Travels to Waseca

The attendance was sparse but a good time was had by all when metro area Wasecans, and other Wasecans, gathered September 15th at the Creeks Bend Golf Course near New Prague for an afternoon of golf followed by a lunch and social. The weather was great; the course was great; the golf was fair.

If you’re interested in attending future events for Wasecans living in the metro area (or if you’re willing to travel to the metro area for an event), please email us to be added to the list to be contacted.

The Waseca Athletic Hall of Fame has announced five new members to be inducted this year. This will give the Hall 34 members since its beginning in 2005.

This year’s inductees are Mike Larson (1983), Greg Vilt (1987), Bill Lechner (1961), Jacob Conway (1996) and the Waseca High School 1990 State Champion Baseball Team.

Mike Larson was a three-sport athlete, earning 7 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. Greg Vilt, a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball earned 8 varsity letters. Bill Lechner was a Student Manager for football, basketball and track, earning 10 varsity letters. Jacob Conway earned 9 varsity letters as a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track. The 1990 Waseca High School Baseball Team is the only boy’s athletic team of modern time to win a state championship.

This year’s induction banquet will be held September 26 at the Waseca VFW Club. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and program at 6:30 p.m. The new inductees will also be recognized during half time at the Homecoming Football Game.

Banquet ticket cost is $20 per person and includes your choice of rib eye steak or chicken breast over wild rice.

Tickets can be purchased at the Waseca High School Activities Office or by calling Scott Shafer at 507-835-5535.

The initial Hall of Fame class included Jo Arvesen, Manny Beckmann, John Bendix, Jerry Cawley, Monte Dufault, Gene Glynn, Shyde Krause and Tink Larson. The 2006 class included Wayne Breck, Steve Cunningham, Rolf Iversen, Jami Jager, Jason O’Brien and Jerry Slattery. The 2007 class included Charles Dunn, John King, Bob Johnson, Jill Hanson, Amy Buschow, Joel O’Brien and Bruce Wessman. Last year’s inductees included Dwain “Whitey” Aamot, Lisa Broughton, Dr. Al Rieck, Todd Mann, Don Miller, Roger Paschall, Terry Gilbertson and the 1918 State Champion Boys Basketball Team.

A golf scramble and social gathering for Wasecans at the Creeks Bend Golf Course near New Prague is being planned for Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Although the details haven’t been finalized, it’s planned that the tee time for golf will be about noon and the social gathering will begin about 5 p.m. People who don’t want to golf are invited to attend just the social gathering. We need more golfers!

The purpose of this event is to get as many Wasecans as possible together in the Twin Cities metro area to have some fun and share “old times.” If you’re interested in attending, please email Dick Sommerstad or call him at 612-865-9933.

Please pass this information on to the Wasecans you know and have them email or call Sommerstad to register for this event or to be added to a list of Wasecans who will be contacted for future events.

We’re looking forward to this September outing for Wasecans and we hope to see you there.

Creeks Bend Golf Course

WASECA, Minn. — Boyd Fuller has received the Personal Service Award from the University of Minnesota, Waseca and Southern School of Agriculture Alumni Association. The association also gave its Minnesota Ag Award to Harlan Holmquist, the retired executive director of Farmamerica.

Fuller and Homlquist will be honored Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. during a ceremony on the Farmamerca grounds in Waseca.

I spent last weekend in Waseca with my WHS59 classmates celebrating our 50 year reunion. Many of us arrived on Friday and lunched and socialized at the Boat House in the afternoon and had dinner at the Starfire Grill at the Miller Armstrong Building.

Saturday we again met at the Boat House for lunch. Early in the afternoon classmate Sharon Connolley Batt mustered a crew to create floral bouquets for the tables from flowers she donated. Later in the afternoon, Supt. Rottke led our classmates on a tour through Central School where he gave us souvenir pieces of the stair railing. Following the tour, we met up with Mrs. Elaine Fox (nee Biese), our kindergarten teacher, and had our photo taken on the steps of the main entrance. The photo replicated our 1947 kindergarten graduation photo.

Saturday evening we had our reunion dinner at the Miller Armstrong banquet room on 3rd floor. (I’d highly recommend the facility for smallish reunions and other events.) Forty-three classmates of our 66 living classmates attended, plus many spouses and companions. Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Elaine Fox were honored guests. Dick Sommerstad, class vice president, was master of ceremonies and speakers included Bruce Dowlin, class president; Larry Olson, class speaker; Knut Gerlach, our German foreign exchange student and the first AFS student at Waseca High School. Mrs. Fox spoke and distributed our Kindergarten Graduation Program to kindergarten graduates.

Sunday morning we met for brunch at the Starfire Grill before parting company. It was great to see all my classmates.

