Vol. 42, No. 3 Fall 2010 - University of Minnesota, Crookston

A Magazine for Alumni & Friends of the 

University of Minnesota, Crookston 

Vol. 42, No. 3 Fall 2010

Homecoming and NWSA Reunion bring alumni back to campus.

From the Chancellor 

Life is filled with choices. Every day, in fact, we make countless decisions. 

While some of them are rather insignificant, others might be life changing. 

In an election year, we vote for leaders we feel will best represent our 

interests. In turn, our decisions help shape the future of our state and our country. 

Sometimes we are aware of our influence; other times we are not. Several 

months ago a study on economic impact of the campus was completed by the 

University of Minnesota Extension’s Center for Community Vitality. It was the 

first time many of us have been able to quantify the impact of the campus on the 

community and region. The results of the study showed the campus contributes 

$50 million annually to the local and regional economy. 

While the results of the study are indeed substantial, the choices we make 

individually are the ones that combine to significantly and most directly benefit 

our community. Likewise, members of the community choose to lend support to 

us, and the campus benefits immensely. 

Students exercise the power of choice when they decide to attend the U of M, 

Crookston. This fall our enrollment was at a record high for the third year in a 

row. Our faculty and staff work hard to inspire students to be engaged, to think 

critically, and to consider a global perspective. In other words, we want students 

to be good leaders and decision makers. 

This fall, 19 students chose to study on the Crookston campus from Zhejiang 

Economic and Trade Polytechnic in China. We welcome them to our campus. 

Every day through my office window, I see students as they make their way to 

class. These students choose to go to class because, like the students from China, 

they made an earlier decision to attend the University of Minnesota, Crookston. 

We are glad they did. 

We might not consider ourselves people of influence, but the truth is, we 

are—each one of us in our own way. Our alumni and friends choose ways to 

support the U of M, Crookston. Each decision, whether it is to attend an athletic 

event, encourage a potential student to visit campus, or fund a scholarship, 

provides critical support for this great institution. 

Remember you are a person of influence, and your decisions can change your 

day or change your life. I would like to ask each of you to choose how you will 

use your influence to strengthen the Crookston campus, encourage its faculty, 

support its students, and shape its future. 

Sincerely, 

Charles H. Casey, D.V.M. 

Chancellor 

CONTENTS 

Director of Development 

& Alumni Relations........4 

Focus on the Board ......5 

Top Aggies ......................6 

Campus News ................7 

Cameron Brauer ............8 

Interns..............................9 

Nielsen Family..............10 

Sockeye Business ......12 

Shawn Friedland..........14 

Homecoming ................16 

Adrian Van Dellen........18 

Tony Dank......................20 

MJ Melbye Eastes ......22 

Outstanding Alumni 

and Athletic Hall 

of Fame..........................25 

Alumni News ................26 

In Memory ....................29 

3

From the Director of 

Development & Alumni Relations 

The word philanthropy has its roots in the Greek 

language meaning love of mankind. As I write this 

letter, I reflect on our generous donors of all ages and 

backgrounds who support the University of Minnesota, 

Crookston in areas they are passionate about. 

This summer I received a phone call from Alumna 

Stephanie Onken, a spring 2010 graduate. Stephanie 

informed me she would like to make a donation in 

support of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and 

asked me how best to make this gift. This fall we 

dedicated the Centennial Park Flag Pole Project on the 

Campus Mall featuring the American, Minnesota State, 

and the University of Minnesota, Crookston flags. This 

spectacular campus addition would not have come to 

fruition without the private funding of Alumnus 

Harris A. Peterson, ’42. Last spring Alumna Mary Jo 

(Melbye) Eastes, ’79, and her husband, Richard, 

Visalia, Calif., pledged five pieces of Gary Ernest 

Smith artwork. The first piece arrived this summer and 

is hanging in the Minnesota Room. 

So I pose the question, what are your passions, and 

how can you assist the University of Minnesota, 

Crookston? Maybe your passion is supporting 

scholarships, endowments, athletics, facilities, student 

organizations, endowed chairs, faculty research, 

unrestricted gifts, volunteering or other areas. Can you 

give through your estate, will, land, stocks, cash, 

annuities, trusts, online, or by making a pledge for a 

future gift? The answer is yes! Your options for 

creating a lasting legacy and shaping the future for our 

Alumna Mary Jo (Melbye) Eastes, '79, and Corby Kemmer, director of 

development and alumni relations. 

undergraduates are unlimited. Today more than ever 

before your continued private financial support is a 

matter of necessity. 

When you invest in the University of Minnesota, 

Crookston, you invest in the future and your 

contributions assist in expanding our resources for even 

greater educational opportunities. 

I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I call 

upon you for your financial backing of the U of M, 

Crookston. Small Campus Big Degree. 

Sincerely, 

Corby Kemmer, Director 


In the photo (l to r): Harold Peterson, Chancellor Casey, Leah 

Peterson, CSA President Shawn Friedland, Director of 

Development & Alumni Relations Corby Kemmer, and Shane 

Peterson. Shane and Leah are holding twin sons Matthew and 

Nathan. 

4 www.umcrookston.edu

Focus on the Board 

When Beulah (Stolaas) Vad graduated in 1958 from 

the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA), she 

went right to work at the local dry cleaner until her 

marriage to Alumnus Lester Vad, ’54. They lived in 

Grand Forks and Minot, N.D. and Hibbing, Minn., 

before moving to the farm near Oklee, Minn., where 

they still reside. 

Vad was a certified ceramics teacher for some 20 

years and had a shop in her home. For 12 years she 

worked as a seamstress retiring in 2005. “Thanks to 

Mrs. Peterson and Miss Bede for teaching me to sew 

and knit, which I still do a lot and enjoy today,” 

Beulah says. “I truly believe I would not have been so 

fortunate if I had not had the opportunity to attend the 

Northwest School of Agriculture and take advantage 

of what they had to offer. 

“I enjoy returning to the beautiful campus to 

reminisce on our fondest memories,” she reflects. “It 

is only my first year on the NWSA Alumni 

Association board, and I can thank board member 

Norm Landby, ’55, for 

talking me into this task. 

Bless his heart; we miss 

him.” 

Beulah (Stolaas) Vad, ’58, 

NWSA Alumni Association 

The Vads spend their winter months in Arizona 

giving them a chance to attend the alumni social held 

in Mesa each February. “I would encourage all to 

attend this wonderful event in Mesa; we plan to be 

there again next year,” she enthuses. 

The parents of two children, the Vad’s daughter 

works as a registered nurse at the University of 

Minnesota in heart research and their son has attended 

the U of M, Crookston both in person and online. 

For her 50th class reunion, Vad and her roommate 

enjoyed staying together in a residence hall with their 

husbands. The reunion is a special time for Vad and 

she wants to help support and attend reunions and 

alumni events. “As the years pass and our alumni 

numbers decline,” Vad explains, “my goal is to keep 

our alumni association active as long as possible.” 

Graduating in 2008 with a degree in business and 

an emphasis in management and marketing, Juanita 

Lopez, is putting her degree to work as the event 

planner for the Crookston Chamber of Commerce. In 

2009, she earned a certificate in festival and event 

management through the University of Minnesota 

Tourism Center to enhance her skills in her work for 

the chamber. 

Outside of work, Lopez enjoys the activities of her 

16-year old son, Logan, who is a junior at the 

Crookston High School. Between her son and her 

work, Lopez finds every moment full. 

“I wanted to serve on the board to make a 

difference. I also want to let people know that you 

don't have to go far to get a great education,” Lopez 

says, “UMC is right in our backyard.” 

Her goals as a board member include letting 

students and fellow alumni know about the board’s 

work and what activities they are involved with and 

help fund. “I would also like to honor our mission and 

that is to promote and support the University of 

Minnesota, Crookston; which I believe must be a 

collaborative effort with the NWSA board and the 

Office of Development & Alumni Relations and its 

staff,” Lopez explains. 

She has been happy to 

see the board become 

more visible and to give 

alumni opportunities to 

connect with the board 

and with other alumni. 

Together the UMCAA has 

added a golf scramble and 

worked to recognize 

alumni accomplishments. 

If Lopez could send 

one message to all U of 

M, Crookston alumni, she 

Juanita Lopez, ’08, 

University of Minnesota, 

Crookston Alumni Association 

would tell them, “Together we can make a difference 

in the lives of students. The rising cost of higher 

education prevents students from fulfilling their 

dreams and for many deserving students such 

educational opportunities are out of reach. 

“I would like to encourage my fellow alumni to 

help students realize their dreams by giving back, 

Lopez continues, “and I don’t necessarily mean 

financially. Alumni can give of their time and talents 

as well and together it all makes a difference.” 

5

Four Exceptional Alumni 

Named Top Aggies 

The Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) 

welcomed alumni back to the University of 

Minnesota, Crookston campus in late June 2010 for 

their annual reunion. Four alumni were honored with 

the Top Aggie award, which is the highest honor a 

Northwest School alumnus can receive. The award 

recognizes alumni who have displayed exemplary 

commitment and service to community, church, 

education, family, or in their occupational field. The 

Top Aggies for 2010 are Clifford Steinhauer, ’48, 

Thief River Falls, Minn; Terry and Bette (Hovet) 

Nelson, ’60, The Dalles, Ore.; and Terry Stadstad, ’60, 

Grand Forks, N.D. 

After graduating from the Northwest School of 

Agriculture, Clifford Steinhauer, ’48, enlisted in the 

Air Force, and following his service, attended the 

University of Minnesota in St. Paul. After marrying 

wife, Marjorie Landin, in 1956, they have farmed 

north of Thief River Falls, Minn., ever since. 

Over the years, Steinhauer has been involved in 

several research projects promoting the Attwater 

Prairie Chicken in Texas and received a Friends of the 

Prairie Chicken award from the Minnesota Prairie 

Chicken Society in 2000. He was also a member of 

the Agassiz Audubon Chapter which operates the 

Wetlands Pine to Prairie Sanctuary, and received two 

conservation development awards from Marshall 

County Soil and Water Conservation District in 1988 

and again in 2002. 

