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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.
 

Garry Sellers

Coleen (Kober) Marshall has been an important and reliable member of the Reunion Committee, handling all the financial matters and more for our various functions.  It is especially sad that we must report that Coleen's husband, John Marshall, passed away earlier this week.  John was a graduate of South Division and St Olaf's..  Here is a link to John's obituary in the MIlwaukee Journal,

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?n=john-r-marshall&pid=182317123&fhid=5684

I know all of you would offer Coleen a warm, caring hug and be available for her whenever she is ready to once again join her old friends from Custer.

Gordon "Allen" Mitchell

Thanks for the "Home Page" update Gordy #1!!!!   

Jim Cejka

Anyone else getting creamed in the latest 'Teen Jeopardy" tournement, or am I the only embarrassment to Custer (besides Garry, of course)?

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Not doing too badly, unless it is anything about current pop music scene, or TV shows from the past - oh, say - 20 years!

Jim Cejka

Oh Terri, right on.

I think I stopped keeping up with popular music with the early Beatles. I don’t watch movies or TV any more violent than the Sound of Music. I can take better guesses at Lithuanian flora and fauna than I can on Shakespeare or anything computer. I find myself being the epitome of “Ve get too soon old und too late schmart.”

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Busy in the kitchen with pie crust and prep for the turkey who is brining under a load of garden thyme and garlic. Being enormously grateful for another Thanksgiving, and for the strength to get ready for it. How sad that we've lost so many of our classmates already!

Just took a time-out and read all of the bug stories from everyone down south. UUUUGH! I remember in Texas in the 40's when the "bug man" came with a jeep and a huge hose which he attached to our front window. We all left; unfortunately we all had to come back to the residue, and I thank that (and pack-a-day parents ) for my asthma.  (No problelm, though, if I stay away from cats, mold, and horses )

Yes, we have our mosquitos here in Michigan, and those lovely fish flies ( "Canadian soldiers" ) every spring. But, for sheer disgust factor, there's nothing like the critters that try to get into your house for our challenging winter. Last week, all of sudden, the kitchen sink wouldn't drain. Baking soda and vinegar, Drano.  Under the crawl space, wrenches, snake. Then a longer snake. Then - voila! out onto our jeans spurted a gallon or two of yukky water and several pieces of a dead mouse. He didn't look good; I looked grossed out. 

BTW, thanks Garry, for the shout-out on the home page. Are you suggesting that my memory may not be up to code? No matter, I'll forget the insult in time ( and less time than you think!)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Jim Cejka

Actually Nancy, we were just 'buggin' you because you were pretty quiet this summer. 

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Always quiet in summer, Jim. Five-year-old grand daughter from Boulder is three doors away for July and August. She and her parents and dogs come and go all day; oldest daughter and partner are here for a few weeks as well. Karsten's sisters usually spend a week. And we have nieces who love the lake. Very busy here. We have cut way, way down on houseguests; just family now. Don't have the energy we used to. Some years the turnaround time between guests was so short that we joked we were "hotbedding". For those of you who aren't sailors, that's a term referring to, for example, five sailors on a boat with four bunks. At night, one is always above deck on watch; after four hours the watch changes, and the watchman goes below to climb into a still-warm bunk. But Jim, you knew that. ( also the value of a ship's bell that told you how much longer you could sleep without bothering to look at a watch )

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was as wonderful as ours, and that we all get through the coming winter in good health and good spirits. 

Jim Cejka

Does anyone else get a kick out of the commercial with the ice skating sumo wrestler like I do? Subtlely hilarious.

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I love that commercial, Jim. My favorite part is the incredulous look on the face of the little princess skater awaiting her turn. But the actor who plays the skater reminds me some of the skits the late and talented Chris Farley used to do on SNL. Well, winter is upon us, and early sunsets and chilly days - even here in the San Francisco Bay area. I thought I'd retired from subbing, but a good teacher friend had to have last-minute surgery, so I'm doing a 3-week "gig" going into the Christmas break. I think the hardest part of going to work every day again  is having to get up before sunrise! Nancy, it was great to hear from you again, and I loved your description of your summer routines. Our "kids" stay here during their holiday breaks, and I miss having the couch full of people with connector wires attached to them, enjoying their devices, and cats lounging wherever they can find a spot. We had to buy a bigger couch to make this experience available to us, too, if we wanted to participate.

