News & notes:
Pat Adams
retired from teaching little children. She and
husband Al Marchant have three grandchildren.
Denny Aguirre
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 spent
many years as a volunteer fire fighter and saved
several lives while giving service to the
community. His working years were as a journeyman
sheetmetal worker. In 2003, Byron was inducted
into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
In August 2023, Byron and other one-time MHS
wrestlers who had been coached by Al Smith
gathered to honor Coach Smith at a restaurant in
Osceola. About three-dozen old wrestlers from
various classes were there.
Below is Byron visiting with Coach Al Smith:
Ellie Allen died in 1996.
Dave Anderson died in 1985.
Hilary Asher
spent his working years as a corporate
vice-president. To relax, he pilots his maroon
& white airplane above Michiana. He and wife
Tamara Reed have three daughters and (at last
count) six grandchildren.
Gregg Baldoni died in 2017. His working years were as a journeyman
sheetmetal worker. Greg did two years in the U.S.
Army and served in the 82nd Airborne. He was
boots-on-the-ground for a year in Vietnam, in an
infantry unit. He survived things that he never
wanted to talk about, for which the military gave
him medals and ribbons. Greg just wanted to
forget it.
Jimita Baldoni
died in June 2024. She was a school teacher, a mom, a
grandmom, and active in South Bend's Junior
League.
Jeff Barcus died in 1985. Jeff was founder and co-owner of
Michiana area waterbed stores and a drummer with
his own band. He was survived by four children.
Linda Batten died October 2024.
Alice Beard
was an at-home-mom for 20 years, went to law
school at 50, then wrote on the 2nd
Amendment. In her 70s,
she taught the Our Father to 1st graders, in Latin. In 2023, she met a horse named
"Glitter" in Old Town Warsaw:
Election night 2024, Alice was
thrilled when Indiana was the 1st state called
for President Trump -- 7:05 p.m. EST.
On Inauguration Day 2025, she was even more
thrilled with President Trump's
pro-woman Executive Order.
Short version: Men are men, and women are women,
and men-who-pretend-to-be-women are men despite
their pretending.
Nota bene, eleven days earlier, on January 9,
2025, the Biden administration's fantasy rewrite
of Title IX already had been rejected and vacated
nationwide in a federal court ruling in Tennessee v.
Cardona:
"Title
IX does not encompass the
issue of gender identity at all. ... [T]he
definition of discrimination 'on the basis of
sex' lies at the heart of Title IX and
permeates virtually every provision of the
law."
Toni Beehler
has been a lifelong Michiana resident. She
completed her bachelor's at IU and spent her
working years as a sales manager at a Fortune 500
company. She and hubby have a son. Toni enjoys
gardening, traveling, crocheting, and working on
various community service projects.
Mike Bellovich
had a long career in human resources. After 30
years with the Marine Corps (active and reserve),
he retired as a Lt. Colonel and served on the
Mishawaka Common Council.
Mike shared this photo, taken in late August 2018
in northern Canada, with Will Pooley. Fifty-one
years earlier, Will and Mike took their first
camping trip to northern Minnesota.
Karen Bentkowski died in January
2024.
Tim Bess retired
as an elementary school principal in Minnesota.
He built a house in Arkansas and divides his time
between Arkansas and Minnesota.
Judy Blankenhorn
died in 2009. She was a career U.S. Army civil
servant, working for the Soldiers Support
Institute and was constantly doing volunteer
service for soldiers.
Greg Blimling
retired in July 2016 after a long academic
career. In his last years in the academic world,
he was professor in the Graduate School of
Education at Rutgers. Previously, for 36 years he
was a student affairs administrator. In 2014, he
completed his seventh book. Greg and his wife have moved to
Colorado to be near their daughter and
granddaughter.
Cheryl Bobson
retired after many years as Chief Financial
Officer for an Elkhart company. She and her
husband bought a 49-foot Bavaria sailboat and
sailed between Florida and the West Indies.
Here was Cheryl's view from her boat in April
2023:
Pam Bollaert
and Penny Reynolds, in about 2000 (Pam on the
right):
Paul Boudreau served
as an Army M.P. in Vietnam before returning
stateside and completing his enlistment at Fort
Hood in Killen, Texas, where his son Paul Jr. was
born. In the mid-1990s, Paul was working as a
federal corrections officer in New Orleans. There
is no current information about Paul.
Roger Brady,
architect, has been a continuing education
consultant to the design and construction
industry.
Alecia Brazeau
died in 2016.
Neil Brioli served
24 years with the U.S. Navy, retiring from the
Naval Reserve as a lead Chief Petty Officer in
1996. He is active with American Legion Post 297,
in New Carlisle.Here's a clip from 2023, with
Neil explaining how to propertly fold an American
flag:
How to properly
fold an American flag
Neil was awarded a "Quilt of Valor."
Here's a photo of Neil and that quilt, snatched
from facebook-world:
Karen Broomall
died in 2014. Her life was as a high-school
chemistry teacher, a mother, a Realtor. She
enjoyed RV-camping along the Pacific Ocean and
watching dolphins and seals. She was survived by
a son and a daughter.
Ron Brooks and Pat
DeLaurelle, long married, are in
Florida. Ron spent 20 years in the Air Force,
retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant in 1989.
