Torch, Summer 2015, Vol. 47 No. 2

A Magazine for Alumni & Friends of the University of Minnesota Crookston

Volume 47, Number 2 Summer 2015

Learn more about Diane (Lundeen) McClellan 1973 On Page 4

Photo gallery link at www.umcrookston.edu/photogallery/commencement/2015

From the Chancellor Welcome to our alumni family, Class of 2015! Your journey to graduation is one you will long remember and is the culmination of your hard work and dedication to earning a baccalaureate degree.

You also had the support of many who, along with our committed faculty and staff, cared about you and nurtured that pursuit. However, this achievement is really yours, and we celebrate your success.

Our alumni history dates back more than a century to the first group of eight graduates in 1909. Those early students, and the ones who followed, established traditions, shared a pride of place, and left us all a legacy of which we are very proud. Their history is now yours.

As students, the Class of 2015 witnessed the groundbreaking of the new wellness facility on campus and played a critical role in making this project a reality. It is exciting to watch it take shape and become an integral part of our campus. Students will benefit for years to come because of the leadership of our recent graduates and we are grateful to them for their leadership.

I hope many of you will join us for homecoming on October 9, 10, and 11. It will be an opportunity to see the progress on the building

project as well as other changes on campus. More importantly, you will help us recognize the achievements of our exceptional alumni during the Alumni Awards Celebration and, along with our students, make some new homecoming memories of your own. If I haven’t had a chance to meet you yet, then please introduce yourself during the many events. I enjoy getting to know more alumni and hearing about their experiences both as students and after graduation.

We always enjoy hosting our alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture the last Saturday in June, and this year was no exception. The Office of Development & Alumni Relations does an outstanding job at our alumni events. The attention they give to these activities makes them special and memorable for everyone who attends.

As many of you may already know, while our overall enrollment has continued to increase, declining enrollments have taken a toll on many institutions of higher education throughout the country.

At UMC we believe that

Chancellor Wood with graduate Matthew Bjorgo prior to commencement on May 9.

recruitment and retention are everyone’s business. As alumni you might also play a role in student recruitment, and I hope you will.

Please share your experiences with a high school student, a possible transfer student, or a non-traditional student who might be interested in what we offer at the University of Minnesota Crookston, both oncampus and online. Potential students would enjoy hearing from you, and there is no better endorsement than someone sharing their firsthand experience. Please encourage them to visit our website at www. umcrookston.edu or call 1-800-8626466 to talk to our staff to schedule an on-campus visit and to discuss enrolling online.

In closing, I wish you all a great summer and fall. If you are in the area, please stop by for a visit. The facilities staff has the grounds looking gorgeous, and we always love to have our alumni on campus.

Best regards, Fred E. Wood Chancellor University of Minnesota Crookston

3

Her Smart Start “Fresh cinnamon rolls on Wednesday mornings were incentive for us to get up and go to class,” Diane (Lundeen) McClellan.

When Diane (Lundeen) McClellan 1973 decided to take off to the Twin Cities with a roommate to apply for jobs, she had no idea she would spend 40 years with the same place. After double majoring in legal and medical secretarial administration at the University of Minnesota Crookston Technical College, she worked at the Polk County Courthouse as a legal transcriptionist.

Her adventurous spirit took her to Moorhead to work at a law firm, and then on, to a career at the University of Minnesota as a senior secretary in hospital and healthcare administration.

Today, McClellan is a student services advisor in the Master of Healthcare Administration program. Her responsibilities range from coordination of classes to overseeing the long term care licensure program. She awards scholarships, serves on the admissions committee, and helps graduate students with their first semester registration. “I meet with people one-on-one who are considering the program and advise Diane (Lundeen) them before they apply,” she says. It is how McClellan 1973 started she met University of Minnesota Crookston working at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities 40 years ago. alumnus Joe Stearly 2013.

“My time at the University of Minnesota has been wonderful,” McClellan says. “I have had opportunities for advancement and I enjoy working with graduate students.

My time in Crookston prepared me well for my career at the U.”

“I’m currently a first-year, full-time MHA student at the University of Minnesota. My classmates and I love working with Diane. We all agree that she’s our favorite staff member of the MHA program. She’s our number one source if we have any questions about the program from financial aid to what classes we should be taking.

She’s always willing to help students when they ask. An example of this is that I’m the only MHA student taking a certain elective course and she had the text book to the class, so she offered to borrow it to me so I didn’t have to buy it. I’m happy that Diane is a part of the MHA program and proud that she is also a former alumna of Crookston.”

—Joe Stearly, U of M Crookston Class of 2013

4

www.umcrookston.edu

Diane (Lundeen) McClellan and Joe Stearly.

Her Crookston experience is fondly remembered by McClellan and memories come back easily of great times with friends and life on campus.

“It was the best time of my life, and I met the best people and had the most fun,” she remembers. “It was hard to get me home unless I needed money, and when we were on break, my friends and I lived for the moment we could be back on campus.”

Small things bring back warm feelings of living on campus. “Fresh cinnamon rolls on Wednesday mornings were incentive for us to get up and go to class,” she smiles.

“I enjoyed living in a corner room in Skyberg with my two roommates Deborah (Perreault) Albaugh 1973 and Carole (Carriere) Larson 1973.”

Campus is where she also met her husband Mike 1974, a natural resources major who celebrated his 40-year anniversary at the University of Minnesota in May 2015.

He currently works as an executive assistant in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences on the St. Paul campus.

Photo Credit: Patrick O’Leary, University Relations, University of Minnesota

Growing up in Alvarado, Minn., McClellan started out at a four-year institution, but after a visit to the Crookston campus, she decided to transfer. “It was a good decision for me, I got a great start at Crookston and when I applied for a job at the University, I was hired right away,” she admits.

The preparation she had in the medical field while earning her associate degree in Crookston was the foundation on which McClellan has built a career, but it is her student experience in Crookston that has given her so many wonderful memories. It is also what inspires her passion for working with students every day.

We would like to wish Corby and Sherry Kemmer the very best as they move to Bismarck, N.D., to be closer to family and begin new roles in each of their professional careers.

We have begun the search for a replacement and look forward to welcoming a new director to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations. If you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact the staff at 218-281-8439. They are more than willing to help you!

5

A Professor with Pet Smarts “I felt like the faculty cared about me and who I was as a person,” Kelly Swanson.

Pet ownership in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s. In 2012, the Humane Society reported that 62 percent of American households included at least one pet*. With pets a part of so many lives, it isn’t any wonder people are concerned about pet health. For Alumnus Kelly Swanson, Ph.D., ex. 1994 pet health is the primary focus of his work at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign (UIUC) Swanson has dedicated his career to the health of pets with a particular focus on gastrointestinal health and obesity. As a professor of nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at UIUC, Swanson’s interest area is dogs and cats, but his research includes some work with human health as well.

“What I do all boils down to nutrition and gastrointestinal health,” Swanson says.

