Westside High School Class of '57 -- Omaha, Nebraska --Memories and Life Stories

We can count our class of '57 as having 96 classmates (89 are pictured in the '57 yearbook and 7 others were in the clsss but moved and graduated from other highschools). As of September 2007, sixteen of our classmates have passed away and thirteen can not be located.Of the remaining sixty-seven classmates, sixty five of our "stories" are below.

From Al Nielsen
Hi fellow classmates

I want to start with thanking Gregg Millett and the group of classmates he put together to make this all happen.

I was raised in my early years at 90th and Maple Street on my Grandfather’s Dairy Farm (Underwood Dairy). In the late 40’s Roberts Dairy decided they wanted it more than we did.

After it was sold we moved to the Benson area and I attended my first to years of high school at Benson High. I started my junior year at Westside. It was a great school with a super staff of teachers.

After college, I went to work for Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. I was with Firestone for 35 years and had a great career. I started in Grand Island, Ne, transferred to Lincoln and then back to Omaha. During this time my first wife, Linda, and I became avid trap shooters. Linda became one of the top trap shooters in Nebraska.

I was then transferred to Milwaukee, where I ran a retail store and later a large all commercial store (the first for Firestone), We wrote most of the policies and procedures for this type store during this time (since it was something new) that are still in place today.

I was then promoted to Manager of Commercial Products for the state of Wisconsin. During this time my wife Linda and I kept on trapshooting.

This was a job I truly loved, but as big companies go they never leave you alone.

The company had a group of stores in upstate NY that had never made money. The president of Firestone personally picked me to try and straighten the mess out. Off I went. Approximately three years later I had them making money. I went to New York with the good old Midwestern work ethic which those boys had a hard time understanding, but I finally got through to them. During this time my wife Linda and I took up sailing, which I truly love. I would rather sail than eat. We started out with a 27ft Catalina and moved up to a 30ft C&C Redline—which was one of the finest sailboats made. I did not want to go larger because a 30ft is about as big as you can go and still single hand it—I used to like to sail by myself once in awhile.

After New York, I was in the fast lane with Firestone and was promoted to manager of the New Store Opening Division in Akron, Ohio. From there I was promoted to Manager of Commercial Products. In reorganization I was promoted to manager of Sales for Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis. At this time I had the boat in Cleveland on Lake Erie. When we were transferred I had a chance to sell it and did.

I was in Chicago for 10 years. During this time Bridgestone Brought Firestone and that ended my fast lane to the top. We loved Chicago and had a great time. We purchased an Art Gallery and had a lot of fun with it. We specialized in wildlife and western art. I still have about 300 Robert Bateman and 100 Bev Doolittle limited edition prints left after we closed it down

The Firestone line of tractor tires were always produced in Des Moines, Iowa and in 1992 Bridgestone decide to make this a separate company. So I was transferred to Des Moines to set up the sales and marketing office world wide for this new company. In 1997 my job was done and I negotiated an early retirement. In 1998 we moved to Scottsdale, AZ, stayed 9 months and moved back to DesMoines. We just liked the Midwest. In 1999 Linda, my first wife of 35 years died from cancer. This was a real had time in my life. My wife and I were best buddies and did everything together. We were fortunate to have been able to travel and see the world together. With the help of a great group of friends I got through it. But it was tough.

In the spring of 2003 I met Helen and we got married in December of that year. We felt we were destined to get married so why wait. We have been married for almost 4 years and have had a ball. It’s like we were meant for each other

Since our marriage we sold two homes, built a new one and have taken two great trips. Last year we took an Alaskan cruise with an extended 10 day land excursion. This year we went to Scandinavia and Russia.

I started about a year ago collecting Classic Cars. We now have a 1955 Thunderbird and a 1971 Mach 1. These cars have had a complete body off frame restoration. The house we built has a five car heated garage. At the time we built it, I was not into the cars, but now we need the space.

Well guys you can tell I’ve had a great life with a lot of great experiences and memories.

See you all next week.

From Bernie Grabow
Hello all my classmates--

After graduation in 1957, I made a living grading homes and spent it all showing cutting and reigning horses. In the fall of 1962 Uncle Sam said "Hang up your spurs, Bern. You're in the army now"!

Jim Monroe and I headed for fort Leonardwood, MO. Jim and I were good boys during Basic Training and then I was on to Fort Gordon, GA for Signal Training. From there I spent just shy of a year in Korea. Fortunately, I never saw combat, just played a lot of war games.

Just before Christmas, 1964, I was discharged from the Army, headed for Omaha and resumed my old life of grading homes and my love of showing horses. In 1968, at the Quarter Horse Congress, I met a pretty lady named Patty from Illinois, a contestant for the Queen Contest. A year later we were married and she moved to Omaha. Less than a year after that we were blessed with our only daughter, Gigi.

Through the years I worked in sales - cars and grain bins. I also was involved in the building and operation of a local driving range and The Tennis Club off of 120th St. In the mid 1980's grading pulled me back in. I started Grabow Grading and sub contracted with many of the most prominent golf course builders in the country. I have built championship courses all over the country but primarily in the South East. Many of the courses were ranked by the pro golf magazines as top 10 courses in the US. Uwharrie Point Country Club in Badden Lake, NC was designated the #2 Country Club by Golf Course News Magazine, Caves Valley Country Club in Owings Mills, MD was designated the #1 Country Club by Golf Digest.

In 1998 my daughter married a wonderful guy named David Jensen. David and Gigi have 2 beautiful daughters, Kaylin 6 and Kalli 4. In the Summer of 2004 I decided it was time to come off the road. It was killing me not to be able to spend more time with my 2 wonderful pride and joys. After coming off of the road I built a clientele of homebuilders and was grading homes again. After a couple of years I decided to retire and hang up my grading tractor. For about a year I just hung out with Kaylin and Kalli and did honey-doos. In order to maintain my sanity and the sanity of my family I needed a little something else. Now I wear my ballcap and blue Dickies and deliver parts for Napa Auto Care.

I am looking forward to catching up with everyone again after 50 years!

From Bev Marvin Havlu
Four wonderful high school years and seeing all the names has brought back so many memories. I graduated from the University of Omaha, worked two years for Northern Natural Gas Company as a Home Economist.

I met Don Havlu at the University and we were married in 1963 and from that time on, our travels began as he was in the Army. Our first stop was Ft. Riley, Kansas where we lived for two years. During that time, we had twin daughters, Elizabeth and Laurie born in June of 1964. Ft. Riley was a good assignment as it was close to Omaha. In June of 1965, we went to Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey for 6 months, and then to Stuttgart, Germany for 2 ½ years. Don had to miss his graduation from the Signal School at Ft. Monmouth, as they offered us transport to Germany on the SS United States. We couldn’t pass that up, and boarded the ship in New York City with a large suitcase full of diapers (before Pampers).

We traveled to Bremerhaven and from there to Stuttgart by train. What an experience with 2 ½ year old twins. It was a wonderful time, only to be cut short by 6 months when Don received orders to Viet Nam. So, back to Omaha in December of 1967, where we bought a house on 104th and Valley. It was comforting being back with family and friends during this time.

Don returned from Viet Nam to Travis Air Force Base, California in January of 1969 and I flew out to meet him there with our now 3 ½ year old twin daughters. We flew to Los Angeles to visit his grandmother, and back to Omaha to pack up for his new assignment at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. Janet Voss Golden was living in Northern Virginia, and we got together frequently and she and Bill were the Godparents to our son Bob, born in 1970.

In December of 1970, we moved to New Jersey for the C.E. Systems Engineer Course at Ft. Monmouth. The following December, we again traveled to Germany where we spent 3 years in Heidelberg. Fortunately, Pampers had came on the scene which made traveling a little easier, even to changing a diaper in a Gondola on a visit to Venice, Italy. While in Germany, we lived on the economy so as to gain the most from our tour there. Liz and Laurie went to an American School in Heidelberg, made many German friends and learned to speak German fluently.

In December of 1973, Don received orders to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. From Heidelberg to the desert and we wondered what in the world were we getting into. We spent Christmas with our family and friends in Omaha and then made the long drive to Ft. Huachuca. Three kids, and also a dog. No SUV’s or Vans at that time. The closer we got to Arizona, the browner the terrain was and the towns were few and far between. We saw more tumbleweeds than people. But, as my Dad always said, everything works out for the best.

We spent seven years at Ft. Huachuca/Sierra Vista. Don left active duty in December 1976 and became a Department of Defense Civilian Employee.

In December of 1979, Don was assigned to the Defense Communication Agency in Arlington, Virginia, so we packed up three kids, and now two dogs (a Poodle and Golden Retriever), and two cars and drove back to Virginia.

I have always done needlework, and took up quilting while in Virginia. I’ve designed a dozen or so patterns which have been published in various quilting magazines.

Don retired from the Pentagon in 1994. When he retired, Laurie was working and living in New York City, Liz was married and not planning on staying in Northern Virginia, and Bob had just completed one year at Virginia Tech and wasn’t sure what he was going to do, or where he’d be. So, we made the decision to move back to Arizona. We’re now living in Sun City Vistoso in Oro Valley which is just northwest of Tucson. We square dance, bowl and enjoy all of the activities here.

Now, all three of our children are married, we have 6 grandchildren and, guess what ---- they are all living in Northern Virginia. As long as they keep coming west for their vacations, we shall remain here. In fact, Laurie came out in July with our four 7 year old grandchildren. She has twins – boy and girl, Liz youngest of 3 boys is 7, and Bob’s daughter. We drive back to Northern Virginia at least twice a year and when needed, always going through Omaha until this time as my mother passed away a year ago at 97 years old. Our trip for this fall is planned for the month of September and many things have been scheduled for us to do, so I regret to say we won’t be at the reunion. I wish to say hello to everyone on the list.

Gregg, I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you about the activities and hopefully some pictures. Thank you for organizing this and my best wishes to everyone.

From Bud Walling
It just happens to be the time in my life when I am in the process of handing my business over to my employees, so I will only be able to attend our the Thursday Gathering of our 50th reunion. Since I left WHS my sophomore year, I only know a few of the you, but it has been great catching up. I remember riding my horse to school the first year it was open and leaving him tied up at the farm across the street where Larry Myers built the shopping center the next year. I was at NU with Dave Humphrey and send a hello to him, as well as all of you who were at WHS the first year.

