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CLASS NOTES
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE | CONTACT US
Online: stkate.edu/alumnae Phone: 651.690.6666 Email: alumnae @ stkate.edu
1940–49 MARY MADONNA ASHTON, CSJ ’44 was named a 2016 National Women’s History Month honoree. She is only the second woman religious (first CSJ) to receive this honor since the Women’s History Project began in 1980. The March 19 award ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C.
1950–59 CAROL EBERT LANDRY ’58 received the Pax Christi Award. The Superior Diocesan Council of Catholic Women recognized Carol at its 65th Annual Convention in June 2015. Parishioners at St. Patrick Church in Hudson, Wisconsin, say: “By her humble devotion and willingness to share her God-given gifts, her light shines brightly, reflecting the glory of God and the peace of Christ.”
1960–69 JOAN GREGORYK ’66, founder in 1996 of the Children’s Chorus of Washington, led the ensemble on a tour of France in 2015. The group performed at places such as Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, where they sang at high Mass on July 4. For her work with the chorus, Joan was honored as a 2016 Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian. The magazine annually honors residents who make Washington, D.C. a better place to live by their generosity, creativity and compassion. 1970–79 MAGGIE MCCANN PIKE ’71 completed her newest book, A Chardonnay a Day: Vignettes That Bring Cheer, a collection of lighthearted and engaging personal narratives. A list of her published books is at maggiemccannpike.com.
LYNDA MONICK-ISENBERG ’73 accepted a full-time position at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design as a professor and coordinator of the teaching artist minor. She is also co-director of The Drawing Project (drawingproject.org), which brings people together through drawing.
Oh, my stars and garters! CLASS OF 1974 gathered in the Black Hills of South Dakota to celebrate their friendship of 45 years. They met in 1970 as first-year students on the third floor of Derham Hall. Pictured with their husbands, from left to right: Nancy Simonson Anderson, Keith Anderson, Jeff Syring, Judy Pearson Syring, Bob Milligan, Joanne Weber Milligan, Kathy Tellers Lehne, Mike Lehne, Darlene Biegalke Ballensky and Mike Ballensky.
BARBARA PANKONIE HARDING ’78 has relocated to Arizona and is the corporate senior director of postacute care at Dignity Health. Barbara has responsibilities in Arizona, Nevada and California. Dignity Health is the fifth-largest health system in the United States.
CLASS OF ’74
1980–89 KIM BRAEGELMAN BUHL ’83, COTA/L received the 2015 MOTA Fieldwork Educator Award for her outstanding commitment and enduring legacy in fieldwork education. Kim has supervised students at St. Kate’s, Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Herzing University throughout the past 25 years. She provides OTA students with learning experiences that ensure they are qualified and competitive in the healthcare workforce.
LINDA WALSH MCCANN ’83 earned a doctorate degree in business administration from Metropolitan State University, becoming the first woman to defend her dissertation at
LINDA MCCANN ’83
this university. Linda, who is married with five children, is a certified public accountant and an assistant professor in the accounting department at Metropolitan State.
JEANETTE BLACK KERSTEN ’85 co-authored a book with Kelly La Venture called The Human Factor to Profitability: Building a PeopleCentered Culture for Long-Term Success. Jeanette is an associate professor in the College of Management at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
ANNE MCKEIG ’89 was selected as one of 48 promising U.S. state leaders for the Toll Fellowship Program, sponsored by the Council of State Governments. The annual seminar seeks to develop the next generation of leaders from all three branches of state government. Anne serves as presiding judge for Hennepin County Family Court. She is also leading this Minnesota court’s participation in the Family Court Enhancement Project, funded by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.
