In Memoriam

WHS Class of 1956

Cleola	Arent	January 31, 2003	Born 12/30/1938. "Cleola knew and "spoke" all five of the love languages fluently: Word affirmations (the best and most frequent letter writer I have ever known!); gifts (you would have loved her as your personal shopper!); quality time (always a big happy smile and ready to be truly with you!); acts of service (she always amazed me at her ability to show up and pitch in so many places with so many people!); and touch (she gave wonderful bear hugs!). God's gift to her was no suffering. She finished chemo treatments for breast cancer in November. No one knew that it had spread to the brain. Four days before her death, in her thoughtfulness, she mailed us a letter to New Jersey because she knew we would be out there. We read that happy letter of her recent trip to Yuma. We cherish that letter now. Without warning, she felt some severe pain in her head. Two hours later she was gone. Rog and I traveled to California the second week of March to help spread her ashes into the Pacific Ocean from her son's boat. She left behind husband Joe, son Joey (a commercial fisherman in the Santa Cruz area), his wife Raina, granddaughter Lauren, son Glenn, granddaughter Makaila, grandson David. To know Cleola was to love her. She is making lots of smiley faces wherever she may be, I'm sure. May her memory live on through us." P. Arent
Beverly	Beaudette	July 24, 1990	Born:  12/30/1938. Married to Frank Tischler. Bev had 4 daughters. She was employed part-time as office secretary at the Church of St. Odillia. She and her husband enjoyed bowling.
Robert	Benz	July 21, 2009	Born February 21, 1938. Robert Otto Paul Benz passed away on July 21, 2009. He resided in California and died from pulminary disease. He had this condition when he was in MN for his WHS class 50^th reunion. Bob owned a real estate group (Pacific Real Estate Group) selling and managing buildings. He was a graduate of St, Thomas University with a Masters Degree in business and also served in the Marine Corps, stationed out of Camp Pendleton, CA.
Joy	Bolin		Joy and her husband, G. Wyatt, had a son. Joy also had 4 children through a prior marriage with her first husband who died in 1969.
Bill	Budman	May 17, 2003	Born:11/30/1938. "Bill Budman passed away on May 17, 2003.  He died of Pulmonary Hypertension.  It was a second marriage for both of us and we had been together 28 years.  I, of course, miss him very, very much. " K. Budman
Jacqueline	Carey	October 15, 1996	Born: 5/28/1938. Jacqueline was married to Bruce Flug, WHS class of 1956. Although they were later divorced, they spent major holidays together with their children.
Bob	Curtis	December 1977	Born:12/20/1937. Bob was a bookkeeper who enjoyed chess, pool, and fishing. He lived in Seattle, WA
Maureen	Dilger	July 23, 1994	Born: 12/25/1938.
Carole	Dunn	February 24, 2001	Born: 7/17/1938. Anita Uherka Clingman writes that she ``remembers Carole from grade school and the Camp File activities from grade 5 through 8. After high school, Carole ventured out to work in Washington D.C. Carole was an administrative assistant to the Deputy Commander for Research and Technology, Naval Electronic Systems Command. She also traveled to many foreign countries while working for US government organizations including the CIA. Anita and her husband, Lowell, had visited Carole while Carole was working in WDC. After Carole retired from government service, she moved to Harlingen, TX. Anita located Carole before the 40^th reunion in 1996 and Carole came to that reunion. It was Carole`s first HS reunion. Carole did a lot of needlepoint, had a lot of curios in her apartment, and she was thoughtful and quiet.``
Connie	Elledge	November 12, 2003	Barbara Kelm writes that she received word that Connie (Elledge) Wurmnest died in her home in Canada.