I spend the winter in Scottsdale and would love to visit with any of the class who are in Arizona. I attended WHS the first two years it was open and then went to Military school for two years and played football and kinda went to class. I went to Troy High School in Troy, NY for my senior year and again played football and flunked Chemistry. They graduated me so they wouldn’t have to deal with me another year and my parents said they would pay for NU if I didn’t play sports and studied. I didn’t play sports and kinda studied. After 4 years I was prepared to be drafted which I was and had two years in the Army and a great time. Hurt my back jumping and, after two years working for Uncle Sam, I decided to go back to school. Medicine sounded good so I took all the classes necessary but had failed to realize that four years of having fun at NU would not compete with really good students. I then went to Grad school. One day I went to the Dean's office to see if they had any jobs posted. The Dean’s secretary told me her husband was the superintendent in Waterloo and needed a teacher …..what else a Chemistry teacher. That was a fun year (7 of my 11 students majored in Chemistry) and then I decided I needed a job (I had taught on an emergency certificate) so I went to work for a large Chemical Company. I did that for a couple of years and started my own Chemical Company (www.wallingwater.com) which I have run since March 1969. We sell products to treat water where water is used as a heat exchange medium.

Over the years I have enjoyed motorcycling. I just rode out to the Sturgis Rally for the 37th year and hope to make 40. I started flying when I was young and used that mode of travel to cover the fourteen states in which we operate. I raised two step children, one of whom fly’s jets for Warren Buffet's company. I live in AZ in the winter and my annual New Year's resolution is to play golf, but I have never been good at resolutions. Since the early 80’s I have spent time each summer in Door County, WI. I have enjoyed living in South Dakota the last 40 years.

Looking forward to seeing the "Omaha Gang," the golfers, and any other early arrivals.. My best wishes to all.

From Carol Eaton Johnston
Wow! 50 years since our days at Westside...hard to believe. I started at Westside in the 8th grade and have many memories of fun times and good friends over the next 5 years. After graduation I attended Grinnell College for two years (rooming with Kay Rydberg my freshman year). After two years, in a bit of rebellion, I left Grinnell and worked at Mutual of Omaha for a year before deciding to return to school. Went to Univ. Ne in Omaha for a year before another not so good decision. Had a brief marriage/divorce and lived in California for 3 years working in a CPA office and taking some accounting courses. I returned to Omaha in 1965, got a Real Estate and an Insurance license, but decided I didn't really like sales. Returned to doing accounting and worked at that from then on.

Dale Johnston and I were married in 1967. He came complete with three children, and we never had any of our own. We owned a bar and grill in South Omaha for several years, which Dale managed, and obtained several rental properties. At one time we had 19 houses and a six unit building in Ralston, so the rental properties became Dale's full time job. After a battle with cancer, Dale passed away in 1989. I returned to work full time in 1990 and have been at my current job at a brokerage firm for the past seven years. I really enjoy my work and have no plans to stop working anytime soon.

I try to do some traveling when I can, but mostly go back and forth to Colorado where my sister and her family live. No family left here in Omaha. I am looking forward to the reunion and the chance to catch up with old friends. Sounds like there will be a pretty good turnout. See you all soon!

From Carolyn Evans Kalinski
I came to Westside in September of 1954 from Benson High. To be honest it was a difficult transition. I had left all my friends I had know since kindergarten. However, I soon made a new group of friends, some of who I have kept in contact with after all these years. We had many slumber parties, went ice skating, roller skating and cruised around in my Dad's 1954 yellow Buick convertible. It was always very special for me to go to Julia Harvey's Christmas teas. I feel blessed to have been a teen in the 50s. It was the best of times.

I got married soon after highschool and had all 3 of my children by the time I was 23! I will be married to the same husband for fifty years in April, 2008. Each of our children are well-educated, independent, intelligent and healthy (2 sons and 1 daughter). Wehave 3 beautiful grandsons and 3 beautiful grandaughters, ranging from 3 years to 15 years. I took early retirement from NWB/U S West/ Qwest in 1995 after 26 years.

At this point in my life, I couldn't be happier. We moved from Omaha 7 years ago and now live in a resort style retirement community in Surprise, Az. I am truly enjoying my "golden years". There is so much here to help keep me young and healthy.

I can't believe 50 years have gone by. Looking forward to seeing you all. Wishing you all health and happiness.

From Charlotte Schroeder Zampese
Hi Class of '57!

A bio of 50 years. Attended N.U. and O.U..Trained and worked as a dental assistant with Dr. Schmitman in Omaha. Bob and I married in 59. We became parents to a wonderful son, Todd. Lived in the Mildred area until 1970. Moved to Dallas, Lubbock and San Antonio. Bob has been in the orthopedic business since our move from Omaha. I was a stay at home mom involved in scouts, little league and most activities associate with all levels sports and school .

I received my degree in Interior Design and worked in the field for 15 years. We retired in 1997 and have since enjoyed the fruits of our labor.(play golf, do volunteer work, and travel in our R.V.) Todd and his family live within a few blocks. We have enjoyed the grandchildren,total of three. Beth, is the oldest; she is a junior at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Brett, a senior at Boerne High and Michael a sophomore.

After a busy summer , time doesn't allow another vacation. Sorry we will miss the reunionI send my best to all and if you come to the city of the "SPURS" let us hear you cheer GO SPURS GO!!!

From Dale Slunicko

I came to Oakdale School in the 8th grade from St. Margaret Mary’s. At the time my family home was on south 105th and it was too far for me to travel, and I was too young to drive. Mike Williams picked me up in his jeep many mornings so that I could attend Westside beginning my freshman year. During high school I attended 1 year at Wentworth Military Academy, but did complete my senior year and graduate from Westside. After graduation, I went back to Wentworth and received my junior college degree and then on to UNO.

My career started when I decided to go into business with my mother, who was a land developer. I ran her construction company for many years. This was a fabulous time to be in the real estate business in Omaha. The interstate was being constructed through Nebraska, and Western Electric was building a plant at 120th and L. Throughout most of my career we continued developing and building (8 sub-divisions). During those busy years I did meet and date my companion, Kathleen Stinson, a former Benson Bunny. In the mid-sixties we went our separate ways, but always stayed in touch. Fourteen years ago she moved back to Omaha, went to work for one of my companies, and the rest, as they say, is history.

When my mother died in 1976, I decided that I had about 20 years of land ahead to develop, then to semi-retire and manage Bel Air Plaza, the last piece of property that I still own.

Today, Kathy and I keep busy in the office, but do devote time for travel. We are veterans of cruising, both large and small vessels. Also, we enjoy exploring the world on land.

I am on my third term on the Board of Trustees at Wentworth, plus secy/treas of the Wentworth Foundation. Having served on many boards over the years, I find that these two are all that I want to do.

Look forward to seeing everyone later this month.

From Darla Bennett-Schwarzenbach
I came to Westside in my sophomore year, transferring from North High School. It was hard for me but in time I found some good friends and remember many good times with them. While in school I worked at Shada's Drive In and later at the Sky View Drive In Theatre. I loved Peony Park dances and rides down Dodge St. looking for the cute guys. In my senior year, our class mate Rod Ross and I became good friends. He would pick me up in his hot-rod and we would head to Tiner's. I loved to sing and as you all know, he did too. After we graduated we kept in touch for a while. How sad it was when I heard of his untimely death.

After graduating, I went on to business college and did some modeling. I was trying out for Miss Auto Show in 1958 and ended up being Miss Cadillac. I made no money but remember the sore feet as I stood for hours. I then worked at the corporate offices of Omar Baking Co. and later at Provident Loan Co. (Remember their ad on the radio?..."We're the Provident Loan Arrangers George and Chet.")

I married my dear husband Carl in 1959. Janice Oliphant, one of my dear friends and our classmate, who was to be a bridesmaid in my wedding was tragically killed in an automobile accident just 4 days before our wedding. What a blow that was to both her family and mine.

The first 3 years of our marriage I helped put Carl thru college. Though he majored in business, he loved music. Before our marriage he played in the Marine Corps Band. After his discharge in 1958, he joined the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. He was in the percussion section for 17 years along with the Omaha Opera Orchestra for 8 years. However, his full time job required a move to the Chicago area in 1975. We later moved back to Omaha as I missed my large family of 4 brothers and 3 sisters and wanted our children to be closer to their aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. Their grandmother, my mother, is 90 years old and thankfully still pretty active.

I feel very blessed to have been able to be a "Stay at home Mom" for our 3 children. I have never looked back and wished I had done it any other way. Nothing could be more rewarding than to know we raised our children to be caring, giving and God fearing adults as they are today. I have also been blessed to help with our six grandchildren after they were born.
Carl retired 5 1/2 years ago and he would like to be in a warmer climate. But being the dear man that he is, he knew how I would miss my family if we did move so we're still dealing with the colder winters. We do like to travel and we try to spend a portion of each winter in Arizona. But for know, our home is in Omaha which is really an easy city to live in. We have many dear friends here and we also put in a lot of time as active members in our religion, helping others learn about the Bible and our wonderful Creator. We're thankful for our good health and looking forward to seeing all of you at our 50th reunion.

From Dave Humphry

I am among the group of classmates that arrived at Westside in the eighth grade, the year it opened, coming “up the grades” from Loveland and then Underwood schools. After really enjoying my years at Westside, and graduating, I attended Grinnell College, a good smaller liberal arts college (I had no idea of my career plans at that time) where I would be able to participate in sports. It was an excellent educational experience and I did play baseball, but after two years, I transferred to the University of Nebraska, from which I graduated in January 1962. At NU, I affiliated with Beta Theta Pi social fraternity. Upon graduation, I taught mathematics for two years at Bellevue High School (Bellevue, our old rival -- Can you believe that?) I had an offer from Westside Schools, but, as much as I “loved” Westside, I wanted to experience a different school system. While teaching at Bellevue, I heard about a “new” thing called “computer programming” and, while looking for part-time summer work, received offers to work full-time in the “new” world of computers. NCR Corp. offered me a job teaching computer programming that involved some travel. I liked teaching, programming looked interesting, and being young and single, the travel sounded good. So, in 1963, I left public school teaching, joined NCR Corporation and spent more than 25 years with that company, starting out in Omaha, then moving to Dayton, Ohio in 1966, Hartford, Connecticut, in 1967, Columbia, Maryland, in 1970, Atlanta, Georgia, in 1972, and Dallas, Texas, in 1979. During that career, I managed Education and Training Centers, and taught a variety of computer and business-related courses to NCR and customer personnel. I traveled quite a bit inside and outside the U.S., which provided variety and was interesting and educational.

In 1993, I took early retirement from NCR, returned to school to complete a master’s degree program (University of Texas at Arlington), and looked for another career. I found it in the financial services industry, joining Northwestern Mutual in 1994 as a financial representative, training consultant, and, later and at present, a compliance supervisor (Registered Principal). For the past 13 years, I have been associated with The Texas Financial Group, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Dallas.

I met wife Jan while living in Hartford and married in 1970. Our son, Will, was born in Atlanta. We have lived in the Dallas area since 1979 and currently live in Cedar Hill (suburban Dallas), in a lakeside setting at Lake Joe Pool. Jan has been a paralegal with a Dallas law firm for many years. Our son lives in Dallas.