Kelly Swanson, Ph.D., started his academic career at the U of M Crookston when it was still “Obesity is a huge problem in pets and a two-year technical college. humans and our studies evaluate hormones, metabolites, dietary effects, and includes what is taking place on a molecular level. At the time I entered the field, not a lot of work in this area was applying the scientific research with humans to pets. It happens the timing was right for me and for my research interests in the study of animals.”

His academic pathway to the University of Illinois began as a freshman at the University of Minnesota Crookston when the campus was in the midst of transitioning

Taken from “Pets by the Numbers” located at www.humanesociety.org/ issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/ pet_ownership_statistics.html.

*

6

www.umcrookston.edu

A professor of animal science, Kelly Swanson is involved in research related to pet health in his lab at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

from a two-year to a four-year institution. Growing up on a beef cattle farm near Thief River Falls, Minn., Swanson had set his mind on becoming a veterinarian.

“The University of Minnesota Crookston was close to my home, and with the scholarships I was offered, and a reasonable tuition, the campus was a great place for me to get my start,” Swanson reflects.

Involved in a host of activities on campus, Swanson was recognized with a Student Service Award before transferring to North Dakota State University (NDSU) in fall 1994.

While at the U of M Crookston he enjoyed competing on judging teams coached by former faculty member Harvey Peterson, Ph.D., and being encouraged to think broadly about where his career might take him by retired Associate Professor Jerry Knutson.

“Jerry was the first person to really ask me what I wanted to do,” Swanson says. “I had never considered anything but veterinary

Photo Credit: Vanda Bidwell/The News-Gazette

medicine, but his conversation with me opened the door to considering the possibilities.”

After discovering a serious interest in nutrition in classes at NDSU, Swanson received encouragement to study in the field. “I didn’t realize the opportunities there were for graduate school in nutrition specifically and that proved an interesting avenue for me to explore,” he says.

His farming background and his academic work earned Swanson a spot in graduate school at UIUC. “My master’s degree was centered on research with dairy calves and modeling some of what we were learning in humans, he explains. “The research for my doctorate moved me into the area of gut health and my postdoctoral research was in functional genomics.”

His continued work at UIUC and his research have made him a leading expert in pet health and

given him opportunities to present and lend his expertise to pet food companies.

He believes his success can be attributed to the animal science people he has worked with over the years.

“People who work in animal science departments are good people, like a family, and certainly that was the case at the University of Minnesota Crookston,” Swanson remarks. “It was a very good place for me to get my start. I felt like the faculty cared about me and who I was as a person.”

Along the way, he found those kinds of people wherever he happened to be and it was their encouragement and guidance that propelled Swanson forward on his career path. He is a credit to his field and a credit to the institutions he has attended.

Today, serving a campus with 35,000 undergrads, Swanson has an opportunity to inspire his students and graduate assistants and build in them what his professors ignited in him—a passion for learning and a drive to make a difference.

Photo Credit: Robin Scholzl/The News-Gazette

7

When People Make the Difference “I was given incredible support so that I could contribute as a player and go to school,” Brandy (Lietz) Chaffee.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.

– Dr. Seuss

She grew up in Hoople, N.D., then looped south through Texas to play basketball for the University of Texas - Pan American, and then, back up north to work in Warroad, Minn., before arriving at the University of Minnesota Crookston. For Brandy (Lietz) Chaffee 2000, the route may seem a bit unconventional but the outcome was right on target.

Much of what happened when she arrived on campus became a series of the right people in the right place at the right time. “I knew I wanted to earn my bachelor’s degree but by the time I was ready to do it, I was a mom and I had been out of college for several years,” Chaffee explains. “The only way I could make it happen was brave a visit and talk to someone about my options.”

The first person she visited with was Kami Trowbridge in admissions, and in Trowbridge, Chaffee found the encouragement she needed to take the next steps. “The sport and recreation management major was brand new at the time, and athletics was a passion of mine, so I knew it was the perfect choice for me,” she recalls. “Then, I met John Mitchell and Brenda Krogstad in athletics where I had hoped to volunteer but instead was encouraged to take advantage of my remaining years of eligibility and play for the team. John remembered me as a high school player, and with their reassurance, I decided to give it a try.”

When she was offered a scholarship to boot, Chaffee says the deal was sealed. “That scholarship was a deciding factor for me,” she says. “I needed to go to school, but I also

Brandy (Lietz) Chaffee 2000, a sport and recreation management graduate, is currently working at the University of North Dakota Foundation.

8

www.umcrookston.edu

needed to provide for my son and that scholarship made the difference.

“Scholarships give students a real sense of value,” she continues. “It decreased my debt load, but knowing someone supported me was an absolute inspiration.”

For the next two years, Chaffee, along with her young son, Devin, became an integral part of Golden Eagle Women’s Basketball. “I was given incredible support so that I could contribute as a player and go to school,” she remembers. “I often took Devin with me to early morning practices and he became something of a team mascot,” Chaffee smiles. “It is a good thing he was an early riser and was content with blankets, a pillow, and watching videos while we practiced.”

While this arrangement may be unusual, Chaffee says the support system she found at the U of M Crookston allowed her to go to school, play basketball, work in the athletic department, and gain valuable experience. “Ultimately, a desire to be a positive role model for Devin (who is now 19 and a sophomore at North Dakota) was a driving force in my decisions; however the determination to learn and grow, maintain a positive outlook, combined with the genuine and caring support of others are the difference makers,” she says.

Following graduation, she worked as sports information director on campus and enjoyed her two years in that capacity but found the hours took precious time away from her son. “I took a chance on a job in University of Minnesota’s Institute for New Media Studies in the School of Journalism in Murphy Hall,” Chaffee says. “I worked there for 3½ years and had another great University of Minnesota experience.”

While in the Twin Cities, she reconnected with Brad Chaffee whom she had met years earlier. That chance meeting ended in marriage for them and a move back to northwest Minnesota. She became assistant athletic director at the U of M Crookston, but eventually moved to Grand Forks to work as the public relations and marketing manager for the Grand Forks Park District.

When an opportunity to work in a similar capacity for Choice Health and Fitness and a chance to help lead fundraising efforts for the wellness facility opened, she took it. “It was a wonderful place to work—such a motivating atmosphere and a positive culture,” Chaffee states. “The day we broke ground for construction on Choice was an emotional day, our work together was becoming a reality, and we knew it would be a

transformational facility for Grand Forks and the region.”

In her professional life, there has always been one constant for Chaffee. “I want to work at something where I am challenged but that has a purpose and a positive impact on people’s lives,” she says.

“Through people like Stephanie Helgeson, Marv Bachmeier, Bob Johnson, Rose Ulseth, and Ardis Thompson, and so many more who worked on campus when I was there, I know and understand the depth and meaning of the relationships we build as students.”

Today, she works as a development director for the University of North Dakota and she uses her experience at the U of M Crookston as the foundation for her efforts.

“I want to help give students the opportunity to work on their education in the best learning environment we can provide,” she says. “Your college experience is important, and for me, it was life changing. Memories of a place that has such an influence give alumni the foundation to do incredible things in this world.