Marsha Brown
has had her own software business for several
decades. In her 70s, she become deputy trustee of
German Township, St. Joseph County.
Ken Brugh
spent decades in the corporate world. When he was
23, he opened a bar & restaurant in
Bloomington, Indiana. For 23 years, he was with
Golfsmith, serving as a V.P. for many years. Then
he became a V.P. for real estate & store
environment for Performance Bike. At 70, he moved
to Panama. At 71, he moved to Medellin, Columbia,
where he did his own version of Taco Tuesday: He
made tacos and gave them to poor people who
survived on the streets.
In June 2022, Ken moved on to the Philippines.
Early 2023, he took a trip to Camotes Island
where he jumped off a cliff and lived to tell
about it:
In the Philippines, a beautiful
young woman came into Ken's life. They married in
January 2024. Ken shared photos of their wedding
and from their trip after their wedding. Here's
one of Ken, walking towards the water, with his
wife and the two little children who are now part
of his life.
Cathy Bupp is
a psychotherapist. In 2004, she was living in
central Florida, in one of the counties declared
a disaster area after the hurricanes of 2004.
Check Cathy's description of what the hurricanes of
2004 did to her community.
Brenda Burkett,
Toby Roose, Debbie Koepke, and Sonia Kristoff all
looked beautiful at a church event in 2010:
Denny Cackowski
moved to Florida after a career as coordinator of
elementary enrichment programs schoolwide for
P-H-M schools. Denny died in
Naples, Florida, July 26, 2020.
Debbie Callsen
has worked as an R.N. and supervising nurse on
the open-heart team at St. Joseph Regional
Medical Center.
Chris Carlson is
director of Busy Hands of
Michiana, a group
of charitible people who crochet, knit, and sew
for people in need.
Nancy Carner
retired after years of helping young people
battle cancer. She worked in an office of
oncologists.
Mary Carter died in 1993.
Henry Catalino
manages properties, does business consulting, and
is a continuing education instructor for Indiana
real estate. In the past, he had his own
Sicilian-Italian restaurant in South Bend.
Jerry Cavanah and Mary
Ann Pechi are among the nine married
couples from the Class of '68. Two daughters;
nine grandchildren.
Vicki Christman
died in 2015.
Patricia Collins
died in 2008.
Debbie Claeys
was an R.N. at Memorial Hospital. She died in 2021.
Suzy Collins and Don
Plummer are another of the MHS '68
couples.
Keith Cooper put
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. Keith died in
December 2022.
Ron Cosner taught
German at LaVille High School.
Diana Costa
retired after years of teaching 3rd graders at
Holy Family in Rochester, Michigan. She's
enjoying time with her grandchildren.
Jean Craft
retired in 2015 after years of training and
supervising bus drivers. She had a crew of over
150 drivers. Before that, for several years she
was a professional truck driver, and before that,
an accountant. Jean also has a airplane pilot's
license. She has moved back to the Michiana area,
to enjoy Indiana's winters. ;-)
Pam Craig
retired after 37 years as a "tooth
fairy." She owned and rented many houses,
raised her five children, has nine grandchildren,
and still looks like a homecoming princess. In
2013, she was in Africa volunteering in an
orphanage for a few months. In 2015, she was in
Alaska for three months and worked at the
Iditorad; she was there again in March 2017.
Here's Pam at her daughter's 2009 wedding, and
dancing with her son at his 2011 wedding:
 
In August 2023, Pam was among the many who
gathered to honor one-time MHS wresting coach Mr.
Al Smith. Photo below shows Pam with Mr. Smith:
Mark Crocker died in 2023. He spent the last decades of his life,
with his wife, in rural 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."
Janis Crook was
with Pat McGee in June 2024, riding Icelandic
ponies on the Black Sand Beach, just south of the
village of Vik, on the south coast of Iceland.
Janice is on the right; Pat is on the left.
Terry Crothers died in 2013. He supported his family as an auto
parts manager. His passion was rebuilding and
restoring vintage Chevy Impalas.
Danny Culp died in 2015. He was a journeyman plumber who
managed to retire young enough that he had time
to enjoy cars, cave explorations, traveling,
walking on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and
watching rocket lauches at Kennedy Space Center.
He was survived by four children, grandchildren,
and great-grandchildren.
Cathy Cunningham
died in 2021. Professionally, she was an emergency
room R.N.
Steve Cunningham
retired from the New Albany - Floyd County
Consolidated School Corporation after a long
career working with adult education, teaching at
a college, and being a high-school principal.
Then he worked with the state of Indiana's GED
program; in Steve's words, "GED can be the
ticket out of poverty."
Tom Daffron is
a retired electrician.
Bill Daily is
a retired engineer and a grandfather to three.
Cheryl Davis
worked as Executive Director of Voluntary Action
Committee in Blacksburg, Virginia. Cheryl died in
June 2021.
Colleen Deal died in 2010. She helped build trails on the North
County Trail in Chippewa County, Michigan.
Kerry Deardorff died June, 19,
2023. He was a social
worker who specialized in assisting
developmentally disabled adults.
Gene DeFauw died in 2012. He was a master cabinet-maker who
enjoyed historic home restorations.
Greg Deitchley retired
as Captain with the Indiana State Excise Police.
He graduated from the FBI National Academy in
Quantico, Virginia, in 1999. Greg was President
of the FBI National Academy's Indiana Chapter
from 2013 to 2015.
