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News & notes:

• Pat Adams retired from teaching so that she and husband Al Marchant have more time to enjoy their three grandchildren.
• Denny Aquirre wrote in 2008, "After 30 years as a police officer, I reinvented myself as a wine buyer for a small market in Chelsea, Michigan."
• Byron Aldrich is in MHS's Athletic Hall of Fame. Byron is a journeyman sheetmetal worker. Over the years, Byron saved several lives while serving as a volunteer fire fighter.
• Hilary Asher is a corporate vice-president. To relax, he pilots his maroon & white airplane above Michiana. He and wife Tamara Reed have three beautiful daughters.
• Randi Baker works with Brooklyn AIDS Task Force. Here she is as one of the presenters at a conference on AIDS: Randi on YouTube. Randi's daughter Lizzy (who was at the October 2008 party at Castle Manor) is in Southeast Asia as of October 2009, and Lizzy's blogging about it: Lizzy's blog.
• Gregg Baldoni was in Italy in the autumn of 2008, on a trip with his parents who return to Italy every year. He is retired after many years as a journeyman sheetmetal worker.
• Jimita Baldoni taught for several years at Byrkit High school, an alternative school that was located at University Park Mall in Mishawaka.
• Alice Marie Beard (JD, George Mason U.) wrote about 2nd Amendment incorporation. She continues her genealogical research & writing.
• Mike Bellovich is head of Human Resources for a Goshen company. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lt. Colonel.
• Tim Bess (Ed.D., U. of Minnesota) is an social justice consultant, working against racism, after decades being an elementary school principal in Minnesota. He has built a house in Arkansas and will be a "snow bird" for six months of the year. Tim blogs HERE.
• Greg Blimling (Ph.D., Ohio State U.) is Vice President for Student Affairs at Rutgers University.
• Cheryl Bobson is a Certified Public Accountant in Elkhart.
• Pam Bollaert married again after being widowed. She and her husband live in Granger.
• Roger Brady (Licensed Architect) is a continuing education consultant to the design and construction industry.
• Neil Brioli is active with American Legion Post 297, in New Carlisle. Neil served 24 years in the U.S. Navy. In 1996, he retired from the Naval Reserve as a lead Chief Petty Officer.
• Karen Broomall is a Realtor in Camarillo, California. She writes that she and her partner "are very busy even in this slower market. We just closed two homes for $529,000 and $855,000, and we've closed over $5 million in real estate this year (2007) so far." Her son and daughter-in-law were traveling in Europe in 2007. Her daughter lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Karen enjoys RV-camping along the Pacific Ocean, watching dolphins and seals.
• Ron Brooks and Pat DeLaurelle, long married, are in Florida. Ron spent 20 years and 13 days in the Air Force, retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant in 1989.
• Marsha Brown has her own software business: Total Software Solutions.
• Ken Brugh is V.P. for Real Estate & Store Enviroment for Performance Bike. For many years he was a Sr. V.P. at Golfsmith.
• Cathy Bupp, a licensed clinical social worker, is a psychotherapist at Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida. Cathy lives in central Florida, in one of the 19 counties declared a disaster area after the hurricanes of 2004. CHECK HERE for Cathy's excellent description of what the hurricanes of 2004 did to her community.
• Phyllis Buraczewski married David L. Davis on July 26, 2003, at The Chapel of the Bells, in Reno, NV.
• Denny Cackowski met England's Princess Diana and the Queen Mum at a London Royal Garden Party he attended during his time as a Fulbright Scholar. He has moved to Florida after a career as coordinator of elementary enrichment programs schoolwide for P-H-M schools.
• Debbie Callsen is a supervising nurse at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, on the open heart team.
• Mike Campbell sent word in 2008, "I have taken early retirement from Public TV, and I'm playing in The Blenders, a great band with 5 vocalists. Also doing sound for national acts that come through North Carolina.  I work in broadcast trucks at NFL and college games as video engineer. I live on ten acres where most folks live on postage stamps. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife and lots of dogs and cats. I have never been happier or in better shape. May God bless all my classmates with good health and a true sense of well being."
• Chris Carlson has a quilting business called "Thee & Me." She often donates quilts for charitable projects. Here's a project she helped with: CLICK HERE
• Nancy Carner works in an office of three oncologists and is daily helping young people who are battling cancer.
• Henry Catalino has a consulting business, Business Coaching Solutions, and he manages properties that are leased to Notre Dame students.
• Jerry Cavanah and Mary Ann Pechi are among of the nine married couples from the Class of '68.
• Debbie Claeys is a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital.
• Susie Collins and Don Plummer are another of the MHS '68 couples.
• Pam Cook and Rich Kunkle, long married, live in Hawaii.
• Keith Cooper has many of his photos online. Included are pictures of Beutter Park and the Riverwalk and various Mishawaka events. For those gone from the area, Keith's photos will let you see your old hometown.
• Ron Cosner teaches German at LaVille High School.
• Diana Costa is a grandmother and teaches 3rd grade in Rochester, Michigan, at Holy Family Regional School.
• Jean Craft is in Florida where she trains bus drivers and is assistant manager of a crew of over 150 drivers. For several years, she was a professional truck driver; before that, an accountant. Jean also has a pilot's license can fly an airplane.
• Pam Craig has been a "tooth fairy" for 35 years, owns 16 houses that she rents to families, has raised her five children, has seven grandchildren, and still looks like a homecoming princess. Here she is at her daughter's 2009 wedding:
  
