Summer 2012 Alumni Newsletter - Oldenburg Academy

Congratulations, Class Of 2012ValedictorianMeredith GoodallWelcome To The Oldenburg Academy Alumni Association!SalutatorianDana MaslarRow 1 (L-R): Erin Moll, Mary Kathryn Miller, Paige Riebsomer, Gretchen Junker*, Rachel Schulte*, EmilyOesterling*, Bailey Grieshop*, Row 2: Amber Teaney*, Stephanie Taylor*, Alyssa Stein*, Katherine Strasemeier*,Megan Dennis, Rachel Irrgang*, Ann Kuntz*, Christen Wanstrath*, Row 3: Ashlee Masavage*, JacquelynWagner*, Jennifer DeCilles*, Charlotte Bergman, Meredith Brown*, Jean Ann Rippe, Emily Hartman*, MeredithGoodall*, Row 4: Sade Miller, Tessa Larimer*, Bridget Bruns*, Ellen Buening*, Francis Chase Glaser, Row 5:Dana Maslar*, Alex Abrams*, Conner Cates*, Jonathan Ronnebaum, Row 6: Justin Ahaus, Mark Hetzer*, AdamHornberger, Row 7: Christopher Kolks, Austin Frey*, Michael Maple*, Alexander Kirschner*, Row 8: NathanZitnick, Jackson Zoller, Jordan Hyland,* Not Pictured: Matthew Swanson**Denotes Academic Honors Diploma recipientsSenior Alumni with Alumni LegacyAlumni With Family LegacyRow 1 (l- R) Sean Hyland ‘09 with brother Jordan Hyland, Chrissy Wanstrathwith mother, Cindy Galle Wanstrath ‘80, Pat Merkel Moster ‘57 withgranddaughter Anne Kuntz and mother Geraldine Moster Kuntz ‘81Row 2 (L-R) Josie Billman Hornberger ‘87 with son Austin Hornberger,Conner Cates with sister Catie Cates ‘10, Alex Kirschener with grandmotherJoyce Fasbinder Kirschner ‘56, Deb Eckstein Grieshop with daughter BaileyGrieshop and grandmother Julie Doll Eckstein ‘61Row 3 (L-R) Mary Kate Irrgang ‘11 with sister Rachel Irrgang, JonathonMaple ‘07 with brother Michael Maple, Rahe Ann Moritz Bergman ‘75 anddaughter Charlotte Bergman, Francis (Chase) Glaser with mother SusanStrange Glaser ‘80, Austin Frey with mother Betty Bedel Frey ‘74Row 4 (L-R) Janna Pictor Irrgang’83 and Sarah Irrgang ‘08, and EmilyHartman and mother Angie Wissel Hartman ‘87Alumni News - 3

Hallie Kile ‘15Oldenburg Academy AlumniAssociation Scholarship RecipientThe Oldenburg Academy Alumni Association ispleased to announce the winner of the OldenburgAcademy Alumni Association Scholarship, Hallie Kile,Class of 2015. This is the first year the associationoffered this scholarship for underclassman, and over16 applications were received! The selection committeehad a difficult time making a selection, due to theapplicants’ outstanding qualifications.Each scholarship applicant was required to write anessay telling the Alumni Association what they valuemost about their OA experience and education andhow the scholarship will help them continue theireducation at Oldenburg Academy.“It gives me hope for the future knowingthat these students will be leading the wayin our ever changing world.”Member of the selection committee“Faith plays a very large role in Hallie’slife. This is evident in her attitudes andwords. Hallie believes that being present atOldenburg Academy is a gift that allows herto continue to foster her spiritual life. Whatan amazing gift to OA faculty and staff.”Mrs. Alicia Auseré Religion Faculty/Department ChairHallie would like to become a medical doctor andwishes to work with the organization Doctorswithout Borders. Her hope is to serve others, not justthrough the medical field, but also spiritually. Hallieis from St. Michael’s parish in Brookville, Indiana.Congratulations, Hallie and keep up the good work!Dan SlavenMeet OA’s New Advancement DirectorMy name is Dan Slaven,and I am pleased to joinOldenburg Academyas the AdvancementDirector. For the lastthree years, I havebeen an ExecutiveDirector for the RushMemorial HospitalFoundation. Amongother responsibilities,my duties includedcapital campaigns,event planning, grant writing, annual appeal, andmeeting with patients and donors. Before joining theRush Memorial Hospital Foundation, I worked as aCommunity Development Director for the AmericanCancer Society. With the American Cancer Society, Iserved in five counties as the lead staff member to thecommittees that planned and organized “Relay ForLife” events. Prior to that position, I was a supervisorfor Decatur County Healthy Families. HealthyFamilies offered a variety of programs and services fornew and expectant parents.My passion for helping others meet their goalsand making a difference in individual lives andcommunities led