In 2008, Clifford Steinhauer was honored with the 

Presidents Volunteer Service award for searching for 

federal endangered flower species and other volunteer 

projects. He has been on the Holt Township Board for 

16 years and served as a Sunday School teacher and 

trustee for Nazareth Church in Holt. 

Steinhauer has a number of ties to the Crookston 

campus both past and present. His older sister, Evelyn 

(Steinhauer) Johnson, graduated in 1940 and brother, 

Donald, in 1947. Evelyn’s daughter, Elaine (Johnson) 

Alme, received her degree as a medical secretary in 

1981. 

Grandson Michael Steinhauer graduated from the 

U of M, Crookston in 2002 with a degree in natural 

resources management and works for the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service in Roseau County. 

Another grandson, Charles Steinhauer is currently 

pursuing a degree in manufacturing management. 

After graduating from the NWSA, Bette (Hovet) 

Nelson, ’60, went on to earn her degree as a registered 

nurse, while Terry, ’60, worked on his uncle’s farm. 

After the couple was married, he was employed at the 

local bank. The couple went on to purchase a roofing 

company in The Dalles, Ore., using the skills gained 

as a farmer, a banker, and a salesman to help shape 

this new experience. 

Over time, the Nelson’s roofing company would 

grow from one location to three. In 2008 Bette and 

Terry sold their business and retired, but their son 

continues his involvement in the company, and Terry 

still serves as a consultant. 

Bette and Terry agree they learned responsibility 

and independence at the Northwest School of 

Agriculture and that living right on campus like 

college students provided them with an important 

foundation. 

After graduation, Terry Stadstad, ’60, enlisted in 

the Navy and after four years of active duty, he 

moved to North Dakota to farm and married his wife, 

Muriel Fee. In 1967, after the harvest was completed, 

Stadstad applied to work in Santa Fe Ski basin in New 

Mexico as a ski patrolman, and eventually went on to 

become a certified instructor. Terry and Muriel 

worked as part of the management team there for six 

years. In the early 1970’s, the Stadstad’s took over the 

family farm when Terry’s father retired, raising sugar 

beets, wheat, malting barley, pinto beans, soybeans, 

and sunflowers. Today, the farming operation is in the 

hands of the Terry and Muriel’s son, Wade. 

In 1976, Stadstad served on a steering committee to 

start an oil co-op in Manvel, N.D. He also served on 

the board of the Manvel Union Elevator for a number 

of years, where Stadstad spent two years as chairman. 

He was a member of the Grand Forks County Fair 

Board and also served on the race committee for the 

Grand Forks Country Race Track. Stadstad also 

served for 12 years on the American Crystal Sugar 

Company (ACSC) board of directors and represented 

ACSC for five years on the executive board of the Pro 

Gold Corn Plant in Whapeton, N.D. 

Currently Terry Stadstad is serving on an advisory 


Clifford Steinhauer, ’48 Bette (Hovet) Nelson, ’60 and Terry Nelson, ’60 Terry Stadstad, ’60 

board for Frandsen Bank and Trust and is the agricultural representative for six of their area banks. He was a 

board member of the Rye School District #25 for five years, has been on the Middle Grove Lutheran Church 

Council for thirty five years, and served as president for twenty five of those years. 

The NWSA alumni reunion, first held in 1918, brings back alumni from the NWSA, a residential high school 

located on what is now the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus. The NWSA opened its doors in 1906 

and graduated its first class of 8 students in 1909. The campus educated students for 60 years, and during its last 

two years of operation, the campus transitioned to a two-year technical college, known as the University of 

Minnesota Crookston Technical Institute. In 1993, the campus transitioned again to offer baccalaureate degrees 

and became the first-ever laptop university in the nation. 

Nominate a Northwest School classmate or friend for a Top Aggie award by visiting 

www.umcrookston.edu/alumni/nwsa. 

CAMPUS NEWS 

Department Changes Name to Better Reflect 

Programs 

Liberal Arts and Education Department is the new 

name for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 

Department on campus. The name change went into 

effect on July 1, 2010. The name change, suggested 

and promoted by the department itself, was approved 

earlier this spring through official campus channels. 

It is believed that the new name better reflects the 

combination of programs offered by the department 

and its faculty. To learn more, visit 

www.umcrookston.edu/academics. 

Svedarsky Recipient of U of M President’s Award for 

Outstanding Service 

Daniel Svedarsky, professor in the Agriculture 

and Natural Resources Department and the director 

of the Center for 

Sustainability at 

the University of 

Minnesota, 

Crookston is a 

2010 recipient of 

the University of 

Minnesota 

President’s Award for Outstanding Service. 

Recipients of this award have gone well beyond their 

regular duties and have demonstrated an unusual 

commitment to the University community. 

Svedarsky was one of 11 to receive this year’s 

award. 

Campus Economic Impact Contributes $50 million 

annually to local and regional economy 

The University of Minnesota, Crookston 

contributes $50 million annually to the local and 

regional economy, according to a study recently 

completed by University of Minnesota Extension’s 

Center for Community Vitality. The economic 

impact of the Crookston campus supports a total of 

602 jobs and $25.1 million in labor income. The 

study factored the economic contributions of faculty 

and staff spending, construction projects, daily 

operations, student spending, and spending by 

visitors at campus events in 2009. 

The full report is available online at: 

www.umcrookston.edu/chancellorsoffice/documents/UMC-EconomicImpact2010.pdf. 

7

Living in the Metronatural 

Ocean views, mountain peaks, maritime history, 

and diversity in arts and culture are just a few of the 

phrases describing Seattle, Wash., home to Alumnus 

Cameron Brauer, ’04. A tagline coined by Seattle’s 

Convention and Visitors Bureau may more aptly 

describe the city—metronatural: having the 

characteristics of a world-class metropolis within 

wild, beautiful natural surroundings. Brauer enjoys 

city life and all it has to offer but finds the waterfront 

and mountains just beyond city limits a paradisiacal 

escape. 

Brauer is a business analyst specializing in the 

conceptual design of large software systems. He is 

currently working on a project with AT&T in North 

Seattle providing enhanced services for a targeted 

body of their business customers. It was a project with 

Hewlett Packard (HP) that caused Brauer to relocate 

to the Pacific Northwest in January 2009. The project 

was a re-design of the State of Washington’s 

unemployment tax system. Brauer’s work with HP 

began in Denver, Colo., where he worked in the 

implementation of an election management system. 

His background includes a bachelor’s degree in 

information technology management with a minor in 

applied ethics from the U of M, Crookston and a 

master of arts in philosophy with a concentration in 

ethics from the University of Montana in Missoula. 

“When I graduated from the U of M, Crookston in 

2004, there were not a lot of jobs in the technology 

sector,” Brauer says. “So, I decided I would pursue a 

degree in philosophy and ethics because it was a 

passion of mine.” All this education is a bit surprising 

Brauer, pictured at Lake Crescent, was very involved on campus as a 

student which helped develop his leadership skills and his passion for 

volunteering. 

8 www.umcrookston.edu 

considering Brauer 

wasn’t really 

intending to go to 

college when he was 

a high school 

student growing up 

in Ellendale, N.D. 

“Late in my high 

school career, I was 

Cameron Brauer, ’04, enjoys living and 

working in Seattle, Wash. 

comparing trade schools and four-year schools when I 

came across the Crookston campus,” Brauer describes. 

“I liked the size, and I really liked the innovation of 

providing students with laptop computers.” After a 

tour, he made a decision that if he was going to go to 

school, he was going to pursue a bachelor’s degree 

and the Crookston campus was a great fit for him. 

His work in high school with a friend setting up 

Web sites for local businesses translated to 

employment as a student worker in University 

Relations and a Chowdry Entrepreneurial Scholarship 

for Brauer. While he was a student, he also discovered 

latent leadership ability. After serving on more than a 

dozen committees, including the Crookston Student 

Association, and co-founding the Ten Percent Society, 

he says he acquired valuable skills in communication, 

critical thinking, listening, assessing, and presenting 

ideas. 

“In one of my classes, Bruce Brorson told us that a 

degree in information technology is not a degree that 

teaches you concrete skills but rather a degree that 

states you can learn technology quickly,” Brauer 

shares. “I took that information with me, and what I 

learned gave me the understanding and the ability to 

transfer my knowledge to different kinds of 

technology. It helps me ask the right questions and is 

an important part of my role as a business analyst.” 

His earlier work in Colorado began with the 

passage of the Help America Vote Act and the need 

for states to address issues on voter registration and 

security. “I was responsible for assessing and 

executing custom action plans for 26 counties in the 

state,” Brauer explains. “I was also involved in user 

acceptance testing and quality assurance testing.” The 

job required travel 4-5 days a week across Colorado. 

He accepted the job in Washington after being 

recruited by Saber Government Solutions, which was

Brauer enjoys the beautiful coastline and also finds time to volunteer for Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets and currently serves on their board. 

rebranded as EDS, an HP company—the state and 

local government division of the corporation. When 

he completed the project with them, he was offered a 

role with HP’s Enterprise Services, where he provides 

business systems analysis on the Next Generation Tax 

System Project at the Washington State Employment 

Security Division. 

As part of his life in Seattle, Brauer began 

volunteering for Peace for the Streets by Kids from 

the Streets (www.psks.org) an organization providing 

support and services to Seattle area homeless youth 

and young adults. It is something he enjoys deeply. 

Best interns EVER... 

For college students, internships play a very 

important role in determining the next step in one’s 

life. This is no different for senior Jill Zelinsky, intern 

for University Relations at University of Minnesota, 

Crookston. “It’s great to get hands on experience with 

something that I want to pursue as a career in the 

future. It is awesome to apply what I have learned in 

the classroom in the past three years to a real work 

environment,” Zelinsky explains. 

Growing up in Minneapolis, going to school in a 

small town was a big change for Zelinsky. “My twin 

sister and I always wanted to go to school together, but 

we could not agree on the right school for both of us.” 

After being recruited for basketball and visiting the 

University of Minnesota, Crookston campus, they 

knew the U of M, Crookston was the right school for 

them! After graduating with a degree in business 

management, Zelinsky decided to return to Crookston 

to finish her degree in communications. 

