Perham High School 100 Years

PERHAM HIGH SCHOOL

100 YEARS 1917

2017

A Special Publication of the Perham Focus

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PAGE 2 | Perham High School Turns 100

u l a t a t i r o g n n s o C

Years 100 of education Perham-Dent Schools on

United Community Bank proudly employs numerous PHS graduates. We are grateful for our excellent education and look forward to another 100 years of quality in education and banking in our communities.

Betty (Peach) VanWatermulen 1961 Charles Cavanagh 1972 Tim Stoll 1974 Nancy (Schave) Wick 1975 Ann (Sauer) Miller 1976 Ann (Stoll) Scheidecker 1978 Joyce (Schultz) Perrine 1979 Janel (Schmelz) Altstadt 1980 Robert Cavanagh 1981 Karen (Brasel) Knickrehm 1984 Cyndy (Bauer) Huber 1985 Sheila (Wanderi) Roberts 1987

Amanda (Fudge) Selness 1998 Nicole (Werner) Thompson 2009 Bobby Kalina 2010 Amanda Huck 2010 Tyler Schmitz 2012 Ashley (Solberg) Adkins 2013 John Huber 2013 Michaela Soule 2013 Betsy Pearson 2014 Kali Schlosser 2016 Cole Carignan 2016 Kristina Galbrecht 2016

United Community Bank has been and continues to be a sponsor of many school activities K-12 that enrich the lives of students. We are proud to be your community bank. ucbankmn.com 218.346.5700

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Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 3

Contents

One thing is for sure: Perham school district will adapt ���������������������� 6 The Schoenebergers: Multiple generations of memories at Perham schools ����������������������� 10 Senior pictures through the years ������������������� 14 School athletic/band uniform photos �������������� 18 The man called ‘Mr. Perham’ ��������������������������� 22 Perham High School produces two 2-star generals ������������������������������������������ 26 Small Town: Big-time results ��������������������������� 28 School Memories Roxanne Ebnet for her mother, Melvina Schultz Trieglaff, Class of ’43 ��������������� 16 Marcus Mollins, Class of ’95 ������������������������������ 16 Mary Rebuck, Class of ’78 ���������������������������������� 24 Bill Bauck, Class of 1949 ������������������������������������ 27

Pictured on the cover, from upper left, are Perham High School graduates Charles Vogel, 1917; Clara Hemmelgarn, 1917; Charles Bachmann, 1947; Elvina Lachowitzer, 1947; Carl Seifert, 1950; Donna Ahren, 1950; Myrle Richter, 1966; Ralph Wegscheid, 1966; Greg Miller, 1970; Sharon Monson, 1970; Dan Dreyer, 1982; Jody Guck, 1982; Janelle Stansberry, 1992; Justin Helmke, 1992; Jacqueline Winjum, 1998; Steven Altstadt, 1998; Kayla Satter, 2007, Philip Moenkedick, 2007; Jordan Bruhn, 2012; and Shannon Winkels, 2012.

From old Perham High School annuals, compiled by Perham Focus staff with help from volunteers at the History Museum of East Otter Tail County

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE PERHAM FOCUS, NOVEBMER 23, 2016

PERHAM FOCUS

222 2nd Ave. SE • Perham, MN 56573 p: 218.346.5900 • f: 218.346.5901 www.perhamfocus.com PAGE 4 | Perham High School Turns 100

From our schools to yours, Congratulations on 100 years at the Perham-Dent High School!

Jason Miller

PUBLISHER Ada-Borup High School, 1996

Debbie (Peyton) Irmen EDITOR

Jason Groth

SPORTS EDITOR

Marie (Nitke) Johnson

Fergus Falls High School, 1980

Cloquet Senior High School, 2001

New London (Wis.) Senior High School, 1998

Kim (Handegard) Dobberstein

WRITER

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Jess (Beitz) Lessin

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Stephanie (Heidesch) Jorgenson

Detroit Lakes High School, 1977

Frazee High School, 2007

- Remsen St. Mary’s (Iowa)

SALES ASSISTANT

High School, 1996

From the staff of the 001506081r1

Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 5

One thing is for sure: Perham school district will adapt School has a history of changing to meet student, community needs

BY DEBBIE IRMEN dirmen@perhamfocus.com

F

rom the first school, a two-story structure built in 1875 in Perham, to 1917, when the first high school was built, until today, the Perham School District has strived to accommodate the educational and facility needs of a growing district.

As the Perham-Dent School District looks to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its high school building next spring, it is once again in a construction phase. Presently, additional classrooms and a gymnasium are being built onto Heart of the Lakes Elementary School, and plans include

the building of a new high school onto Prairie Wind Middle School. Construction is set to begin in June 2017.

The main school building was dedicated in 1917, though it has undergone renovations and been added onto over the years.

Students have gone from collecting firewood and water to taking for granted that they will be warm and expecting water to flow from the water fountain or the bathroom sink.

Over 100 years, the school has been an icon of the community, a social hub, and of course, been a temple of learning, which has produced quite a number of students who went on to make significant marks in

The building of the new Perham High School began in 1916 and was ready for studens in 1917.

their chosen endeavors.

Student life has certainly changed since 1917, as well, when students walked to school, went home for lunch or carried their lunches in pails to eat at school; or experienced epidemics that delayed

the opening of school.

Students went from using outhouses and hauling firewood and water to using indoor toilets and modern plumbing. And they began learning more than reading, writing and arithmetic – they began

The Early Years Sept. 3, Perham School District 44 organized

A two-story brick school, with a basement, completed

1875 1873

Ladies of Perham School form basketball club

1898 1888

Two-story frame school built at Second Avenue Southeast and Third Street.

PAGE 6 | Perham High School Turns 100

1901 An addition to the building was completed, which allowed for high school space

to participate in Debate, Home Economics and Science clubs and play in competitive sports.

