Homecoming 20001 Class Reunion Footnotes

Class of 1951
Reunion: Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9. This is the only class that will hold its reunion in the spring.

 

BUD BYLSMA worked with Young Life for 30 years, then spent four years as the executive director of HEED Bangladesh, a Christian development agency. Bud went on to join the staff of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle for four years and then, in 1989, founded and served as president of Northwest Leadership Foundation. He lives in Seattle.

ROBERT CHEEK and SHIRLEY WELTY CHEEK celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2000 with their eight children and their families. Robert has retired from the active pastorate but has filled 23 interim pastorates since 1982. The couple lives in Jasper, Texas.

ELMORE CLYDE is retired after 42 years of involvement in missions. He lives in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and writes that he is there because "the kids and grandkids all live in Michigan!"

DAVID GARINGER began his career as a part-time minister and carpenter. He later got his general contractor's license and built new homes and remodeled homes for 27 years. After five years as a property manager, he retired at the age of 75. David's wife, Zelma, taught school for 30 years. The couple lives in Spokane, Washington.

LAVERNE JOHNSON GENCARELLA resides in San Clemente, California.

DON KERLEE earned a doctorate from the University of Washington in 1956 and served as a professor at Seattle Pacific for nearly 30 years, teaching physics and computer science. From 1974-1979, he was academic dean at Roberts Wesleyan College. Don and his wife, IVY COXSON KERLEE '50, live in Stanwood, Washington.

IRIS WEBER MARTIN lives in Edgewood, Washington, and continues to pastor Dupont Community Presbyterian Church. She plans to retire in the next few months at age 78, but writes that she is "still going strong."

VERN MATTHEWS and JEANNIE TAYLOR MATTHEWS celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2000 with a cruise to Alaska. Jeannie writes that they are "enjoying life at the beautiful Warm Beach Senior Community" in Stanwood, Washington.

RICHARD MCGINNIS retired from the Episcopal priesthood in 1994. He is now developing congregational ministries for couples with marital difficulties. He and his wife, Phyllis, live in Hudson, Wisconsin.

PAUL NICHOLAS, a retired Baptist minister, lives in Godfrey, Illinois. During his career, he served in four churches in Iowa and Illinois. He now continues ministering as a pulpit supply.

ROBERT PORTER taught public school for 25 years, served as executive director of Aldergate Conference Center, and is now an assistant pastor. He and his wife, HAZEL PORTER '53, have two sons and seven grandsons. The live in Sublimity, Oregon.

CARL REED was a professor of music and dean of the fine and performing arts during his 34-year career at Seattle Pacific. A resident of Seattle, he writes that he is "enjoying retirement."

ROBERT REIMAN is retired after a 33-year career in education. He and EILEEN MARTINSON REIMAN will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2001. Both have been involved in church music throughout their marriage. They live in Helena, Montana.

ROLAND STEWART is the chaplain of the Eighth Air Force Historical Society, Oregon Chapter. In October 2000, he attended the society's national reunion in Salt Lake City, Utah. Roland, who lives in Bend, Oregon, plans to attend his 50-year class reunion in June 2001. He writes, "Our granddaughter STACI GOERZ enrolled as a student [at SPU] this fall. When she received her room assignment, she found it was the same dorm room her mother, CAROL STEWART GOERZ '77, had when she attended SPU."

AUDREY TJEPKEMA THORSEN and her late husband, ANDY THORSEN, were active in the Turlock Free Methodist Church in Turlock, California, and what is now the Sierra Pacific Conference of the Free Methodist Church. Since Andy's death in 1990, Audrey has remained active while enjoying her three grandchildren. Her daughters, MARILYN THORSEN GLINSKAS '76 and KAREN THORSEN HAMILTON '80, are graduates of Seattle Pacific, as is son-in-law DOUGLAS HAMILTON '80. Audrey resides in Turlock.

Class of 1956
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 2:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments. Lounge, Miller Science Learning Center.

LOIS WATSON BEST, the niece of Seattle Pacific's third president, C. Hoyt Watson, and her husband, HAROLD BEST '38, have traveled extensively since he retired as the superintendent of Washington's Peninsula Schools in 1977. The couple lives in Gig Harbor, Washington.

MARJORIE MCKEE CADWAL-LADER lives in Great Falls, Montana, where she tutors at Valley View School and is active in her church; Christian Women's Club; Church Women United; "For the Children," a group which helps at-risk children; and the American Association of University Women. Marjorie and her husband, Tom, who died in 1999, have three daughters and five grandchildren.

FORBES GILDERSLEEVE is retired after a career as an elementary school principal. His wife, JEAN GIBSON GILDERSLEEVE '57, is a retired school counselor. He writes, "We are busy with church, community arts, grandchildren and some travel." They live in Gig Harbor, Washington.

MARY MCCORKLE HAWLEY and FRED HAWLEY '59 are enjoying semi-retirement in Edmonds, Washington. They have four children, including Seattle Pacific alumni PATTI HAWLEY GRABER '86 and FRED HAWLEY JR. '91. The Hawleys also have 12 grandchildren.

EARLE JOHNSON worked as a physicist and field engineer for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, and as a civil service contractor for 44 years. Now in semi-retirement, Earle works half-time and lives in Ridgecrest, California.

PAT LANDIS lives in Newberg, Oregon, and is retired after a teaching career that included 31 years at the college level and 12 years in public schools. Pat writes, "Loved teaching; love retirement."

LENORE IBSEN PETERSON is enjoying retirement, which has included traveling, spending time with grandchildren and teaching English as a second language. She is also a lay member of the Stephen Ministry, a one-on-one ministry that cares for people in crisis. Lenore lives in Lynnwood, Washington.

WANETA THOMPSON SPEED taught home economics for 26 years at Oregon State School for the Deaf after learning sign language at Seattle Pacific. Today, Waneta lives in Salem, Oregon, and she and her husband are active in Jason Lee United Methodist Church.

DELORES PREUSSLER TAYLOR and RICHARD TAYLOR '55 are semi-retired after careers in public education and now work part-time as administrators in their church, Creekside Evangelical Free Church in Roseville, California. Delores is involved in women's ministries, and Richard serves on the district board of their denomination. They enjoy overseas travel and visiting their children and 13 grandchildren in California, New Jersey and Texas. The Taylors live in Rocklin, California.

Class of 1961
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 6:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments. Fireside Room, Student Union Building.

JONNA CHRISTMAN AXELSON and husband PHILIP AXELSON '59 both serve the First Covenant Church of Anchorage, Alaska, where they make their home. He is the pastor, and she is the minister of music. Jonna writes, "We especially enjoy the cross-cultural friendships and beautiful scenery in Alaska."

RICHARD BEDDOE and JOANN HARKNESS BEDDOE '60 live in Red Bluff, California, where Richard is pastor of First Christian Church and JoAnn teaches first grade at Metteer Elementary School. They anticipate retiring in two to three years.