“Andrew Svec contacted me about an internship 

opportunity with University Relations in the spring and 

I was immediately interested,” she says. 

Today, he serves on their board of directors. “I learned 

the value and gratification that comes from volunteer 

work when I was on the Crookston campus,” he says. 

“The volunteer efforts of Pam Holsinger-Fuchs 

influenced me in a big way, and volunteering has 

become an integral part of my life.” 

Brauer is not just comfortable in his surroundings, 

he is at home. He describes work as both challenging 

and fun and his life outside of work is filled with 

activities he enjoys and the scenery he loves – a mix 

of all the right elements in an equation that equals 

success. 

Written by Senior Jill Zelinsky, intern for University Relations 

While working with 

University Relations, 

Zelinsky has had the 

opportunity to write news 

releases, take photos for the 

homepage, conduct 

interviews for Insight 

Radio, and much more. 

“This internship has 

helped me gain selfconfidence 

in different 

situations that I have 

struggled with before.” 

Senior Jill Zelinsky, intern for 

University Relations 

Another thing that has helped Zelinsky gain 

confidence and independence was her study abroad trip 

to London, England. “I went from a small school in 

Crookston, to the University of London in one of the 

biggest cities in the entire world!” 

Adjusting to a new city and a new culture proved to 

be fun for Zelinsky. “I thought it would be a lot harder 

to get around London, but the adventures out in the 

Continued on next page 

9

Family Ties 

Part 2 in a series on family connections at 

the University of Minnesota, Crookston 

Education is the 

heartwood of the 

Nielsen family tree. 

For Alumnus 

Andrew Nielsen, 

’49, a high school 

education at the 

Northwest School 

of Agriculture was 

the seed from 

which his career as 

a medical doctor 

grew. Following 

graduation, Andrew 

went directly to the 

Andrew Nielsen, 

’49, went on to 

medical school at the 

University of 

Minnesota and 

served as a physician 

and surgeon in the 

U.S. Air Force for 20 

years. 

Les Nielsen, ’58, went 

on to the University of 

Minnesota graduating 

with a degree in 

business. He is one of 

the founders of Herc- 

U-Lift, a forklift and 

heavy equipment 

business. 

University of Minnesota Medical School, and as a young 

intern, he was drafted and began a 20-year career in the 

United States Air Force as a physician and surgeon. 

Stationed in France, Turkey, and the United States, 

Andrew’s life was filled with experiences that were both 

challenging and intriguing. As a military doctor, he was 

part of an effort to inoculate 160-plus high school 

students and 35 

servicemen for 

rabies, a grueling 

fourteen-day series 

of shots. He was 

a member of the 

medical recovery 

Andrew Nielsen and his wife, Thea, celebrated 

their 50th wedding anniversary in July 2001. 

team for two Apollo missions, all of the Skylab missions, 

and the Apollo Coho mission. 

The Nielsen family grew up on a farm near Euclid, 

Minn., about 14 miles north of Crookston. The eldest son 

in the family, Leroy, attended the Northwest School 

briefly in 1946-47. Andrew soon followed. 

When younger brother Richard returned from four 

years in the Air Force, he also attended the NWSA in 

1951 and then went on to graduate with honors from the 

University of Minnesota. His career with the Internal 

Revenue Service included heading a task force under 

Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentson evaluating the 

tax requirements for the healthcare proposal during the 

Clinton administration. 

The last in the Nielsen family to graduate from the 

Best interns, cont... 

city were some of the best times of the trip,” she recalls.” 

I had such an amazing time getting to know the culture in 

England!” 

Going into the trip, Zelinsky thought that she would 

have no issues communicating with people from England 

but was proved wrong quickly. “When I first got to 

England, I couldn’t understand one person. They had 

different words and phrases I had never heard before and 

very strong accents. It’s a lot easier understanding British 

people in movies than it is in real life. 

“As the trip went on both my British and American 

friends figured out a way of communicating that we could 

all understand! It was amazing to see the two cultures 

converge!” 

For Senior Derek Ricke, choosing the University of 

Minnesota, Crookston was an easy decision. Ricke grew 

up in Park Rapids, Minn., where he attended Park Rapids 

Area High School and played football, hockey, and golf. 

“I chose the U of M, Crookston for multiple reasons. It 

had a sport management 

degree, which is what I 

wanted to major in, a great 

scholarship program which 

made it very affordable, and 

gave me the opportunity to 

continue playing hockey.” 

After the varsity hockey 

program was cut Ricke was 

very disappointed, but instead 

of focusing on the negatives, 

he and a few other classmates 

started working almost immediately on forming a club 

Senior Derek Ricke, intern for 


hockey team. The Club Hockey team is now going into its 

second year. “The experience I have gained as president 

of this club has been a blessing of its own. I have been 

able to work on tasks such as scheduling, sponsorships, 

marketing, and communications which helps prepare me 

for my goal of working in the front office of a hockey 

organization,” Ricke explains. 


Thea (Myren) Nielsen served as the school nurse at 

the Northwest School for two years. She is originally 

from Thief River Falls, Minn. 

NWSA was Les, ’58. Like his 

brothers, he went on to graduate from 

the University of Minnesota earning a 

degree in business. Together Les and 

his longtime friend, Gene Ellingson, 

founded Herc-U-Lift, a forklift truck 

and material handling distributorship 

in Plymouth, Minn. Today, the 

company has more than 100 

employees. 

For Andrew, the memories of the 

Northwest School are about the 

academics. He recalls talking to 

Principal Reiersgord about his interest 

in becoming a doctor and focusing his 

time in high school on science and 

mathematics. “Mr. Reiersgord allowed 

me to take the courses that would give 

me a better background for attending 

college,” he says. “I knew I wanted to 

become a medical doctor from the 

time I was in grade school.” 

Andrew met his future wife, Thea 

Myren, while attending the Northwest 

School. She was a graduate of the 

Fairview Hospital School of Nursing 

in Minneapolis and worked for two 

years as an instructor and senior clinic 

nurse on the campus. The two were 

married in 1951. 

In 2000, Andrew was awarded the 

Top Aggie, the highest honor given to 

alumni of the Northwest School by the 

alumni association. Les would receive 

the Torch & Shield award in 2001 and 

the Top Aggie award in 2003. The 

prestigious Torch & Shield award 

recognizes individuals who have 

provided leadership and aided in the 

development of University of 

Minnesota, Crookston and the 

Northwest Research and Outreach 

Center. Les serves on the All-Campus 

Advisory Committee, and he and his 

wife, June, have supported the campus 

through scholarship giving. 

The Nielsen family tree has 

branched out over the years, but its 

roots go back to northwest Minnesota 

and the University of Minnesota 

through the Northwest School of 

Agriculture. “We grew up close to the 

campus,” Andrew explains. “I knew 

about it growing up and the Northwest 

School was designed for the education 

of farm kids; I simply took advantage 

of what was there.” 

For the Nielsens, like so many 

others, the Northwest School served as 

a stepping stone for educational 

opportunity and a successful career. 

Educating students continues to be the 

legacy of the Crookston campus, and 

it has been since it welcomed its first 

students in 1906. 

He wasted no time preparing for his future this summer and decided to do an internship for the Office of 

Development & Alumni Relations, where he spent most of his time focusing on athletic fundraising with Bill Tyrrell. 

He did everything from stuffing envelopes, researching addresses, compiling an Athletic Hall of Fame list, creating 

three-year sponsor proposals, preparing and running golf tournaments, and much more. 

Derek has enjoyed the experience, “my favorite part of my internship was the atmosphere. Everyone I worked with 

seemed to really enjoy being there which really diminished the 

feeling of it being work,” he says. “That is something that does not 

happen very often and made my internship fun!” 

Although he did a lot during his internship, the most important 

thing Derek learned from his experience had nothing to do with the 

tasks he actually performed. “I know it sounds weird but learning 

things like how to hold myself during a sponsor meeting, interacting 

with people who have attended your event and gaining feedback 

from them, and using language that is proper and sends the correct 

message to your audience is so important,” Ricke says. “None of the 

tips I just mentioned can be learned while in the classroom. 

“This is the real learning that will prepare me for my future 

career. I look forward to getting a chance to use it.” 

Contestants from Development & Alumni Relations and University 

Relations prepare for a cherry pit spitting competition. Left to 

right are Derek Ricke, Rose Ulseth, Elizabeth Tollefson, Jill 

Zelinsky, and Sue Dwyer. Cherries were a gift from Terry and 

Bette (Hovet) Nelson, ’60. 

11

Picture of Success 

The photographic images 

captured by amateur photographer 

and alumnus Tyler Derosier, ’08, 

make the reason Sockeye Business 

Solutions is located in Alaska come 

immediately into focus. Not only is 

the location beautiful, Alaska offers 

alumni Nick Brorson, ’08, and 

Chad Weber, ’00, a great business 

scene. 

Sockeye Business Solutions 

began operations quite humbly, with 

a few laptops and a lot of ambition. 

Today, the company, which employs 

ten, is located in downtown 

Anchorage. Owned and operated by 

Brorson, Weber and their partner, 

Eric Ward, the company 

recommends and implements 

business software for businesses 

throughout North America. 

“We go into organizations to 

help them improve operations by 

Nick Brorson, on Lake Skilak located on the Kenai 

Peninsula, enjoys fishing and the plethora of 

outdoor activities Alaska offers. 

implementing a software solution or 

the revision of a business process,” 

Brorson explains. The company 

deals primarily with mid-market 

size businesses including recent 

work done for the state of Alaska. 

Brorson, vice president of client 

Nick Brorson (left) and Chad Weber in their downtown Anchorage location for Sockeye Business 

Solutions. The color scheme, logo, web site for Sockeye Business Solutions was created by Garrick 

Willhite, ex. ’02. 

relations; Weber, vice president of 

software development; and 

Derosier, business application 

consultant, each claim different 

reasons why an Alaskan lifestyle 

suits them. 