Paul Andrejewski, a long-time Waseca High School teacher and coach died this past week. Other than having Mr. Adrejewski as a homeroom teacher in junior high, I didn’t have a class with him but I did have him as a wrestling and tennis coach. To say he didn’t know much about wrestling or tennis would be an understatement but, in spite of that, some great wrestlers and tennis players emerged from his programs.

We had invited him to attend our WHS 1959 50 year class reunion later this summer. He will be missed.

Here’s a link to his obituary: http://www.asimas.com/ASIMAS/kohlmcraith/obituaryDescription.jsp?domain_id=322&deceased_id=197666

Gertrude McLoone Brozik recently celebrated her 104th birthday at the Atria Bayside Landing senior living facility in Stockton, CA. Gertrude was the wife of Joseph Brozik, her high school sweetheart. Here’s a link to the story:

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090107/A_NEWS/901070314

I’m sitting here listening to and occasionally watching the live feed of the Canvassing Board’s review of challenged ballots in MN’s U.S. Senate race. What a fascinating process and moment in MN history. The process is laborious but, in my opinion, it’s working. If you’re interested in following it yourself, here’s the link to the Star Tribune’s live feed while the Canvassing Board is in session:

http://www.startribune.com/video/?ls1=1?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUycaEacyU

One of the highlights of the All-School Reunion weekend for me was the Trowbridge Park Reunion. The reunion was the brain-child of Judy Loomer Giese and anyone who considered themselves part of the Trowbridge Park neighborhood was invited.

Trowbridge Park Reunion on Saturday, July 5, 2008, during the All-School Reunion (l to r): Donna Lutgens Hansen, John Bendix, Chuck Lucas, Korrinne Kanne, Vernon Ferch, Jane Lucas, Dale Paulson, Jane Ferch Kroeger, Carol ‘Cookie’ Olson Rausch, Mike McLoone, Karen Kanne Kolas, Stephanie Crawford Kadrie, Jerry McLoone, Susan Hackett James, Betty Guyer Rafferty, Sharon Guyer Weckwerth, Bob Koehler, Judy Loomer Giese, Tom Engel, Don Loomer, Dale Lucas, Steve McLoone. Others from the neighborhood who I know came to the park during the gathering but weren’t in the photo were Carol Powell Wobschall, Rachel Wobschall, and Jim Geraghty. Other Wasecans who came to the park from outside the neighborhood were Dennis Anderson, Jim Torbert, Roger Volkmann. And, of course, there were spouses.

Carol ‘Cookie’ Olson Rausch and Don Loomer chat at the Trowbridge Park Reunion.

Carol Powell Wobschall tries to ’splain something to someone while daughter Rachel Wobschall talks to someone at the Trowbridge Park Reunion.

Three McLoones at the Trowbridge Park Reunion: Steve, Mike, and Jerry.

Bob Koehler, Vernon Ferch, Dale Lucas, Dennis Anderson, and Jane Ferch Kroeger at the Trowbridge Park Reunion.

  Waseca will be the site of the 58th Annual Waseca Sleigh & Cutter Festival, beginning this weekend. Events are scheduled February 1 – 3   &   5 – 10   &   15 – 18, 2008. There should be sufficient snow this year. For more information on the festival, check out their web site: Sleign ‘N Cutter Festival I drove down to attend the Ice Harvesting on Clear Lake last year only to discover it had been cancelled due to the extreme cold weather that day. I may try to see it again this year. It’s scheduled for 9-2:30 on Wednesday. The weather is expected to cooperate. The Ice Harvest is an educational event sponsored by the Waseca County Historical Society.If I go, I plan to have lunch at the Boat House. Stop in and say ‘Hi’ if you’re in the area. 

I received my Waseca 2008 All-School, All-Year Reunion registration materials in yesterday’s mail. If you are an alumnus of a Waseca school and don’t receive your registration packet soon, contact me to be mailed or emailed a packet or download the registration forms that I’ve posted on the Waseca Alums site at www.WasecaAlums.com.

Congratulations to Mark Engesether for being named Waseca High School’s ‘Teacher of the Year.’ Engesether was nominated for the honor by Judy Boehme, a colleague who teaches English and social studies.

Five Bluejay football players were named to the South Central Conference All-Conference football team: seniors Jimmy Loonan, linebacker/running back; Andrew Beckmann, offensive/defensive lineman; Cavit Wobschall, offensive/defensive lineman; and Levi Fossen, quarterback/defensive back. Senior Josh Conrath, offensive/defensive lineman, was named to the honorable mention team.

Waseca High School MVPs for the Fall 2007 season are Brandon Kingston, cross country; Jimmy Loonan, football; Richie Gullickson, soccer; Stephanie Possehl, cheerleading; Ashley Wobschall, swimming; Allison Streich, cross country; Brianna Nelson, volleyball; Brianna Miller, soccer; and Bayli Nelson, tennis.