LUCY PICKTHORN BRIGGS works for Magellan Behavioral Health in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is active in Southeast Christian Church. Her husband, Larry, is an engineer. The couple lives in Sandy, Utah.

DARLENE BACKLUND BROOKS and husband PHILIP BROOKS '63 were in pastoral ministry for 25 years prior to founding a nonprofit organization called "Families 101," which ministers to couples and families. Darlene writes, "We love being 'Nana and Papa' to our two grandchildren." They live in Wenatchee, Washington.

WALTER "BUDD" DISHER and his wife, CAROL DYER DISHER '58, were missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Colombia, South America. Since returning to the United States, Carol has continued to work with Wycliffe, and Walt runs his own medical management consulting business and teaches in the Keller Graduate School of Business. He holds a master's degree from Goddard Graduate Program and is earning a doctorate from California Coast University. The Dishers are active in their Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Lilburn, Georgia. They have three children and five grandchildren, and live in Snellville.

JAMES FIELDS received a doctorate from the University of Missouri in 1980. He is now retired and writing two books. His wife, Sally McMillan, is a professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where the couple resides. In recently years they have visited Africa and Israel.

ALLAN GOODMANSON and wife KAY VAN BUSKIRK GOOD-MANSON '64 will relocate this year from Oakland, California, to Sacramento, California, where Allan will continue his cemetery-related work. Kay left full-time teaching in 2000.

JACOB GROSS and ANNETTE UNGER GROSS '57 have put 80,000 miles on their motor home since retirement, traveling to Cancun; Boston; Alaska; the Florida Everglades; Branson and Estes Park, Colorado; and New Orleans for Mardi Gras. They make their home in Edmonds, Washington.

JEAN COMNICK GUGE and her husband, Wayne, were missionaries in the South Pacific Islands until 1986. She now teaches third grade on Washington's Olympic Peninsula in Taholah. The Guges have two children and six grandchildren, and live in Ocean Shores, Washington.

JOYBELLE JOHNSON-ERIKS married Paul Eriks in July 1997 after they reconnected at a 40-year high school reunion planning meeting. In 1998, Joybelle retired as a psychologist and counselor for the Seattle Public Schools. She has one son and two grandchildren, travels and is "loving life." Joybelle and Paul live in Seattle.

MARILYN RICKER MEBERG has been a featured speaker with "Women of Faith" nationwide conferences. She is also the author of I'd Rather Be Laughing and Choosing the Amusing. A grandmother of two boys, Marilyn lives in California. Her husband, KEN MEBERG '60, died in 1990.

DORIS MAIER NOTTER and her husband, RUSSELL NOTTER '60, live in Grants Pass, Oregon. She writes that "we would love to attend our 40th reunion," but says they will be unable to do so because of the unpredictability of the weather in February.

JANET SEYMOUR OLSON retired in June 2000 after teaching kindergarten and first grade in the Wenatchee, Washington, Public Schools for 22 years. In the summer of 1999, she and husband LEWIS OLSON '59 traveled with friends for three weeks in England. They enjoy time with their three grandchildren and live in Wenatchee.

RUSS OLSON has retired from teaching twice, first from Bethel High School in 1995, and second from Cascade Christian Junior/Senior High School in 2000. He writes that he's currently "living with melanoma cancer in the liver -- doing well." He resides in Puyallup, Washington.

JOYCE OLSON PRICE and her husband, John, live on Mercer Island, Washington. Their collection of Inuit art -- prints, drawings and sculpture of the Canadian Eskimos -- was on exhibit at the Boise State University Museum during the summer of 2000.

JEANIE SUPER SMITH is a retired elementary teacher and grandmother of two. She writes, "My husband, Gordon, and I travel half-time, seeing the world we were too busy to see before retirement." They are active in Highlands Community Church in Renton, Washington, and reside in Issaquah.

MARILYN HOOD WEAVER and husband DAVID WEAVER '62 live in Elizabethton, Tennessee. She is a homemaker and he is a troubleshooter for computerized school libraries. They both teach Sunday School and enjoy American Guild of Organists concerts. The Weavers write that they "rejoice in the blessing of our four grandsons."

WRAY WHITESELL has been retired for three years after a 30-year career as a vocational rehabilitation specialist. A graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, he is an ordained Free Methodist minister and has pastored churches in the United States and Canada. Wray now lives in Seattle.

Class of 1966
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 6:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments. Gazebo Room, Student Union Building.

DARLENE BOGLE has worked at AAA Insurance as an insurance underwriter, and now as a sales trainer, for 34 years. She writes, "God is faithful, and I would love to be there to see how you've all grown in grace, but it is not to be." Darlene resides in Hayward, California.

BERTHA MITCHELL BOULLION was recently appointed superintendent of Muroc Joint Unified School District in North Edwards, California. She lives in Bakersfield, California.

PAUL BURROUGHS and KAREN ZELLMER BURROUGHS '69 have retired from the military reserves and are now both instructors at the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force Base, teaching English as a second language to foreign officers. As an Air Force chaplain, Paul also performs weddings at Randolph Air Force Base. The Burroughs live in San Antonio, Texas.

DAN DUNGAN retired in 1998 after a 32-year teaching career in the Seattle Public Schools. He currently serves as associate pastor at Midway Covenant Church in Des Moines, Washington. DORIS BERGMAN DUNGAN is a librarian at Puget Sound Regional Council in Seattle. They have two children, two grandchildren and live in Auburn, Washington.

ROBERT FOLKESTAD and MARJORIE FLESHER FOLKESTAD '67 live in Bend, Oregon.

GARETH "GARY" GIBBON and MYRA LEE WELLS GIBBON '62 live in Edmonds, Washington. In 1999, Gary retired from Boeing after 25 years. The couple's three children all work in education fields, including LANCE GIBBON, a 2000 recipient of a master's degree from SPU.

ELLEN LEGG HANSEN moved from Lincoln City, Oregon, to Stanwood, Washington, after the death last year of her husband, WILLIAM HANSEN '56, the former dean of Seattle Pacific's School of Humanities. In Stanwood, Ellen lives near family members, including her parents, who are in their 90s, two young granddaughters, and six great-grandchildren.

JEAN HARRIS-MARKS completed her master of social work degree in 1971 at the University of Washington and earned a doctorate in 1998 at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She now teaches anthropology and culture, gender studies and global studies at Highline Community College. Jean lives in Seattle.

GAIL DAHL LOUDEN married Charles Louden in July 1968. They have two children, including CYNTHIA LOUDEN, who graduated from SPU in 1996. Gail and Charles live in Port Orchard, Washington.

CAL NETTERFIELDRENEE RENANDO NETTERFIELD '66, have three children and five grandchildren -- "soon to be six," he writes. The couple lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

GLORIA CHAMBERLAIN OOSTMEYER and her husband live in Dillon, Montana. She works in a restaurant and teaches young children at First Baptist Church. Gloria writes, "We live on the same block as eight of our grandkids, so we have fun with them."