me to my prior positions and makesme excited to become a part of Oldenburg Academywith its mission in students’ lives and the supportingcommunities. OA’s Advancement Team has done anamazing job of raising funds for the Academy. Withover seven years of fundraising experience, I hope tobring creativity, motivation, and leadership that willchallenge our team to move the Academy forwardinto newer dimensions. I also look forward to meetingmembers of the OA community and expanding theadvancement efforts in order to ensure the futuregrowth and expansion of the Academy. On a personalnote, my wife, Sheri, and I are natives of Greensburg,Indiana. We have two active and enjoyable four yearold children, Averi and George. When Sheri and I arenot chasing after the kids, we serve as youth leadersat our church as well as spend time investing in ourmarriage and our relationships with God. It is anhonor to be a part of this team, and I look forward tothe opportunity to do my part to further OA’s missionand “commitment to academic excellence, socialresponsibility, leadership and personal growth for ourstudents who will excel in our ever-changing world.”Thank you for your prayers and support as we beginthis endeavor together.Alumni News - 4

23rd Annual Reverse Raffle – A Night at the OA CorralSpecial thanks to all of the alumni who helped in any way with this Reverse Raffle, “A Night at the OA Corral.” Your help,even in the smallest way, made a tremendous impact on this event. We were able to far exceed the goal for this fundraiserthanks to our wonderful donors, sponsors, attendees, ticket purchasers and approximately 50 volunteers! It was a greatevening for all attending, and especially for our students. Your generous support directly impacts each and every studentat Oldenburg Academy.The 24th Annual Reverse Raffle will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2013 in the OA gymnasium. Come join us as wecelebrate 160 years of Virtue, Honor, Education at ICA/OA. We promise a fun evening for all attending. If you would liketo help on the planning committee for this event or are interested in donating a gift, please contact Debbie Lamping in theAdvancement office at 812.933.0737 or email to lamping@oldenburgacademy.org. Thanks again to our fantastic alumni!Debbie Holtel Lamping ‘73 and the 2012 Reverse Raffle CommitteeEarn Dollars For OA By Shopping At KrogerThe Kroger NeighborhoodRewards Program has beenreplaced by the KrogerCommunity RewardsProgram. This new programis tied to your Kroger PlusCard. Kroger will pay upto $1,250,000 on a quarterly basis to participatingorganizations based on their percentage of spending asit relates to the total spending of all participating KrogerCommunity Reward organizations. All members willneed to enroll their Kroger Plus cards online at the Krogersecure website. Your Plus card can only be tied to oneorganization.Help OA earn dollars by registering your card today atwww.krogercommunityrewards.com! Have your KrogerPlus card handy. If you do not have a Kroger Plus card,stop by the customer service desk at any Kroger. If youare already a registered Plus card holder, click on Sign In/Register, then click on Kroger Community Rewards andedit to input OA’s number 80221.New online customers will need to Create an Account(top right of the page) before you can add OA to yourKroger Plus card. Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Accountby entering your email address and creating a password(save and continue) then enter zip code for the store youfrequent, clicking on favorite store (save and continue),enter your Kroger Plus card number, and continue throughthe prompts until you activate your account.You will then get a message to check your email inbox andclick on the link in the body of the email to confirm youremail and preferences.Click on My Account and use your email address andpassword to proceed to the next step. Click on CommunityRewards and then Edit Community Rewards information –here is where you will enter OA’s NPO number. Enter NPOnumber (OA’s number is 80221), or select organizationfrom list and click on confirm.To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see yourorganization’s name on the right side of your informationpage. REMEMBER, purchases will not count for OAuntil after your card is registered. Do you use your phonenumber at the register? Call 800.576.4377, select option 4to get your Kroger Plus card number. Thanks for helpingto earn dollars for the students of OA!Alumni News - 5