Alan DeMaegd
is a retired machinist.
Terry DeMaegd
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
granddaughter.
Linda DeMeulenaere
died in 2024.
Joyce DeNeve died in 2020.
Stan Denney died
in February 2025. Stan was a talented and
respected musican. For the last many years of his
life, he had a band called "Stan Leslie &
In The Pocket Band."
The band performed several times at the Mishawaka
Summer Fest, and Sundays at East Race in Seitz
Park. You can hear Stan making music in this video from
2012. There's also some
of his music at Stan's personal
facebook page.
Gary Derbin
has been the contractor behind Riverside
Construction of Mishawaka.
Mike DeVliegher
died in 2019. Professionally, Mike was a mechanical
designer with an electronics firm in
Indianapolis.
Gerald DeWulf
has been an engineer in charge of hospital
construction.
Mary Jane Dexter
retired after a long career as a pharmacist.
Photo below shows Mary Jane and hubby in 2008 in
Hawaii.
In 2015, Mary Jane and her husband traveled to
Dubai to see their young grandson. Since then,
there are two more grandchildren. Christmas of
2024, Mary Jane and hubby traveled to Kazakhstan
to see their grandchildren.
Spider Draves
was a career pyrotechnician and made trips to
China to buy fireworks for his Mishawaka
business. In the summer of 2010, Spider's
business collected enough food donations to
provide over 3,000 meals for the Penn Township
Food Pantry. He was boots-on-the-ground in
Vietnam and spent many years helping other
veterans. Spider died June 10, 2022.
Jim Dygulski
retired after years of owning and operating
"Zimmy's Tavern" in Union, Michigan.
Walt Eakins died in 2008. He was store manager of the CVS
Pharmacy in Bremen. He was survived by four
children and several grandchildren.
Sandy Eberhardt
and hubby live near Tampa, Florida. She's still
working, selling at a flea market in Webster,
Florida, where she's known as "the birdhouse
and fairy garden lady."
Clara Eberlein
says her joy in life has been her eight
grandchildren.
Tom Eberlein
lives in Auburn, California. He works at the Armed Forces
Pavilion and Community Garden in Auburn as the Community Liaison of
the Forgotten Soldier
Program. The program
helps vets with PTSD. The vets work in the garden
and grow food for vets and their families. Tom
can be seen and heard in a video from October
2019: Forgotten Soldiers
Program interview.
Slide the bar to 02:32.
Tom with some hiking companions in 2021: HERE.
Steve Egendoerfer
retired after decades as an electrician.
Janice Einfalt
has been a marketing representative for a
Michiana business that provides non-medical care
for elderly people living at home.
Lori Eiswald
has nine grandchildren.
Judy Emmons
put hubby Gerald DeWulf through
Purdue, raised their three children, and has been
active in charity work.
Al Evarts was
a musician, until the end. He died in 2018.
Tim Farr died in 1968.
Frances Fisher
died in 1971.
John Fisher is
an ordained minister, affiliated with South Side
General Baptist Church in Mishawaka. John has
married and buried several Mishawakans over the
years.
Cheryl Frazier
died in 1968
Randy Frederick
died in 2018. He was a journeyman electrician with
his own business and was an ordained minister. He
was survived by two daughters, three
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Tom Fry was a
vice-president with Frontier (formerly Verizon in
Indiana). Tom and his wife have two
grandchildren.
Donna Games
and her husband travel the world frequently.
Among her many trips, she was in Israel in 2012,
in London in 2017, on a cruise from Denmark to
Russia in 2018. In spring of 2023, she was on a
cruise across the Atlantic, headed to Portugal,
then Spain, then the French Riviera, then Italy,
and ultimately Rome. For a recent cruise, Donna
was able to have together all but one son. Photo
shows Donna with husband, two daughters, son and
daughter-in-law, and four granddaughters:
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 connections: www.rootsweb.com/~instjose.
Kathy Goeller died in 2018.
Dennis Graham died in 2015.
Tom Grau,
attorney, retired after a career as a partner at
the firm of Drewry Simmons Vornehm. One of his
clients was the civil engineering firm FRP,
where, among the engineers, were Mike and Cosimo
Natali.
Becky Greene died in 1980.
Judy Greenlee died in 2011. After completing her Ph.D. in
molecular genetics at Notre Dame, she did
post-doctoral work at Stanford U. and at U. of
California. She was a professor of biology at
Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California,
before retiring because of ill health.
Frances Grisham
died in 2015. She lived in Arkansas after high
school and retired after 34 years as an
elementary school teacher. Francie was survived
by three grandchildren.
Kelly Guin
plays in the Michiana band "Cousin
Vinny" on weekends. In the past, Kelly
played bass guitar with Davey Jones of "The
Monkees." Kelly's first band was back in
1964. He, Doug Overman, and Jerry Cavanah were
"Cause and Effect," and their first gig
was at Bock's Roller Skating Rink.
Jim Hallaert died in 1983.
Paul Hupp
attends worship services at Broadway Christian
Parish's United Methodist Church in South Bend.
Danny Joe Harbin died in 1969.
Bob Harringer,
grandpa, managed environmental, health, &
safety for a campus of six buildings at a plant
southwest of Chicago; he retired after over 50
years with the same company. These days, Bob
teaches an earth science class to home-schooled
high-school kids.
