Classmates
Roy Jordan
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Single |
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| Occupation: | retired mechanical engineer |
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Comment:
As I recall, back at graduation when the world was young, I was identified as going the longest distance from Waukesha to college - to Pasadena, California and Caltech. I got there and found the going really tougher than it had been in high school. I managed to graduate on schedule in 1962, with a BS in Engineering (Mechanical). |
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Lilace Jorgensen (Jaecks)
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Divorced |
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| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Surgical Nurse |
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Comment:
July 9, 2008 It has taken a while to begin this short autobiography. After graduation I married a career military man. He transferred to Fort Bragg North Carolina from Fort Campbell Kentucky. So there we went for nine months until he was sent to Mainz, Germany with an 82nd Airborne unit. I followed soon after for quite an adventure. Two of our three sons were born in the Wiesbaden Air Force Hospital during our stay. We took advantage of the tour and saw part of Europe. Eventually, after taking some detours, we were back at Fort Bragg North Carolina. Soon he was sent to the Special Forces language school at Fort Bliss Texas. After a year he settled us back in Fayetteville North Carolina, and off to Viet Nam he went. He signed for a second tour there continuing as a military adviser to the Vietnamese but was injured, so a few years later he took his military retirement. We remained in North Carolina. Being a stay-at-home mom and military wife was a great life. When my sons were teenagers I went back to college for two years. Finding no field that I wanted to work in, I went to another school and became a Certified Surgical Technician. I now work as a private scrub for three neurosurgeons here in Fayetteville. I plan to retire in two years or less. I love my work but having my children was the best thing that ever happened to me. Most of my relatives have moved to the middle part of Wisconsin. I travel there every year or two and we take trips to other areas of the North country. My sisters visit here in North Carolina for side trips including South Carolina. Jim (my husband) and I divorced after 22 years of marriage. Three sons: Chris lives in St. Paul Minnesota; three sons Rick lives in Durham North Carolina; one daughter Donald lives in Lillington North Carolina; two daughters I plan on attending the first reunion of my life in September. |
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Bill Kelsey
Then
| Marital status: | Married |
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| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
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Comment:
I went to a Louis Armstrong Concert at George Devine's Ballroom and met a girl that a married 2 years later-- we had 2 sons, Kevin and Kris. We moved 2 years later to Oregon, where my wife's family lived. We divorced in 1969. I was a Lane Transit Bus Driver for over 30 years in Eugene, Oregon. I remarried in 1997 to my wife Tamera. I retired in 1999 and moved to Redmond, Oregon, where we now live. I am a golf marshall at several golf courses and play every chance I get. |
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David J. Kerznar
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
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| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | RETIRED - Law Enforcement |
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Comment:
After graduating from Waukesha High School, I went to and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. From 1963 to 1971, I was a Trooper II with the Wisconsin State Patrol working out of District 2 Waukesha, WI. I then took a promotion to the newly created University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Police Department as their first "Day-duty Sergeant" working there for about two years. I then took a position with the Wisconsin Department of Justice - (CIB) Crime Information Bureau as one of three Training Officers working the entire state teaching the law enforcement and criminal justice community the TIME System, Identification and Uniform Crime Reporting/Police Records, until my retirement from State Service in June of 1999. During my stint with CIB I met and married Nancy Fischer of Manitowoc, WI in 1975 and had two children. Adam (33) and Jessica (35) are both single and living in the Madison area while Nancy and I live and own our "paid in full" home in Cottage Grove WI. In 2010 she retired from (AMFAM) American Family Insurance and is working harder at home redoing most of the home, including painting and redecorating a few of the rooms. Just about seven months prior to retirement from the state I took a part-time weekend position with American Family Insurance. Then after retirement from the state, I took a second part-time weekday teaching position at Monona-Grove High School for about two years. While still at MG, I rolled over my part-time position at AMFAM to a full-time position in their Security Department. Since the late 70's, I have tried to stay active by becoming an avid woodworker and a commissioner on the Cottage Grove Public Utilities Board. In 2000 life dealt me a major blow with emergency quadruple by-pass surgery. In less than ten weeks I was back at work, but in 2005 I had to go back to the hospital for follow-up lung surgery that was caused by complications with my earlier heart attack. That forced me to retire from AMFAM and finally pull the plug to my "working career" ten weeks after my 65th birthday. In late 2008 I was told I have cancer of the throat but was caught it early. I went through seven weeks of CHEMO and RADIATION and three operations. In early 2009 I was back in the hospital and was on deaths door for two