 

JUDY HUMPHREYS POQUETTE is a self-employed seamstress with Poquette's Fabrication. She makes window treatments. Judy has one son and two grandsons, and lives in Renton, Washington.

LINDA NORQUIST REEDER is a reading teacher in the Highline School District in SeaTac, Washington. Her husband, THOMAS REEDER, who earned a master's degree from SPC in 1973, has retired after teaching for 37 years. The Reeders have two children and live in SeaTac.

GAYLA STACY SHERLUND has been writing songs and singing them a cappella. She is now learning to play the guitar. When her husband had cancer, Gayla wrote and performed a song for the cancer center where he was being treated. She lives in Camptonville, California.

KATHY VOHLAND retired from Washington's Oak Harbor School District in 1996. She moved to Corvallis, Oregon, in 1997 and is currently the director of education for Sylvan Learning Center.

Class of 1971
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 10:00 a.m. Complimentary continental brunch. Fireside Room, Student Union Building.

ANNE AYERS is retired from NASA. A counselor, educator, psychologist, inventor and businesswoman, she is listed in the Marquis Who's Who in America and Marquis Who's Who in the World. Anne lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

ROGER BUSH is serving his third term in the Washington State House of Representatives, elected in 1996. CHERYL STEUERNAGEL BUSH has worked for the Puyallup School District since 1985 and has exhibited artwork in regional art competitions. The couple lives in Tacoma, Washington.

JEANNE WALTERS DAHLKE taught preschool and Headstart, and home-schooled her two daughters, for 10 years. Recently she worked on Census 2000 as a recruiter. Jeanne's husband, Tom, is a mason. They live in Antigo, Wisconsin.

SANDRA NELSON DOBDAY works part-time in a public library. She and her husband, Mark, have three children and reside in Medway, Maine.

FLOYD FRY is an assistant principal in the Clark County Schools in Nevada. He lives in Las Vegas.

BARBARA KELLEY MOSES GALLAGHER lives in Kalispell, Montana. She founded the Education Recovery Foundation in 1991 and is its director. She is also the founder and chair of Flathead County Peer Court, and served on Kalispell City Council for six years. In addition to her work with community and state organizations, Barbara is active in church. Her husband, Larry, works for Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They have six children and eight grandchildren.

WALLY HACKETT has worked for Trans World Airlines (TWA) for more than 27 years in customer service and sales positions. He writes, "I currently manage our city ticket office in Costa Mesa, California, and plan to retire in the near future, possibly to a second career." Wally lives in Los Angeles.

KEN HAGEN and DIANE BULLER HAGEN live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he is a business owner and she is a housewife. They have two children.

LUANN LESTER MCBRIDE is an ordained minister in the Nazarene Church and serves full-time as a hospital chaplain in Olympia, Washington. She is also the co-founder of "Good Mourning," a center for grief and life transitions. Luann is married to Paul McBride, also a minister, and she is the stepmother to three children and five grandchildren. The McBrides lives in Lacey, Washington.

SYLVIA WIGHT MEYER teaches music in Orland, California, and plays viola in two string quartets. She writes, "I have enjoyed those summer 'Orff' workshops at SPU." Sylvia lives in Chico, California.

DARRELL MOORE and JANICE MIKKELBORG MOORE have worked in education in Alaska for nearly 30 years. They write, "We were blessed with a unique life, working with Alaska native youth." They live in Tenakee Springs, Alaska, and Manson, Washington.

MARGARET MACK NELSON and her husband served as missionaries with the Free Methodist Church in Hong Kong for 19 years. They have now completed their work there and have returned to the United States. The Nelsons, who anticipate other missionary service in the future, live in Scotts Valley, California.

JUDY JENSEN PAUL has taught English in Moses Lake, Washington, for 30 years. She earned a master's degree from Gonzaga University in 1992. Judy's husband of 25 years, Fred, is also a teacher. The couple has two children and attends the First Presbyterian Church in Moses Lake, where Judy has served as an elder and is currently the moderator of the board of deacons.

RON PETERSON is a senior engineer at IBM-Rochester in Minnesota. SHERYL CARLSON PETERSON works part-time as a secretary at Salem Road Covenant Church. They have two adult children and live in Rochester.

TILLIE BLIEGE PORTER taught in the Seattle Public Schools for 26 years. Today, she's the help-desk manager at Northwest College in Kirkland, Washington. She and husband Cal live in Shoreline, Washington.

RUSS ROWLEE spent nine years as an Air Force navigator, followed by 17 years as a Boeing engineer and manager. For the past three years, he's been the director of avionics engineering for AT&T Wireless Services. Russ lives in Seattle.

JIM STEWART and KATHY GLASS STEWART live in University Place, Washington, and homeschool the two youngest of their four children. Jim works half-time as a consultant for Character First Corporation and works half-time as a physician at Cottesmore Nursing Home. The Stewarts have two grandchildren.

JANET BRIGGS STONE is working toward a master's degree in business administration and has two grown children. Since remarrying in 1998, she lives in Tampa, Florida.

PETER TAM and BEVERLY LIM TAM saw their son, ADRIEL TAM, graduate from SPU in 1998. Peter works for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and writes that he's "seriously engaged in ballroom dancing, scuba diving and music recording in a home studio." The Tams live in Bethesda, Maryland.

KEN THORNBERG and his wife, Sylvia, live in Boise, Idaho. The founders of Freedom Encounter, a parachurch ministry, they preach and teach full-time in the United States and overseas.

PAUL TICE is the principal of Yuba City Charter School in California. He makes his home in Yuba City.

BRUCE TRAUB is now a financial advisor after a 22-year career as a faculty member and administrator in Christian colleges. Two of his three children, ESTHER TRAUB KUELKER '90 and senior KRISTEN TRAUB, have attended SPU. Bruce and his wife, Carolyn, live in Fresno, California.

DEBORAH WITTIG writes, "I have been a missionary with OMS International for 26 years and am presently serving the Lord by teaching missionary kids at Wesley International Schools in Malang, East Java, Indonesia." She lives in Malang.

Class of 1976
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 6:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments. Lounge, Miller Science Learning Center.

LARRY ANDERSON and his wife, Ann, have been married for 25 years and have two children. They live in Kansas and Larry writes that he can be reached by e-mail at landers@centralchristian.edu.

MELISSA GWINN ASSINK is a registered nurse who works part-time with Providence Homecare and Hospice of Snohomish County, Washington. Her husband, PHILIP ASSINK '77, is the pastor of Faith Community Church in Edmonds, Washington. They have two teen-age children and live in Edmonds.

JOELL BONG taught in a Christian school for eight years, worked in a residential drug/alcohol treatment center for three years and has now worked at Boeing Employees Credit Union for more than nine years. Joell lives in Seattle.