The theme for the Perham-Dent District seems to be that of constant growth and change. Whether adapting

to educational changes or outgrowing their walls, the district has considered construction projects to its school facilities about 10 times over the past century. In some cases, the board approved the purchase of property as it became available for future expansion. In other cases, it was approving additions, and in several cases, it approved building new structures to house students and staff. Increasing enrollment has been a factor when the district has brought referendums to residents to decide, as has the need to adapt to new educational models and technology needs. How students were educated in

1917 has evolved perhaps more than the building itself. For instance, students no longer use slates, though one might think of iPads as a “slate.”

Curriculum is also different. Rather than students learning just from books, educators now seek to offer a wide range of learning opportunities, looking to prepare students for a world that is more often far outside their community gate. Among the resources incorporated into classrooms are electronic devices and equipment typically found at Perham industries.

Other activities, such as Speech, drama, athletics, Knowledge Bowl, Research

Bidders for a new school were selected

Perham Alumni Association formed

1903

1910 1907

The first Perham High School graduation diplomas awarded

and Medtronics, and more, seek to educate well-rounded students.

Through the Interact Club (a program sponsored

by Rotary) and a community service graduation requirement, students are also encouraged to give back to others.

Without a crystal ball, it’s difficult to imagine the world present Perham students’ descendants will live in, and what adaptations the PerhamDent School district will have to make to educate those children. But based on the past 100 years, it’s likely they will make the changes necessary to keep Perham students in touch with their world and the future.

1917 1916

Perham population is 1,376

New high school dedicated during graduation Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 7

1920 to 1929 Seniors donate a 60-foot flag pole to the school

1924 1921

1925 1924

New toilets were installed in the grade school, eliminating the need for the outdoor toilets

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00 YEARS o

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CONGRATULATIONS ON 100 YEARS!

1927 1925

High School Debate was popular.

The question was “European immigration to the U.S. should be prohibited for five years?”

learn Don’t y by safet ent. d i acc

Home Economics students serve hot meal addition to lunches brought from home. About 25 kids are served daily. Cost was 3 cents

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The opening of school was delayed by a scarlet fever epidemic

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“To serve our clients, we must also serve their communities.”

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Congratulations Perham-Dent High School on 100 Years of Quality Education!

PAGE 8 | Perham High School Turns 100 EOTResourceDirectory.indd 1

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Congratulations on 100 Years!

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CHEERS Perham-Dent High School As proud graduates of the Perham-Dent High School we are grateful for the excellent education that gave us a foundation of hard work and commitment to our community.

LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT 100 YEARS! We Are Proud to offer These Services: • Prescription Delivery Service Available • Free Prescription Mail Out • Text Message Refill Reminders

Linda (Haugrud) Stoll

Broker-Owner | Class of 1983

Arland Schultz

Sales Associate| Class of 1973

Trisha (Davis) Satter

Sales Associate | Class of 1988

Perham Office

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Julie (Sonnenberg) Baumgart

Sales Associate | Class of 1985

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Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 9

The Schoenebergers:

Multiple generations of memories at Perham schools MARIE JOHNSON mtjohnson@perhamfocus.com

S

toll, Bauck, Bachmann, Richter, Wegscheid, Honer, Palubicki, Winkels… there are a lot of names in Perham that are well-established and well-known. Many families who settled in the area more than a century ago continue to raise new generations here today.

With this being the 100th anniversary of the Perham High School building, we thought it would be fun to shine a spotlight on one of these longtime families, to share some personal memories of the school district that helped shape their family, and so many Perham families, across generations.

Schoeneberger is a name that most Perham area residents will recognize. The

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

The first Schoeneberger to settle and stay in Perham was Martin Sr., pictured here in the center, seated. He is with his brothers, Andrew, left, and Casper, right, and their spouses, Josephine (Wasche), Elizabeth (Drahmann) and Marie (Scheatz), left to right.

Schoeneberger family’s furniture store and funeral home has a long history in town, and the funeral home still bears the family name to this day.

Joan Happel, whose maiden name is Schoeneberger, is one of the last family members still living in the Perham area. A history buff and genealogy

enthusiast, she’s collected numerous photographs, stories and other historical artifacts and documents related to her family tree.

They planted their local roots here in 1867, she says, when her great-grandfather, Martin Schoeneberger, Sr., and his brothers Andrew and Casper, relocated from Ohio after the Civil War, seeking cheap land.

Martin lived near Rush Lake at first, where there was a Catholic priest with a loyal following. When the railroad announced plans to make tracks through what is now Perham, Schoeneberger and a handful of other pioneers packed up all their belongings, and even entire buildings, and moved.

Andrew and Casper did not stay in the Perham area, but Martin did. A skilled carpenter, he opened a furniture store in town. In those days, it was common

1930-1939 52 students, the largest to date, graduated from Perham High School

1931

The Debate team reached the final state contest, receiving a silver cup for their effort

1933 1932

Perham received $11,000 in state aid

The digging of a tunnel connecting the grade school and the high school was begun as part of a public works program, at a cost of about $250

1935 1933

St. Stanislaus students transferred to Perham school when the parochial school closed

PAGE 10 | Perham High School Turns 100

1936 1935

John Beadle was named the boys basketball coach

Feb. 27, Perham Public Grade School destroyed by fire

Above: One of Martin’s sons, Ben, took over the family business and became a community leader. He is pictured here in 1937 as a member of the school board, second from left, at a ceremony marking the construction of a new elementary school.

Left: Alphonse Schoeneberger, in his football uniform for St. James University. The Perham graduate would go on to run the family business, Schoeneberger Funeral Home in Perham, and eventually be named to the Perham Hall of Fame. He was on the PerhamDent School Board for 25 years.

for furniture stores to also make and sell coffins, Joan explains, so that’s how the funeral home got started.