• Mark Crocker and his wife live in Carstairs, Alberta, Canada. Population: 2,654. He wrote in December 2009: "Susan and I live on a small farm, enough for about 30 cow/calf pairs. We enjoy membership in the local Mennonite Church. We have no grandchildren and enjoy inflicting ourselves on our nieces and nephews. We have been blessed with world travel -- myself with 6 yrs in the US Navy and Susan with her position at Nexen, an oil company. I am semi-retired and enjoy driving a school bus part time, creating fixes on the farm, and bugging my wife of 31 years."
• Cathy Cunningham is an emergency room nurse and grandma to three little girls.
• Steve Cunningham (Ph.D., Ohio State U.) is Director of Alternative Learning in New Albany - Floyd County Schools.
• Tom Daffron is an electrician.
• Bill Daily's 2007 year began with a new grandson, Bill's third grandchild. Bill is an engineer.
• Cheryl Davis is Executive Director of Voluntary Action Committee in Blacksburg, Virginia.
• Kerry Deardorff is a social worker in Chicago. He ran in a half-marathon race in September 2007. (A half-marathon is a 13-mile foot race.)
• Greg Deitchley and Debbie Young are among of the married couples from the Class. Greg is with the Indiana State Police; Debbie is a school teacher. Debbie says they're both ready to retire.
• Alan DeMaegd is a machinist.
• Terry DeMaegd has retired after a government service career that included two years at the American Embassy in New Delhi, India, as Officer in Charge of the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. Terry also spent time in Washington, DC., with Department of Homeland Security, and before that he was a Federal Investigator with Immigration Service and with Defense Investigative Service. These days, Terry's back in Mishawaka and enjoying his new granddaughter.
• Joyce DeNeve and her husband moved into their new home on Waldron Lake in Noble County. October 2008, Joyce wrote that they lived in the garage during the summer as the house was being built: "It was worth the wait. Our home is beautiful, and waking up every morning to see the lake water outside our bedroom window is wonderful."
• Stan Denney (now known as Stan Leslie) has a five-piece band called "In the Pocket." The band has performed several times at the Mishawaka Summer Fest, and Sundays at East Race in Seitz Park.
• Gary Derbin is the contractor behind Riverside Construction of Mishawaka.
• Mike DeVliegher is a mechanical designer with an electronics firm in Indianapolis.
• Gerald DeWulf is an engineer in charge of hospital construction.
• Mary Jane Dexter is a pharmacist and has served as chairman of the Council of Ministries at her church. Her younger son, a U.S. Marine, served in Iraq. In 2010, he completed Marine Security Guard School and headed to his first assignment in Lisbon. Mary Jane and her Marine husband spent September 2008 in Hawaii and will be in Portugal in 2010.
  