GARY BUMA is the cash manager for Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, Washington, and NINA FORD BUMA is program assistant for WWU's Elementary Education Department. They live in Bellingham and have three sons, including BRIAN BUMA, an SPU sophomore.

CELESTE CARLISLE CLAUSON is an endocrinologist at the Polyclinic in Seattle. JOHN CLAUSON is the corporate vice president of CR Bard, a medical device manufacturer. The couple has three children and lives in Seattle.

THOMAS DERPACK lives in Bothell, Washington, and owns a mortgage company in Edmonds. His wife, Judy, teaches preschool. They have four daughters, including JENELLE DERPACK, an SPU senior.

SHERYL ERICKSON EMRA and husband JOHN EMRA '75 live in Los Angeles, California. John has been a missionary for 20 years and is currently City Teams Ministries' director of ministry. Since 1986, he's worked with Hispanic gangs and their families in the Los Angeles inner city.

LYNNE HANSEN HALL and KEN HALL '77 live in Redmond, Washington, where he owns a window and door business. Lynne recently left the staff at Timberlake Christian Fellowship for a new position in the Alumni Office at SPU. The Halls have three children, including son CHRIS HALL, an SPU freshman.

NICKI GREGOR ISAACSON is a neurology/neurosurgery nurse consultant at Wenatchee Valley Clinic in Wenatchee, Washington. Her husband, Scott, is a general contractor. They have three children and live in Wenatchee.

PATRICIA BURTON KREMENSEK and her husband, Brad, have two children and live in Sheridan, Wyoming. They opened Three Peaks Christian School for grades 8 through 12 in 1995. Patricia teaches Bible and history classes, and Brad is school administrator.

SARAH GACKLE MANKE and DAVID MANKE '72 live in East Wenatchee, Washington, and have three daughters. Sarah has worked part-time for more than 22 years in graphic arts and bookkeeping, but she is now a stay-at-home mother to their 3-year-old daughter. David owns several businesses, including Dave's Transmission and The Alignment Shop.

KELLY MARTINSON and her partner, K.R. Davis, live in Billings, Montana. Kelly stays at home with her young son and daughter.

DEBRA WALZ SMERAGLIO is a dental hygienist and works with low-income children during the school year. Her husband, George, works for Standard Tires, flies Lear jets part-time, and is a lieutenant colonel in the Oregon Air Guard. They have two children and live in Milwaukie, Oregon.

DEBRA SMITH lives in Santa Clara, California, and is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. She writes, "I have two cats, enjoy antiquing, interior design, walking, swimming, socializing, and working with underprivileged children."

FRANK TROTH has been a systems analyst at the Boeing Company in Seattle for 22 years. He and wife Celia live in Shoreline, Washington, and have two children. They are active in the United Evangelical Free Church. Frank writes that his hobbies include "C.S. Lewis, hiking, photography."

RICH TYAS lives in Seattle, where he remodels historic houses with Tangent Construction and establishes dot-com businesses at Tangent Fun. His wife, Kay, was recently ordained a deacon in the United Methodist Church. They have one daughter.

JEWEL VAN VALIN has been a flight attendant for Delta Airlines (formerly Western Airlines) for 23 years. She is based in Los Angeles and lives in Solvang, California.

STEVE WHEELER lives in Hersey, Michigan. For 17 years, he has been an adoption services supervisor at a nonprofit social services agency. Steve has two sons.

GAIL WIELDRAAYER is self-employed, teaching music readiness classes for 4-7-year-olds. She also serves as a church musician at the First Reformed Church in Oak Harbor, Washington, where she makes her home.

VIRGINIA EVANS WINCKLER is an assistant director of an engineering department. Husband GARY WINCKLER '74 is the head women's track coach at the University of Illinois. Residents of Monticello, Illinois, the Wincklers celebrated 25 years of marriage in 2000 and have two children.

Class of 1981
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 2:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments. Second Floor Fireside Room, Robert M. Fine Center, First Free Methodist Church (on campus).

TED CHRISTENSEN JR. is the current president of the Washington Music Educators Association, the official organization for state music educators. He is also the director of the Inglemoor High School Marching Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, as well as the music program manager for the Northshore School District. He and his wife, CATHY POGUE CHRISTENSEN '86, are the music directors for St. John's Episcopal Church in Kirkland, Washington. They live with their two daughters in Bothell.

JIM COURSON serves in a pastoral position and oversees an orphanage for severely handicapped children in northern Mexico. He, wife Julie, and their three children live in Carmen Serdan, Mexico.

KATHLEEN SMITH CUMMINS lives in Seattle, where she is a senior portfolio manager at Salomon Smith Barney. She and her husband, Scott, have two children, love to travel and are involved with a Children's Hospital guild.

DOUGLAS HAMILTON and his wife, KAREN THORSEN HAMILTON '80, are active in their church, Ballard Free Methodist, and run their general construction company called IQ Construction, Inc. They have two children and make their home in Seattle.

INGER HORNE HERMAN writes that she is the "contented manager of three children, two dogs, one cat and too many flowerbeds to weed." She and her family live in Fall City, Washington.

ANDREA GOODLUND HOEY has been a nurse for the Wenatchee School District for more than two years. She's now applying for the family nurse practitioner graduate program at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Andrea has two sons and resides in Wenatchee.

MELINDA MCCORMICK JORDAN lives in Clackamas, Oregon, with her husband, Jack, and their three daughters. Melinda teaches first grade in North Clackamas School District and teaches private piano and flute lessons.

DEBBIE GEORGE MACLURG owns and operates Market Place Vending in Vancouver, Washington, where she and her family live. She writes, "People call me the 'Candy Lady.'" Debbie's husband, Paul, is the executive pastor of New Heights Church. They have two children.

DON MARTINELL and SUE GILBERT MARTINELL write that they "live on six quiet acres with two kids, two dogs, two cats, one sheep and a mountain view." In their garden they raise a variety of fruits and vegetables, and they also enjoy hiking and mountain climbing. The Martinells' home is in Sultan, Washington.

KENT MCDONALD and LINDA LANGMAS MCDONALD '83 and their three daughters have returned to the United States after six years in Nairobi, Kenya, with Young Life. They are now living in Spokane, Washington, and working with Young Life at Whitworth College.

PATRICIA CARVER MCRAE is an ordained minister and lives in San Diego, California.

HEIDI GREEN MICHAELIS is a stay-at-home mother of three, with a fourth child expected in February. Her husband, Jim, is an engineer. The family is active at Northview Bible Church in Spokane, Washington, where they make their home.

GREG MIRACLE is the president and owner of Espresso Source International and the Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company. He and his wife have two children, and they live in Beverly Hills (Detroit), Michigan.

LEANNE FRITZ MITCHELL has served in full-time ministry since 1993 at Hope Evangelical Free Church in Springfield, Illinois, overseeing visual arts, drama, music and worship. She and her husband, David, have three children. They reside in Springfield.