The family’s history with the Perham school district began with Martin’s oldest son, Bernard, better known as Ben. Ben graduated from Perham High School, and later became a longtime member of the school board. He eventually took the family business over from his father.

Ben is remembered for his intellect and keen sense of humor, Joan says. He was a worrier, very meticulous in his dress and manner, and always arrived at the store promptly at 9:30 a.m.,

The last $4,000 bond payment was made on the $60,000 issue and the school was debt-free

August, a Public Works Administration grant in the amount of $44,360 is awarded to the new school. Construction for the school and an auditorium total $100,156

1936 1936

The last class of Perham High School seniors graduated from City Hall

1936 1936

Planning for a new grade school begins; the rubble from the fire was buried beneath the football field to the rear of the former school

after meeting his friends for early morning coffee at the local café.

He was a big fan of football, and rarely missed a local game.

Catherine Drahmann, a longtime Perham resident who knew Ben, recently relayed a memory about him to Joan. She said she once saw Ben, at a football game in the early 1930s, suddenly start running down the side of the field to try and beat Perham’s star player to the end zone.

He surprised everyone by succeeding.

That star player happened to be Fritz Hanson, otherwise known as the “Perham Flash,” who went on to become a huge star and

1937 1937

November, construction begins on the new grade school

Fall, The new grade school and auditorium open Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 11

pioneer of professional football in Canada. Now a Canadian Football Hall of Famer, he was known for his incredible speed.

For Ben to have outrun him, especially at his older age, was a big deal.

“Nobody knew he was a runner,” says Joan of her grandfather’s hidden talent. “But we do have some very good athletes in the family, down through the generations.”

One of Ben’s sons – and Joan’s dad – Alphonse Schoeneberger, was one of them. Al played football for Perham, and later became an all-conference end for the team at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.

Tall and skinny as a kid, Al built up his upper body as a teenager by pole vaulting, and also participated in cross country. He got a degree in architecture from St. John’s, but came home to run the family business with his brother, Martin Jr., in 1934, and so obtained his mortuary science certification from the University of Minnesota. He was on the Perham-Dent School Board for 25 years.

Al was the local mortician and a community leader, so he felt like he needed to behave respectfully,

Joan (Schoeneberger) Happel, second from left in back, with her siblings John, Phil and Bob, left to right in back, and Cathy, Tom and Bill, in front, in 2000. Their sister Mary is not pictured. They are the eight children of Alphonse Schoeneberger.

Joan says, but he could be a prankster. Though he never admitted it, she suspects that he was behind a memorable prank at the high school when he was a student there.

Someone, somehow, managed to sneak a “very stinky, smelly manure spreader” onto the school roof during graduation week, Joan laughs. The fire department had to be called to come and remove it.

“He would not admit that he was part of it, and he would not tell us who

“

did it,” Joan says of her dad.

“He kept it under wraps.

But I think he was in on it.”

Not that it couldn’t be so. The Schoeneberger family is a big one, and there have been plenty of Schoeneberger kids in the Perham school district over the years. Al was one of nine children, and then he had eight kids of his own.

His brother, Martin Jr., also had eight kids who went to school in Perham, and their other brother, Paul, who was a family doctor in town for many years, had five.

“I would give a guess that we’ve had Schoenebergers in the public school system for 100 years,” says Joan.

Joan herself has been an active Yellowjacket and supporter of the school.

As a little girl, she was among the first students in the district to attend

I would give a guess that we’ve had Schoenebergers in the public school system for 100 years.

”

— Joan (Schoeneberger) Happel Years later, she recalls, a cow mysteriously got onto the roof of the high school just days before graduation. She doesn’t think the Schoenebergers had anything to do with that one, though.

kindergarten. The first year’s program lasted for six weeks, from about Easter until shortly before the end of the regular school year, she said, with classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

1940 to 1949 William Sayer, a 1944 PHS graduate, was the first alumnus to be accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis

Future Farmers of American chapter No. 151 was chartered with 23 members

1941

1947 1943

Two Perham men, George Rasmussen, a former PHS student, and Joe Shedowski, died aboard the battleship Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 11 PAGE 12 | Perham High School Turns 100

1948 1948

Fred Sieling was elected state FFA president; and Henry Guck was elected state FFA treasurer

L.C. McMahan resigned as Perham School District Superintendent and L.T. Lechner was named to the position

As a freshman, she was one of the first girls allowed to wear slacks to school. That first year, they could only be worn on Fridays, she recalls, and they had to be knit pants, not denim. After that, school officials realized it wasn’t going to be a problem to allow the girls to wear slacks, and they could wear them every day.

Joan remembers small class sizes at the high school, with a lot of camaraderie and close friendships: “Everybody owned a piece of the rock,” she says.

Later in life, Joan became a school board member, a post she held for 13 years.

One of the more interesting things she learned about the high school during that time came up during a review of the building for bonding purposes.

It was discovered that the beams in the ‘attic’ of the high school were made of wood, not steel, as plans originally called for, she says. The board learned that it was because the school was built in the midst of World War I, when steel was reserved for military use and thus government and public buildings used wood instead. The wood was rotting, and ended up needing to be replaced.

Today, there aren’t many members of the Schoeneberger family still around. Joan and her husband, Dennis Happel (the Happels are another longtime Perham family), had three kids, and she believes their youngest, Andy, who graduated in 2000, was the last of the Schoeneberger clan to graduate from Perham High School.

Once a Yellowjacket, Always a Yellowjacket.

Congratulations on 100 Years of excellence in education, providing students with the tools for success.

Dennis Happel Law Office 100 2nd Ave. SW, Perham 218-346-5300

Vintage adj.: Being the best of its kind; representing the quality of a past era.