“My connection to the University of Minnesota Crookston and my memories of the people on campus when I was there are what I embrace about my college experience,” she reflects. “I know how powerful they are.

“For me, the University of Minnesota Crookston was a difference maker, and that’s the reason why I hope to make a difference by giving back when I can and try to make a positive impact in the lives of the people I meet.”

Photo credit: Shawna Noel Schill, photographer, University of North Dakota.

9

Asking for It “Attending the University of Minnesota Crookston was one of the best times of my life,” Bryan Claseman.

10

www.umcrookston.edu

His work ethic developed on a dairy farm in central Minnesota, and like his father he excelled at whatever he put his hand to so when Bryan Claseman 1984 came to campus, he was ready.

Following high school, he worked on the farm for two years as he weighed options and made a choice about where to attend college.

The University of Minnesota Crookston offered him the opportunity to double major in business computer systems and general business. Life on campus gave him chances to exercise his leadership skills, and together, his academic experience formed a foundation for Claseman’s future.

“Attending the University of Minnesota Bryan Claseman with his wife, Barbara, and Crookston was one of the best times of my their two daughters. life,” Claseman says. “It set me up for my career.”

His arrival on campus was followed by immersion in campus life. He served as a resident advisor, now community advisor, in McCall Hall; and senior resident advisor in Brink; was president of the Marketing and Management Club; vice president of the Computer Club; and was a member of Provost Stan Sahlstrom’s student advisory committee. “Dr. Sahlstrom invited students he felt would be honest and candid on a variety of topics and we met to discuss issues on campus,” Claseman explains. “It helped Dr. Sahlstrom with decision making and gave him the student perspective he needed to become a responsive and effective leader.”

One of the highlights of Claseman’s time on campus was being named 1984 Man of the Year, the year’s top academic and student service award. Following graduation, he worked on his bachelor’s degree followed by his master’s degree all the while working full time. He was promoted 14 times in 9 years in computers and then progressed in business and marketing before taking a role as vice president of marketing at Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. and now is vice president of marketing and business development at Intact Vascular a company that develops and markets medical devices for the treatment of vascular disease.

He believes the skills in computers and computer languages he learned at the U of M Crookston prepared the way for him to enter the explosively growing computer industry, helped him land his first job, and aided in his rapid career advancement “I recall instructors Sherrie Holmquist, Don McGregor, and Cheryl Pankow and their genuine interest in every student,” Claseman reflects. “They prepared us for the world and they had a high impact on my life.”

With his experience and success, Claseman recommends students seeking jobs to take advantage of as many internship and volunteer experiences as they can because employers look at more than just your grade point average. “And, if you are in transition in this job market, then, I would recommend networking to build relationships. Get to know others by asking questions about people and about their work. It will give you new perspective and ideas,” he says.

“I think the best advice I can give anyone is to “just keep asking questions.”

Young Alumni Award Wemimo Abbey 2013

R -

Athletic Hall of Fame

OC

O

BE

Ryan Bakken 1970 Gary Wagner 1975 Angela (Foss) Sundell 1988 Stephanie (Hoeft) Helgeson ex. 1991

T

Outstanding Alumni

Bob Landry 1983, hockey, (posthumously) Jason Lindquist 1998, football Justin Schreiber 2004, football

Homecoming 2015 Visit www.umcrookston.edu/homecoming.

We will be presenting our first ever Young Alumni Award, along with our Outstanding Alumni Awards, and our inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Join us for Homecoming 2015 because the BEST alumni are “Made in Minnesota!�

Friday, October 9 6 p.m.

9 p.m.

Alumni Awards Celebration, Bede Ballroom Alumni Social at Drafts

Saturday, October 10 11 a.m. Golden Eagle Soccer vs.

University of Sioux Falls Cougars 11 a.m. Tailgating 11 a.m. Homecoming Parade 1 p.m. Golden Eagle Football vs.

Bemidji State University Beavers 4 p.m. Post-game Social at I.C. Muggs

Sunday, October 11 1 p.m. Golden Eagle Soccer vs. Southwest

Minnesota State Mustangs

11

“The Northwest School offered us so much, and I didn’t want to miss a thing,” Camilla (Ecklund) Johnson.

Camilla (Ecklund) Johnson (right) 1940 celebrated her 75th class reunion with her roommate Beverly (McKibbin) McMillan at the Northwest School of Agriculture Alumni Reunion held in June.

Putting Life in Her Days College was always the goal. Even when Camilla (Ecklund) Johnson 1940 was attending country school 20 miles south of the Canadian border near Hallock, Minn., she had her sights set on attending college.

In the fall of 1937, Johnson came to the Northwest School of Agriculture as a fourteen-year-old high school freshman. Living on campus suited her and so did embracing all the activities available. “I loved swimming, cheerleading, basketball, writing, singing, playing piano, and everything about going to school,” Johnson says.

“The Northwest School offered us so much, and I didn’t want to miss a thing.”

Following graduation, Johnson was offered a position as a nanny for a relative in Seattle, Wash., and in return, she would have her tuition paid for at the University of Washington. She readily accepted. Part way into her first year, World War II broke out and her parents wanted her to return to Minnesota. She would return but not until she completed her first year at the university.

A shortage of nurses during the war led to the formation of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps and a chance for Johnson to finish college and graduate with a nursing degree from the University of Minnesota. She recognized this as her opportunity to earn a college degree. Nurse Cadets had to spend 6 months working in public health or on a military base. Johnson chose a naval base hospital that took her back to Seattle. “I missed my college graduation from the University of Minnesota because I was working on the base already, but I graduated, and that is what mattered to me,” she recalls.

12

www.umcrookston.edu

Upon her return to Minneapolis, she would spend the next 3½ years working in the psychiatric ward of University Hospital before marrying and moving to Edina, Minn. She and her husband, Norm, made a home in a small Finnish church that had been made over into a house. Four years later in 1952, they would move into the home where Johnson has lived ever since.

She and Norm would become the parents of five children.

When their youngest child turned school age, Johnson went back to work. She would resume her nursing career in the orthopedics department of Methodist Hospital where she continued until her retirement in 1987. “All my children graduated from the University of Minnesota, and I knew that both my husband and I would need to work to help them go to the University,” she reflects. “I wanted them to have the same chance I had to earn a college degree.”

Together, she and her husband traveled 17 countries, and while their lives were filled with hard work, they also took advantage of whatever came their way. Norm passed away eight years ago, but Johnson continues to live life in the moment. At 91-years-old, she still credits what she learned from her remarkable parents and the Northwest School as the foundation for her life. “We learned respect and how to take care of ourselves, and we had the greatest teachers,” she says. “It was the perfect set up for rural kids to go to high school. We had a kind of private boarding school experience designed just for farm kids, and we loved it.”