Brorson enjoys what he 

describes as the “wide open 

business climate” along with the 

abundant opportunity for outdoor 

recreation. After spending several 

summers guiding fishing trips near 

Ely, Minn., Brorson knew he 

wanted to live where he could enjoy 

fishing in his free time. 

“I find that many of the qualities 

I liked about Minnesota I find in 

Alaska,” Brorson admits. “In many 

ways, the people are similar, and 

this place feels much like home.” 

For Weber, it was a sense of 

adventure he found appealing. “We 

have spent most of our lives in the 

Midwest, and we wanted the chance 

to live and work somewhere new to 

us,” Weber says. 

He, and his wife, Alumna Sara 

(Brorson) Weber, ’01, are the 

parents of three young children and 

when they are not busy with work 

and their family, they also like to 

camp, fish, and hike. Sara currently 

works in software development for 

CTG, a company working with 

international information 

technology solutions and services. 

Derosier began working at 

Sockeye Business Solutions as an 

intern in 2008. He was drawn to 

Alaska by the scenery, and over 

time, has developed an interest in 

fishing. “I came to Alaska for an 

internship thanks to the connection 

I had to Nick and Chad through 

Nick’s dad, Bruce Brorson. I 

thought it would be great for a 

summer,” Derosier explains. “I am 

happy to be a permanent part of 

Sockeye Business Solutions and 

enjoy my work.” 

All three of the company’s 

founders worked for other 


Tyler Derosier joined Sockeye Business Solutions in 2008. 

Tyler Derosier enjoys one of Alaska’s spectacular views while hiking. 

consulting companies when they first arrived in Alaska. “Eric originally came here,” Brorson says. “We met 

earlier when all three of us worked for Microsoft’s Fargo, N.D., office.” 

For Weber it was a little different, “Sara and I gave moving some serious consideration because we had a 

family,” he reflects. “In the end, we both agree the opportunities far outweighed the risks.” 

When the trio looks back on their collegiate experience, they 

agree the connections and the work experience they had as 

students were influential in their current business success. 

“There have been a number of graduates from Crookston who 

I either worked with or who have gone on to successful careers,” 

Brorson says. “We shared not only a similar background, but 

they have been great connections for me.” 

Weber appreciated the opportunity he had to work at the Red 

River Trade Corridor as a student. “I gained real work 

experience, and it expanded my education and learning within a 

business environment,” he notes. 

Work was also an important part of Derosier’s experience. “I 

gained experience in the information technology department 

while I was a student and learned so much about the process,” he 

recalls. “It helped me move forward in my career as an IT 

professional.” 

Moving forward is really what Sockeye Business Solutions is 

all about, and under the skill and leadership of these three 

alumni, the company continues to develop its professional 

image. They seem to have captured a quality in the business 

light that looks to be near picture perfect. 

Pictured at the wedding of Sara (Brorson) Weber’s sister, Carly, are 

Brenner, Sara, Adalynn, Annika, and Chad Weber. 

13

Ripple Effect 

Sitting across the desk from Shawn 

Friedland, one may not expect this senior 

from Melbourne, Fla., with his quiet 

demeanor and understated style to have such 

a wide circle of influence. Friedland has 

moved into his role as student body president 

with little fanfare, but when it comes to 

service on the campus and in the community, 

he wants to lead in both word and action. 

“Along with sustaining the initiatives of 

our past leadership, I hope to give the 

Crookston Student Association (CSA) a 

bigger voice on campus and in the 

community,” Friedland says. “And, I would 

like to see our executive board take on a 

community service project like all the clubs 

and organizations do.” With a heart for 

service and a dream to become a medical 

doctor, he manages a rigorous academic 

career with his leadership activities into a blend that 

befits him. 

After spending five weeks in Ghana, Africa, over 

Friedland representing the U of M, Crookston at Cape Coast, Ghana. 

the summer, Friedland realized his potential to make a 

difference in a very personal way. “Observing in a 

hospital in Ghana was a great learning experience for 

me,” Friedland describes, “but, I loved going into the 

schools and teaching hygiene and malaria prevention 

to elementary school children the most.” While the 

schools lacked much in the way of facilities and 

supplies, Friedland found the children lacked nothing 

in the way of enthusiasm. What surprised him most 

however was the depth to which he enjoyed teaching. 

Originally interested in zoology, he attended 

college in Miami, Fla., for a year and a half after high 

school. “I wanted something different,” Friedland 

explains. “I started searching for schools offering 

degrees in animal science. I found the University of 

Minnesota, Twin Cities, but I wasn’t sure I wanted 

another large campus. That’s when I found 

Crookston.” The rest is history. 

Becoming a medical doctor has always interested 

him, and after considering it, he decided to change 

from animal science to a major in biology and follow 

the pre-med track. The first few months on campus 

left him feeling a bit disconnected. It wasn’t until he 

At the top of Mount Afadjato, Ghana’s highest mountain, Friedland enjoyed 

some beautiful views of the countryside. 


Shawn Friedland, at the health clinic with children they treated in Ghana during his internship, hopes to one day become a primary care physician with a 

focus on international medicine. 

decided to run for CSA senator that 

Friedland hit his stride. “I knew I 

needed to join an organization 

because I wanted to meet people 

and get more involved,” he 

explains. “Serving as a senator 

really changed things for me.” 

It didn’t stop there. He joined 

the Multicultural and International 

Club, Student Programming and 

Activities for Campus 

Entertainment (SPACE), Students 

for the Education of Environmental 

and Life Sciences (SEELS), and for 

a year, served as a community 

advisor in Skyberg Hall. Currently, 

he devotes his time to CSA alone. 

Friedland had long harbored an 

interest in studying abroad. 

Weighing opportunities and options 

led him to Cross Cultural 

Solutions, an organization 

specializing in short-term volunteer 

abroad programs. Working with his 

advisor, Associate Professor Pam 

Elf, he was able to use the 

experience for internship credit 

while volunteering in Africa. 

He spent five weeks observing 

and helping in a hospital in Hohoe, 

Ghana, and along with it, teaching 

three classes per day in three to 

four different schools each week. 

“We stayed at a home base while 

we were in Ghana, and we had a 

program manager looking out for 

us,” Friedland explains. “There 

were twelve college students in my 

group, and I joined four other 

volunteers interested in helping in 

the community by teaching.” 

One of the unique experiences 

during the trip was taking a few 

days to study herbal medicine, 

meet a witch doctor, and observe a 

bone setter. The trip to Africa 

changed how Friedland thinks 

about and approaches his future 

medical career. “I had several 

specialties I thought I was 

interested in before my trip, but 

now, I want to help people and 

primary care seems the best fit to 

me,” he says. “I want to go to 

places in the world where doctors 

are needed. My earning potential 

matters less to me than being able 

to make a difference in the lives of 

people who might not otherwise 

have access to medical care.” 

For now though, Friedland is 

busy in his role as a student leader, 

applying to medical schools, and 

completing his last two semesters 

as an undergraduate. Along the 

way, he has discovered a circle of 

influence running from the corner 

of Africa to the corner of 

Minnesota and as far beyond as he 

can imagine—like the ever 

growing circles in a ripple effect. 

15

Peace Like a River 

The smell of pine, the song of 

the water, the crush of dense 

vegetation lying undisturbed for 

decades, and the solitude of a lone 

canoe paddling in the wild beauty 

of the Neches River in East Texas 

describe the passion of Alumnus 

Adrian Van Dellen, ’61. 

“The river is my chapel,” Van 

Dellen says. “It is where I find 

peace and where I connect with the 

things I have always loved—the 

sacred woods and water.” His 

affinity for the river developed over 

time and ignited his conservation 

activism around saving the river 

and its extraordinary habitat from 

further development, particularly 

another dam and 

reservoir. 

He attended Crookston 

Central High School his 

freshman year. But since he 

was the oldest son in a farm 

family, his parents decided he 

needed to take advantage of the 

six-month school term offered 

at the Northwest School of 

Agriculture (NWSA), so he 

transferred as a sophomore. With a 

later start in the fall and school 

letting out in March, Van Dellen 

could be home to help with both 

the spring planting and the fall 

harvest. 

As a student, he enjoyed the 

engaging quality of the education 

at the Northwest School, its great 

faculty, the camaraderie of being a 

member of the wrestling team, and 

living on campus as a junior and 

senior. 

He worked as a farmhand in 

East Grand Forks, Minn., for 

one growing season after 

his graduation from the 

NWSA. During that 

summer of 1961, his 

employer would 

suggest he look 

into studying 

veterinary 

medicine. “I 

didn’t know 

what I was 

interested in at 

that time, and 

when my 

employer 

suggested 

becoming a 

In this photo by Anne Tindell, Van Dellen canoes the 

Neches River with a group from the Sierra Club. 

veterinarian, I wasn’t sure,” Van 

Dellen says. “I went to Moorhead 

State Teachers College for two 

quarters before transferring to the 

University of Minnesota into their 

pre-veterinary medicine program.” 

After graduating from the 

University in 1968 followed by a 

year of teaching ambulatory 

veterinary medicine at the 

University, Van Dellen entered the 

U.S. Air Force. His first assignment 

was working at a military base in 

the Azores—an archipelago east of 

the mid-Atlantic Ocean—as a base 

veterinarian. Following the twoyear 

assignment and another oneyear 

tour in Oklahoma, he began a 

residency in zoonotic disease 

pathology at the Armed Forces 

Institute of Pathology (AFIP), in 

Washington D.C. The mission of 

the AFIP is teaching, research and 

consultation. He was part of the 

Geographic Pathology Department 

specializing in tropical medicine 

and zoonotic disease pathology, the 

study of diseases caused by 

infectious agents transmitted 

between animals and humans. 

Following a three-year residency 

at AFIP, he continued with the 

Institute during the next four years 

with assignment as a guest research 

Adrian Van Dellen sets up his camera in a heart tree for 

a shot along the Neches River.

Neches River National Wildlife Refuge 

pathologist at Ondersteport, in Pretoria, South Africa. 

He returned to the AFIP for another two years to work 

in zoonotic disease research and then was transferred 

to San Antonio, Texas. There he worked in clinical 

investigation at Wilford Hall Medical Center, a U.S. 

