FALL 2020
THE
George A Long Jr., Illinois Eta, 6/6/1939 #586
George A Long III, Indiana Alpha 1413
George A Long, Indiana Beta
#539 Theta,
C. Loy,
#332
Edward
10/19/1208
3/18/1937
Indiana Strawbridge,
Indiana
Robert
Theta, 4/5/1934 #504
Strawbridge,
Indiana
Theta, 4/19/1936
#531
Dallas Ryan
Long, Florida
Gamma,
4/22/2007
#1663
Russell
Strawbridge,
Indiana
Theta,
4/27/1947
#749
Herbert
Granville Moody
Jr. Illinois
Eta,
3/7/1914 #232
OREGON BETA STAR Official Newsletter of the Oregon Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Oregon State University
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT By David Clewett 1656
D
omonic Biggi 1286 has made it a priority to remain involved with Phi Delta Theta at Oregon Beta throughout the years. His involvement includes casual golf and barbecue outings, family events among brothers, attending Kappa Sigma Nu Board meetings, and supporting the chapter house Centennial Campaign as part of The Oregon Beta Society of donors. Biggi continues to stay active in KSN Board meetings and enjoys knowing what’s going on with the Fraternity, especially pertaining to the recent remodeling campaign. Domonic Biggi and Susan Deal “I was involved because the house was in need and I hoped the improvements would help give other young men the motivation to join the house and become a lifelong brother,” Biggi said. “I hope the house is around for one-hundred more years. I plan to stay involved as long as I’m alive and think it’s important to have alumni interact with undergraduates. It is a very healthy relationship for both parties.” His primary responsibilities with the campaign included heading up the outreach to his pledge class and helping steer the committee fundraiser. “My lifelong commitment to the brotherhood is based on the fundamentals of Phi Delta Theta and the current and past brothers in the chapter house,” Biggi said. Biggi was born and raised in Beaverton which is where he still lives. He pledged Oregon Beta in 1983 and graduated in 1988 as a business major. He lived in the chapter house for four years and says he wouldn’t trade a single moment with his best friends. Phi Delta Theta taught him several skills that would later become useful in his career. Most importantly, he learned to respect different views and how to work in groups. “When I first moved into the house, it was very crowded,” Biggi said. “My class had thirty members and the house had to accommodate over seventy undergrads. I thought it was great and just remember thinking I was living with some sharp guys that liked to have fun when it was time for fun.” Some of Biggi’s best memories from his freshman year were in the fall while tailgating at football games. That year, the team won its first Pac 10 game in four years against Stanford. He recalls having fun at house dances, going to Shasta, and even fitting in time for a few classes. Following OSU he worked as a sales and merchandising rep for Portland Food Products before a brief stint selling photocopiers. In 1990 he rejoined the family business ultimately becoming the CEO of Beaverton Foods, Inc. He owns the BG Food Cartel in Beaverton with his brother and sister, along with his own food company and several small real estate projects. Biggi is involved with Brothers in Christ and several charity boards, enjoys following local politics, and getting away to travel. Along with his partner Susan Deal, Continued on page 3
COVID-19 UPDATE
W
ell COVID-19 as we all know is still here and affecting the lives of our undergraduate brothers. The KSN Board has been committed to providing a safe and healthy home for the men of Phi Delta Theta while in Corvallis this fall. Along with the active leadership, we have been working closely with the City of Corvallis, Oregon State University, and Benton County to ensure that the brothers down in Corvallis have just that, a safe place to call home. We are following Oregon State University’s lead and all state and county guidelines. We continue to be working closely with all applicable parties as we monitor the situation. Some of the COVID-19 precautions are: masks requirement Continued on page 3