IN MEMORY w Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following graduates, faculty members and trustees:
Loretta Girzaitis, adult education instructor w December 13, 2015 Pauline Driscoll Griffith M’36 w August 7, 2014 Marion Quinn Nosker ’36 w October 29, 2011 Elsie Wuerth Grill M’37 w September 20, 2015 Lorraine Merten Lee M’39 w June 27, 2015 Virginia May Schlichting ’39 w June 10, 2015 Grace Fooshe Murphy ’41 w November 25, 2015 Mary Jayne Wynne Kloman M’41 w January 20, 2014 Evelyn Densmore Reagan ’43 w October 19, 2015 Jeanne Corbett Lemmens M’46 w September 9, 2015 Ruth Hagen Jacobs J’46 w November 25, 2014 Josephine Maney Fischer J’46 w May 4, 2013 Ruth Heck Bossenmaier ’47 w October 30, 2015 Martha Keyes Kittridge M’47 w November 2015 Carole Larpenteur Baker ’47 w December 5, 2015 Gladys Pepos Lustgraaf ’47 w October 24, 2014 Florence Marion Sletner Miller ’47 w December 4, 2015 Bernadine Brenny Duevel M’49 w September 29, 2015 Mary Frances Coonan Boulay ’49 w November 10, 2015 Shirley Dorn Herzog M’49 w July 6, 2015 Charlotte Menk Ryan ’49 w October 3, 2015 Barbara Eisenbarth Schmidt J’50 w September 11, 2015 Mary Kranzfelder Huzzar ’50 w October 13, 2014 Joan Murphy Parker ’50 w September 10, 2015 Lucille Crea Smith J’52 w November 23, 2015 Adrienne Lahay Prisk ’52 w June 9, 2014 Angela O’Neill O’Keefe ’52 w September 1, 2015
ERRIN KRATOCHWILL STEVENS ’89, completed her first novel, Updrift, published by Liquid Silver Books.
1990–99 SARAH MANN MONSON ’96, 2MAJ’09 earned a master’s degree in nursing from Frontier Nursing University. She works as a certified nurse midwife at Franciscan Healthcare, part of the Mayo Clinic Health System, in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
KATHLEEN VORNBROCK POTTER ’97 graduated from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, in September 2015. She now holds a master of education and continues to work as an occupational therapist for the St. Croix River Education District. 2000–09 LYS AKERMAN-FRANK ’01 exhibited her work at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) November 3, 2015 to January 24, 2016. The piece, called “Mia Community Selfie Mural” is a collection of selfies from museum community members, and is part of Mia’s celebration of 100 years and counting.
ELIZABETH JONES ’01, MAOL’08 works as the wellness coordinator for the city of Mesquite, Texas. She was recently named one of the Top 100 Health Promotion Professionals by the Wellness Council of America.
ELIZABETH JONES ’01
Nancy Seibel Culligan ’52 w December 11, 2015 Bik-Yuan Tong Chan ’52 w July 11, 2014 Elizabeth McMahon Anundson ’53 w October 15, 2015 Muriel Sullivan Tobin J’53 w September 4, 2015 Margaret Bergeron Musolf ’54 w November 21, 2015 Audrey Hansen Schweitzer J’54 w August 5, 2015 Janet Lees Hubbeling ’54 w May 15, 2015 Nancy Williams Moran ’55 w September 30, 2015 Elizabeth Hausladen Diers M’56 w September 2, 2015 Kathleen Regan Dailey ’56 w September 30, 2015 Agnes Paul Schloesser, CSJ (Anna Schloesser) ’57 w November 7, 2015 Rosemary Walsh ’57 w August 30, 2015 Doreen Maurer J’59 w September 8, 2015 Mary Elizabeth Becker Lesko ’60 w September 26, 2015 Sandra Pennington Anderson ’60 w August 26, 2015 Manette Durand, CSJ (Dorothy Durand) ’62 w October 11, 2015 Susan Neisen, CSJ, ’66 w December 24, 2014 Antoinette Scholand Larson ’68 w August 22, 2015 Mary Jane Edmond Shadell ’70 w October 8, 2015 Mary Joan Crosson ’74 w August 24, 2015 Jeralyn Niederkorn Lucking M’77 w 2015 Marilyn Kotek ’79 w November 10, 2015 Janet Schmitt Ulrich ’81 w December 8, 2015 Anne Hunter Bisson ’83 w September 29, 2015 JoAnne Dubuque Bennett ’84 w August 12, 2015 Alison Coutts Lohse M’84 w November 17, 2014
KATE MCNAMEE RUSSELL ’01
KATE MCNAMEE RUSSELL ’01 was married on November 14, 2013, and welcomed son Easton John in November 2014. Left to right: Kate, Braxton, Maggie, Easton, Andy and Brint.