• Spider Draves is a pyrotechnician and travels to China to buy the best fireworks supplies.
• Jim Dygulski owns and runs "Zimmy's Tavern" in Union, Michigan.
• Clara Eberlein says her joy in life is her eight grandchildren.
• Steve Egendoerfer is an electrician.
• Janice Einfalt is marketing representative for Home Instead, a Michiana source for non-medical care for elderly people living at home.
• Judy Emmons put hubby Gerald DeWulf through Purdue, raised their three children, and continues doing much charity work.
• Al Evarts performed with "Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio" in the 1980s. In the "small world" department, Al's daughter married Randy Shayler's nephew.
• John Fisher is an ordained minister, affiliated with South Side General Baptist Church in Mishawaka. John has married and buried lots of Mishawakans over the years.
• Randy Frederick is an electrician.
• Tom Fry is Director for Network Operatons for Verizon in Ft. Wayne.
• Donna Games is mom to three Notre Dame grads and a high-school son who's a Life Scout and working on his Eagle. Daughter #2 married in 2008.
• Sharon Gill, grandma, is a genealogist. In addition to doing her own research, she maintains an excellent web site for genealogists researching St. Joseph County, IN, connections: www.rootsweb.com/~instjose. It was Sharon who began the MHS68 Yahoo Group.
• Tom Grau (JD, IU Indianapolis) is with Drewry, Simmons, Pitts, & Vornehm. One of his clients is the civil engineering firm FRP, where Mike and Cosimo Natali are engineers. Tom's first grandchild was born in October 2008.
• Judy Greenlee (Ph.D., U. of Notre Dame) has retired after many years of university teaching. For pleasure, she makes jewelry with dichroic glass. Judy sent an update at the start of 2009: 2009 hello from Judy
• Frances Grisham has been in Arkansas since high school and recently retired after 34 years as an elementary school teacher. Francie has three grandchildren.
• Bill Groth (JD, IU Indianapolis) is the "Groth" of Fillenwarth, Dennerline, Groth, & Towe. He was on the brief for the challenge of Indiana's photo-ID law. The case was consolidated with another case and became Crawford v. Marion County Election Board. In April 2008, the Supreme Court upheld Indiana's voter ID law.
• Kelly Guin plays bass in Stan (Denney) Leslie's "In the Pocket" band. In the past, Kelly played bass guitar with Davey Jones of "The Monkees."
• Bob Harringer, grandpa, manages environmental, health, & safety for a campus of six buildings at a Lucent plant southwest of Chicago. Bob has been elected president at his church, Our Savior Lutheran in Joliet, Illinois, and he's still collecting rocks. The photo below shows Bob (far right) and his wife after some rock collecting at a copper mine in Michigan:
  
• Chris Heckaman is an interior designer.
• Susan Hess is a grandmother. Granddaughter Phoebe Marie was born in July 2007, and grandson Sean Deegan was born in November 2009. In Susan's words, "We are thrilled, of course."
• Mark Hildebrand, CPA, is a partner at Crowe Horwath and is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Horwath International. For eight years Mark was CEO at Crowe Chizek, now named Crowe Horwath:
  Crowe recognizes former CEO with service award
  How Hildebrand restructured Crowe Chizek
• Barb Hitchins has retired to Arizona after decades as a Hoosier school teacher.
• Chuck Hoffman is still married to his childhood sweetheart, Carol Jojo. Chuck is the general manager of Sonitrol Security Alarms in Mishawaka.
• Cindy Hoffman is a special education teacher in Kokomo.
• Tom Hummer is in sales with CIM Technology Solutions.
• Dave Hoskins is booked on weekends performing with what is considered the best bar band in the greater Michiana area, M.G.B. If you ever get a chance to hear him perform, GO! You'll walk away with a smile on your face.
  