Johnson has always been active. From her days playing basketball at the Northwest School to her work as a nurse, she gives her best to everything she does. Underlying it all is a tenet her father often shared with his family: “The value of life isn’t in how much money you have, but rather in how you choose to live it.” And, Johnson has chosen well.

Cheering for the Aggies was one of Johnson’s (far right) favorite things to do as a student at the Northwest School.

Campus Social Media Directory Enjoy social media with us! Use the hashtag #UMNC to search for news about the campus or to share what makes you #UMNproud!

Facebook facebook.com/umcrookston facebook.com/umcrookston.homecoming Google+ plus.google.com/umcrookston

Instagram instagram.com/umncrookston

Twitter twitter.com/umncrookston

Linkedin z.umn.edu/umcrookston

YouTube youtube.com/uofmcrookston

Pinterest pinterest.com/umncrookston

Storify storify.com/UMNCrookston 13

Staying Ahead of the Curve “My experience on campus was great and led me to a rewarding career,” Dusty Mjoen.

Information security and data privacy are two of the biggest concerns for any information technology professional, but no more so than those working in the field of healthcare. For Dusty Mjoen 1996, data storage and patient privacy are always top of mind. As the enterprise technology manager for systems and storage at Sanford Health in Fargo, Mjoen’s team has responsibilities revolving around enterprise-wide systems running on Unix and Linux, a widely used multiuser operating system, and all things related to storage.

A management information systems (MIS) graduate, Mjoen recalls the early years when the University of Minnesota Crookston was transitioning from a two-year to a four-year institution. He transferred for a year in 1993 but returned when he decided a career in computers was what he really wanted and the Crookston campus began issuing laptops for all full-time students.

“The laptops helped bring me back to Crookston,” Mjoen says. “My experience on campus was great and led me to a rewarding career.”

Dusty Mjoen with his wife, Laurie at a Twins game.

14

www.umcrookston.edu

What stands out in Mjoen’s memory is the friendships he made as a student and he looks back fondly on his classroom experience. “The number of MIS majors was small at the time, and we had a lot of fun going through the program, working on projects, and learning together,” he remembers.

Professor Bill Peterson was a favorite for Mjoen because of the way he supported students and created a great learning environment in his classroom. He also felt the influence of Associate Professor Bruce Brorson, who served as a mentor and guide while he was a student.

When he graduated in May 1996, he didn’t have a job but by June of that year, he had started working as an analyst programmer on the interface engine team, which introduced him to the Unix Operating System for

MeritCare in Fargo. “That job moved me into UNIX and prepared me for the work I would do later,” Mjoen explains.

Two years later, he took a position as a systems programmer, which included responsibility for all Unix Operating Systems.

In 2009 MeritCare merged with Sanford Health and the following year, Mjoen accepted a position as manager of the five-person team working with systems administration and storage administration. “Healthcare is so critical and our systems have to be maintained with as little interruption or downtime as possible,” he shares.

“We also contend with the demand for more performance and faster response times.”

The growth of data has become astronomical and with no signs of slowing down, Mjoen’s team has to operate at high efficiency and offer creative solutions to the rising demand. “We lean on our technology partners, attend conferences related to our work, and stay well-read in the trade,” he reflects. “If you are not learning something new every day, you are going backwards.”

The idea of learning to stay ahead of the curve keeps Mjoen and his team on their toes. It also is a throwback to his enjoyment of the college classroom because for Mjoen every day is a day in the classroom where working together and learning together are the norm.

Left to right. Brandon Mileski of KFAN Radio in Minneapolis; Mjoen’s brother, Darin Mjoen ex. 1987; Dan “The Common Man” Cole of KFAN Radio; and Mjoen.

15

2015 NWSA Reunion June 27, 2015

Front row from left: Charles Sylvester, Phil Hamre, Mary (Randall) Norgart, Evelyn (Schuster) Feltman, and Penelope (Erickson) Schreck Back row from left: Duane Wimpfheimer, Peter Fehr, Lyle Kasprick, and Willie Kosmatka

CLASS OF 1950

Front row from left: Bernice (Jones) Rosett, Donna (Miller) Swan, Harlene Hagen, Marilyn (Balstad) Melby, and Lowell Hanson Middle row from left: Jerry Fuglseth, Mary Lou (Arveson) Wolden, Marlys (Love) Finkenbinder, James Olson, Ed Grove, and Donald Craigmille Back row from left: Willis Finifrock, LeRoy Sondrol, Glen Finkenbinder, Donald Taus, Keith Chisholm, and Ardell Sherry

CLASS OF 1955 Front row from left: Jeanette (Thureen) Jutz, Donna (Babinski) Kuta, Jane (Stromstad) Hasse, Bette (Hovet) Nelson, and Evie (Osowski) Delasantos Back row from left: Terry Nelson, Daniel Straus, Roger Odegaard, Ardell Magnusson, and John Steinke

CLASS OF 1960

16

www.umcrookston.edu

CLASS OF 1965 Front row from left: Eldred Evenson, William “Buzz�

Baldwin, Dan Wallace, Wayne Nelson, David Lambert, Cheryll (Lund) Kotrba, Ron Osowski, and Jim Schouviller Middle row from left: Stan Overgaard, Larry Wilkens, Jerome Hermann, Aldon Filipi, Ken Drees, Ralph Kotrba, Dennis Lee, and Lee Slominski Back row from left: Mark Moe, Don Lubinski, Anthony Kaml, Arden Berggren, Daniel Erdman, Conrad Larson, Lyndon Minske, and Wayne DeYoung

Front row from left: Clara (Stromstad) Johnson, Irene (Pulkrabek) Larson, and Pauline (Finkenbinder) Purath Back row from left: Marvin Jensen and Moris Webster

CLASS OF 1945

17

“It was like UMC was home already,” Rob Sip.

Natural Resources Times Two A great experience the first time led Alumnus Rob Sip 1991 and 1996 to return to the University of Minnesota Crookston for his bachelor’s degree. The timing was right for Sip who knew he wanted to work in environmental science, agriculture, or conservation. Today, he is involved on some level with all three as an environmental policy specialist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. He represents the Department on a variety of issues related to water quality and quantity and other issues facing agriculture.

Both his associate and bachelor’s degrees are in natural resources, and the opportunity to learn from high caliber faculty in the field appealed to Sip. “I got to know so many people on campus and the opportunity to interact at a college level with people I knew was more comfortable,” Sip explains. “It was like UMC was home already.”

When he came back the second time, he was a different student. “I knew what I wanted to do with my degree and what I needed to focus on,” he remembers. “I was much more responsible, and with the guidance of a great advisor, Professor Dan Svedarsky, I prepared to attend graduate school.

The visibility of the natural resources program was attractive to Sip and, “having advisors and faculty members who cared that I attended class was important during my first years there,” he says. “After working a couple of years with the Stevens County Soil and Water Conservation District as the District Technician, I was ready to return

18

www.umcrookston.edu

to school. By that time, the University of Minnesota Crookston had elevated itself with the addition of bachelor’s degrees and offered a whole new world of possibility.”