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VINTAGE 2012

“PROUD TO BE A PART OF PERHAM HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY”

Andrea Greiff Owner, Class of 1989

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EST. 2012 148 1st Ave. South Perham, MN 218-346-4180

EST. 2013 159 1st Ave. S Perham, MN 218-346-4181 Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 13

Senior pictures Photos collected from Perham school yearbooks

Class of 1917

Amalia Alstadt

Joe Dwyer

Class of 1947

Catherine Honer

Hugo Ledermann

Class of 1966

Class of 1923

Catherine Dunham

Victor Nelson

Class of 1950

Laura Silbernagel

Arthur Boss

Did You Know? In the 1920s, the library contained about 2,000 books.

The class of 1937 had 35 graduates.

Student speakers addressed such topics as Minnesota Geology, Pre-Settlement Days, and the Future for Minnesota.

Karen Wasche PAGE 14 | Perham High School Turns 100

Robert Riepe

The high school band gave a series of four concerts in Railway Park in the mid-1950s, the only year it is known they did so.

through the years Class of 1970

Paulette Mattfeld

James Palubicki

Class of 1992

Joleen Klatt

Matt Johnson

Class of 2007

Jessica Moe

Jonathan Schmitz

Class of 1982

Mary Langlie

Martin Burkel

Class of 1998

Denise Bergeron

Clayton Blickenstaff

Class of 2012

Ashley Bond

Jordan Cresap Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 15

Perham High School buses in 1947

SCHOOL MEMORIES: MOTHER KEPT ‘VERY GOOD RECORDS’ FOR CLASS OF 1943 My mother, Melvina Schultz Trieglaff, (who died a year ago in January) organized most of the reunions for the class of 1943. She kept very good records, and the booklets she made for the events were great.

In the 1988 booklet for the 45th reunion, one man said that times were hard in the ’40’s and he named a special classmate “who knew I didn’t have any money, so when there was an admission charge to a school event he would walk by my desk and leave a nickel or a dime to cover it.” He still appreciated that kindness 45 years later.

For the 40th anniversary booklet my uncle, Atle Schultz, wrote, “One of my favorite memories was when we skipped school and got the Chevy stuck axle-deep in mud on the dirt road to Buchanan Lake near Ottertail. The road was under construction.

The car was full of skippers - Dorothy, LaVern, Jim, Marcus and Mel.” Melvina Schultz Trieglaff remembered the day that her history teacher, Mr. Adams, seized the snapshots she was showing to her friend and showed

them to the rest of the class, saying, “‘Not bad, are they?’”

it hit and all students had to stay in Perham for three days.

One fellow in the class remembered that he took four gals rollerskating in Mills. When it was over, he had electrical trouble with his car. By the time he had it fixed, the gals had all gone home with other guys.

When Frank Adams entered the Navy in February 1943, he was succeeded as basketball coach by John Schrom, an Albany, Minn., native who had been coaching at Frazee. In the fall of 1943, Ted Meinhover came over from Barnesville to be football, basketball and track coach, as Adams had.

PHS offered only the three boys’ sports in those years; no sports were available for girls.

In the fall of 1942, Rose Mary Weis was elected homecoming queen, and her maids of honor were Jean Caughey, Dorothy DeFrance, Betty Grimm, Arlene Gray, Delores Guck, Marian Grimm and Nanet Warner. Cheerleaders were Arlene Koesling, Arlene Gray, Betty Grimm, Dorothe Lucking, Dorothy DeFrance and Eleanor Zeller. Admission to the football game was 25 cents, plus 3 cents tax.

The 1942, Yellowjackets finished their season as one of only three undefeated 11-man football teams in Minnesota. Minneapolis Edison and Moorhead were the others. Only 13 points were scored against them.

The season was cut short one game due to snow.

One classmate said he would never forget the Armistice Day snow storm.

They were in school when

PAGE 16 | Perham High School Turns 100

Twenty-five members of the class of 1943 served in World War II, and the three who didn’t return were Albert Klein, John Senske and Thomas Smith.

As juniors, the class presented the play, “Take my Advice.” It was what the newspaper described as a “witty comedy.” Cast included Donald Huebsch, Betty Welch, Donald Gray, Robert Webber, Charles Miller, Jean Caughey, Paul Preuss and Melvina Schultz.

Submitted by Roxanne Ebnet For her mother, Melvina Schultz Trieglaff Class of ’43

SCHOOL MEMORIES: STUDENT ‘BEYOND FORTUNATE’ TO ATTEND PERHAM HIGH SCHOOL My memories are vast, incredible and numerous.

We were beyond fortunate to have a close school, meaning everyone got along with mostly everyone, both younger and older. I see that as result of being raised by great families and knowing people all the way through school.

Being a three-sport athlete, the memories of competing are prominent but moments and lessons from coaches and teammates are vivid.

Before I share a memory all students from my era will never forget, I have so much appreciation for all teachers, supporters, classmates and coaches for making being a Yellowjacket a great source of pride and helping form who I am today.

For the good stuff – my senior year, a handful of guys from the ’95 and ’96 classes picked up a frozen deer on Highway 10 and placed the deer on a toilet in the bathroom next to the library. It was quite humorous for students and faculty alike and will never be forgotten by all who saw this prank.

Marcus Mollins Class of ’95

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Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 17

Perham uniforms

DEBBIE IRMEN/FOCUS

Top-left: Boys (left to right): Jacob Dickerson (Cross Country), Patrick Johnson (Old Wrestling Uniform), Tanner Knutson (Old Football Uniform), Andrew Newville (Choir), Reid Moser (Old Basketball Uniform), Aaron Solberg (Old Basketball Uniform).

Top-right: Flag/Choir/Marching Band (left to right): Alisha Rosen (Old Drill Team Uniform), Madison McAllister (choir robe), Madelyn Tangen (Marching Band) Left: Girls (left to right): Sara Herrmann (New Basketball Uniform), Josie Beachy (New Basketball Uniform), Brynnan Covington (Cross Country), Leah Muer (Old Basketball Uniform), Gabby DeBoer (Volleyball), Serena Langen (Volleyball).