KEITH MONTGOMERY earned a master's degree in choral directing from the University of Washington and, for 13 years, has been on the faculty of Cairo American College in Egypt, where he is chair of the Department of Performing Arts. Keith is active in international festivals and concerts in Europe and the Middle East, and will be guest conductor of the International Middle School Honor Choir in Stavangar, Norway, in May 2001. He lives in Cairo.

RICHARD MOREY attended graduate school at Colorado State University from 1985 to 1990, and earned a master's degree and doctorate in counseling psychology. He is now a staff psychologist at Atascadero State Hospital in Atascadero, California, has an independent practice in psychology, and is a graduate instructor of psychology at Chapman University. He lives in Atascadero with his wife and four children.

TIMOTHY RUE and SANDRA STEVEN RUE live in Columbia City, Indiana, and work with Centro Familiar Vida Nueva, a Hispanic church-plant outreach of Village Green Free Methodist Church in Fort Wayne. They enjoy raising and homeschooling their seven children.

LAUREL LEWIS RUSHING is homeschooling her three children while also working part-time as the head of the billing department for a CPA firm. She writes, "I love my life!" Laurel, her husband, Nathan, and their family live in Olathe, Kansas.

JENNIFER TOWNLEY SIDE-BOTTOM and her husband, Daniel, have been missionaries in Pretoria, South Africa, for two years. Dan is developing a Bible institute using correspondence courses, and helping to oversee church outreach and growth. Jennifer helps in their church's music ministry, teaches children's church, and leads a women's Bible study. They have one daughter.

LAURIE CARDOZA SMITH works with her husband, Mark, who is the pastor of Grace Community Church in Flagstaff, Arizona. Laurie teaches piano students, coordinates children's ministry and plans weekly worship.

LISA THERRELL is a wilderness manager for the U.S. Forest Service in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of Washington state. She enjoys gardening with her husband, Rich Haydon; teaching; yoga; and participating at Faith Lutheran Church, including in the Earth Stewardship group. Lisa and Rich live in Leavenworth, Washington.

LINDA CARLSON UHRICH has returned to teaching after 11 years at home with her three children. She teaches kindergarten part-time at King's Schools in Seattle. Her husband, STEPHEN UHRICH '79, has worked as an electrician for 22 years. The couple attends Seattle's Aurora Church of the Nazarene and lives in Kenmore, Washington.

DOROTHY CARLSON VANNESS teaches kindergarten part-time at Bellevue Christian School in Bellevue, Washington. She and her husband, Larry, are involved in many activities with their two sons. The VanNess family lives in Kirkland, Washington.

Class of 1986
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 10:00 a.m. Complimentary continental brunch. Second Floor Seminar Room, Library.

CLIFF BROWN earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Washington. He works as a counselor in the Seattle Public Schools, and has a consulting business with Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Cliff is also a basketball coach at Seattle's Franklin High School. He lives in Seattle.

BILL BURNETT is a captain with Argosy Cruises, and RUTH PAULS BURNETT is a stay-at-home mother to their four children. The family lives in Medina, Washington.

LISA DRESS is a loan consultant with AllBanc Mortgage in Seattle, advising borrowers in Washington and other states. A Seattle resident, she spends time in the SPU weight room after work.

JOHN FORSYTH has worked with Young Life since 1993. His wife, LISA JEFFERRIES FORSYTH '87, is a substitute teacher and is active in Bible Study Fellowship and the "Moms in Touch" prayer group. John and Lisa have three sons and live in SeaTac, Washington.

SARAH GARMIRE lives in Anderson Island, Washington. She teaches adult basic education and English as a second language for Pierce College at McNeil Island Corrections Center, a men's long-term minimum security facility.

MARCIE HARPE HARTZELL recently quit teaching private piano lessons to concentrate on homeschooling her three children. She is also active in her church's music ministry. Her husband, Rodney, is a Web developer and the family lives in Seattle.

PAM HAIGHT HORTON and husband JEFF HORTON '85 celebrated the birth of their fourth child in June 2000. Jeff is the associate pastor of Warm Beach Free Methodist Church. The couple lives in Stanwood, Washington.

ERIN JACKSON KELLY is a sales director with Mary Kay Cosmetics. Her husband, ROBERT KELLY '86, received a master of arts degree in music performance from Washington State University and currently works in the computer industry. They live in Phoenix, Arizona.

LISA KOLBERG celebrated the birth of a son in June 2000. She lives in Seattle.

DAN MATTAUSCH is president of the International Association of Collectors and Students of Antique Lighting. He has restored numerous house museums for the National Park Service, and his work on gas lighting has been documented in newspapers, cinema and television. Dan has researched gas lighting patents at the Library of Congress and the Smith-sonian National Museum of American History and is internationally recognized as the foremost collector of American gas light technology. He and his wife, NANCY ANUNSON MATTAUSCH, live in Washington, D.C.

HEIDI KLIPPERT MENDRO is a Creative Memories consultant and registrar for Arlington High School, where her husband, BEN MENDRO, teaches German and coaches Hi-Q and wrestling. They have two children and live in Arlington, Washington.

KRISTA NEEL is an admissions counselor at High Tech Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. She writes, "I own a house in Vancouver, Washington. I love to travel and have done a great deal this year."

REBECCA ROWE NEFF and her husband, Dennis, live in Glenwood, Iowa, with their three children. Rebecca starred as Annie in Annie, Get Your Gun in March 2000 at the Mills Masquers Theatre. She was also the music director for an all-children musical, Bugsy Malone, at the same theatre. She's currently writing a musical called Prairie Hearts and Wills.

DOUGLAS NEWTON is a senior systems analyst developing software at Milliman & Robertson, an actuarial consulting firm. He and his wife, Lorinda, have a young son. The family lives in Kirkland, Washington.

HEIDI VAN DE WALKER RIDDLE is a homemaker and is active in her children's school and church. Her husband, Darrill, is a senior manufacturing engineer for the Roper Corporation in Lafayette, Georgia. They have two children and live in Ringold, Georgia.

CAROL RIDENHOUR and her husband, JOSEPH RIDENHOUR '95, have two children and live in Shoreline, Washington. Carol is a charge nurse in the Orthopaedic Clinic at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. She is also a major in the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to the Aeromedical Staging Squadron.

STEPHEN ROOT and SALLY SCHRECENGOST ROOT '85 own and operate a Schlotzsky's Deli in Carson City, Nevada, where they live. Stephen is also head of technical operations at Skyline Computer Corporation in Reno.

MICHELLE POTTHOFF SHULA teaches kindergarten in Puyallup, Washington. Her husband, John, teaches high school in Fife. They have three sons and live in Puyallup.

KAREN STOKES graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1991 and completed her residency in anesthesiology at the University of Washington Medical Center in 1995. She writes that she is "hoping to soon do overseas volunteer work in medicine." Karen lives in Boise, Idaho.