After graduation in 1996, Sip moved on to earn his master’s degree from North Dakota State University in natural resources management. After graduating from NDSU in 1998, he and his wife, Amy, moved to Fairmont, Minn., where he worked at the Martin County Environmental Services Department as the county water planner and administered the wetland conservation act. In the year 2000, Rob and Amy moved to Sartell where he worked for the Stearns County Environmental Services Department,

as the supervisor for the county water plan, the feedlot program, and dealt with general agriculture issues.

In 2006, he left Stearns County to serve with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture dealing much of the time with feedlot planning and zoning issues across the state. He took on his current role as the MDAs environmental policy specialist in 2009.

He and his wife, Amy (Breitbach), a 1991 graduate of the U of M Crookston, live with their son and daughter in Sartell, Minn. Amy is the office manager for the St. Cloud Express Employment Professionals office , and not long ago, completed her bachelor’s degree at St. Cloud

State University.

Sip grew up on a farm near Ada, Minn., where the family raised crops and livestock. He has a number of connections to campus including his father, Loyal 1961; cousins Cary 1973, Wendell 1980, and Darel 1990; and his brother Tony 1997.

In his current role, he enjoys the variety, flexibility, and interaction with people at all levels both inside and outside state agencies.

It often surprises Sip at how many alumni he comes across who earned their associates degrees from the U of M Crookston, “I enjoy running into fellow graduates from the Crookston campus.”

Alumni Rob Sip and his wife, Amy, live in Sartell, Minn.

19

Support the New Wellness Center on Campus The Wellness Center Project began in May 2015 and is estimated to be complete June 2016.

There are numerous opportunities to support the new Wellness Center on campus— Everything from naming a locker room, classroom, or fitness area to helping with the purchase of equipment and other furnishings.

The total project goal is $15 Million. We have $11 million so far thanks to support from our alumni and the Minnesota Legislature.

Whatever you feel most passionate about at whatever amount you choose to give, every gift matters, and we would welcome your support!

For more information on the Wellness Center and possible giving opportunities, contact Garret Kollin, Development Officer Office of Development & Alumni Relations 218-281-8436

Enhance the student experience, increase student success, help with recruitment and retention by giving!

20

www.umcrookston.edu

LeRoy Sondrol 1955, William “Buzz” Baldwin 1965, and Larry Wilkens 1965.

Top Aggies Recognized during June Alumni Reunion The Top Aggies were recognized recently at the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) alumni reunion held Saturday, June 27. The annual reunion is an opportunity for alumni from the NWSA to return to campus and to honor their outstanding alumni with the Top Aggie award.

The NWSA, a residential agricultural high school and predecessor of the University of Minnesota Crookston, graduated 5,433 students from 1909 until it closed in 1968. During the annual reunion, alumni gathered to honor the classes of 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, and 1965. The reunion is hosted by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations.

LeRoy Sondrol 1955 began working for the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, N.D., in 1956

as a grounds person, became head of the Plant Services department in 1973, and later, became assistant vice president for operations. In times of great stress, his leadership was invaluable. He gave direction to UND as it recovered from the historic LeRoy Sondrol 1955 1997 flood and led efforts to bring the campus back to full operation within six months.

From 1959-1965, he served in the U.S. military with the 311th Medical Core and was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant.

Sondrol was awarded the National Energy Conservation Award by

the Secretary of Energy and was a member of the Association of Physical Plant Administration (APPA) board for two years and a member for 23 years. He also served as president of the Central States Regional APPA for a year during his 24 years on their board. In 1998, he was awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service.

He has given generously of his time to his community and church holding leadership positions in a number of organizations. Sondrol is currently serving for a second time as a member of the alumni board for the Northwest School of Agriculture and was on the board for the Northlands Rescue Mission for seven years. He was part of the National Science Award Continued on page 22 21

Plan now to attend the next NWSA Alumni Reunion, June 25, 2016!

Granting Panel in Washington, D.C. Memories of the Northwest School are special for Sondrol. He credits classmates and friends, along with the encouragement of faculty members, with helping him stay the course to graduation. He has particular fondness for his wrestling coach Mr. Kruta and a highlight for him was serving as one of the co-captains of the successful wrestling team and becoming the state champ in his weight class.

Agriculture has been a way of life for William “Buzz” Baldwin 1965 and raising wheat, edible beans, soybeans, and sugarbeets continues to be the focus of this farmer from St. Thomas, N.D. He has also given of his time and talents to his William “Buzz” Baldwin 1965 community as a member of the St. Thomas American Legion Post #41, a member of the St. Thomas Booster Club, and the rural fire department. Baldwin served three terms as president of the St. Thomas Public School Board.

In 1980, he was selected as North Dakota Outstanding Young Farmer. He helped organize the North Dakota Dry Edible Bean Council, served on the Drayton Factory District Sugarbeet Board for twelve years, and on the Advisory Board for the Bank of North Dakota. He was appointed by President George Bush as a Farm Service Agency director, a position he held for eight years.

A lifelong agriculture advocate, Baldwin has spent many hours on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., lobbying legislators for farm and sugar policies. He is a member of the board of directors for American Crystal Sugar Company.

His time at the Northwest School of Agriculture gave him many friendships that continue today. Along with friendships, the expertise of the faculty members at the school influenced his life in everything from horticulture to politics.

22

www.umcrookston.edu

Service and education are hallmarks in the life of Larry Wilkens 1965. After graduation, he started at the University of Minnesota but his education was interrupted when he returned to the family farm to help. He resumed work on his education at the University of Minnesota and also become a police Larry Wilkens 1965 officer for the City of Minneapolis.

Wilkens joined the United States Army serving at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and in Vietnam. After the military, he returned to the Minneapolis Police Department and eventually to the University of Minnesota to earn his degree in agricultural business administration. Working in law enforcement, Wilkens was able to take advantage of numerous opportunities for training and education as well as attending Mankato State University to complete the course work on a master’s in business administration.

His military service continued as a member of the Army Reserve serving as a personnel specialist. He was involved in the activation of a number of military units for deployment to Operation Desert Storm. Wilkens feels fortunate to have been able to serve his country and fellow soldiers during duty and in retirement.

He also has been active in the community with Boy Scouts of America and through fund raising activities for St. Albert the Great Catholic Church and School as well as his membership on their board of education. He played a role in his town home association in Apple Valley, Minn., and later in Mesa, Ariz., as part of their community association.

Campus living gave Wilkens tools that he has used unknowingly throughout his life. These were valuable lessons in learning to be responsible but he recalls how everyone learned to depend on one another and that teachers and staff were there to help and guide.

Wemimo Abbey 2013 to Accept First-Ever Young Alumni Award For the first time ever, the Office of Development & Alumni Relations will present a Young Alumni Award during homecoming to recognize the achievements of alumni who have graduated within the past 15 years.