We are active members of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. I am a Church Elder, and frequently teach adult Sunday school. Hobbies include reading, both fiction and nonfiction; compiling and maintaining several family histories; interest in sports, participating throughout high school and college in baseball, and in later years slow-pitch softball and tennis. Currently, Jan and I enjoy using our tandem kayak on the lake right beside our home, giving us exercise, relaxation, and terrific views of wildlife. We enjoy regular dinner outings with friends; and a few years ago, got “hooked” on cruises, and have greatly enjoyed the several we have taken, and plan to take more of them.

I plan to join the ranks, in a year or two, of being semi-retired, as many of you are. That will be great. Many thanks to Gregg and many others of you, who are making possible what will be, I am sure, a fun reunion. I look forward to seeing all of you in September!

From David Bronn
At Westside I hung out with Jim Shelly and Ron Mertens and I had several friends in the class of ’56. I enjoyed football (played guard) and music (played the sousaphone, base). Coach Hugger and Band Director Snyder fought over me because I couldn’t wear two uniforms in one night. So during my sophomore year I reluctantly wore the band uniform, but for the junior and senior years, I switched to the shoulder pads.

I remember when C. L. Retelsdorf kicked somebody off the cast of a play and pulled me in – with only one week to go! I don’t remember how it went; I just know how hard I worked to learn all those lines.

In general I wish I had studied a bit less and paid more attention to all of the wonderful girls in our class!

After Westside I went to Iowa State majoring in physics. After a year I transferred to San Jose State and majored in geology and then switched to police school and finally graduated in ’62 in political science.

After college I joined the Air Force and was first assigned to the Lincoln Combat Defense Squadron as a flight commander and operations officer. Next stop was France as an air police operations officer were we built up a reconnaissance wing. But de Gaulle ordered us out and we had to disassemble the efforts of our hard work. Still being single, I was selected to stay behind until we drove the last truck off the base and on to the UK. In England I was a base commander at an old airbase and lived with an RAF unit. After that I spent a year in Vietnam at a nice quiet base, at least up until the time I arrived. During my year here we had 28 attacks.

I was a bit shell-shocked after Vietnam and got married. My wife Patty was an American who was teaching in various European countries and I met her while in England.

After our marriage I was transferred to Malstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana where I was a minuteman launch crew commander. While in Great Falls we had our son, Justin.

After my Air Force duty was completed, we looked around for the best place to live and picked Bellingham, Washington. Where I got a job with the US Post Office.

I took early retirement in ’92 and have been enjoying life immensely since then.

We still live in Bellingham; Patty is still my wife; and our son, Justin, just got married this year.

Sorry we cannot attend the reunion but I send my best wishes to all. I hope to get a report on the reunion and to hear from some of my classmates.

From Deanna Eurich Fergusen
I was at Underwood for two years and then to Westside HS. The games and their activities are very memorable to me and especially the Debate Team and our contest in Minnesota. Little did I know then that I would be living in that area every summer of my life. Besides Debate, I remember all the activities with the snow, ice skating and my church that was right across the street from school.

After graduating from Westside, I attended William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri, where I met David Kennedy. A year later, we were married. After two years of college we moved back to his home town of Oklahoma City and had three children.

I eventually finished college with a business degree and was a secretary at different public schools, real estate offices and finally at a Methodist Church. David's family had always had a lakeside, summer home in Alexandria, Minnesota so we always vacationed there. In 1995 he decided to take early retirement from the family lumber business. We decided to spend six months a year in Minnesota, at which time we got a new home, with good heat, in Ottertail, Minnesota. David and I had 41 wonderful years together before he succumbed to leukemia.

Since then, I met John Ferguson and we've had three great years together. John and his first wife, Peggy, had three sons. He worked at Tinker Air Force Base before he retired and then had odd, interesting jobs. Peggy passed away from breast cancer. Several years later, John became a Methodist Minister, at which time, I entered his life. Since we've been married, we've moved five times. We spent a year in Kansas City where he attended St. Paul Methodist Seminary. While there, John came down with lung cancer so we moved back to Oklahoma and have kept very busy with church work and adult classes at local colleges. John's cancer is now in remission and this past summer we had a wonderful ten weeks at our lake home in Minnesota.

God has been very good to my families and to me. John and I have five children, all are married, 12 grandchildren, three of whom are married and 6 great-grandchildren. John and I are looking forward to seeing all of the Westside Graduates + others and getting reacquainted.

From Deana Grimm Jones
Dear Classmates -- I cannot wait to see everyone. We will be arriving Friday, just in time for the cocktail party.

I have not been back to Omaha to speak of since right after our first child was born almost 40 years ago. My parents left Omaha and moved to Boise, Idaho so all our family trips were to Boise. I used to drive up there in our motor home nearly every summer. One summer we went to Omaha enroute home to Pensacola but I did not connect with anyone except a former neighbor. Of course, I am the worst letter writer. I think of past friends however and hope I'll recognize every one.

My family moved to Omaha the summer before my senior year of highschool. It was good to make friends there since I then had friends when I came back during vacations. It was a sweet-sad time since I had grown up in a town in Oklahoma and missed my childhood friends. I came to realize that I had the best of both worlds. I loved Westside and had a connection there. I've been looking for our highschool yearbook, to no avail. Of course we have all changed so much it probably wouldn't make much difference.

Everyone was so welcoming in Omaha. I learned to drive in snow that first winter. I'm surprised I didn't have a wreck. Still, at 17years you think you are invincible. My dad had an engineering background and insisted I take 4 years of Math. The benefit was that there were only 2 girls in the College Algebra and Trig class. That was hog heaven.

I've reconnected with Janet Voss Golden. Our oldest daughter and her family live in Vienna,
Virginia so Janet and I have gotten together when I get back to see Susannah et all. That's always fun.

Like Nancy Trestor, I was part of the toilet papering crew.We decorated lots of houses during our reign of "terror". Even my mother and some of her friends, including Helen Reichstadt, did some of their friends homes.

It was such fun getting to know Suanne Reichstadt, Julia Harvey, Terry Ross, Ann Harding, just to name a few. One funny story I remember when Kathy Murray was trying to get her car out of the garage when her parent's car was behind hers and she got stuck sideways in the garage just about the time her folks came home.

There are so many little memories of those years. We have lived in Pensacola, FL since 1972. We love it here but can do without the intense heat of the summers (humidity) as well as the hurricanes. From October through May the weather is glorious.

We have 4 children. Two were born in Boston when Jim was a resident at Children's Hospital . Susannah is an attorney with the American College of OB-GYN in D.C Our next child was born in Vietnam and is a family practice doctor in the Orlando area. Meredith was born in Boston Michael was born in Pensacola. We have 4 granddaughters. Meredith is director of Development at the Pensacola Junior College. Michael is not married and teaches history in the International Baccalauriat(I can't spell it and am too lazy to find the dictionary)program at a local high school.

Jim is a pediatric surgeon and was in the active Naval Reserve when he as recalled to active duty during the first Gulf War. He was sent to Okinawa, Japan and we lived there for 5 and a half years. What fun!! We did a lot of travelling in the far east and made a lot of new friends.We both were active in the Japanese community teaching English etc.Jim, of course, was busy working and I played The kids all came over for visits and travel. I could write more but I'm too lazy.

We've been married 42 years. Hard to believe. See you soon.

From Ed Zschau
Dear Westside High School Classmates,

I want to thank Gregg and the whole 50th WHS Reunion team for organizing this opportunity for recollections, reflections, and reuniting a great group of people who shared common experiences 50+ years ago and, since then, have gone on different paths to do important and interesting things. Reading the stories and thoughts of our classmates, I have been impressed, touched, and immensely proud of all that each of you has done, accomplished, and contributed. What a class class!

Over the years, as decisions, actions, and events have taken me in a pretty wide variety of directions, I find myself reflecting back often on growing up in Omaha, my Loveland, Underwood, and Westside education, and sharing experiences and friendships with all of you when we were at Westside together. The common theme of my life during those years and later is that I was (and continue to be) just plain lucky. I grew up at a special time in a special place with loving parents who were dedicated to me and my sister and with friends, parents of friends, and teachers who nurtured me. Just one of many examples of my good luck is Mrs. Dinsmore, who taught the first and second grade in one room at Loveland School. One day, during the 1946-47 school year, she moved my desk from the first grade side of the room to the second grade side of the room. That's
how I became a member of the WHS Class of 1957 rather than continuing in what would become the Class of 1958 with my good friends Larry Myers and Steve Dickinson, with whom I had been in kindergarten, having Mrs. Cozette as our teacher.

We at Westside were blessed to have such dedicated teachers, coaches, (and Alice) to instruct us, to help shape our values through their examples, and to inspire our individual spirits. Just one of many examples: Ken Christianson, our Physics teacher, worked with me during many after school hours to build a Tesla coil for creating high frequency, high voltage waves that could produce long lightening bolt style sparks. He is pictured with it in the 1956 Shield faculty photos. You can imagine the thrill I had when, after he moved from Omaha to Sunnyvale, California, he showed up at some of my constituent Town Hall Meetings that I held while representing the Silicon Valley area in the US Congress.

The teacher who had the greatest impact on me was C.L. Retelsdorf...and I know that he had a significant impact on several
of you as well.. My first experience with Mr. Retelsdorf was playing a role in our Junior Class play, "The Seven Sisters", which he directed. I don't remember much about the play except I had the chance to kiss Marny Meyer on stage (It was just a peck on the check, but it was the highlight of my Junior year.), and somehow my costuming evolved over the course of the production from the uniform of a Hungarian Army officer to the outfit of a court jester in green tights (photos in the 1956 Shield document all this). The Omaha World Herald review of the play was very complimentary about the whole cast, and it singled out Terry Kiser for playing his "comic opera role with the skill of a much more experienced performer". That reporter hadn't seen nothing yet! Wait 'til Terry played the dead guy! (I was having dinner this evening with some current Princeton undergraduates, and they all said how much they enjoyed the "Weekend with Bernie" movies. Terry, Bernie is a character that will never really die.)

I have said in the past, when thinking about what Mr. Retelsdorf meant to me, "He created me from dust". His debate course in my senior year and the countless after school hours that year when he worked with me on extemporaneous speaking gave me, a kid who couldn't give any kind of coherent oral presentation for more than a couple of minutes, an ability to communicate extensively and effectively throughout my life...from four years on the Princeton University debate team (for two great years, Larry Myers was my partner, and he excelled in all of the tournaments) to today... back at Princeton as a professor. I shall always be grateful for the gift Mr. Retelsdorf gave to me through his personal effort and inspiration.