Air Force teaching hospital, serving as a research 

pathologist in support of the hospital’s residency 

program. 

Van Dellen “retired” in 1991 at the age of 47, and 

at that point, his life took on a new direction and 

meaning. 

“In South Africa I worked with people who were 

part of the national park system, and doing zoonotic 

disease field survey work in Kruger National Park, I 

received a first-hand taste of conservation,” Van 

Dellen explains. These early experiences were the 

seed of his conservation zeal today. 

Upon his return to the United States, he began to 

support conservation through inactive memberships in 

numerous conservation organizations, but upon 

retirement he began an active role in the Sierra Club, 

and soon after also with the Texas Conservation 

Alliance (TCA), a local affiliate of the National 

Wildlife Federation. The TCA awarded him 

Conservation Hero of 2010. He was one of the 

founders of the regional Pineywoods Group, which is 

part of the Lone Star (Texas) Chapter of the Sierra 

Club. 

He is a leader in the fight, which includes both 

finances and litigation, against the construction of two 

dams proposed for construction on a tributary of the 

Neches River. “We are deeply concerned about how 

these dams would impact the 

river and its watershed,” Van 

Dellen explains. “We would 

like to see the free-flow of the 

river protected by it being 

designated into the national 

Wild and Scenic Rivers 

Systems, and to accomplish 

this we are seeking the 

support and understanding of 

the people living here, 

especially land owners and 

river authorities.” 

He advocates tirelessly for 

Adrian Van Dellen, ’61, 

transferred to the 

Northwest School of 

Agriculture when he was a 

sophomore. 

the river and its protection. “We need a sea change in 

the people’s conservation consciousness,” he says. 

“That won’t come easy, but we have to continue to 

work hard and move forward with hope.” 

Spending weeks at a time on the Neches River, Van 

Dellen uses his camera to capture the river’s beauty. In 

a joint partnership with a professional photographer 

and a writer, Van Dellen is involved in the creation of 

a coffee-table quality photo book about the Neches. 

“Along with a photographer who works with largefilm 

format, and my 35 mm digital images, and the 

writing of a retired English professor,” he says, “we 

hope to publish a powerful photo book about the 

Neches River illuminating the importance of 

protecting it.” 

He wants the river to be there for his current five 

grandchildren (another is on the way) and for the 

generations of all the people to follow. In order for 

that to happen, Van Dellen believes he has to do what 

he can to be an advocate and speak for the Neches. 

“My role as a conservation activist lies at the very 

heart and soul of my life’s story,” he says. 

Like the river’s winding 416-mile journey to the 

Gulf of Mexico, activism has led Van Dellen on an 

amazing journey that has included navigating some 

turbulence, negotiating the eddies, and sharing peace 

like a river with anyone who will listen. 

19

“Knew” as the Romans “Knew” 

The Romans knew it. “Practice is the best of all instructors” 

wrote Publilius Syrus in the first century B.C., and today, the 

advantage of hands-on learning is no more evident anywhere than 

in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department at the 

University of Minnesota, Crookston. Students in equine science 

and animal science are given opportunities to practice what they 

learn in the classroom. They are engaged in real-life work 

experiences that will 

benefit them in 

whatever they 

choose to do once 

they graduate. 

Ron Del Vecchio, 

Ph.D., professor and 

head of the 

Agriculture and 

Natural Resources 

Department on the 

Crookston campus is 

proud of his students 

and of the programs 

Ron Del Vecchio (left), professor and head of the 

Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, served 

as a mentor and advisor for Dank. 

his department 

offers, “We focus on 

hands-on learning 

Did You Know 

A partnership between the 

College of Veterinary Medicine 

(CVM) at the University of 

Minnesota and the Agriculture and 

Natural Resources Department on 

the Crookston campus which began 

fall semester will expand the 

Veterinary Food Animal Scholars 

Track (VetFAST) program. The 

program is designed to meet the 

demand for veterinarians across the 

country and address the shortage of 

veterinarians for food animals. 

Rural areas find it difficult to fill 

vacant positions or add new staff 

quickly enough. A need also exists 

in the food industry as well as in 

state and federal agencies to protect 

the livestock industry from new 

diseases and to help ensure food 

safety. To learn more, visit 

www.umcrookston.edu/academics. 

and strong academic rigor in the classroom. I believe it makes our 

program attractive to students and gives them a competitive edge.” 

One of the graduates Del Vecchio is referring to is Tony Dank, ’10, who is currently attending graduate school 

at the University of Missouri in Columbia. When Dank graduated he had already been accepted into several 

veterinary programs, but he chose Missouri because he liked the fact that they spend more time engaged in 

learning in the field—something Dank came to appreciate as a student at the U of M, Crookston. “I have had 

opportunities ranging from throwing 

bales with the head of the department to 

conducting an ultrasound on a cow and 

everything in between,” Dank smiles. 

He didn’t graduate from high school 

in Sartell, Minn., with becoming a vet 

in mind. “I thought I would go into 

teaching and attended Bemidji State 

University with a degree in education 

as my goal,” Dank recalls. “After my 

first year, I began to contemplate a 

Tony Dank, ’10, stands in the arena for one last 

photograph before he heads to Missouri to attend the 

College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of 

Missouri in Columbia in late July. 


change either working or entering 

the military.” Dank enjoyed 

working with his family’s horses so 

before making a decision, he 

looked for an equine program. His 

attention was drawn to the one 

available on the Crookston campus. 

After transferring, Dank decided to 

incorporate an additional degree in 

animal science. 

“I thought when I started in 

Crookston I would take every 

equine science class I could and 

eventually work in the horse 

industry,” he explains. “It turned 

out I took every animal science 

class I possibly could.” Dank had 

definitely found his calling. 

While on campus, he gained 

working experience in the meatanimal 

barn, the horse barn, and the 

dairy barn. He also availed himself 

of the many organizations and 

clubs on campus serving as 

president of both the Horseman’s 

Association and the Dairy Club. He 

was also vice president of Ag 

Arama and belonged to both the 

Animal Science Club and the Pre- 

Vet Club as well. 

As a teaching assistant for 

ADawn Melbye, instructor in the 

Agriculture and Natural Resources 

Department, Dank helped 

coordinate Ag and Natural 

Resources Day, and the following 

year, he managed the dairy show 

part of the competition on his own. 

These experiences along with his 

YOU ARE 

INVITED 

Working with the animals on campus helped Dank decide that he wanted to pursue a degree as a 

veterinarian. 

work in the classroom and the lab 

have provided him a wealth of 

experience preparing him to pursue 

an advanced degree. One day, Dank 

sees himself in a veterinary practice 

focusing primarily on large 

animals. 

“Tony is one of the most 

outstanding students I have had an 

opportunity to work with,” Del 

Vecchio claims. “He possesses all 

the qualities necessary to serve him 

well in his professional career. Not 

only is he intelligent, he has a solid 

work ethic and is a great young 

man.” 

For students interested in 

veterinary medicine, the U of M, 

Crookston provides varied 

experience and a solid foundation 

in preparation for graduate school 

or a career. Dank values the 

opportunities afforded him and will 

take the experience and education 

with him. 

“What I learned as an 

undergraduate prepared me well,” 

he reflects. “I am taking my 

learning and experience with me to 

Missouri, and looking forward to 

the challenges ahead.” 

What: University of Minnesota, Crookston Alumni Social 

Where: Ramada Plaza & Suites, 1635 42nd Street South, Fargo, N.D. 

When: Thursday, November 4, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Why: Come and reunite with UMC graduates and friends for a fun time of socialization! 

21

Art from the Heart 

A glance in the Minnesota Room 

in the Sargeant Student Center 

draws your eye to a beautiful new 

piece of art. The agrarian theme 

and rich color of the 30 x 40 oil 

painting make it a perfect 

complement to the conference 

room’s maroon and gold décor. It is 

also harmonious with the history of 

the University of Minnesota, 

Crookston and its long relationship 

with agriculture and the rich soil of 

the Red River Valley. 

The painting, a gift from 

Alumna Mary Jo (Melbye) Eastes, 

’79, and her husband, Rick, is one 

of a 

collection 

by Artist 

Gary Ernest 

Smith the 

couple 

plans to 

give to the 

Crookston 

campus—a 

gift that 

will total 

more than 

Mary Jo was a fashion 

merchandising major at the 

U of M, Crookston 

$160,000. This generous alumna 

has a connection to Crookston that 

runs deep. Born and raised in the 

community, Eastes remembers 

loving every minute of growing up. 

Her parents had an “open-door” 

policy meaning the Melbye home 

was always open to their children’s 

friends. 

“I knew who was on my block, 

and we never locked a door,” 

Eastes smiles. “We used every last 

minute of daylight to play with our 

friends in the summer.” She also 

enjoyed attending grade school at 

St. Joseph’s Academy and 

Franklin Elementary School 

and was one of the first 

classes to go to the “new” 

middle school. Following 

8th grade, it was on to 

graduate from Central High 

School in Crookston. 

Following in older sister 

Vicki’s footsteps, Eastes 

worked at Town and 

Country, a woman’s 

clothing store located on the 

corner of Main and Robert 

Streets. “I also attended the 

University of Minnesota, 

Crookston Technical 

College to major in fashion 

merchandising and retail 

management,” Eastes 

recalls. “When Vicki 

graduated, she went to 

Minnesota State University 

Moorhead, and I went to the 

University of North Dakota, 

Grand Forks. She became a 

teacher and so did I.” 

After teaching at Bismarck 

Century High School for two years, 

Eastes moved to Wilmar where 

Vicki was teaching at the local 

technical college. “I got a job in the 

high school substituting for a 

teacher who was on leave, Eastes 

says. “Five of my students went to 

nationals in Distributive Education 

Clubs of America (DECA) that 

year and they wanted me to stay, 

but I had my heart set on moving to 

California.” 