For a few years, Bob served as Congregaton
President at his church, Our Savior Lutheran in
Joliet, Illinois. As president, he wrote a
monthly column in the church bulletin. He calls
the collection "Walking
together with one heart."
The photo below shows Bob (far right) and his
wife after some rock collecting at a copper mine
in Michigan:
Steve Hartley died in 2014.
Mike Hass'
first grandchild was born in January 2016, a
grandson named Joseph Samuel Hass.
Linda Hatfield
died in 1983.
Steve Hazen died in 2009.
Chris Heckaman has
been an interior designer.
Margie Hesch
retired after 34 years as a public school
teacher. In the past, she was an elected member
of the Yorktown School Board (Delaware Co.,
Indiana).
Susan Hess has
three grandchildren. In Susan's words, "We
are thrilled, of course." For many years,
Susan's "baby" was the Michiana Home
Show, where Michiana area building contractors,
builders, and suppliers gathered once a year to
show what they had to homeowners hunting for
designs. Susan arranged the three-day event, year
after year.
Patricia Heston
died in 2021.
Mark Hildebrand
retired after 40 years with the accounting firm
of Crowe Horwath; he was CEO for eight years. He
also has retired from Crowe Horwath International
where he was Chairman of the Board. September
2013, Mark wrote, "I am proud that Crowe
Horwath grew from 50 people when I started to
become the 9th largest certified public
accounting firm in the U.S." Mark and his
wife (Teresa Anderson, MHS '69) have two
grandchildren.
Barb Hitchins died in 2016, in Arizona, where she had moved after
decades as a Hoosier school teacher.
Chuck Hoffman
is married to his childhood sweetheart, Carol
Jojo. Chuck spent his working years helping
people stay safe in their homes, managing a home
security business in Mishawaka.
Cindy Hoffman
died in March 2025. She spent 40 years as a
special education teacher in Kokomo.
Dana Holycross
lives in Lafayette. She has been active in VFW
and served as auxiliary president of Mishawaka's
VFW Post 360 and as 3rd district president. She's
mom to two daughters and grandma to six.
Linda Howe died in 1998. She retired from the U.S. Marine Corps
as a Master Sergeant.
Dave Hoskins
retired from Mishawaka Utilities in January 2021.
He and his wife of 55+ years now live in
Bradenton, Florida. Dave has been a performing
musician since before he was 16 years old. These
days, he plays with the Cruise Control
Band. If you're in
Florida, check the group's Upcoming Events
calendar.
Until Dave moved from
Mishawaka, he was booked most weekends performing
with MGB, considered the best bar band in
Michiana. Doug Overman also played with MGB.
Photo of Dave and Doug is from January 2020:
Back in high school, Dave
and two others from MHS '68 played with "The
Crystal Thread." The others from MHS '68
were Rich Gottman and Al Evarts:
Cindy Houghton
retired after a long career as a music teacher at
Pierre Moran Middle School in Elkhart.
Linda Howe died in 1998.
Peggy Huff died in 2017. She had lived on the West Coast since
the mid 1970s.
Robert "Tom"
Hummer retired from a long career in
sales with CIM Technology Solutions. He and his
wife moved back to Mishawaka and live near Wilson
Park. They have three children and four
grandchildren.
Larry Humphrey
is still working full time at 76 years old (in
2024): He repairs broadcast transmitters for FM
radios. When he was about 70, he kayaked down the
Mississippi River. He loves to travel and was in
Panama in December 2023. Photo of Larry is from
2010, on the beach in Florida.
Margaret Hutchison
retired from her career as a registered nurse.
After retiring, she road-tripped with her husband
for a few years before setting down in the north
woods.
Paul Huyvaert died in 2010.
Vicki Jackson
wrote, "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."
When she left the county prosecutor's
office, she moved on to being a legal assistant
in a private law office in Elkhart.
Jim Jasiewicz
was Executive Director of Facilities at Ivy Tech
Community College's three campuses for several
years. Previously, for 20 years, he was
facilities manager for ten South Bend schools.
Joe Jasiewicz
moved to Florida after retiring from teaching. As
a teacher, he taught many Michiana young people
how to build houses.
Linda Jasiewicz
died in 2008. She was a registered nurse.
Linda Jensen
is a registered nurse.
Sharon Johnson
died in 2002.
Marilou Karst,
grandma to five, retired in 2016
after a career of teaching 2nd graders in rural
Wisconsin. She enjoys sewing, making special
costumes for her grandchildren, needlepointing,
and cross-country skiing.
Joe Kleindinst
died in 2000.
Kathy Klotz'
passion is ballroom dancing. She has had
instruction from two dance teachers from the TV
show "Dancing with the Stars" and has
competed in local dance contests.
Kristine Knitter
died in 1974.
Tim Kobb
retired after a career of working for the city of
Mishawaka, making sure that, when folks turned on
the lights, they got light.
Kathy Koleszar raised
her grand-niece (granddaughter of her sister
Maryann, who died in 2009). Kathy worked for many
years at St. Joseph Mishawaka Medical Center in
patient financial services, and she has enjoyed
working with Afghan Hounds over the years.
Debbie Koepke had
a birthday party for her mom on her mom's 101st
birthday. Mrs. Koepke's 101st birthday was Feb.