After graduating from Princeton in June, 1961, with a degree in philosophy (bridged with physics), I spent the summer at home in Omaha working at the Continental Can factory while waiting to enlist in the US Navy. I had been accepted to the Officer's Candidate School in Newport Rhode Island for a ninety day officer's training program beginning in September followed by a three year service commitment. When I went out to Fort Omaha to be inducted in August, 1961, they asked if anything had changed in my health since my physical exam earlier that year. I told them that I'd broken my leg in a Rugby game at Princeton in the spring but it had healed. Well,it wasn't yet up to Navy standards, so they told me that I'd have to
wait for another three months and maybe more. Rather than waiting, I informed Stanford University, to which I had been accepted for the MBA program in the Graduate School of Business, that I would be enrolling after all. That lucky "break" changed my life.

While completing my MBA degree at Stanford, I became intrigued with the field of mathematics applied to business...called "operations research" or "management science". In 1963, I decided to continue my education in that field at Stanford seeking a Ph.D. with an MS along the way. That same year, Jo Wiedmann, whom I had met while she was the assistant to a Stanford professor, and I were married.. A year later, our son, Ed Jr. was born, and I was teaching a second year MBA course at Stanford at age 24. I got my Ph.D. and continued teaching at Stanford through 1969, spending one year at the Harvard Business School as a visiting professor in 1967-68. During part of my Stanford years, I was often with Gregg Millett and with Fred and Barbie Day Sample, who were at Stanford as well. Also, during that period, our two daughters, Liz and Cameron, were born. In 1969, I left Stanford to be the CEO of a computer products company, System Industries, which I had started in Silicon Valley. I served as the CEO of the company through 1981...about one year after it became a public company.

During the 1970s, Jo and I devoted our energies to our children. She was a super mom, and it paid off. Our kids are wonderful people, and they are themselves great parents and community leaders.. They have solid values and they care about others. We're proud of them. I recall those years during which they were growing up as giving me a "second childhood". I coached 13 youth soccer teams (Jo was the regional head of the youth soccer league responsible for more than 1,000 young players), and I was a Cub Master and Boy Scout leader. Ed Jr. is an Eagle Scout. One of his most memorable experiences as a kid was meeting Pat Fischer when the Redskins were in California to play San Francisco. Also, during the 1970s, while I was building my company, I began to become involved in public policy issues and had a role, as a private citizen, in getting the Federal
capital gains tax rate reduced in 1978 from nearly 50% to 28%. That experience got me thinking about public service.

When I last saw several of you at our 25th Westside Reunion in 1982, I was in the midst of my first Congressional campaign. I went on win that election and to serve for two terms in the US Congress. I was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chair of the Republican Task Force on High Technology Initiatives. It was a great experience to meet and learn from many people...my constituents, my House colleagues, and experts with whom I had the privilege of working during those years. As an example, Condi Rice, now Secretary of State, advised me on foreign policy issues when she was a young professor at Stanford. I felt that I made a difference on certain issues before the House. However, I thought that I could make a greater difference as a US Senator from California, so in June, 1985, I announced that I would be a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 1986 US Senate election. When the Republican primary campaign began, I was just an asterisk in the polls, but by June, 1986, I had closed the gap in a 13 candidate field, and I came from behind in the last week to win the Republican primary election.

The general election campaign was a different story. I got beat up pretty badly all summer by the three-term incumbent, Alan
Cranston. At one point, I was 16 points behind. However, my supporters...people like Ted Hicks (we had done puppet shows together when we were in grade school)... never gave up, and by the last week before the election, the race was a dead heat. It looked on election day like I might pull off another upset...but God had other plans for me.

On November, 4 1986, I lost that US Senate race in California to Senator Cranston by the narrowest of margins. The outcome was too close to call until the following morning. As you can well understand, I was touched beyond words, when, in the group of people gathered to hear my concession speech the morning after the election, I saw my dearest childhood friend and classmate, Judy Youngman Wigton. She had come from Omaha just to be with me at that important moment in my life. Of course, we were both anticipating that there would be a victory celebration, but that wasn't in the cards.

There are two lessons from that experience for me: (1) Friends are more important than victories, and (2) Blessings sometimes come in thick disguises. Looking back, I now believe that I "dodged a bullet". I was lucky again. I've had a great ride over the past twenty years. I've run another high tech company in Silicon Valley, I served as the General Manager of the $6.5 billion IBM Storage Systems Division during the difficult turn around years in the early 1990s, and, for the past eleven years I have taught at Harvard Business School (1996-2000) and at Princeton in the Engineering School (1997-present), while starting and building a bunch of high tech companies (some have even survived). I have also served on several NYSE company boards such as the Reader's Digest (I'm currently Chairman of StarTek, Inc. in Denver, CO). Among the companies that I've started are www.princetonpower.com and www.polyera.com, both being run by my former Princeton students. I have also been involved in the start up and building of www.illumen.org and www.nimbusdata.com This summer, I've been starting a new company, NanoNuvo Corporation, based in New Jersey, which is applying nanofabrication technology to optical components
used in telecommunications, sophisticated manufacturing, medical diagnostics, and defense applications. I continue to try to
contribute to certain public policy issues...currently working to get the SEC to change its rule for the accounting for employee stock options (not very sexy, but important). My wife, Jo, and I live on Nantucket Island, MA during the school year (where I have seen Sherry Johnson Lourie a few times) in an antique house (built in 1761) which we restored over the past 25 years and put in an Historic Preservation Trust. Jo is an active volunteer for good causes such as Nantucket Hospice, and she weaves Nantucket lightship baskets and does needlepoint. I commute to Princeton on Monday's and return on Fridays. In the summers, we return to our home in Los Altos, CA to get away from the Nantucket summer crowds and to be with our kids and
their families, including eight grand kids who all live within a ten mile bike ride from our house.

I been extremely lucky with what life has given me. I attribute much of my good fortune to growing up in Omaha when we did. Oh sure, I'm a little creaky these days...all that competitive figure skating when I was young and nine marathons and 1,000 miles of training per year for several years when I was older took their toll on my knees...but over all I feel good. Best of all, I am able to do everything I like to do and nothing that I don't like to do. Who knows what my life would have been like if Mrs. Dinsmore hadn't moved my desk, if there had been no Mr. Retelsdorf, if I'd gone to Cal Tech or one of the other colleges to which I was accepted rather than Princeton, if I hadn't broken my leg, or if I had won that close Senate race? It would
certainly have been different, but I can't imagine that it could have been better. I've had an exciting, enjoyable, productive, and satisfying set of varied experiences...and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

I look forward to being with many of you at the Reunion and to staying in touch with all of you. Please let me know when you are near Los Altos, Nantucket, or Princeton.

With every good wish to you and your families, Buzzy

PS: I shall miss Nancy Fraser Coffey, who was in that part of the classroom where Mrs. Dinsmore moved my desk, and our other classmates who have left us.

From Gail Gray Anderson
Dear Classmates -- I send warm regards and heartfelt wishes for a wonderful reunion next month. I won't be able to be there but will be thinking of you all.

Not too many Omahans settle in the South, but my family and I have been in Knoxville, Tennessee, near the Smoky Mountains, for nearly 30 years. It's a beautiful area of the country. My husband and I have two fine sons, two delightful daughters-in-law, and three grandsons. We enjoy their company immensely. One family is in Knoxville; the other is in Atlanta. I get to Atlanta very frequently and am writing from there now.

In our era, it was rather unusual for a young woman to graduate from college without snaring a potential husband, but my single status inspired me to move to New York City (where I shared an apartment for a time with Sherry Johnson Lourie -- Judy Youngman Wigton had lived there previously). I later moved on to San Francisco, Paris, and eventually to Greece, where I stayed for two years teaching English to Greeks. That was a glorious adventure for me.

When I returned to the U.S. I started graduate school in San Francisco and soon married a young architect I'd met on a blind date set up by Judy Youngman Wigton. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary. We lived in Lincoln, Tampa, and Roanoke, Virginia, before coming to Knoxville where he taught at the School of Architecture at the University of Tennessee before retiring. Meanwhile I pursued high school and college English teaching and then branched into technical writing and editing.

I value the safe and solid background we experienced in Omaha in the 1950s. On the other hand, I've relished the diversity of the wider world. Jerry and I still travel a lot -- most recently a nostalgic return to Greece, which I love.

If your travels should lead you to the Southeastern U.S., I'd love to offer you warm hospitality -- maybe even some grits and moonshine. Have fun together!

From Gene Utterback
Really doesn’t seem like it has been 50 years since we graduated from Westside High School!!
I started grade school at Oakdale Elementary and then started Westside in 8th grade, the first year Westside was open.
After graduation, I decided to go to the University of Omaha, with the goal of a degree in engineering. But after two years there, I and two other graduates of the class of ‘57 (Stan Arp and Phil Hansen) decided to go to Florida and try to seek fame and fortune, by getting a job working in the newly emerging space exploration industry. But we soon realized that this was not to be our future, and we returned to Omaha.

So, in the fall of 1959, I entered an apprentice program at Western Electric to become a tool and die maker. I completed my training and enjoyed working at Western Electric/AT&T/Lucent for the next 30 years. However, five years before I retired from Lucent in 1989, we started an automotive parts store (Champion Auto) and then a few years later we became involved in a second Champion store. We found out that owning our own business meant putting in lots of hours, and not much time to do anything else. But I really liked working to help the customers, and we were involved with the stores for 15 years. In July of 2000, we finally decided we were ready to take it easy, so we sold both stores.

Arlene and I were married in 1962. We have three sons, and two grandsons. Our oldest grandson just returned the end of June from serving 15 months in Iraq. We also have three step-grandsons, and these three have made us step-great-grandparents of three boys and two girls.

Since retirement 7 years ago, we are enjoying playing golf and traveling. We enjoy getting away from Omaha for six weeks or more in the winter, but plan to keep spending most of the rest of the year here. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion - it should be a fun time!! See you soon.

From Glen Burbridge
For those of you who are having trouble remembering, I most likely have the distinction (?) of being at Westside for the shortest period of time and still claim to be a member of our class of '57. I attended Westside for just one semester, having transferred from Omaha Central midyear of our Senior year. I still feel very much a part of Westside and this great class.

A brief recap of events since 1957. I went from Westside to the University of Nebraska where I went to undergraduate and law school graduating in 1963. During that time I met Mary Erickson. We were married in 1961. After graduation we stayed in Lincoln for one year while I served as law clerk for the Hon. Judge Van Pelt, the U.S. District Court Judge then serving in Lincoln. We then moved to Omaha where I practiced law until 1983. We then moved to Denver (our present home) where I continued the practice until January 1 of this year when I retired. I must say that I am still trying to adjust to my newly
found freedom. I can speak for Mary, that she is trying to get used to me being around every day as well.

