S P R I N G
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The Winona State University Magazine
Women Warriors Inspiring
WOMEN
Important
WORK INSIDE
A sneak peak of online exclusive stories!
Contents: Spring 2018
Women Warriors
We profile WSU alumnae who are leading the way
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Dolores Fridge ’66, ‘04 WSU’s first African American female graduate recounts her impressive life and career.
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Laura (Sette) Cunningham ‘00 Working with juveniles and the mentally ill, the Wisconsin State Public Defender was one of 29 outstanding “Women in the Law” in 2017.
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Alumni Spotlight Isaiah Gray ’17 gains experience planning large-scale sporting events.
Current News........................ 3 Athletic News....................... 6 Class Notes ........................ 14 In Memoriam ..................... 20
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Online Exclusives Get a sneak peek at more Women Warrior stories – exclusively online!
The Winona State University Magazine
Editor: Erin Blumentritt Creative Design: Pat Malotka, Kristi Gudmundson Alumni Relations Director: Mark Reitan Associate Director: Tracy Hale Coordinator: Machelle Carney
Currents is published by Winona State University’s Division of University Advancement and is distributed to more than 46,000 alumni and friends of Winona State University. Currents is copyrighted material. Articles may be reprinted with permission. Comments on this publication should be directed to: WSU-University Advancement, PO Box 5838, Winona MN 55987-5838; by email: currents@winona.edu; online: alumni.winona.edu. Class Notes can be submitted at wsu.mn/class-notes; Address changes can be directed to the Alumni Relations Office.
blogs.winona.edu/alumni
POSTMASTER: If undeliverable as addressed, please send Form 3579 to: Alumni Relations, PO Box 5838, Winona MN 55987-5838. Winona State University is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This document can be made available in an alternative format to individuals with disabilities by contacting the magazine staff at the address above.
@WinonaStateU
Current News Locust Named AVP for Inclusion & Diversity In January of this year, Jonathan Locust, Jr. joined Winona State University as the Associate Vice President for Inclusion & Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer. As AVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Locust will work collaboratively with the WSU community, providing innovative leadership and partnership to promote and evaluate the progress and impact of efforts to be inclusive and welcoming throughout all aspects of the WSU community. According to Denise McDowell, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Life, Locust has expertise
in development and implementation of institutional diversity plans, and will work to engage and support the university community on issues related to diversity, equality and inclusion. Looking forward to working collaboratively with the WSU community, Locust said, “Through a framework of inclusive excellence, we will measure our success. I want to thank Winona State University for this exciting opportunity.” Before coming to WSU, Locust served as Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Director of Institutional Diversity at Ashland University in Ohio. He holds a
Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Social Foundations from the University of Toledo, a master’s degree in Jonathan higher education from Locust, Jr. Kaplan University, and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Cincinnati. He was recently honored with the National Role Model Award from Minority Access, a nonprofit organization with the mission of assisting institutions to recruit and retain underserved and underrepresented populations.
Campus Updates Winona State’s campus is constantly evolving. Here are a few of the latest changes:
Pedestrian Tunnels Fall 2017 brought the completion of the long-awaited pedestrian tunnels under the railroad tracks that bisect main campus. The University explored various options to improve the railroad crossing and increase safety for WSU students, employees and the Winona community. The two new underpasses are accessible by both stairs and a ramp on each side, and include security lighting and cameras to provide safe passage for the entire community. The tunnels officially opened in October.
Zane’s Also in the fall, renovations to the “Smaug” in Kryzsko Commons were unveiled. The new food court includes a Panda Express and a café serving Starbucks coffee alongside longtime favorites, and incorporates Kafe Kryzsko into the space as well. The area now hosts additional seating with a lot of natural light streaming in from outside. Another change – the name. Long known as the “Smaug,” it was renamed “Zane’s” in
Architect’s rendering of Education Village honor of Charlie Zane ’64, who served as the student union director from 1965 to 1997. He passed away in April 2017.
Education Village Another project in the works is Education Village, which had been awaiting funding from the state before proceeding with phase two of construction. In 2014, WSU was awarded $5.9 million from the Minnesota State Legislature for the first phase of the project, which consisted of architectural design and minor construction. The larger portion of
funding was initially expected from the state’s 2016 bonding bill, but the legislature didn’t pass a bonding bill that year. The project was included in the spring 2017 bill, providing the university with $25 million for phase two of construction. With the project moving forward once again, Education Village is on track to open in fall 2019. Read what WSU College of Education Dean Tarrell Portman has to say about Education Village at wsu.mn/education-needs. WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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Current News WSU Launches Digital Faculty Fellows Program
Dr. Patricia Rogers
Dr. Gregory Richard
Dr. Patricia Rogers, WSU provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, has been chosen as one of 32 academic leaders from across the country to participate in the Association of Chief Academic Officers’ Digital Fellows Program. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the program is designed to provide critical information, resources, and support to help faculty understand and adopt high quality digital courseware that personalizes learning and leads to significant gains in undergraduate engagement, retention, and graduation. As part of Winona State’s implementation of the program, it has established its own Digital Faculty Fellows Program, which asks faculty to consider the use of digital coursework and resources within gateway courses on campus. To be considered, faculty submitted proposals identifying types of digital courseware/resources they wanted to work with, as well as how students in gateway courses could benefit. From those proposals, two faculty were selected as WSU’s Digital Faculty Fellows:
Dr. Pingping Zhang
Dr. Gregory Richard, assistant professor of history and legal studies, will implement CogBooks courseware into the online course, HIST 151: United States History Since 1865. Utilizing several different tools to offer students an adaptive experience, CogBooks implements an algorithm-based adaptive sequence involving repetition, adaptive assessment, and integrated
learning networks. Through this process, students are provided with a fluid learning experience based on previously learned knowledge. Dr. Pingping Zhang, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, will enhance her existing use of the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) adaptive learning system in MATH 115: College Algebra by integrating evidence-based video tutorials as supplemental resources. ALEKS utilizes adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine the concepts that a student does and does not know, and uses that information to develop an individually based learning program for each. By adding this series of videos, she will address two common challenges: insufficient explanations for students with weaker backgrounds, and too few connections among different concepts. Drs. Richard and Zhang plan to implement these projects during summer and fall terms. They also plan to travel to the July gathering of ACAO Digital Fellows to present their projects and hear from other faculty from around the country. Once implemented, they will present their findings to their WSU colleagues, and possibly beyond, with the hope of encouraging other faculty to consider digital resources in their coursework. For more information on WSU’s Digital Faculty Fellows Program, visit wsu.mn/digital-fellows.
WSU Alumni Office Unveils Warrior Neighbors Program In August 2017, the Winona State University Alumni Office launched the Warrior Neighbors program, a network of alumni across the country who have agreed to be resources for others visiting or moving to their city. So far, 66 alumni have signed up to be a neighbor to fellow Warriors. “The Warrior Neighbors program allows our alumni to be neighbors without having to be right here in Winona,” says Tracy Hale, associate director of alumni relations. “If our alumni are going to be visiting or moving to a city where we have a selfidentified neighbor, they can simply email
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and scroll over the icon to find a name and email address for a Warrior Neighbor. There’s even a link provided to email your chosen neighbor directly from the map.
that individual for more information.” The project has been a work in progress, taking time to find the right type of mapping software and getting everything up and running. The end result is an easy to use service for Winona State alumni – simply go to the online map, find a flaming W icon over the city you are traveling to,
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
“Warrior Neighbors is a way for our alumni to stay connected to Winona State,” says Hale. “They may not be able to make it to our events or stay engaged in other ways. This is a way for them to not only have a level of connectivity, but to lend a helping hand to another Warrior.” For more information, to locate a Warrior Neighbor, or to sign up as a neighbor yourself, visit wsu.mn/warrior-neighbors.
Current News
Nursing timeline mural, located in Stark Hall
WSU’s Nursing Program Celebrates 50 Years In 1968, WSU graduated its first class of 16 nursing students. This year, as the program celebrates 50 years, the College of Nursing graduates approximately 150 pre-licensure nursing graduates, 150 associate degree to baccalaureate (RN to BS) graduates, and over 40 master’s and doctor of nursing practice graduates. Founded on a commitment to dedicated partnerships and collaborative work throughout the region, the nursing program was launched in 1964 in response to requests from physicians at Winona Health Services. In 1987, WSU added
its first graduate programs in nursing to fulfill workforce demands for nurses with advanced preparation in nursing practice, administration, and education. More recently, increasing demands for clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners in the region have driven the college to establish advanced practice nursing programs – including acute care nurse practitioner and psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner programs. 2018 also marks the retirement of Dr. William McBreen, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. First joining
the faculty at WSU in 2000, he became dean in 2008. “As we look to the next 50 years,” said McBreen, “we will continue to respond to the needs of the region and devise solutions for the challenges that we will face. I have every confidence that we will figure it out, just as our nursing faculty members throughout the history of the program have successfully worked and collaborated to overcome all other challenges.”
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Athletic News
Warrior Football: A Season to be Proud Of 2017 was Warrior football’s best season in over a decade. Initially unranked in the AFCA preseason poll, WSU opened their season on an eight-game winning streak – its longest in a decade. Their season ended with a 10-2 record, the sixth 10-win season in program history. Their reward for such an impressive season was earning the No. 4 seed in Super Region Four and hosting fifth-seed Texas A&M-Commerce in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs – marking their first appearance in an NCAA playoff game since 2007, and first home postseason game since 2004. And while they fell to A&M-Commerce 20-6, they held their opponent to its lowest scoring output since week one of the season and slashed A&M-Commerce’s season average of 40.4 points per game in half. All-in-all, it was a successful season that saw the team land 15 players on the 2017 All-Conference Team. The Warrior defense ranked second in the country in total interceptions (24), third in turnovers gained (37), and sixth in scoring defense (14.6 ppg); and top players and Head Coach Tom Sawyer received numerous accolades. Senior defensive back Andrew Spencer was named Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association All-America First Team, American Football Coaches Association Division II AllAmerica First Team, and NSIC Defensive Player of the Year. Andrew He set career highs in every statistical category Spencer and ranked second in the NSIC (and sixth in the country) in interceptions (7), returning two of those interceptions for touchdowns. He also led all of Division II in interception yards (217), which set a new WSU single-season record. His total
career interception return yards (336) sets a new program record and his 14 career interceptions rank ninth all-time in Warrior history. Spencer also totaled 83 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss, and 59 solo tackles – ranked fifth in the conference. His robust stat line this season included two sacks, two forced fumbles, and seven pass breakups. Senior kicker Carter McCauley also ended on a high note, ranking third in the NSIC in field goals made (19) and second in total points (104). He now owns four Warrior football records: single-season point total (104), singlegame kicking points scored (17), longest field goal made (59 yards), and career field goals Carter McCauley made (55), the last also setting an NSIC record. On top of it all, McCauley has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA at WSU, and was named to the College Sports Information Directors Division II Football Academic All-America Team for the third time in 2017, garnering first team status in each of the last two seasons, and second team in 2015. Steering the helm was Head Coach Tom Sawyer, who was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career, previously winning the award in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2004. Additionally, he was named the American Football Coaches Association Region 5 Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.