BRIDGET HIGGINS HER ’02 was married on September 19, 2015. AMY ROGAN-MEHTA ’04 was promoted to assistant dean for students at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MEREDITH NIELSON HOLLENBERGER ’06 welcomed daughter Sloane Rebecca in October 2015.
SLOANE
IN MEMORY
w
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GEORGE
EMILY BLAHA PALUMBO ’06 welcomed son George Patrick in October 2015.
DEBRA LINDH MAOL’07 was named to Psych Central’s “21 Mental Health Doctors and Therapists You Should Be Following on Twitter.” According to the blog post, “Debra’s Twitter stream provides a lot of great content on stress reduction and she is [an] expert on mindfulness techniques. Her stream will help anyone incorporate simple, easy, and effective stress reduction techniques into their daily routines.”
ELIZABETH TSCHIDA NARANJO ’07 was married on September 5, 2015.
Linda Lamb M’84 w April 9, 2015 Anne Boortz Jilek M’85 w November 15, 2015 Katherine Arbeiter ’90 w January 20, 2015 Therese Brennan MAOL’90 w October 24, 2015 Catherine Nierengarten ’90 w October 1, 2015 Sheryl Palmer ’91 w September 10, 2015 Caryl Owens Vanzo Cert’95 w January 5, 2015 Robert Mandell M’01 w September 10, 2015
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MEMORIAL OR TRIBUTE GIFT? PLEASE CONTACT
Office of Development 651.690.6516 giving @ stkate.edu
CONTACT US WHEN YOU HAVE NEWS OF A DEATH
651.690.6666 inmemory @ stkate.edu
FRANKIE BARNHILL ’08 is a general assignment reporter for Boise State Public Radio. She joined the newsroom full time in 2015 after working as a freelance reporter for the station in 2014.
HILARY NOVACEK BUNDT ’08 welcomed daughter Magdalena Erezybel in April 2015.
MAGDALENA
JENNY MCDOUGAL ’08 welcomed baby Cedar Hart on October 26, 2015.
SALLY MOE PRINS ’08 was married on September 12, 2015.
Artist SARA UDVIG ’08 designed a mural for the High Bridge in St. Paul, Minn. The West Side Community Organization hosted a celebration of its completion in October 2015.
LAURA NELSON ’09 became a member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Justice Foundation, a nonprofit that strives for justice by creating opportunities for law students to provide public interest and pro bono legal services. JEAN THORESEN MAT’09 is the director of pastoral care at Pax Christi Catholic Community in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Jean says the position is very rewarding, and she loves all the Katie connections.
2010–PRESENT ANN MCCOMAS-BUSSA MAT’10 is a theology teacher at The Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. After being a stay-at-home mom for more than 20 years, Ann says her new career is a dream come true.
MAUREEN RYAN ANDERSON ’11 was married on November 28, 2015.
AMY PATTON HOLTON ’11 was married at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota, on July 4, 2013.
ELLEN BLAHA LARUE ’11 was married on November 21, 2015
JENNA OLSON RUBBELKE ’11 was married on October 3, 2015.
SAMANTHA LUCKING WERNER ’12 was married on June 27, 2015.
ELIZABETH VOLK DEUTSCHENDORF DPT’13 was married on November 11, 2015.
