Stay Tuned to This Space for Reunion Details!
How to Post Your Reunion Announcement
VIEW ALL REUNIONS

Class News

Today's Featured Biography

Ted Birkholz

I went from h.s. to a college in Nebraska whose purpose was to train workers for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Upon graduation I taught in a Lutheran school for 3 years in Kansas as well as coaching youth basketball and directing the church's h.s. youth group.
In 1969 I moved to Michigan, n.e. of Detroit, where I still am today. I taught in a Lutheran school for 16 more years as well as coaching, directing the church h.s. group (which I later gave up and instead was responsible for the school's library and media center). At one time I had 41 students in my 4th grade classroom.

In 1971 I married Karen, from Laurel, whom I had dated in college. She was a freshman when I was a senior so the dating ended upon my graduation (not my choice) and she came to work in Michigan the summer of '71 at a church camp, a few hours drive from my home. We got reacquainted and married a couple months later. She had been teaching at the Lutheran school in Billings until then.

Then a career change - delivered mail for the post office for many years (lots of walking), caused some foot problems. From there I went to a less stressful job as a janitor for my church and early childhood center and then to being a janitor at a local lumber yard where I got laid off after 8 years. Quite a surprise! The Detroit area relies heavily on the Big 3 automakers. Lack of building new houses also happened, making the state of Michigan the leader in unemployment for many months.

I then went to work part-time for Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the U.S., for 3 1/2 years, retiring on my 66th birthday last November. I had planned to retire the same day as my wife in May of 2012 but foot surgery (plantar fasciitis) that was not a complete success helped make the decision.

My wife stayed home for several years when our daughter and son were born. She will soon finish her 29th consecutive year teaching preschoolers at our church. Even with the poor economy she and another classroom have over 100 students total.

We thoroughly enjoy our grandkids. My daughter in Indiana is married and has a girl who will soon be 4, and a one-year-old boy.
My son lives in a suburb of Chicago, is married, has a one year old boy and another child on the way. We are glad that all are within driving distance.

I grew up on a dairy east of Miles, delivered milk in glass bottles door-to-door in town. My father died in May of my junior year in h.s. My mom kept the dairy going for a while but eventually sold the farm and moved into Miles City where she still lives at age 92. She kept little from the farm. Thanks to the Internet we have been able to find and purchase some of our old milk bottles with the dairy's name so that each of us 7 siblings have at least one. Anyone out there have one they don't want?

I was on national t.v. in 1967 for a minute on "The Joey Bishop Show." Taped in California, Joey sometimes let audience members ask questions of his guests. Knowing this I purposely sat on an aisle seat as that is where previous shows indicated a greater chance of being picked. Mickey Rooney was a guest that day. Knowing that he had been married many times and was a short man I asked him how tall his wife was. Before Mickey could answer Joey answered for him, "He doesn't care how tall they are. He's marrying his whole h.s. class, one woman at a time!"
Mickey was in front of a congressional committee yesterday in D.C., testifying about "elderly abuse."

My wife and I enjoy traveling through God's great nature. Enjoyed Yellowstone Nat. Park several times, Glacier, Banff & Jaspar (Canada). Spent a couple weeks in Australia when our son spent a year there doing graduate study. It was their winter season but we still saw many tourist attractions.

While working at the lumber yard the president of the company gave my wife and me a free week cruise in the Caribbean, airfare included. We still want to do a cruise to Alaska.

My health has been pretty good. I'd love to retire in Montana but that is not possible since we have so many friends here now.

VIEW ALL BIOGRAPHIES

Class Poll

Featured Links

Visit Other Classes