Tom Sawyer
Sawyer’s 22nd season as Warrior Head Coach brought his career record to 174-78. He has led the Warriors to all six NCAA Playoff appearances as well as all six 10-win seasons.
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Athletic News Warrior Volleyball’s Hot Streak The Winona State volleyball team is on a roll, with 2017 resulting in its third straight 20-win season (21-8), which last occurred in 1986-88. It marked just the 10th 20-win season overall, three of which have come under current head coach Joe Getzin, who’s been with the team for just four years. The 2017 senior class will also go down as one of the most decorated in program history. Winona graduates Lauren Kudronowicz, McKenna Larsen, and Danielle Rampart — all fouryear members — who compiled career records of 87-32 and earned places in the Warrior record book. Larsen, Winona’s firstever NCAA All-American in 2016, garnered a Central Region Honorable
Lauren Kudronowicz
McKenna Larsen
Mention recognition, as did Rampart, for the 2017 NCAA Division II All-American Team.
time, the Warriors qualified for the NCAA Tournament, winning an NCAA Tournament match for the first time ever as well.
Larsen concludes her Warrior career ranked second all-time in assists (4,399) and seventh in service aces (136). She hit .347 as a sophomore in 2015, which ranks second in WSU single-season history. She was named AVCA Division II Player of the Week earlier in 2017 and was a three-time NSIC All-Conference selection in her career, including first team honors in each of the last two seasons.
At the beginning of the 2017 season, the Warriors were predicted to finish the season in fifth place. At regular season’s end, they were one of the hottest teams in the conference, compiling a season-long seven match winning streak to the finish line, including four victories over Top 25 opponents. They ultimately lost a grueling five-set match to No. 6 Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the NSIC tournament, which proved to be the Warriors’ final match of the year.
Rampart concludes her career ranked second alltime in program history in kills (1,347) and 11th in digs (1,300). She is just one of four players in WSU history to reach the 1,300 plateau in both kills and digs.
Danielle Rampart
In 2016, the team arguably had the best season in program history. For the first
Winona State ranked 13th inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association and seventh inside the Central Region, but ultimately did not reach the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive appearance. In total, the NSIC had seven teams ranked in the Top 25 of the AVCA poll, but only four were granted NCAA Tournament berths.
Kellogg Named as Head Women’s Soccer Coach Matt Kellogg has been named as the next head women’s soccer coach for Winona State University, making him just the second head coach in the history of the WSU women’s soccer program. He inherits a program that has compiled a 317-118-30 record and 11 NSIC Championships in its 23-year history.
experience includes a three-year tenure at the University of North Dakota; three years at Ferris State, where he inherited a 3-13-3 team and guided them to a 9-7-3 record in 2012, with appearances in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament each of his three seasons; and a single season at Kalamazoo College.
“We are excited to welcome Matt to the Warrior family,” said Winona State Athletic Director Eric Schoh. “We were looking for someone who could continue the championship tradition of our soccer program, while being committed to developing student-athlete success in the classroom and community. I’m confident that Matt’s 15 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level will allow him to do that.”
The veteran coach also held previous positions as assistant women’s soccer coach and recruiting coordinator at two NCAA Division I schools, the University of Kentucky and Morehead State (Ky.). In 2009, Kellogg’s lone season at Morehead State, the Eagles captured the program’s first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship with a 5-0-3 conference record (8-7-4 overall).
Kellogg’s previous head coaching
Kellogg graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis and was a two-year
letter winner on the soccer team. He holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National B License and a Matt Kellogg National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Advanced National Goalkeeping Certificate. “I’m looking forward to being part of the Warrior soccer program, the athletic department, and Winona State University as a whole,” Kellogg said. “I’m excited for the challenge of continuing to lead this program in the right direction with sustained success on the field and in the classroom. When I first stepped foot on campus, I felt a strong sense of family and community, and my wife and I are excited to be a part of the Winona community.”
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Women Dolores (STARLING) O
ne may wonder how Dolores (Starling) Fridge ’66, ‘04, the first African American female to graduate from Winona State, ever ended up at a school in small town Minnesota. Her family lived in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, alongside a handful of African American families; her parents were both schoolteachers who received their college degrees from a historically black college in West Virginia. But as she and a friend were looking through college brochures, Winona State’s stood out as the only one to include a picture of an African American within its pages. And with that, they both decided to apply and were admitted.
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No matter what the differences are in the people we’re around…they are as human as we are.
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WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
In the spring before their freshman year, they traveled to Winona via Greyhound bus for a pre-college weekend. “When we got to campus,” Fridge said, “there was nobody else black there, period. Nobody. Nowhere – in the town, around the town, nothing.” Growing up in a biracial neighborhood, it was a stark contrast to what they were accustomed to - but ultimately, she said that their first experience on campus was mostly positive. During the course of her four years at Winona, Fridge estimated that there were perhaps a total of 15-20 black students on campus. But in that first year, she and her friend, and the football player from the brochure, were the only ones, and her friend decided to leave after that year. Fridge then had to decide whether she would return alone. Her decision ultimately came down to the fact that she had one goal: to graduate. Her parents had made her a deal before her freshman year: “If you go, you don’t flunk any classes, you don’t get anything less than a C, you don’t get married, you don’t get pregnant, you get done in four years, and we’ll pay for everything.” It was lonely at times on campus, and as Cleveland was so far away, she didn’t often have the option of returning home. She made some friends, and was welcomed at many establishments off-campus, but there were moments of discrimination, such as a little girl on her tricycle and a customer at the pizza place calling her a racially offensive term. The Lutheran church across the street from campus had brought in a young pastor to work with the college kids, and she would often go talk with him when feeling emotionally drained and isolated on campus. He would give her advice on how to survive, how to thrive, and helped her decide whether to come back and continue when she was wavering. Looking back, Fridge said that the worst of her experiences helped her learn how to manage a variety of situations, including verbally abusive situations and isolation situations. But she remained focused on her goal – graduating – and on what she could do to control the outcome of that goal.
Warriors FRIDGE ’66, ’04 When she graduated in 1966, public schools in the state were recruiting African American teachers so that they could fill the federal government quota, as with that came their federal aid dollars. Through that effort, she was hired as the first African American female teacher at Bancroft Elementary School in South Minneapolis, where she taught for the next 14 years. At the end of her 14th year, the federal government had passed a new law saying businesses had to start hiring women. She attended a hiring fair in downtown Minneapolis, completed a couple interviews, and was hired in consumer affairs at Prudential’s regional headquarters, where she worked for a few years. She went on to work for a number of other companies in consumer affairs/customer service and operations capacities. Each time she received a better opportunity with different or more responsibilities – she took it. “I learned very quickly that when you get a better offer, and the money’s better, and it’s a different experience – you go.” In 1990, she spent a year as an independent contractor, developing strategic plans for creating multicultural environments for corporate clients. She would evaluate their diversity and harassment training needs, conduct focus groups to assess the corporate culture, help them customize training materials, and facilitate workshops for their employees. After another brief stint in consumer relations, she joined the Minnesota Department of Human Rights as director in 1992. She moved up to deputy commissioner in 1994, and in 1996, was appointed commissioner by Governor Arne Carlson. Tasked with resolving conflict under the human rights laws of the country and state, Fridge said that before her time as commissioner, there were no timelines in place for case investigations – and it wasn’t uncommon for cases to sit for years. When the Minnesota State Supreme Court mandated that all investigations be completed within 12 months, she was in charge of re-engineering the agency’s operations to meet that mandate. She lobbied for and received additional funding to
hire more staff and increase community outreach and education (among other things). She also developed human rights policy, programs, and made recommendations to the governor and legislature for consideration and implementation. Fridge said that one of the big issues to arise during her tenure was that there was no protection in the State of Minnesota for LGBTQ individuals, as there was none at the federal level at that time. “When the federal government finally got their act together and provided protection,” Fridge said, “of course Minnesota immediately got their act together.” When she left the department in 1998, Governor Carlson proclaimed November 13, 1998 to be “Dolores Fridge Appreciation Day” in honor of her years of dedicated service. She was also later given the honor of speaking at his retirement party in 1999. “If someone would have told me when I was a freshman at Winona that I would have a sitting governor ask me to come speak at his retirement party, I would have fallen on the floor laughing!” she said. She left the Department of Human Rights to tackle an Associate Vice Chancellor position at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, where she led the operations of the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Division. She was charged with creating and implementing plans to assist campuses in recruiting faculty, leadership and students from diverse backgrounds to state college and university campuses. Among her many accomplishments, she directed the creation of the MnSCU system’s strategic plan for diversity and co-chaired its implementation. She also collaborated with Minnesota Public Radio to conduct the first rural diversity conference in the State of Minnesota, and directed the evaluation and redesign of training Continued on page 10 WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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Women Continued from page 9 offerings in areas of civil and human rights, campus violence, sexual harassment, affirmative action, diversity, and workplace violence. In 2004, she moved on to become Medtronic’s very first Chief Resolution Officer. As an internal but independent entity, she had the authority to confidentially resolve conflict amongst employees within the organization. During her fulltime jobs, she continued to do independent consulting on the side, which she carried on with after retiring from Medtronic in 2012. As a consultant, she provided expertise in areas of sexual harassment, conflict resolution, cultural
competency, and diversity and inclusion for clients such as Hennepin County, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Xcel Energy, and more. She also served as keynote speaker on similar topics at various events. In 2017, she retired fully from her consultant work. When asked about how she hopes her work has impacted others, she said, “Every place that I’ve ever been and whatever I’ve done is to provide a way in which people understand that those people who are not like us – it does not mean that they are ‘less than’ as a human being. No matter what the differences are in the people we’re around or we meet – that they are as human as we are.”
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE | blogs.winona.edu/alumni
RACHEL FEWELL ’00
CASSANDRA BUCK ’08
LINDSEY DERBY ’10
Central Library Administrator for the Denver Public Library
Artist, Art Advocate, and Founder of Gallery 24, Rochester’s first contemporary artist collaborative
First Female Firefighter to join the Kasson Fire Department in Kasson, Minn.
I started Gallery 24 “because I felt there was
I’ve always wanted a “career in which it centered
To some degree, I always “gravitated towards the social justice element and freedom of information element of the library. Did I realize that I would be working in an urban center and really deal with what’s happening in the middle of a city that’s in the middle of an opioid epidemic? No way.