PRESIDENT’S CORNER By Danny Dahs 1912
A
s we prepare for an unprecedented school year, our goals for the chapter remain indistinguishable. While many facets of Greek Life will undoubtedly be different, our chapter is dedicated to providing the best experience for our members and preparing them for their futures outside of college during this crazy time. Chapters across the nation are facing countless obstacles while navigating through this devastating pandemic, and I am confident that our chapter will come out of this even stronger than before. Our goals to increase membership, have a reputation for academic excellence and maintain the great brotherhood of this chapter remain the same. With all of the university and state guidelines, it makes it impossible to replicate the tried and true methods that our chapter relies on for recruitment. Continued on page 4
CAMPAIGN DONORS
SIGNED COMMITMENTS AS OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2020: $1,205,262.84 The 1918 Society ($100,000 to $249,999) Craig Estey 1007 Oregon Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta The Bond Society ($50,000 to $99,999) Coleman Family Gift Richard A. Coleman 624 James E. Coleman 679 John N. Coleman 784 Timothy E. Coleman 1408 Jim Vance 914 Bruce N. Ritter 956 James D. Rodway 1104 The Oregon Beta Society ($25,000 to $49,999) Reynolds Family Gift Earl C. Reynolds Sr. 02 Charles J. Reynolds 14 Joseph A. Reynolds 37 Lee E. Reynolds 68 Everett J. Reynolds 338 Earl C. Reynolds Jr. 422 Edward J. Reynolds 526 Kenneth J. Reynolds 1166 Stevens Family Gift Robert E. Stevens 443 Thomas K. Stevens 1082 Camron D. Stevens 1750 Larry Brown 675 Robert E. Bauer 681 Thomas F. Haley 827 In memory of all Chapter Grand Phis: Class 1962–67 Robert R. Poole 846 Jon Sandstrom 894 Robert Olsen 927 Nick Johnson 941 Daniel A. Sanders 1002 Walker Family Gift J. Jeffrey Walker 1059 Steven L. Walker 1224 Gregory T. Walker 1281 Matthew J. Walker 1789 Parrish Family Gift Scott N. Parrish 1115 Dennis H. Steinkamp 1179 In memory of Erik Steinkamp Jones Family Gift Jeffrey D. Jones 1200 Spencer Jones, Chapman ’16 George E. O’Toole Jr. 1233 Domonic G. Biggi 1286 Memorial Gifts for Daniel E. Dooney III 1171 Sean M. Dooney 1186
Robin K. Williams 1189 Bradley S. Kisner 1220 Michael Wells 1144 Chuck Fettig 1159 Roy Rose 1164 Dennis Dixon 165 Kenneth J. Reynolds 1166 Lee Johnston 1168 John Fettig 1172 Kevin Cady 1174 William S. Gray 1176 David Mingo 1177 Dennis Steinkamp 1179 Pat Shannon 1187 Mark Miller 1190 Steve Berkus 1198 Michael Bauer 1202 Craig Smelter 1203 Quincy Powers 1204 William J. Maguire 1208 Steven Roe 1210 James Young 1212 Scott Wiswall 1214 H. Craig Ramey 1241 Joseph Campbell 1243 Chris Bakken, Whitman ’83 The Kappa Sigma Nu Society ($15,000 to $24,999) Floberg Family Gift Ralph D. Floberg 356 Douglas Grim, WA State ’67 William C. Floberg 924 Charles W. Floberg 1014 Jon R. Floberg 1110 Richard L. Brooks 773 Stan Watters 1125 The Scroll Society ($10,000 to $14,999) Richard Granger 578 Craig D. Chambers 933 Charles J. Sauvain 1085 Fettig Family Gift Dick Fettig II 1107 Chuck Fettig 1159 John Fettig 1172 Eric J. Fettig 1688 Matt Fettig 1725 Blair Fettig 1759 Richard Fettig III 1780 Chase Fettig 1812 Mike Wells 1144 Mark Granger 1289 John S. Lidstrom 1641 The Brotherhood Society ($5,000 to $9,999) Thomas D. Little 612