• Cindy Houghton is a music teacher at Pierre Moran Middle School in Elkhart.
• Dawn Housand lives just south of Mexico City, Mexico, and has been involved with a newscomers club. She wrote several feature articles for their monthly newsletter. CLICK HERE for a sampling.
• Peggy Huff is alive, and well, and living in Washington state. The 2000 MHS Alumni Directory incorrectly reported her deceased. She's just fine. She and her husband have lived on the West Coast since the mid 1970s.
• Larry Humphrey is self-employed as a charter captain in Punta Gorda, Florida. He's a licensed ham radio operator with call sign WD9BMR.
• Margaret Hutchison is a registered nurse in Minnesota.
• Vicki Jackson writes, "I worked ten years in the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office.  I worked there when the Prosecutor's Office took on Ford Motor Company and filed criminal charges over the Pinto rear-end accident that killed three girls.   For the last 20 years I have been a legal assistant at Cohen Law Offices in Elkhart."
• Jim Jasiewicz and Regina Drury married on June 10, 2006, in Niles, Michigan. Regina is a 1970 graduate of Goshen High.
• Joe Jasiewicz moved to Florida after retiring from teaching. As a teacher, he devoted years to teaching many Michiana young people how to build houses.
• Marilou Karst, grandma to three, teaches 2nd graders in rural Wisconsin. In free time, she sews Halloween costumes, needlepoints, and cross-country skis.
• Kathy Koleszar works with Afghan Hounds in her off hours. During her work hours, she works with patient financial services at a South Bend hospital.
• Jo Kozlowski is a bank teller and has survived four bank robberies.
• Jim LaBelle is grandpa to three little boys.
• Linda Landaw works with deaf children. She learned to communicate by sign language after her first grandchild was born deaf.
• Bob Lese is with Magnolia Mountain, a folk music group with a newly released CD. He plays mandolin, harmonica, drums, and guitar. Bob has been an on-call and studio musician for over 40 years, playing blues, jazz, country, and southern rock in Chicago and in Cincinnati. He has also played with the country gospel group Roy Knipp & Southern Harmony.
  
• Larry Liffick is a machinist.
• Sue Lightner had a kidney tranplant in 2005; she has recovered well.
• Patrick Long has just celebrated his 30th anniversary with NIPSCO (April 2010). He plans to retire in September and set out to see the United States, including the Alaskan Highway..
• Joyce Mabie has a horse farm.
• Al Maeyens is an Elvis impersonator, impersonating Elvis Presley as he was in the 1970s:
  
• Becky McCoy is back living in Mishawaka after several years in Florida.   
• Pat McGee (JD, Arizona State U.) was a judge for several years in Arizona and has done criminal defense work. Pat is "Grandma Pat-pat" to three little girls. In April 2010, Pat participated in a two-day swim. Day one was Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf; day two, under the Golden Gate Bridge. Mary Rhoade and Sara Hysinger were there to cheer her on. Here's Pat in rubber suit, jumping into the water (photo taken through a boat window): 
  