MARY NOBLE GARCIA MAT CERT’13, MAT’14 joined Loyola Spirituality Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. She offers individual and group spiritual direction, workshops and retreats.
MICHAELA MAGLER RODRIGUEZ ’13 was married on September 26, 2015. ERIN LEVINSKI WAHL ’13 was married August 22, 2015, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel. She works at Minnetonka High School as a paraprofessional.
BROOKE MEISSEL KOPP MAED’14 was married on August 15, 2015, in Mandan, North Dakota.
ERIN NOACK POLFLIET ’14 was married on October 10, 2015.
MELISSA HEBRANK SPEAKMAN ’14 was married on June 27, 2015, in Wilno, Minnesota.
LET’S CONNECT We’d love to hear from you, and be able to tell you the latest St. Kate’s news. Share your email address online at stkate.edu/updateinfo or call 651.690.6666.
WHY? • Receive important updates • Follow the search for St. Kate’s new president • Participate in the spring 2016 alumnae survey • Keep in touch • Help St. Kate’s go green with paperless communications
Katie Connections Through Events
St. Catherine University alumnae connect with one another and the University through a variety of events held on and around campus each year. Join us! To see a list of upcoming events, visit stkate.edu/alumevents.
1 Alumnae traveled to LePuy, France, birthplace of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The Traveling Scholars trip was an initiative of the Alumnae Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee and the Friends of the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery. 2 Mary Costello Nakasone ’49 and granddaughter Nellie Nakasone ’12 at Home for the Holidays.
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3 Cuc Kim Vu ’99, assistant professor of liberal arts and sciences, worked at Habitat for Humanity on Citizen Katie day. The crew of Katies installed siding on a home in St. Paul.
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4 The University’s Multicultural and International Program for Students (MIPS) teamed up with Alumnae Relations for a dinner in November. Students and alumnae enjoyed great conversations and networking.
5 Catherine McNamee, CSJ (right), former St. Kate’s president, speaks with first-year student Sheng Thao ’19 at The Reflective Woman: Composing a Life Interviews. The Alumnae Council’s Alumnae Student Connections Committee coordinates this annual event.
6 Alumnae from the St. Kate’s MLIS program led the 14th annual Booked for the Evening event in November.
More event photos at flickr.com/stkates
Citizen Katie started as a student day of community service, but has grown to include alumnae in the Twin Cities and across the country. In October 2015, eight chapters held service events with a variety of local nonprofits: • Seattle and Denver (pictured) alumnae prepared and served brunch to families staying at
Ronald McDonald House. • The Naples chapter sorted and packed groceries at the Harry
Chapin Food Bank. • Katies in Rochester, Minnesota collected supplies for the Gift of
Life Transplant House. Reminder: Chapter events are open to all alumnae. No membership is required, and you don’t have to live or work in the chapter area or event location.
To find a chapter near you or to reach a local
KATIES GIVE BACK Alumnae chapters make a difference in their communities.
leader, visit: stkate.edu/alumnaechapters meaningful and it’s a great way to • Chicago-area alumnae painted doors and worked on landscaping projects at The Institute of
Women Today.
• The Twin Cities south metro chapter did outdoor cleanup participate in Citizen Katie on
at Lewis House in Eagan.
• Alumnae in the Twin Cities east metro chapter packed meals at a Feed My Starving Children today. Email Kelly Povo ’09, chapter
mobile pack site in Woodbury.
• The Twin Cities west metro chapter assisted families participating in the holiday gift program at Interfaith Outreach and Community
Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is a wonderful way to demonstrate our Katie spirit. Plus it’s fun, it’s connect with other alumnae.
Our goal is to have all chapters October 15, 2016. Help us meet this goal!
Register your chapter activities Partners in Plymouth.
manager, at kapovo@stkate.edu.
More Citizen Katie photos at stkate.edu/ck-pics
