Tom Heidtke

I was tagged by my cousin Marlene Melcher a few weeks ago, shortly before I headed off to Canada on a couple of fishing trips. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this done. I also apologize for its length.

1. My greatest fear in both junior high and high school was public speaking. If I knew I had to give a book report or a speech in front of my classmates, I had trouble sleeping for days in advance. When I stood to give my report, my hands would tremble and I had trouble breathing for the first few minutes. Thankfully the anxiety would eventually fade as I was speaking.

 2. When I headed off to Ann Arbor in the fall of 1965 to begin my freshman year at Michigan, I wasn’t prepared for the sudden freedom and independence that awaited me. I lacked the self-discipline and maturity to be a responsible student. I was still a kid. I wasn’t organized. I wasn’t motivated academically, at least not like so many other students around me. I didn’t understand the importance of preparation and commitment for achieving academic success. It almost cost me.

3. After spending two years behaving like a young, untrained Labrador Retriever chasing Frisbees by a busy expressway, I got married in August 1968 and finally began to take school seriously. Although we were divorced 10 years later, I owe my first wife so much. She brought stability into my life at a time when I could have failed academically. Her love and support turned things around for me.

4.  Ann Arbor has been my home for the last 50 years. I finished my B.S.E. in Industrial Engineering at The University of Michigan in 1970, my M.S.E. in Civil Engineering (Water Resources Engineering) in 1972, and my PhD in Civil Engineering (Water Resources Engineering) in 1976. It seemed like I was in school forever.

5. Why would someone who had such an intense dread of public speaking choose to pursue a career in academia? It had a lot to do with two of my professors at Michigan. I was far from the smartest student in my classes. I frequently struggled to learn material that others seemed to grasp with little difficulty. However, two or three of my profs always made the lights go on. They knew how to clarify complex topics … as if I had given them a set of questions in advance of their lectures. They inspired me. If they could help someone like me achieve an understanding of the material, then perhaps I could find a career doing the same for others. At that moment I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My anxiety and fear of speaking in front of a group of people became less of an obstacle after that.

6. After finishing my PhD, I began working at the Great Lakes Basin Commission in Ann Arbor while teaching in the Civil Engineering Department at The University of Michigan as an adjunct assistant professor. Five years later … in August of 1981 … I accepted a position as an associate professor of civil engineering at Wayne State University. I retired 29 years later at the age of 63. Back surgery, combined with the grueling daily commute between Ann Arbor and Detroit, was just too much.

7. I won’t get into specifics of my career at Wayne State except for one which relates to something I mentioned earlier. I received 13 Teaching Excellence Awards while I was there, including the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. That award is given annually to 4 of the more than 1500 faculty members within the University. If you’re interested, you can access an article about my retirement by clicking on the following link:

      http://engineering.wayne.edu/news.php?id=9028&date=2011-06

8.  I’ve been married to my second wife for 28 years. Her name is Jo and she’s an incredible woman. She underwent a kidney transplant in 1990. Twenty-five years later she’s living an almost normal life. She must take immuno-suppressant medications daily to prevent rejection of the kidney, but that’s about it. Her younger sister donated the kidney that is keeping my wife alive today. Those two sisters were almost a perfect genetic match, which is probably why things have gone so well for so long. Jo still works 3 days a week as a certified hand therapist at Chelsea Hospital. She loves her job and doesn’t want to retire until she reaches age 66, which is 4 ½ years away.

9. Back in 1987, after Jo’s progressive kidney failure was diagnosed and we knew she would eventually require either dialysis or a transplant to survive, her doctors made it clear she could never have children. We could still consider adoption at a later time, but she would never be able to withstand a normal pregnancy. We had no children at that point but were planning to have at least one within the next few years. Jo’s illness apparently changed all that.      

10. I accepted what the doctors told us. Jo did not. She wanted a second opinion. So we found another doctor, someone who came highly recommended by several close friends. He was much older than any of Jo’s previous doctors. Before we met with him, he carefully reviewed the details of her medical history. After a 30-minute discussion among the three of us, he looked directly at Jo and said “You will be a great mom. If you can get pregnant within the next 4 months, I promise it will all turn out okay”. KABOOM! Everything turned upside-down in those 30 minutes. Suddenly it seemed there was still a chance. Jo was deliriously happy. I was happy but not deliriously happy. To be truthful, I wasn’t sure I was hearing good news or bad. Was this new doctor just a natural-born optimist who was overlooking the risk of a pregnancy to my wife’s health? Was he exhibiting signs of early-stage alzheimer’s disease? Or was he an exceptional doctor who was giving us one final opportunity to have our own child? It didn’t matter. When he spoke those few words to us, I looked at my wife’s face and immediately knew the game plan. It was non-negotiable. In spite of her weakened state, Jo was ready for the challenge. For the first time in a long time we both felt some honest optimism about the future. It was March 1988 when we walked out of that doctor’s appointment.

11. Alex Heidtke was born two-months premature in January 1989. His lungs weren’t quite ready and he struggled for the first week, but then he was fine.

12. Jo had her kidney transplant in November 1990. I swear she looked like a different person one day after the transplant surgery … happy, full of energy, normal color in her face replacing the look of a ghost, a new mom, ready to enjoy the rest of her life. Fast forward almost 25 years and she is doing exactly that.

 13. I’ve been driving either a Chevrolet Caprice wagon or a Buick Roadmaster wagon for the last 3 decades. My son and all his friends always loved my Roadmaster wagons. At one point I had three of them parked in my driveway. The neighbors always starred when they drove past our house. They probably thought I was a little … off. After all, who would have 3 old woody wagons parked in his driveway? This guy, that’s who. Today I’m still driving a 1996 Roadmaster wagon.

