Jo Ann Pattison Gesellchen Hometown: Bagley, MN Current Home: New London, MN Major: Home Economics Additional Education: M.S., Home Economics, Teaching; University of MN Email: gesellchenc@gmail.com I majored in home economics with a minor in education. After graduating from Concordia in 1967, I began my teaching career for New London-Spicer Schools in Minnesota. At that time, I was the only home economics teacher for grades 7-12. In 1987 I received my Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota. As time passed we added two more home economics/family and consumer science teachers. When I retired with the Rule of 90 in 2002, we were a three-teacher department. I taught for 35 years in New-London-Spicer Schools. After retiring I did some substitute teaching in Paynesville and New London schools for a few years. I married Cliff Gesellchen, Concordia Class of 1966, on June 14, 1969. Cliff was a biology and chemistry teacher in the neighboring school district of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa. We bought land along the Crow River near New London and started building our house in 1972. We were “do it yourself designers and builders.” This is where we still live. We have two adult children, Andrea (and Joel) Ostapowich and Michael (and Jessica) Gesellchen, and three grandchildren: Isaac Ostapowich (14), Evan (4), and Cora (2) Gesellchen. We enjoy spending time with all of them. We enjoy traveling both in the US and have been to many foreign countries of the world. We have tried to stay connected to some of the friends we made at Concordia and enjoy getting together with them in Minnesota and other states. We have traveled to South America, Africa and Cuba with some of our Concordia friends, Dave & Camille Wainwright and Jerry & Ginny McClure. We look back to the time we spent at Concordia and the friendships we made and are grateful. We think we received a very good education in the classes that we took and also had many positive growth experiences that have influenced us in our lives.
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