This year’s recipient is Wemimo Abbey 2013, a business management graduate from Lagos, Nigeria. Abbey leads an effort to bring safe, clean drinking water to underdeveloped countries. It began when he was an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota Crookston when he realized how very little his peers knew about the desperate need for clean drinking water. It became apparent to Abbey, that not only did his peers need educating, but he might be the catalyst necessary to bring clean water to those who needed it.

As a student, Abbey immersed himself in the campus culture and embraced the opportunity to involve himself. He won the trust and respect of his classmates and also of the faculty and staff. As the clean water effort grew, so did his resolve. It is from this determination and deep conviction to help others that Clean Water for Everyone (CWFE) was born.

More than two years since its inception, CWFE has become a non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to sustainable clean water and sanitation for communities around the world. The organization’s efforts have provided more than 48,000 people with clean water, built/ renovated 12 toilet facilities and awarded 51 scholarships (60% to girls) in Ghana, Nepal and Nigeria.

Abbey is a recipient of the 2014 Face2Face Africa Young African Committed to Excellence award, NYU Presidential Service award,

Background on the Young Alumni Award

NYU Wagner Dean Scholarship, Sue W. Hancock Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) award, United States Presidential Achievement award, and the National Excellence in Leadership award. He worked as a summer associate at Accenture in 2001 and prior to that as a program intern for the Clinton Global Initiative.

Last spring, Abbey graduated with a master’s degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management with an International Public Finance focus from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. He worked with the European Union as a consultant on allocative efficiency in developing countries and continues to focus on the work of Clean Water for Everyone. He accepted a position with Goldmann Sachs in late May 2015 as a financial analyst.

The Young Alumni award recognizes an alumna or alumnus, who graduated within the past 15 years, has distinguished oneself in his or her professional field or through volunteer activities. The Young Alumni award will be not be given posthumously or in absentia.

A nominee will be asked to provide a detailed vita/resume listing awards, accomplishments, and education, etc. Nominations for this award will be accepted from anyone wishing to submit a possible candidate for consideration with the final selection determined by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations.

Several names were considered for this year’s inaugural award and names of nominees will be kept in the pool for two years or until they have exceeded 15 years since their graduation whichever comes first.

The Young Alumni Award for 2015 will be honored during the annual Alumni Awards Celebration to be held during homecoming on Friday, October 9. Along with the Young Alumni Award, we are recognizing Outstanding Alumni Ryan Bakken 1970; Gary Wagner 1975; Angela (Foss) Sundell 1988; and Stephanie (Hoeft) Helgeson ex. 1991. Inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame include Bob Landry 1983, hockey, (posthumously); Jason Lindquist 1998, football; and Justin Schreiber 2004, football.

Join us for Homecoming 2015, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 9, 10, 11 to celebrate with us and to show everyone that the BEST alumni are… MADE in MINNESOTA!

23

Maroon and Gold Forever Written by Sumin “Nicki” Gwak 2015, spring semester communications assistant in University Relations.

Traditionally, gold denotes fortune and fame, and maroon stands for passion and bravery.

When the University of Minnesota was founded in 1851 and for its first 29 years, different colors were used in graduation ceremonies. In 1880, Mrs. Augusta Smith, an English instructor, was asked to choose some colors for decorations for graduation and other special occasions by President Folwell (1869-1884). She suggested maroon and gold, which over time became the U of M’s official school colors.

Since the University of Minnesota Crookston is one of the five campuses in the U of M system, the campus is proud to share the colors of the State’s land grant university. Maroon and gold originated in 1906 with the Northwest School of Agriculture, the residential high school that preceded the U of M. On November 27, 1995, at a UMC Teambacker banquet, an announcement was made that the athletic teams would have a new mascot—the Golden Eagle. Designed with maroon and gold, Regal the Eagle wears the traditional colors of the University of Minnesota as did the Trojan mascot of the University of Minnesota Crookston Technical College and the Aggies before them.

Traditionally, gold denotes fortune and fame, and maroon stands for passion and bravery.

Under the meaning of these colors, maroon and gold continue to symbolize the goals and the values of the University of Minnesota and the U of M Crookston just as they always have.

Sumin “Nicki” Gwak graduated with the Class of 2015 in May. She is an international student from South Korea and worked in University Relations during spring semester.

24

www.umcrookston.edu

Golden Eagle Sports Schedule for Fall 2015 For all the latest Golden Eagle News, visit http://www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Football Home Games (All home games at 1 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field) 9/12 vs. University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) 9/26 vs. Minnesota State University, Mankato 10/10 vs. Bemidji State University – Homecoming 10/17 vs. Northern State University 11/7 vs. Minot State University 11/14 vs. Minnesota State University Moorhead

Soccer Home Games 9/11 9/13 9/19 9/20 9/25 9/27 10/10 10/11 11/1

vs. Northwest Missouri State University.................... 3 p.m. vs. Missouri Western State University...................... 12 p.m. vs. Minot State University............................................. 1 p.m. vs. University of Mary.................................................... 1 p.m. vs. Concordia University, St. Paul................................ 4 p.m. vs. Minnesota State University, Mankato................... 1 p.m. vs. University of Sioux Falls (S.D.).............................. 11 a.m. vs. Southwest Minnesota State University................ 1 p.m. vs. St. Cloud State University........................................ 1 p.m.

Volleyball Home Games 9/19 9/22 10/2 10/3 10/16 10/17 10/30 10/31 11/13 11/14

vs. St. Cloud State University........................................ 4 p.m. vs. Bemidji State University – Faculty/Staff Night..... 7 p.m. vs. Northern State University........................................ 7 p.m. vs. Minnesota State University, Moorhead................ 4 p.m. vs. Southwest Minnesota State University................ 7 p.m. vs. University of Sioux Falls – Dig Pink........................ 4 p.m. vs. Minnesota State University, Mankato................... 7 p.m. vs. Concordia University, St. Paul................................ 4 p.m. vs. Minot State University – Parent’s Night................ 7 p.m. vs. University of Mary – Senior Night ......................... 4 p.m.

25

CAMPUS HEADLINES Alumnus Dave Ekman, Class of 1981, Addressed the Class of 2015 at Commencement

Entrepreneur David G. Ekman addressed the University of Minnesota Crookston Class of 2015 during commencement exercises held on Saturday, May 9, 2015. More than 220 graduates participated in the ceremony which also featured greetings from Regent Peggy Lucas on behalf of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and remarks from president of the University of Minnesota Crookston Alumni Association, Lauralee (Nicholas) Tupa 2005.

More than 220 graduates participated in the graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

David and Paula Ekman following commencement in May.

Roysland named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year

Golden Eagle Women’s Basketball coach Mike Roysland was announced as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Coach of the Year, as announced by the conference office. This is the first time in his eight years with the Golden Eagles that Roysland has earned Coach of the Year honors. During the 2014-15 campaign, Roysland led the Golden Eagles to Mike Roysland with Athletic Director Stephanie Helgeson one of their most successful seasons in program history. The Golden Eagles had 14 wins during the season, the most in the Roysland era, and won their first NSIC tournament game since 2003.