14. During almost 30 years of commuting between Ann Arbor and Detroit, I never had a single accident. I never touched another car with mine. All those cold winter nights leaving campus after an evening class and then driving home on I-94 or I-96, the icy, slippery expressways, the massive trucks driving past at excessive speeds and spraying gallons of slush on my windshield, the long delays waiting for an accident to be cleared … I never hit another vehicle. Nobody ever hit me. It was blind luck. I’m glad it’s over.

15. I was stopped just once while driving to work. A State Police officer pulled me over on I-94 near Dearborn. He politely pointed out that I was driving too slow for the rest of the traffic. If I couldn’t maintain a speed of at least 60-65 mph, he proposed I take some side roads the rest of the way. I explained I was breaking in my brand new Roadmaster and the owner’s manual specified I should keep my speed under 50 mph for the first 100 miles. I was already exceeding that limit by driving 60 mph. He chuckled and told me to pick up the pace or get off the expressway. I decided to pick up the pace.

16. I had only one sibling … my sister Patty. She was 9 years younger than me. Patty died unexpectedly in 2012. I still can’t believe she’s gone.

17. My Dad passed away in 2005. My Mom passed in 2011. My sister died a year later. My dog, who made it to 17, died in 2009. I know my story isn’t unique, but it seemed like so many important faces and voices left my life in a relatively short period of time.

18. Excluding my wife and son, I have one living relative remaining from my side of the family. Marlene Melcher, fellow AHHS ’65 classmate and member of the 50^th class reunion planning committee, is my cousin. She is a terrific person and I’m lucky to have her as my cousin. Hi Marlene!!! Thank you for always remembering my birthday … July 4^th. KABOOM!

19. I met two of my closest friends during my sophomore year at Michigan. We all loved to fish. We lost touch for a few years but finally crossed paths at a Michigan football game in 1971. Before we went our separate ways that day, we decided to take a week-long fishing trip to Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota the following summer. We had so much fun we did it again the following year. Earlier this month I returned from my 42^nd fishing trip with those same two guys. We’ve only missed going on that annual trip twice in 44 years.

20. My Dad never went to college but he was a raging lunatic when it came to sports, especially UM and MSU sports. He liked the teams of both schools. My heart was always in Ann Arbor from the moment I first saw the winged helmets, which pretty much tells you what a shallow person I am. My aunt Helen, who was the only member of our family to attend college before me, took me to my first college football game in Ann Arbor when I was 10 years old. When I walked into The Big House that day to watch Michigan play Navy, I was hopelessly hooked. I knew I wanted to come to Ann Arbor, live my life there, and go to as many Michigan football games as possible. I kept that to myself.

21. I’m much like my Dad when it comes to sports. Although I’m a Michigan fan first and foremost, I never developed a dislike for Michigan State. I don’t resent their success. When I arrived in Ann Arbor in the fall of 1965, Michigan football was on a downward trend. Michigan State was a powerhouse program along with Notre Dame and Ohio State. I actually drove to East Lansing in the fall of 1966 to watch the famous 10-10 tie between Notre Dame and Michigan State. There were so many great players on the field that day along with two legendary college coaches, Duffy Daugherty and Ara Parsegian.

22. I won’t say anything more about sports with one exception. There was only one team, college or professional, we despised at my house when I was growing up. We hated Ohio State. I still feel that way, but now it’s much worse. Which is why my most memorable moment following Michigan football came in November 1969. I was in the stadium that day. Ohio State was #1 in the country and the defending national champs. Many experts considered them to be the best college team of all-time. I expected to see a brutal, one-sided game and that’s exactly what happened. I just had the winner and loser mixed up. Bo Schembechler brought Michigan back to college football’s elite on that afternoon. It began a long run of winning seasons, bowl games, and great expectations every fall.

23. I smoked 2 or 3 good cigars every day for nearly 30 years. I gave up tobacco altogether 3 years ago. I still miss those cigars.

24. I used to unwind from the stress of my job by running 5 days a week. The combination of arthritis and spinal stenosis brought my running days to a halt in my late 50s. I finally underwent back surgery in 2007. Now I exercise for about an hour a day at a local wellness center. I spend 40 minutes on an elliptical, 15 minutes walking, and 10-15 minutes shooting baskets if the court is open. Exercise helps control my back pain better than any medication I’ve ever taken. Without it, I would be miserable.

25. When I was a young boy, I always wanted to be done with school. When I was finally done with school, I wanted to be done with work. I always looked forward to the day I would retire at age 55, when I would surely have enough time and money to go fishing on every cool, cloudy day. That didn’t happen. When my Dad would hear me saying these things, he would look at me with a smile on his face and say “Tom, don’t wish your life away.” I dismissed those words back then, but he was right. I think I wished too much of my life away.

Marlene Melcher

Hi Tom... so glad I did tag you... what a wonderful list of 25... many things I did not know!!  Hope you'll be at the reunion...  will write more later... bedtime  L O L  9:34pm!!!

Susan Trier (Hanson)

Since I’ve now been tagged twice, and time is running out before the reunion, I guess it’s time to buckle down and do it. 

1. I grew up about 4 blocks away from Provenzano’s, Tony’s and Parker Dairy.  We walked to all those places frequently for french fries, banana splits, donuts and ice cream.

2. My children and granddaughter find it incomprehensible that I was in the drama club in high school and got up on stage before an audience.  The thought of public speaking now turns me to mush.

3. I have two favorite teachers from high school:  Miss Hamlin because I liked her and English was  my favorite class; and Mrs. Engel, who tried valiantly to help me succeed in chemistry, though it wasn’t my strength, and who actually helped me find my first job after high school.