Tom H. Tebb 617 Stuart Wilson 707 Gregory Johnson 668 Thomas J. Usher 928 Robert Hall Jr. 930 Erin J. Haynes 966 Wentworth Family Gift Robert C. Wentworth 1049 Anita Wentworth Timothy Nielsen 1113 Mark Hettum 1140 Marc Baker 1160 In memory of Neil W. Baker 648 Dave Mingo 1177 Patrick W. Shannon 1187 David A. Sly 1422 Henry T. Johnson 1513 Kyle Sullens 1516 Dale Yee 1527 Luke T. Eilers 1650 Aaron R. Kerosky 1666 Daniel A. Doumani 1668
The Sword and the Shield Society ($2,500 to $4,999) Bud Berg 533 Wes Ediger 633 Peter Stearns 639 John Lampros 653 Robert H. Baker 775 Bob Ballin 778 Nicholas Lampros 779 David F. Heniges 839 Russell Kuhns 848 James Mattson 871 In memory of Willard S. White 269 Raymond Carlile 855 John Jendrzejewski 883 Randall L. Hargens 996 Ronald Camden 1000 Thomas A. Mattson 1042 Charles J. English Jr. 1046 In memory of Charles J. English 389 John Bosch 1089 Col. Christopher Buescher 1130 In memory of Veterans of ΦΔΘ Mike Stack 1185 Sean Dooney 1186 In memory of Daniel Dooney 1171 Tom Bie 1349 Richard Phillips 1635 Chon L. Madrigal 1639 Peter D. Fahlman 1642
Eric J. Fettig 1688 Louis Barker 1829
The Argent and Azure Society ($1,000 to $2,499) Donald W. Moore 439 Wallace Gibbs 484 Shirley Carl In memory of Robert W. Carl 504 William Moore 516 Thomas Marineau 546 Donald S. Duman 591 In memory of Ron Fundingsland 587 Dal Brethauer Dr. Wallace Hodge 592 Edwin W. Dey 609 In memory of David A. Hasle 553 John Leffel 615 Fredrick Robertson 630 Frank Guthrie 652 John C. Narver 655 Stephen Merchant 668 Gerald M. Genzoli 680 In memory of Wayne Klavano 638 Clark Cubbage 658 Larry Massey 709 Larry Phillips 738 Terry W. Baker 769 Paul Stefani 785 In memory of Paul Tebb 764 Peter Goforth 795 Daniel Kline 826 Robert Handel 831 James Davis 834 Jerome Colonna 838 In memory of Justin Colonna Michael Porter 845 Craig Sonniksen 859 Bill Dockstader 861 In memory of C. Fred Roberts Ralph Keck 952 Ronald Blackledge 957 Gary Lawrence 969 James C. Peterson 987 Roy L. Hixson III 989 William Tingley 1010 John W. Anderson 1013 Chuck Swenson 1040 In memory of Gary Meyer 1088 Thomas R. Riggs 1081 Eric N. Day 1128 Robert Buhrow 1163 James N. Barnes 1178
2020 HONOR ROLL For donations to the housing corporation and chapter outside of the capital campaign Thomas Little 612: $1000 John Narver 655: $100 Robert Bauer 681: $100 Robert Poole 846: $100 Robert Olsen 927: $680 Thomas Usher 928: $255.00 Craig Chambers 933: $170 Erin Haynes 966: $500 Arthur Marine 1117: $85.00 Philip Dyer 1019: $170.00 Patrick W. Shannon: 1187 $85.00 Scott Richter 1280: $85.00 Gregory Walker 1281: $85.00 David Sly 1422: $340.00 Kevin Lachenmeier: 1443 $170.00 Hank Johnson 1513: $170 John Lidstrom 1641: $185 Camden Wulf 1837: $20 Michael Bauer 1202 In memory of Albert Bauer 66 Johnson Family Gift Peter Johnson 1228 Adam Johnson 1788 Marc Doumitt 1342 Peter Jon-Chin 1360 Brett A. Johnson 1361 Kevin Gazay 1369 Chris Connelly 371 Shane Bangs 1434 Rob Kelleher 1463 Sean Lusby 1466 Brandon Burroughs 1468 Paul Woltze 1475 Chance Hansen 1616 Tom Gunness 1617 Garrett Courtney 1632 Charles Wente 1646 Paul K. Clem 1654 Ross Benedict 1673 Hayden McClellan 1720 Rodney Meserve 1859
OREGON BETA’S SECOND IRON PHI SAM BURGENER Congrats to Oregon Beta’s second Iron Phi Sam Burgener 1924. He ran 18.48 miles and raised over $1,000 for the LiveLikeLou Foundation. 2 The Oregon Beta Star » Fall 2020
Oregon Beta
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: continued from page 1
“I CONSIDER JOINING PHI DELTA THETA ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECISIONS OF MY LIFE. THIS SEEMINGLY MINOR DECISION HAS INFLUENCED AND ENRICHED MY LIFE IN SO MANY WAYS.” Domonic and kids
Domonic and Mark Granger
