Category: Family News

Sorry I missed the Class reunion. Dave is doing such a great job on the web page that when I saw the pictures I was truly jealous of those who got to attend. I had hoped that the timing would be different than it was but, oh well. My table was really full this summer. I traveled to various locations and was on my way back from California the weekend of the reunion and I think Julie preferred that I come home. After traveling for nearly six weeks I was ready to be home.

Our lives in Florida are very good. Ben our oldest, is a senior at the University of Florida studying MicroMaterials Electronics Engineering. He graduates in May and can start supporting himself, Our youngest is going to be a freshman in high school. He will be attending the same school that I teach at. Julie is a case manager at the same hospital she has worked at since we moved here. I teach computer science, all levels, in probably the best job in the school. I also keep active in school activities. I sponsor a computer competition club that has won several competitions and I announce the varsity football games. I am also actively involved in technology at our school.

We occasionally get back to Iowa but the times between trips get longer. We love the weather here especially in the fall and winter. It was really nice here last January for the Orange Bowl, which we attended, for the 60,000 Hawkeyes here. There is a possibility that Julie will be going to their 30th reunion next year if any of the class of 74 happen to be reading.

Just one last note for those of you that remember my mom. She just retired this month and if you happen to be in town, stop on and say hello, she would love to see you.

All from Florida

Arnie Moore

Hi David ;

I couldn’t make the reunion, but really appreciate your efforts to keep the website going, and posting the pictures from the “bash”. Isn’t aging an amazing process!?

Noticed I hadn’t updated you on our address change and other items of probably limited interest for the bulletin board, so here goes:

Tami (Tami Thompson, Class of ’74) and I have been married for 26 years, and have two great kids – Chris 16 and Nicole 13. Chris has had a semi successful career for two years as an actor and model (gets his looks from his mom). The only downside is that we have to spend time in LA as there isn’t as much work in Phoenix. Nicole is a Jr. High Cheerleader, gymnast, and great student.

I am the President/CEO of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce (since 1998), new home to the Phoenix Coyotes NHL Hockey Team, the NFL Arizona Cardinals, and the Fiesta Bowl. Helping with the marketing of the move of these professional sports entities to our city has been an exciting time. We are currently in the process of building two huge arena/stadiums. Fun stuff.

We recently bought a small ranch and built a custom home in the foothills about 45 miles north of Phoenix. Tami manages the “ranch” and works part time for our building contractor as a design consultant. She is currently helping them acquire a small resort near Flagstaff, Arizona that we hope will be a summer haven/ semi-retirement job for us in a few years. I am rapidly growing tired of the political/corporate rat race and hope to get out in a couple of years.

Life is pretty good otherwise here in the southwest. Once the resort is whipped into shape, we’ll offer classmates smokin’ vacation deals at their very own Arizona Vacation Paradise!

Hope all went well for your daughter, David. Keep up the good work!

Don Rinehart

Dave,

Gee, seeing that you’ve been maintaining a web site for our West High class for 7 years, I definitely feel like a late-comer to the party!  Well, I must admit to always having felt just a little out of step….SO – secondly, sorry to have heard after the fact that there was a reunion planned this weekend.  In all honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to make it, but still, would have been nice to been invited!  Actually, what I suspect happened is that, even though you have my address correct, a few years ago the Post Office in its infinite governmental wisdom decided to change our zip code, and are now at the point that mail with the old zip code is being returned.  aarrgghh…..

But, better late than never, here’s the scoop on my life from the last 30 or so years.  I have been living in Anchorage, Alaska for the past 12 years with my husband of 22 years, Bob Raven, our 2 children, Abby (18) and Stuart (15).  I own a toy store, Over The Rainbow Toys, that I’ve had for 10 years now, and that specializes in fun, creative, open ended, developmental toys.  In other words, GOOD toys, as opposed to those advertised on Saturday morning cartoons and pitched at ToysRUs.  My husband is a geologist (we met while both in school at U of I geology dept, where I got both a BS and MS.  So now I sell toys…).  With the different oil companies he worked for, we moved around several times, making the rounds of the oil patch – New Orleans, San Francisco, Dallas, London, and then when we landed here in Anchorage, decided to stay put for awhile.

My kids are great – Abby graduated from high school this years, and is still undecided as to what to do next.  She is a very talented artist, and loves to sing, but realizes those might not be life skills to support herself on, so she’s taking some time to think and just work a while.  Stuart is a VERY talented musician.  Has played the piano since grade school.  Recently, he has started the tenor sax, and is becoming the sax player I always wished I was good enough to be.  He’s playing the horn I bought after graduation, back when I though I had a chance of making it as a music major!  (I didn’t make it half way through Freshman Theory!)  Turns out, it was a great horn I bought back then, now considered a classic, and coveted by his instructors!

I make it back to Coralville every year or so, to spend time with Mom & Dad, so I often hear bits and pieces of news through the grapevine.  That’s how I heard about the reunion – Kathy Murphy stopped up to the house and talked to mom.  (Thanks, Kathy!)  And other bits of news – like Arnie Moore was at my sister Lynn’s birthday party…and mom sees Debbie Harris’s mom….and so on….I was home earlier in June, and had Stuart enrolled in the U of I Music dept. Jazz Band camp for the week.