4. Since my father didn’t believe that girls needed to go to college and I had two younger brothers, I stayed local after high school and went to Delta College on a scholarship to earn an Associates Degree in Business.  While in school, I was in the co-op program; went to class in the mornings and worked afternoons for a law firm in Saginaw.  After graduation, I went to work for them full-time and stayed until our daughter was born.

5. I married Jim Hanson (also ’65) in 1968.  Our 47^th anniversary is coming up.  We’ve spent most of those years in Midland.

6. We have a daughter, born in 1971, and a son, born in 1980.  Our daughter lives in Canton, MI, with her husband and their daughter, our only grandchild, who is now 17 and wants to go into neuroscience, preferably at Northwestern.   Our son lives in Frederick, Maryland, and is married-no children.  They are DINKs.  Our daughter is an Associate HR Director at KPMG.  Our son is the PACS System Administration (in-house IT guy) for a medical imaging facility in Virginia.  (As opposed to being IT, I’m a TI a/k/a Technological Idiot).

7. Our granddaughter is an only child and the only grandchild on both sides.  She is spoiled rotten by all.  We believe she is just the most beautiful and the smartest, most terrific kid on the planet.  Her main outside interest is figure skating, which she started at about 9 years old.  We believe that figure skating judges are blind to her gracefulness and ability when they place her 4^th and we know she should be at least 2nd.  That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.

8. When our daughter was 1, Jim started law school at the University of Detroit, where I worked for a downtown law firm.  It was a different downtown back then.  We bought a house on the far east side of Detroit in what was then a great little neighborhood.  I was too young and stupid to realize that the house was a Craftsman bungalow; it had leaded glass doors and stained glass windows and built-in bookcases and window seats. I don’t even have a picture of the exterior. Our daughter would ride up and down the sidewalk on her Big Wheel and hope the Belgian couple who lived two doors down would offer her home-baked cookies.  They were her surrogate grandparents.

9. We moved to Midland after Jim graduated from law school, where he worked for Dow Chemical in the Legal Department for 23 years. 

10. While I was always interested in taking pictures growing up, I took up photography while our daughter was in high school and really enjoyed it.  Took several classes and even did a couple of weddings and senior pictures for family and friends.  Several shots ended up in my daughter’s senior year yearbook, so I can claim that I’ve been published.  Since I now have to walk with a cane, I'm far less mobile and can't I bounce up and down for a good angle.  But I still appreciate a good picture and still take plenty of them sitting down or leaning on something.  Took hundreds and hundreds while my granddaughter was young.  I’m already thinking about how to best present her with an album when she graduates next year.

11. I was very slow to make the change from a 35-mm film camera to digital but now wonder what took me so long.  The ability to just keep hitting the shutter and not wonder how much the processing will cost is just astounding. 

12. Walking with a cane became necessary for me a few years ago.  A benign tumor was removed from my spine in 1982 and again in 1986, and the doctors recommended radiation therapy.  All was fine for 20 years until I began to limp for no apparent reason.  Turns out the radiation causes long-term neurological damage and, thus, muscle weakness in the legs and loss of feeling in the feet.  My sense of balance is shot—no dancing for me.

13. I had cataract surgery in both eyes a few years ago and STILL need glasses, plus reading glasses for computer work.  That really frosts me--I’d hoped for better results.  Been wearing glasses since 5^th grade, except for a few years with contacts, which don’t work well in bifocal.

14. We lived in Washington, D.C. for a while, where Jim worked in Dow’s D.C. office.  Absolutely loved it!  Went to Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural, watched the parade from a hotel suite with a lovely lunch buffet and drinks; and then attended an inaugural ball at the American History Museum.  I  remember the warning from the hotel not to open any windows while Reagan passed by during the parade.  Secret Service snipers on the roof of the building across the street (who were quite visible standing there with weapons at the ready) would shoot first and ask questions later.  Ironically, it was only a couple of months later when Reagan actually was shot.

15. If you haven’t seen fireworks exploding at the tip of the Washington Monument while standing on the National Mall, you should.  It’s awesome.

16. While neither of us attended MSU, our daughter and our money did.  We are, therefore, Spartans at heart.  We had football season tickets for the 4 years she was there.  There’s no better place to be on a beautiful autumn Saturday afternoon than at a college football game; in November, not so much.  Go Green!

17. Until about 3 years ago, we’ve always had a cat or cats and/or a dog.  When the last one died about 3 years ago, known as Crabby Abby the Tabby, we decided that was it.  A nicely-framed picture of her hangs in the kitchen.

18. We’ve lived in the same house for the last 34 years.  Remember the George Carlin routine about the accumulation of “stuff”?  We’re guilty—we have too much stuff.

19. We watch a lot of sports on TV.  I’m partial to college football and basketball.  Being married to a car guy who will watch anything on four wheels that races, I’ve developed an appreciation for Indy Car racing and NASCAR  We went to several Indy 500s and Indy car races at Michigan International Speedway.  The last time we went, 3 people in the stands were killed by a flying tire.  It was sobering to think attending a race could be life-threatening.

20. I look forward all winter to planting flowers in the spring and then spend all summer whining about having to haul watering cans all over the place.

21. I love to read and pick up books everywhere.  The library has a used-book sale a couple times each year, as does the AAUW.  Yard sales and thrift stores are always good sources.  When I have a pile of completed books, I donate them back to charity.

22. Thanks to our children, we went on a Caribbean cruise and had an anniversary trip to the Rivera Maya in Cancun.

23. I’ve become interested in the family genealogy the last couple of years.  My parents are both gone and I wanted to do a family tree for the kids.  After finding out enough things to get excited about finding more, I’ve reached a point where I don’t know how to find anything more.  Ancestry.com is  NOT as easy as they claim.