days. But a quick thinking nurse found me in time and now I'm home getting back to normal. Lets just say the whole experience was five months of HELL. Since that time I went back to the clinic and was told my cancer is now gone. It was a total of 176 days with cancer. I am at home getting all the radiation and Chemo out of my system. I was on a feeding tube until October 2009 and am now on REAL food. I'm looking forward to re-discovering REAL FOOD and getting my taste buds working again. I went without real food for over nine months and forgot how to eat. So I am also doing lots of workouts to get my stamina back to normal whatever that was. In early 2010 I felt that I was almost back to normal and started building a WOODSHOP in my backyard. It took three months to build and three months to set up - finishing two weeks before the cold and snow showed up. So now I'm doing life as fast as I can - but I have been forced to SLOW DOWN just a bit. My job now is more like a "house-husband". But I try to keep busy with that, the Utilities Board, my woodworking, my 1954 Ford F-100 pick-up and working with the Monona-Grove Football team during the fall season. And for the years 2007 and 2008 I've worked with the Reunion Committee finding a lot of missing classmates. I continue to work at getting as many of the missing students found for our next reunion. The 50th reunion was a total success as I found a lot of friends and a lot of good conversation went on for 2 days in Sept of 2008. So NOW I hope to see all of you at the 55th reunion in 2013 at the same place as the 50th on Sept 13 and 14th. So I really can't complain as I've been keeping busy with what I want to do and most of alll... I'M STILL ALIVE and FIGHTING TO STAY THAT WAY. David J. Kerznar in Cottage Grove WI |
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Christie Ann Kienast (Schneider)
Then
| Marital status: | Widowed |
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| Children: | 5 |
| Occupation: | Painter/Decorator |
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Comment:
I grew up in Waukesha and went to Randall School where my oldest friendships began. I went to middle school and three years of high school in Waukesha. I was not able to finish my senior year at Waukesha, but did graduate from Milwaukee University School. After graduation, I went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison where I majored in Music and French. After three years I married Dick Kienast and finished my college at St. Mary's at Notre Dame where Dick was a senior at Notre Dame. We moved to Aspen Colorado in 1967 to live in my parents ski house. I presently live in a 1890's Victorian Miner's cottage next to the ski house we originally moved into. Dick and I had five wonderful sons and nine grand-children. My father died in 1979 and Dick died in 2004. For those that remember my two brothers, Danny and Tim, both died last year - one of a brain hemorrhage and the other of Lou Gehrig's disease. I love to ski and have been a painter and decorator for 30 years. I will not be able to attend the 50th reunion as my family will be in Arizona for my mothers 95th birthday. I will miss seeing everyone and wish everyone well. Much love to you all and please write... Christie Ann Schneider Kienast, |
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Dorothy J. Klinefelter
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Single |
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| Occupation: | retired university administrator |
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Comment:
Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business in 1962, I took a job in the University’s business office and ended up spending a stimulating and rewarding 38-year career as a university administrator in three different sections of the University. I retired in 2000 as Associate Dean of the School of Education. Since my career required me to be chained to a desk and computer, I tried to spend vacations and many weekends heading for wild and natural places out of doors. Some of my favorite experiences were seeing polar bears on Hudson Bay, gray wolves in Yellowstone Park, whales breaching in Hawaii, grizzly bears in British Columbia, the many animals of Kenya and Tanzania, and huge bird colonies on the coast of Newfoundland. My most adventurous adventure has been rafting 210 miles on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, something that I’ve managed to do four times so far. Downhill skiing has been my favorite winter activity but now I am trying to learn to cross country ski, something that will be a little easier on the old bones and knees. In summer I love to garden and maintain the landscape around my home. My parents left the Waukesha area in the mid 60’s and moved to a small farm north of Wisconsin Dells. I spent many weekends at the farm helping out and enjoying the company of my folks. They are gone now, but I still have the little farm to retreat to when city life seems overwhelming. Retirement has been wonderful. With more free time I volunteer with the UW Arboretum, participate in field trips through Madison Audubon Society, spend more time with friends, and I can finally work on documenting my family’s genealogy and archiving family pictures, letters, etc. I’m especially enjoying spending more quality time with my brother, Jerry, and his wife, Donna. Both are 1961 graduates of Waukesha High but they now live on the shore of Lake Michigan north of Traverse City, Michigan. My two nieces, Ann, married to Alan Bean, and Lisa, living in San Francisco are fun to spend time with. It has been great to help plan the 50th Reunion and I’m hoping to see lots of familiar faces in September |
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Karla Kovacic (Letson)
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
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| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
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Comment:
After graduating from Waukesha High School, I worked for a few years until I met my husband Ted, married and had our 3 boys who are now older than I would like to admit to. We lived in the Milwaukee area for the first 5 years until Ted joined the General Foods Corporation and we were transferred to NY. After living in NY for less than two years, we were transferred to the Chicago area where we lived in Downers Grove for the next 7 years. It was great to be back in the Midwest as our families were there but as big companies do, they moved us back to NY in 1973. We bought a home in a small hamlet called Bedford.......a historic village just one hour north of NY city. Many famous people such as Martha Sterwart, Chevy Chase, Christopher Reeves, Glen Close and Hillary Clinton have moved in over the years, but Bedford has been home to us for over 35 years. As the boys became teenagers, I began working temporarily at IBM and as a result, was hired full time as a Systems & Procedures Analyst in their Product Announcement Process. I traveled all over the US & Canada and remained with IBM for the next 15 years. Ted worked as Director of Product Development at General Foods Corporation and his travels were mainly in the US, Europe and Japan. In 1993, we both took advantage of early retirement and did extensive traveling together with our most memorable month long trip to Japan with a Japanese couple who not only were friends, but our tour guides as well. In 2000, we bought a villa located on a golf course in Sarasota, FL not only to learn how to play golf, but we wanted a place for our children & grandchildren to visit and vacation with us as they do on a regular basis. Both Ted and I have always been avid tennis players and golf is a new experience we thoroughly enjoy. The warm weather agrees with both of us as we enjoy good health and tolerate being called 'snow birds' while spending 6 months in NY and 6 months in Florida. We look forward to renewing friendships at the Reunion in September, but still can't believe it has been 50 years....we can't possibly be that old!!! |
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Carol Jean Krajewski (Buege)
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
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| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired Home-maker |
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Comment:
Following graduation from Waukesha High, I worked for the First Wisconsin National Bank - in downtown Milwaukee. After nine months I moved over to the Allen Bradley Company working in their office for the next fifteen years. In 1972 I married Raymond Krajewski. When our girls were born in 1974 and 1976, I became a full-time housewife and stay-at-home mom. Being a full time mom became my full-time-job. During their time in school, my time was filled year round with soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball practice and games, along with all the tournaments. I was going to say - As of late I RETIRED - But do moms and wives ever retire? Ray on the other hand retired five years ago as a rural U.S. Postal Carrier at the age of 62. We now enjoy doing nothing. "NOTHING?" Did I just say NOTHING?? We are busier now than ever before. We love traveling by car within the U.S., playing cards (We have been in the same card club with the same couples for over 26 years), going to casinos and gardening. Then too, every week we visit our two girls along with the two son-in-laws and the four grand children, ages four, three, two and one. I also enjoy crocheting Afghans for family and friends. Well, I guess that's part of what has happened over the past 50 years. Who knows what the next 50 years will bring? I hope each and every one of you has as good and great a time as I have had. May you all have many more good times ahead. |
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Bob Lannan
Then
| Marital status: | Single |
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| Occupation: | County Surveyor |
| Comment: Have led a pretty quiet life. Spent 32 years as a field forester in the Upper Peninsula and got to see lots of country. I suppose it was the wildlife that made it most interesting. Still I don't recommend that you encourage your grandchildren to major in forestry. Found quite a few marked trees from the original government survey in the U.P. Got very interested in retracement surveying, took many courses, and wound up a county surveyor in western Wisconsin. It has really been interesting but I'll likely retire Feb. or Mar. '09. Might move to the Green Bay area and finally learn to catch some fish and maybe even get the 10-point buck that has always eluded me. Got to have a mission too - volunteer service or whatever. Have some regrets but lots to be grateful for. It will be good to get together with you. | |
Natalie Lannan (Mills)
Then
| Marital status: | Married |
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| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
| Comment: After HS graduation I attended UWM for 2 years, then left school to earn money to continue at UW Madison but met my future husband and did not return to school as planned. I became widowed young and raised 3 wonderful children by myself. Besides my 3 wonderful children I have 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. I did finally achieve a career as a Cardiac Ultrasound Technologist and director of Echo Laboratories for St. Lukes Hospital and then a private cardiology group, and finally retired in 2012. At the 50th class reunion, the first one I attended, I met up once again with my high school sweetheart, Bob Lannan, and we were married in March 2010. We have a wonderful life together in Eagle, WI where we bought a home. We have been doing some traveling to places neither of never got to in our "previous lives" and plan more of the same. We both really love the outdoors so most of our travels involve places where we can truly enjoy the beauty of this planet we call home. Hiking, fishing and just exploring out of the way places are things we really enjoy, and hunting for Bob of course. We are looking forward to the 55th reunion and seeing everyone again. | |