• Gary McGillem's pride in life is his three granddaughters, all beautiful!
• Bob Mead's interior decorating has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
• Sandy Melton had emergency surgery for appendicitis when Hurricane Ike was blowing through her town in Texas in September 2008. She came through the surgery fine.
• Michael Merritt is an electrician.
• Connie Micinski lives in Colorado. As co-founder of a rescue group for golden retrievers, Connie has helped to save over 1,000 dogs.
• Paula Miller lives in Minnesota, has four grandchildren, and helps others stay healthy.
• Patti Morissette is a fancy-cat fancier. For many years, she raised and showed pedigreed Norwegian Forest Cats.
• Michael Morrison served in a Special Forces unit during his military days. These days, he's a licensed ham radio operator with the call sign W9MLM. He volunteers with R.A.C.E.S. (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) and with A.R.E.S. (Amateur Radio Emergency Service). August 2009, Michael had triple-bypass surgery. He has recovered and is back to his volunteer service.
• Betty Myers is a registered nurse in Tennessee.
• Gail Myers lives in the mountains of Colorado and enjoys mountain hiking and snowshoeing with her husband. She is retired after many years as a a Montessori teacher.
• Mike Natali is a Principal at FRP, a structural and civil engineering firm in Indianapolis. After 12 years as President, Mike is now on the Board of Directors and works on business development and structural engineering consultation. He has been with the firm for 33 years.
• Cosimo Natali is an engineer at FRP.
• Gilbert Needham could benefit from your prayers: Early 2007 he got out of the hospital after his 4th surgery for a brain tumor. His father reports that Gil is recovering but that it has been one h*ll of a battle for Gil.
• Gaelyn Nelson's daughter gave birth to twin boys in autumn 2004. That makes three grandchildren for Gaelyn.
• Dave Nevel was busy the day of our 35th reunion, walking his daughter Amanda down the aisle on her wedding day, and now he's a grandpa! Dave's an optician, with his own business in Columbus, Ohio.
• Dan Nicolini (JD, IU Bloomington) photographs comets, plays his balalaika, and is a prosecutor in Arizona. January 2008 he wrote that he'd just finished a balalaika concert that he'd produced and performed in. Four months later, he wrote that he'd just had back-to-back music weekends: one weekend alternating between clarinet and violin in the pit orchestra for The Magic Flute, and the other weekend with one day in a classical orchestra, and the other with his balalaika in a Russian folk music group.
  
• Carol Ann Nix (JD, U. of Notre Dame) spent 2009-2010 in Beijing, teaching English. She taught criminal justice at Valparaiso U. for several years. Before that, she was a prosecutor for 20 years. When she has the time, she plays with birds.
• Andy Palatinus has owned his own machine repair shop in Loomis, California, for many years. Recently he bought property on Diamond Lake and plans to build a house there.
• Debbie Parnell designs office space and has five grandchildren.
• Jerry Parrish is a school bus driver with the PHM schools.
• Susan Peterson (JD, U. of Memphis), a grandmother now, has her own law firm in South Carolina. Susan was in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, when a judge was shot dead in March 2005.
• Brenda Pfaller is an award-winning teacher at Emmons.
• Don Plummer heads the machine shop at Plymouth Foundry.
• Will Pooley is a counselor at an alternative high school in Wisconsin, and he is a grandfather. Daughter Jennifer has three children; Jennifer's mother is MHS '68er Marilou Karst. Will enjoys annual fishing trips with Doc Asher and Mike Bellovich; in 2005, they went to to northern Ontario.
• Timothy Przygocki is safety manager at the San Francisco maritime National Historical Park.
• Tammy Reed is a librarian for the St. Joseph County Public Library.
• Penny Reynolds has four grandsons. Youngest was born March 7, 2005, and weighed 9 pounds 15 ounces. He was born to Penny's daughter -- who normally weighs only 100 pounds!
• Mary Rhoade has two sons and four grandchildren. When not grandmothering, Mary is a librarian in a K-8 elementary school. She is a Master Teacher in Ohio and has National Board Certification. April 2010, Mary was in California for a mini-reunion with Pat McGee and Sara Hysinger:
  