24. Other than a few years after my son was born, I’ve always worked for a law firm.  Spent 27 years as a paralegal with Currie & Kendall here in Midland and the last two with Chalgian & Tripp.  I’m currently still working 3 days a week.  I also have a part-time job as the Administrative Assistant for the Northeastern Michigan Estate Planning Council.  I’ve been forced to become more familiar with technology than I would have thought possible.

25. We haven’t traveled much.  Our trip-of-a-lifetime came in 2000, when we went to Tokyo and Kyoto.  I remember sitting in the airport in Detroit waiting for our plane to board, watching the Bush/Gore election coverage from the night before and thinking, “I wish they’d announce the winner before we leave.”  Watching international CNN coverage of it in Tokyo was a horse of a different color.  The U.S. sounded pretty disorganized and looked pretty silly to the rest of the world.  Jim’s brother was living in Tokyo and working for GM and we stayed with them.  Having someone who knows their way around is the way to go.  We packed in a lot of activity in the time we were there.  I went through about 15 rolls of film.

Since my old friend, Carolyn Coats Medendorp, has released her facts, and my old friend, Vija Danilaus Markovs, has dished up hers, I guess I’d like to tag and hear from my old friend, Emily Caughey Celino. 

We’ve missed the last two reunions and are looking forward to attending this one.  It will be fun to see everyone again and catch up.

Rick Yokuty

Small world Sue. I have 2 daughters that live in Canton. They are both out in Cherry Hill Village.

See you at the Reunion,

Rick Yokuty

Ken Rabideau

25 Things       

1. Texas Hold’em poker is my passion. I plan to enter a $1 Million HPT tournament on my return trip from the reunion. If I win, I’ll buy the first round of drinks at our 60^th reunion.

2. I stay in contact with Miles (Bob) Chandler and Hap (Harry) Myers. Miles has a conflict for the reunion but I’m holding out hope that Hap will make a surprise appearance.

3. I never picked up my trumpet again after high school.

4. I have been writing a book on my misadventures, but haven’t had time to work on it since retiring just over two years ago. My love for writing must have started when Tom Heidtke and I competed at South for who could write the longest stories to read in front of the class. Does anyone remember Bob Schindehette’s poem about the squirrel?

5. After reading Lynn’s comment, I must admit that I also liked to diagram sentences. All I’ve ever heard is how agonizing it is. I feared Miss Roethke, even though she had a soft side. I liked Mrs. Nickademus better.

6. I went to college at Michigan Tech in Houghton with Tony Esposito, who took us to 2 national hockey titles.

7. I changed my major twice, going from Chemical Engineering to Pre Med to Applied Physics. I earned a minor in steelhead fishing, all on the 6 year plan.

8. I “applied” my Applied Physics degree for all of three months before moving into banking. Mr. Hooper would have been disappointed. No more 2000 “lub” canaries sliding down an incline.

9. My greatest achievement- Against all odds I married a cheerleader at Michigan Tech, where the men to women ratio was 32 to 1. Marilyn still keeps me around after 47 years.

10. We were married two weeks before the first moon landing. We videoed it with Super 8 off my Grandma’s TV.

11. Marilyn and I graduated during the recession of ‘71. No jobs were waiting for us. We followed John Denver out to Colorado to seek our fortune. Marilyn’s dad said he wished he had gone to college so he could get on food stamps too.

12. We never left Grand Junction, Colorado.

13. We have two sons, a grandson, and a granddaughter.

14. At age 32 I founded and managed a bank, because nobody told me I couldn’t (although my parents thought I was crazy.) That’s about the only way to work in banking and not answer to a boss.

15. After 50 years, my dad sold our house on Larch Street and Northlawn Ct. in Saginaw and we moved him out to Colorado to live with us. His health was failing and he lived only one more year, but we both had the best time together. He continued to outplay me at euchre.

16. I’m still a Tigers fan, partly because it’s so painful to be a Rockies fan.

17. We attended our younger son’s wedding in Mozambique last year.

18. I did aerobics and step classes religiously for over 30 years; possibly a record for a guy.

19. My only exercising now is Cornhole and Pickleball.

20. Our only pets are 7 ducks.

21. Marilyn and I started ballroom dance lessons a few years ago. Our dancing was cut short when our instructor was sent to prison for murder. (I was starting to show some real promise at the Tango.) The story appeared on two episodes of Dateline NBC titled “The Last Dance”. I declined NBC’s offer to be interviewed.

22. We spend a few weeks each summer in the UP on the Michigamme River.

23. Puerto Rico is our new favorite winter vacation spot.

24. High school memories- Traveling with the dance band. I couldn’t believe they would pay me $5.00 a night to have that much fun. Night basketball with Tom Heidtke, Kris Martin, Bob Chandler, Harry Myers, Tom Mills, Lloyd Anderson, and Rick Bruggers. Hanging out at Mud’s cabin on 8 Point Lake. Partying on country dirt roads on weekend nights. Everyone burned rubber with their dad’s big V-8s; Heidtke’s Wildcat, Chandler’s Fury, and Bruggers’ big Olds 98. I drove our wimpy 6 cylinder Bel Air. No rubber.

25. See you all in two weeks.

Rick Yokuty

Sue,

Yes, we will talk at the reunion. Shannon Cordon has lived there for more then 12 years. She and Dave live at 50291 Colonial and Michelle Santillo lives at 50050 Harding St. She hand Mario have lived there about 2 years. One of my other daughters Jenny is always at Michelles. She lives in New Hudson. They had a double wedding.