5, 2021; Mrs. Koepke died in October 2022.
Jo Kozlowski is
an active family genealogist.
Spiro Krekelas
is a jewelry designer, making one-of-a-kind
pieces in gold and silver.
Doris Kronewitter sent
a hello from Florida. She has lived on the west
side of Florida for many years. Doris is still
working, doing Medicare billing. She's the mom of
four daughters, grandma to eight, and has 13
great-grands. Doris was widowed in 2014. Her
excitement in 2023 was fighting off a mugger in a
bank parking lot and finally seeing him found
guilty in court.
Becky Kuhn
served for several years as president of the VFW
Post 360 Auxiliary, in Mishawaka.
Richard Kunkle
died in 2013.
Paula Lampert has
been a long-time fan of the M.G.B. band. In
August 2018, she was in Mishawaka enjoying their
music. After the performance, from left, Spider
Draves, Doug Overman, Alice Beard, Paula, and
Dave Hoskins.
Linda Landaw
worked with deaf children. She learned to
communicate in sign language after her first
grandchild was born deaf.
In recent years, Linda and her husband have
enjoyed creating parade floats. Some have won
awards:
Couple's float to
appear in nat'l Memorial Day parade
Tom Lechlitner
died January 2025.
Bob Lese has
been making music professionally since he was a
teenager. Sound clips from Bob with the group
Magnolia Mountain are HERE and HERE. The other side of Bob is that he was a
Carpenters Union organizer and was executive
director of a coalition of groups that worked to
help illegal aliens.
Larry Liffick is
a retired machinist.
Sue Lightner died in 2019.
Connie Lively died in 2016.
Jim Locke
lives in Texas in the Dallas area. In 2017, he
became semi-retired after a long career in
customer service and purchasing. Jim and his wife
have two sons and a grandson who was 21 in 2023.
Here's a photo of Jim and his wife from 2023:
Patrick Long
retired from NIPSCO in November 2010, after 30
years of service. He spent many months traveling
across the United States and Canada. He was in
the Canadian Rockies, followed by Oregon and
Washington. He traveled the Alaskan Highway. In
2013, NIPSCO asked Pat to come back for a while.
Here's Pat in the Canadian Rockies:
Vicki Long has
moved to Florida. Summer 2023, she made a trip to
Michiana for girlfriend-time with her
forever-friend Peggy Sinkovics. (See Peggy's
entry for a photo.)
Joyce Mabie
has a horse farm called "Spring River
Ranch."
Al Maeyens had
a long career as an engineer at Pratt &
Whitney, then spent a few years giving folks
smiles as an Elvis impersonator. More recently,
after a good bit of formal study, Al is active as
an Eastern Orthodox minister. You can see and
hear Al in his YouTube videos.
And you can hear Al here:
O Gladsome Light
Aside from that, Al has a story to tell everyone:
In November 2012, he awoke from a nap unable to
move or feel his right side. He'd had a stroke.
His wife immediately sought help. Within two
hours, Al was in surgery and a clot was removed
from the back of his brain. Al considers it a
miracle from God that he has fully recovered. He
was hospitalized for one week. By early December,
he was back on stage performing. In Al's words,
"The
key to a stroke is quick action and do not delay
in calling 911. There is a small space of time
when the stroke can be reversed."
Here's Al one year after the stroke:
Stroke Anniversary Al Maeyens 1-year
Jim Manis died in 1968.
Randy Marks sent
word in summer of 2024 about his last
half-century: After completing his BS at
Bloomington, he and his wife were back in the
Michiana area while he did his MBA at Notre Dame.
He worked for 30 years for Dow Corning, in
electronics and information technology. Now
retired, he and the Mrs. live in Sarasota,
Florida. Two kids and four grands. 
Elinor May worked
for the Davidson County Register of Deeds, in
Nashville, Tennessee.
Janice Matz died in 2001.
Pamela McCarter
died in 2014.
Becky McCoy
moved back to Mishawaka after many years in
Florida.
Marc McCray
wrote in December 2010: "Still living in
Mishawaka. I left the Mishawaka Street Department
after 22 years. I'm currently working in Elkhart,
truck driving for C&J Steel. I enjoy riding
my motorcycle, having a cold beer, and running
into old friends." Marc died in 2024.
Pat McGee was
a judge for several years in Arizona and has done
criminal defense work. These days she's active in
the Tea Party of Scottsdale, Arizona. Pat has two
daughters, three granddaughters, and a
great-granddaughter. Photo below shows Pat (on
right) and her school-teacher daughter riding
horses.
October 2024, Pat became a
great-grandmother when Pat's granddaughter who
had joined MHS '68 folks at Castle Manor in 2013
became a mother herself:
Gary McGillem
has three granddaughters, all beautiful!
Bob Mead began
"Bob Mead Interiors, Inc." in 1983, and
he has been doing interior design work ever
since. Bob's favorite charity is Indianapolis'
St. Margaret's Hospital Guild's Decorator's Show
House and Gardens. Some of the finest interior
designers in the Indianapolis area join forces to
redesign an entire house. The money raised is
donated to Indianapolis' St. Margaret's Hospital.
Michael Merritt
died in 2023. He retired as an environmental
engineer for Norfolk Southern.
Connie Micinski
lives in Colorado. She co-founded Golden Retriever
Freedom Rescue, a
501(c)(3) rescue group for golden retrievers.