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a need for resources for artists, as well as a need for connectivity with each other and the public. I wanted to create a home for artists.
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around being there for other people. I don’t want to be a hero, I just want to be someone that others can count on and can trust to take care of them.
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Warriors Laura (SETTE)
CUNNINGHAM ’00
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n 2017, Laura (Sette) Cunningham ’00 was honored by the Wisconsin Law Journal as one of 29 outstanding “Women in the Law.” Dial back to her days as a student at Winona State — her interest in the law was sparked by volunteering with victims at the Women’s Resource Center in Winona, and becoming a founding member of the student group FORGE (Fighting for Our Rights and Gender Equality). She then set her sights on becoming a district attorney to prosecute sensitive crimes such as sexual assault and domestic violence. But when she moved on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for law school, her career path headed in a different direction. Over a summer in law school, she signed up for a family law internship that would require her to work with people in prison. The internship got her into the courtroom, and that interested her — although she admits that she was scared to meet the criminals after reading what they had done. The first client she met was a man serving a life sentence for brutally killing three people, but she discovered that she didn’t have any reason to be scared. She could sit down and talk to him as she would any other person. As she got more and more contact with her clients in prison, she realized that these people were more than their worst day — they were people. She decided to shift her focus and move into public defense. The next year, she interned in the public defender’s office and has been in that realm ever since. In 2004, she received her Juris Doctorate and moved to New York City, where she took the New York bar and began practicing at Brooklyn Defender Services. After three years there, she moved back to Wisconsin and began working at the Wisconsin State Public Defenders office in Racine. She worked primarily on felonies – serious gang crimes, homicides, armed robbery, and drug cases. After three years at that office, she moved into her current position on the Juvenile Mental Health Team in Waukesha, Wis., and has been there for seven years. As the team name implies, Sette (who practices under her maiden name) works with juveniles as well as people who are mentally ill. Mentally ill clients may be people who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution because they’re a danger to themselves or others, or they may be people who need guardians because they are unable to make their own decisions, due to being mentally ill or being older and dealing with Alzheimer’s.
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It’s a really big deal to have someone who listens to them and advocates for them.
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She also does some crossover work in cases where a mental health client has been to Continued on page 12 WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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Women Warriors Continued from page 11
the hospital but has also been charged with a criminal offense. In those cases, Sette will help advocate for them in criminal court. She says that having that person who can advocate for them really makes a difference, and can actually help them do better in treatment because they can realize that the treatment is valuable, and – even though it’s being forced on them – not necessarily bad. Her work with juveniles also entails working as an advocate counsel, which is required in Wisconsin for juveniles ages 12 and up. In this role, it’s Sette’s job to advocate for what the juvenile wants, not necessarily what’s in their best interest – giving them a voice in court. She also represents children in need of protection services, who are typically victims of abuse or neglect by their parents or caregivers. Additionally, she represents children accused of delinquent acts, those who are truant from school, or those who have run away from home. For her juvenile clients, Sette says, “it’s a really big deal to have someone who listens to them and advocates for them. For a lot of my kids, when they’re 12 or 13, no one’s really listening to what it is they have to say or their feelings on what’s happening. The fact that they have someone listening to them who’s on their side and is going to fight for whatever it is they want makes a big difference for them in the overall process.” As part of her job, she also serves on many committees that help come up with alternatives to sanctions for teenagers. In 2017, she was recognized by the Waukesha Bar Association for community service given to Waukesha County for an initiative she was involved in that created a community garden as one of those alternatives. As part the program, teenagers in the system come to the community garden two days a week to learn about gardening and raising vegetables, which are then donated to a local food bank. “It’s been a great experience for the teens involved,” Sette says, “getting them out of their house to learn about something they never would have otherwise. And because many of the teens also have mental health issues, it helps them branch out, work as a team, communicate with others, and build relationships with adults who are a good influence on them.” Two other committees she’s involved in include the area’s truancy committee, which works with schools to find alternatives to address truancy besides the traditional punishment of being put into non-secure custody. The second is the Positive Youth 12
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Laura (Sette) Cunningham ’00 being honored as a 2017 “Women of the Law” Intervention committee, an offshoot created from the community garden project, where they are working to set up different programs to help kids find an outlet in something they enjoy. They’re looking to start a hiking club, running club, theater group, and community service group that will help kids find different ways to be engaged in the community. Sette says that the two biggest challenges she faces are time and resources. As a state agency, she doesn’t have all the time that she would love to give to her clients, because she has so many. And there simply aren’t enough resources in the community to send those clients to in order to get the treatment they need. “There’s a shortage of psychiatrists right now,” says Sette, “so there’s a wait list for most psychiatrists and a lag time of about six months just to get an appointment.” The impact that creates, she says, is that when psychiatrists prescribe medication, there are always adjustments that need to be made. If her clients can’t get in on a regular basis to get their medications adjusted, many stop taking them because they don’t like the side effects. Nevertheless, even with all the challenges she’s presented with on a daily basis, it’s her clients that keep her coming back to work each day. She represents those clients from the time they come into the system until they turn 18, so it’s not uncommon for her to work with some kids for six or seven years, developing a close relationship with them. And while it is exhausting work, she’s driven by seeing the positive change in the kids she’s helping. “There are some kids who, after taking part in these programs, don’t ever come back to court,” Sette says. “It’s good to see the system changing, and hopefully it continues to change.”
Alumni Spotlight
ISAIAH GRAY ’17 W
hile at Winona State, Isaiah Gray ’17 was a standout player on the Warrior men’s basketball team. One of only 37 players in the program’s history to score over 1,000 points, he ranks 22nd all-time with 1,180 career points, and just outside the program’s top 15 in career assists, with 261. A business administration major with a minor in coaching, Gray has now taken his passion for sports into his professional career, interning for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Local Organizing Committee for the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and more recently, Meet Minneapolis as a Sports Minneapolis & Destination Sales Intern. During his time working with the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four, he served as a Future Stars Intern, focused on activating the community, impacting youth, and giving opportunities to people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Carrying out this mission allowed him the opportunity to make an impact on local Winona K-12 basketball players, as well. Just prior to the end of his internship in December, he returned to Winona and spoke to the local players about overcoming obstacles and achieving dreams. “I wanted them to know that playing college basketball isn’t the end-all-be-all. They are all smart kids and if it is possible for basketball to be used as a tool then do so, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Submitted photos. Used with permission.
In his recent role with Meet Minneapolis, he had the opportunity to be involved in a number of sporting event bids the company was working on — assisting on projects such as the Superbowl, Frozen Four, Final Four, 2026 FIFA World Cup, Women’s NCAA Volleyball Championship, and the 1st Annual Minneapolis Sports Awards Show, among others. Of his experience, he says that he was mainly “assisting or just simply learning what it takes to host an event in your city and what goes into the bidding process.” While he’s enjoyed being exposed to so many different experiences, he says that he doesn’t have any specific career goals in mind just yet, only that he’s learned he has a passion for event management and coordination within the sports and entertainment industry. “I enjoy everything,” Gray says. “I enjoy that I am so close to all these major events, that I am able to be a part of something that is going to impact hundreds of thousands of people, and that I am learning so much and constantly developing.” WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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Class Notes 1950’s
Curtis Connaughty ’55 (Eden Prairie, Minn.) has written a book, “The Right Place at the Right Time: Stories from a Life in Education,” about his 31-year career at Eden Prairie High School, where he served as a teacher, founder of the football and track teams, coach, and administrator.
1960’s
Gary Grob ’62, ‘65 (Winona, Minn.) became only the second Caledonia/ Houston County player/coach/manager to be inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. He’s already a member of the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1989, the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2001, the Winona State Hall Fame Class of 2006, and the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Hall of Fame Class of 2008. He was named NAIA District 13 Coach of the Year 15 times, and coached 16 players who went on to sign professional contracts, as well as 158 all-conference award winners. Robert Ries ‘65 (Winona, Minn.) has entered the Democratic-FarmerLabor primary race for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
Matt Schuth ‘69 (Golden Valley, Minn.), a naturalist at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, has published the book “Nature at Our Doorstep,” which observes plants, birds, mammals, and other natural phenomena, enlivened by Matt’s personal experience, homespun humor, and more. The book is available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.
1970’s
Richard “Rick” Krueger ‘71 (Lakeville, Minn.) has been asked to be a part of the Minnesota Legislative Society, a growing group of nonpartisan Minnesota legislators, past and present. Rick received his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard and previously served as a State Representative in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1983-1994. Since then, he has held a variety of leadership roles and currently works in consulting.
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William Peyton ’82 (Hastings, Minn.) retired from teaching and coaching.
Don Henderson ’83 (Dodge Center, Minn.) was honored with the 2017 Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Rochester Sports Banquet. After graduating from WSU, he became the head football coach for Hayfield/Dodge Center in 1987. When Claremont, Dodge Center, and West Concord merged to form Triton High School, he was named head football coach of the new school. In 2017, he finished his career with 31 years of head coaching football, 28 years as activities director, and 25 years as a head golf coach. He amassed 15 conference championships, nine state tournament appearances, three state titles, one state runner-up, and a career record of 251-84.
Darold Klindworth ’73 (Yarragon, Victoria, Australia) retired in 2013, the same year he spent volunteering in Palau. He is currently involved in the local volunteer fire brigade and local wood working club, which is now a Men’s Shed. He is running a few cattle on his small farm and enjoying his grandchildren. Wayne Kreitzer ’73 (Cresco, Iowa) currently serves as a board member on the Cresco Kiwanis Club and was named the Nebraska-Iowa District Kiwanis International 2016-2017 Layperson of the Year.
Tom Lennon ’68 (Wynnewood, Pa.) celebrated his 70th birthday near Philadelphia, Pa. In attendance were (from left to right) Bob ’69 and Barb Meimbresse ’69, Betty Lennon (Tom’s wife), Tom Lennon ’68, Eileen and Bruce Wallace ’68.
1980’s
Thomas Haase ’76 (Fort Worth, Texas) retired from education after 38 years in the field. William Otis ’79 (New Ulm, Minn.), currently the president and CEO of NUTelecom, was appointed to serve on the advisory board for the New Ulm Area Foundation. He will also serve on the grants committee and the community outreach planning committee.
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Michael Anderson ’85 (Barnum, Minn.) has been the principal owner/broker at Minnesota Resort Sales for the past 15 years. Two years ago, he opened Moose Lake Brewing Company in downtown Moose Lake, Minn. The company has full production on site and a lakeside taproom. Recently, he started Sea Time Sport Fishing Company in Key Largo, Fla. The charter fishing company provides deep sea and reef fishing trips.
