Far away but close at heart

In September, we asked far away Forever Warriors to share locations and memories. We don’t have room for everything shared, so read all the answers at @LLHSForeverWarriors, our Facebook group for alumni.

Meanwhile, since our records indicate that 80% of our alum have stayed close to home in Wisconsin, most of you should grab a cup of something warm and sit somewhere comfy to enjoy.

Dustin and Lisa (Scott) Hafenstein (‘15) Silverthorne, Colorado

Lisa shares: “Dustin and I both graduated in 2015. I went to cosmetology school and Dustin to MATC for auto mechanics. We visited Colorado on our honeymoon last summer and fell in love! We spent the next year getting our house ready to sell. We moved to Silverthorne for a new experience in life.

Did any teacher stand out to you?

One teacher that will always be an inspiration to me is Mrs. Tetzlaff. She always encouraged everyone to be their true authentic selves. Her art room will always have that welcoming feel!

Molly (Graumann ‘10) Phelps Kenai, Alaska

After graduating from MLC in 2014, I served many schools, but right now I am serving as kindergarten teacher at Grace, Kenai, Alaska. My husband serves as pastor there. We love our Alaskan adventure so far.

Which teacher motivated you?

Pastor Clark Schultz definitely stands out. He was the first to suggest I attend MLC. I remember one time he just placed an MLC lanyard on my desk during class. It’s nice to look back and see how God used different from what I had him, along with all my Lakeside teachers, growing up. This has helped to guide me to where I am now. I have me appreciate even more the always been thankful for the foundation safe, Christian environment my Lakeside education gave me.

Richard Draeger Jr. (‘98) Shanghai, China

I am in my 10th year in China and am an Assistant Professor had at Shanghai International Studies University. In 2017, I earned my Ph.D. in Communication from UWMilwaukee.

Mr. Kuehl stands out in my memory. I treasured English Literature, World Literature as well as Speech and College Prep English classes that I had with him. World Lit sparked my curiosity about the world God has created. I also appreciated Herr Walta’s German classes. They gave me a chance to improve my spoken German, learn Russian in college, and now, as I’m learning Chinese. I also remember Pastor Stueb’s Government and Bible classes. To this day I have the diary he had us keep, The Miracle of My Life, and reminisce with it. I also cherish Pastor Toepel’s Bible classes. Through these courses I grew closer to my Savior Jesus Christ, through the other courses I obtained the skills to serve my neighbor.

Heather (Hellwig ‘96) Rovey

San Antonio, Texas

How prepared were you for life after LL?

My experiences in the Navy have been different from what I had growing up. This has helped me appreciate even more the safe, Christian environment in which I lived and went to school. Lutheran education helped keep me grounded in knowledge of my Savior and in Christian principles even when life got tough. I also had a strong background and understanding of why we believe what we do, which helped me be prepared for others’ questions.

Any teacher stand out?

Mrs. Grev and Mr. Matthies were awesome volleyball and basketball coaches. Mr. Fenske was an amazing band and music instructor. I loved literature with Mr. Buege and Any teachers Composition with Mr. Kuehl and Biology with Mr. Anschuetz.

Favorite memory?

That’s a tough one ... probably playing volleyball. I loved running onto the court to our warmup music, having matching shoelaces and hairbands, pass-set-hit teamwork, and the cheers we did when someone had an ace or a kill. I also loved going to Band Fest and putting together amazing music with people from all over in just a few days.

Michael (‘85) and Kristen (Priebe ‘86) Grunewald • Palm Coast, Florida

Kristen: I graduated from UW-Madison as an Occupational Therapist in 1990 and married Mike. We lived in Ottawa, Ill., for 10 years; back to Watertown for seven; to Bettendorf, Iowa for 12; and we’ve been in Palm Coast for a year and a half.

How prepared were you for life after LL?

LL prepared us for lay ministry as well as creating a solid base for our faith to grow. We realized how important schooling was with a Christian basis. We have been blessed to serve at each of our congregations—Mike as an elder, teen leader. and I as an organist/pianist, musician, Sunday School, and women’s groups.

During our time in Iowa, our four kids were of high school age. We realized a Christian school during the trying teen years was very important to us and would provide them the same benefits to their faith. We were blessed to be able to arrange housing for our kids to attend Lakeside.

Any teacher stand out or motivate you?

Mr. Fenske with the many band trips/ musical opportunities, Mr. Nolte with A Cappella, Mr Schwartz with Creation Science trips. The smiling faces of “Ma” Mueller and Mrs. Yanggen in the office. Mr. Ziel with drivers ed and government classes. The list can go on.

David Eaton (‘82) Jakarta, Indonesia

I left UW-Whitewater with a degree in Accounting. After two years of working for a CPA firm in Milwaukee, I joined the FBI and spent the next 30 years as a Special Agent, assigned to offices in Norfolk, Va., and San Diego. I spent my final eight years working overseas as an FBI Attaché at U.S. Embassies in Islamabad, Pakistan; Baghdad, Iraq; Kabul, Afghanistan; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Jakarta, Indonesia. I retired from the FBI about three years ago and now work for the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta helping to train the Indonesian National Police force.

How prepared were you for life after LL?

From a spiritual standpoint, LLHS gave me a good foundation that kept my faith strong as an adult, especially when I was assigned overseas with no access to a WELS church. From a secular standpoint, LLHS provided a strong, useful education which prepared me for college and helped me succeed in my professional career. I’m also thankful that LLHS provided a robust athletic program. The personal challenges, adversity, and competition of varsity athletics, combined with the life lessons and guidance learned from my coaches, all helped prepare me for the challenges of a career in law enforcement.

Which teacher motivated you?

That’s an easy one. My father, John Eaton, was my math teacher during my freshman/sophomore years at LLHS, and he was also my baseball coach. He clearly had the biggest impact on my life and motivated me to do my best to succeed.

Favorite memory?

I would have to say my years on the Warrior Wrestling team. I really enjoyed the sport, and, as I mentioned above, I attribute some of my strongest personal character growth/development to the challenges I encountered as a wrestler.

Where are we?

2 Alabama • 7 Alaska • 49 Arizona • 7 Arkansas • 44 California • 32 Colorado • 3 Connecticut • 1 Delaware • 1 District of Columbia • 64 Florida • 16 Georgia • 1 Hawaii • 3 Idaho • 58 Illinois • 20 Indiana • 14 Iowa • 7 Kansas • 8 Kentucky • 2 Louisiana • 2 Maine • 7 Maryland • 2 Massachusetts • 53 Michigan • 138 Minnesota • 2 Mississippi • 15 Missouri • 2 Montana • 11 Nebraska • 7 Nevada • 2 New Hampshire • 2 New Jersey • 2 New Mexico • 17 New York • 15 North Carolina • 11 Ohio • 3 Oklahoma • 12 Oregon • 4 Pennsylvania • 3 South Carolina • 14 South Dakota • 10 Tennessee • 60 Texas • 6 Utah • 2 Vermont • 22 Virginia • 27 Washington • 2 West Virginia • 4,053 Wisconsin • 3 Wyoming • 18 known outside U.S. • 24 no address • 174 deceased • 5,065 grads)