Did You Know? The Yellowjacket mascot came about when the school ordered black jackets with yellow trim in the late 1920s.

It wasn’t long before the teams were identified as the Yellowjackets.

1950 to 1959 January, the hot lunch program began, with Ella Grieff and Millie Lein as head cooks

The school district purchases 11 acres of adjoining land to use for additional playground and athletic space

1952 1950

Consolidation of nearby rural school districts with the Perham District was underway

1955 1953

Driver training program begins at PHS PAGE 18 | Perham High School Turns 100

1956 A $300,000 bond issue to add onto the school, and to include a library, was approved by voters, 444 to 37

Sports at state INDIVIDUAL STATE TITLES Kevin Lachowitzer, Cross Country, 2006 Keeghan Hurley, Cross Country, 2013 Maddie McClellan, Cross Country, 2009 Taylor Cavanagh, Boys Golf, 2006 Fritz Hanson, 100 & 220 yard dash, 1931 Dan Hauer, 110 meter high hurdles, 1982 4x100 Relay (Andrew Fritz, Kyle Schrupp, Adam Rose, Jason Braaten) 1997 4x800 Relay (David Krueger, Jordan Menze, Joe Werener, Todd Schmidt) 2004 Caleb Anderson, 800 meter run, 2006 Keeghan Hurley, 3200 meter run, 2014 Billy Beseman, 3200 meter run, 2015 Gabriele Anderson, 800 meter run, 2004 4x800 Relay (Brittany Gigstead, Jenna Gigstead,

Maddie McClellan, Alli Januszewski) Brittany Gigstead, 800 meter run, 2007 Maddie McClellan, 3200 meter run, 2009 Elisa Moenkedick, discus, 2010 Maddie McClellan, 3200 meter run, 2010 Steve Werner, Wrestling 1978 Steve Werner, Wrestling, 1979 Steve Hammers, Wrestling, 1979 Dan Werer, Wrestling, 1980 Dan Werer, Wrestling, 1982 Wayne Werner, wrestling, 1984 Jesse Curtis, wrestling, 1993 Anthony Mollins, wrestling, 1996 Justin Staebler, wrestling, 1997 Justin Staebler, wrestling, 1998 Kenny Moenkedick, wrestling, 2006 Michael Guehna, wrestling, 2007

Ashley Brasel, All-Around Gymnastics, 2005 Kourtney Johnston, Floor Exercise Gymnastics, 2005 Kourtney Johnston, All-Around, Floor Exercise, Bars Gymnastics, 2006 Kelsi Vomacka, Beam, Floor Gymnastics, 2008 Miranda Schmitz, Bars Gymnastics, 2008 Kelsi Vomacka, Beam Gymnastics, 2009 Jenna Schmitz, Bars Gymnastics, 2009 Jenna Schmitz, All-Around, Bars Gymnastics, 2010 Carly Peterson, Vault Gymnastics, 2010 Kelsi Vomacka, Floor Exercise, AllAround, 2011 Carly Peterson, Vault, 2011

PERHAM TEAM STATE PARTICIPANTS Baseball: 1978, 1984, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2013 Boys Basketball: 2011, 2012, 2013 Girls Basketball: 1991 Boys Cross Country: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2024, 2015, 2016 Girls Cross Country: 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Football: 1989, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 Boys Golf: 1981, 1982, 1993, 2005 Girls Golf: 1995 Gymnastics: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Wrestling: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 Volleyball: 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2015

STATE CHAMPIONS Boys Cross Country: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2013 Girls Cross Country: 2015 Gymnastics: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Boys Basketball: 2011

October, The flu was responsible for closing all schools in Perham for several days

1957

School District valuation was $1,609,707, and the board was talking of the need to build onto the school or build a new elementary school

1958 1957

Perham School District 44 was re-designated to District 549

1959 The Perham High School band was invited to play in the Minnesota Centennial Parade in Minneapolis Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 19

YELLOWJACKET COACHES ASSOCIATION ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME Induction Class of 1989 Fritz Hanson, Class of 1931 George Bauck, Class of 1932 Edgar Ziegler, Class of 1948 Ted Meinhover, Athletic Director, 1943-1974 Bob Wilkowski, Class of 1963, Athletic Director, 1975-1995

Lyndes Johnson, Class of 1975 Steve Werner, Class of 1979 Induction Class of 1990 Bucky Burgau, Class of 1967 Dennis Drummond, Class of 1963

Induction Class of 1991 Dan Hauer, Class of 1982 Jed Knuttila, Class of 1966

Induction Class of 1993 Randy Bruhn, Class of 1973 Nathan Toedter, Class of 1984

Induction Class of 1992 Bob Sieling, Class of 1967 Carol (Rengel) Schmitz, Class of 1978 Dan Schroeder, Class of 1978

Induction Class of 2002 Mary (Strorrusten) Moenkedick, Class of 1979 Charlie Nelson, Class of 1990

1960-1969 A secretary for the principal’s office was hired

1960

November, district purchases blocks 2 and 3 Marckel Addition from D.R. Stuecheli for $3,100 and continues discussion of building an elementary school

1961

1962

1960 Salary for a teacher with three years of experience was $3,800-4,900

A charge of 75 cents for adults and 25 cents for children was set for school functions

1963

1961

1962

The school board required that students wear a gym suit

Study halls in the library were overcrowded

Quality Dental Care is Our Tradition

January, bus transportation began for students in grades one through six and living beyond the railroad tracks in the northeast area and those west of Sixth Avenue Southwest

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Induction Class of 2008 Ed Grimm, Class of 1951 Ray Schmitz, Class of 1951 Ed Winjum, Class of 1963 Kenny Nelson, Class of 1959 Induction Class of 2010 Larry Hauer, Coach 1959 to 1985 Gary Senske, Class of 1962