Class Notes Debra (Blaha) Bork ’88 (Independence, Wis.), RN, BSN, was recently welcomed to The International Nurses Association with her publication in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare. She is an occupational health nurse contractor currently serving patients in Independence, Wis., and at Winona Health. Mark Fratzke ‘89 (Oakland, Calif.), DNP, was named president and CEO of Seton Medical Center and Seton Coastside, after being previously appointed as chief operating officer and interim president and CEO last fall. The dual health care centers serve patients and communities in San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. He previously worked at Kaiser Permanente as senior vice president and area manager for the East Bay service area, chief operating officer for Alameda Health System, and held several roles with Mayo Clinic, including chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for its Southwest Minnesota region. In addition to his undergraduate degree from Winona State, he holds a doctorate in nursing practice from Rush University and a master’s in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business.
1990’s
Wade Bergner ’91 (Ellsworth, Wis.) started his own company, W.B. Healthy Vending, providing technologically advanced vending machines in businesses and schools. Business has expanded to include 80 machines in Pierce and St. Croix counties and the Twin Cities area, where he landed the largest school district in Minnesota, Anoka-Hennepin. Shirley (Gardner) Anderson ’92 (Marina DeI Rey, Calif.), RN, BSN, MBA, was appointed new director of women’s services at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, the largest not-for-profit, full-service, acutecare hospital in San Diego’s East County. Her previous positions included interim director for labor and delivery, obstetrics, neonatal intensive care unit and pediatrics at Fountain Valley Medical Center, and director for perinatal services at Kaiser Permanente.
Mary (Bellingtier) Vrieze ’92 (Eyota, Minn.) was recently honored for her hard work at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS). Mary and her husband Dan Vrieze ‘91, live in Eyota, Minn. Mark Domeier ’96 (Ellendale, Minn.) has been teaching since 1996, when he began student teaching in Houston, Minn. After graduation, he started teaching in New Richland, where he remains 22 years later. He said his student teaching experience was fantastic, learning a lot from his classroom teacher and administration in how to manage a classroom and develop curriculum. He says that staying at the same school for his entire career allows him to view education as a whole and how it changes and flows, and likes the perspective it gives him.
Matthew Urbanek ’97 (Jordan, Minn.) was named Jordan High School’s Teacher of the Year. He has been teaching and coaching basketball for the past 20 years, also receiving his master’s degree in education leadership from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2010. He teaches history at Jordan High School. Derek Butler ’98 (Elk River, Minn.) currently serves as the athletic training program manager for Bay Area Medical Center. He also co-leads the orthopedic services line at BAMC and covers an array of youth events and tournaments, along with serving as the athletic trainer at Maroon sporting events since 2002. He has two kids (Darrent, 9 and Daly, 5) with his wife of 10 years, Deb. When he gets time away from work, he restores old cars and participates in the Interstate Car Club.
Erin Kyllo ‘99 (St. Paul, Minn.) was hired as the new Kasson-Mantorville Middle School principal. She has worked in Chandler, Ariz., and Inver Grove Heights as Amy Jo Hahn ‘96 a teacher for grades K-12, and was recently (Rochester, Minn.) the administrative dean for Chanhassen published a historic High School. After receiving her nonfiction book, “Lost Rochester, Minnesota,” in undergraduate and master’s degrees from November 2017. The book WSU, she earned her specialist’s degree from the University of St. Thomas. focuses on several of Rochester’s historic and Stephanie Moss ’99 (St. Paul, Minn.) “lost” businesses, has spent 11 years as an early childhood buildings, and sites. educator at the University of Minnesota. Anna Derocher ’97 (Rockford, Ill.) was hired as the marketing manager for engineering and environmental firm Fehr Graham, where she’ll oversee companywide marketing and brand Cynthia (Nelson) Blume ’00 (Roseville, development efforts. She has 19 previous Minn.) and husband Ryan, welcomed their years’ experience in digital news media. second child, Samuel, in July 2017.
2000’s
Theresa (Gartner) Nunemacher ’97 (St. Charles, Minn.) has been working as a school social worker for St. Charles Public Schools since 2012.
Karen (Wille) Aulwes Deuschle ’00 (Lakeville, Minn.) has completed her second master’s program, receiving a Masters of Arts in International Business from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
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wsu.mn/class-notes WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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Class Notes Stephen Furlong ’00 (Rochester, Minn.) has been named president of the Minnesota Mortgage Association. He works as a mortgage consultant and leads the Furlong Team at Mortgages Unlimited Inc. Paula Heyer ’00 (North Mankato, Minn.) took a position with Travel Tags Inc. as the global CRM administrator.
Melody (Jensen) Maples ’01 (Leander, Texas) was named principal at Stiles Middle School. She held previous administration roles at McNeil High School and Walsh Middle School in Round Rock, as well as a social studies teacher and coach in Round Rock. Carson Walch ’01 (Elgin, Minn.) was announced as the assistant wide receivers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2018. Now in his seventh season as a coach in professional football, he spent the previous two years with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, serving as offensive coordinator in 2017 and receivers coach and passing game coordinator in 2016. Prior, Carson spent two years with the Chicago Bears and three years with the Montreal Allouettes (CFL).
John Hardy ’02 (Winona, Minn.) recently celebrated 10 years with Edward Jones in Winona this past summer. Note: John’s class note was incorrectly published under the name Jim Hardy in the Fall ’17 issue of Currents. We wish to apologize to John for this error. —Currents editorial team
Theodore Ihns ’02 (Cresco, Iowa) was named the new superintendent of the Howard-Winneshiek Community School District. He previously worked in the district as an elementary P.E. teacher in the 1990-91 school year, and also graduated from Cresco High School in 1984. He has spent nearly 30 years in education, with 25 of those years spent in the Twin Cities. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jason Paske ‘02 (Blaine, Minn.) has been named as the principal at Blaine High School after holding the position on an interim basis last school year. Catherine (Roddel) Herbers ’03 (Sioux Falls, S.D.) began a new job teaching first grade at Fred Assam Elementary School in the Brandon Valley School District. She spent the previous eight years teaching first grade at Hawthorne Elementary School in Sioux Falls, and prior to that, in Winona, Minn. Nicholas Jurrens ’03 (Kasson, Minn.) was named principal of Triton Elementary School. He began teaching fifth grade math at Kasson-Mantorville in 2005, where
he continued to teach and coach for the next 12 years. He earned his master’s degree in 2008 and his principal’s license in 2015. He spent one year as the Pre-K-12 principal in the Lyle Public School system prior to being hired at Triton. Michael Lawrence ‘03 (St. Paul, Minn.) joined Premier Jet Center in Minneapolis as operations manager. Having spent 20 years in the aviation industry, his most recent prior position was general manager at Key Air. He has also served as a board member in several industry organizations, such as the Minnesota Business Aviation Association and Minnesota Aviation Trades Association, and served as president of the Anoka County Aviation Association. Tony Romaine ‘03 (Sauk Rapids, Minn.), was welcomed as the new pastor at First United Church in Little Falls, Minn. After graduating from WSU, he received a master’s in history at St. Cloud State University, a master’s in theology at St. John’s University School of Theology/ Seminary, and a Master of Divinity degree at United Theological Seminary. He previously served for two years at the First Congregational Church UCC of Staples. He was ordained in November 2016 into the United Church of Christ (UCC). He lives with his wife, Amanda, son, Prescott, and daughter, Madelyn, in Sauk Rapids. Scott Rood ’03 (Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa.) was promoted to the rank of police sergeant with the East Pennsboro Township Police Department in Enola, Pa.
SWEETHEART WEEKEND July 20-21, 2018 Love is in the air…last year’s firstever Sweetheart Weekend was full of memories, romance, and a marriage proposal! Come home and re-kindle your romance at the place it all started… you never know what could happen! Email thale@winona.edu to register or to request more information.
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WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Congratulations to Grant Johnson and Lizzie Bartow ’14 on their engagement!
Class Notes He has worked for the police department since 2008, earning the rank of detective with the Cumberland County Drug Task Force. He is a member of the South Central Task Force, a crisis negotiator with the Cumberland County Special Response Team, an ACCESS Peer Assistance Officer, and he is currently one of only two certified polygraph examiners in Cumberland County. He is also the president of the East Pennsboro Township Police Association. Scott served as an officer in the U.S. Army for 11 years, and recently earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from the American Military University. He lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife of 12 years, Raena, and their three sons, Benjamin, Samuel and George. Melody Bass ‘04 (Goodhue, Minn.) married Michael Kurtti in August 2017. She is employed as a teacher with Minnesota Connections Academy in St. Paul, Minn. Stephen Bloechl ’04 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) is a medical doctor; has started an organic, gluten free farm in Michigan; and is moving towards free-range chickens that he’s been incorporating into a coop. He also has a sixth child whom he adopted. Brian Peloquin ‘04 (St. Paul, Minn.) is now the activities director for the White Bear Lake Area. He previously worked at Mounds View and Irondale. Nora Kraemer ’05 (Winona, Minn.) earned her Ph.D. in athletic training from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in April 2017 and has been teaching full time since 2009 in WSU’s Health, Exercise & Rehabilitative Sciences department. Andrea Mehlbaum ‘05 (Loves Park, Ill.) joined Rockford Vascular Surgery at SwedishAmerican as an advanced practice nurse. She recently completed a master’s degree in nursing from Concordia University in Wisconsin, is certified as a family nurse practitioner, and has more than 10 years of critical care nursing experience.
Derek ’06 & Sarah (Speckel) Hudyma ’06, ‘12 (Buffalo, Minn.) welcomed their second son, Declan, in June 2017. Marcus Krings ‘06 (Houston, Minn.) was promoted to credit card manager with Merchants Bank. He has been in banking for more than 11 years, joining Merchants in 2012. He joined the credit card department in 2016. Michelle (Walsh) Seliga ’05 (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and husband, Dan, celebrated the birth of their twins, Emily Mae and Leonard Michael, on October 19. Big sister Allison (3.5) couldn’t be more excited! Jason Steinmetz ’05 (Bloomer, Wis.) was hired as the assistant principal and activities director at Bloomer High School. A Bloomer native and graduate of BHS, he has been working in the district as a special education teacher for the past 11 years. He completed his master’s degree in educational leadership from Fielding Graduate University. He currently lives in Bloomer with his wife, Chelsea, and son, Parker. Lesley (Lowe) Dean ’06 (Seattle, Wash.) married David Beaumont Dean in June 2017 in Lyons, Colo. In addition to her degree from WSU, Lesley also graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with her master’s degree in recreational management. She currently works as an events specialist with Outessa, a women’s outdoor adventure initiative within REI Event Marketing.