Since 2001, the group has placed over 5,000 dogs
into permanent homes.
Paula Miller
lives in Minnesota. She was widowed in 2013. God
smiled, and Paula found love again. She married
again in August 2023.
Patti Morissette
loves cats. For many years, she raised and showed
pedigreed Norwegian Forest Cats.
Michael Morrison
was Special Forces during his military days.
These days, he's a licensed ham radio operator
with the call sign W9MLM. He has
volunteered with A.R.E.S. (Amateur
Radio Emergency Service),
with National Weather Service as a SkyWarn
Observer, and with Project Lifesaver
International with the
Mishawaka Police Department.
Debbie Morse
joined the Air Force after high-school graduation
and served four years. While stationed at McChord
Air Force base, she met her husband. They live in
Indianapolis where Debbie is a realtor. Both
their son and their daughter are active duty in
the U.S. Army. Debbie has two grandsons.
Charles Mott died in 2011.
Jim Muhme moved
west, where he did an associate's in fire science
and a bachelor's degree in business sociology. He
was a firefighter in Montana and Colorado and was
a National Certified Fire Codes Inspector. After
retiring from the fire service, he moved back to
the Mishawaka area, attended culinary school, and
now works part-time as a chef at Four Winds
Casino/Dowagiac.
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 does lots of knitting and lots of shopping
for the perfect yarn. Her yarn collection
continues to grow. Gail retired after many years
as a Montessori teacher.
Mike Natali
retired in 2016, after a 44-year career as a
structural engineer -- 39 years with FRP, a
structural engineering firm in Indianapolis. For
12 years Mike was president of FRP. He had a role
in engineering many of the big buildings in
downtown Indianapolis.
Since retiring, Mike has been giving service in
his community. He wrote, "I visit
residents in housing facilities for the elderly.
My friends have included two World War II
veterans, both now deceased. One was a U.S.
veteran who served in the Pacific as a medic,
saving lives on the islands after each battle. He
died at age 101. The other was a German Army
veteran; he fought on the Eastern Front against
the Russians. He was in a regiment of 950 men; he
was one of only 37 from the regiment who survived
the war. He had turned 20 years old the week
before the war in Europe ended. I knew him for
over 40 years, since well before he grew old. He
was one of the kindest men I ever knew and like a
second father to me." Mike also is
tutoring high-school students in math (algebra
thru calculus).
Mike has put in writing the story of his family's
roots in Plati, Reggio de Calabria, Calabria,
Italy:
ON THE SHOULDERS OF OTHERS WE STAND: THE ITALIAN DIASPORA AND THE STORY OF ONE ITALIAN-AMERICAN FAMILY.
Cosimo Natali
retired after a career as an engineer at FRP. In
September 2010, he sent word that both of his
sons are married and that he has two young
grandchildren.
Gilbert
"Mike" Needham sent a photo
and wrote, "I celebrated 30 years of
marriage with this lady, Kathy, in May 2016. We
live in Frankfort, Indiana, and are
retired."
Dave Nevel is
an optician, with his own business in Columbus,
Ohio, and he's active in community service. He's
also a grandpa.
Chris Nicholas
and Eve Thompson had some
visiting time in summer of 2017:
Dan Nicolini
prosecuted major felonies for over 18 years in
Arizona before beginning private practice doing
criminal defense and then serving as the South
Tucson City Public Defender. He retired in 2020.
Music is still a big part of Dan's life. In
addition to playing the
balalaika, Dan plays
his clarinet and his violin with various music
groups.
Donald Nisley died in 2015. He was a mechanical engineer out of
Purdue. He was awarded 30 patents and was named
Rockwell Automation Engineer of the Year for
2004.
Maurice Nisley died in 2005.
Carol Ann Nix
was a prosecutor for 20 years before teaching
criminal justice at Valparaiso U. Then she moved
to the other side of the world and taught English
to Chinese graduate students in Beijing. She has
written about her experiences in China. Her first
book came out in 2014: DRAGON HEARTS: LOVE IN CHINA. Book 2
in her Dragon Heart series debuted in 2015: EAGLE IN CHINA.
Sandy O'Connell
died in 2012.
Doug Overman
has been making music since he was a kid. In
recent years, he performed with Dave Hoskins in
the MGB band. In 2013, Doug joined Dan Nicolini for some Russian
music.
Photo shows Doug with the MGB band. Doug is on
the far right; Dave Hoskins is next to him:
Andy Palatinus
owned his own machine repair shop in Loomis,
California, for 31 years. He helped with small
engine classes at the local high school by
donating motors and helping students find parts.
Andy sold his business in 2009 and moved to
Cassopolis where he had built a house on Diamond
Lake.
Rick Paridaen is
a grandpa.
Cindy Parker
has eight grandsons and two great-granddaughters.
In 2013, "Grandma Cindy" was
parasailing on Macinac Island. Her first time
parasailing was in 2008 in Jamaica. This photo
shows Cindy in 2013:
Debby Parnell
has designed office space, outdoor spaces,
backyards, and decorated interiors. She's
grandmother to five.
Jerry Parrish died in 2018. For 26 years he got kids safely to and
from school as a PHM school bus driver.
Mary Ann Pechi
retired in 2013 after a long career as a banker.
