Finken's last summer at the Amphitheater

News article in the Opinion-Tribune.

Guest Column in the DM Register

from Sybil

Condolences

Condolences to Mary Turner Brown on the passing of her mother. Details here

From Steve Steinhoff

Hi to All, I received this clip from my Sister Maureen who writes a column for some Iowa Newspapers called "HOME FIRES" I was going to send it to those with bigger families, but decided that our 68 reunion was just like one very big family. Hope you enjoy and thanks to all who have taken the time to share their thoughts. S Oneil, I am relieved you do have something to do up there in Wis. I am headed to OshKosh soon and will drop in to your neighborhood bar to visit and watch you at work. Steve Steinhoff
ps I am really enjoying reunions

Home Fires‏
From:MAUREEN SHEEDER (maureensheeder1@msn.com)
Sent:Wed 6/18/08 5:01 PM

If I sound dazed and draggy today, forgive me. I've been to the mountain top and reentry to every day zone is only now happening. Specifically, I attended a reunion in the Rocky Mountains which thirteen living siblings held for Mother's 83rd.
It was a glorious event, complete with a family talent show, a cribbage tournament, an oak car derby and the traditional sixty kazoo parade in which each attendee marched single file and tooted "When the Saints Go Marching In". Our 83 year old matriarch participated in every piece of this fun and if she could remember better would still be fuming that she didn't win the cribbage tournament.
Getting there was half the fun, of course, and I traveled with four of our children and grandson Bubba, who shared his electric guitar wizardry and dazzled all of us in the talent contest.
Sometimes, we forget, I think, that there's magic in a family that comes together to laugh and remember and appreciate where we came from. It's special to see each other's children and to recognize the connection that bonds us even when our homes are so far apart.
So we made lots of noise, and took a million pictures that captured how beautiful Mother still is and how beautiful our children and our spouses are, and how beautiful our brothers are with little hair and how beautiful our sisters are with the warmth of life challenges reflected in our faces.
So while we basked in all this blessing, the thirteen sibs retreated alone for a while to a cabin. And sat together to put it all into words and to figure out how to love Mother the very best way as she lives with the Alzheimer's that distances her todays and places her back in her yesterdays that only we remember.
And as we talked in love and caring, we noted once again that the biggest gift our parents ever gave us was each other.
So high up in the Rockies, all thirteen of us reunited in a circle of hugs and created our own mountain peak of joy as we prayed in thanksgiving for our mother and in appreciation for each other. There are holy moments of life where we know for sure it just can't get any better and this is the one we all carried home till next time. M. Sheeder

From Steve O'Neill

I had a great time. There are so many people I didn't get to visit with and that is the only thing I regret. I'm sending this so you know that I actually do something up here and perhaps you will get a laugh out of it.

My best to all of you.
S.O. (The beer on the bar steps is total embellishment.)

...

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/moe/index.php?ntid=292567

Reunion DVD

I hope that everyone who ordered a DVD of our class has received it and are pleased with what it. If anyone else would like a copy, please send $5.oo to cover production and mailing and I will get you a copy to:

Mark Brenneman

5124 W Monterey St.

Chandler, AZ 85226-1989

If you cannot afford the $5.00, please let me know your address and I will also send you a copy. My email is marksbrenneman@msn.com

It was great to see everyone.

Mark

3 group pics

Click on a picture to get an enlarged view.

Out of these 3 pictures, I hope everyone can find a shot of themselves that they like. If you have a better one, let me know and I will post it.

Runion Committee and Linda - Thanks

It was a fun evening at Linda's last night. I enjoyed hearing all the stories retold. I especially liked seeing those from St.Peter's School with whom we spent elementary years.

See everyone tonight!

Obituary for Tom Bridges

Tom Bridges

Notes From Paul Hoffman

Su and I plan to stop by Linda's on Friday and see everyone on Saturday evening. Memory fades - hope all are wearing "HELLO - MY NAME IS" badges.

This is a 2006 family photo. Theresa, on the left, finished college with a BS in Biology from Bellevue University and is now in the Peace Corps serving in The Grenedas. Les, in the Marine Officer uniform, got out of the Marines after four years and one tour in Iraq. He is living in Minneapolis.

Hope to catch up on what everyone is doing.

I'm at http://thecabinatthelake.blogspot.com and on Facebook.

Tom Bridges

More sad news - Tom Bridges died Saturday evening.

From Paul Hoffman

I know that some of you can't make it back for the funeral, but I wanted to let you all know what is going on anyway. The family viewing for Tom will be Thursday afternoon at 2:00 at Maher-Livingston funeral home , and the wake will be that evening from 6-8:00 p.m. The funeral will be Friday morning at 10:30 at the funeral home. Their address is 121 S. 7th street. Tom will be buried at the Garner cemetery.

Paul

From Bob Ankenbauer

Classmates !!

I spoke with Mr. Francisco last week. Discovered there was another reunion upcoming!! Great. I can't wait to see all of you once again. I plan bringing Sharon Davison Friday & Saturday evening.

Today I called Ruth Cordes and let her know we are planning on attending the evenings events.

See you all there!

Bob Ankenbauer

1427 N. 109th Plaza #206

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

402-350-4460

Please send your registrations in now.

Below is a list of people who have sent their registrations in. We have heard from many others that they plan on attending but we don't have their registrations yet. If you do plan to attend, please get your registration in right away. The reunion is less than 2 weeks away.

