graduate studies. Back to Jamaica
where I married and taught for a couple of years. In 1970, moved to Montreal
for more graduate work and, as you surmise, to dodge the draft. Moved to
Winnipeg in 1973 as a Professor of Economics at the University of Manitoba.
Then a Dean. Now a Vice-Provost, sort of a vice-president in our system. One
daughter of my first marriage, which ended through divorce. Ten years with my
second wife (Evelyn). Thinking of retirement, but no firm plans.
Sounds like an outline for an obituary, eh?
What about you? Tell me more about your kids, etc.
Cheers,
Rich
Marsten, Ann (Waterman, John)
(02/19/03)
Hi Stef,
...here is the last 40 years in just a few sentences!
Ann and I retired about 18 months ago and are enjoying it immensely. We try to spend the winter months in Mexico near Guadalajara (although we came back early this year).
Our oldest daughter, Dede, finished a doctorate in micro-cellular biology at Cal Tech about two years ago. She is doing her post-doc work at the University of Colorado and living in Longmont, Co with her husband and 4 daughters.
Our son, Wayne, works for Intel and is living in Portland, OR.
Youngest daughter, Wendy, has a year and a half year old son and lives just down the road from us. Her husband is a teacher.
Ann is currently attending a real estate school with the intention of becoming a broker and dabbling in the purchase of real estate.
I spend a fair amount of time at the airport and intend to do a little flight instruction beginning this summer. Health is good and happiness level is high! If anyone gets to the Denver area we would be happy to renew old acquaintances. We live SE of Denver (Parker) and the phone number is 303-841-4618.
John
Massey, Donna (Dague) (Ed)
(08/08/02)
Dear Stephanie,
Hope all is well with you and your family. Write me back so I can find out
what is up!!
Everything is pretty normal here. All the kids are out on their own. Mandi
and Jason live close, so we see them quite abit. Rob is going to Oklahoma
University off and on and lives in Norman. Mike is a manager at the Fox n'
Hound( a Sports bar and restaurant in College Station, Texas. They are all
doing good.
Looking to hear from you----Love you,
Donna Dague
Mathews,Jerry (Lynn)
(01/19/02)
Stephanie:
Love the class web page you have come up
with. It's great to see names of my classmates . Sure does bring back
memories.
I would like to have you update the information on myself. I am
married and reside in Kansas City. My address is 4820 N. Brighton ave. Kansas
City, Mo. 64119. My phone number is (816) 454-8719. My e-mail address is
Maxielynn@aol.com. My wifes name is Lynn. I have been employed for the past
20 years with Emery Worldwide an overnite airfreight company. I see you are
in the real estate biz.
I will be visiting the web site often for updates on classmates. I have never been back to a class reunion but plan on going
to the next one. I will let you know if I hear of or have any new information
on previous classmates.
Go mustangs!
Jerry Mathews
Nordstrom, Diana
(02/09/03)
Here is an update from Diana Nordstrom Dawdy:
We have 3 now, 2 grandsons, & the newest was a beautiful granddaughter.
Take care,
Dianna
Plummer, Steve
(07/06/02)
Stephanie,
My name is Steve Plummer. I am a '63 graduate of SHS and I am interested in knowing if there is going to be a 40th reunion next year. I live at 7581 Ruxton Drive, Springfield, VA 22153 and my email is plummersb@aol.com. If so, my wife and I will attend.
After leaving Salina soon after graduation, I joined the U.S. Air Force and am in my 35th year of active duty service. I am currently assigned to the Pentagon.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Steve
(07/07/02)
Stef,
Great to hear from you. I found you by searching the internet under "Salina
High School Central." Can't recall all the clicks, but it eventually got me
to your web page.
I was not in the
Pentagon on 9-11. I was TDY (that's Temporary Duty in military-speak) in
Texas. I returned the next day. Fortunately for me the Airplane hit on the
opposite side of the building from my office. In the attachment, the project
straight across from the burned area to the outer ring and that's about where
I work.
Thanks for the website info.
Steve
Sandberg, Atle
(02/14/03)
Dear Stephanie,
...contact with anyone from our class has been totally absent for many, many years. But my contact with Ralph’s homepage came through the commercial program “Classmates”. There you will also find my “profile”.