Class of 1991
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 10:00 a.m. Complimentary continental brunch. Second Floor, Robert M. Fine Center, First Free Methodist Church (on campus).

MARIA HOEK ANDONIAN lives with her husband, Kirk, and four children in Gig Harbor, Washington.

MARCY SMITH BRIGHTON married Mark Brighton in 1993, has two children and is expecting a third in December. Although primarily a stay-at-home mother, Marcy is also a labor and delivery nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center. She lives in Seattle.

CHARLES "CHUCK" COCKBURN is a professional photographer, specializing in landscape scenic images. His wife, Julie, is a graphic designer and production artist. They live in Sunriver, Oregon, with their two dogs.

KRISTINE TOM CRABBE has been with J.C. Penney as a senior department manager for 10 years. She has a young son and lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. She writes, "I would love to have SPUians come and visit!"

DON DALZIEL earned a master's degree in education in September 1999 at City University in Seattle. He is now in his 10th year of teaching at Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, Washington. Don heads the Health and Physical Education Department at Shorecrest, and is the head girls' basketball coach, and the head boys' and girls' track coach. He and his wife, Mindy, live in Shoreline.

SUZANNE EMERY lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, and is working as a missionary with the Latin American Mission for an organization called Roblealto Child Care Association. She writes, "I love it!"

SHERRI ANDERSON FROTHING-HAM is a stay-at-home mom to "a very active 3-year-old son." She and husband NEALE FROTHINGHAM '90 are expecting their second child in 2001. They live in Ephrata, Washington.

SCOTT GODWIN has been in business development at Microsoft for five years. BECKY MCRAE GODWIN is a stay-at-home mother to their two children. They write, "We enjoy spending time playing at our Lake Wenatchee cabin with friends and family." The Godwins live in Redmond, Washington.

KURT GOERING works for AT&T Wireless in the Business Security group. He and his wife, DEBBIE OLSHEFSKY GOERING '92, live in Monroe, Washington, and are active in Cascade Community Church, where Kurt serves on the worship team and Debbie is planning the annual women's retreat. They have one child and are expecting a second in March 2001.

BRENDA CULVER GONYER and her husband, Mark, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Brenda attended Western Michigan University from 1991 to 1993, and then taught high school until 1997. She is now a stay-at-home mother to her three children.

ALLISA SMITH HAWKS spent 10 years as the assistant director for Rotary's Operation First Harvest, marketing and fund raising to gather surplus produce. In 1998, she became the marketing and development director at Tacoma Little Theatre in Tacoma, Washington. Allisa has since left the theatre to become an independent contractor. She lives in Tacoma.

SHARON IVERSON HEDMAN taught middle school social studies for eight years and is now a stay-at-home mom to her son. She and husband NICK HEDMAN '94 are expecting another baby in February 2001. They live in Puyallup, Washington.

SCOTT ISAAK manages the family farm in Coulee City, Washington. He is also the head coach for a local girls' high school basketball team. He and his wife, JEANNIE HALLE ISAAK '90, have three sons and reside in Coulee City.

LISA SHARPE JACKSON was recently awarded the Cox Communications "Excellence in Education" and "Teacher of the Year" awards. She teaches first and second grades at Scottsdale Christian Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona. She and her husband, Paul, also run Dynamic Labs, an engineering and analysis company.

JANELLE SAMMONS KANZ completed her master's degree in education at SPU this past summer, specializing in curriculum and instruction and reading/language arts. She teaches second grade students in the Renton School District. Janelle and her husband, Mike, have one daughter. They live in Renton, Washington.

JOY KENNELLY produced the Fourth Annual Short Pictures International Film Festival in Hollywood, California, this past fall. Held October 1213, SPIFF featured more than 40 short films from countries including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Russia and Northern Ireland. Two weeks earlier, SPIFF also hosted a preparatory celebration, which included Hollywood agents, actors, producers and other industry professionals. Joy is SPIFF's founder.

KIMBERLY JOHNSON LOPEZ is a stay-at-home mother of two. Her husband, CHRISTOPHER LOPEZ '92, is the vice president of Howland Homes. They recently built a new home in Edmonds, Washington.

ELIZABETH KEELAN LYNCH works at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She and her husband, Bruce, live in Norfolk.

LISA MCCHESNEY lives in La Habra, California, and teaches middle school in a Christian school in East Los Angeles.

SHELLY RANDOL MILLER writes, "I worked full-time as an OB registered nurse until the birth of my twin boys in '97, then part-time until the birth of son number 3 in '99. Now I am a stay-home mom of three active boys." Shelly resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

JANICE NORTHROP is earning a master's degree in education at SPU. She teaches kindergarten at Penny Creek Elementary in the Everett School District and writes she is "enjoying being an aunt to two nephews and two nieces." Janice lives in Mill Creek, Washington.

BRIAN OAKS lives in Seattle with his wife, Stephanie, and two children. He owns The Madison House, a film and media scoring company, and is an advisor/consultant in the high-tech industry.

KIM GEYER OSGOOD is an elementary school teacher, grades 13. She has three children and lives in Woodinville, Washington.

SHELLY RAKETTY has a master's degree in education and writes she is "working as a counselor at H.M. Jackson High School in the Everett School District and loving it!" She lives in Everett, Washington.

TROY RHOADARMER earned a doctorate in optical sciences from the University of Arizona in 1999. He now works for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, doing research in adaptive optics. He and his wife, JENNIFER HAWKINSON RHOADARMER '96, have two children and live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ALISA LAUBY ROEBKE taught junior high school for four years and married Todd Roebke in 1992. They now have two children and live in Marysville, Washington. She writes, "I love being a stay-at-home mom and am never bored!"

BARBARA CAGUE SMITH left the Northwest in November for Mooresville, North Carolina. Before her move, she had been providing health care to incarcerated juveniles at Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie, Washington.

DARLENE SMITH has taught third grade for eight years at Sultan Elementary School in Sultan, Washington. She lives in Edmonds, Washington.

SUZANNE STAPELY was a medical missionary in Guatemala with the Agros Foundation from 1998-2000. She is now a graduate student at Regent College and a part-time registered nurse. In September, she married DAN BARTHOLD '69, a builder with Habitat for Humanity. They honeymooned in Cork, Ireland, and live in Stanwood, Washington.

KAREN HARRISON THOMPSON and husband DAVID THOMPSON '90 live in Spokane, Washington, where she is a stay-at-home mom with three children. She is active at church and in her local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.

BILL TURNER and SHARLYN WARNER TURNER '90 live with their infant daughter in Seattle.

STEPHEN VIDANO and ANDREA HORN VIDANO '92 live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with their young son. Stephen is the vice president and director of production for the film studio, IMS Productions.

JANE COLLIER WERTENBERGER is a math teacher at Spanaway Lake High School in Washington's Bethel School District. She has two daughters and lives in Puyallup, Washington.

