Be aware, the "Message Forum" is NOT password protected.  Unlike profiles that are password protected, anybody who gets to this webpage can see what is written here.  Nobody can contact you directly based on this forum unless you reveal your personal contact information.  Use the "Message Center" for sharing personal contact information with another classmate.

This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Yes, the excitement is building. I hope it doesn't keep me awake on my redeye flight taking us to Milwaukee tonight. I am so looking forward to seeing you all!! If you see me tomorrow, just know that I usually look more wide-awake. And if I have wrinkles and grayer hair, it's  because of lack of sleep :-)

Dennis Sorensen

Hi All,

Just want to send our thanks to all that have worked so hard to put together the reunion, for all you have done and will do this weekend.  The website has also been great!  We certainly are looking forward to seeing all of our old friends. 

Thank you, again, Dennis and Ellyn (Steinbach) Sorensen.

Kenneth Pallaske

Ditto, Dennis. My feelings, exactly. Lu and I will be driving in later today. We will most likely get into Milwaukee late. If we don't see anyone tonight, have a great time and we can vist tomorrow.

Love to all and God Bless!

William Koepp

I just discovered the forum and spent the last 2 days reading through it. I realize now why when Jan contacted me for the reunion she said Rufus King was our rival while I always thought it was Washington. I went to Wilbur Wright Jr High and ¾ of our lass went to Washington and only ¼ went to Custer. It seems most people came from Edison. I recognize many of the things mentioned but not all those from east of Custer. I remember Zarder’s on Aplleton between Holy Cross can Wanders Rest (now Lincoln) cemeteries. Was Guiseppes Pizza the one on Capitol Near Aplleton just east of 76^th street?

I remember Bill Carlson the weather man. I liked his technical information, I guess that was a foretelling of my interests in tech since I became an Electrical Engineer.  Carol mentioned ice skating at Columbus Park. I live ½ block from it and would skate there in the winter. Most of all I remember Capitol Court and the big Christmas tree.

I remember riding the bus down Congress and transferring at 60^th and Fond du Lac to get school. There were several of us who played sheepshead on the way to school. All of them seem to be on the unfound list. I guess I better post this since the reunion is just hours away from starting.

William Koepp

Oh by the way the Jr high I went to (Wilbur Wright) is now Milwaukee School of Languages and Craig Elementary is Craig Montessori. Along with Custer being called something else, Iguess I was not good luck for any school I went to. Well except maybe Marquette University. But then they changed their mascot from Warriors to Golden Eagles. But I am still a Marquette Warrior.

Susan Mardak (Page)

So looking forward to seeing everyone this evening and tomorrow.  I think I emptied my closet several times looking for just the right thing to wear....I can't decide.  If anyone out there is looking for me to say hello, look for the fire engine redhead.  If you recall, I was a blonde in high school.  I needed some pizzaz, so about ten years ago, I switched to auburn.  See you tonight.

Sue (Mardak) Page

Jim Cejka

OK, 

So, it's Friday, the big, night, and I'm sitting out here in California, vicariously enjoying the party via the Forum. It's about 8:45 Milwaukee time. You all should be on your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ?? drink by now, Garry should owe most everybody money from losing at sheepshead, and everybody should be having a good time. 

Thanks for the memories. Have a good time

jim cejka

Kenneth Pallaske

We got here about 10:15PM local time last night after a 7-1/2 hour drive. I can tell you, most of you were unrecognizable. I'm sure Garry will have fun with that tonight. I did recognize Garry, Sandy and Mitch....who are the rest of you?

I will be visting with my older brother, Bill, today. He turned 70 on Thursday. That can't be, cant it? A sibling in the 70's? I was hoping to get to Sheboygan for one of Shultz's steak sanwichies, however, I don't think that is going to happen and still be able to make it to the festivities tonight.

Our room faces the east - what a great sunrise. Oh! We passed by Miller Stadium on the way in. It looked like the game was just letting out. I remember going to the Braves games when I was a kid. Then to see the old stadium in a pile of rubble while "Miller" was being built. Oh well, out with the old and in with the new. Wait a minute....I'm not talking about us.

Bill K,

I went to Edison and then transferred to Wilbur Wright. Then Granville H.S. to Custer. That was the best move of all. Great people and great memories. It should be fun tonight. Are you attending?

Garry, Jan, Sandy and the rest of the organizing team. I would like to pubicly thank you for all of the hard work you put in to make this weekend successful.

This website is fabulous, groovy, way out there, man and any other good thing anyone can say about it. Let's rock tonight. Kooky, lend me your comb. Oh wait, one has to have hair to use a comb.

I pause to remember all of our classmates who have gone before us.

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

I'll add "dittos" to Ken's thanks to all the committee members who have made this reunion just outstanding!  WOW!  Totally enjoyed last night's gathering & soooo glad that we'll be meeting again tonight.

Thank you, thank you!!

Barb

William Koepp

Ken I will see you there.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

We thank our California classmates for treating us to a glass of wine last night. Surely that contributed to the fact that we got smarter and everyone got cuter as the evening wore on.  :-)

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

 It WAS a fabulous reunion!!! Thanks to everybody who worked so hard - it was worth it a million times over. Jim Cejka, where WERE you!

