News of Classmates

Bob Cagann

Bob and his wife Sandy live in Joliet, IL and Naples, FL. His is President and C#EO of Axiom Properties, Inc. which he founded in 1964. Axiom Properties own apartment complexes in the mid-west.

Lee Paddock Dunkel

Lee lost her husband two plus years ago. She has two sons and three grandchildren (2 girls and 1 boy). She currently teaches a photography course at Dayton Beach Community College in Florida. At the time she wrote, she was working on two exhibits.

Jim Dresmal

Jim lives in Glenview, IL with his second wife. Between them they have five children.

Carl Freiberg

Carol has been living in Japan since 1991. He works as what they call an “entertainer” (his description) at various venues around Tokyo. He continues to compose songs and piano music, and he has had a couple of CD’s released on Victor/JVC. He appears in TV commercials and print ads.

Frank Golle

Graduated from Bowling Green State University in June 1961. Commissioned a 2nd Lt in US Army and immediately went on active duty. Assigned to Germany as part of the build up because of the Berlin Wall crisis.

Married Linda Lou Hopkins in June 1962 and honeymooned in Garmisch, Germany. Spent the next 2+ years in Germany. Our oldest daughter was born in May 2003.

Left the service in the fall of 1964 and employed by IBM in St Paul, MN.

Recalled to active duty in 1966 as a result of the Cuban crisis. Assigned to Ft Hood Texas where are second daughter was born in July 1966.

Spent 1967/68 in Vietnam. Returned in July and was ordered back to Vietnam in September. One less officer (resigned my commission) within a week.

Employed by Top Value in Dayton Ohio in their incentive division and spent 2 years before I went to EF McDonald also in Dayton. Transferred to Cleveland as a sales representative. Spent 1 year there before moving to Minneapolis and employed by Carlson Companies in sales management.

In January 1976, I founded a company named MotivAction. Our niche was working with large companies in structuring, marketing, promoting and administering their internal incentive/motivational programs. Sold the company in January 2001 on a LBO. Today that company has revenue of 72 mm and 150+ employee’s.

In January 2001 we purchased a new home in Pelican Sound Golf & River Club, Estero, Florida. With 5 grandchildren, we needed a bigger place for the constant flow of visitors from the north during the winter months. We keep a home in MN and spent approx 4-5 months there.

I joined the United States Power Squadrons in December 1981. USPS is a non-profit volunteer organization with 50,000 members who teach safe boating to the recreational boater throughout the USA, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Japan. Eventually served as the National Planning Committee chair and sat on the Board of Directors for three years.

In the interim period, I began flying lessons and eventually held commercial ratings for both single and multiple engine aircraft. Owned a company called FG Aviation.

I cannot let this summary pass without a mention of my health. At the age of 42, I was seemingly in perfect health, weighed 172 and ran 5 miles daily. While in Ireland, the initial symptoms of polymyositis (this is a devastating blue collar disease) appeared and I was initially hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic for 36 nights and bed/chair ridden for almost
a year. Have had many flare-ups over the years but it seems to have stabilized these past 3 years with some new medication.

On December 1 2000 (yes, 30 days before I sold the company) I suffered a mild heart attack. In March 2001 while in cardic rehab symptoms reappeared and I underwent a quadruple bypass on March 15th.

I want to end this on a positive note notwithstanding the health problems over the years. I’ve been very blessed (my doctor in Mayo uses me as an example of unwilling to succumb to a disease) and the disease, in fact, provided me with the opportunity to pursue the other non-working activities listed above.

REALLY looking forward to the 50th reunion…I remember my Dad’s…think I told him he was officially an “old man.” What goes around comes around.

Jerry Honneman

Jerry graduated from Northern Illinois University and then went to work for Ben Franklin Corp. He worked there for 25 years. He began in advertising and eventually ended up as the craft buyer for over 1000 stores. He was hired away by Frank’s Nursery and Craft and stayed with them for 10 years. He then opened a small gift shop in Royal Oak, MI where he worked for 8 years. Jerry and his wife Zella have two married daughters and a grandson. Jerry and Zella built their retirement home on a lake in Oxford, MI.

Thomas H. Jacobsen

Diane Jacobsen, Tom Jacobsens’ widow, recently donated their entire collection of American Art to the Cummer Museum of Art in Jacksonville, Florida. The Museum has in turn named a new gallery in their honor, The Thomas H. Jacobsen Gallery of American Art. Their collection is extremely impressive, including works by N.C. Wyeth, Robert Henri, Frederick Frieske, Edward Redfield and Jasper Cropsey among others. I would think fellow classmates that travel in the Jacksonville area would surely want to add the Cummer Museum to their itinerary.

Judy Johnston

Judy lives in Princeton with a vacation home in Cape May, NJ. She is retired from being a Social Work consultant with the State of New Jersey. Since retirement she has been doing some consulting work, volunteer work and she is actively involved in owning and breeding thoroughbred horses.

Bill Kirk

Bill is still working 40 hours a week in retail. He and his wife Karen have three grown children but he is not yet a grandfather!

