Jennifer Smith ’04 Caraccio, China Grove, N.C., directs and performs sales for Thirty-One Gifts. Nora Helmus ’04, Denver, Colo., will graduate in June from the University of Denver with a master of social work degree.
Reunion Vocal Band 1989
Rebirthing Great Music For Homecoming 2009 The group first came together because James R. (Jim) Krabill ’73 had an irrepressible urge to “do music.” Krabill had just returned stateside after 14 years of mission work with wife Jeanette Neff Krabill ’73 in Europe and West Africa. Today he is senior executive of global ministries with Mennonite Mission Network, Elkhart, Ind. In high school, Krabill was a member of “Sons of Jubal,” a folkflavored group that released an album in 1969 of songs largely written by Mennonite young people and published in With magazine. While at EMU, he was vocalist, guitarist and writer for the highlyacclaimed folk-rock group, “Rebirth.” They went on two national tours and made several recordings. In consultation with other former “Rebirth” members, Krabill drew up a list of about 40 musicians from across North America and contacted them. Eighteen showed up one weekend in September 1990 in Harrisonburg, Va., to get acquainted, share their personal and musical journeys, play spontaneously in small groups, and engage in a lengthy jam session. At a second meeting in Harrisonburg on Jan. 25-27, 1991, participants began plans for a recording and narrowed a list to 14 songs – no small task, given the range of musical tastes and backgrounds represented. The weekend included an intense session on what to call the formative group. From a list of some 150 possibilities came “Reunion Vocal Band.” For the next 18 years, band members reassembled annually, usually at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, to reminisce, share personal updates and make some incredible music together. Reunion Vocal Band has recorded two albums, Hunger for Beauty in 1991 and What We Have Tasted in the mid-1990s. Group members wrote much of the material. EMU’s 2009 homecoming program this fall will include a Reunion Vocal Band concert on Saturday, Oct. 10. It will be the largest gathering, some 16 members – 14 from the original group – since the musicians’ first meeting in 1990. For more information, turn to the Homecoming brochure at the back. Jim Bishop ’67 fall 20072009 30 | crossroads | summer
Iris de León-Hartshorn, MA ’05, Lancaster, Pa., has been named executive conference minister for Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference. She will step down from her current role with the executive leadership of Mennonite Church USA on Aug. 14. Prior to joining the executive leadership, de LeónHartshorn served as Peace and Justice Ministries director for Mennonite Central Committee, where she was responsible for the oversight of its U.S. peace and justice program for 11 years. Her master’s degree is in conflict transformation. Martha McNew Sachs ’04 Magaña, Los Alamos, N.M., has moved to Atlanta. She has been a high school physics teacher at Arabia Mountain High School, Stone Mountain, Ga. In 2008, Martha received a masters degree in physical science from Florida State University. Shaunna Lynette Payne, MDiv ’05, Charlottesville, Va., is a December 2009 doctoral candidate at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. In addition, Shaunna is an administrative faculty member at the University of Mary Washington, where she directs the James Farmer Multicultural Center and is an adjunct faculty member associated with Multicultural Student Affairs. She plans to marry Charles (Adam) Gold II, Aug. 1, at Sweet Briar College in Amherst, Va. Jeremy Teter ’06 is the piano player and lead singer in SHAPIRO, a pop-rock band formed in Harrisonburg, Va. Jeremy, with friends Carl Shapiro and John and Nathan Granofsky, spent almost 4 months in Nashville, Tenn., working with producer/engineer John Mark Painter to prepare their first full-length record, titled “Shapiro.” SHAPIRO performed April 18 at a record release party at Memorial Hall of James Madison University. Alex Brodt ’07, Silver Spring, Md., became accredited by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners as a licensed social work associate, the bachelor’s level license in Maryland, in December 2007. After spending 5 months as a dementia activities director with Sunrise Senior Living from August 2007-December 2007, he is now assistant to the director of nursing at Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Columbia, Md., a division of Maryland Health Enterprises. He has been employed by Lorien Columbia since January 2008, where he coordinates the quality assurance/quality improvement program and serves as a liaison to the pharmacy contractor. In August 2008, Alex began a masters in health services administration part time at University of Maryland. Christopher (Chris) Lehman ’08, formerly of Chambersburg, Pa., teaches
English at Rosslyn Academy, Nairobi, Kenya. He began teaching there in August 2008. Rosslyn Academy, a private Christian school founded in 1967, is an international, coed, day school with a North American curriculum for grades K-12. Approximately 46% of the 485 students are American, though more than 32 nationalities are present. Kristina Annette Zaccaria ’08, Mt. Sidney, Va., graduated May 8 from James Madison University. She received her master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in behavior management. She plans to teach special education at Page County Middle School this fall.
Marriages
Emily Swartz ’76 to Robert Vandevander, Jan. 24. Edward Allen Sandy II ’81 to Pamela Grimm, Apr.11. Jeremy Jon Frey ’92 to Julieanna Kauffman ’03, May 24, 2008. Jeffrey (Jeff) Eshleman ’99 to Solia Matute, Aug. 9. Ramona Steiner ’99 to Peter Rios, July 30. Victoria Halteman ’00 to Eric Deatelhauser, Oct.11. Bettia (Tia) Widmer ’04 to David Johnson, Aug. 2. Kelley R. Horst ’06 to Joel Shradley ’05, Nov. 15. Kristy Marie Henkel '02 to Todd Arnold Wetmore, Dec. 6. Paul Yoder ’06 to Katrina Martin ’07, Dec. 27.
Carmen Kennel ’07 to Josiah Garber ’06, Apr. 19, 2008. Curtis Alan Yoder ’07 to Amanda Lynette Yoder, Dec. 20. Jerome Martinez ’08 to Lindsay Smucker, Jan. 3.
Births
Michael Wayne ’82 and Elena Miller, Burkittsville Md., Elizabeth Michelle, May 17.
Vera Hailey ’90 and Chris Valenzuela, Stauton, Va., Isabel Hailey, Dec.12. Lori Hochstetler ’91 and Karl Kuder, Chesterfield, Va., Megan Joy, Oct. 17. Brent ’91 and Claudia Lehman, Mt. Eaton, Ohio, Aaron Logan, Jan. 22. Peter ’92 and Ilse Ackerman Dula, Harrisonburg, Va., Simon, Apr. 7. Nedra Rutherford ’94 and Ian King, Kansas City, Mo., Zephaniah Luke Rutherford, Sept. 4. Jeanine Vlastis ’94 and Donnie Underwood, Keezletown, Va., Alexandra Caren, Nov. 4. Joseph A. II ’95 and Elena Tsai Gascho, Columbia, Md., Margaret En-Chi, Dec. 22.