Christoper Wernick ’06 (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) recently had his second child, a son named Andrew, who joins his older brother Tyler. Christopher recently started a new field sales position with Citrix. Sarah (Ede) Hansen ’08 (Minneapolis, Minn.) is married to Kyle Hansen, with two children: daughter Allyson (3) and son Aaron (1). She works for the non-profit Family Youth Community Connections, which provides programs and services that promote healthy kids, healthy families, and healthy communities. Kyle Tingum ‘08 (Esko, Minn.) has joined the cardiac rehabilitation staff at Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet as an exercise physiologist. He previously worked at Essentia in the stress lab as a cardiology technician. Courtney Cosgriff ‘09 (Madison, Wis.) has joined the Waunakee Public Library as the adult services and outreach manager. She received her master’s degree in library science online through San Jose State University. Travis Elmer ‘09 (Rush City, Minn.) married Andrea Schwichtenberg in September 2017. He is employed as a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol.
2010’s Tara (Robertson) Dooley ’06 (Scandia, Minn.) works as the head athletic trainer at Hamline University, contracted out from Twin Cities Orthopedics. She been working at Hamline University since 2012, and lives with her family, Aaron, Keira (4) and Corrine (1), and dogs Astrid and Angus, in St. Paul, Minn.
Jill Freeman ’10 (Albert Lea, Minn.) married Randy Larson in January 2018. She is a second grade teacher at NRHEG elementary school in Ellendale, Minn.
WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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Class Notes Brad Meyer ’11 & Jamie (Richter) Meyer ’12 (Sun Prairie, Wis.) welcomed Eli James Meyer on March 15, 2017. Stephanie (Candahl) LaBeause, a 2008 WSU graduate, was the family’s nurse.
Kyle Luebeck ’10 & Amanda (Schmick) Luebeck ’09, ’10 (Apple Valley, Minn.) are happy to announce the birth of their first child, Keira, born in February 2017. Kyle and Amanda own their own wealth management firm (Luebeck Wealth Management), managing a team of 10, which focuses on employee retirement plans for companies nationwide.
Crystal (Sheehan) Mueller ‘11 (Madison, Wis.) married Bryant Mueller in October 2017. She is employed as the RN LVAD coordinator at the University of WisconsinMadison. Hannah (Okerberg) Rinken ’11 (Waterloo, Iowa) is currently living in Iowa, working with Athletico Physical Therapy as the athletic training manager for Iowa.
Derrick Greiner ’11 (Fairmont, Minn.) has joined the Fairmont law firm of Krahmer, Shaffer & Edmundson, Ltd. (KS&E) as an attorney. He received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law in 2015 and then worked for two years as a law clerk for Judge Douglas Richards in Faribault County. Greiner’s practice areas include tax, real estate, ag law, estate planning and administration, and business law.
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Neal Peterson ’12 (White Bear Lake, Minn.) opened his own State Farm in Forest Lake, Minn. Chris Janssen ‘13 (Alexandria, Minn.) married Allie Batcher in July 2017. He works as a physical education teacher for Carlos, Miltona, and Garfield schools from the Alexandria School District. Thomas Platek ’13 (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) won an Emmy for his video production of a mission his grandfather flew in Vietnam as a fighter pilot and his experience being shot down over North Vietnam and rescued.
Matt Rosaaen ‘10 (Spring Grove, Minn.) is now teaching second grade and coaching junior varsity volleyball in Spring Grove, Minn. He previously taught at KassonMantorville. Sharon (Artley) Gregerson ’11 (Menomonie, Wis.) and her husband, Sean, welcomed their first child, Morgan, in May 2017. Morgan was born three months premature, spending her first 103 days at the Mayo Clinic NICU in Rochester, Minn. Morgan is now home, happy and healthy!
Isaiah McBride ’12 (Princeton, Minn.) is working as the director of the Rejuv Medical HARDcore program, providing strength and conditioning training for area high school athletes. After graduating from WSU, he received a graduate degree at a U.S. Olympic training site and worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Chinese Taipei National men’s basketball team.
Nell (Adams) Waxman ’11 (Rochester, Minn.) married Jacob Waxman in Rochester, Minn., in August 2017. Krystle (Lonning) Belshan ’12 (Albert Lea, Minn.) has been named the head coach of the Glenville-Emmons volleyball team. After graduating from WSU, she taught at LeRoy-Ostrander for five years and was assistant volleyball coach for four. Kirsten Dorumsgaard ’12 (Minneapolis, Minn.) is currently in a police cadet education program at Hennepin Technical College, and will be a full time police officer in Eagan, Minn., in 2018. John Halderman ‘12 (St. Paul, Minn.) is working for St. Paul Parks and Recreation as the community recreation specialist at the Northwest Como recreation center. Anne Janey ’12 (Foley, Minn.) has joined The Village Family Service Center providing children’s therapeutic support and services. She is working toward a master’s degree in professional clinical counseling through Adler Graduate School. She interned with The Village in 2015 at its Alexandria office.
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Tyler Treptow-Bowman ’14 & Matt Treptow-Bowman ’15 (Winona, Minn.) were married in January 2017. Now living back in Winona, Tyler works as an academic advisor/recruitment & retention specialist at WSU and Matt works as a senior sales coordinator for Marriott International. Tyler previously earned his master’s in education in higher education administration from the University of Kansas in May 2016. Beth Caven ‘14 (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) was hired by Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet to join its hospitalist program. She previously worked as an intensive care and critical care nurse at Abbott Northwestern and a nurse practitioner at Health East, both in the Twin Cities. Ryan Danczak ’14 (Seattle, Wash.) known online as ibestrafing, is one of the top competitive EA Sports’ Madden NFL players in the world. He entered his first tournament in 2014, and has quickly shot up the ranks. After graduating from WSU and teaching for a short time, Ryan earned his master’s in statistics from the University of Nebraska.
Class Notes Gregory Gerke ’14 (Manhattan, Kan.) was hired as an investment accounting specialist by the Kansas State University Foundation. He is a licensed certified public accountant in Minnesota and moved to Manhattan, Kan., with his family.
published on a large-scale study which demonstrated the potential of treating rare and complex eye conditions by matching existing drugs with proteins that are abnormally expressed in the eyes of individual patients.
Evan Morris ’16 (Kasson, Minn.) is now teaching middle school special education in Byron, Minn. After graduating from WSU, he taught special education at Cook County High School in Grand Marais, Minn., before being hired in Byron.
Jacqui (Jepson) Richter ‘14 (Alden, Minn.) married Daniel Richter in August 2017. She is currently employed as a math teacher at Albert Lea High School.
Molly O’Connor ’15 (St Paul, Minn.) joined the staff at the Independent Review as a reporter.
Garrett Stadsvold ’16 (Rochester, Minn.) is working at the American Cancer Society as community development manager.
Anthony Resnick ’15 (Cambridge, Wis.) was hired as a multimedia specialist for the University of Nevada men’s basketball team. He previously worked for two years as the athletic communications graduate assistant for Winona State.
Stacy Hansen ‘17 (Ellsworth, Wis.) has joined Hudson Physicians as a certified nurse practitioner. She received her Master of Nursing in acute care from Allen College of Nursing and a post-master’s certificate in family medicine from WSU. She is board certified as an acute care nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner.
Daniel Sebo ’14 (Winona, Minn.) represented the state and Region 4 in the National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition in July 2017. Following the competition, he was honored as the Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Sebo has been with the Guard for almost nine years, now as a medic and instructor with the 2nd Batallion, 175th Regiment Regional Training Institute. Previous honors include being an honor graduate of the Army Basic Instructors Course, an honor graduate for the 68W Combat Medic/Healthcare Specialist Course, recipient of the Distinguished Leadership Award during the Warrior Leader Course 2013, and was the runnerup Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for the Minnesota National Guard in 2016. Matthew Splon ’14 (Prospect Heights, Ill.) has been hired as a defensive backs coach at the University of Mary. He recently completed his master’s degree in educational leadership and sports management in December 2017 from Winona State. Julie Hedlund ’15 (Byron, Minn.) was hired as an associate professor of business at Bethel University. She brings three decades of marketing industry experience to her appointment, along with experience as an adjunct faculty member at Bethel since spring 2016. Julie earned a Bachelor of Science in business from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master of Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wis., and completed a business education licensure from Winona State University-Rochester. Gabriel Velez ’14 (Iowa City, Iowa), now an MD/Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa, was lead author on a paper recently
Ryan Frye ’16 (Kendall, Wis.) is teaching middle/high school social studies in Mauston, Wis. Michael Goergen ‘16 (La Crosse, Wis.) was sworn in as a new police officer with the La Crosse Police Department. Matthew Lambert ‘16 (Rochester, Minn.) is a new reporter with Agri News, a publication of the Post Bulletin Co. He previously worked as a news reporter for the Pierce County Herald in Ellsworth, Wis.
John Kuziej ‘17 (Burnsville, Minn.) was one of 10 finalists for induction into the Packers Fan Hall of Fame. Nominated by his father, John was this year’s only Minnesota nominee.
Conrad Masberg ’16 (Kilkenny, Minn.) is teaching special education at KenyonWanamingo High School. Sharna Miller ’16 (Annandale, Minn.) is completing her master’s degree in social work at San Diego State University, with plans to graduate in spring 2018.
Russell Wedger ’17 (Winona, Minn.) was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in July 2017. He was working on completing TBS (The Basic School) in Virginia in fall 2017, and then he and his wife will move to Florida for Flight School in the spring/summer of 2018.
WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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In Memoriam 1930’s
Gene (Muxlow) Luren ’38 (St. Louis Park, Minn.) died Nov. 17, 2017. She taught elementary school in St. Louis Park for over 40 years and worked for Dayton’s Ridgedale part-time for
20 years.
1940’s
June (Lerstad) Braisted ’40 (Jamestown, N.D.) died June 17, 2017. Born in Virginia, Minn., she graduated from Virginia Junior College and Winona State Teachers College. She taught school in Warroad, Minn.; Alpena, Mich.; and returned to Virginia to teach until she was married to Lloyd Braisted in 1953. They made their home on a farm near Hope, N.D., and June taught in Pillsbury, N.D., from 1969-1970. After her husband passed away in 1980, she continued to live in Hope until moving to Valley City in 1990, and later to Jamestown in 1999. Inez Hauglum ’42 (Hayfield, Wis.) died Oct. 3, 2017. She taught third- and fourthgrade students in Adams and took care of her mother for many years. Inez loved rummage sales, crocheting, and working on quilts. Thusnelda “Teddi” (Bauer) Herzfeld ’44 (West Brandywine, Pa.) died Aug. 7, 2017. Born in Spencer, Neb., she grew up in Truman, Minn., and graduated from Winona State Teachers College. She began teaching in a one-room school and subsequently taught elementary school in Rochester, Minn. She married Valerius Herzfeld in 1949, and they moved to Illinois, then to Madison, Wis., where Val earned his Ph.D. while Teddi taught school. They then moved to St. Paul, Minn., where they had two daughters, and to Valley Forge, Pa., in the mid-1960s.