We have three children and five grandchildren. We have just now arranged our schedules to be with you Thursday night and Friday. We have to leave Saturday morning to drive to Tulsa as our youngest granddaughter will be baptized Sunday morning. We just hope that we can see everyone before we have to leave and are very sorry that we will miss the Saturday events.

See you all in Omaha.

From Gregg Millett
Memories -- I remember
-- when Skip Blazak, Walter Rockwell, Danny Schneider and I were the only boys in the class and then the Loveland kids came to Underwood. Conrad Bastow said hello to me on the first day and we were close friends forever after that.
-- my first kiss, eyes closed, and got her right on the nose and, at a more advanced stage, when my arm went to sleep around a girl at the movies.
-- decking a kid at Peony Park protecting the honor of Sherrylrae Wicker.
-- on the way to a debate, when a little kid in the back seat by the name of George Allen, announced to C.L Retesldorf that "there was no God."
-- when Jerry Koch, in social studies class, said that kids who went to Ivy League schools would probably become Communists (and in my case he was more right than wrong).
-- when a kid caught a long pass on our10 yard line. I thought "damn," and then Pat Fischer appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the ball out of his hands, and ran 90 yards for a Westside touchdown!

Life Path -- I have been
2 years a junior high social studies teacher in Lincoln; 5 years an education professor at the University of Texas in Austin; 10 years a homesteader and teacher in Nicarauga/Costa Rica; 2 years an itinerate laborer; 20 years founder and director of Singles Outreach Services in Albany, New York and 4 years involved in a China Culture exchange project. I have 6 wonderful children and 9 grandchildren. For the past 20 years I have been with my companion Ann Parillo who has 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

I sent the above to Buzz Zschau and he said "write more." So here goes "more" and I can't wait to read what Professor Zschau writes. And I wish to thank everyone who has so far put a bit of their life on paper and I'm hoping we get to hear from every single classmate!

My head was mostly buried in the sand during WHS but I had a wonderful time with all of you but especially the guys I built forts, towers and rafts with. I'd do it all over again, except the second time around, I'd try to get all of the wonderful girls in our class to come along on our adventures, and if that didn't work, well, I'd build a few less rafts. Intellectually and socially Dartmouth College was difficult. I had the pleasure of watching John Thomas jump 7 feet, setting a world record in the high jump, on the day that I managed to clear 13' 3" in the pole vault. If I could do that all over again, I'd do less pull-ups and get a lot more involved in what a college has to offer. Upon graduating, I wanted to teach history and social studies in a diverse public school, and after getting an MA in teaching at the University of Nebraska, I got a job a Whittier Jr. High in Lincoln. Teaching, for me, turned out to be better as an idea then the reality of it (and I applaud all the great teachers in our class!). From the 8th grade to graduate students I was always bent on getting my students involved in "life-projects." Classroom management, per se, gave me ulcers. And my "life-projects" always got me into trouble. Eighth-grade, from the principal: "What do you think you're doing having these young people go house-to-house taking surveys?" Undergraduates UT-Austin, from the University President: "Are you really taking class time to have your students visit your free-school and your commune?" Graduate students, Universidad Centro Americana, Managua, Nicaragua, from the Dean: "Are you really taking your students into the gettos? Don't you know there's a revolution going on?"

In 1963, after my first year of teaching, I drove my VW bus to Yellow Knife in the Northwest Territories thinking I might teach there and build a fishing camp. Instead I went to graduate school at Stanford and then on to The University of Texas in Austin as an assistant-professor of social studies education. In 1970, after five years in Austin, I "burned-out" and headed South instead of North. The subsequent ten-years, homesteading in Nicaragua, expressed my adventure side to the max -- I'd do it all over again, only the second time, I'd probably be afraid! After Nicaragua, my twenty years founding and running Singles Outreach expressed my social side to the max -- I'm probably personally responsible for more than 1,000 marriages and many times more friendships. And through Singles Outreach I met my partner Ann, and she has been a true partner in work, adventure and love. Then, because of my Dad's wonderful old China photographs, taken during WWII, a whole new adventure is underway (and just yesterday I cast a line to Pakistan, which you can see on my website at: http://www.greggmillett.com/Karachi.htm).

This brings me to September 2006 when I was passing through Omaha and stopped by Westside to inquire about our 50th Reunion only to find out that nothing was happening. So, as you know, I took on the job of "WHS Class of '57 Networker." And I plan to keep the job after the reunion, so please keep in touch. And I wish to express special thanks to our classmates in Omaha (and Larry Myers, class of '58, and Larry's secretary Holli) for organizing the activities for our 50th Reunion.

I love hearing from each of you (and passing on the news) and look forward to our September gathering!

From Hugh Morrison, Coach
I have been putting this off hoping things might change but it's time to let you know that I will not be able
to attend the reunion. I find my two boys can not take time off from their work and I just do not feel secure to travel by myself. Time catches up with old people and we find that we cannot do the things we used to. I will be with you in spirit and be thinking about all the things going on at that time. I will miss seeing everyone and I must tell you I have enjoyed reading about the lives of the students that have been sent out. I have printed the stories out and have taken time to look up who they were in the 1957 WHS Yearbook. Hello to everyone and if any of you get down this way please stop in and see me. To you folks that live in Surprise and other parts of Arizona, please give me a call and give me a report on the reunion. Gregg, It was great to get to see you when we were in Omaha. I must tell you I think you have done a super job in organizing this with all your helpers. Sorry I will not be with you. My love to everyone. You people gave me some happy memories and good years of my coaching career. Thanks for the memories. Enjoy the time with your friends; they are precious. Words of an old one that can say I have had a great life and Westside High School has been a big part of it. Thanks again and have a good time. I will be thinking of you all. WHS old coach of many years ago.

From Jackie Lippold Tillotson
Since I was just "found" by Bev & Don Havlu a day and a half before I was scheduled to leave on a two month trip, my life story of the past 50 years is going to be pretty brief. Knowing that this was a milestone year, I should have contacted the WHS office & made plans to join you all. My husband (Mitch) & I were driving to Wisconsin about 4 summers ago & toured Omaha. I was amazed at the WHS of today, downtown Omaha etc. I have lived in Arizona since 1958 & had not been back to NE. since my mother died in 1986. Where to begin?

I married Neil Coffey (class of 57) & moved to Phoenix. Two sons later (both still live in Phoenix), I was playing a lot of tennis, involved with a women’s volunteer organization & doing "stuff", but felt like I needed to do "something". Not knowing quite what that was, I decided it would be fulfilling to go to college, but still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I ended up with a BA & a Masters from Arizona State University & went on to teach high school in Phoenix for 25 years. I taught at one school, Moon Valley High School, the entire time. I started my career as a Home Economics teacher & later went into the History Dept. I ended up teaching U.S. History & teamed with an English teacher who taught American Literature. Teaching was a good fit for me. Along the way, I earned a second Masters degree from Northern Arizona University. In counseling; just in case I might be bored in retirement I could work for some company in their human resource department.
A divorce had occurred & in 1979 I remarried. I met Mitch on a mountain top while hiking with a friend in preparation to backpack the Grand Canyon. He was a runner preparing for an upcoming race, & also a teacher / counselor in another district. I was also a beginning runner (only doing 3 miles a day at that point). but, he had a dirt bike, I had a dirt bike, I love to travel, he loved to travel. The rest is history. Teachers used to have a good-sized block of time off in the summer & we took advantage of every bit of it. The RV would be packed & we were ready to leave by noon Friday on the last day of the school year.

I retired in 1995. Mitch had retired in 1993, & in '93 we built a house in Tucson in an "active adult retirement area". It was perfect for us as we were RVing for six months each year after I retired. We have pretty well covered the U.S & Canada over the years. We lived in Tucson for 8 years, however decided that we preferred cooler weather & smaller towns. We also had a summer beach house in Washington during this time, which was fun, but too far away. Condensing a long story; we ended up moving to Flagstaff, Arizona, which is in the mountains at 7000 ft. elevation, small town, & loved it. You are probably wondering, "How then did you end up in Prescott, AZ. Another story, but this is probably the last AZ. move for us.
While living in Flagstaff we did a good amount of foreign \ travel, however we would both like to do South America / Antarctic, & I have Asia as a goal. We are currently back to the RV style of travel as we have a 14 year old black lab that needs to go with us. We are leaving for two months of travel in OR., WA. ID. & we will be jeeping in Utah with friends during the dates of the reunion.

I like variety, so I am pretty good at several hobbies & interests; but not great at anything. I enjoy photography; I paint & sew. On the more physical side I include Pilates, Tai Chi, Water Aerobics & work out with light weights. I like to walk / hike, but currently do more walking the old dog than anything. And, if you know what speed a 14 yr. Ol dog walks, you know it isn't aerobic.

I would love to see you all & could have been there with some advance planning.... You snooz, you loose as they say. I will be there for the next one!

From Janet Voss Golden
Oh it was soo much fun coming to Westside.. with my good friend and pal, Karen Nebergall. We did our share of 'splaining' to
Mary Hansen, Vice Principal... Pet Rocks and sailor hats with braids.. all leading to our being suspected of belonging to a "Secret Society".. loved it. Tee-Peeing our friends trees and learning how to 'inhale' without coughing! Westside gave to me the very best lifelong friends, many of whom continue to find their way into VA. into my home, and some fun adventures!

Family pressure was to 'finish college'... so I did it in 3.5 yrs... and whooped out the door to Minneapolis MN for 2 years and
into the business world, a brokerage firm. I had a great time there, joined the MPLS tennis club and played for 2 summers on clay courts, and living in a Girls' Club owned and run by the YWCA, making lifelong friends, and now enjoy fun reunions as often as possible. I moved to Wash D.C. where Terrill Ross was living, married to a great Metro TV announcer....and Mary Akin was living w/friends, and with whom we all three shared the tragic days of JFK's assassination. I met my future husband, Bill Golden. We settled in Arlington VA and within the first year had our wonderful son, Tim. Terrill agreed to be his Godmother, and we continue to celebrate his birthday(s) (27 Dec) having dinner and multiple toasts to his health at a favorite restaurant in Leesburg VA. Two tables of these lifelong friends came and danced at his wedding in 1998 as I have dance at their children's weddings..fun fun times. Tim and Margo have two children, Miss Carly (8 - going on 18) and Mr. Kyle (6- born to torment his sister and her friends). Both Carly and Kyle are good domino players, monoply players, Rummy Cubes is an all time favorite game, and Miss Carly has been taking Grammy to the cleaners playing Gin Rummy for years... !! Traditions abound, and Christmas Eve is ALWAYS at Grammy's with SNAPs, and the annual pictures with our paper hats. Carly & I get our nails done, often together.. girly-girl stuff!!

I did divorce Bill in 1984; in February 1992, Tim and I buried Bill in Arlington Cemetery. (I refer to myself as an "Ex-Widow".)