Jim	Engen	December 14, 2004	Jim spent 3 years in the US navy after WHS graduation and then was a Quality Control engineer and manager at Control Data Corporation in Minneapolis. Jim went to Scorpion in Crosby, MN in 1972 where he became Scorpion`s Director of marketing. Jim upgraded the Scorpion`s snowmobile distribution, replacement parts and accessory stocking and sales. One time, he was brainstorming in the "R&D" center, totally redecorated to permit local sales training and orientation programs. New carpet and paint and furniture were installed in the room. All of a sudden, we hear a load motor start up in the area and the double doors flew open and in comes Jim, hanging onto a Flymo lawnmower that floats. Jim and the mower moved into the new "R&D" center, eating up the new carpet. Jim, red faced and still on the mover, stated, "well it worked on grass". In 1983, Jim went to Acrometal in Brainerd to a Quality Control position until 2000. Jim battled cancer and had suffered from Kidney problems. He was "active right up to the forever after", writes longtime friend, G. Ramsey. ``I remember Jim with fondness. We had many classes together and even did a 2 person play on stage together call "If actions could speak". My sympathies to his family.`` says Sharonlee (Marstad) Strohkirch
Larry	Erickson	March 7,2008	Born March 25, 1938. Erickson,Lawrence R. "Larry" Beloved Husband, Dad, Grandpa & Dear Friend, Age 69 Of White Bear Lake, on March 7, 2008. Preceeded in death by parents, Arthur and Eleanor; sister Marlene; and granddaughter Kaitlyn Hobscheid. Survived by loving and devoted wife, Lorlie; children Dawn (Chris) Vlasin, Cindy (Mark) Hobscheid, Sheri (Kurt) Veenhuis; grandchildren Rebecca Vlasin, Josh Vlasin, Tim (Marta) Hobscheid, Kristin Hobscheid, and Shelby Veenhuis; great grandchild Benjamin Hobscheid; and many relatives and friends. (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Helen	Evans	October 11, 1996	Born: 09/07/1937 Vindell Helen Evans transferred from North Charleston High School, North Charleston, SC to start her senior year at WHS.
Robert	Feickert	November 20,2007	Born 9/11/1938. Bob had a form of bone cancer that was in his back initially. He was living in Hudson, Wis., but his last month or so was at the Lyngblomsten Home in the Como area. Bob is survived by daughters, Robin and Heidi Feickert; brothers; Harold and Keith Feickert; sister, Barbara Lunn; former spouse, Joan A. Davis; nieces, nephews and friends.
Robert	Feig	June 3, 1956	Born: 6/24/1938. Bob was found in a car in Hidden falls park on Sunday morning after having been missing since Friday. I remember his very moving memorial service at Knox Presbyterian Church.
Linda	Felt	June 17, 2001	Born: 7/14/1938. Married to classmate, Don Lakin, and last lived in Phelps, MO
Bruce	Flug	June 12, 1995	Born: 2/27/1938. Married to Jacqueline Carey, WHS class of 1956. Although they were later divorced, they spent major holidays together with their children.
Suzanne L.	Hadrich	January 1, 1989	Born: 9/29/1938. Sue had 4 children. Sue was married to Ray Johnson and then to Leonard Froyum.
Donald	Hanson	October 24, 2011	Born: December 2, 1938. Don was living in Cape Coral, FL.
Donna	Haselman	January 7, 1990	Born: 7/10/1937. Donna had 3 children. Their father, Roger Rosengren, a Ramsey County Deputy at St. Paul Ramsey, was shot and killed on January 26, 1971. She married (Trembley) in September 1972. She had open heart surgery for an aortic valve replacement in 1965.
Ruth Ann	Hochschieldt	April 21, 2005	Ruth had been at Shalom Home in St. Paul for about 6 weeks. Ruth was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2004.
Kenneth	Hodgson	February 4, 2006	Born: 1/20/1938. Ken was in the US Army and US Air Force and was a civilian training coordinator at Fort Snelling. He also was a policeman for the railroad. Ken retired after 10 years of active military service and 25 years Federal Civil Service. In 1996, he moved to his Rock Lake home North of Pillager. He had 3 daughters and 1 son.
Douglas	Holzschuh	February 12, 2009	Born: 10/16/1938. Survived by sons, Douglas Jr. (Ann), Wesley (Cindy), Keith, Craig (Terri) and Herb; daughter, Tina; 11 grandchildren; brothers, Floyd (Carol) and Richard (Mary).
Sandra	Holton	June 17, 2003	Born: 1/3/1939. ``Sandra graduated from Hamline University, Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Chemistry. She worked at Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park for several years. She married Louis Kruse and later moved to Sacramento. She spent many of her last years traveling throughout Europe with her husband Louis.`` by Audrey Keefe Mitchell
Marlene	Isaacson	November 28, 1991	Born: 3/6/1938. Marlene had 3 children. She enjoyed ceramics, gardening her roses, camping, and was an 8^th grade Discovery Club assistant leader.