See you soon,

Rick

Carolyn Coats (Medendorp)

Sue Trier, I didn't realize your back had turned traitor on you.  I'm so very sorry.

Sharyl (Sherri) Spatz (Kusowski)

Wanted to give an update on the reunion! We now have 149 reservations. Hoping for more in the next 3 days. If you know of anyone who has been procrastinating give them a nudge!!!

Carolyn Coats (Medendorp)

I want to thank everyone for sharing their facts and particularly thank those who shared photos of their lives and loved ones.  Most of my friends from high school are still 18 years old in my memory and my mind.  It's strange to realize we've ALL experienced 50 years and show the trophies and the battle scars of those years.  Thanks again for sharing of yourselves so willingly.

Marlene Melcher

I was looking through my Legenda again last night... and REALLY LOOKING at each sweet little face... many of course I didn't know..... each with their own story that I/we never got to know...  many were never a big part of the AHHS scene...   I look back on my AHHS years with much fondness, but know there are others for whom it was a painful time...    it's too bad we can't all go back and relive those years knowing what we know now... I'm sure we'd all be kinder and all-inclusive.... I guess that is what 50 years brings to our lives...... compassion, love, and wisdom!

Gary F. Major

Since I was challenged to do the 25 list by my dear close personal friend Carrie Coats that I have not seen since 1965, I will put together a list but it sure won't be 25 it will be summary of things past

I believe it was Hi Becker Junior who wrote in my Legenda see ya at the den, referring of course to Daniel's Den which had opened in the late 1964 as a teen and young adult nightclub in the former Daniel's theater location on State, ironically I did see more than one person at Daniels Den as I had of being the master of ceremonies/disc jockey for about a two-year period that started right after graduation.

During the summer of 1965 by grandmother was hospitalized at Saginaw General Hospital with breast cancer and I was a frequent visitor to the hospital during that time. Towards the end of summer one of the orderlies classmate I think it was John Denton said we're going to school, you're laying out a year, you need to apply here as an orderly. So as many of my classmates went off to college I started working full-time at Saginaw General hospital. However, I continued to work at Daniels Den in the Saginaw location as well as Alpena location occasionally working at Houghton Lake, East Lansing, Owosso and the other Daniels Dens locations throughout the state. My first job and health care lasted only six months but I continued at Daniels Den until I went into broadcasting in 1967.

While many of you will remember me as Sammy Major on WSAM, I started my broadcast career in Sparta Wisconsin, if you think Michigan winters are cold you need to be in Wisconsin for one, or as Bob Hogg knows, the upper Peninsula of Michigan. After freezing my butt in Sparta, I escaped to Whitehall Michigan which is north of Muskegon, then able to come back to Saginaw at WSAM as disc jockey and eventually program director. In 1970 I went to WKNX as music director and was there until I left town in late 1972, A period of that time was spent working with classmate Bob Wolfeil. When I left Saginaw and I went to work for a radio station in Norfolk Virginia was there about a year Air name was MF Johnson, came to Louisville Kentucky in 1973 and other than the leaving for a six-month stint to Decatur Illinois have made Louisville my home since 1973. I was with the same radio company for 12 ½ years ending up as program director, but did every air shift including morning drive several different times.

One of the first lessons I learned in broadcasting was it's always good to have another career in mind, something my mother always liked to remind me of and over the course of years of sold insurance, had my series 7 license for stocks and bonds, sold advertising specialties, did a series of temp jobs, worked for third-party warranty company and in 1994 ended up taking a temp job that turned into a part-time job but still today working in a pharmacy of the hospital doing computer data processing. You gotta do what you gotta do.

This probably won't surprise anybody at all that knows me well but my ability to sustain a long-term relationship during high school days, continued into my adult life. I've been married three times, for terms of seven, 15, and seven years. I have three children by my second wife, a son Eric age 35 who has two children Gracie age 5 and Owen about a year and a half. Two daughters, Beth at age 33 expecting her first child, a boy, due in December. Beth is a State Farm agent. My younger daughter Emily is 30 following her passion as an internationally certified Irish dance teacher but to keep her passion alive she also works for a large doctors practice as a surgery scheduler.

One of the reasons that I am unable to attend our 50 year reunion is recent surgery, and one of my two cats is diabetic requiring insulin shots twice a day I've not yet been able to find someone who can do that for me on a regular basis just in case. In reading over some of the other profile information many of my classmates and had serious health concerns over the years. Until 2002 I had escaped the surgeons knife except for an appendectomy when I had a ruptured ascending aortic aneurysm, while I was in surgery, I had a massive heart attack which resulted in a five way bypass just two weeks later. The last thing I rubber the vascular surgeon saying to an assistant was get this man prepped he has 2 min. to live. I have been on God's time ever since. I didn't mention this earlier but the last 11 years of broadcasting was in Christian broadcasting in the last five years was as director of an international shortwave broadcast station which did Christian teaching 24 hours a day seven days a week. International shortwave broadcasting is like radio free Europe is broadcasting into Russia and other countries. Shortwave radio is much like AM. Radio is that the signals skip and our transmitter that set about 80 miles south of Louisville one night could be reaching Italy Germany the South African continent, the Middle East and then you get a listener report from Japan.

While in broadcasting I received several nominations for national recognition awards and in 1974 was named medium market music director of the year. In 1990 I received a national award in the advertising specialty industry called the silver pyramid in recognition for a campaign headed for local television station.

I think that about wraps this up, I know if Mrs. Hamlin were alive today she would be tearing apart my sentence structure, my ability to continue a thought, dangling participles but I did not redundantly say etc. etc. etc., I guess no one is surprised that I've not making my 50^th reunion because I wasn't at the five 10, 15, 20, 25 30, 35 40, 45 either and until the surgery came up I had planned to attend I had arranged for time off from work and was looking into hotel availability when the whole surgery thing presented itself.