She and Jerry Cavanah are among the long-married
MHS '68 couples. Retirement allows Mary Ann time
with their nine grandchildren.
Susan Peterson,
grandmother of two, has moved back to Georgia
after a few years in Denver. She's an attorney
and has practiced labor and employment law, and
divorce law. Photo is from September 2017, when
Susan was backpacking in southern Ireland.
Brenda Pfaller
retired after 29 years as an award-winning
teacher at Emmons Elementary School.
Don Plummer
headed the machine shop at Plymouth Foundry before retiring:
Will Pooley
was a counselor at an alternative high school in
Wisconsin. He is dad to two daughters and grandpa
to four. His daughters' mother is MHS '68er
Marilou Karst. In 1967, Will, Hilary Asher, and
Mike Bellovich took their first canoe trip
together. Since then, they've taken many such
trips. In summer of 2008, they were canoeing in
northern Ontario:
Timothy Przygocki died in 2014, three years after retiring from the San Francisco maritime National
Historical Park, where
he had served for 34 years. He was Safety Manager
when he retired. His children gave him a
retirement party, and his son Augustino arranged
for a trip up the South Tower of the Golden Gate
Bridge as part of his present to his dad. Tim's
photos from over the years are HERE.
Richard Putz and
his wife, Marcia, celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary in May 2024. Here's a photo of them
from 2021, as they vacationed in Panama Beach,
Florida:
Tammy Reed
retired after many years as a librarian for the
St. Joseph County Public Library. Tammy and
Hilary Asher are another of the long-married MHS
'68 couples.
In May 2017, Tammy was the center of a
mini-reunion in Mishawaka. Gathered at the Beiger
House were Mary Rhoade, Tammy, Pat McGee, Alice
Beard, Margaret Hutchison, and Mary Jane Dexter:
Brenda Reynolds died in 2010.
Penny Reynolds
has four grandsons and two new hips. Autumn of
2012, she and her husband vacationed in St.
Lucia:
Mary Rhoade
has two sons and seven grandchildren. She retired
after a career as a K-8 elementary school teacher
and librarian. In April 2010, Mary was in
California for a mini-reunion with Pat McGee and
Sara Hysinger:
Lois Rice has
had a long career managing dental offices, and
she's still at it in 2024.
Bill Richter died in 1991.
Diana Roberts
is an artist. She paints under the name
"Diana Roberts-Paschall" and signs her
art as "D. Roberts-Paschall." Found
online:
Sue Robinson died in 2017.
Claude Rogers died in 2013.
George Roelandts
retired in July 2013 after a long career as
principal at NorthWood Middle School in Wakarusa.
In 2023, George and his wife cruised around the
Mediterranean, stopping in at Dubrovnik (Croatia)
and other cities in the Adriatic Sea, before
spending time in Athens (Greece).
Below, is George (on left) with Byron Aldrich in
August 2023 at a gathering to honor one-time
wrestling coach Mr. Al Smith:
Toby Roose has
three sons and has worked for Meridian Title in
South Bend. She still lives in Mishawaka.
Bob Ruthrauff died in 2007.
Craig Salyer died in December
2020.
Steve Saros
spent his working years as a journeyman plumber.
Nanette Schnaible
has been a missionary in western Mexico for
decades. In 2009, she was in Kenya, Africa, on a
religious crusade.
Carolyn Schwartz and
Steve Van Ooteghem, long married, have
three sons. Their oldest son is a physician. One
of Carolyn's pleasures is creating detailed
dollhouse miniatures, complete with minature
dishes and utensils, miniature-scaled wallpaper,
and Victorian clothing on tiny dollhouse dolls.
Terry Schwier was
a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. He
retired in 1991, after 21 years of military
service.
Sheryl Scott died in August
2022. She spent her
professional life working with the mentally ill
and teaching others how to work with the mentally
ill. She was especially proud of her work that
helped military veterans who were dealing with
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
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
has been the mayor of Wellsville, NY, since 2016. He was elected for his
3rd term in November 2024. Wellsville is a small village with a
downtown area reminiscent of Mishawaka of the
1960s. In 2024, Randy secured a large
grant for Wellsville:
$4.5 million.
In 2023, Randy was in the Memorial Day parade in
Wellsville: He drove his classic Lincoln
Continental convertible in the parade. Click on
the photo for a larger version. Some may recall
that Randy's dad had an old Model-T (or Model-A)
that he (the senior Mr. Shayler) would sometimes
drive in a parade in Mishawaka:
Jim Shown
served with the Indiana National Guard in the
Middle East from Feb. 2003 until Feb. 2004. He
retired from the Reserves after 30 years of
service. Jim has three grandchildren.
Peggy Sinkovics and
Vicki Long took a wandering
roadtrip in summer of 2023 and ended up near
where Alice Beard has lived for almost 50 years.
Peggy and Vicki met as little girls at Mary
Phillips. The three visited at a little
restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland, and a kind
stranger snapped a photo before the goodbyes:
Randy Smith's granddaughter was crowned Miss Indiana's Teen in June 2024. A Penn High grad, she
started at Purdue in autumn 2024. She'll be
competing in the Miss America's Teen
pageant in January 2025.
Rebecca Smith
retired from teaching music in the PHM schools.
Tom Smith died in 2000.