Wendy Meyer, Class of 1991 Sarah Happel, Class of 1991 Induction Class of 2012 Justin Staebler, Class of 1998 Steve Hammers, Class of 1979 Ray Sailer, Class of 1979 Larry Mollins, Coach 1973 to 1984

The School Board requests the city vacate a portion of Fox Street that it had purchased from Ambrose Lucking

Induction Class of 2014 Brenda Riepe, Class of 1989 Heidi Meyer, Class of 1988 Tammy Riepe, Class of 1988 Fred Sailer, Activities Director, Coach, 1979-2013

Baseball was dropped as a spring sport offering

1964-65

The board reinstated baseball

1966

1963

1969

1966 Kindergarten began being offered

1967 With 121 seniors, it was the largest graduating class to date

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Induction Class of 2016 Bob Schepper, graduate of 1978 Sharon Johnson, graduate of 1984 Bob Hatlestad, Volleyball, Baseball and Softball Coach from 1984 to 1995 1950 Football Team, First team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

October, several hundred students demonstrated against the Vietnam War

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This photo in Keil’s collection shows the 1950 Perham High School football team, which was undefeated. Photos by Marie Johnson

The man called ‘Mr. Perham’ Kevin Keil has extensive collection of city, school memorabilia

MARIE JOHNSON mtjohnson@perhamfocus.com

S

ome people know him as “Mr. Perham.”

That makes sense.

Kevin Keil was born in Perham, he graduated from Perham High School in 1981, has lived his adult life here, been a Perham City Councilor, Perham Mayor, and has worked in leadership for the town’s

largest employer, Barrel O’ Fun Snack Foods, for nearly 20 years. He now serves as its general manager.

He also has an extensive collection of Perham artifacts and memorabilia.

“I grew up here, went to school here, and came back (after college),” he says. “Perham is a nice community.”

Keil started collecting Perham-related antiques

PAGE 22 | Perham High School Turns 100

and collectibles in the early 1990s. He often finds things online, on auction websites like eBay, from out-of-area sellers who have somehow, at some point, managed to acquire items from Perham.

He also goes to local flea markets, antique shows and auctions.

Over the years, he’s found everything from vintage Tuffy’s advertisements to a hard-to-find Schroeder

Brewery bottle (the brewery once operated in Perham). He’s got shelves and display cases full of fun and interesting blasts from the Perham past.

His school-related collection includes early yearbooks, buttons, sports photos and memorabilia, a beanie cap, Perham High School bell creamer, Yellowjackets foam finger, class rings, a stadium seat

Above: Keil’s collection of Perham High School memorabilia includes antique and vintage buttons, class rings, sports photos, graduation programs and more.

Right: Kevin Keil, sometimes referred to as “Mr. Perham” by those who know him best, poses with two of his old Perham High School annuals and other memorabilia in front of a display case full of Perham collectibles at his home just outside of town.

cushion and more.

Keil also has binders full of Perham postcards, most of which feature blackand-white pictures of the city’s landmarks, resorts, businesses and schools, in their various stages of history. Keil said he can see the progression of Perham in those photos, as they tell a story of how businesses, buildings, automobiles and fashions have changed through the decades. He likes to think about how things were different in earlier times, and wonder about how people might have lived their lives.

When he’s searching for

new items for his collection, he says, “I look for anything Perham-related. I like to have the Perham name on it, unless the seller can tell me without any uncertainty that it came from Perham.”

Collecting is something Keil is constantly doing. He says he comes home from work at night and usually spends about 20 minutes checking for any new listings online. He likes the thrill of discovering and chasing after new artifacts, he says, as well as finding things that make him feel more connected to the community’s history, or even to his own personal history.

Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 23

Old postcards feature pictures of Perham schools and sports teams at various points in history.

One of his more meaningful pieces, for example, is a duck decoy made by P.A. Koennicke, a deaf artist and carpenter that used to live near the hospital in Perham, just a block away from the house Keil grew up in. Keil remembers seeing Koennicke

“

I t’s the hunt for me; it always has been.

happy surprise for Keil.

But of everything in his collection, he has trouble pinpointing a surefire favorite.

“I just like it all; I like the history of it,” he says. “What I like is the thing I don’t have yet that I need to find. It’s the hunt for me; it always has been – to look for something new.”

Keil’s wife, Priscilla, doesn’t totally understand her husband’s passion for collecting, he admits with a laugh, but she tolerates it well.

The couple has two grown sons and two granddaughters. They make their home in a quiet corner of the local landscape, just outside of town.

”

— Kevin Keil, on his passion for collecting

around town, and he recalls some stone buildings Koennicke built along Perham’s Main Street. Stumbling onto one of his handmade decoys was a

SCHOOL MEMORIES: REBUCK LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF CHOIR COMPETITIONS I sang in the choir in grades seven through 12, when it was not a popular activity. We traveled to glamorous locations like Rothsay and Pelican Rapids for competitions.

As a senior, group competition was held on a Saturday morning in the Perham School cafeteria.

I loved every moment.

Mary Rebuck Class of ’78

1970-1979 Ted Meinhover and Larry Hauer resigned from the PHS faculty

Title IX passed and girls athletic teams were soon created

1970 1970

“New Math” makes its appearance in the school curriculum

1971 1970

Dorothy Soumala became the first female school board member PAGE 24 | Perham High School Turns 100

1973 Dent School consolidates with Perham

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Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 25

Perham High School produces two 2-star generals COMPILED BY DEBBIE IRMEN dirmen@perhamfocus.com

P

erham High School offers a level of education that rivals any larger school. Whether athletes are breaking school, region or state records, or the Knowledge Bowl team places in a meet, the curriculum is reviewed periodically, and updated as educational trends and technology dictate.