In about 1972, what was supposed to be a part-time job, I got involved in the negotiations with the labor unions to commence building the Washington D.C. Metro, and it was fascinating, exciting, and learned alot! I enjoy the construction world, and joined Women in Construction and represented that group on the Wash Building Congress Board of Directors for over a year, as the only woman on that board, not the first woman, but they could only manage to seat one woman at a time at the board table.... :-) I managed to flit in and out of other construction company(s) and learn more about that business. Finally, I got serious and went to work for a Govt Contractor and took contracting serious! I've worked both commercial and government contracts for over 30 yrs...and by moving about large telcon and IT companies built a toolbox that has depth and strength. Drained swamps, built way-stations, built towers and hung wave guide on towers and up inside buildings, contractually managed large email systems in its early infancy with Telenet later US Sprint, learned to work computer(s) (not my favorite thing); managed as both PM and contracting officer for govt contractors IT projects, and as a fluke, took a full scope poly (passed..amazed a few people) and have a coveted clearance status that has taken me all the way to the White House. In 11.5yrs with SRA (Industry thru Febr 2007), I was heavily involved in the renovation of the Pentagon, had two crews there on 9/11, and loss no one for which we have always been grateful! But 3 of my largest contracts were blown up! Before the end of that fateful day, the CO in Ft Monmuth NJ turned me on to start rebuilding, calling the project Phoenix Rising! PLUS, to build a telcon system in an empty office building in VA to house 3,000 Pentagon employees by the next Monday... we worked day and nite,and when those 3000 people went to their temporary office spaces, electronically and with secured-systems it was seamless to the outside world. yes, we received high praise from the Govt, but 'we' formed a bond as a team that will last a lifetime. I've worked with Kiewit out of Omaha on two large projects, and found them to be smart, midwest friendly, and very professional. Then, Fall of 2006, the CIA came calling, I had been working with them for over 6 yrs, and they needed experienced Contracting Officers. I interviewed with the opening line, "Do you know how
old I am?" They laughed and said 'we don't care about your age, we need you and your experience'. In four months they knew as much about me as my Mother had... may be even more... and 12 February 2007 I was sworn in as an Officer of the Intelligence Agency. I was hired to complete the competition on the second of 2 contracts, learn this program inside and out, all in 3 months and become the contracting officer and commit to 2 yrs on this program with this Team of people. I am very very lucky. This has been an incredible 7 months. Yes, tired, cranky, and stressed out at times, questioning my sanity, and some high blood pressure (that has come back to normal in the last month), and worked w/ some of the most highly skilled, talented, SMART, people in my life... hard charging and FUN!!! Yes, it has its rewards, This Team won the 2007 Director's Award and received the money and plague on 9/12/07.. my anniverary date.What a wonderful surprise. If I can stay healthy... no pills no meds, and continue to enjoy this run, the payoff is in 5 yrs I have health insurance for life that is reasonable
in price and comprehensive in coverage. Janet needs people, needs to have some place to wear her 10N Ferragamos&Brunos, and use her collection of handbags ... and have running around money!! I've planned to work until I'm 70, so what is 2.5 more years... if I'm having fun! The Agency wants me to think longer than 5 yrs... we'll see. I love to cook, and entertain and take cooking classes alot, Wms Sonoma thinks I own stock in the company w/all the stuff I own, and thought I would do that as a hobby w/their chefs in VA.

I paid $3K for a Leadership Coach to tell me what some folks had been saying for years: 'calling a Sr VP's Stooge a
worthless sack of 'manure' was very career limiting!!! But I did learn some very good discipline, how to express myself with grace and wit, and win over the tough Sr VPs. My career included several Midwesterners who as mentors, took none of my cheeky-sass, and taught me to work smart, at a very high level. I owe them alot. We midwesterners find each other, and do not have to explain where we are coming from... very refreshing overall.

It has been a full life, very happy and Blessed, with the joy of many friends, and of course my son and his family.. who live w/in 9 miles and add invaluble love, good times, the best hugs and total acceptance. I became an orphan in 1993, both parents died within 2 months of each other, and the metal was truly tested.

I am looking forward to this Reunion, to see Omaha and its incredible growth, not seen since 1992 - Reunion w/Julia, and we know this #50 is going to be really special!!! The letters and stories of all these classmates that Gregg and Julia, and others have been able to locate and share with all of us, is the best, the VERY BEST!!!!!! Thank you so much.

See you all in 2 weeks from tonight.... (this is a book.... stop when you get bored!!) Yes, I am bringing pictures.

From Jeanne Skeans Taylor
During my senior year at Westside, I met Bob Taylor from Plattsmouth. The following year we were married. Our first two sons, Scott and Mark, were born while we were living in Plattsmouthh. Both Bob and I started working at Western Electric. We later moved to Omaha and bought a house in the Millard area. Our third son, Kent, was born in '65. I can't tell you how busy the next few years were. There was Cub Scouts, Den Mother, Bob was a Webelo leader and coached Little League which all three boys played. It was no time and they were in High School. I decided to take a few classes at Metro Tech and received an Associate Degree in Computer Technology. The boys were off to school and careers. The are all married to wonderful girls and are doing just great. We have nine grandchildren, which includes two sets of twins, of course they are the greatest ever. We both retired from A.T.&T. (W.E.). Bob was a Layout Operator with 33 years of service. I was the Payroll Coordinator in the Data Center with 30 years of service. After visiting several places in the Southwest, we found a great place in New Mexico called Las Cruces. We love retirement and enjoy life, play lots of golf and have a great time.

It's been a good 50 years. Looking forward to the reunion. Can't wait to see and visit with everyone.

From Jerry Vaad
It's Monday morning, and I'm about to saddle up and get behind the wheel of a 77 passenger school bus and round up 24 little Native American runners and head for White River, SD, to a cross-country meet. This is my 18th year as physical educator, coach, athletic director, bus driver and "grandpa" to 200 Native American children who call St. Joseph's Indian School "home" for ninemonths of the year.

After graduating from Westside, I spent 2 1/2 years at Omaha University before opting to work for General Dynamics at Mead. In 1962, I moved to South Dakota and married Loaun early in 1963. I enrolled at Black Hills
State College that fall and completed my BS degree. I took a teaching/coaching position at Moorcroft, Wyoming, and finished my MS degree during the summer sessions at Montana State University. That was really my "time of glory" as I started a wrestling program and helped produce 24 individual state champs, one state team championship and six consecutive team runners up, plus was Wyoming's wrestling coach of the year. In 1976, after eleven years in Moorcroft, we decided to take the opportunity to move back to central SD where I taught and coached on the Lower Brule Indian reservation for 2 1/2 years while starting a small ranching operation with some of the registered Hereford stock produced by my father-in-law. That
was a decision that has kept us "humbled" as cattle prices fell and droughts hit! We eventually did a sell down to a small herd, and I became employed at St. Joseph's. It continues to be a blessing to work with the Native American children, and I have mixed emotions when I think about retirement in the next few years.

We have two children, Tracy and Travis, who are married and currently living near by, and each has two small children. Tracy and Bill have two boys, River John and Canyon Ray. Bill works on a large ranch, and Tracy is now employed at St. Jo's. Travis and Jenna have Nissi Nevaeh and Judah Jeremiah. Jenna is a massage therapist, and Travis continues to write country and
Christian music and has his first CD coming out soon. He has a small landscaping business, is a professional guide at two hunting lodges and works with a number of Christian sportsman groups. They have started Strait Arrow Ministries and also the Tipi Coffee Co., which helps support their ministry. Loaun and I have not been able to travel but have traveled vicariously through our children as both Tracy and Travis traveled the world with the Up With People performing group. Tracy traveled primarily in Mexico and Australia. Travis turned 21 in Russia and within a few days went on to sing a freedom song during UWP's performance in Estonia on the day that country declared their independence. Several years later he returned to
Russia to do mission work at childrens orphanages. Loaun has been a custom picture framer since the late 1980's. Both she and Tracy have been on QVC; Tracy taking "Best of Show" with her pheasant décor, and Loaun with the cookbooks she has authored. They have been active in showing wholesale products at major gift shows, in addition to owning and operating a deli, gift shops and an ice cream factory. But with the appearance of children/grandchildren, they have scaled down to an approved kitchen called the Bent Spatula.

Just a note: My brother Glenn, class of 60, just happens to be married to Gregg's little sister, Molly. They reside in Colorado where Glenn is a member of the Colorado State Legislature. I look forward to the reunion and seeing my Westside classmates and also Coach Morrison and the other instructors who were such a tremendous positive influence on my life.

From Joan Stolley Stamer

It’s been a while! I was a serious and studious person, so I mostly did my work and didn’t participate too much – although I did play volleyball and sing in the chorus – and it was a good time. Alice Gallogly was especially nice to me and I remember her fondly.

After WHS I went to Hasting College in teacher education. I married and had two children and now have five grandchildren and I’m very happy with my life. My daughter lives nearby and my son lives in Rodeo, New Mexico.

I live on the family farm and grow beautiful flowers and garlic -- actually you name it, I grow it! My e-mail is “garlicandmore.” And I sell at the local farmer’s market, however this year’s crop was not too good – root rot! I still work and I’m the lunch lady at Northwest High and I’m glad I can still throw dishes around.

Best to all; see you soon.

From Joan Wolfgram Neubauer
After graduating from Westside I attended the University of Omaha for a year. In 1958 my mother and I moved back to Minneapolis. I went to work for Minnegasco, the local gas utility. When the man told me I was hired I asked what my salary would be and he told me that within six months I would make over $300 a month. Well, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Over the next 38 years I did get a few raises and promotions so it did work out ok. In 1977 I married Ed Neubauer. In 1996 I retired and we moved to our cottage on Lake Wisconsin which is near the town of Lodi, Wisconsin. Lake Wisconsin is part of the Wisconsin River. December of 1998 Ed passed away. Now I spend my summers on Lake Wisconsin and during the winter months I go back to my condo in Bloomington, Minnesota. I have done a little traveling. Been on two cruises, gone to Norway twice to visit relatives and tour and a few other adventures. For the last few years I have worked with the Town of West Point Historical Society. West Point is the town I live in but is not listed on many maps.


From JoEllen Conley Elliott
Since I have enjoyed reading updates from class members, I decided I should make my contribution also. So here goes!

I arrived at WHS as a sophmore transfer from Benson High. My first activity was playing in the Softones Jazz Band. I wonder how Connie Bastow's parents put up with our "music"! I remember the football games, sporting our HEAVY red pep club sweaters. My parents thought the sweaters were too expensive but bought me one anyway. Little did they or I know I would wear that until we moved "south" in 2000! Sure wish I had it to wear to the football game for our reunion! We took cow bells to ring at football games; we wore poodle skirts and dog collars (around our ankles). I, too, remember the annual Christmas party at Julia Harvey's home "way out in the country" which was the hightlight of the holiday season. So glad you are coming to the reunion, Julia!