Outstanding Volunt eerService AwardRichard Riehle and Marcia Wissel Riehle ‘76Holly’s rOAd to EducationOn Saturday, April 21, many courageous souls onceagain braved the elements outside to participate inthe holly’s rOAd to education 5K Walk/Run. Despitethe breezy, chilly day, the event, held in honor of HollyBruns ’74 to help fund the Holly Bruns MemorialScholarship at Oldenburg Academy, was a SMASHINGsuccess! The gross revenue for this year’s event wasover $6,500! Outstanding!We would not have achieved this success without thegenerosity of our event sponsors, all of the companiesand individuals who donated cash, products, andprizes, and the support of our volunteers. We can’tthank Sarah Lamping enough for the many hoursshe volunteered, after hours, to support our efforts.Special thanks to Susan Glaser ’80 for recruiting/organizing the volunteers! Thanks to the OA studentswho rallied the day of the event to assist us.This event is a great opportunity to renew ICA/OAfriendships while supporting a worthy cause. Links toour Facebook photo page and YouTube slideshow arein the Alumni section of the OA website. Hope to seemany of you at next year’s event!Nita Mauer ’82, Julie Daly Neyer ’82, TinaCaldwell ’80, and Barb HettesheimerMrs. Bettina Rose, Oldenburg Academy Principal,presented the 2011-2012 Outstanding VolunteerService Award to Richard Riehle during CatholicSchools Week Mass on January 30. Richard is marriedto Marcia Wissel Riehle ‘76. They have two children,Michael and Maria ‘11. Even though they no longerhave a student attending OA, Richard still volunteersat the school in a variety of ways.Richard volunteers for bulk mailings in theAdvancement Office. He arrives early, stays late, andspreads joy to everyone with his stories of the farm,family, and ice fishing. He also volunteers in thecafeteria once a month and, when a volunteer can’tmake it, he is the first person called. He has evenacted as interim cafeteria manager! Richard hasvolunteered for OA’s Reverse Raffle for many years,even before his daughter was an OA student. After theevent each year, he and his wife wash dishes at the OAcafeteria well into the early morning hours. Richardalso mans the grill at the OA Golf Classic each year.Over the past four years Richard has shown a greatdeal of dedication to the OA cross country and trackprograms as an assistant coach.Richard is a true example of what it means to give backto others. The entire OA community thanks him forhis dedication and service. The Outstanding VolunteerService Award was initiated in 2001 to recognize theoutstanding volunteer efforts of individuals in serviceof Oldenburg Academy. Dedicated and committedvolunteers are key to the success of the Academy’sfuture. Volunteers receiving this award are recognizedfor their leadership, faithfulness and contributions oftime, talent and treasure.Alumni News - 6

2012-2013 AlumniAnniversary Class ProjectUpdateEaster Egg HuntA mailing was sent to all the Alumni AnniversaryClasses celebrating at Homecoming this year to helpus fund the repair and replace the walkway behind theacademic building. So far we have had a great responsebut we still need more classmates to participate!Class of 1967 is in the lead, followed closely by the Classof 1972 and 1977. Remember, your gift to this project,no matter the size, will be combined with the gifts ofyour classmates and fellow alumni to transform thesewalkways.We invite you to come to campus on Saturday, October13, 2012 for Alumni Homecoming to see the impact thatyour gift has made. A plaque recognizing participatinganniversary classes will demonstrate your class’s ongoingcommitment to your Alma Mater.Make checks payable to the OA Alumni Association andwrite “sidewalk project” in the memo section of yourcheck. Send your gift to Sarah Lamping, P. O. Box 200,Oldenburg, IN 47036.Update My Cont act InfoFirst name Maiden name Last nameGraduation yearAddressSpouse’s name (if married)City State ZipHome/cell phoneEmail addressWork phoneI would like to receive the Alumni News by emailWhat do you get when you combine an event emcee,cookie makers, prize coordinator, drink and