Brenda Snyder
was still working in 2023, making offices run
smoothly. She's grandma to 15. One grandson
served in the U.S. Army and spent 9 months in
Kuwait; another is a U.S. Marine, and a third
studied religion before joining the Navy as a
chaplain. Brenda has lived in Florida since 1996.
Mike Squibb lives
in Florida and is out fishing every day possible.
Alan Stafford
began as a dentist and moved into business
consulting, motivational speaking, and life
coaching -- helping people through transitions.
For pleasure, he would fly his own plane. Two of
Alan's three sons served in Iraq. Alan has six
grandchildren.
Mike Stickles died in 1992.
Phil Stillson
retired in 2013 as assistant principal at Elkhart
Central High School. He was with Elkhart
Community Schools for 37 years -- a teacher, a
coach, and an administrator. He and wife Barb
(Kleiser, MHS '69) have four grandchildren: two
girls and two boys.
Christmas of 2019 delivered a miracle for Phil --
a new heart and a new kidney. Here's Phil four
weeks after those surgeries -- up, walking, and
smiling:
And by 2022, Phil was celebrating his 52nd
wedding anniversary, going to the theater,
bicycling, and golfing with friends. In June
2022, Phil hit a hole-in-one at 142 yards.
Bob Stretch,
psychologist, retired from the Division of
Scientific Review at Nat'l Inst. of Child Health
& Human Development. Bob studied
post-traumatic stress among soldiers. He retired
from the Army Reserve as a Lt. Colonel and has
four grandchildren.
Richard Stuff died in 2008.
Sandy Stutzman
worked as a social worker in Texas and spent a
quarter of a century working in hospice care.
Mary Ellen Sweeney
retired after many years as Mishawaka's Chief
Deputy Clerk.
Wava Marie Sweet
died in 2014. Wava was named after her maternal
grandmother. Wava's father died when she was
nine, and she began waitressing when she was only
14 years old to help support herself. At the end
of her life, she was supporting herself as a taxi
cab driver.
Joe Swift and
Spider Draves joined forces with the Marine Corps
League for Christmas 2019. The League spent
$10,000 on Toys for Tots. Spider said, "The
Meijer store had to restock all of the toy
aisles. It seems we made an impact on the toy
department." Both Joe and Spider were
boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam:
Jackie Swonger died in 2005.
Jerry Thacker
announced in spring of 2025 that, after 19 years
as superintendent of PHM schools, he would be
retiring, effective
July 2025. Before heading PHM schools, Jerry was
superintendent of Logansport schools for eight
years.
In 2023, Jerry handed Debbie Koepke's grandson
his Penn High School diploma:
Ron Thibos is
Assistant Professor and Chairman of his
department at IVY Tech in Kokomo. He teaches
industrial & occupational safety.
Jim Thomas
lives in southeast Arizona. He retired as
Director of Public Works, in Willcox, Arizona.
Eve Thompson
moved to Arizona after a long career as a legal
secretary.
Jimmie Trovatore died in 2001.
Mike Unruh's
oldest grandchild completed his J.D. at U. of
Arizona. A few years back, Mike 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.
Leonard Vallance
died in 2016.
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). Here's Bob with his '47 Ford:
Beverly Vance died in 1991.
Steve Van Ooteghem is
a management consultant and is Chairman of an
executive round table for Christian business
owners and CEOs. He and Carolyn Schwartz have
been married forever and have three sons.
Cindy Waidner
shared an image from the past. Cindy's guess is
that the moment-in-time is from 1965. Left to
right are Jimmie Trovatore (died 2001), Cindy, Pam Craig, and John Martino:
Ray Wennerstrom
lives in Texas, near his son who is a police
officer. Ray also has a daughter and five
grandchildren.
Debbie Werbrouck
began her dance studio right out of high school with nothing
more than the ability to dance, the courage of
youth, and her beautiful smile. She has also
taught dance at Saint Mary's College. In 2022,
she was recognized for her 50 years with the
Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, an
organization that promotes education in the world
of dance. Here's Debbie's photo from 2022:
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
Riverwalk Cafe in Waterloo." Glenda served
as an elected member of the Waterloo Town
Council. Here's Glenda at her cafe in 2009:
Rosemarie Wilkins
retired as secretary in the Buildings &
Grounds Department of the School City of
Mishawaka, after decades of service.
Ronnie Williams died in 1994.
Jack Wilson died in 2013. As a young man, he served two tours in
Vietnam. Back home, he married, worked research
& development for Uniroyal, and then worked
for the Mishawaka Housing Authority until
retiring. He loved motorcycling, competitive
fishing, and his wife of 41 years.
Ron Wise died in 1987.
Debbie Young
(Mrs. Greg Deitchley) retired after years as a
school teacher and began working at a teacher
supply store, helping to keep teachers supplied
with their magic tricks.
Glenda Young
raised her three sons while teaching school. She
retired in May 2012 after 40 years of teaching 5-
and 6-year-olds in West Lafayette. She has two
grandchildren.
Karen Young
retired after 35 years as a teacher in Mishawaka,
the last 22 years teaching 2nd graders at
Battell.
David Zeigler died in 2007.
Marty Zemialkowski is
a watercolor artist.
Cheryl Ziegert
died in 2015.
Tom Zimmerman died in 1988.
NOTE:
There are memorial pages for the known MHS '68
dead at findagrave.com, HERE.
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