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Terri & Jim ~~

That must be a Left Coast commercial. Haven't seen it around here. Darn!

William Nelson

Here's a link to the Sumo Ice Skater. Wonder if there will be others in a series?

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AX_N/geico-sumo-wrestler-figure-skating#

Mitchell Heinrichs

Good morning everyone from Door county

ty. I am sure all are getting ready for Xmas and we here are no different. 

I saw Barb Biesel Rank last week and visited for a while she is getting used to a life without Don but as is we all are making adjustments to these things, also saw Peggy Sills last week. I am on the board of the Hardy gallery and she is one of our docents. Talked to Sharon Neitzel last week who was having lunch with Lynn Christienson all doing as well as our age permits. Lynn doing well recovering from C.

Winter has finaly come with the first snow fall which you will know of if you watched the Packer game last night. Here at the house the wood bins are full with only about 4 more loads of logs to retrieve . This year a neighbor down the way had a house built and saved all the trees in 14' lengthes so half we cut and split and the other took to the saw mill for 6X6 beams for landscaping, dam those things are heavy. Mary scheduling cookey makeing, used to be my favorite time but now I am glutin free but I will help, she makes a great oatmeal lace I can eat. Looking forward to all the grand children comeing up , the house gets a litte crazy 3 of my children can usualy make it  but only 9 grand children one grand daughter serving in the Israeli army we pray for her and 3 we have never seen ,thats another story. 

Well happy holidays to all and best wishes from Mary and myself. Mitch

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Thanks, Bill, for the link to the commercial. Sumo wrestlers--a rare breed indeed!

Jim Cejka

OK, CONNtinentals. Can you still find yourselves in this picture?

If we were in the band back in 1962, doesn't that make us ex-CONNs now?

Garry Sellers

Coach Pete Peterson's Passing

Rod Gehrig was nice enough to pass on information he saw in the Journal/Sentinel about our old basketball coach Lloyd "Pete" Peterson.  He apparently passed away over the weekend, Dec 17 at the age of 88.  Pete was a good guy, not a terribly tough coach, but he was always enjoyable to be around ... even when Willman and Sauer were hogging the ball, again!  For more information about Pete's passing here is a link to the obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?n=lloyd-e-peterson-pete&pid=183148705&fhid=12149

Gordon Sauer

Truth be told now that "Pete" has passed.  He told Willman and I NOT to give the ball to Sellers because it would end in a turnover, or another missed shot.  Sorry GarRy, I needed to get this secret off my chest.

Jim Cejka

Thanks Gordy,

Those of us who attended the games regularly knew it had to be something like that. I'm glad you have made it 'public knowledge' now.

Lauren Dieterich

It's been a long time since I last posted to the site. I have a habit of looking at my emails and then telling myself that I'll get back to them later. The problem is, that most of the time, I forget.

The neighbor kid that I grew up with would go to Smith Park for the Tavern League softball games. Peterson was usually the umpire. We'd sit behind home plate and heckle him. We got a lot of looks from some of the other people in the stands, because we never let up. He knew that it was all in fun. He'd turn to us and say  "just you two wait until school starts "

 And, no more snowbirds for us. We are now year 'round residents of Bullhead City, AZ.

Jim Cejka

To my 'new' old friends:

Thank you for the years we've had. Bless us and the years to come.

Lauren Dieterich

I have always liked Col. Potter's toast, after a really bad New Year's Eve in the OR  " Here's to the New Year, may it be a damn site better than the old " After this past year, It seems appropriate.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

I have always been an optimistic person. This year has definitely strained my " hopeful muscles " (wherever those are located). I'm with Col. Potter. 

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

I don't EVER want another "2016!" The conclusion of 2015 wasn't magnificent, either!

Mitchell Heinrichs

Hi Gary you seem to be under fire, You always have a safe place for you here. When called some years ago I tried to axplane the appreciation you could expect to recieve must admit it took a while. It seems thoes who criticize the most are the peaple who voulunteer the least. Come home anytime. Mitch 

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Wishing the best possible new year to you all!  It certainly has been a strange year in 2016, and I feel we are in uncharted territory in 2017, with so many seemingly drastic changes being discussed. All I can say is "Hang on tight!"  Is everything okay, Garry???