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Barbara (Nuszloch) Culhane ’48 (Rushford, Minn.) died Dec. 6, 2017. She was a graduate of Winona State Teachers College and was employed as an elementary teacher for 30 years. She was an avid reader and also enjoyed traveling, sewing, knitting, and doing volunteer work.
1950’s
Carol (Stromberg) Burgess ’50 (Tower, Minn.) died Aug. 17, 2017. She was a teacher, wife, mother, homemaker, grandma, great-grandma, and cherished time spent with her family. Carol was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tower, the Nelson-Jackson American Legion Post #245 auxiliary, TOPS, WELCA, and had worked at the Tower News. She was an avid reader, gardener, enjoyed cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, boating, family outings and was a Twins fan. Carol looked forward to her annual trip to Las Vegas with her brother and sister-in-law, and enjoyed the music of the Mesabi Orchestra and German bands. Odell Lee ’51 (Mabel, Minn.) died Aug. 29, 2017. Odell entered military service, Army branch, in September 1951. For most of his two years of service, he was stationed at Darmstadt, Germany. Following his honorable discharge in September 1953, Odell worked in retail at Powers Department Store in downtown Minneapolis, and returned to Mabel in 1955 when he bought his father’s insurance agency, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 2009. In 1957, he married Dorene Peterson of Mabel, with whom he had four children. They later welcomed 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was heavily involved in his community, including Ma-Cal Grove, Mabel Grenadiers, Mabel Legion Post, Steam Engine Days, Mabel Business Association, Mabel Lions Club, American Legion Post 299, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Mabel First Lutheran Church, District Lions Club, State Association of Insurance Agents,
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Osman Temple Shrine, and the Mabel Boy Scout Troop. Dorothy (Vehrenkamp) Mahlke ’52 (Winona, Minn.) died Sept. 18, 2017. After graduation from Chatfield High School in 1940, Dorothy honorably served her country with the U.S. Navy WAVES during World War II. After her service, Dorothy returned to Winona, where she graduated from Winona State Teachers College. Dorothy married Robert Mahlke in 1952, and he preceded her in death in 2006. She was a member of St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winona, where she helped with Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Girl Pioneers. Grace (Wondrow) Mueller ’52 (St. Charles, Minn.) died June 17, 2017. She began teaching for a year before she married Irwin Mueller on August 25, 1936. The young, loving couple had one daughter, Carmon. After Carmon was born, Grace took a break from teaching and helped Irwin around the farm for a few years before returning to her true passion. She taught for 30 years alltogether; 5 at rural school houses, 7 in Eyota and 19 in Rochester, where she won the naming contest for the new school being built. Her entry was Harriet Bishop, the person to start the first organized school in the Minnesota Territory. She received her master’s in education from Winona State Teachers College. She was active in the PTA, Senior Citizens Center and St. Matthew’s Church. Jean (Percy) Polachek ’53 (Sycamore, Ill.) died June 29, 2017. Raised in Winona, Minn., she graduated from Winona State College with an associate’s degree in English and bachelor’s degree in music education. Her first teaching job took her to Galesville, Wis. She then married Ralph Polachek in Winona in 1953 and they moved to Illinois, where they had three children. Jean was a devoted wife and mother. She returned to teaching general music and elementary strings for nearly 30 years at various schools.
In Memoriam She also taught piano lessons and other instrument lessons at home, after school, and was involved in various activities in her community. Martin Roessler ’53 (Edina, Minn.) died June 24, 2017. Born and raised in Cochrane, Wis., he served in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from Winona State Teachers College. He retired from Blue Cross and was active in his community and church, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, for 60 years. He enjoyed frequent European and domestic travel to visit museums, cribbage, reading, and unofficial coaching of many sports. Nancy L. Skorlinski ’54 (North Fort Myers, Fla.) died Sept. 11, 2017. She attended Winona State Teachers College and then taught first grade at CochraneFountain City School until she retired. William Wieczorek ’57 (Winona, Minn.) died July 5, 2017. Born in Winona, he graduated from Cotter High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He served in the Army and Air Force Special Services, and was signed with the Cleveland Indians to play for two of their affiliates in the Wisconsin State League, and later in the Southern Minny League. He later graduated from Winona State Teachers College, where he served as the Newman Club president and played first base on the varsity baseball team. He married Mary Agnes O’Hern in 1961. He opened Bill’s Burgers on Highway 61 right out of college, worked for Northern States Power (NSP) as a sales rep – where he played an instrumental part in illuminating Sugar Loaf, worked in real estate sales and development, and was an owner of Winona Warehouse Corporation and Hiawatha Valley Corporation. He was also civic-minded and gave his time to numerous organizations. Thelma Ahrens ’58 (Sheffield, Iowa) died June 24, 2017. She graduated from Cresco High School and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Winona State Teachers College. Thelma worked as a
high school and university teacher, and then worked for Curries Industries in Mason City, Iowa. She retired in 1998. LaVerne Pieper ’58 (Caledonia, Minn.) died October 1, 2017. Vern graduated from Winona State College, where he earned four letters in football, two letters in wrestling, and became an NAIA All-American. After college, Vern was a teacher and the wrestling coach in Richland Center, Wis., from 1958-1962 and in Stoughton, Wis., from 19621995. Vern coached seven state team championships, along with 20 Badger Conference championships, 28 state individual champions and 53 other state place winners. Of those, two individuals became silver medalists in the Olympics and both became Big Ten coaches (for Ohio State and University of Wisconsin). In 1997-1998, his team scored 140 points in the state wrestling tournament – the highest point total in the 45-year history of state wrestling tournaments, and a record that still stands today. Raymond Myers ’59 (Alexandria, Minn.) died August 23, 2017. He married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn, in 1956, and taught industrial arts special education in Minnesota, Maryland, and Iowa. He and Marilyn moved to Alexandria in 1976. Ray worked at Bellanca and Eagle Aircraft and Alex Glass and Glazing until retiring in 1997. He was a talented wood worker and made many things for friends and the Shalom bazaar.
1960’s
David Prondzinski ’61 (Galesville, Wis.) died July 19, 2017. He married Maxine Heaser in 1961. He graduated Cotter High School and Winona State College; special memories from those years include playing for Coach John Nett and participating in state tournaments. For 39 years, Dave was a dedicated math teacher to junior high students in Waukon, Iowa, and Dover, Minn., and spent most of
his years in Trempealeau, Wis. He worked many summers at The Berry Patch in Trempealeau, served as town supervisor for the Town of Trempealeau for 25 years, and spent many years volunteering at the food pantry and recycling center. George Tashima ’61 (Blooming Prairie, Minn.) died Sept. 11, 2017. Born in Holualoa-Kona, Hawaii, George began his Blooming Prairie teaching career in 1962 after graduating from Winona State College. He taught both math and science at BPHS, coached BPHS wrestling for 16 years, and continued to help out at the scorer’s table after he stepped away from coaching. George married Peggy in 1982 and had two boys, Gary and Sam. Charles Kirchner ’62 (Fountain City, Wis.) died Nov. 8, 2017. He graduated from Fountain City High School and Winona State College, and then went on to serve as a member of the U.S. Army, both in active duty and the Army Reserves, until his honorable discharge in 1969. Charlie married Mary Knowles in 1964, with whom he had three children. During his school days, Charlie worked for Haueser Brothers Construction out of Fountain City. Following his military service, Charlie began what would be a long and successful career with his father and uncle at the banks they owned both in Fountain City and in Alma, Wis. He was an active member of St. John’s United Church of Christ, Fountain City, the Fountain City Rod & Gun Club, C-FC American Legion, Post 56, Lions Club, and the C-FC school board. Gale Sprute ’62 (Farmington, Minn.) died October 26, 2017. Born in Farmington, Minn., he graduated from Farmington High School, where he competed in basketball, football, and track, setting a number of school records. His four-year career record of 1,736 points scored in basketball still stands, as does his record time in hurdles. He was awarded a scholarship to Winona State College, where he had an outstanding career in football, being inducted into the WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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In Memoriam University’s Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1962, he married his college sweetheart, Carol Kathryn Buettner. Gale taught mathematics and physical education for 30 years and was an active community member, serving as a volunteer fireman, city councilman, and youth sport coach. He designed the fire department’s logo as well as the 9/11 Memorial located at Fire Station 1. Lorraine L. Wachs ’62 (Winona, Minn.) died Dec. 29, 2017. She earned a Master of Science from Winona State in 1968. During the 1960s, she taught English in Lancaster, Wis.; Melrose, Wis.; and Spring Grove, Minn. Lorraine returned to Winona in the early 1970s, where she worked for UBC for more than 35 years, retiring in 2006. John Fluegel ’63 (St. Paul, Minn.) died October 27, 2017. John grew up in St. Paul and later attended Winona State College, where he received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and science. Upon graduation, John taught math and science at a local high school before returning to graduate school. He attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., where he earned a master’s degree in accounting. After graduate school, John became a CPA and worked for a large accounting firm before starting his own practice. In 1978, he married Connie Jean Moats, with whom he shared 39 loving years in both Houston and Kerrville, Texas. Judith “Jude” Bell ’64 (Milton, Wis.) died June 14, 2017. She graduated from Galesville High School and served as a licensed practical nurse in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California. Jude graduated from Winona State College in 1965 with a degree in physical education and after worked for the school districts of Madison and La Crosse as a physical education teacher for over 30 years.
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Dorothy (Arntsen) Fregin ’64 (La Crosse, Wis.) died June 29, 2017. She graduated from Holmen High School, received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from La Crosse State, and eventually her master’s degree from Winona State College. Dorothy’s first teaching position was in Union Mills, where she taught all eight grades. She ultimately found her niche teaching special education in the La Crosse school district, from which she retired in 1984. Dorothy married Herb Fregin in 1947, who preceded her in death in 2002. Earl Lawrence Branum ‘65 (Chatfield, Minn.) died Jan. 12, 2018. He graduated from Austin High School and earned a degree in biology from Winona State College, where he met his wife, Martha (Paulson) Branum. They settled in Chatfield, Minn., and he began his 39-year career at Mayo Clinic as a laboratory supervisor. They had three children, Sherri, Mark, and Beth. Earl was an active community member with many organizations. Herbert L. Haack ’65 (Buckeye, Ariz.) died Nov. 9, 2017. After graduating from Cotter High School, he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Winona State College. He was a math teacher at Central Junior High School and John Adams Middle School in Rochester, retiring in 2000. Herb and Pamela Johnson were married in July 1974, and they had two daughters, Natalie and Leah. He and Pam moved to Buckeye, Ariz., in 2013. Robert Seyba ’65 (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) died June 26, 2017. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Bob excelled in both wrestling and cross country in high school. He attended Winona State College before coaching track and wresting while teaching math and science at McKinley and Franklin middle schools in Cedar Rapids. He will be remembered as a devoted fan of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling, football, and basketball.