But to your information: I was educated a lawyer, worked for local government some years, started teaching in 1981 and parallel with that I had my own layer-business for 9 years. Now I “just” teach, law and economics in high-school, and have a good life.
Married in 1970, we are still married and have two sons, 30 nd 32. No granchildren yet, but the boys both live with girl-friends, so we can hope.
-Has life been good to you? I’d love to hear from you, and if you news of some of the other, it would be great.
Love,
Atle
Sampson, Stephanie (Dahlberg) - (Ray)
I am selling real estate in the KC area and have been at that for about 10 years now. I planned on only doing that for 2 years...seems it didn't work out that way.
My husband, Ray, has been in the middle of his mid-life crisis for about 10 years which I guess is now, more or less, permanent! He is enjoying his various new directions. Presently, he is a "trainer" of "pretend patients" for student docs at KU Medical.
Oldest son, Collin(30), is a bartender at an upscale restaurant on the Plaza. He has a 5 old daughter, Nyla Anne, with a former girlfriend. He adores the little gal and spends about 3 days a week with her. He has a degree in opera performance from KU.
Oldest daughter, Johnna(28), is a substitute teacher in the Liberty school system. She works pretty much as often as she wants to, is married to a nice fellow and has a 7 year old charmer, a son named Nicholas. She plans to complete her degree in the fall.
Youngest son, Matt(26), and fiance live in Germany and were married in April. They are linguists and enjoy living abroad. I hate it but, ah well...
Youngest daugher, Betany (23) NOT Bethany! lives in NY where she is a grad student at Juilliard. I guess she is living the life I would have if I’d have had the nerve.
My dad died 4 years ago and my mom has moved into the same little berg next to KC. Because she is closer now, she really does know the great-grandkids and the grandkids in a way that she never would have. I hate it that Dad missed this but he never would have moved into this area. There's no dock outside the house to fish off of...
Theater continues to hold my interest and I still study voice. I get to perform pretty often in the area so am happy with that. However, I must confess to being a closet computer nerd now and hope to do something with that someday. Webpage design is an obvious choice to combine technology and my artsy-craftsy side.
Love to all,
stef
Waterman, John (Marsten, Ann)
(02/19/03)
Hi Stef,
In that case, here is the last 40 years in just a few sentences!
Ann and I retired about 18 months ago and are enjoying it immensely. We try to spend the winter months in Mexico near Guadalajara (although we came back early this year).
Our oldest daughter, Dede, finished a doctorate in micro-cellular biology at Cal Tech about two years ago. She is doing her post-doc work at the University of Colorado and living in Longmont, Co with her husband and 4 daughters.
Our son, Wayne, works for Intel and is living in Portland, OR.
Youngest daughter, Wendy, has a year and a half year old son and lives just down the road from us. Her husband is a teacher.
Ann is currently attending a real estate school with the intention of becoming a broker and dabbling in the purchase of real estate.
I spend a fair amount of time at the airport and intend to do a little flight instruction beginning this summer.
Health is good and happiness level is high!
If anyone gets to the Denver area we would be happy to renew old acquaintances. We live SE of Denver (Parker) and the phone number is 303-841-4618.
John
Youngquist, Max
(01/02/03)
Hi Stef,
Got back to work after the holidays and had this message from "Stephanie A.
Dahlberg". So, I'm trying to figure out who she is. Then, I looked at the people
you addressed and I got it. You must be Stephanie (Sampson) Dahlberg. Nice to
hear from you!
I moved to California in 1969 and have been here since. Married 29 years and no
kids but always lots of dogs.
A couple of years ago I stopped in Tucson and saw
Sondra (Swedenburg) Vanmarle. Hadn't seen her since 1966 when she married Tony
who she divorced some twenty years later. I told her I was planning to attend a
40 year reunion if it happens. If we do have it, I'll let her know.
So, it looks like you are in the real estate business in Kansas City. Right?
What about Lila Jean? Do you know anything about a reunion this year?
Here's my personal web site so you can see what 40 years can do!
www.home.earthlink.net/~hmaxy
Happy New Year,
Max