Two such PHS students who excelled in the U.S. Military were Paul A. Feyereisen and William Durrenberger. Both were

decorated two-star generals Feyereisen, a 1935 graduate, attained the rank of Major General, and was decorated as a two-star general.

He attended the University of Minnesota, and in 1939, as an ROTC cadet, joined the Army as s Signal Corps second lieutenant. During World War II, he served in the China/Inda/Burma Theatre while stationed in New Delhi, India. He continued to serve in the military and was assigned to the office of the Chief of Staff of the Army.

In 1950-52, he was assigned to the Staff of the

Comptroller, in Tokyo, Japan, where he played a major role in the development of a new monetary script for the Japanese. While stationed in Japan, he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Sophia University in Tokyo, and a master’s degree from Harvard University in 1954. He then served on the staff of the Undersecretary of the Army. He later attended the National War College in Washington, D.C. Feyereisen received his first star in 1963 in recognition of his work to reorganize the Army forces structure for the Continental US at the

Army Military Command in Washington, D.C. From 1964 to 69, he was assigned to Ft. Monmouth, N.J., where he received his second star. During this time, he was project manager of the Mallard Project, developing stronger communications systems between allied nations.

He retired from military service in 1971, and continued his career working for ITT in New York City, working on developing night vision goggles and overseeing the construction of 12 telecommunications sites throughout Europe and in Australia and New Zealand.

1980-1989 April, the board opted to build an addition onto the high school. Voters defeated the bond issue in September and again in November

State officials called the school “inadequate” and the deputy fire marshal gave the school 30 days to bring fire issues up to code

1983 1980

1983 1983

March, the board purchased the Alice Steadman house for administrative office use PAGE 26 | Perham High School Turns 100

Voters approve an altered plan for an addition onto the high school

The District entered the computer age with the purchase of 18 Apple II computers

1985 1984 Voters defeat a bond issue by a margin of 166 votes. In November, they defeat a $7.5 million issue by a 2-1 margin

Maj. General William J. Durrenberger, class of ‘38

Maj. General William J. Durrenberger, a 1938 graduate of Perham High School, was also a two-star general. In 1970, at age 53, he received a second Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of a decade of service as one of the Army’s top logistics chiefs. He was honored for his “administrative excellence” and “professional competence and leadership.”

Following his graduation, he received a ROTC commission in 1940, and went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, and a master’s degree from Syracuse University.

He served 10 years, from approximately 1960 to 1970, as a logistics commander with the United Nations Command in Korea, as commanding general of the U.S. Army Weapons

Command at Rock Island, Ill., with the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, and at the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Center in Warren, Mich., where he was responsible for developing or improving a wide range of small arms, to include the M14 rifle and M60 machine gun.

In 1951, as director of the Ordinance Missile Lab at the Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, he helped direct a missile research and development team headed

by Dr. Werner von Braun, who headed the rocket system and rocket engine system that got rockets to the moon. Several years later, Durrenberger was a member of the Redstone team that developed and launched Explorer I. Later, as logistics chief, Durrenberger supervised the management of $8.2 billion worth of material, an annual procurement expenditure of $650 million and an annual operating expenditure of $1.6 billion.

During his tenure, he oversaw the cancellation of 728 requisitions, resulting in a savings of $198,731,000. Through additional cost reductions, he saved an additional $34 million in fiscal year 1969.

People at a public meeting favor a separate elementary building at a cost of $3.4 million; however, in May, the bond is defeated for the third time in eight months

An overflow audience attended a school board meeting at which members approved a sex education program, “Values and Choices,” for eighth graders

1986

1988

1986

I started school when I was 5. Back then there wasn’t kindergarten, so I started in first grade.

We didn’t have a school lunch program, so lunch was an hour which allowed town kids to go home for lunch. The country kids brought their lunches in pails.

I blame a teacher who taught the Palmer method of handwriting for why I can’t read my own writing.

When I started high school in 1944, there were only six boys in the senior class because it was wartime and they were fighting in World War II. Everyone had a study hall, and when I would get through math, I’d go to the library and read the sports section.

Bill Bauck Class of 1949

Ellen Beiersdorf was the first woman to serve as District 549 superintendent

1988 New band instructor Larry Wankel works on building a march band program

SCHOOL MEMORIES: DURING WARTIME, ONLY SIX SENIORS IN CLASS

A $5.995 million classroom construction project was approved with a 68 percent margin

Heart of the Lakes Elementary School built as part of the PerhamDent School District

1989 1989

1989 Cost to remove asbestos from the school was figured at $150,000

Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 27

Small Town: Big-time results

Perham delivers in the athletic realm JASON GROTH jgroth@perhamfocus.com

W

hen looking at a map of the state of Minnesota, Perham is just a small blip in Otter Tail County. However, its impact on athletics in the state is wide reaching.

The small school has won 15 state championships in four sports, while earning numerous individual state championships throughout its storied history.

The school proudly calls itself the “School of Champions” and it has lived up to the billing in the 100 years in existence in its current facility.

Like many schools of its size, the Yellowjackets have had their share of ups and downs in the sports world. However, the highs have outpaced the lows due to the hard work of the athletes, coaches, administration, parents, fans, boosters and the like.

The 1962-63 Perham High School Football team were named champs after a season record of 7-1.

Longtime Perham coach, teacher and sports broadcaster Mike Peterson has witnessed the changes in Perham sports. He noticed the trend in sports changed in the 1980s when coaches were expected to develop a program, compared to just coaching a team.

“When that started, it was a huge impact in how that changed,” Peterson said.

“A lot of that was with Bob Wilkowski and Fred Sailer.

Fred made that a priority that

you have to coach a team and develop a program.”

One of the keys to Perham’s success, according to Peterson, is the school’s emphasis on multiple sport athletes.