Mary Lou	Jungbauer	October 1958	``Mary Lou lived at 397 Fry when she graduated with us, and worked different jobs around the area for a couple years. She also, as many of us did, worked at the Minnesota State Fair. She worked at a Cotton Candy stand for a few years and while doing that, she met a fellow and left town with him doing carnivals around the country. In October of 1958 she was found in the woods murdered in Jackson, Miss. The man she had been with was arrested in Massachusetts driving her car and was charged with her murder.`` By Richard. Becker
Jim	King	July 13, 2010	Born: 5/1/1938. Jim was living in Eureka Montana. Survived by wife, Maggie; sons, James(Melissa), Thomas (Mary), Michael; daughter, Nancy & their mother, Sally; 8 grandchildren; 3 step-daughters, 2 great-step-grandchildren. (Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press; 7/25/2010)
Mary	Knoche	December 24, 1992	Born 2/12/1937. Mary had 3 children and enjoyed baking, cooking and yard work. Mary Knoche Dragos was living in St. Paul at the time of death. (Source: http://people.mnhs.org/dci/)
Jean	Kobilka
Thomas J.	Kozkowski	June 1, 2001	Born 2/11/1938. Tom was registered to be living in Cranford, NJ in Union County. Source: SSDI
Katherine	Kruschke	March 14, 2003	Born 11/10/1938: Kathie was married to Bob Holmes and had 3 children; Mike, Joy, and John. She later married Charles (Chuck) Engler. She lived in Eugene, OR. Her interests were health and nutrition, Biblical prophecy, reading and studying the ministry. Source: http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi
Bruce	Lager	July 4, 1979	Born 5/21/1938. Bruce and his wife had 3 sons and together they owned Lindstrand Lager Realty, Inc. and a hair salon in St. Paul.
Donald	Lakin	August 31, 2009	Born July 3, 1938. Don lived in Copperas Cove, Texas.
Dennis	Mauseth	1987	Dennis` sister Jeanne, Wilson class of 1958, relates that ``Dennis had heart trouble for some years and eventually it took his life at about age fifty.`` He had been living in Wisconsin.
Margaret	Mazacek	December 26, 2011	Born August 6, 1938: Preceded in death by husband, Larry Hansen; and son, Bob. Mother of Craig of White Bear Lake, Rebecca (Greg) Knoll of White Bear Lake and Dave of Stillwater. Grandmother of Katherine, Anna and Jessica. Sister of Frank Mazacek. “She made perfect holiday candy and brought us a container of her candy every year on Christmas day.  She was very strong willed in spite of a disability she had with her muscles that progressively got worse in recent years. “, says Colleen LeVasser Hantho.
Sandra	McAlpine	April 5, 2007	Born Oct 18, 1938. Sandra McAlpine Born died on April 5. She had been ill for an extended time. We were fortunate she was able to come to the 50th reunion. She had a smile for all. Survived by husband, Dennis; sons, Tim (Jean) and Steve (Lisa); daughter, Jeanine (Julian) Streit; mother, Marie McAlpine; sister, Sylvia McAlpine; brother, David (Jane) McAlpine. Grandmother of Molly, Matt, Emily, Katie, Josh, Nick, Jesse, Jeremy, Jacob and Joseph. Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press
John	McCauley
Lester	Mericle	April 28, 2005	Born: April 10, 1938. Lester was living in Arlington, VA working as an architect specializing in remodeling older homes.
Frank	Muehlegger	July 20, 2011	Born: December 30, 1938. ``Frank was struggling with Lou Gehrigs for a short period of time before his death. Frank was only at WHS for his senior year. He had been at St Agnes but because of the OJT program, he came to Wilson. Being in OJT he only went to school half days. He was working in TV repair for Setchell Carlson till they were bought out, and then he was driving for Tastee Bread. He did that until about 1973 when he went to Texas and sold farm implements. When he retired in 2001, he was managing a large complex of apartments in the Waco, TX area. He is survived by his son and one Grandson in Austin.`` says Dick Becker
William	Newhouse	February 26, 1999	Born 9/21/1938. Bill was an orthodontist. He had 4 sons and the family enjoyed swimming, skiing and volleyball. Bill was also a hockey and baseball coach.
Geraldine	Norve	September 23, 2006	Geraldine Norve Rood died in a nursing home in Mission, Texas on Sept. 23rd. ``She had been in poor health for many years. With multiple heart related problems and then with pneumonia she died. For a number of years she and her husband had traveled back and forth from Texas to Monticello,MN. They loved spending winters in Texas. Since 2004 they had remained down there. Her husband died 12-04.`` by Jerry Norve
Brian	O'Connor	December 1956	Brian died as the result of a car accident.