With her convertible loaded, she 

headed off to Los Angeles. “My 

first job as a head hunter involved 

six weeks of training,” Eastes 

Melbye Campus Connections 

• Mary Jo Eastes,’79 

• Allen, ex. ’73 

• Wayne,’90 

• Douglas “Carl”, ’77 

• Mike, ex.’79 

• Vicki,’73 

• Lori, ex. ’86 

• Jacob (son of Wayne), ’06 

• Chris (son of Allen), ex. ’92 

• Sam (son of Wayne) postsecondary 

enrollment option, 

ex. ’00 

• Will (son of Wayne), College in 

the High School student in 1997 

• Jordan (daughter of Carl), postsecondary 

enrollment option, 

ex. ’09 

• Beau (son of Carl), currently 

enrolled, post-secondary 

enrollment option 

explains. “I was working to fill a 

position at a produce wholesaler in 

the L.A. produce market and it 

required a visit for me to 

understand what they were looking 

for in an employee. When I got 

back to my office, they called. I 

told them I understood much better 

what they needed. Instead of me 

looking for a candidate for the 

position, they said they wanted to 

offer me the job!” 

Eastes had a half an hour to 

make a decision to stay with her 

current job or take the risk of this 

new offer. She weighed her options, 

talked to her boss, and took on a 

new role in the produce business. 


Mary Jo (Melbye) Eastes with “Field of Potatoes,” an oil on canvas by Artist Gary Ernest Smith. 

“Every day was an adventure; it 

was high energy and I really 

enjoyed the challenge,” Eastes 

affirms. 

From there she worked for an 

Australian company where she 

learned about handling the sales of 

coconuts and tropical fruits to local 

markets, and then to Topco, an 

American company where she 

spent 8 years as a specialty buyer in 

downtown L.A. “It was one of the 

best jobs I have ever had,” Eastes 

says, “and I learned so much.” 

At a produce luncheon her boss 

encouraged her to attend, Eastes 

realized she was one of very few 

women in a male-dominated field. 

It was at that luncheon she would 

meet Rick Eastes. Only she didn’t 

remember him from the luncheon. 

What she does remember is a call 

from him asking her to lunch soon 

Continued on next page 

23

afterward. “I agreed to lunch, and what I found 

in Rick was someone unlike anyone I had ever 

met before,” she explains. And, the rest, as 

they say, is history. 

The day of her wedding, Eastes moved from 

L.A. to Visalia, Calif. She started a new job in 

the citrus industry where she worked for four 

years. When the couple started a project 

remodeling their home, Eastes left her job 

manage the 2½-year project. 

“When I met Rick, he was just getting into 

collecting art,” Eastes says. Over their 17 year 

marriage, (and eight years of courtship) they 

have decorated their home with art that is both 

appealing and meaningful to them. 

Never idle, Eastes currently devotes her 

time as a grant writer for an art museum, Arts 

Visalia, and is responsible for finding funding 

for operational expenses, children’s art classes, 

and gallery exhibits. She organized the 

Neighborhood Watch in her community; 

started the Monthly Birthday Party for the 

Visalia Rescue Mission in 2004, an ongoing 

event for the mission; has been involved with 

Banner of Hope, a fundraising effort to fight 

cancer; and partnered with a local newspaper 

and 18 non-profits to raise money in 

Newstands for Non-profits. She is a board 

member for Arts Visalia, and Events Visalia, as 

well as a member of the Art Consortium. 

“A wise woman once said to me, ‘Having 

your name on a wall inspires others to have 

their name on the wall too,’” explains Eastes. 

“I think whatever we can give, we need to give 

it—to inspire others to give—and together, we 

make a difference. Not everyone has the ability 

to give, so if we are able, we need to step up a 

little and take the lead.” 

“I was cleaning my house, and I saw the 

painting and thought, why wait?” Eastes 

reflects. “For me, it was a soul thing, and it 

just felt right to give it now.” 

About the Artist 

Mary Jo and Rick came in contact with Artist 

Gary Smith and his wife, Judy, through Ray Johnson, 

owner of Overland Gallery in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

Johnson also has a gallery in Wayzata, Minn. Before 

the Internet became what it is today, Overland would 

send out snapshots of Smith’s work in the mail, with 

the price stickered on the back. A piece could be 

reserved with Overland but the interested person(s) 

would only be able to see it at the annual show held 

in Scottsdale in February of each year. Typically, 

Smith’s work would sell out before the show. It 

would remain on display at Overland for about 30 

days before the pieces were shipped to clients who 

made purchases. 

“I have been fortunate to visit with Gary and his 

wife at their home and studio near Provo, Utah,” 

Rick explains. “In fact, one piece, “Dusk” I saw for 

the first time in Gary’s studio in January while I was 

skiing in Utah. “Dusk” initially was not for sale. 

Gary said it was the most difficult painting to finish 

and took months to complete. Also, it was a favorite 

of his wife, Judy, and she wanted to keep it. 

“After about an hour visit in Gary’s studio, Gary 

volunteered, ‘you are good client who really 

appreciates my work, you can have it.’ To complete 

the story, when “Dusk” arrived to Scottsdale for the 

annual show, Ray Johnson, Gary’s exclusive agent, 

told Gary he was buying it, to which Gary told him, 

sorry, the Eastes’ have already purchased it. What a 

stroke of luck to happen to be in Utah, at his studio, 

at the right time, otherwise, we would not have 

“Dusk” in our collection. It continues to be my 

favorite, and I look at it in some detail every day.” 

Smith was raised on a remote farm in Oregon 

similar to Rick who grew up in southern Arizona. 

Both areas are high altitude, grassland farming areas, 

and visually, they are similar to parts of North 

Dakota (only with mountains in the background). 

Gary is referred to as a neo-regionalist painter, and 

his scenes and characters express the freedom and 

ethos of rural America. 


Glitz, Glamour, 

and Golden Eagles 

Homecoming was a weekend to remember, and it 

was great to have our alumni back on campus. “Glitz, 

Glamour, and Golden Eagles” served well as a theme 

for a weekend filled with spectacular events. Two 

alumni were honored with this year’s Outstanding 

Alumni award: Jan Patenaude, ’77, and James Clack, 

’80. The recognition banquet and program were held 

on Friday, September 24, and the evening also 

included the induction of three individuals and one 

team into the Athletic Hall of Fame. The inductees for 

the Athletic Hall of Fame include June Shaver, ’76 

and ’82; Ken Essay, ex. ’94; Rick Spaeth, ’86; and the 

1982 Trojan Football Team. 

Outstanding Alumni 

Jan Patenaude, ’77, graduated with an associate 

degree in institutional management from the U of M, 

Crookston Technical College in 1977. She went on to 

the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and 

then to Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wis., graduating 

with a bachelor of science in community/medical 

dietetics in 1982. 

She is currently 

the director of 

medical nutrition 

for Signet 

Diagnostic 

Corporation in 

Riviera Beach, 

Fla. She also 

works as a 

consultant 

dietician and a 

freelance writer 

from her home 

in Marble, Colo. 

Certified as a 

LEAP therapist, Jan Patenaude, ’77 and James Clack ’80 

Patenaude has 

more than 30 years of experience in the field of 

medical nutrition. Her work as a consultant has 

involved work with hospitals, nursing homes, 

drug/alcohol rehabilitation facilities, home health care, 

employee and corporate health, food companies, and 

her own private practice. 

Ken Essay, ex. ’94, June Shaver, ’76 & ’82, and Rick Spaeth, ’86. 

James Clack ’80, currently the Baltimore, Md., fire 

chief, was born in Crookston but grew up in Fowler, 

Calif. He attended the U of M, Crookston Technical 

College graduating in 1980 with a degree in general 

business administration. Clack began as a firefighter 

in February 1986 and spent five years at Station 11 in 

southeast Minneapolis on the hazardous materials 

team. In 1992 he was promoted to captain—where he 

moved from station to station—and in 1998 he was 

appointed deputy chief of personnel. 

He became assistant chief and was officially 

appointed chief in 2007 after serving as acting chief 

for about a year. During the August 2007 35W bridge 

collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., Clack and his 

department played an integral role. For the first 24 

hours the Minneapolis Fire Department was the lead 

agency of the unified command team, making Clack 

the primary commander of the rescue effort. He has 

been Baltimore fire chief since 2008. 

Athletic Hall of Fame 

June Shaver, ’76 and ’82, has been an advocate and 

ardent supporter of Golden Eagle athletic programs. 

She has been recognized over the years with several 

awards including the Torch & Shield Award, the U of 

M, Crookston’s most prestigious award in 1994 and 

the Outstanding Alumni award in 1995. She has also 

established several endowed scholarships for studentathletes 

along with the Environmental Landscaping 

Internship Fund and the Shaver Butterfly Garden 

located adjacent to Owen Hall on the Crookston 

campus in memory of her parents. She earned her 

associate degree in accounting and applied studies in 

1976 and 1982 respectively. She was office manager 

for American Linen Supply in St. Paul, Minn., for ten 

Continued on page 31 

25

Alumni News 

This alumni news reflects submissions received by September 15, 2010. News received 

after that date will be in the next issue of the Torch. 

E-mail forwarding: If you are interested in reconnecting with a former classmate or 

acquaintance, the alumni office can help! Although we cannot release e-mail addresses 

due to privacy issues, we will be happy to forward a message to the person if he or she 

can be located in our database. 

1930s 

Burnett Bergeson, ’35, Reno, Nev., was 

unable to attend his 75th class reunion but 

sent greetings to his Northwest School of 

Agriculture classmates. He and his wife 

continue to “keep house” at their home on 

Herons Landing Drive; they are celebrating 

68 years of marriage this year. They have 

children, grandchildren, and great 

grandchildren living nearby. 

1940s 

This group has gathered each year since becoming U of M, Crookston graduates. The 

occasions vary from weddings or other special events, camping to shopping trips and the 

number of alumni attending vary from year to year, often as many as 15-20, both guys and 

gals. The get-together this year was a rented lake cabin and a fun-filled weekend catching 

up with good friends. 

Pictured left to right: Bev (McNamee) VanAlstine, ’02; Brandy (Lietz) Chaffee, ’00; Karla 

Thormodson, ’98; Landi (Lewis) Larson, ’00; Amy Loomer, ’99; Meghan Messerschmidt, ’02; 

Gwen (Hoie) Sedler, ‘99 

Karla Thormodson, ’98, Fargo, N.D., works for Noridian Administrative Services, LLC in 

Fargo and in December will observe her ten-year anniversary with the firm. She’s the 

contract administrator for their government contracts. She received a Master’s Certificate 

in Government Contracting from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 2007. 