“We have been able to carry that on a lot,” Peterson said. “With our size of school, there is no way people can specialize and we are going to survive and do well. So far, that’s been going well.”

The Yellowjacket Coaches Association

Athletic Hall of Fame is full of top athletes, who have left their mark on Perham sports. The inaugural class of 1989 featured individual state champion Fritz Hanson. Hanson was a two-time individual state champion and placed in three of the five events he qualified in. George Bauck, Edgar Ziegler, Ted Meinhover, Bob Wilkowski, Lyndes Johnson and Steve Werner were part of the inaugural class.

1990-1999 A middle school for grades five through eight was approved

The Auditorium renovation completed in July

1994 1993

1999 1995

A groundbreaking for the new middle school held in October PAGE 28 | Perham High School Turns 100

Perham –Dent School District employs 250 people and the school campus encompasses 53 acres

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Werner was a three-time state individual wrestling champion and holds the highest winning percentage with a 120-3 overall record.

Meinhover built upon a strong foundation, becoming the first Activities Director with Perham High School.

He was followed by Clarence Reuer, Bob Wilkowski, Terry Knauf, Fred Sailer and the current Activities Director, Erin Anderson.

Along with his duties as Activities Director, Meinhover coached football, baseball and track. He helped form the current football and track facilities that are named in his honor. He helped form the Minnesota Athletic Director’s Association and was the first President of that group.

Hanson set the early standard for Perham Athletics with individual titles in the 100 and 220 yard dash in 1931 in the one-class system.

While Perham had many great teams throughout its early history, it was the 1978 Perham baseball team that was able to break through and make school history when it qualified for the state baseball tournament in the two-class system.

Perham made state tournament trips in 1981 and 82 in boys golf, which was followed by a trip to

Perham High School’s Saron Kawlewski on the uneven bars

state in 1984 with the baseball team.

The first state football trip came in 1989. That team featured two 10-7 victories on its way to earning second place. They defeated DeLaSalle 10-7 on a gamewinning field goal by Danny Meyer. He followed it with a game winner in temperatures that were well below 0, when he helped Perham knock off Deer River in the semifinals.

That game led the movement to move the state semifinals into the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Perham fans put on a lot of miles, traveling from the school’s first state tournament for football to

support the volleyball team, who was also making its first appearance in the state tournament. Sailer said it was a sweet time as well for the school.

Perham athletics broke through in 2004 when the gymnastics team made school history. They won the school’s first state team title.

It was just the start of big things for the Perham gymnastics program. Perham rattled off eight straight state championships. It’s a record streak for gymnastics, and is one of the longest state championship winning streaks in the state.

During the historic run for the gymnastics program,

there was another Perham program starting its one dynasty – the boys and girls cross country teams.

The Yellowjacket boys started a streak in 2002, earning 15 straight trips to the state championships.

The program has made 16 trips overall.

The Yellowjacket girls have a streak of their own, starting in 2003. They have made 14 straight state championship appearances, while recording 16 trips overall.

The boys have captured six state championships and two national championships, while the girls have captured one state and one national title.

One of the key moments in Perham’s history was the victory in the 2008 Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup is a statewide, year-long competition among MSHSL member schools. Schools earn points for their success in post-season tournaments, and two schools are awarded the traveling trophy.

Perham recorded 548 points with high finishes in 12 different athletic and fine arts tournaments. It earned first-place finishes as a team in boys’ cross country and girls’ gymnastics. Along with those wins, they accrued four individual titles.

2000 to 2016 The district reviewed its technology proposal and reviewed a levy referendum

The school board discussed its building security measures

2004 2000

2008 2006

Teachers of Instrumental music, Kindergarten and a high school teaching position were discontinued PAGE 30 | Perham High School Turns 100

The District considered the financial implications of a four-day school week

According to Sailer, it helped the programs pull for each other and brought the school closer together.

The golf programs have made several trips as well with the boys earning its first trip in 1981, while the girls earned their first trip in 1995.

The Perham boys basketball team recorded three straight trips to

the state tournament, including a memorable run to the Class AA title in 2011. The season was a roller coaster of emotions, trials and tribulations for the Yellowjackets team.

During the regular season, Zach Gabbard collapsed, suffering cardiac arrest during a game with Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.

The basketball team helped the town heal and come together under the motto of “one town, one team.” They defeated Virginia in the first round, before knocking off WatertownElysian-Morristown in the semifinals. They defeated Rochester Lourdes in the finals.

The Perham wrestling

program has built up a strong dynasty as well, earning nine trips to state since the turn of the century. Overall, the Yellowjackets have crowned 12 individual champions, with the first one coming in 1978 by Steve Werner.

In all, Perham athletics have amassed more than 80 trips to the state tournament in team events.

Generation to Generation The health of a community depends on education; from generation to generation.

Congratulations on 100 Years of Education and your loyalty to community partnership.

001505899r1

Some items used throughout the timelines were taken from the book,”100 Years of High School,” written by Paul J. Pawlowski for the 1999 All School Reunion.

Voters approved a $2.2 million Capital Projects referendum by 327 votes. The Levy covered buildings and grounds maintenance and allowed upgrades in technology. It was the district’s fifth attempt in five years to pass a levy

November, voters approved a revised plan to upgrade Heart of the Lakes Elementary School, and to build a new high school onto Prairie Wind Middle School by 89 votes. Cost is $45.1 million

2015 2012

2016 2015

May, a referendum vote to build a $58.3 million high school failed, sending the district back to the drawing board to design a plan voters would approve

Construction starts on the additional classrooms and gymnasium at Heart of the Lakes Elementary School and is expected to begin for the high school in 2017 Perham High School Turns 100 | PAGE 31

Honoring OUR PAST BUILDING Our Future

[

]

FOR 100 YEARS OF CONTINUED SUPPORT!

Groundbreaking Ceremony Coming Spring 2017

Home of the Yellowjackets 001503399r1