egg prepfolks, cookie coordinators, students, volunteers, andlocal sponsors? What else but the fun filled, excitingAlumni Association Easter Egg Hunt.I sincerely thank Regina Radcliffe Rankin ‘89, MarbieHortemiller Dickman ‘78, Missy Wilhem Cooper‘89, Kim Mollaun Smith ‘77, Susan Gigrich Dreyer‘83, Better Baker Gigrich ‘61, Sally Hinkle, and OAstudents for their hard work and continued dedicationin making this event so great for the children. Kudosto all of you for a job well done!To the children and their parents thank you forattending and supporting this event. We hope it madeEaster all the more special for your little ones.Lastly, a shout out to Becky’s Best, McDonald’s, RuthAnn’s Hallmark, Christian’s Kinder Laden, TheBookshelf, and Snikkers and Peanuts, our wonderfulsponsors for this event. We greatly appreciate yourgenerosity in helping us with the Egg Hunt.On behalf of the Alumni Association, I thank each andevery one of you. Your continued interest in OA, alongwith the kindness and generosity you have extended,is sincerely appreciated. We look forward to seeing youagain at Easter Egg Hunt 2013, scheduled for March30!Pam Decker Vonderhaar ‘64Alumni Association PresidentAlumni News - 7

When A Twister Faces A TwisterErin Fledderman ‘98 is the daughter ofMark and Joann Reer Fledderman ‘61and a middle and high school teacherat Thomas Jefferson Independent DaySchool in Joplin, MO, an area that wasravished by an EF5 tornado last spring.May 22, 2011 is a day that will be engraved in my mind forever. At 5:41 pm,an EF5 tornado ripped through my community and took out a path a milewide and almost 14 miles long. An hour before, I was sitting outside withfriends at a yogurt shop talking about the end of the school year and hownice the weather was. As we were leaving the clouds were rolling in andlittle did we know that in less than an hour that area of town, including theyogurt shop, would not exist.Even though I was not directly hit by the tornado, my life changed. Friends,students, and thousands of others lost their homes and/or businesses. Iremember walking outside after the tornado wondering what happened.I had no power or water. Insulation and tree branches were all over myparking lot, but I could not see any major damage. I immediately called myparents to tell them I was okay. I knew that tornadoes had ripped throughJoplin but had no idea of the magnitude.Information started trickling in as residents of my apartment complexstarted congregating outside and were talking about what they had heard.Joplin High School was gone. St. John’s Hospital was gone. St. Mary’sCatholic Church and School lost everything but the giant cross. HomeDepot and Walmart were both gone. Realizing that Walmart was onlyeight blocks from my apartment and St. John’s was on the other side oftown made me realize the seriousness of the situation. Everyone outsideof Joplin had now been informed by the media and were seeing pictures ofthe devastation while the members of my community did not know the fullextent of the destruction.I spent the next few hours in a daze trying to find friends. The local radiostations were operating on generators and trying to help people find theirloved ones. I listened to this for days hoping I did not know anyone missing.I went to my school the next day to help call families to make sure theywere okay. Luckily, no one in my school community lost family members,but many lost their houses and businesses. The rest of the week I spenthours at school keeping students occupied whiletheir parents cleaned up wreckage and helpedothers do the same.After meetings I volunteered with a fellow teacherfeeding victims waiting to apply for FEMAassistance. There were so many people that we metand we were very humbled by the situation. Peoplewere embarrassed that they needed assistance andwere hesitant to take the donated food we werepassing out.The donated food was from a group of guys we metfrom Texas who dropped everything when theyheard of the devastation and drove to Joplin to helpfeed people. Every corner had food and water stands.Most of these people were not from Joplin and camefrom hundreds of miles away.My school community was also coming together tohelp. The school and students donated thousandsof dollars to the American Red Cross and schoolsupplies for students