My store website is www.overtherainbowtoys.com.  On there is a link on the bottom that says ‘Janet’s Family.”  Unfortunately, the pictures there haven’t been updated for a couple years.  Stuart is my primary web master (he build the majority of my site) and sometimes it’s hard to get him to do stuff for mom…..

It’s been fun reading through the posts from the past few years.  Would love to hear more news of my friends from school.  I have definitely fallen out of the loop.  Looking forward to hearing more.

Janet Gregory

ps – I always recommend to people the get the full overtherainbowtoys in the web address….if you go to rainbowtoys.com, or overtherainbow.com, you might not like what you get……..

Hi Dave:

Missi Strub contacted me out of the blue and told me about this website and the upcoming reunion. While I will not be able to make the reunion, I do have some updated information for you. My name still remains Paula Tipton Wallin.

I am a single mother of a 17 year old and a 16 year old, working as an attorney for a firm that specializes in work for local government entities. I handle all the transactional work for the various municipalities, fire departments and school boards we represent in the State of Illinois. In addition I am the hearing officer for municipalities and zoning boards. In my free time, I am designing and weeding the gardens! Additionally, we have a 1-1/2 year old Mastiff and 4 cats that keep us “active.” Thanks for the web site. It’s a great idea and I am glad to finally know about it.

Paula Tipton Wallin

Dave, 

Love this website! Bonnie Weldon led me to this and I’ve had a blast reading what everyone has sent in. Steve and I are still together after 30 years and living quietly in rural NE Iowa in a restored 100 year old farmhouse. Please add us to your list of e-mail addresses. I’d love to correspond with anyone out there! Steve and Deb (Nortmann) Tyer at sdtyer@iowatelecom.net Looking forward to the reunion–hope to see you there!

Deb

Hi everyone,

Wednesday, the packers come and then move us on the 19th. I went for one last round of tests and doctors visits and got a clean bill of health from all. So I will change to Kaiser insurance when we move because that’s what Dennis has through his work. I was very thrilled that my bone scan actually came back “normal” this last time…..all seemingly due to the glucosamine chondroitin that I’m taking and has worked on what was, evidently, arthritis in my neck. They are convinced that the spot in my thoracic spine is a little collection of blood vessels and normal. Sounds great to me!

We will not have our computer up and running from the 18th to about the 28th of June because they won’t connect the DSL for 10 days or so after you get your new phone service.

Stay in touch.

Love,

Patty

Since 1973…..wow, a long time ago.  I went to the U of I and graduated with a B of Science through the Physician’s Assistant Program in the medical school there.  I married Dennis McBride in 1980 who I had met while he was going to medical school and I was in PA school.  We moved to California where he did his residency program in ObGyn and I started working in San Francisco.

Currently we live in a bedroom community about 1 hr. north of SF and I work in a family practice clinic up here.  I have two great children, Katie who is 16 and Graham who is 11.  My world was turned upside down about a year and a half ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  But, I’ve been through everything….surgery, chemo & radiation and seem to be fine now.  I’ve come to appreciate my life & family all that much more since this experience.  I feel blessed.

Thanks for all of the updates. I was just browsing the website and noticed that my work email you have listed is changed. I got “reorganized” again and have landed back at the company I was working at before. They “reorganized” my job out and are now “reorganizing” it back in! Crazy world.

Just a little update on my world- our middle son/step-son, Nathan, has just completed one year in the Marine Corps. He is stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC but was just deployed this weekend to the Caribbean. He finished basic just before 9-11, his MOS is assault vehicles, so we have been concerned that he would be deployed to combat zones. But we are very proud of our Marine, Semper Fi and Ooorah! The rest of the family is “broiling” here in Arizona!

Sheila (Potter) Cole

I have been doing what I have always done, fixing shoe and leather stuff. I got married to a St. Paul girl in 1975.I’ve lived here since 1974 , first in Minneapolis, then St. Paul in ’75.

I’ve owned a shoe shop in the Midway area of St. Paul for over 14 years.

I worked in the shoe repair, and shoe making business since I worked first at Roger’s Shoe Service when they were on College St. downtown, the I worked at Smitty’s down on lower Gilbert St. for over 4 years. I worked at a shoe factory that made custom outdoor boots.

One fun time I had was to do shoe work for the Grumpy Old Men movies. I just happened to be in my shop at 7:30 on a Monday morning when they called. The rest is history.

I have 2 sons, 24 & 19. My oldest was the athlete that I only wished to be. 1st conference in both football and baseball at Johnson High school in St Paul. He now is in the TV sports of Fox Sports, doing Camera work, and directing the St. Paul Saints Minor League Baseball broadcasts. Also Camera work for both Twins, and Vikings. Wow!

I still play the organ for church, and my wife sings.

My youngest son is a sophomore at Northwestern Bible College in Roseville, Minnesota. He is the assistant editor for the college newspaper.

I still like photography. I have used it for my website for my shoe repair business (Okay, I used templates, But I am still learning!)

My wife Mücki and I moved to Switzerland (we live on Lake Zürich in Küsnacht, about 5 km from the city of Zürich). I have been working for a Swiss IT company since August 1999 called Comicro-Netsys.

Hope everything is fine in Iowa City. Haven’t had a chance to come back there since 1996. Hang in there and thanks for the work with the site.

Yours,

Dan Hackmann