I pray for safe travels for all my classmates their spouses and special guest hope you'll have a great time

Gary F. Major

I am sorry as well Marlene, I was crushed to find out you have been coloring your hair since you were 14, dreams crushed beyond belief, and yes you were surrounded by some real high school hunks in homeroom, enjoy the 50th

Marlene Melcher

ha ha... soooo sorry Gary!!  I AM a real blonde... it just started to darken a bit so I kept it up...... and now I won't tell you what color it probably is... as I can only guess!!  ha ha   

Dianne S. Seymour (Solesby)

Well, we're down to the last week before our BIG 50, so guess I'd better answer the challenge issued by Sally Speace to submit some things you didn't know about me. 

1. I attended Handley School for kindergarten and had Mrs.Cranky and Mrs.Wild for teachers. Heck, if I had a class of 25 five-year olds for hours each day I'd be Cranky and Wild tooll!

2. I grew up on Adams Avenue behind Handley School. Our house was right behind the softball field where the Woodchucks played.  Lots of our classmates played for the Woodchucks!  Sue and I loved spying on those pre-teen hunks from afar. Who knew I'd marry one.

3.I went to St. Stephens for 1-8 grades and my BFF was and still is Sue Teenier.  We were like the Bobsey Twins - always adventuring together.

4. I married my high school sweetheart, Scott Solesby a month after graduation.  We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last month.

5. Scott and I have two children Stacey in Lansing and Ryan in Flushing. Our kids and grandchildren Cassie & Dalton who live in Phoenix and Dylan and Emilie in Flushing.MI add so much joy to our lives.

6. I returned to school after raising our kids and commuted weekdays to East Lansing. Being a Spartan was a great experience. My goal was to graduate before I turned fifty. I made it with a year to spare. I bleed Green.

7. After MSU,  I worked in Communications and Marketing for Citizens Bank and after the merger with First Merit worked as a consultant for them.

8. I also worked as a writer for PrintComm and wrote for several glossy magazines they produce including Michigan Snowmoble News, On the Town, Flint Business to Business, and Empire Builder.

9. I love the water...guess that goes with being a Pisces.

10. Scott & I have been boaters for the past 40 years. We keep our boat, Dreamcatcher, docked at Au Gres and enjoy fishing and traveling on Lake Huron. 

11. For 45 years we've lived in and been caretakers of an historical home in Flushing MI. It is a turn of the century Victorian and the boyhood home of author Edmund Love.  Love was an English professor in Ann Arbor and wrote many screenplays and novels.His novel, The Situation in Flushing details his early years in this house at the end of the railroad era in Flushing. We've enjoyed being on the home tour docket many times for book groups and local fundraisers.

12. I am a three-peat winner of the Flushing Harvest Festival Apple Pie Baking Contest. ( I decided to retired and go out on a high note!)

13. In 1970, along with another couple we purchased a wholesale foodservice distribution company, Evans Foodservice, Inc. Last year, after nearly 40 years in business, we sold it and Scott retired! 

14.Since retiring, we enjoy escaping to Florida Gulf in the winter. And plan to return to Englewood for a couple months again this year.

15. Life is Good. Retirement is wonderful. We pray to continue to be blessed with good health. We look forward to seeing all of our classmates next weekend!

Sigrid Hansen (Hansen)

Hi Everyone!  Sigrid Hansen here...

Post 25 things people did not know about me?  Well, instead...

Point Lookout Wolves Painting Walks to the beat of different drummer USDA Forest Service Horses around married divorced married divorced smoke got in my eyes meandering around the west mush gee haw one child in this world to carry on words to songs handbuilt clay sculpture walked a million miles some still do not know I have played a joke on them write stories read Colorado healing arts no televison married divorced what is beyond the obvious massage all who wander are not lost dial direct to the universe child of nature still learning survivor Sarasota peace summer DO NOT TAKE LIFE SO SERIOUSLY WE WILL NOT GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE dog whisper see beyond the.... 

 See you soon

Karen Hassberger (Hoerauf)

To all: Our class web site will be going down for maintenance Friday, September 4th at 11:59 p.m. EST. We will be down for several hours for a hardware upgrade. We expect to be back online prior to 9:00 a.m. EST Saturday morning. Thanks for your patience during the upgrade window.

Norma Metzger (Schmick)

Quoting Karen to me recently, "You come alive at crunch time!"  I promised to tag 5 others.  

Time is short.  If you can't come up with 25 things about yourself, 10 will be great!  

Tagging 5 from our Planning Committee:  Mary Eaton, MorrIs Stevens, Roger Ruppel, Connie Touchtone, David Brown.

Plus, tagging:  Dave Fisher, Jody Golden, Barb Glancz, Phyllis Thomas, Nancy Wahl, Kathy Kelly, Kris Martin

Anyone keep in touch with Kris Martin or Kathy Kelly?  Where are they?  

If you have not been tagged for Karen's Fun Game, you are welcome to join in.  It's been wonderful to hear from so many of us.  

See everyone at our Reunion!  

Karen Hassberger (Hoerauf)

John, just because the reunion is this weekend, it doesn't mean we're done with you...

Thank you for your best wishes to all. Karen

 

 

John Schirmer 

 

 

John Schirmer posted a message.