and teachers whose buildingswere leveled. Students spent the summer sellingbaked goods to raise money for the tornado victimsand others helped with cleaning debris and handingout water. One of my senior students founded anorganization called A Tree Grows in Joplin to helpreplace trees throughout the devastated area. I can’thelp but feel proud of my students and fellow teachersfor all they have done this past year to help those inneed.Before the tornado hit, I had not been living inJoplin very long and didn’t know how I felt about thecommunity. After May 22, I was proud to live here,not because a devastating event occurred that put uson the map, but because of how we became a betterand stronger community.One year later, Joplin is rebuilding. Millions ofvolunteers have poured into my community and giventheir time and money to help thousands of peopletry to get back to some sort of normal. That is exactlywhat we have done. Walmart and Home Depot are“We wake upevery morninglike the rest ofthe world butwhen we go tobed at night weall know thatour city haschanged for thebetter.”Alumni News - 8

Deaths Of Alumni & Their Family MembersSr. Therese deLourdesGalm, OSF, HonoraryAlum, passed away on April 27,2012 at the convent. Many alumniwill remember when she taughtEnglish, history, and math atImmaculate Conception Academy(1942 to 1950) and when she wasPrincipal (1962-1975).Edith Gierach McDaniel ‘37passed away.Mary Moorman Schroeder ‘40passed away. Her daughters areFraya Schroeder Moore ‘64and Nancy Schroeder Perdue‘69.Florence Wissel Kreuzman ‘45passed away. Carol KreuzmanBarnhorst ‘71 is her daughter.Betty Risch Pflum ‘46 passedaway.Billie Moorman Laugle ‘49’shusband, Neal Laugle, passed away.Jane Laugle Narwold ‘72, JulieLaugle Donahue ‘73, Jill LaugleKonradi ‘78, Jennifer LaugleBrebberman ‘79, and JaniceLaugle Cleary ‘81 are their daughters.Marilyn Baumer Brinkman ‘48passed away.Rita Buschur Ferkinhoff ‘52 passedaway. Lisa Ferkinhoff Hedge ‘77,Diana Ferkinhoff Schutte ‘78,Laura Ferkinhoff Foster ‘83 andNancy Ferkinhoff Craig ‘91 are herdaughters.Sr. Linda Bates, OSF ‘57’s sister,Jane Bates, passed away.Bertha Schaefer Pfliege ‘58 passedaway. Rosemary Schaefer Conrad‘60 is her sister.Kay Little Blackwood ‘64, MonicaLittle Steidinger ‘72, and DeniseLittle Daro ‘74’s mother, VivianLittle, passed away.Gayla Moenter Lecher ‘65 andAva Moenter ‘70’s brother, GaryMoenter, passed away.Teresa KlosterkemperWard ‘65’s mother, Anne JaneKlosterkemper, passed away.Virginia Bedel Selkirk ‘66and Beverly Bedel Unger ‘67’sbrother, Thomas Bedel, Jr., passedaway.Carolyn Hooten Griffin ‘66,Pattie Hooten Wuestefeld ‘68,Peggy Hooten Engelke ‘70,and Debbie Hooten Kramer‘74’s mother, Margaret Hooten,passed away.Mary Jane “Janey” MollObermeyer ‘68 passed away.Her daughters are MarcieObermeyer Trossman ‘94 andDenie Obermeyer Arnold ‘96.Barbara Enzinger Koester‘74’s father, Paul Enzinger, passedaway.Oldenburg Academy’s Top Achievements 2011-2012AcademicsOA named Four Star School for thesecond year in a rowOne Commended Student in theNational Merit Scholarship ProgramNine students earned AP ScholarAwardsStudents placed first and thirdin the Batesville VFW Voice ofDemocracy Speech ContestFine ArtsTwo students chosen as members ofIndiana Bandmasters All RegionalHonor BandFive students earned gold ratings atISSMA state music contestStudents placed first, second and thirdin the VFW Patriotic Art ContestThree trophy winners and ten BlueRibbon winners in the Rural Alliancefor the Arts Young Artist ShowcaseServiceStudents collected over 2,700 items and$500 for Indiana tornado victimsStudents attended March for Life inWashington, D.C.Donated school supplies, soccer balls,and soccer uniforms to a school in CostaRica during spring break tripNational Honor Society Blood Drive had50 donors and 9 double red donorsAthleticsGirls Cross Country Team:Sectional Champions, Semi-StateQualifiers (second consecutiveseason), Indiana All-Catholic StateChampionsWrestling: One Regional Champion(Semi-State Qualifier)Girls Track Team: State Finalistsin 1600 Meter Run and 1600 MeterRelay and 5 Sectional ChampionsGirls Tennis Team: RegionalChampions, Sectional Champions(third consecutive season)Student received IHSAA C. EugeneCato Memorial Scholarship (first OAstudent, the third student from SEIndiana)Alumni News - 11