Congratulations, Golden Eagle Athletics

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Commissioner Erin Lind presented University of Minnesota Crookston Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson with the league’s 2014-15 Sportsmanship Award at the NSIC’s 16th Annual Hall of Fame banquet. The NSIC Sportsmanship Award is voted on by the NSIC head coaches and a Student Athlete Advisory Committee member based on the sportsmanship of players, fans, staff, and coaches at each opposing NSIC institution.

26

www.umcrookston.edu

Senior Rikki Roscoe, president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), and Athletic Director Stephanie Helgeson hold the 2014-15 NSIC Sportsmanship Award.

ALUMNI NEWS E-mail forwarding: If you are interested in reconnecting with a former classmate or acquaintance, the alumni office can help! Although we cannot release e-mail addresses due to privacy issues, we will be happy to forward a message to the person if he or she can be located in our database.

This alumni news reflects submissions received by June 30, 2015. News received after that date will be in the next issue of the Torch. The deadline for alumni news for the next issue is September 1, 2015.

1940s James Battles 1949, Cambria, Calif., attended an AC mechanic school in 1950 in California, then went to work for NACA (now NASA) on the rocket planes X1 and X2. He served in the U.S. Navy, then used the GI bill to attend the University of California, Riverside where he earned degrees in physics.

1960s

Lloyd Jirava 1964, Ogema, Minn., and his wife, Linda, were Becker County Valley Farmer and Homemaker honorees at the 77th Annual Red River Valley Development

Association Honor Banquet held March 28, 2015, at the U of M Crookston. Lloyd and Linda are semi-retired, with management of the farm turned over to their sons. Lloyd serves as a director of the Community Development Bank, Ogema Branch, Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation. Lloyd enjoys fishing in Canada, winter vacations, and getting caught up on reading while Linda enjoys golfing, quilting, and learning to play piano.

Conrad Larson 1965, Fargo, N.D., recently announced the nationwide release of Winning Vietnam, a revisionist history action novel that combines rumors, history, and wishful thinking. Conrad, who is a father of five sons and a grandfather of eight, dedicated the book to the heroes of the Vietnam conflict.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide or online.

Karen Good 1968, Trail, Minn., was recently named winner of the 2015 Rare Life Courage Award. The award includes a $5,000 donation to Good’s charity, Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue, a companion animal rescue located on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. Good founded the all-volunteer organization in 2006 and over 6,000 companion animals have been rehomed and over 5,000 have been neuter/spayed since the program began.

Fall Alumni Social

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, Minn.

To RSVP for the fall social, contact Garret Kollin at 218-281-8436 (koll0131@umn.edu).

September 14 • 4 to 7:30- p.m.

Learn more about the Arboretum at 6 p.m. www.arboretum.umn.edu

ALUMNI NEWS We Want to Hear From You! To submit an item for the Alumni News Section, complete this form and send it to: UMC Alumni Relations 115 Kiehle Building 2900 University Avenue Crookston, MN 56716 e-mail: rulseth@umn.edu or complete the form online at: www.umcrookston.edu/alumni/ keepintouch.html.

Please include your name, address, phone number, e-mail, year of graduation/ attendance and information or news you wish to share (new job, career, family, or achievements, etc.)

1970s Dennis Sleiter ’70, Morris, Minn., recently retired after more than 42 years with AgCountry Farm Credit Services. He began working as a loan officer in 1972, became a senior loan officer, and for thirty years worked as a branch manager. Outside of the office, Dennis is a member of the Knights of Columbus, is the Darnen Township clerk, treasurer of the West Central Cattlemen’s Association, and is active in 4-H and the FFA. He also manages his own 40-head cattle herd.

Teacher of the Year. He’s taught in Fargo’s public schools since 2002. In 2012, he moved to Carl Ben Eielson Middle School, where he teaches special education. He created the Bruins Plus program, a self-contained special education program. He has served on district and building-level educational leadership teams and is currently the special education representative on the District’s Middle Level Task Force.

1990s Troy Kramer ex. 1990, is married, lives in Denver, Colo., and has a daughter who just completed the 8th grade. He works in IT software development for Kaiser Permanente.

Michael Steiner 1997, Foxhome, Minn., and his wife, Amber, announce the March 22, 2015, birth of their son, Isaac Charles. He was 21½ inches long and weighed 9 lbs., 14 oz. He was welcomed home by siblings Wyatt, 10, Abigail, 9, and Bentley, 2. They live in rural Foxhome. Amber is a stay-at-home mother and Michael farms, raising corn, soybeans, sugarbeets, and wheat.

Matthew Myrold ex. 1993, Fargo, N.D., was honored as the Fargo School District’s 2015-16

Nominate a Classmate or Friend!

Do you know an outstanding alumnus or alumna who is deserving of an award for exemplary commitment, achievement, or service? Consider nominating them for Outstanding Alumni, Top Aggie, or for induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Nominations can be made by visiting www.umcrookston.edu/alumni, choose either UMC Alumni Association or Northwest School of Agriculture Alumni Association, and select the appropriate award for your nominee. For nominations for Athletic Hall of Fame go to www. goldeneaglesports.com and choose Athletic Hall of Fame to make your nomination.

Nominations can also be made by sending the name to Rose Ulseth in the Office of Development & Alumni Relations at rulseth@umn.edu or call 218-281-8439.

28

www.umcrookston.edu

2000s

2010s

racing series. During the racing season, he totaled 10 top-five finishes and 20 topten finishes. He will be running the NOSA Sprint Racing series in Grand Forks, N.D., during the 2015 race season and plans to compete in some World of Outlaw Sprint racing events. He works as an agronomist through the Tri-Gully Coop in Gully and Clearbook, Minn.

Joey (Alcorn) Brouse 2001, lives in the Bemidji, Minn., area with her husband, Nate, and two children, Ethan, 8, and Evelyn, 3. She is currently working as the clinic lead RN in the OB/GYN department at Sanford Clinic in Bemidji.

Patrick Hagen 2014, Wyoming, Minn., was recently honored by the Minnesota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He received the Student Conservationist Award at their annual meeting hosted by the Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston.

Leo Kenny 2004 and Staci (Slykerman) Kenny 2003, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada, welcomed twin boys into their family on October 2, 2014. Andre was 6 lbs., 12 oz., and Ryker was 6 lbs., 11 oz. The boys are doing great. Leo is employed with the University of Manitoba as a clinical veterinarian. Staci is currently on maternity leave until October 2015, when she’ll return to work for Univar Canada.

Torch

Elsa Hanson 2015, Mayville, N.D., and Kody Kyllo, were married May 30, 2015, at Fair Hills Resort, Detroit Lakes, Minn. Elsa is employed by CVS Pharmacy in Grand Forks, N.D., and Kody is employed by Summit Farms in Galesburg, N.D.