Betty McKee
Doug Kenney
Ed Ege
Jean Wettengel Morz
Linda Heithoff Borman
Mike Doyle
Nick Leber
Paul Lustgraaf
Rosemary Flecky Brownrigg
Susan Goodman Blunk
Theresa Smith
Anne Carta Starr
Debbie Sennett Perkovich
Jonette Beaver Wylie
Linda Vergamini
Nancy Peterson Edison
Robert Andersen
Sharon McElravy Zito
Stephen Schnitker
Sybil Yutesler Finken
Teresa Waldman Williams
Mary Sealock McGowan
Steve Francisco
Steve and Ruth Ann Shea Duff
Steve O'Neill
Mike Roarty
Mark Brenneman
Steve Steinhoff
Bonnie Ring Wredt
Julie Brown Eischeid
Nancy Rindone Doughney
Robert Ankenbauer
Richard Bunten
Vickie Kreigler Carter
Mary Jean Pogge
Paul Hoffman
Jean and Steve Regan
Patty Ellison Foley
Mary Kay Stewart Engdahl
George Sturm
Jim Conway
Mike & Connie Gronstal

John Emarine

Sad to report another classmate's passing.
John Emarine

Dave Delehant

This came in an email this morning.

http://www.legacy.com/omahaDave Obituary

From Jean Regan

Please visit the Notice for David James Delehant.

http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000109252066X

Click on the above link or cut and paste the url into your browser's address bar.

Registration Form for the Reunion

The registration form for the reunion is on the webpage. You can copy this link and paste it into your browser to download the form.
http://stalbert68.googlepages.com/Classof68ReunionRegistration.pdf

I will also be emailing the form to everyone for whom we have email addresses. The regular postal mailings will go out to everyone else.

Ruth

Reunion Committee Meeting

The reunion committee met face to face on Monday, April 7 for the first time. Wow, was that ever fun! It was so great seeing everyone after all these years. It was difficult to find the time to discuss the reunion plans because we all had so much fun just catching up and remembering old times. The attendees were Mary Kay Stewart Engdahl, Anne Carta Starr, Michaelia Boysen VanScoy, Julie Brown Eischeid, Sybil Yutesler Finken, Rosemary Flecky Brownrigg, Pat Osterlund Meeves, Suzy Eckrich Kirk and Ruth Freer Cordes.
We have sketched out the plan for Saturday, June 7th. At 5pm everyone will be able to tour the school and socialize. Dinner will be at 6:30pm and will be chicken and side dishes. We will set up a memorabilia table, so if you have fun things to share from high school, please bring them to the reunion to display. As soon as we can get information about the cost of the dinner, we will be emailing and regular mailing registration forms to everyone on the list. The committee will meet again on April 28th.

St. Peter's All School Reunion

There will be an all school reunion at St. Peter's on June 20-22, 2008. Check out the website.
http://stpeterscbia.tripod.com

Request for Photos

Mark Brenneman is putting together a video for the reunion and would like current photos of everyone. You can attach a digital photo to an email or send a photo through the mail and he will scan it. Here is Mark's contact info

Mark Brenneman
5124 W Monterey Street
Chandler, AZ 85226-1989.

marksbrenneman@msn.com

note from Paul Lustgraaf

Hi gang,

Paul Lustgraaf here.

I'm really looking forward to the reunion. It's been too long.

I'm still living in Ames and working for Iowa State University like I have been
for the last 36 years. That's not too bad, though. Working in the computer
field, you don't have to change jobs, the jobs keep changing out from under
you!

I have two grown daughters and one is expecting my first
granddaughter in April.
Wonderful!

Looking forward to seeing ya all!

Paul Lustgraaf
grpjl@iastate.edu
515-233.4724

Note from Steve O'Neill

Had my dear mother not choose to call a "Mulligan" on my first shot at
fourth grade I would have missed a life altering opportunity that
actually started 41 years ago. (I don't remember that the second shot
was all that impressive either.) That was when the fund raising effort
began. Remember the Strand Theater with the signs marking the
seats for each parish? Remember Father Delehant coming to address
each eighth grade class and scaring the crap out of everyone in advance.
Example:
Jonette Beaver (Q) Father...will there be tennis courts? Father
Delehant (A) This is not a country club! (Or so the legend goes)
I am not big on reunions but word of this event has stirred so many
memories that this will be hard to resist. This was a very big deal to
a lot of good people. Mostly our parents many of whom are gone now.
It is hard to minimize the sacrifices they made. I am anxious to hear
what others remember about that time.
Steve O'Neill Madison WI

Note from Father Monahan

Hey Graduates:

I’m still around and am looking forward to seeing you at the reunion. I left St. Albert in 1979 to become pastor at Avoca/Walnut, then to Holy Family in Co. Bluffs, then to a year in Portsmouth, and finally to Holy Rosary in Glenwood. am retired now and living in Co. Bluffs at the old St. Francis rectory (now called the St. Francis Worship Center)….across the street from the Court House. I am still active in St. Albert activities. Within the next couple of weeks, you and other graduates will be receiving a letter from me…..NOT ASKING FOR MONEY. I am coordinating a study to learn the various careers pursued by our graduates. It is my hope that, when you receive the brief questionnaire, you will return it promptly.

Gratefully,

Father Paul Monahan

Sybil and friend

Sybil had an exciting day last week. What a great photo!

Class of 68, Let's Talk!

The web page is a great way to get the word out and emails are great for one on one communication but we can all come here and share. Click on the word comment and leave a message.