Travels to Waseca

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

I read in a recent issue of the Waseca County News (12/16/08) that John Bendix, legendary Waseca High School teacher, is teaching a class this year as a volunteer. He taught 43 years fulltime, 7 years parttime, and now he’s teaching for no pay because he realized the school wouldn’t let him continue to teach on a parttime basis because of budget problems.

Bendix was presented with the Book of Golden Deeds Award by the Exchange Club for his teaching dedication and generous service to the community.

Way back in the 60s Bendix touched my family when he stepped way out of his teacher box and asked my father if we could help out a family friend who needed help. My father agreed. In case you don’t know it, John Bendix really is a very special person. The Waseca schools and the Waseca Community are lucky to have him.

John Bendix began his 50th year of teaching at Waseca High School this year. The history teacher started his Waseca teaching career in 1957 following his 1957 graduation from St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN. I’ve heard some stories about how Mr. Bendix touched lives during his career. Care to share your Bendix story or your story of how other teachers or administrators touched your life?

Tracy Kopetzki, Waseca High School English teacher, was chosen by students as the Crystal Apple recipient for 2007. The annual honor is given by WHS students to their pick of the school’s outstanding teacher for the year. Congratulations, Tracy!

The Waseca school board is considering the future of the Waseca Area Learning Center (WALC) because of the expense of the program. Deanna Bendix (wife of former WHS teacher John Bendix) wrote an article from the perspective of the at-risk students being served by the program for the Waseca County News.

I suspect Ms. Bendix’s perspective on the topic was influenced at least a little bit by her husband. I know at least one story of how Mr. Bendix personally went out of his way to help an at-risk student during his teaching years before there was such a thing as the WALC. There are undoubtedly other stories about Mr. Bendix and other teachers. Care to share?