 

SEP

02

 

10:11 am

 

 

I wont be able to make the reunion however I wish you all the very best. I love art music and meditation as well as things Zen so I am going to keep things short and sweet. It has been a joy sharing memories with everyone....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom R. Mueller

25 Things You May Not Know About Tom Mueller

 1. I am an Eagle Scout. (Ony 2% of scouts earn this Highest Rank). I attended 2 National        Jamborees.

 2. I sold ads for The Legenda for 2 years and was a Copy/Layout Editor.

 3. I was a Fuller Brush Door-To-Door Salesman. Started June 1964 until I left for CMU         Sep.1965.

     Although just part time, I often was "Salesman of The Week" and outsold fulltimers of 25 years. Just loved

     the challenge and meeting my customers. I literally - ran - to the next house because I could not wait to

     serve the next customer.  

 4. Attended CMU and earned a Teaching Certificate. Major: Recreation. Minors: Spanish, Physical

     Education, and History.

 5. Worked part time in Alma, MI. the last 3 years of college with the Community Education Department as

     an After School Recreation Director in charge of 2 buildings and activities. My first year with Alma

     Community Ed., I hitchhiked from Mt. Pleasant to Alma and back 5 days a week. Getting dropped off at

     each town's highway exit. I had to walk 3 miles to my worksite and back to the highway; or to/from the

     Mt. Pleasant exit from/to my dorm. (12 miles each day).This was from Sep. to Dec. the first year. I got a

     car on Christmas Break and moved to Alma the second year. Then commuted to my classes.

 6. Graduated CMU June 1970. Alma hired me as their Middle School Physical Education Teacher, a

     position I held for 26 years. Then I chose to retire at the age of 48.

 7. After a year of basically doing nothing but my volunteer work, I got a chauffer's license and drove

     an over-the-road Motor Coach (Tour Bus) for 10 years. Loved it! Got to travel from The Upper

     Peninsula to The Gulf of Mexico, from Montreal to South Carolina and many places East of The

     Mississippi. It is fun to drive a big rig in New York City and Chicago. (Not really)!!! Drivers do not give

     you any room of courtesy. It is a lot of reponsibility.

 8. I LOVE TRAVEL: Been to Mexico 14 times. Europe 4 times. The Montreal Olympics. Rented a car for

     6 weeks and drove 5,000 kilometers from Amsterdam to the boot of Italy and back to Frankfort, Germany.

     And many, many stops inbetween. Met locals by staying in Bread and Breakfast accomodations, often.

 9. I have hosted Exchange Students. Mostly for the summer time. From Mexico, Columbia, China, and

     Spain. My Spanish "Son" came 4 times. The last time for the whole school year Sep. '88 to June '89.

     I have been to Spain to visit him twice.

10. Started the FIRST SOCCER PROGRAM/TEAMS in Gratiot County in 1971. Coached 4 age levels

     simultaneously including playing on and coaching the men's team. Then was a referee for 13 years

     throughout Mid-Michigan. Clare, Isabella, Gratiot, Saginaw, Bay, Midland, and Tuscola counties.

     Also, held several positions on the governing boards of soccer at the regional and state levels.

11. In June 1978 I traveled to Argentina to attend the Soccer World Cup. I continued after, by visiting

     most of the rest of the countries in South America, except Brazil and Pauaguay. Total 9 week trip.

12. 6 cruises were great trips. I especially liked the stops and sightseeing. I like indigenous culture and

     local customs/history. Have visited 48 States, (except Vermont and New Hampshire).

13. I have earned my Beginner and Advanced Certifications in Scuba Diving. And have done over 60

     dives, all in the warm waters of The Caribbean. (And it is Car-Rib-E-An, not Care-A-B-An)!

14. Seeking adventure, I took a hot air balloon ride in Mexico. Took an airplane pilot training lesson.

     Went paragliding. And am one of the few and rare people to have ridden in a blimp/dirigible, and I

     sat in the co-pilot seat and wore the headset to hear all "air traffic conversations".

15. For 30 years, my hobby has been to shoot videotapes of local events and edit and produce them for

     our local Public Access TV station which airs in 3 counties. Ranging from City Council Meetings, to

     music performances, to speakers on local history, to our 3 day Alma Highland Festival (Scottish).

     The only year I entered a video competition to be judged on program editing, I received 2 second

     place awards in the 5 state region.

16. At age 13, I was on a Saginaw bowling team and we took the State Championship.

17. I am active in my church and have served as a Council member, Financial Secretary and Assisting Minister. And often am an usher.

18. I started a program to mentor youth in my church and trained them to be acolytes.

19. I was a chaperone/group leader for my church youth to travel to Tennessee and worked on 2 Habitat For Humanity homes for 2 weeks.

20. I was a founding Board Member of a Christian Radio Station in Coleman, MI. I served as Secretary for 15 years until we sold the station. This started as WPRJ (We Praise Jesus)). Then became The Fuse on 101.7 FM. And now is Radio U. We played Contemporary Christian Music.

21. I was in the right place at the right time. Attended Daniel's Den and forged a friendship with Mr. Patrick. Went from being a customer to an employee. Started with ticket sales, to "bartender", to  assistant Stage Manager. Became The Den's DJ and Emcee until the closing in 1970. Was so lucky to meet and work with the amazing groups that performed there.

22. I was able to travel from Saginaw to other venues with many National and International groups, where we also put on concerts. I was able to maintain contact with many of them for a period of time as they gave me their home phone numbers and addresses. And worked with several groups repeatedly.

23. Having learned many aspects of the rock scene and ALL that goes with it, I scouted locals groups and became the Manager of The Paupers, students at AHHS (3 years behind us). Due to a group of the same name, we changed our name to The Feris Wheel. I can add the title of "Record Producer" to my credits - for their record "The Best Part of Breaking Up (is when you're making up)"; with "Woman" on the flip side produced by Dick Wagner.