Amy Loomer, ’99, West Fargo, N.D., is a network administrator for Wallwork Truck Center in 

Fargo, N.D. She loves the groups’ summer get-togethers. Gwen (Hoie) Sedler, ’99, Reno, 

Nev., is an operations account manager for Microsoft, covering the Canada region. She’ll 

have been with Microsoft for ten years in December. She and husband, Brady Sedler, ’00, 

reside in Reno. Brandy (Lietz) Chaffee, ’00, Grand Forks, N.D., has been a communications 

specialist for the Grand Forks Park District for the past four and a half years. She and 

husband, Brad, and son, Devin, 14 years old, live in Grand Forks. Landi (Lewis) Larson, ’00, 

Hawley, Minn., is a project manager with U.S. Bank in Fargo, N.D. She and husband, Chad 

Larson, ’01, have two boys, Caidin, 6, and Bridger, 3. Meghan Messerschmidt, ’02, White 

Bear Lake, Minn., works for Bailey Nurseries located in Woodbury, Minn., on a 220 acre 

farm that consists of potted shrubs, perennials, and evergreens. She supervises 

approximately 25 seasonal workers from Mexico every summer. They pull orders for 

customers all over the country. Meghan loves her job and is doing great! Bev (McNamee) 

VanAlstine, ’02, Duluth, Minn., is a realtor with RE/MAX. 

Margaret (Ristad) Bankers, ’40, Sioux Falls, 

S.D., a member of the Northwest School of 

Agriculture (NWSA) class of 1940, was 

unable to attend the reunion in June. She 

wanted her classmates to know that she’s 

living in a retirement home in Sioux Falls 

and doing fine. She lost her husband in 

1987 but has 7 children, 16 grandchildren, 

and 5 great grandchildren. Two of her 

children live in Sioux Falls; she spends the 

month of March with her daughter who 

lives on Maui. All but two of her 

grandchildren have finished college or are 

presently attending. She’s been able to 

enjoy life and would welcome contact with 

contemporaries from NWSA days. 

Camilla (Ecklund) Johnson, ’40, Hopkins, 

Minn., retired from the nursing profession 

in 1987 after 21 years at Methodist Hospital 

in St. Louis Park, 

Minn. After 

retirement, she 

and her husband 

did a lot of 

traveling, 

including three 

trips to Europe. He 

passed away in 

May 2007. Camilla 

continues to live in 

their Edina home 

of 58 years. Three of her five children live in 

the area, so she has great family support 

as well as wonderful neighbors and friends. 

She’s no longer able to drive, play golf, or 

do woodcarving due to reduced vision from 

macular degeneration, but she’s not 

housebound and continues to live an active 

life. 


Henry, ’49 and Marilyn (Jahnke) 

Boeddeker, ’59, Little Falls, Minn., 

celebrated their 

50th wedding 

anniversary on 

June 12, 2010 at 

Linden Hills 

Conference 

Center in Little 

Falls. They were 

married in 

Hillsboro, N.D. on 

June 24, 1960. 

1950s 

Marilyn (Hovet) Dehning, ’56, Clovis, Calif., 

and her husband, Bill, have recently moved 

from the Portland, Ore., area to Clovis. 

Marilyn has been retired from her nurse 

anesthesia career for about two years. The 

Dehnings are enjoying warm days and 

sunshine and the freedom from alarm 

clocks and long working hours. 

Roger and Barbara (Thureen) Tollefson, ’57 

and ’58, celebrated their 50th wedding 

anniversary on Sunday, September 12, 

2010. The 

anniversary 

celebration 

was hosted 

by the 

couple’s six 

children in 

honor of their 

parent’s 

wedding 

which took 

place 

September 10, 1960. The Tollefsons reside 

near Beltrami, Minn. 

1970s 

Vicki Melbye, ’73, Willmar, Minn., 

Ridgewater College faculty member, was 

recently one of 26 faculty to receive the 

Board of Trustees’ Teaching Excellence 

awards. Vice Chancellor Linda Baer 

expressed to each of the recipients that 

these awards reflect the exceptional skill 

and commitment they have demonstrated 

in teaching, professional development, and 

service to students, college, profession, 

and the system. Melbye was recognized 

and presented with her award in St. Paul, 

Minn., in April at a luncheon ceremony 

honoring the 2010 Board of Trustees 

Educators of the Year and Outstanding 

Educators. 

1990s 

Dana and Katy (Caughey) Blume, ’98 and 

’99, Elbow Lake, Minn., recently celebrated 

their ten-year wedding anniversary. They 

have four children, ages 8, 5, 3, and 1. Katy 

is an office manager for a seed company 

and Dana farms near Herman, Minn. 

Ted and Emily (Sinks) Luckow, ’99 and ‘01, 

respectively, Fisher, Minn., welcomed a 

son, Ivan Allen, to their family on April 16, 

2010. He weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz. Ted and 

Emily have another son, Edward, age 4, and 

live in rural Fisher. 

2000s 

Justin Hinkle, ex. 

’01, Cavalier, N.D., 

and Lacey Duncan 

were married July 

24, 2010, at United 

Lutheran Church in 

Cavalier. A 

reception and 

dance followed at the Cavalier American 

Legion. Justin is currently farming and 

flying for Hinkle Air Spray in Cavalier. 

Shane and Lisa (Detloff) Roers, ’01 and ’01, 

Dickinson, N.D., have two children, Tanner, 

who will be 5 in November and Parker, 2. 

The family recently moved to Dickinson to 

start a construction company. 

Holly Erickson, ’03, 

Detroit Lakes, Minn., 

and Jonathan 

Messner were 

married July 24, 

2010, at St. 

Michael’s Church in 

Mahnomen, Minn. 

The two make their 

home in Hancock, 

Minn. 

Nikki (Krueger) Massmann, ’03, East Grand 

Forks, Minn., was 

recently hired as the 

Quality Network Stroke 

Project Coordinator at 

the Center for Rural 

Health at the University 

of North Dakota School 

of Medicine and Health 

Sciences in Grand Forks, 

N.D. She will be working closely with the 

critical access hospitals in Eastern North 

Dakota in support of hospital adoption and 

implementation of stroke care processes. 

Nikki and her husband, Brent Massmann, 

’02, have three children, Anna, Luke, and 

Leah. For the last eight years, Brent has 

worked at the North Dakota Mill in Grand 

Forks as a logistics coordinator. 

27

Alumni News 

Petter Lovaas, ’04, Thompson, N.D., 

graduated with a doctor of science degree 

from Dakota State University, Madison, 

S.D., in May 2010. He recently accepted an 

appointment as assistant professor in 

Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) 

at Niagara University, New York. He began 

teaching fall semester; as part of his duties, 

he will set up a lab to develop computer 

forensics classes for the CIS department. 

Petter’s update was submitted by Ursula Hovet, 

Petter’s instructor in Norway, and wife of 

Terrance Hovet, ’57, Thompson, N.D. The Hovets 

are Petter’s “American parents.” 

Julie Koehl, ’06, Morris, Minn., and Jason 

Evink were married August 14, 2010. Julie is 

currently the business manager at Valu 

Ford & Chrysler of Morris and Jason is coowner 

of Evink Construction of Morris. 

Patrick McCabe, ’06, Bloomington, Minn., 

recently joined the staff at the University of 

Minnesota, Morris as the Cougar’s sports 

information director. He spent the previous 

year at the U of M, Twin Cities campus as 

an athletic communications assistant. Prior 

to the U of M, Pat spent two years as a 

graduate assistant in the Athletic Media 

Relations office at St. Cloud State 

University, St. Cloud, Minn., while 

completing his master’s degree in sports 

management. 

28 www.umcrookston.edu 

Tina Maher, ’07, and Thor Vettleson, ’06, 

Wannaska, Minn., were married June 12, 

2010 in Tina’s hometown of Solway, Minn. 

Thor currently is the manager of the Skime 

Ranch in Skime, Minn. He runs 

approximately 300 head of Tarentaise/ 

Angus cattle and approximately 35 head of 

horses. Tina is working at the Life Care 

Medical Center, Roseau Manor, in Roseau, 

Minn., as a nurses’ assistant. The 

Vettlesons make their home on the Skime 

Ranch. 

Tamara Saxton, ’07, Wanamingo, Minn., 

recently took part in Prairie Days 2010 

sponsored by the Glacial Ridge National 

Wildlife Refuge. She demonstrated firefighting 

equipment used on the refuge to 

manage one of the largest prairie and 

wetland restoration projects in North 

America. Tamara is a fire tech with the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service on Rydell and 

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuges, 

located about 20 miles east of Crookston, 

Minn. 

Pat Tronson, ’07, 

Crary, N.D., and 

Leanne Calderwood 

were married at St. 

Joseph’s Catholic 

Church in Devils 

Lake, N.D., on June 

12, 2010. A reception 

followed at the 

Lakota Community Center. Leanne is 

employed at Gate City Bank in Devils Lake, 

N.D., as a customer service representative. 

Pat is currently employed at Tronson Grain 

Company in Doyon, N.D. 

Jacqueline Friesen, 

’08, Fisher, Minn., and 

Chad Basgaard were 

married July 17, 2010 

at the University of 

Minnesota, Crookston, 

with a reception and 

dance following at the 

Eagles Club in East 

Grand Forks, Minn. Both are employed in 

East Grand Forks; Jackie is a lab foreman 

with American Crystal Sugar Company and 

Chad works at Northern Valley Machine. 

Joseph Narlock, ’09, Grand Forks, N.D., and 

Stacy McGill were married July 17, 2010 at 

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Warsaw, 

N.D. A reception 

and dance followed 

at the Touch of 

Magic in Grand 

Forks. Joe is a sales 

agronomist for 

Reynolds United Coop 

in Reynolds, N.D. 

Stacy is employed 

as a real estate closer at Alerus Financial 

in Grand Forks. 