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Jay Van Oort ’65 (Rochester, Minn.) died Sept. 16, 2017. Jay graduated from Orange City High School and the University of Northern Iowa. In 1953, he married Charlene Wirsing and the couple lived in Iowa and Washington before moving to Rochester in 1959. Jay served in the U.S. Army from 1955-1957 and later received his master’s degree in education from Winona State College. Jay taught sixth grade at Jefferson Elementary School for 36 years. He was president of REA, served in MEA as a field staff member, and became a life member of NEA. He played trumpet in the Notochords, a local amateur jazz group, volunteered as a youth football coach for his sons’ team, and was a certified ski instructor at Welch Village for more than 20 years. He was always very active in all of his kids’ activities, an avid golfer, and enjoyed camping during his 20-plus years of retirement. Dana Jean Schott ’67 (Eyota, Minn.) died Nov. 23, 2017. In 1967, one week after graduating from Winona State College, she married Tom Schott. Dana’s first teaching job was in Lynd, Minn., as a second grade teacher. She later taught first grade in Chatfield and then at Dover-Eyota, where she retired after 29 years. Robert “Bob” Barr ’68 (Bloomington, Wis.) died July 25, 2017. He graduated from Bagley High School and University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and received a master’s degree at Winona State. Bob married Barbara Mecum, with whom he had three children. They resided in Mauston, Wis., where Bob taught and coached basketball, winning three conference championships in 12 years. He “retired” to the Mecum family farm in Bagley in 1973 and refereed football, basketball, and umpired baseball for 43 years. During that time, he also coached a girls’ basketball team to state.
In Memoriam Robert Judge ’68 (Tyler, Texas) died Oct. 24, 2017. From a very early age, he had a passion for education as a means of achieving one’s full potential and was determined to improve students’ experience in school. Bob touched many lives throughout his 40-year career as an educator. In addition to his career, Bob enjoyed golfing, volunteering with the CASA organization, and watching his Vikings and Longhorns. Bob will be missed terribly for so many reasons, not least his strength, wit, strong sense of morality, and zest for life. Doug Rosendahl ’68 (Fountain City, Wis.) died Nov. 23, 2017. Doug fought a courageous battle with Multiple System Atrophy for over five years. He maintained his positive attitude, faith and sense of humor with a strength that will never be forgotten. Doug was born June 12, 1945, in Minneapolis, Minn. He graduated from Bloomington High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Winona State. He married Kathleen Lorraine (Nelson) in 1978. He earned his master’s degree from Mankato State University and taught life science and earth science for 37 years at Winona Senior High School and Winona Middle School. He finished his teaching career with six years at Winona State University as a professor in anatomy and physiology. Along with teaching, Doug served as an EMT, coach, commissioned lay pastor, and Winona City Council member. Doug found great enjoyment in nature hikes, telling bad jokes, reading, and treasured time with his family. Roger Wistrcill ‘68 (Cumberland, Wis.) died Jan. 11, 2018. He attended Pacelli High School, where he was selected as First Team All-State in football and lettered in basketball and baseball. He went on to attend Winona State College, where he was a four-year starter in football while earning a degree in health and physical education. He later went on to complete his master’s degree. His first taught in Cochrane-Fountain City, Wis., and later went on to teach and coach at Cumberland High School for 29 years.
He served as principal at Chetek High school and concluded his educational career as principal at Cumberland High School. In his retirement, he worked for WITC and facilitated a master’s program for area educators. Orin Howard “Skip” Holtan ’69 (Burnsville, Minn.) died Sept 1, 2017. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Shirley (nee Zachman), sons Erik (Melissa), John, and Mark (Shana), as well as seven grandchildren. Orin was a veteran and junior high teacher of industrial arts. Woodworking and street rods were his passion, with a love of Corvettes. He served on the Burnsville planning commission and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. Charles “Charlie” R. Karau ’69 (Rochester, Minn.) died June 26, 2017. He graduated from John Marshall High School and Winona State College, receiving his master’s degree in education. Charlie served in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves. He then married Bonnie Peck, with whom he had three sons. They later divorced, and he was remarried to Denise Wilkes in 1990. Charlie’s teaching career included Central Junior High School in Rochester, Willow Creek Middle School in Rochester, and Friedell Middle School, from which he retired in 2000. Roberta Newer ’69 (Rochester, Minn.) died July 13, 2017. She moved around while growing up, graduating high school in New York City and attending college in Sterling, Kan., where she met and married her husband, Roy Newer. Together, they had three children and lived in Illinois, Wyoming, and Minnesota. Roberta taught at Central and Willow Creek junior highs in Rochester for 33 years as a reading teacher. She also obtained her master’s in psychology from Winona State and gave private lessons in the musical arts.
1970’s
Susan (Rodley) Borgen ’70 (Rochester, Minn.) died Nov. 21, 2017. After graduating from Washburn High School in Minneapolis, Minn., Susan attended Winona State College. Following graduation from Winona State, she taught art education for one year in Marshfield, Wis.; married Wayne Borgen in 1971; and moved to Hayfield, at which time she began her career at the Mayo Clinic. In 1983, her family moved to Rochester, Minn. Sue worked at the Mayo Clinic for 37 years, earned a master’s degree in organizational management and retired from the finance department as a logistics manager in 2009. She enjoyed traveling, from backpacking through Europe to a Polish wedding, a wine tour in France, a China tour and hospital visit, and a yearlong RV trip around the United States. Richard Davis ’71 (Rochester, Minn.) died Aug. 8, 2017. He graduated from Winona Senior High School and received his bachelor’s degree in art from Winona State College. He served in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in July 1966. In 1968, he married Aloha Denzer in Winona, and they had four children. Richard was employed at Winona State University for 37 years, retiring in 2007 as the director of publications. He was a member of the American Legion Post 9; VFW Post 1287; Pickwick Cemetery Board; Minnesota City Historical Society; and the Civil War Round Table. Upon retirement, he became an avid golfer. When he couldn’t make it to the course, he enjoyed drawing, painting, reading about history, and watching sports, especially baseball and football. Deloris (Kratz) Limpert ’71 (Rochester, Minn.) died Dec. 8, 2017. Born in Winona, Minn., she attended Winona Senior High School, where she played the WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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In Memoriam violin in the school’s orchestra. Following high school, Deloris worked at Standard Lumber Company in Winona and married Roland John Christian Limpert Sr. in 1951. Following her husband’s death in 1965, Deloris enrolled at Winona State College, earning a bachelor’s degree in teaching and later, a Master of Science in education. While attending college and raising four sons, she worked in the trust department of the First National Bank in Winona. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she accepted a teaching position in Lake Benton, Minn., and then a position at Elgin-Millville High School as a special education teacher, from which she retired in 1994. Richard Haugstad ’72 (Preston, Minn.) died Oct. 4, 2017. A 1967 graduate of Preston High School, he achieved his Bachelor of Science from Winona State College in 1972. He worked as a production, and later sales, manager for Babcock Swine from 1973 to 1980. He then owned and operated several auto dealerships in Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas. He later became an agent, which led to speculating in real estate. He loved the outdoors: hunting, fishing, and most of all, his horses and dog, Jake. He is survived by the love of his life, Jean Haakenson, among others. Donald Roetter ’72 (Melrose, Wis.) died July 28, 2017. He grew up in many cities but considered Minnesota his home state. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School, Minneapolis, in 1955 and immediately enrolled in the U.S. Navy. After being honorably discharged, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to fulfill his dream of becoming a physical education teacher and coach. Don married Jean McHenry in 1964 and had four children. He taught physical education and at various times, coached football, basketball, and track and field at school districts in Adams-Friendship, Melrose-Mindoro, and Whitehall, Wis. In 1972, he earned a master’s in education from Winona State College and completed his thesis on integrating children of all abilities into physical education classes, which was a novel idea at that time. 24
Bruce Wolfgram ’72 (Albert Lea, Minn.) died Aug. 12, 2017. Bruce graduated from Red Wing High School in 1968 and Winona State in 1972. Also in 1972, Bruce married Marsha Tweeten. He was the elementary physical education teacher at New Richland Hartland schools from 1972 to 2007. He also enjoyed coaching wrestling there. His career goal was to help his students find and enjoy lifelong fitness activities. Bruce enjoyed the outdoors, going hunting and fishing often. He was a muskie-fishing guide on Cass Lake during the summer. He played pickle ball and helped establish programs in Bemidji, Minn., and Osprey, Fla.
1950, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics from South Dakota State (College) University. He received American Bankers Association accreditation from the Oklahoma University School of Commercial Lending, the University of Wisconsin School of Installment Lending, and the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking. He later received his master’s in business from Winona State University and was a licensed realtor in Minnesota. He married Margaret A. Tyler in 1954, celebrating their 63rd anniversary this last June. Dale served his country as a member of the U.S. Army, followed by a 30-year career in the banking industry. He retired in 1998 as a sales tax auditor for the Arizona Department of Revenue.
Marilyn A. (Luegge) Hansen ’73 (Winona, Minn.) died Dec. 23, 2017. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Winona State College, followed by teaching elementary school in Lewiston, Minn., for more than 20 years.
1980’s
Mary Ann Bantle ’75 (La Crosse, Wis.) died June 22, 2017. She graduated from Aquinas High School in La Crosse and married William Bantle in 1954. She stayed at home until their children were in school, at which point she received her associate’s degree from Western Wisconsin Technical Institute in legal secretarial science. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Winona State and was hired as an instructor at WWTI. She continued her education by receiving a master’s degree from UW-Stout in vocational rehabilitation, and continued teaching at WWTI in the secretarial department for 24 years, retiring in 1994.