24. Led a church service/worship for 25 years at a nursing home, the first Sunday of each month.

25. Visited the "Patients" at The Saginaw Veterans Hospital a few times a year (for over 30 years to the present) to visit with, and provide and lead recreation activities

Have tried to help others all of my life. My motto is "Service To Others"

Nancy Kay Wahl (Allen)

Sorry it took me so long to do this list...things you don't know about me.

1. I went to work as a secretary right after graduation until Sept. when my father went into the hospital. He had cancer and died in Dec. at the very young age of 47. I helped my Mother run our grocery store business for aboout 2 years. Thought I had it so bad and wanted to go to work some place else.

2.So I went to work as a car hop at the Strand (corner of State and Bay). Remember frozen custard and ice cream sodas?

3. After a year I went to work as a telephone operator for MI Bell/Ameritech. Went from Operator Services to the Accounting Center and worked various jobs. My favorite was an Administrative Clerk in the Computer Room where I formed my love of computers.

4. Another love developed during my employment was as a Union (CWA) Representative; a Steward, elected Chief Steward and elected Vice President of the Accounting Center.  This gave me an insight into the bargaining process and handling grievances. Beside the training, National Conferences, workshops there was the benefit of collecting for United Way and the Saginaw Blood Bank.

5. In 1995 I took a "retirement package" of 3 years added to your age and years of employment plus a $  buy out which gave me 30 years and out. So at the tender age of 47 I retired from Ameritech. My Mother told me I was too young, but even that age I thought I knew better. lol

6. Before retiring I started selling Pampered Chef products and continued doing so until 2008. Besides the $ I also earned several trips; San Diego, New Orleans, Walt Disney World in Fl, Washington DC, Chicago, St. Louis, Miami, and the best Germany and Austria. Still love their products.

7. I was married in 1970 to Tom Allen (an undergraduate of AHHS) by a Justice of the Peace and 3 years later had our marriage blessed at SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church. We celebrated 45 years in January. I'm so spoiled and wouldn't know what I'd do without him.

8. We have 2 children; Charles and Catherine. Billie Warsin Mull was at the birth of my son and even though her shift had ended wouldn't leave until he had been born.

9. I have 2 grandchildren, Kaylyn, Nov. 2002, and Jayden, Sept. 2008.

10. We adopted Kaylyn in 2010 and she keeps us young and on our toes.

11. I've been crafty all of my life doing various things; crocheting, cross-stitch, tole' paining, resin painting and lastly photos and scrapbooking.

12. I'm not a reader, but love playing games on my computer. Love "time management" type of games.

13. I play Pinochle on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at our Senior Center from Sept. to May with a group of wonderful mature (not old) ladies. There's only 1 lady younger than myself.

14. In 1988 I bought the cottage  in Prudenville (Houghton Lake) which was built by my Father and Grandfather in 1947. Used it for vacations and weekends until Nov. 1995 when it became my home. Tom was working in Saginaw, but followed about a year later.

15. In 2012 bought a larger home about 3 miles away, but still in Houghton Lake. Rented the cottage for 3 years and selling it now to a family member.

16. From 2010 to 2014 I was involved with Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan as Cookie Chair/Cupboard and Area Manager. Because of our awsome Troop Leaders we've taken 1st place float trophies at TUT (Tip-Up-Town) 2 years in a row. Loved working with kids and young adults, but really is a younger persons job.

17. I'm a night owl. Going to sleep at about 3am or 4am and waking around 11am or 12pm. But can get up earliier for appointments or when necessary.

18. Can't fall asleep without "white noise" from TV.

19. I've been blessed with fairly good health, but have faught the battle of the bulge all my life.

I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at the Reunion.

Marlene Melcher

Hi All... Looks as if no one has posted in ages... so thought I would!  I'm in the midst of preparations for hurricane Dorian.  All so nerve wracking as you have to guess when "she" will hit and have a hotel lined up early or you ended having to drive into GA for find a vacancy.

I'm planning on coming to the reunion.. hope you all are too... the 50th was such a great time!

Just wanted to say "HI"... hope everyone enjoys good health... until the 55th!!  Marlene

John H. Nordstrom

Hi, Marlene,

Thanks for posting!  What a pain, preparing for a hurricane.  Be safe!  So glad you are coming to the reunion.  Encourage anyone else you can to do the same.  Most venues would like a committment for 200 people, so we are asking all who are willing, to recruit and communicate to some classmates.  It would be nice to have a good turnout, and catch up on the last five years.  All the best to you!!

John

Karen Hassberger (Hoerauf)

Hi, Marlene,

 We're still up in Michigan, preparing to leave for Ireland next weekend. Our home looks like it is in the "path" as well as everyone else who lives in Fl. No one in our neighborhood is home to do any kind of preperation. So I'm fussing to Mark that maybe we should fly home. Probably not such a good idea. Keep safe. We'll see you at the 55th.

By the way, what friends would you especially like to see at the 55th? Could you contact them and let them know you'll be looking forward to seeing them?

Martin R. Shackelford

When I was at Durand Elementary, my parents bought me a set of figures of the presidents through Eisenhower. Later, the same company issued figures of JFK, LBJ and Nixon, and I was able to add those. Then they stopped making the figures. I recently found a guy who has created matching figures of Ford through Trump, and was able to update the set, and add a display stand. This is the result. Famlly lore says that I am related to Rutherford B. Hayes (Old 8 and 7) on my father's side, though this is not certain. He is the colorful guy in the third row.

Marlene Melcher

If you are on Facebook... try to find...    Saginaw County's BEST Past, Present, and Future   great site for reading things about Saginaw Past, Present and Future! ;)