Cam Schafer 2014, Clearbrook, Minn., won the 2014 Upper Midwest Sprint Series points title in the traditional sprint

UMCAA Board Alisha Aasness 2012 Volume 47, Number 2, Summer Chris Awender 2011 2015 Jess Bengtson 2010 Torch is a publication of Megan Luxford 2014 the University of Minnesota Eric Morgan 2012 Crookston.

Linda (Knutson) Morgan 1985 & 2009 Garret Kollin, development officer Brooke Novak 2013 218-281-8436 Amy (Nelson) Sperling 2002 koll0131@umn.edu Bill Thielke 1994 Lauralee (Nicholas) Tupa 2005 Rose Ulseth 1987, executive accounts specialist NWSA Alumni Association Board 218-281-8439 Brian Bohnsack 1966 rulseth@umn.edu Jim Chandler 1967 Don Diedrich 1956 Sue Dwyer 1974, executive office Jeannette (Love) Filipi 1957 and administrative specialist David Haugo 1952 218-281-8401 Willie Huot 1963 sdwyer@umn.edu Bob Kliner 1968 Berneil Nelson 1942, ex officio LeRoy Sondrol 1955 Clarice (Olson) Stolaas 1956 Bruce Stromstad 1966 Daniel Wallace 1965

College Advisory and Advancement Board Chancellor Fred Wood Mary Jo Eastes 1979 David Ekman 1981 David Genereux 1980 David Hoff Pete Kappes 1977 Jerry Knutson Roger Moe Les Nielsen 1958 Jeff Peterson 1996 Doug Sandstrom 1973 Dr. Kari Torkelson 1991 Pete Wasberg Deb Zak Contact information: Torch University of Minnesota Crookston 2900 University Avenue Crookston, Minnesota 56716 Phone: 218-281-8432 E-mail: umctorch@umn.edu

The University of Minnesota Crookston is a public, baccalaureate, coeducational institution and a coordinate campus of the University of Minnesota. The Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) was a residential high school serving students from 1906-68 and the predecessor of the Crookston campus. The Torch is named for the historical passing of the educational torch between the NWSA and the U of M Crookston in 1968.

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation.

Layout and design by Amy Chandler Design of Grand Forks, N.D., and printed at Forum Communications Printing in Fargo, N.D. Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with at least 10 percent post-consumer material using agribased inks.

On the front cover: Diane (Lundeen) Mc Clellan 1973 is a student services advisor in the Master of Healthcare Administration program at the University of Minnesota.

Photos of Diane McClellan

by Patrick O’Leary, University Relations, University of Minnesota.

Photos of Brandy Chaffee 2000 by Shawna Noel Schill, University Photographer, University of North Dakota.

Note: In the Torch, logos from campus history appear in stories corresponding to the era in which they were in official use according to the years indicated: Golden Eagle logo (1994 to present), Trojan logo (1966-1995), Aggie “A” logo (1906-1968).

29

In Memory Alumni Eleanor (Ueland) Johnson ex. 1936

Silent thoughts of times together Hold memories which will last forever.

Crookston, Minn.

March 18, 2015

Rosella (Ecklund) Moritz 1936

Liberty, Mo. April 19, 2015

Howard Berg 1940 Grand Forks, N.D. February 10, 2015

Frank Evans 1940

Minneapolis, Minn.

March 24, 2015

Donald Rivard ex. 1940 Argyle, Minn., and McAllen, Texas March 20, 2015

Gerald Musselman 1941 Adv.

Redding, Calif.

April 1, 2014

Bernard Davis ex. 1942

Earle Peterson 1950 Adv.

Mesa, Ariz.

March 12, 2015

Alice (Nordgaarden) Westlund 1951

Peoria, Ariz., formerly Lake Waukomis, Mo. October 9, 2014

Albert Chruszch 1953 Angus, Minn.

April 3, 2015

Donald Hettervig 1954

Hillsboro, N.D. March 7, 2015

Gloria (Nelson) Holte 1962

John Eggebraaten ex. 1943

Darrell Novacek 1963

Cotton Lake, Minn.

March 13, 2015

T. James Gustafson 1945 Adv.

Hallock, Minn.

March 22, 2015

Ruth (Norum) Ragsdale 1945

Fresno, Calif.

October 16, 2013

Dennis Driscoll 1950 Adv.

Las Vegas, Nev. March 19, 2015

Dana Powers ex. 1977 Maui, Hawaii May 24, 2015

Robert Landry 1983

Detroit Lakes, Minn.

August 30, 2012

John Merkins ex. 1983 Perham, Minn.

January 28, 2015

Travis Haney 2012

Bend, Ore., formerly Orr, Minn.

May 4, 2015

Everett Anderson 1953

Crookston, Minn.

February 19, 2015

Grygla, Minn.

June 1, 2015

Earl Hallstrom 1943

www.umcrookston.edu

Erskine, Minn., formerly Fosston and McIntosh, Minn.

May 27, 2015

Laramie, Wyo. December 24, 2014

East Grand Forks, Minn.

April 14, 2015

30

Marlane Langemo 1950 Adv.

Angus, Minn.

May 14, 2015

Lois (Sivertson) Ozmun 1965

Frederic, Wis. December 1, 2013

Gregory Weiland 1965

Grand Forks, N.D. May 26, 2015

Douglas Paulsrud ex. 1966

Nielsville, Minn.

April 3, 2015

Deborah (Bolstad) Epling 1968

Elk River, Minn.

June 15, 2015

Faculty/Staff Arnold Benson

Duluth, Minn.

April 6, 2015 Served as a member of the University of Minnesota Crookston staff for 25 years until his retirement in 1990

Lulu Jean Nelson

Crookston, Minn.

February 7, 2015 Served as staff nurse at the Northwest School of Agriculture from 1963 to 1964

Bernice Samuelson

Mentor, Minn.

March 20, 2015 Served as student affairs secretary at the University of Minnesota Crookston from 1969 to 1976

The 1940s Front row from left: Irene (Pulkrabek) Larson, Berneil Nelson, Pauline (Finkenbinder) Purath, Betty (Erikson) Floan, Roy Stola, Marvie (Vesledahl) Stromstad, and Ray Stromstad; Back row from left: Ira Mjelde, Gerald Burke, Clara (Stromstad) Johnson, Beverly (McKibbin) McMillan, Camilla (Ecklund) Johnson, Marvin Jensen, Moris Webster, Anton Jensen, and Ray Johnson.

Photo gallery link at www.umcrookston.edu/photogallery/nwsaclassreunions/2015

Office of Development & Alumni Relations 2900 University Avenue Crookston, MN 56716-5001 Change Service Requested Find us on Facebook™ facebook.com/umcrookston Follow us on Twitter™ twitter.com/umncrookston Watch us on YouTube™ youtube.com/uofmcrookston

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 13 and September 10..................................................................... UMCAA Board Meeting September 14..........Fall Alumni Social, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, Minn.

October 9, 10, 11.....................................................................................................................Homecoming October 9.................................................................................................. Alumni Awards Celebration October 28................................................................................................. Torch & Shield Recognition June 25, 2016.....................................................................................................NWSA Alumni Reunion