Carol Albers (Pederson)

Happy to hear the all comments about the reunion.   So glad to see all those who were able to come and help make it an enjoyable experience for all.  Loved reconnecting with old friends and making new  "old" ones.  Those of you who weren't able to make it, know that you were missed.  But we can all stay connected with this wonderful website.  Shared memories, big or small, are the best.

Coleen Kober (Marshall)

Thanks to all who came to the reunion--you made our reunion a great success. As treasurer, I knew all the names of those who were attending. Didn't get to talk to everybody, but tried.  What a wonderful two nights.

Kenneth Pallaske

The reunion was more than I expected. Thanks to all of you who organized it, to those who attended and a special ahout-out to those of you who could not attend. We missed you.

The hotel was great and the food excellent.

The tribute to the departed classmates was very moving. Thanks to the contributors.

Jan, your prayer was very fitting and touching.

Garry, your emcee abilities were.....well, left's leave it at that. Just kidding. You were great.

Custer cheerleaders....Hmmmmm!!! Good thing gravity and wrinkles don't hurt. Oh! Nice touch with the camo outfits. You looked just like you did 50 years ago. All of you did a great job.

I got to sit with a Home Coming queen and a Custer tumbler. Life is good.

When  is the next one?

Margaret Pawlowski (Finch)

Just want to thank the committee for a great reunion.  It was so good to see old friends again.  Loved the cheerleaders.  Enjoyed the the tour of the old Custer.  I was encouraged by what the principal had to say and hope the changes taking place will make a difference in the young people now attending both schools and those who attend in the future.

Ok gang, when's the next reunion going to be?

Marian Schopp (Bringe)

Thank you to the reunion committee!! I can't stop looking at the reunion book. The night was overwhelming! It will take weeks to process it all – it sure was fun. I hope classmates will keep posting pictures taken Friday and Saturday night or pictures that were found of us in elemantary school. Please keep posting current pictures.  We remember what you looked like in high school. Love family pictures! Love reading all the bio's of where you have been. So thankful for the 50th reunion!  Marian
 

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I was just remarking something in a private e-mail to one of our classmates that deserves to be said to all: the minute I saw the first classmates I didn't ever feel for a minute that I was meeting a bunch of strangers, and it was the same way throughout the whole reunion. It was as if we were all just coming back from a long (VERY long!) summer vacation. We have an exceptionally nice bunch of people in our class! I am trying to upload photos from the Custer tour, but the iPad can't do it. As soon as I get home.....!

Ray Thompson

Wow--what an incredible week-end. Facilities were great. Congrats to the entire committee for pulling this together and making it totally first class. Great talking to old friends and actually making new friends with classmates I really didn't know back in the day. I was told many times I really didn't need my name tag cause I didn't change one bit from 1962. O.K. same Ray and same BS. Thanks again to all who made my week-end great.

Jim Cejka

Terry,

I figured if I stayed out here in CA, I'd be here when the big quake came and made us an island, then I could snatch up some new beach front property.

Sounds like there was a bit more shakin' and rollin' back in WI.

jim

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Back in the north woods again, we’re still a little giddy from the excitement of seeing everyone. We’re so grateful for the chance to learn of everyone’s challenges and accomplishments. We all had something in common way back then, being unsure of ourselves and trying to fit in and find our place in the class and the world. Now we share our triumphs over various adversities and - hopefully – the confidence that we can weather what comes in the next years. Karsten and I thank the committee for their generous gifts of time and effort and we congratulate them on organizing a wonderful gathering we will never forget.

William Koepp

 To all – had a great time. Great job committee.

Gary or whoever: Somebody had some old Custer Chronicles on the memorabilia table, I was wondering who it was and if they could scan them in and post them on the web site or in the forum. I would like to down load it and print it out, Specially the graduation edition – it had the headline “Custer graduates 430” or something close to that.

Carol Albers (Pederson)

Hi Bill,

Roger Pederson is the keeper of the Chronicles.  Imagine his surprise when he found them while looking for his yearbook.    Presently we are back up in Eagle River for a week, but when we get back we will check with Garry if it can be done and about the best way to do it.

Rog and Carol

Nancy Boerst (Morfey)

Dear Classmates, I feel just terrible about missing our class reunion.  Early Friday afternoon, i got a migraine headache that continued thru Sunday morning... It was a real  heartache for me not to be there.  I did call the hotel and left a message for Gary, that I wasn't feeling well. I talked to Meribeth Hodges tonight and she was kind enough to fill me in and give me this web site.. Glad everything went well and maybe there will be another reunion in 5 years. :)   I'm on F/B under Nancy Boerst Morfey... My best to all of you !!

Loren Bussewitz

Hey everyone,my name is Loren Bussewitz. I was at the re-union and some of you asked about Ken Rabas. He wasn't with us because he had to take his wife to the hospital because she was feeling bad. He called me on Thursday and told me she was in very bad shape. On Friday and Saturday he called me and said she was responding to treatments. Sadly this Wednesday morning she passed away. I would hope that all our prayers go to him in this very bad time. He and I were born on the same day and were friends from 8 years old and always got together to have a good time. His wife was a great person and will be missed very much.