• Lois Rice, grandma, manages a dental office. In off hours, she's part of a crew on a a hot-air balloon that flies over Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lois' grandson came to the October 11, 2008, day at Castle Manor.
• George Roelandts is a middle school principal in Wakarusa.
• Steve Saros is a plumber.
• Nanette Schnaible is a missionary in Mexico. In early 2009, she was in Kenya, Africa, on a religious crusade.
• Carolyn Schwartz and Steve Van Ooteghem, long married, have three sons and live in Florida. Their oldest son began medical school at Mt. Sinai in September 2008. One of their twin sons married in June 2008 in Dallas, and their other twin son is a physical therapist .
• Terry Schwier was a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. Terry retired in 1991, after 21 years of military service.
• Sheryl Scott is Director of Mental Health Education & Public Health Education at Coastal AHEC in North Carolina.
• Suhaila Shamsuddin has six children. The oldest -- a daughter -- is a physician. August 2009 she wrote, "Latest news is that I've got two grandchildren, a girl (2 years) and a boy (2 months). I'm enjoying them thoroughly!"
• Randy Shayler left Mishawaka for Cornell University and is now a Cornell parent. Son #1 graduated from Cornell; son #2 is a student at Cornell, and Randy is president of the Cornell Delta Upsilon Alumni Association. Randy teaches marketing at an academic high school. A few years back, Randy was inducted into MHS's Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Jim Shown served with the Indiana National Guard in the Middle East from Feb. 2003 until Feb. 2004. He was scheduled for a second tour but was injured in late 2007. He retired from the Reserves with 30 years of service.
• Becky Smith teaches music in the PHM schools.
• Alan Stafford (DDS, Indiana U.), retired dentist, does business consulting and motivational speaking. For pleasure, he flies his own plane. July 2008, Alan wrote that son #3 had been in Iraq with the U.S. Army for five months. Son #1 was in the Army Reserve in 2003 and was called active duty as part of the initial invasion.
• Phil Stillson is an assistant principal at Elkhart Central High School. In 2007 he completed his graduate work for educational administration licensing. He and wife Barb (Kleiser, MHS '69) have four grandchildren: two girls and two boys.
• Bob Stretch (Ph.D., Purdue U.), psychologist, is Director of the Division of Scientific Review at Nat'l Inst. of Child Health & Human Development. Bob has studied post-traumatic stress among soldiers. He retired from the Army Reserve as a Lt. Colonel.
• Sandy Stutzman is a licensed social worker in Texas.
• Mary Ellen Sweeney is Mishawaka's Chief Deputy Clerk.
• Jerry Thacker (Ed.D., Andrews U.) became superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison Schools after eight years as the superintendent of Logansport schools.
• Jim Thomas lives in southeast Arizona and works for the city of Willcox, Arizona.
• Eve Thompson is a legal secretary. In off hours, she raises money for breast cancer research.
• Mike Unruh restored a Christmas mural that his own father made in 1953. The mural has been used as a Christmas greeting from Mishawaka firefighters for decades. Here's the story from the South Bend Tribune: Son restores his father's mural.
• Bob Van Arsdale spends some of his free time with three old cars: a '72 Nova SS (original), a '47 Ford Tudor Sedan (street rod), and a '36 Ford three-window coupe (street rod). Click here to see Bob's '47 Ford.
• Steve Van Ooteghem has the same news as wife Carolyn Schwartz; check above for Carolyn's news. Steve and Carolyn have been married forever.
• Debbie Werbrouck has a dance studio. She began that studio right out of high school with nothing more than the ability to dance, the courage of youth, and her beautiful smile.
• Ray Wennerstrom lives in Texas, near his son who is a police officer. Ray also has a daughter and five grandchildren. In December 2005, Ray was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. With medical treatment, the advance of MS has been slowed.
• Glenda White wrote in April 2009: "I married Ted Morgan, was widowed, and moved back to my birth place -- Waterloo, Alabama. I now own and operate the River Walk Cafe in Waterloo."
• Rosemarie Wilkins is the secretary in the Buildings & Grounds Department of the School City of Mishawaka.
• Jack Wilson fishes competitively. On many weekends he's out in his boat fishing for bass in competitions, and he is a frequent prize winner. And as Jack explains, no, catching the most and biggest fish is not just luck. If it were, how would the same fishermen consistently win the big prizes?
• Glenda Young raised her five children while teaching school. She teaches kindergartners in West Lafayette. Now her children are grown-up, and she has two grandbabies.
• Karen Young teaches 2nd graders at Battell Elementary School in Mishawaka.

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