Donne Karstens

Donne is now retired from the business world but hardly from living. He has resided in Mauna Hu’ihu’i [Mountain View] on the Big Island of Hawai’i since 2001. His home/studio Hale U’Uku [small house] is located midway between Hilo and the Volcano National Park in the ancient rainforest of Puna at an elevation of 1,500 feet above sea level.

His days are filled with ongoing studies of exoteric and esoteric philosophy, metaphysics, and mysticism. His mentors being Manly Palmer Hall of the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, California and Joel S. Goldsmith of the Infinite Way.

Domestically, there are two Shi Tzu pups named Chow Chow and Ling Ling ages 8 and 9, a pair of African Geese named Jane and Ricky and 8 Rhode Island Red chickens [who provide an abundance of fresh eggs] , all of whom require a good deal of loving care and attention.

For pleasure there is the ocean for swimming and the volcanoes for hiking both of which are utilized on a regular basis. There is also the summit of Mauna Loa for skiing but after living in Chicago for so many winters he prefers to just look at the snow from a lower elevation.

The rest of the time is spent at his easel creating unique works of art that are put up for auction on eBay. In a little over 2 years he has sold over 400 paintings to folks around the world with the exception of Asia. Subjects range from the very serious to the whimsical. Current offerings can always be seen on eBay by searching for ‘thedonne.’

While still living on the mainland he had the opportunity of creating a number of residential and business murals. However, the main thrust of his endeavors then were spent in the graphic arts and advertising fields which began after his hitch in the Navy was completed in 1961. He has resided in New York City, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco during his career of 40 plus years. Yosemite Park was one of his favorite places for hiking - Yosemite Falls in particular - 3 hours up and 3 hours down.

His health has always been good with the exception of those tonsils which were unceremoniously yanked out at the age of 21. Since then he as avoided going under the knife, is not on any medication, which amazes his doctor, and still has his own teeth, which amazes him.

He comes from a long-lived lineage and anticipates many more years on the Islands of Hawai’i always aspiring to live as the Hawaiian Honu [sea turtle] lives. The Honu is believed to be Aumakua [spirit guardian] guiding Hawaiians to live in harmony with Kumulipo [source of life] - living in this world as gracefully as the Honu lives in the sea.

Jerry Klement

Jerry has spent most of his time Atlanta. Recently, however, he moved to Jacksonville, FL where he has joined a commercial real estate company. Jerry has two daughters an one grandson – who according to Jerry – is the greatest.

Bob and Carol Lenz

Bob and Carol live in Connecticut. After retiring from the advertising business, Bob took up painting again. His website is www.rlenzart.com.

Jane Holloway Melton

Jane and her husband, Sam, have two children and three grandchildren. They live in Lexington, KY and winter in Yuma, AZ. Jane is still working part-time (is there such a thing!!)

Stan Norman

Stan and his wife live in Rockford, IL. They have 3 children and 8 grandchildren – living in Wisconsin, Minnesota and New York. After high school, Stand went to Grinnell College and then to medical school, graduating in 1965 from the University of Minnesota. He spent three years in the Navy, after which he did a residency program in Otolaryngology in Boston, MA. Stan spent 16 years in Eau Claire, WI and the last years in Rockford. He retired after practicing for 31 years. He and his wife like to downhill ski and spend several weeks in the winter in Colorado. During the summer they golf and bike ride.

Al Ragland

Al writes, Unlike most of our classmates, I have not married and have been blessed with some wonderful ladies in my life. My sister-in-law calls me a “flaming heterosexual.” I was a junior Navy Officer in the first part of Viet Nam, then became a broadcaster managing two radio stations in Chicago and then on to television with CBS (WBBM-TV). I was on the marketing station management side, not talent and it was fun.

I moved to LA in ’75 and switched to finance, managing stock/bond and real estate portfolios with my own company. This I am doing now, but blending down with wanting to smell the roses “while being seen instead of viewed”! I also have a place in Ft. Lauderdale, which gives me a nice piece of the tropics.

Dan Schock

Dan and his wife Pricilla have four children (his two and her two) and they have 6 grandchildren – 5 boys and 1 girl. The “retired” in 1987 after selling their business and moved to Gulf Breeze, FL. In Gulf Breeze Dan started a second career as a Deputy Sheriff in Escambia County, FL. He retired from that in 2003 and then became Special Deputy US Marshall, Court Security Officer in Pensacola, FL for a third career. A final retirement should occur in January 2006. Stay tuned!!

Dean Skadberg

Dean and his wife Ann live in Knoxville, TN. Dean retired 8 years ago after 35 years with Procter & Gamble. This year he is President of the National Alumni Association which will require a fair amount of travel. He and Ann have 7 grandchildren, 4 girls and 3 boys.

Sally Fluent Turney

Sally and her husband live in Lexington, KY. She still works as a CPA with a public accounting firm. They have 3 children and several grandchildren.

Audrey Gronert Williams

Audrey and her husband Herm are very involved as volunteers in Lions Clubs International. Audrey will be serving as Vice District Governor of Lions in Nevada this year.

Ann Whiteley Wisnosky

Ann has recently retired from teaching and working for the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources. She is trying to get used to the idea of retirement. Her husband is still working as an architect.