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Alumnus shares memory of the late Bill Gross ’70, ’73

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Gross ’70, ’73. I was happy to follow his career with the KSU Polytechnic unit at Salina, especially the Bill Gross Professional Flight Program.

In a small way, I may have been responsible for his career in aviation, having recruited him to join the K-State Flying Club when I lived in Manhattan back in the late 1960s. I also recall, while I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, that Bill would y the KSU coaches to Lincoln for KSU football and basketball booster club meetings. He was a great K-Stater.

Bill and Elaine Gross

Gary L. Vacin ’60, ’64 Sun Lakes, Arizona

Couple has fond memories of campus squirrels

My wife, Annie Roberts Gish ’62, laughed with happy delight when I showed her your “squirrel photo” (fall 2021 K-Stater magazine, page 51). When we were growing up as Manhattan kids during the 1940-1950’s, she was a young “critter loving girl.” Along with other “critters,” she rescued and hand raised a pet squirrel (which looked Annie Roberts Gish ’62 with exactly like the photo); she named him “Happy” Happy the squirrel. Happy the squirrel. per his personality (and hers).

Happy was blown out of a tree onto her street (Vattier) during a severe wind/rain storm. His eyes were just opening; he was only a few days old. She modi ed a bottle from her doll collection and hand fed Happy until he was capable of eating nuts from her hands. erea er, he would gently dig between her ngers to extract the nuts. In mutual delight, she could scratch behind his ears and rub his tummy. Even a er Happy was freed to live in the trees, Annie would step out on her porch and knock two black walnuts together. en tree leaves would shake as he came scampering through the branches and jump onto her shoulder to eat the nutty treasure.

A few years later, a er we were married, we lived in an apartment next to her parent’s home. As I walked to/from my KSU classes, sometimes I would hear a squirrel chattering and scolding. Was it Happy looking for a nut in my pockets? Probably not but then again, this photo could be one of his descendants. Annie returned to Manhattan to live while I was ying in Vietnam (1967-68) and, as a former KSU art student, her drawings and paintings were displayed for a week in the Student Union. ose drawings and paintings are now displayed in our home. Don Gish ’62 Cedar Park, Texas

Correction: e Fall 2021 issue of K-Stater magazine misidenti ed Michael Edwards as Joshua Solomon on page 43.

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Future Wildcats add color to pages of K-Stater

Each issue of K-Stater magazine features a coloring page for future Wildcats of all ages to enjoy. Encourage your future Wildcat to complete the coloring page, found on page 22, and send a picture to kstater@k-state.com.

Hayes, 4, Neva, 9, and Everly, 6, Gladin

Everly Lyon, 6 Camila Headle, 5

Pippa Hayden, 6

Young pet owner excited to see cat in the K-Stater

Jaden smiles with Ringo. Ringo was featured in the fall 2021 issue of the K-Stater on the K-S-U Pets page.