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Dale Eikmeier ’76 (Phoenix, Ariz.) died Aug. 20, 2017. Born in Pipestone, Minn., he grew up on the Minnesota/South Dakota border, graduated from Jasper High School in
William Sutmar ’82 (Mendota Heights, Minn.) died Oct. 17, 2017. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Winona State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. Bill treasured spending time at the cabin, fishing with his brothers and son, sitting around a campfire, and watching sports with his family and friends. Bill loved his family more than anything in the world – his wife, Ann, and two children, Lauren and Mark. William Pischke ’84 (Renwick, Iowa) died Oct. 4, 2017. He graduated from Winona State University with a degree in criminal justice. An Army veteran, Bill spent most of his career working for the State of Iowa, passionately protecting children from abuse. He married Cindy in 1977. He dedicated his life to taking care of those around him whom he loved. His hobbies included hunting and fishing, but he was most passionate about creating smiles for others. Donna (Cole) Kraft ’87 (Minneapolis, Minn.) died July 7, 2017. She graduated from Washburn High School in 1948 and earned a degree in social work from the University of Minnesota. She married Fred in 1951 and they moved to his hometown of
In Memoriam Austin, Minn., where they raised their four children. When their children were grown, Donna returned to college and earned an accounting degree from Winona State University in Rochester, Minn. She and Fred moved back to the Twin Cities in 1987, and Donna worked for the next 20 years as an accountant for Krause Anderson Construction and Christ Presbyterian Church. Patricia (Jordan) Berkley ’88 (Winona, Minn.) died May 30, 2017. She was educated in Des Moines, Iowa, where she met Ed Berkley, whom she married in 1970. She graduated from Mankato State University with an elementary teaching degree, and went on to teach elementary school in Des Moines for 11 years. They had three children and moved to Winona in 1983, where Pat received her master’s in elementary counseling from Winona State. She worked for the Onalaska and Winona public schools during her career. Tara (Ellinghusen) Biever ’89 (Kellogg, Minn.) died Oct. 30, 2017. Tara was a graduate of Wabasha-Kellogg High School and Winona State University. After receiving her degree, she managed Maurice’s clothing stores in Faribault, Mankato, Rochester and Eau Claire. She married John Biever in 1989, and they decided to move back to the area they loved in 1994. Tara then attended St. Mary’s University in Winona and received her master’s degree in education. She taught secondary education at Wabasha-Kellogg School for 17 years, teaching classes in world geography, American history, advanced placement psychology, stress management and community awareness. Tara was also an accomplished volleyball and track coach at W-K, with her volleyball teams being very successful and crowned state champions in 2010. Jan (Gatwood) Eisner ’89 (Bethesda, Md.) died Sept. 7, 2017. An artist, athlete, health professional, community activist, and mother of two sons, she lived and worked in many places, including Ohio,
Texas, New York, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Maryland. She married James Roman Eisner in 1993. She studied dance at BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, the Joffrey Ballet in New York City, and performed with ballet companies in Columbus, Ohio and San Antonio, Texas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Winona State University and another in nursing from the University of Wisconsin. She worked as a registered nurse and co-authored several articles, including one on pain management for cancer patients. She volunteered for MobileMed, providing healthcare to lowincome people in Montgomery County, Maryland, for which she received the Meyersburg Award. She founded Run for the Stripes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding neuroendocrine research, and earned a Distinguished Partner in Hope Award from the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, in conjunction with the NET Research Foundation, for her commitment to raising awareness and support for neuroendocrine patients and families.
1990’s
Rev. Dr. Stephen A. DeFor ‘91 (Austin, Minn.) died Jan. 12, 2018. He graduated from Austin High School and married Donna Kiewatt shortly after. They had three children and later divorced. Steve received a bachelor’s degree in theology from Minnesota Bible College, a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Paul Bible College, and a Master of Divinity from Lincoln Christian Seminary in Illinois. While in Illinois, he worked as a youth minister at First Christian Church in Joliet, becoming a minister after receiving his master’s degree. He later accepted a position as a professor of Christian education and history at Minnesota Bible College in Rochester, and moved his family to Austin. He received his Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Master of Science in counseling from Winona State University. In 1999, he became a minister at the Church of Christ in Austin.
Joan (Horstmann) Hodge ’92 (Stewartville, Minn.) died Oct. 17, 2017. She graduated from Stewartville High School and attended MethodistKahler nursing school. She married her high school sweetheart, Duane Hodge, in 1971, and was employed as an RN at Rochester Methodist Hospital-Mayo Clinic until her retirement in 2010. Sheryl (Lewis) Capelle ’94 (Stewartville, Minn.) died Aug. 5, 2017. She graduated from John Marshall High School, Rochester Community and Technical College, and then Winona State University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Sheryl continued her education and received her master’s degree in nursing in 2014. In 1994, she married Kevin Capelle; they later divorced. She began her career at Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Mary’s Campus after graduation and enjoyed working for a number of years as the nurse manager of Joseph 3-B. Sheryl enjoyed the time she spent with her sons, along with gardening, attending Wild hockey games, playing golf and taking care of her pets. Julie Hadoff ’94 (Winona, Minn.) died Nov. 22, 2017. She graduated from Lanesboro High School in 1976. After graduation, Julie attended Winona State University. She enjoyed quilting with the ladies at Central Lutheran Church in Winona, and also loved watching sci-fi movies and cheering on the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins. Brady Lee Olson ’94 (Ettrick, Wis.) died Aug. 21, 2017. He graduated from Gale-EttrickTrempeleau High School and Winona State University, with a degree in science education. He briefly taught at Winona Senior High, where he met his wife, and later taught at his alma mater, G-E-T high school, for 22 years. He earned his master’s degrees in education from Winona State and global positioning systems from St. Mary’s University in Winona. He also coached various sports throughout his teaching career.
WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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In Memoriam William “Bill” Mathews ‘95 (Wayzata, Minn.) died Sept. 8, 2017. He graduated from Pine Island High School and attended Rochester Community College. He earned a degree in law enforcement from Winona State University and worked with the Winona and Rochester Police Departments prior to becoming a licensed police officer. His first job as a licensed officer was with the Zumbrota Police Department, and he later joined the Wayzata Police Department in 2008. Marilyn (Rabine) Smith ‘95 (Rochester, Minn.) died Jan. 24, 2018. She graduated from Elkton High School and received a nursing diploma from St. Barnabas Nursing School in Minneapolis. She later received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from St. Theresa’s in Winona and a Master of Science in counselor education from Winona State University. Marilyn started her career as a nurse at Spring Valley Hospital and later spent 25 years with Mayo Clinic as an educator in the department of patient education. She then became a learning and development consultant in the office of leadership and organizational development at Mayo, where she created and facilitated the clinic’s new employee orientation. She spent many hours volunteering with several organizations, and loved to travel with her husband, Gary.
2000’s
Mary Ellen Pischke ‘02 (Rochester, Minn.) died Jan. 16, 2018. She broke her neck and became paralyzed in 1977, and worked for more than 20 years as a counselor, teacher, and mentor for others with disabilities. She was an active volunteer on various disability councils and in her church. She completed her bachelor’s degree in education from Winona State University in 2002, and worked as a substitute teacher for more than 10 years.
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Lenore (Ovrebo) Delhanty ’07 (Pine Island, Minn.) died Nov. 8, 2017. Lenore graduated from John Marshall High School and later Winona State University with a degree in computer science. She had been an IBM employee for more than 10 years. Deborah (Kieke) Hain ’07 (Rochester, Minn.) died Oct. 19, 2017. Deborah was a devoted wife, mother and caregiver to her family. She was also a personal care assistant and realtor before she returned to school. She graduated from Winona State University with her Bachelor of Arts and was a candidate for a master’s in psychology, specializing in child therapy, at St. Mary’s University. On Aug. 7, 2009, Deborah married Brian Hain in Rochester. She enjoyed painting, fishing, sewing, cooking and hunting for antiques.
2010’s
Michael Barnard ’11 (Bay City, Mich.) died July 28, 2017. He graduated from high school in 2006 and had a passion for playing both baseball & football. While attending college at Winona State, Mike met his wife, Erica. He graduated from Winona State in 2011 with a degree in composite materials engineering and a minor in mathematics. Mike worked for Gougeon Brothers Inc. of Bay City as a technical advisor for over 6 years. He enjoyed traveling and was able to visit 43 states as well as New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark in his short but full life.
Faculty/Staff
Leo Morgan, Sr. (Winona, Minn.) died Oct. 30, 2017. After graduating from Pillager High School, Leo moved to Vancouver, Wash., and met Vivian Gene (Hendren) Morgan, whom he married in 1944. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945, and later earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University, Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota, and Doctor of
WSU Currents • blogs.winona.edu/alumni
Education from the University of Northern Colorado. During those years, Leo taught industrial education at Aitkin Public Schools and Hopkins Public Schools. Leo and Vivian moved to Winona in 1968, where he was a professor at Winona State University, elected department chair, and retired in 1986, as professor emeritus. David Bratt (Winona, Minn.) died Nov. 12, 2017. Born in Sioux Falls, S.D., David grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he developed his interest for stage acting. He attended Calvin College for his undergraduate degree, where he met and married his wife, Susan Vonhof. He received his master’s and Ph.D. in dramatic art from the University of Iowa and UC-Santa Barbara, and then accepted a teaching position at Winona State University in 1976, where he remained for 32 years until retiring in 2008. While at WSU, he taught theatre courses, directed plays, and led student trips to London and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. He served as department chairperson, president of the WSU Faculty Association, and helped WSU’s theatre major curriculum gain accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Following their retirement, David and Susan moved to Minneapolis, where he volunteered at the Guthrie Theater and tutored adult immigrant students studying to take the U.S. citizenship test. Rita Lueck (Winona, Minn.) died Aug. 30, 2017. Rita grew up in Winona, graduated from Cathedral High School in 1949, and married David H. Lueck in 1951. She was a dedicated full-time mom for many years, went to work when her children grew up and retired from Winona State University after working in the Financial Aid office for 20 years.
CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING
Alumni Events JUNE 21: LA CROSSE LOGGERS GAME & SOCIAL Copeland Park La Crosse, WI 6:30pm JULY 8: MINNESOTA TWINS GAME & SOCIAL Minneapolis, MN Social: 508 Club 11am-12:30pm Game: Target Field 1:10pm
JULY 20-21: SWEETHEART WEEKEND Winona, MN AUGUST 5: ARLINGTON RACE TRACK Arlington, IL 12-5pm AUGUST 12: WSU AT COMO ZOO St. Paul, MN 10:30am AUGUST 21: MILWAUKEE BREWERS GAME & SOCIAL Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI Social: 5:30pm Game: 7:10pm
For more upcoming events, visit
wsu.mn/2018-alumni-events
2 June 21-2riday F Thursday-
2018
It’s never too late or too early to go to college. Share a captivating two days with your grandchild as you master one of seven intriguing majors. From out of town or looking for the full college-life experience? Stay on campus in one of our suite-style residence halls. ors 18 Maj 0 2 e h T
WSU Retiree Center 507.457.5565 www.winona.edu/grandparents Grandparents@winona.edu
Portrait Drawing 101
Terrific Trees of the WSU Campus: Exploring our Living Classroom
Physics in Everyday Life
Lego Mindstorms: Introduction to Robotics
Mysterious Microbiology: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Clowning Around 101 Get a Clue! An Introduction to Writing Mysteries
WSU Currents • Spring 2018
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CATCH the WARRIOR SPIRIT WSU will again host its Game Day Experience before each 2018 home football game Food Trucks, Inflatables, Warrior Walk and more — join us at these family friendly events!
2018 DATES Sept. 8th Sept. 22nd – Family Weekend Oct. 6th – Homecoming Oct. 20th Oct. 27th Nov. 10th
wsu.mn/game-day