Kaarina Visness, ’09, Karlstad, Minn., 

married Jeffrey Knisely on July 11, 2009. 

They are currently 

employed by 

Mennonite Central 

Committee in Lao 

People’s 

Democratic 

Republic, Southeast 

Asia. The project 

they are working on 

focuses on 

enhancing nutrition and improving longterm 

food security in a rural area. 

Stephanie Roland, ’10, and Josh Barrett, 

’03, East Grand Forks, Minn., were married 

on July 24, 2010. The 

wedding, reception, 

and dance were 

held on the farm 

where they now 

make their home 

near East Grand 

Forks. Josh 

currently farms with 

his family.

In Memory 

Ethel Buckley 

Manhattan, Mont. 

June 20, 2010 

Ethel was a U of M, Crookston staff member. 

Hannah Kellogg Dowell 

Washington, D.C. 

May 18, 2010 

Hannah was the daughter of NWSA 

Superintendent Austin Dowell and a Campus Kid. 

Marlin O. Johnson 

Burnsville, Minn., 

and formerly of Crookston, Minn. 


Marlin was an area extension crops and soils 

agent with the University of Minnesota Extension 

Service. 

Williamine (Cenfeld) Woolworth, ’29 

Ridgeway, Iowa 

July 21, 2010 

Marvel (Noyes) Dupont Smith, ’31 

Madison, Wis. 

April 4, 2010 

Irene (Pearson) Gunderson, ’33 Adv. 

Ada, Minn. 

August 2010 

Gilbert H. Fargo, ’35 Adv. 

Minot, N.D. 

February 1, 2010 

Clifford John Thomforde, ex. ’36 


March 21, 2010 

Oliver Landsverk, ’37 

Fosston, Minn. 


Elwood Gustafson, ’39 

Emery, S.D. 


Orrin C. Hagen, ’40 

Santa Maria, Calif. 


Dorothy Marie (Turner) Miller, ’40 

Hallock, Minn. 


Newell Mostad, ’40 

Ramona, Calif. 

February 26, 2010 

Melvin Melin, ’41 

Red Lake Falls, Minn. 

August 5, 2010 

Albert Machal, ’43 

East Grand Forks, Minn. 


Reuben S. Hanson, ’47 Adv. 

Trail, Minn. 


Arnold Pearson, ’47 

Plymouth, Minn. 

December 2009 

Max “Bud” Gust, Jr., ex. ’49 

Strathcona, Minn. 

March 27, 2010 

Robert Grabanski, ’60 

East Grand Forks, Minn. 


Janice (Steinhauer) Svendsgaard, ’61 

Thief River Falls, Minn. 


Arlin B. Hagen, ’64 



Donald D. Chisholm, ’68 

Manvel, N.D. 


Robert W. “Bob” Hawkins, ’71 

Wabasha, Minn. 


Wesley Michaels, ex. ’71 

Mentor, Minn. 


Rae Ann Baron, ’83 

International Falls, Minn. 


Luke Monson, ’98 

Chokio, Minn. 


Todd Radi, ’98 

Fisher, Minn. 


We Want to Hear From You! 

To submit an item for the Alumni News Section, complete this form and send it 

to UMC Alumni Relations, 115 Kiehle Building, 2900 University Avenue, 

Crookston, MN 56716, email: rulseth@umn.edu or complete the form on line at: 

www.umcrookston.edu/alumni/keepintouch.html. 

Please include your name, address, phone number, email, year of 

graduation/attendance and information or news you wish to share (new job, 

career, or family achievements, etc.) 

Torch 

Volume 42, Number 3, Fall 2010 

Torch is a publication of the University of Minnesota, Crookston. 

Director of Development & Alumni Relations 

Corby Kemmer 

218-281-8434 ckemmer@umn.edu 

Support Staff 

Rose Ulseth, ‘87 

218-281-8439 rulseth@umn.edu 

Sue Dwyer, ‘74 

218-281-8401 sdwyer@umn.edu 

UMCAA Board 

Cindy Bigger, ’79 

Paige Eskelson, ‘08 

Nancie Hoerner, ‘95 

James Kruize, ‘91 

Kylene (Odegaard) Lehmann, ‘01 

Juanita Lopez, ‘08 

Amy (Peterson) Lubarski, ‘02 

Carl Melbye, ‘77 

Kari (Vallager) Moe, ’03 

Linda (Knutson) Morgan, ’85 & ‘09 

Jen (Novak) Nelson, ‘06 

Katie (Becker) Shaw, ‘07 

NWSA Alumni Association Board 

Don Diedrich, ’56 

Allan Dragseth, ‘57 

Lowell Hamrick, ‘53 

David Haugo, ’52 

Charles Holmquist, ’52 

Melvin Larson, ‘55 

Barbara (Hylland) Lunsetter, ’56 

Berneil Nelson, ’42, ex officio 

Gerhard Ross, ‘45 

Beulah (Stolaas) Vad, ‘58 

Jean (Stromstad) Vigness-Parker, ‘55 

Contact information: 

Torch 

Elizabeth Tollefson, ’02, editor 

University of Minnesota, Crookston 

2900 University Avenue 

Crookston, Minnesota 56716 

Phone: 218-281-8432 Fax: 218-281-8440 

E-mail: ltollefs@umn.edu 

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a public, baccalaureate, 

coeducational institution and a coordinate campus of the University of 

Minnesota. The Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) was a residential high 

school serving students from 1906-68 and the predecessor of the Crookston 

campus. The Torch is named for the historical passing of the educational torch 

between the NWSA and the U of M, Crookston in 1968. 

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall 

have equal access to its programs, facilities and employment without regard to 

race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, 

public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation. 

Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with at least 10 percent postconsumer 

material using agribased inks. Designed and printed at 

FinePrint of Grand Forks, Inc. 

On the cover: Alumnus Adrian Van Dellen, ’61, contemplates 

morning’s first light along the Neches River in East Texas in this selfportrait. 

On the back, Driven to Discover: Associate Professor Sharon 

Stewart (center) with 2010 graduates Rene Phillips (left) and Judy 

Christians (right) who earned their bachelor of science in applied 

studies online were on campus for commencement in May. 

29

Glitz, Glamour and Golden Eagles, cont... 

years, and Portland, Ore., for two years. From 1953-83, Shaver was administrator for the Northwestern Clinic in 

Crookston. 

The 1982 Trojan Football Team, with its 7-1 record, won the Northern Division Conference title. The team 

advanced to the state title game losing to Normandale Community College and they also played in the Midwest 

Bowl in Joliet, Ill., that fall. 

Rick Spaeth, ’86, earned his associate degree in restaurant management in 1986 from the U of M, Crookston 

Technical College. He earned his bachelor of science from St. Cloud State University. He is currently the owner 

of R & R Masonry, Inc. in Paynesville, Minn. Spaeth was named to the All-Conference offensive line in 1984, 

and as All-Conference offensive and 

defensive tackle in 1985. That same year, 

he also was named to the All-Region 

defensive and offensive lines, National 

Junior College All-American First Team 

and was the team’s captain. He was 

inducted into the Minnesota College 

Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 1991. 

Ken Essay, ex. 94, attended the U of M, 

Crookston Technical College from 1992- 

94 when he transferred to Minnesota State 

University, Mankato to complete a 

bachelor’s degree in physical education 

and health. He earned a master of science 

degree in educational leadership also from 

Mankato and is currently the activities 

director at Mankato West High School as 

well as their boys’ hockey coach. Prior to 

that he was a physical education and 

Front row (l to r): Jim Sims, Kevin Kovar, Dan Crane, Randy Anderson, and Doug Radke. Back 

row (l to r): Rich Lemke, Dave Janssen, Craig Bitter, Brent Wagner, Rusty Mertens, John 

"Butch" Schleicher 

health teacher at Mankato West and as a long-term substitute in the New Ulm, Minn., School District. He was a 

two year letter winner and captain at the U of M, Crookston and in 1993-94, he was named a National Junior 

College Athletic Association All-American. 

To nominate alumni for the Outstanding Alumni award at the U of M, Crookston, visit 

www.umcrookston.edu/alumni/umc and submit your nominations! 

Call for Outstanding 

Alumni Nominations 

The Office of Development & Alumni Relations 

must receive all nominations by February 15, 2011. 

Visit www.umcrookston.edu/alumni/umc and 

complete the nomination form today! 

NWSA Class of 1960 

(pictured top right, facing page) 

Front row from left: Ken Straus, Wally Philipp, Francis 

Ackerman, Russell Schumacher, Ardell Magnusson; Second 

row from left: Roger Odegaard, Terry Nelson, Roberta 

(Bohnsack) Hagert, Evie (Osowski) Delasantos, Jane 

(Stromstad) Hasse, Jeanette (Thureen) Jutz, Daniel Straus; 

Third row from left: Gary Knepper, Ken Beckman, Rodger 

Kluzak, Roger Diedrich, Sandy (Tvinnerein) Folk, Betty 

(Hovet) Nelson; Back row from left: Martin Wall, Leo 

Jaszczak, Jonathan Peterson, Richard Danielson, John 

Steinke, Donna (Babinski) Kuta. 


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Organization 

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Paid 

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Office of Development & Alumni Relations 

2900 University Avenue 

Crookston, MN 56716-5001 

Change Service Requested 

Find us on Facebook 

facebook.com/umcrookston 

Follow us on Twitter 

twitter.com/umcrookston 

Watch us on YouTube 

youtube.com/uofmcrookston 

Upcoming Events 

Nov. 4 

Dec. 10 

Feb. 18, 2011 

Mar. 14-18, 2011 

UMC Alumni Social, Ramada Plaza & Suites 

Fargo, N.D. 

Last day of classes for fall semester 

UMC/NWSA Arizona social 

Spring break 

May 7, 2011 

June 24-25, 2011 

Commencement 

Northwest School of Agriculture 

alumni reunion 

Class of 1961 celebrates 50-year class reunion 

Visit www.umcrookston.edu/today for all the latest events 

and activities.

Vol. 42, No. 3 Fall 2010 - University of Minnesota, Crookston

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