After WHS, I went to Iowa State where I met my husband to be, Lonnie. We lived most of our married life in West Des Moines where we raised 2 sons & a daughter. We have 3 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Since they are scattered (Atlanta, Kansas City, Ft. Collins) we chose to retire in Arkansas and get away from the cold and snow. We moved to Hot Springs Village in 2000 and are delighted with our choice! We have made many close friends through music, church, P.E.O., and square dancing activities. We are busier than when we were working --- and are having more fun too!

Thanks to those organizing the reunion! We plan to be there and look forward to seeing many of you there.

From Jolene Smith Dunn

Hi fellow classmates

I came to WHS in my sophomore year from Irvington High School and soon made many friends and I’m looking forward to seeing them again. Some of us have been talking by phone already.

I met my husband Ron Dunn in that freshman year. We were married June 21, 1957, just a few weeks after graduation, and this year we celebrated our Golden wedding anniversary. We were very fortunate to have all of our original attendants plus all of our family at our party. Lots of great memories were shared.

During HS, I worked at Skyview Drive-In theater, where I sold admission tickets (and sometimes let my friends in free). Then I went to Bradeis store part-time and after graduation, I worked there full-time until our first child was born and I became a stay-at-home mom and had 3 more children. In 1973 we moved to Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska to an acreage where we lived for 12 years. We raised farm animals which our kids showed at the country fair every year. Cedar Bluffs was a small school and the kids were fortunate to be able to participate in a variety of activities and sports.

By now, I was working full-time for Valmont Ind., until I was hired by the U.S. Post Office in Omaha in 1984, where I worked until I retired in 1999. When I went to the P.O., we moved back to Omaha since we would both be working there. Ron retired in 1997 after 35 years of working in many jobs in the P.O. and ended as a Post Master.

We have traveled some (wish it was more) and actually wint to Hawaii a few years ago. I love it and would go again in a heart beat, but we usually travel to see family and don’t have any in Hawaii.

Now our family – Our eldest Mike is an over the road truck driver for Zeitner (Margie, maybe you know him?). He absolutely loves it. He lives in Omaha with his wife when he’s home. He has an adult daughter in Fremont and his son just got out of the military after 2 tours in Iraq. What a relief to have him home! Dan lives in Omaha with his significant other and he has an 8th grader who lives in Omaha with his mom. His other son is grown and lives in Fremont with his mom.

Daughter Kim lives in Wahoo with husband Gale and their 4 kids, all in school. Kim followed in the family footsteps and also works at the Post office in Wahoo. Must be something in the genes!

Our youngest, Tom lives in Blair with wife Patty and their 3 kids, all still in school Samantha is in track and anything musical at school. The 2 youngest play sports, anything with a ball.

In January we made plans to spend the first week of October at our Time Share in Branson and we leave that Saturday morning to drive down there for a week. But I’m anxious to see as many of you as I can. I wonder who will recognize who???

Bye for now.

From Julia Harvey Appell
I came to Westside in the Fall of 1953 as a Freshman from a one room country school house out on 144th and Center. The school seemed so big and overwhelming and my goodness so many classmates. I had been the only one in my grade from 1st through 8th. I spent most of my freshman year watching all the activities and how everyone participated. The athletic events, the enthusiasm, and the cheerleaders caught my eye and I knew I wanted to be a BIG part of that scene. That spring I became a Cheerleader something that would define my High School experiences. I cannot think of all those activities without remembering my dad and the hours he spent driving me and my friends to football and basketball games throughout the next three years. He listened to our screams of joy when we won and tried to dry our tears went we lost. I think I remember every single member of our class and remarkably I liked everyone and had four of the best years of my life.

I went to college in California completing two years, married and during the next five years had four children. We were a happy suburban family of six living in Connecticut when in 1975 my first husband had a cerebral aneurysm. I was 35 at the time with four children and life changed dramatically for all of us. The children managed to grow up, get educations marry and have families of their own. I am blessed with six wonderful grandchildren who I spend as much time with as I can. My four children are all remarkable human beings with accomplishments that far outshine my own despite the adversity they encountered in their lives.

I have done Needlework all of my life and now teach various specialties for a shop in Glastonbury, CT. Along with that I have become a weaver and attend weaving seminars a couple of times a year. I am currently President of the CT chapter of the Embroiderer's Guild of American and also attend regional and national meeting of that organization.

I am most anxious to see each and everyone of you in Omaha the end of September. Please, please plan on attending as life gets away much to quickly and what we know today can be gone tomorrow.

See you all, love you!

From Judy Kovar VanDeripe
Dear Class of '57 -- Karen Morgan stole my opening line--I have enjoyed all the bios so I
thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth.

After graduatioin I attended Duchesne College in Omaha and then finished at Nebraska. My parents thought I was too young to send away. As I recall, Julia and I were the youngest, but she got to go to California! I got a BS in Ed. and taught in Bellvue for one year and then two and a half in Dist. 66. I had an opportunity to go to England in the fall of '63, but by then I met the man I was to marry. We married in June of '64 and in March of the following year we began a long series of moves around the country. Some were transfers/promotions, some job changes. We lived in Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, back to Chicago, Philadelphia and ultimately, St.Louis.

Along the way, we adopted two daughters; one in Mpls. through Catholic Charities, and one in Omaha, a private adoption. They are the light of my life. While in Phila., it became apparent that my marriage was falling apart so I went back to school, got an Associate Degree in Medical Records tech. passed the certification exam in St.Louis and began working in a hospital. The hospital needed a tumor registry to participate in a NIH cancer study and my boss said, do a Cancer Registrty". More education ,another certification and I managed to get my hospital certified as a Community Clinical Oncology Treatment Center by the American College of Surgeons. I learned so much and loved my job. I was divorced in '91 and in '96 met a truly wonderful man. Happy at last! He also has two daughters and between us we have 8 grandchildren. They all live here, except for my older daughter who lives in Louisville. We are traveling there the weekend of the reunion to see baby #3, born July 2.

My husband Don is an avid golfer. If you can't fight 'em, join 'em. I love the game and now know why parents so wanted me to play golf. I garden, see the grandchildren and play golf! What a life!

It was hard for me to transfer to Westside in the middle of my junior year. I felt pretty lost. Marnie Meyer was a true friend and if it wasn't for Terry Bell, I would not have had a social life.

I have been most impressed by the accomplishements of the Class of '57. I am glad that so many of us are still around, saddened by the passing of those who have gone on.

Best wishes to all of you.

From Judy Youngman Wigton
Dear Classmates,

It has been wonderful reading what you all have written. It’s amazing to learn of the huge range of great experiences among the members of one not very large class.

Apart from four years at college in Virginia, living a few months with Sherry in New York, 10 weeks of “Bug Camp” at the UNL Biological Field Station near Ogallala, and quite a bit of travel, I have been in Omaha. I found life here to be far more interesting than I ever would have dreamed possible when at Westside.

In 1962 I came back to Omaha and decided to start a shop with merchandise like I had seen in other cities and countries when I had been working with my father conducting tours. A couple of weeks later I ran into someone whom I had only once met for a few minutes. He asked me what I had been doing, I told him and he said, “That sounds great. Let’s go into business together.” I agreed.

We started with an art gallery and a design store selling crystal, china, silver, furniture, and many other things. Before long we added the first gourmet cookware department in this part of the country. We met a lot of wonderful people through the store, which we called The Afternoon (since we planned to only be open in the afternoon). After a year or two my partner, Cedric Hartman, thought we would have more business if we were in an area of other shops. Down in the old fruit and vegetable market around 10th & Howard there were quite a few vacant buildings because the big chain grocery stores had taken over and they did not need these small independent wholesalers. People were afraid to go to the area. Almost always some drunks were lying on the sidewalks. But the cast iron storefronts were still there and the high-ceilinged spaces inside, lighted by the tall windows, were very beautiful—and to us they looked promising. A “For Rent” sign was on the building which in now Nouvelle Eve.

I wrote down the number and made a call to the Mercer Management Company. A Mrs. Illsley told me that the owner, Mr. Sam Mercer, who was a lawyer in Paris, would be coming to town in a couple of weeks and that he would be happy to show it to us then. He did, and thus began about three years of discussions and meetings about the possibility of trying to get something going. At first I think he thought it was a mad idea, but he had a number of empty buildings for which he needed tenants. Sam’s grandfather, who had been a surgeon in the Civil War, came to Omaha and acquired quite a lot of property. Sam conveniently had a membership at the old Omaha Club, which we used for luncheons to which we would invite newspaper columnists, people from the Chamber of Commerce, etc. Sam would come to town and charmingly tell them about the possibilities in that area. Even though many people thought the idea was crazy, those meetings were persuasive. Finally at a dinner party I found the first tenant, The British Import Shop. Then another came and then Sam and Cedric thought they should start a restaurant to anchor things. So Cedric designed The French Cafe and Sam had a wonderful place to eat and entertain.

There was a special free opening night dinner to which we invited the mayor, the city councilmen, the county commissioners and all kinds of people that we felt would become customers and spread the word. Robin Axtell’s mother (who later started M’s Pub) helped me make the calls. I think that was the fall of 1968. It became a huge success. I remember meeting Gail Gray for a lunch there that lasted until 1 AM. It was very open and loose in those days with people coming and going all during the afternoon. Friends kept walking in and sitting down for a while at our round table near what used to be the front door. It was a special time in the life of the Market.

In those days there was an area in Chicago which was called Old Towne. People had begun to refer to us that way and we didn’t want that. I thought we should call it exactly what it was, the Old Market. The following week a political friend was holding a press conference. He encouraged me to come along and tell the press what we wanted it to be called. I did and from then on everyone DID call it the Old Market. I’m still amazed at how simple it had been to change the name.

Not long after that I received a call from a tenant who had learned the city was planning to do us a “favor” by covering our brick streets later that day with modern pavement. I just barely got that stopped.

Another thing that got stopped was the tearing down of the building where the French Cafe is now, along with some other buildings. When we were first inside that building, there was an enormous orange and blue S U N K I S T sign, which covered the entire length of the west wall of the building (where the photographs are today). This warehouse had been owned by Solomon Gilinsky who was an important man in the market. In his building an area remained where there had been a number of telephones, apparently for making bids on things like trainloads of grain. This building was not the Mercers’, but Mr. Gilinsky’s, and in the 1960s it belonged to his widow and his daughter, “Peaches.” Sam and Ced learned that it was going to be torn down and on a Sunday afternoon they met with Peaches in the lobby of the Blackstone Hotel, where she and her mother lived. When she heard what we were trying to do she said, ”Mr. Mercer, it’s the eleventh hour and the 59th minute. They’re to start tomorrow morning at 7 o’clock and, if necessary, I will lie down in front of the bulldozer and you can give this project a try .” I think it was about that time when Sam acquired the building from her, which became the French Cafe.