a Kappa Kappa Gamma from OSU, he and their seven kids enjoy attending all the OSU sporting events. Biggi maintains contact with several Phis including Pete Johnson 1228, director of operations at Beaverton Foods. He gets together frequently with Dave Osborne 1288, Erich Bauer 1287, Mark Granger 1289, Roger Davis 1285, Russ Kaufman 1240, Rich Troyer 1225, Doug Denney 1242, and keeps a network of friends based around Greg 1281 and Steve Walker 1224. Mostly they meet up to play golf or barbecue together and gather for birthdays and other family events. “Some of these brothers have kids who are now Phis so I get to see them and their friends too,” Biggi said. “I see a lot of brothers at OSU football games and in business activities. We played on a softball team for twenty years sponsored by Walker Garbage Service.” Biggi has not had any relatives join Phi Delta Theta although two of his sons attended OSU. He hopes that a grandson will join someday.
“I consider joining Phi Delta Theta one of the most significant decisions of my life,” Biggi said. “This seemingly minor decision has influenced and enriched my life in so many ways. I have a blessed life. I have always been and will always be very, very proud to be a Phi.”
Biggi with Phi brothers:
COVID-19 UPDATE: continued from page 1 for all areas outside of their assigned study room; all food plated by the professional kitchen staff in single-use CAN PREVENT COVID-19? containers with individual factory packed disposable silverware; temperature check station and log; enhanced cleaning schedule; multiple hand sanitation stations; updated layout for the sleeping porches with physical barriers to ensure separation; air scrubber machines for all of the porches; and decreased numbers BE A HERO. WEAR A MASK. in common areas at a single time. The health and safety is the most important thing we can provide at 120 NW 13th Street and we feel we are poised well to continue providing the best living environment in Corvallis. Should you have any questions, please reach out to the Kappa Sigma Nu Board.
REFER A PHI!
Know any young men who would be great Phis? Refer them here: oregonstate.phideltatheta.org/ join/refer-someone/. Then, encourage these young men to visit futurephidelt.org.
YOU CAN!
http://oregonstate.phideltatheta.org
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO!
Please visit phideltatheta.org/members/update-your-info/ to update your contact information.
The Oregon Beta Star » Fall 2020 3
SOUND LEARNING AT OREGON BETA By Will Chick 1937, Scholarship Chairman
P
hi Delta Theta is built from the three main axioms of Friendship, Sound Learning, and Rectitude. Sound Learning was implemented as a fundamental axiom of the Fraternity due to its importance in producing balanced, knowledgeable, and productive men to enter the workforce. Through study groups, study hours, and personal responsibility, the men of Phi Delta Theta have committed to maintaining healthy academic habits and practices. Oregon Beta is a diverse chapter academically, populated by students studying fields from business to engineering to pre-med disciplines such as anatomy and chemistry. Through this diversity, students are presented with mentors who are further along in their disciplines to provide guidance and support. In return, each brother of Phi Delta Theta must reciprocate this guidance to the next generation of students joining the house. This symbiotic relationship between brothers in the house not only fosters academic success, but it also improves the bonds between each graduating class in the chapter, providing avenues for more diverse friendships, and experiences. This is the hidden benefit of placing such importance on Sound Learning in Phi Delta Theta, but the direct benefit of hard work driving academic success cannot be understated. The manifestation of this work ethic can be seen through the cumulative GPAs achieved by the chapter. Phi Delts averaged GPAs of 3.21, 3.3, and 3.5 in the last three academic terms; fall 2019, winter 2020, and spring 2020.
