1950's Class Notes

Mary Ellen Burkhard Maurer ‘52 was chairperson this past spring at the annual Mother’s Day rose sale for her local California Birthright chapter. In chatting with another volunteer, who has been participating in the fund raiser for some time, it turns out that she, too, is an Edgewood College alumna, Kathy Agnew Kugelmas ‘68. Kudos to both of you for your many hours of volunteer service. (October 2001)

Ann (Holmes) Boberschmidt ‘54 has the largest family I am aware of -10 Children and several living in Wisconsin. She lives in Colorado and was just recently in WI for a grandchild’s first communion. She sends greetings to all.  (June 2004)

Ruth (Leuthner) Demers ‘54 taught art at St. Pius X in Wauwatosa, WI for 34 years and at several other area schools. She has 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren and 2 great grans. In her Sturgeon Bay parish she is training and scheduling mass servers. She is also active at the local museum and several book clubs. Ruth’s granddaughter is also an Edgewood alumna from the ’78 class with a biology major.   (June 2004)

Nancy (Gallagher) Ehmann ‘54 taught briefly in West Allis and Pittsburgh before raising 3 sons and a daughter. She and her husband Bill are now blessed with 2 lively KY grandchildren. Nancy and Bill have lived in Lexington for 46 years and have done extensive traveling around the world to professional meetings and pleasure cruises. For 22 years, Nancy has been a volunteer director of Meals on Wheels for Lexington. In 1996, the Alumni Association honored her with the Distinguished Alumna Award for Volunteer Service.  (June 2004)

Susan (Hunt) Esser ‘54 arranges charity knit-ins, mainly in Roanoke, VA and Berea, Ky. She recently traveled to Nova Scotia for a knitting workshop. She won an award “You Make a Difference” from Greenville, SC community college for managing a computer lab.  (June 2004)

Dorothy (Richards) Ferron ‘54 taught business for 12 years in WI and for 40 years worked in Ferron’s Menswear in WI and Boca Raton, FL. She still works as a bookkeeper and office manager for a large painting contractor in Boca Raton.   (June 2004)

Rita (McGarty) Goepel ‘54 has 3 boys, one girl and 6 grandchildren. She kept her Sussex home, but winters in Bonita Springs, FL.  (June 2004)

Marilyn (Ludlow) Gundermann ‘54 has 4 children and 6 grandchildren. She does her husbands’s books and scheduling and types his arbitration awards. She has run in the Senior Games and Badger State Games (100 and 200 meters). She is going to have a special trip with her family next year to celebrate their 50 year anniversary.  (June 2004)

Margaret (McComish) McClory ‘54 now lives in Evanston and does volunteer work for Call to Action and Ten Thousand Villages. Her daughter is a graphic designer.  (June 2004)

Norene (Derr) Norman ‘54 retired from the Chicago Archdiocese DRE and lives in Nixa, MO. She winters in Texas.  (June 2004)

Mary Reynolds ‘54 taught for 38 years in Oconomowoc and still resides there as well.

Peggy (Swed) Solberg ‘54 transferred to Marycrest in Davenport, Iowa. She and her husband owned and operated a men’s formal wear store for over 40 years, She has 5 beautiful daughters and 6 grandchildren. She works in a facility for adults with special needs.  (June 2004)

Peg (Schaub) Trotalli ‘54 is married to Al (a coach), and has 2 children and 2 grandchildren. She taught in Rice Lake, Barron, and the Home Bound program in Greenfield, WI for 17 years. She also worked in Boulder Junction bookstore for 12 years- a loyal Wisconsin lady!  (June 2004)

Mary (McDonald) Gorzalski '55 recently retired from teaching and is keeping busy with Bible studies and prayer meetings as well as 14 grandchildren.  (January 2004)

Pancratius Ritacca, OP '55 is retired at the Mound in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, volunteering in the Alliance Publications Department.  (January 2004)

Judith (Hagen) Splitt '56 and her husband split their time between Mt. Prospect, Illinois, and Star Lake, Wisconsin, where they spend the summer enjoying time with their children and grandchildren.  (January 2004)

Carol (Broeren) McCarl ’59 recently received the Migel Lay Volunteer Award, which honors professionals and volunteers whose dedication and achievements have improved the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. Carol, who has been blind since birth, founded Blindskills, a nonprofit organization, in 1983 while teaching at the Oregon School for the Blind. To read more about the award and an interview with Carol, go to http://www.blindskills.com/news.html. (August 2006)

Kathleen Conlin ‘59, a freshman classmate of the class of 1954, celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a Sinsinawa Dominican last year and now cares for her 105 year old mother in Columbus, Wisconsin.  (June 2004)

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