I remember a day in the late sixties when Sam said, “Maybe someday we’ll even have parking meters on these streets.” Only the Mercer family could have made all of that happen. There were some years, before the zoo expanded, when it was the top tourism site in the state. Of course it’s played a role in establishing the park which goes from the library down toward the river. . . and more recently in the riverfront development.

I’m grateful to have had a happy, interesting and exciting time staying here in Omaha.

And I’m especially happy to have married Jim Wigton in 1973.

It will be wonderful to see so many of you this weekend!

From Karen (Flavell) Neemann
Guess it's my turn. It's been really fun reading about all of the classmates.

I started WHS my freshman year transferring from Gretna. Enjoyed my four years with you all. I remember helping Pat Fisher with some studies in class. I doubt if Mr. Morrison remembers it, but one time I played an April Fool's joke on him, by asking him to go get a drink of water, and then coming back in and telling him someone was in the hall that wanted to talk to him. When he came back in, he politely told me to report to him after class for detention. I was upset all day as I rode the bus home and would miss my bus. When I showed up, he let me sit there for a few minutes and then said "April Fool's, you're excused!"

Jerry and I were married in '57. He worked for the Union Pacific RR and our first home was living in a box car, yep, I said a box car. If that wasn't interesting! Ha ha! Did that every summer and traveled wherever he was working on the tracks, until our children started school. We had three children, Tammy, Jerry Jr. and John. We lost our son, John in 1991; however, we have been blessed with four granddaughters and one grandson, plus four great grandsons and one great granddaughter, all of whom are a joy in our lives. Our Daughter, Tammy lives here and our son Jerry, lives in Ontario, California and works for the Cudl Credit services and travels all over the 50 states. We have lived in Nebraska mostly (Kearney, Omaha, North Loup and Ames, Neb.) We lived in Ames for 20 years as Jerry was Roadmaster at that time in Fremont. Jerry was run over by a 12-ton dump truck at a RR derailment in '75. He was off work for a few years and then went back to UPRR. He retired in l995 after 4l years of service.

We retired back here in North Loup. Jerry had a knee replacement in June of '06 and suffered a stroke. I brought him home and am taking care of him with the help of our daughter, as he is completely bedridden. Thus, my reason for not attending the reunion. However, I will be thinking of you all and know that you will all have lots of fun. All of you stay well and I wish God's blessings upon each of you.

Thanks Carolyn & Jolene for calling me. Have fun!

From Karen Nebergall Morgan
I have enjoyed reading the bios from classmates so much that I thought I would put in my two cents worth. I, too, was a transfer student from Benson, along with Janet Voss. We had a ball didn't we Janet? After graduating (and teepeeing the school) I went to KU and a girls school in Wash. DC where I met my dear husband. While he went to pilot training in the Air Force I flew for Braniff Airline. We married after his graduation and moved to Newport News, Va. Our first son was born there. Threats of a tour in Viet Nam sent us to Texas where our daughter was born. They finally caught up with him and off he went to Viet Nam for a year's tour. I gave birth to our third child(a son) while he was gone. Thank goodness for my mothers help. He was very fortunate to be able to resign his regular commission and in 67 he went to Portland, Ore. to work for IBM. What a wonderful company it was. Our fourth child (another boy) was born there and we all took up skiing and resumed our golf and tennis. We had a short stint in San Francisco and moved to Olympia, WA.. for 9 years. Loved living there but hated the rain. We have since moved to Raleigh, NC and plan to stay here forever. Since my husband retired we have played a bunch of golf, travel a lot and love to play duplicate bridge. Our children live in Philly area, Charleston, SC., St. Louis and Bend, Oregon. We love traveling to visit them and our ten grandchildren. We have family reunions pretty regularly...usually here at the North Carolina beach. January and February we go to Naples, Fla. to escape winter. I don't like cold weather....love the heat. I'm bringing pictures....hope you all are as well.

Over the years I have modeled, taught modeling and fashion show production and after moving here I went into tutoring English reading and math, mostly to under privileged children. Our faith has brought us through the recent news of my husband's diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. It is considered "smoldering" so no treatment yet. Praise God!!!

Look forward to seeing all of you again.

From Kathy Murray Eccles
I transferred to Westside in May of my freshman year from Hinsdale, IL. I was happy to meet some people before the school year was out.

After graduating from Westside I headed to Lawrence College, a small liberal arts school in Wisconsin. That’s where I learned I should have been more focused on my studies in high school. My parents were transferred to Milwaukee that fall and consequently I did not return to Omaha. I transferred to the University of Wisconsin in Madison after 1 ½ years and got a degree in elementary education.

The lure of California took me, and a good friend, to Stockton, CA for my first teaching job. It was not the most desirable town, but the location was good and we saw a lot of Northern CA. After one year I returned to teach in Madison.

In 1964 I married Bill,an art teacher, and we had three children. We moved to a more rural location outside of Madison in 1973. For a city person it was indeed very dark at night and a new experience since occasionally neighbor’s cows encircled the house. I still live here and love it.

In 1972 a friend and I saw a small one bedroom home for sale and we wanted to buy it and fix it up. Since we were unemployed we had to have our husbands take out the mortgage which was not really the idea but the means to an end.

We worked daily for a month to get it fixed up with the idea of eventually trading it into larger units. We only got as far as trading into a new duplex and that duplex we sold last week. Lots of interesting people lived there in the 35 years. During that time I did get a real estate brokers license but that was not the field for me.

Then in 1982 I saw an ad in the paper by Mattel Toys. They hired me and I worked in the retail service division part time for ten years. Then I became a District Manager. I had my office in my home and I managed people in 13 states. I traveled to those states working with people at least twice a year, to the headquarters in Los Angeles twice a year and yearly to Toy Fair in New York. I spent ten years doing that.. It was an absolutely wonderful company to work for. However enough nights sleeping in the Chicago airport, late flights and lost luggage and I retired in 2002. It seems like just yesterday. I love retirement.

My husband died in 1995 of an asthma attack. My children all live in the Madison area with my 5 grandchildren. I see them just the right amount.

I am a Wisconsin Badger Fan and have season tickets for basketball and try my best to go to every game.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone and becoming reacquainted after these 50 years.

From Kathryn Rydberg Gaver
.After graduating from WHS I went to Grinnell College with Carol Eaton,and as she reported, we were roommates that first year. I was not a liberal arts student, and although my family has had a long history with Grinnell, I transferred to the Kansas City Art Institute, graduating in 1962 with a BFA in interior design. I came back to Omaha working at Orchard and Wilhelm doing the in store design.

The best part of this job experience was that I met John Gaver. I joined the design studio at J.L. Brandeis and was working there when John and I got married in 1965. John graduated from UNO with a civil engineering degree and was working for Gibbs ,Hill, Durham and Richardson and we intended to stay in Omaha forever but his draft board was closing in on him.

He joined the Air Force and after officers training we went to Japan for three years where our first son was born. After Japan, John had a year,s tour in Vietnam and I came back to Omaha. Our next move was to Scott AFB in Illinois. Our daughter was born in 1972 while we were at Scott. We liked the area and John decided to resign his commission and we moved to St. Louis. Our third child, a son, was born while we lived in St. Louis.

We loved St. Louis and John was working as a general contractor. My brother was in FL, and the construction business was booming in FL and he kept encouraging us to move. In 1983 we did move to Tampa and we're still living there. I've continued my interior design interests when my kids were in school, and off and on when opportunities came along, and I'm still doing a project. I've been a volunteer at The Tampa Museum of Art since we moved here and I'm in a group of women artists that raise money to give scholarships to women majoring in the arts. I'm busy with neighborhood clubs and play bridge when I can.

John's always been a Big Red fan and all our kids are Gators so on the occasions when they've met on the footbal field it's gotten ugly for a bit. Fortunately for us all of our children live in Jacksonville and we have five grandchildren which we get to see often. Great fun!

John's parents are still in Omaha and my brothers and I have farms in Iowa so se get to the mid-west fairly often. See you soon.

From Leon Engelbart (teacher)
I spent 20 years in Dist. 66 starting in l951 at Underwood High School.While at Westside I wore many hats, basketball coach, industrial artsteacher, counselor, department head and Director of vocational and adulteducation. My wife, Maurece, did susbstituting, tutoring, and taught math at Westbrook and Arbor Heights Junior High School. Later I was granted a
sabbatical leave to get my Doctorate and then remained two more years atWestside. In l97l I moved to Ottumwa, Iowa where I was campus director at Indian Hills Community College. In l976 I moved to Norfolk where I became Dean of Instruction at Northeast Community College. After retirement I remained in Norfolk where I am active in Rotary, Ambassadors of the Chamber of Commerce, Library Foundation, and City and County Planning Commissions. I headed a Habitat for Humanity house for our Church in 2002.

Our travels have taken us to all 50 states, all provinces of Canada and many foreign countries. In addition we have enjoyed going to 28 Elderhostels. Two years ago we went to Tanzania on a vision trip with our Nebraska Synod of the ELCA and this summer we spent 3 weeks in Spain. While there we visited our granddaughter who was teaching at a University in Cuenca.

We have three children, Kristy Damkroger is a kindergarten teacher at Swanson elementary in 66, Kelli Rolfsmeyer lives in Sioux Falls and is married to Rick, a surgeon there. Our son Kirk works for the Army Corps of Engineers and lives in Bellevue. We are presently enjoying watching his son Brett play football for Bellevue West HS.

We have seven grandchildren, one granddaughter in her third year of Dental School at U of Nebr. and recently married. Her sister is in her second year of medical school at Nebr. two grandchildren attend UNL, Alison who was teaching English in Spain and her brother who heads Werner Transportation's office at Sears corporate headquarters in Chicago. Maurece and I both grew up near Lincoln and have been going to Nebr. football games since elementary school. We recently celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary.

It has been interesting to read the bios of the Class of l957 and we are grateful to Gregg and his committee for the hard work that they are putting into this reunion. We will see you at the Market Basket at Countryside Village on Friday night and then skipping out to attend the Bellevue West football game and the UNL game in Lincoln the next day.

From Marny Meyer Yenzer
The first thing I remember about leaving home at 18 was "No parents". I had the freedom to do as I pleased which meant too many parties and not enough studying. In spite of myself I managed to graduate from Washburn University with a degree in Biology.

I met my husband, Dale, at college and we were married as soon as I graduated. For the first few years we moved around a lot, living in Kansas, Missouri, Florida, Texas, and we finally settled in Tennessee where we have lived for the last 35 years.

We have two children--Vicki, age 44, and David, age 42. We also have three gran