Although these results speak directly to the academic prowess of Oregon Beta brothers, it is also worth comparing these results to other fraternal and sororal organizations on campus. All of these organizations contribute not only to the success of their constituents but also to the wellbeing of the community at large through fundraising and community service. Last year, Phi Delta Theta averaged 0.18 GPA points above the IFC Fraternity average, placing in the top three fraternity GPAs on campus two of the three terms (fall 2019 and winter 2020). Oregon Beta is also committed to providing an effective environment in the house conducive to academic work. On top of providing a library for a quiet study location, students who share majors and classes are routinely encouraged to create study and homework groups to collaborate and share ideas. This system within the chapter provides back-end support for students who may need extra help outside of class to stay on top of their work. Students are encouraged to seek out help on their own, but Oregon Beta utilizes a system for Phikeias in which grades are checked routinely to confirm that they are on the proper track for academic success. One of the components of Sound Learning is accountability, and Oregon Beta works hard to not only make its members accountable to the chapter, but also to themselves. By fostering personal accountability within the brothers of the chapter, we challenge our members to become the greatest versions of themselves.
ABOUT US
The Oregon Beta Star is published three times per year by the Oregon Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Oregon State University for alumni and parents. ©Copyright 2020 Oregon Beta. All rights reserved. Send news, address updates and photos to: Oregon Beta Chapter, PO Box 20995, Portland, OR 97294-0995 STAY UP-TO-DATE /PDTOregonBeta OregonBetaAlumni@gmail.com /phideltatheta_osu/ linkedin.com/groups/95210 oregonstate.phideltatheta.org CHAPTER ADVISORY BOARD Steven L. Walker, Chairman Chase Fettig Eric Fettig Chon Madrigal Henry Johnson, Financial Adviser Aaron R. Kerosky, Phikeia Education Adviser Paul Clem, Recruitment Adviser James Arnold, Risk Management Adviser Mealoha McFadden, Campus Mentor Luke Eilers, Academic Adviser Erin J. Haynes, Alumni Relations Adviser CHAPTER OFFICERS Danny Dhas, President Ethan Campbell, Vice President Nathan Dank, Treasurer Ethan Campbell, Recruitment Chairman Nick Bowermaster, Phikeia Educator Daniel Zwemke, Risk Management Chairman Nick Bowermaster, Secretary KAPPA SIGMA NU HOUSE CORPORATION John Lidstrom, President Steve Walker, Vice President Henry Johnson, Treasurer Erin Haynes, Secretary Members-at-Large: David Sly Chon Madrigal Luke Eilers Paul Clem Erik Fettig Chase Fettig Garrett Johnson
PRESIDENT’S CORNER: continued from page 1 Thankfully with the incredible work done by our recruitment chairmen, we have a solid plan to tackle virtual recruitment and are confident that we can achieve success during this unordinary rush period. We are excited about the thirteen men who have accepted bids with us. The chapter is excited to be back in Corvallis and we currently have thirty-two live-in members, which is among the highest tallies across Oregon State Greek Life. This is a testament to the great brotherhood at the chapter and the incredible mansion the members get to live in. The chapter
4 The Oregon Beta Star » Fall 2020
has improved sanitation measures inside the house and has adopted other practices to keep everyone safe. Most rooms in the chapter are single or double occupancy which has allowed members to have an increased amount of personal space. Also, the porches have been rearranged, we installed barriers in between beds, and we added air purifiers on each porch. With classes primarily being delivered remotely, the chapter will be looking to replicate or improve upon the 3.5 GPA that was attained in spring 2020.