MICHELE WESLANDER earned a master's degree in optics from the University of Rochester in New York in 1994. Now a resident of Alexandria, Virginia, Michele is a systems engineer at Scitor Corporation.

Class of 1996
Reunion: Saturday, February 3, 6:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments. Lounge, Weter Hall.

SUSAN BANGS-THOM is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, where she makes her home.

MICHELLE GREEN BEST is attending Baylor University, working toward a master's degree in educational psychology. Her husband, RYAN BEST '95, attends the law school at Baylor. They live in Waco, Texas.

KENNETH BRADFORD is a senior account executive at eJiva, a company that enables businesses to integrate their services with the latest technology. He and his wife, Stacy, have a 1-year-old son and live near Washington, D.C., in Reston, Virginia.

DAVID BROBECK taught English in Costa Rica for a year and now teaches English at Laguna Beach High School, the high school from which he graduated. In 1998, David married his longtime girlfriend, Mele. They live in Aliso Viejo, California.

ROBERT BROOKE is a middle school counselor at Sequim Middle School in Sequim, Washington. He and his wife, Molly, operate a catering business and retail cookie business in addition to their education careers. They have two sons.

TED BROWNING has been a software engineer at ATL Ultrasound for 10 years. Wife LYNEE BROWN '92 is a childbirth educator at Seattle's Swedish Hospital. She is also a "doula," assisting women through labor and childbirth. The couple has three children and live in Shoreline, Washington.

JASON DOMER married Sherry Conley, a Pennsylvania native, in July. He writes that he "became an instant father of Johnny, Sherry's son from her first marriage. God is faithful in the joys and hardships of life!" Jason and his family live in Hillsboro, Oregon.

JEFF EDGBERT and his wife, ROBYN SMITH EDGBERT, live in Redmond, Washington. Jeff works for Tyee Asset Strategies, a Seattle wealth management firm, and supervises trading and operations. Robyn is a database engineer for the ESPN.com group at the Walt Disney Internet Group in Seattle.

NICHOLAS HARDMAN is currently stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, where he attends the USAF Test Pilot School. He will soon be stationed in Florida with the 40th Flight Test Squadron. Till then, he and his wife reside in Edwards, California.

AMY HITCHENS lives in Berkeley, California, and is in her third year of a master of divinity degree program at the Pacific School of Religion. She also works closely with Central American Refugees and Immigration in the Bay Area as a refugee rights assistant.

HEATHER HOUSER has lived in San Diego, California, since graduation.

JEFF HUDSON and AMBER WARTHEN HUDSON live with their infant son in Everett, Washington.

DANIELLE DOMERGUE LAMSMA and husband MATT LAMSMA '95 moved back to the Northwest after living in Texas for four years. Matt now works at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, where the couple makes their home.

JEFF LAYTON and KRISTI LEKSEN LAYTON '98 backpacked through New Zealand and Australia for six months following their January 1999 marriage. Today Jeff is an account executive for an advertising agency that works with nonprofit agencies. Kristi is a pregnancy counselor for an adoption agency. They live in Poulsbo, Washington.

LINDA KIM LYONS completed her master's degree in education at SPU in June 2000. She teaches fifth grade at Fairview Christian School in Seattle. After the new year, Linda was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. Linda and her husband, Ken, ask for your prayers during this difficult time.

TERRA PENNINGTON MITTS and husband SEAN MITTS '95 live in Plano, Texas. They recently left the U.S. Air Force after five years of service, including a two-year tour in Tokyo, Japan.

POPPY ERSKINE ROBERTS married Pennsylvania native Mark Roberts in 1998. She teaches kindergarten at Bellevue Christian School in Bellevue, Washington. The couple lives in Everett.

ERIN LUNDIN ROCHA and ABRAHAM ROCHA '97 live in Post Falls, Idaho, with their infant son. Abraham is in his final year of law school at Gonzaga University.

TARAH PETERSEN SMIGUN is in her second year as the promotions coordinator for Seattle's Talk Radio 570 KVI, owned by Fisher Broadcasting. Her husband, Geoffrey, is employed by Verizon Wireless, working on the company's internal Web system. They live with their four cats in Issaquah, Washington.

SARAH NEWTON STEWART is enrolled at the University of Washington in the master of nursing degree program, family nurse practitioner specialty. She and husband CAMERON STEWART '99 live in Edmonds, Washington.

BEN STIMMEL lives in Pasadena, California, and attends Fuller Seminary, where he's working on a master's degree in marriage and family counseling. When finished, he plans to move back to Vancouver, Washington.

 

 


"ALL FIRED UP" FOR HOMECOMING!

What has you all fired up these days? Politics? Gasoline prices? The Super Bowl?

 

Why not bring all that pent-up energy to the biggest Seattle Pacific University celebration of the year? Homecoming and Family Weekend 2001, February 1-3, offers a full slate of events, including:

Alumnus of the Year Chapel and Luncheon. Join alumni, faculty and staff as they honor Major General G.T. Gunhus '62, chief of chaplains for the U.S. Army.

Class Reunions. Members of the Classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991 and 1996 are invited to special gatherings in your honor.

President's Luncheon. Hear from President Philip Eaton about SPU's growing influence. This event includes special alumni award presentations and student performers.

Student Talent Show. The best, the brightest -- and the bravest -- strut their stuff in this annual spectacle of sight and sound.

Falcon Basketball. The Falcon women engage Northwest Nazarene and the Falcon men battle BYU Hawaii in a rematch of last year's conference championship game. Halftime features the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen.

The Elephant Man. This theatre production is a moving exploration of the human condition.

An "All Fired Up!" brochure with a full schedule of Homecoming and Family Weekend 2001 events was mailed in early January. If you need a copy, or have questions, please call 206/281-ALUM. To view a detailed schedule of Homecoming events, visit the SPU Web site.

 

 


A Missionary Who Works With His Hands

How does someone who's not a minister, a doctor, or a Bible translator find a vocation on the mission field?

 

Ask Ken Edgar '61. He's spent 30 years in missions -- as a construction manager.

As an undergraduate at Seattle Pacific College in the late 1950s, Edgar was interested in full-time Christian service, "but all my natural skills and interests and abilities ... did not appear to lend themselves to ministry." Skilled in mathematics, he chose to study civil engineering, and earned his B.S. degree from Washington State University after completing SPC's "pre-engineering" program.

With nearly 40 years of design and construction management experience under his belt, Edgar has worked on some impressive, high-profile projects. Asked to name a few, he nonchalantly mentions Interstate 405 and the Boeing Company's plant in Everett, Washington.

But a note of excitement creeps into his voice when he talks about building an airstrip in Guatemala, or a hospital in Quito, Ecuador. Edgar, you see, found a way to combine his profession with his love for God. Since 1970 he's worked with Texas-based Missionary Tech Team, which provides planning, design and management for construction projects for missions and ministry organizations around the globe. For much of that time he and his family have lived in Quito, although his work also took him to China and Liberia.