John	Ott	September 8, 2008	Born: September 30, 1938. Preceded in death by daughter, Dawn Larsen. Survived by loving wife, Ramona; daughter, Kim (Jack) Zielinski; sons, Kipper (fiancee Lori Winters), & Brett; grandchildren, Sean, Jesse, Jacob, Rachael, Andria, Jessica, Emmy & Zack; brothers, Bill, & Mike (Josie); son-in-law, Mark Larsen. (Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Sonia	Peterson	August 13, 1987	Married to Ficker.
Vernon	Peterson	September 15, 2008	Born: 4/19/1938; Vern grew up in Frogtown district of St. Paul. He lived in the 800 block of Sherburne Ave and attended Drew school graduating in 1952. Vern died of pancreatic cancer in Midland, Michigan.
Virginia	Pitner	January 31, 2004	Born: 1/28/1939
Wayne	Pulsfuss	January 4, 2011	Born: . ``Wayne Polsfuss passed away on January 4 after a lengthy battle with leukemia and diabetes.  He had cancer for over ten years, yet was able to do most everything he wanted to do over that period of time.`` says Ken Wenzel
Mary	Robinson	December 20, 2006	Survived by husband, Donald; sons, Scott (Teri), Todd (Tina); grandchildren, Amber, Alex and Andrew; sister, Vivian Steblay; niece, Cathy (Paul) McEnroe; nephews, Nick (Marcia) Steblay, Steven Steblay; many cousins and friends.
Richard	Robinson	March 10, 1985	Born: 1/27/1937
Justine	Roehl		Justine and her husband, Joseph Markuson, had 3 children. They lived in Clinton, Iowa
Don	Shantos	December 4, 1991	Born: 6/28/1938. Don was a US Drug Enforcement Administration informant. He was instrumental from 1987 – 1990 in the conviction of five people on drug charges. He committed suicide after being convicted of methamphetamine charges.
Dick	Simonson	November 5, 2008	Born: 10/9/1938. ``Received a call from Ingrid Simonson about 5:30 pm today with the sad news that Dick passed away on Wednesday from many complications. In June, before our 50th reunion, Dick called to say that he had fallen and broke his hip and could not attend. Following surgery to repair the hip he contracted a staff infection which would not go away, consequently for the past two and a half years he has not only had the original hip break, the staff infection, but also fell on the way to the hospital for a treatment, fell and broke his other hip. As if that wasn't enough, during the time for treatments of two broken hips he had triple by-pass surgery. So for the past two plus years, Dick has undergone more health problems than anyone I know. His passing on Wednesday was officially attributed to heart failure, but I can tell you that he never lost faith in his thoughts of healing, but his struggles were such he could not overcome them.`` by Ken Wenzel
Bill	Skradde	August 31, 1992	Born: 1/6/1938. Bill had 3 children and was worked as a drafting department leader at Univac.
Jerry	Stuart	October 1980	Born: 10/10/1938. Jerry had 2 sons and was married to Donna. He was interested in flying and scuba diving. He lived in Fontana, Wisconsin
James	Sundquist	1998	Jim Sundquist`s family was contacted for confirmation of Jim`s status. Jim lived in California. His battle with cancer was the cause of his death.
William (Bill)	Thiets	December 24, 2008	Born: 1/25/1938. Bill lived in Tulsa, OK, He was a very serious Lionel train collector. He retired from Thrifty Rental Car. He was survived by his wife, Mary Ellen, daughter, Patty, and sons, Kirk, Guy, Doug and Garry.
Janet	Thron	October 15, 1985	Born: 12/30/1938. Janet was married to James Murphy, had 3 sons, and was an active volunteer for PTA and other organizations.
Ted	Townsley
Alan J.	Weeks	April 28, 1965	Born: 10/1/1938.
James	Wemple	9/13/2009	Born: 2/9/1938.
Bernard	Zarembinski	March 14, 2008	Born: 1/21/1938. Bernie was living in Truth or Consequences, NM. He had two children; a girl, Lori, living in Houston, TX and a son, Wayne, living in Oakdale, MN. He had a memorial service on Sunday, April 3, 2008 at Faith Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN. ``Bernie had just received an ok health report from his doctor. Bernie`s son, Wayne, reported the cause of death was a heart attack. `` says Frank Muellegger. Bernie had weekly contact with Frank for the past several years.

Note: I invite any who can write a tribute to any one of the above classmates to email the tribute to me at yerduanna@yahoo.com for inclusion in this page.