Oregon Beta
UNDERGRADUATE SPOTLIGHT By David Clewett 1658
H
aving only recently been initiated over the winter, Alex Gonzalez 1925 has embraced his role of serving as recruitment chair. It is the first leadership position Gonzalez has held during his time at Oregon Beta. However, he has intentions of running for vice president this fall and maintaining leadership positions throughout his time in the chapter. “In future leadership roles such as vice president, I want to make sure the Fraternity is the best it can be in all aspects,” Gonzalez said. “I want to have more community involvement from the members as well as on campus participation.” For Gonzalez, his greatest accomplishment as recruitment chair was running a summer recruitment event with only the assistance of his co-chair, Cameron Laroche 1936. They worked well together and ultimately the event ran smoothly. “Serving as recruitment chair has been a great experience,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve enjoyed seeing the process of recruiting new members from start to finish and how that process is done. Recruitment can be a time committing task with all that has to be done in a certain amount of time.” As recruitment chair, Gonzalez initially saw an uphill battle of locating and signing new members. In time, he grew more confident in his ability to get the job completed. “Another accomplishment is just getting that first potential new member to sign into the Fraternity after I began talking to them,” Gonzalez said. “One of the biggest takeaways from being recruitment chair is the communication aspect. You have to be able to communicate with a lot of different people at the same time to plan events and make sure everyone is on the same page.” Coming from Newberg High School, Gonzalez is a first-generation college student in his family and had no prior knowledge of fraternity life besides what is portrayed by television and media. He joined a Phi Delta Theta summer recruitment event and pledged the Fraternity shortly after. “I noticed quickly the brotherhood between everyone in the Fraternity,” Gonzalez
said. “Everyone was keen on getting to know you and making you feel welcome, which was a pleasant surprise.” Gonzalez first considered rushing fraternities after Preston Reed 1911 contacted him and invited him to an event. “I just wanted to see what fraternities were about, so I decided to attend some events,” Gonzalez said. “After that first event was over, I knew that I wanted to go through recruitment. My family was worried at first but then after seeing how my experience was after coming back home from the fall term, they were happy I joined Phi Delta Theta.” Since joining Phi Delta Theta, Gonzalez has enjoyed the experience and comradery of the chapter, including the spatial layout of the house. “The house has by far been the best part of Phi Delt,” Gonzalez said. “You experience so much more living in the house than in the dorms. I find myself spending a lot of downtime in the Coleman Family Library.” Additionally, Gonzalez and his friends spend their free time at Dixon Rec Center or outside playing sports like football, soccer, and basketball. However, recent conditions have forced them inside the chapter house to play videogames together. Living in the chapter house has benefitted Gonzalez’s academics and scholarly work-ethic, most notably during the fall term of 2019. “Before coming to college, I was terrible at managing my schoolwork and ended up doing all my assignments last minute,” Gonzalez said. “I learned time management skills during the fall term that helped me get all A’s for the first time. Those skills will be useful for the rest of my college and post-college education.” Gonzalez entered college as a bio health sciences major but plans on changing his focus to kinesiology with either a minor or double major in business. His career goal is to become a physical therapist and eventually own his practice. Ideally, he would like to remain in Oregon and potentially return to Newberg to settle down. “What interests me in physical therapy is the ability to help people and hopefully see relief over time for injuries and disabilities,”
Gonzalez said. “My decision to pursue physical therapy came from it being my ideal career. I can interact with patients and have the ability to help them in ways that don’t involve surgical treatment or medications.” According to Gonzalez, he is best known around the chapter house for getting his tasks completed on schedule and being horrible at the videogame Super Smash Brothers. His ambitious goals, leadership potential, and personal determination make Gonzalez one worth following as he embraces future responsibilities at Phi Delta Theta.
NEWEST INITIATES AND PHIKEIAS
2020 FALL INITIATES
2020 FALL PHIKEIAS
Ryan DelVaglio 1944 Kyle Kirsch 1945 Tyler Pfarrer 1946
Austin Dufort, Tigard, OR David Hargrove, Castro Valley, CA Cale Herrera, Portland, OR
http://oregonstate.phideltatheta.org
Cooper House, Sherwood, OR Ethan Phifer, Sherwood, OR Erik Schulz, Tigard, OR Cole Scott, Tigard, OR Gavin Smith, Sherwood, OR
Brandon Tesdall, Sherwood, OR Calvin Ton, Tigard, OR Carson Wilson, Hillsboro, OR Nick Wollemann, Milwaukie, OR Camren Womack, Hillsboro, OR The Oregon Beta Star » Fall 2020 5
CHAPTER GRAND Jesse Ellefson 1023 passed away on March 25, 2020. Jessie was the youngest son and was raised in Days Creek, Oregon. He was a standout athlete in high school on the baseball, basketball, track and football teams. He treasured his time hunting, fishing, and telling tall tails with his friends, Phil Delt brothers, and relatives. As a teenager he was a logger with his brother and father.