Most civil engineers describe their work in terms of cubic yards of concrete or tons of steel. Edgar talks about felling trees and cutting his own lumber, or salvaging metal from a wrecked plane to build a bridge. He considers the hospital in Quito his most rewarding project -- not because of its design or capacity, but because it's a missionary hospital that averages 100 decisions for Christ every month.

Another successful building project began in 1967, when Edgar married Irene Pettengill '64, an elementary school teacher whom he got to know at an SPC alumni banquet. For the Edgars, Seattle Pacific is a family tradition. All three of their sons (Jay Edgar '90, Brent Edgar '92 and Peter Edgar '98) and a daughter-in-law (Raedeana Schliebe Edgar '92) graduated from SPU. Both of Irene Edgar's parents and several of her sisters also attended, and her grandfather was C. Hoyt Watson, the college's third president.

Edgar shows no signs of slowing down. He's supervising construction on a new facility for the Nashville Rescue Mission in Tennessee -- and looking forward to wherever his work takes him next. Distance prevents him from attending his 40-year reunion at SPU, but he sends heartfelt greetings to his classmates.

 

 


In the Air and on the Ground, Alum Seeks New Challenges

When his rented Cessna Skyhawk touched down in Bennington, Vermont, last July, Robert Schaper '86 had fulfilled a long-held dream: He'd landed an airplane in each of the 50 states.

The achievement didn't happen overnight -- or without adversity. Schaper has logged more than 2,550 flight hours in the 33 years since he obtained his first pilot's license. He's survived two crashes and five other emergencies. And he's living proof that it's never too late to achieve one's goals.

 

Take graduation and marriage, for example. In 1960 Schaper was enrolled at Seattle Pacific and engaged to Carol King '63. But she wanted to be a missionary; he planned to go into business. They broke off the engagement, and Schaper dropped out of school. More than 20 years later he returned to earn a B.A. in psychology. A few years after that, he and King reconnected. They married in 1994; she teaches third grade in the Highline School District and serves as copilot on some of his flights.

When he's not in the air, Schaper puts his degree to use as a social worker for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in Seattle. He counsels some of the city's most troubled adults -- "my clients are one-third felons, one-third addicts, and one-third mental health cases" -- and tries to get them into treatment programs. Because he works for a government agency, Schaper says, he isn't allowed to share his faith with his clients "unless they bring it up -- but occasionally they do. And then I tell them that I'm a Christian, and we have some interesting conversations."

Dramatic successes are hard to come by in Schaper's line of work. Many of his clients relapse or drop out of treatment. But, he admits, "You touch more lives than you realize. Most of them don't come back and tell you, but occasionally you hear back about one of them, and that's kind of nice."

Even before he became a social worker, Schaper regularly flew to Walla Walla to visit inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary. "We should touch the unlovely," says the longtime member of the SPU Society of Fellows.

"Because of my belief that Christianity should help the ills of society, I fit in this job that I sort of fell into."

What's next for Schaper? Well, so far he's flown to only four Canadian provinces. Look for that to change soon.

 

 


Some Things Change - and Some Things Stay the Same

Habits you pick up in college can be hard to break after you leave. But sometimes that's a good thing.

Rachel LeMieux White '91 has at least two such habits. One began in 1989, when she and six other SPU students joined a discipleship group led by Marta Bennett, then associate director of campus ministries. White still treasures the relationships she built in that group, which met weekly for two years: "Small groups are such a wonderful way to fellowship and learn about God, as we learn to love each other in spite of our differences and imperfections."

 

It's no surprise, then, that she's currently involved in two ministries built around small groups. The first is Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), an international organization that provides support and encouragement for moms with young children. (She qualifies for membership by virtue of being the mother of one-year-old twin girls, Taryn and Karis.) Nearly 100 women belong to her MOPS chapter, and she leads a subgroup of 12. The chapter meets at New Life Center, the Foursquare church White attends in Everett, but she estimates that half the members "do not have a home church -- so it's really an outreach."

Rachel and her husband, Greg White '77, a mental health professional, are also helping to plan and implement a network of fellowship and Bible study groups for people who attend New Life Center. "We're going to start small but start well," she says. Eventually, they hope to involve 80 percent of the congregation in small groups. A mathematics and secondary education major at SPU, White also provides bookkeeping services for home-based businesses in Everett.

The other habit White acquired in college is volunteering for Esperanza, a mission on the west coast of Vancouver Island that works primarily with the Nuu-Chah-Nulth (Nootka) native population. White first went to Esperanza on a summer SPRINT team in 1989. She worked there full-time after graduation, and returns at least once a year.

Ten years after White graduated, the eight women in her SPU discipleship group still keep in close touch -- despite being scattered as far afield as Canada, India, Africa and Great Britain. Speaking of friends from SPU, White plans to attend her 10-year class reunion in February: "I signed up for the brunch and am excited to see whoever else might be there."

 

 


DREAM JOB: THEATRE GRAD JOINS EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT
Gus Peterson at EMP

Sven "Gus" Peterson took a break from his job at the new Experience Music Project (EMP) near the Seattle Center. The 1998 Seattle Pacific University graduate wanted to practice guitar chords in anticipation of leading singing at a Christian summer camp. He entered the EMP Sound Lab -- a high-tech studio that lets visitors jam like rock stars -- and picked up a guitar.

 

Then someone else entered the lab. "He was the bass player for Metallica," says Peterson. At the EMP to perform for its grand opening, Jason Newsted selected a nearby guitar and started playing. "I just tried to keep up!" Peterson remembers, laughing.

As visitor services supervisor for the EMP, Peterson supervises 70 employees and volunteers as they assist streams of sightseers in billionaire Paul Allen's rock and roll museum. It's not his first connection to Seattle's celebrity scene.

Peterson has taken his theatre degree to three notable Seattle venues: the Kingdome, Safeco Field and now the popular EMP. A work-study job as a Kingdome tour guide led Peterson into a full-time position as events coordinator at the Kingdome and then Safeco Field, where the Mariners fan got to "live out a dream." Then the EMP called.

Only days before its June 2000 grand opening, he began work. "It was like being on the other side of the Academy Awards," says Peterson. Opening weekend included a concert by Grammy Award-winning singer Sheryl Crowe, with Steven Spiel-berg and Dan Akroyd in the audience.

Although not on stage himself now, Peterson credits SPU with preparing him to move in celebrity circles and supervise a large staff. Professor of Theatre James Chapman "really allowed us to be creative in our own right and learn how to present ourselves," he says.

Three years with the theatre troupe University Players also helped. "That taught me a lot about leadership and how to be comfortable with yourself."

 

 


 

 

 


 

Please read our disclaimer. Send any questions, comments or correspondence about Response to jgilnett@spu.edu
or call 206-281-2051.
Copyright © 2001 University Communications, Seattle Pacific University.

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