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #248 DAYTON, OH Oregon Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta 2 South Campus Avenue Oxford, Ohio 45056 Address Service Requested
Jessie attended Oregon State University and immediately joined ROTC and the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. As a Phi, Jessie flourished, encouraging others to study hard. After holding many officer positions, he soon rose to the esteemed rank of president. With the help of a strong vice president, Chuck Swenson 1040, the Phis prospered with strong pledge classes and paying down debts that others had left. There were many opportunities for Jessie along with Chuck and other Phis, Gary Meyer 1088, to meet with the Oregon State dean and correct his misguided opinions about the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. Over time, the dean learned a great deal from Jessie and other Phis during these frequent and intense meetings. After college, Jessie went home to Days Creek and worked as a smelter rat, cared for and loved his sheep, and bailed hay with his father and friends. In their elder years Jessie cared for both parents. He loved to read, play cribbage and play cards. At Jessie’s graveside service in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, there was a strong attendance by the Phi Delt brotherhood, Art Taylor 1041, Chuck Swenson 1040, Bill Franzke 1054, Bill Swancutt 1038, and Wes Collins 1057. Also attending virtually were Todd Thompson 1027, Greg Hirschberger 1048, and Tom Mattson 1042. As expected at any Phi Delt event, there were challenges. To quote brother Swancutt, “I think Jessie just rewrote the ending to Animal House,” as the tractor and casket accidentally went into the grave together at a precarious angle. After lots of thought by the local grave diggers as to how to remedy the situation, a tow truck was called to retrieve the tractor. Jessie is still laughing in heaven! Adam Arner 1687 passed away June 27, 2019. Robert Milun 681 passed away early on the morning of October 29, 2020 in Salem, Oregon He had been there in the hospital after triple bypass surgery. Our sympathies go to his family and especially his wife, Penny.
…in coelo quies est
“…in heaven there is rest”
ALUMNI UPDATES Phil Dyer 1018 and his wife Carolyn are now living in Scottsdale, Arizona after a lifetime in Seattle, Washington. Their two boys, Pierce and Peyton, still live in the Puget Sound area. They are fortunate to have his classmate Phis, Jay Seeley and Tom McCulloch, as neighbors. Brett Johnson 1361 recently moved back to Portland, Oregon. He has a son who is a senior at Sunset High School and welcomed a daughter, Stella Monroe, in January 2020. Blake Rauch 1581 married Molly Torbert on September 18, 2020. Craig Rosengreen 1612 married Gabriela on September 12, 2020. Chase Hanson 1616 is separating from active duty Air Force to move back to Wilsonville, Oregon and will continue to serve in the Portland Air National Guard and pursuing a career in the airline industry. He and his wife, Kristi, along with their two kids, Kiley (five) and Colby (three), moved from their most recent station in Little Rock, Arkansas where he was the chief pilot for the Air Force C-130J formal training unit. In addition to the move, they most recently were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Madison, at the end of August. They are excited to be back home and are looking forward to catching up with everyone! Geoff Jensen 1712 and his wife Maggie welcomed their son, Cadyn Mathew, born October 1, 2020. Cole Lelli 1765 recently moved to Austin, Texas. Have some great news you want to share with your brothers? Want to see your update listed here? Please email Oregon.Beta.Alumni@gmail.com with your update and we will include it.
WE WANT YOUR NEWS!
In preparation of the next edition, we are looking for any news and updates in your life. Please email any content to Alumni Newsletter Editor John Lidstrom at Oregon.Beta.Alumni@gmail.com.