Classmates
We are the class of '74!
"I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff."
What have you been up to the last 50 years? Catch us up by submitting your profile.
Click the "Add Your Profile" link below. Please complete/update all the fields (especially how far you've traveled and how far you will travel to the reunion). Your responses may be used for a prize at the Reunion. There are only two questions that are public information:
1. What do you remember most about high school?
2. What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?
When you are done, take a few minutes to look at each of the tabs on the left.
Cheryl Hegge (Post)
Last updated 1 month ago| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Custodial |
| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | New York |
| What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?: something with children | |
| Which classmate do you stay in contact with the most?: | none |
| How far will you travel to the Reunion (miles)?: | ? |
| What do you remember most about high school?: Speech Class | |
| What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?: I'm a Christain Clown | |
| How should we contact you about promoting your business at the Reunion?: e-mail | |
Brenda Hein (Anderson )
Last updated 1 month ago
Now
| Graduation year: | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 4 |
| Occupation: | Homemaker |
| Comment: Retired commercial real estste | |
| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | Thailand |
| What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?: I started in residential Real Estate and ended up in commercial real estate as a retail specialist | |
| Which classmate do you stay in contact with the most?: | Cheryl and John Redman, Vicki Olmsted and Ned Hale |
| How far will you travel to the Reunion (miles)?: | 130 |
| What will classmates remember most about you?: Not sure…. | |
| What do you remember most about high school?: Making a funny soap opera video, getting into DECA my Senior year and how hot my algebra room was and what a funny teacher we had. I do not remember his name. Also an incredibly old typing teacher. | |
| What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?: I think my biggest impact/achievement has been teaching and guiding our children to love Jesus, love their family, love their country and work hard. | |
| Reunion Thoughts?: I’m hopeful to be able to come. I think it will be fun to see so many that I have not seen in years. | |
David Helfinstine
Last updated 1 month ago| Graduation year: | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Manager of Software Engineering |
| Comment: Mission trip to build a clinic, help at orphanage, teach - challenge local pastors. | |
| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | Kenya, Africa |
|
What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?:
Software engineering / software engineering Secondary goal of Bible / mDiv, missionary candidates with a change due to illness of child. |
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| Which classmate do you stay in contact with the most?: | Those I have found on Facebook :-) |
| How far will you travel to the Reunion (miles)?: | 50 miles |
| What will classmates remember most about you?: Obsessed with computers, math, choir, and plays | |
| What do you remember most about high school?: Great teachers, great classmates, first dates, musicals (Still singing songs to the horror of my family :-) ), hanging out in the computer room. | |
| What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?: I trust it is helping others to color their world, my wife, children, and now grandchildren, and others I come in contact with. Current joy is once a month leading a worship / communion service at the Fountains of Hosanna in Lakeville. Coloring my world has also meant to me showing others the vast greatness of God's grace. | |
| Reunion Thoughts?: Past reunions have been great learning more about others, and enjoying conversation and laughter! How did it get to be 50 years ago!!?? | |
Teri Hill (Hill)
Last updated 1 month ago
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | retired court reporter |
|
Comment:
Married Jim Larson when I was 44. He works part-time as a corporate attorney and just bought another plane -- for fun. I worked as a court reporter, computer sales manager, teacher, scopist and proofreader. Two years ago I retired after a small stroke. Reading hundreds of pages of transcripts a day was too much. Jim came with two daughters and a son-in-law. Our oldest daughter had twin girls when she was in her mid-40s. Our youngest travels the world and presently works at Hamline. Jim's mother is still living and is almost 102. My parents are in Brooklyn Park and 3 of my 5 sisters are still in the Twin Cities area, one in WI and one in CA. We spend our time between Buffalo, MN and Florida and watching over our families and friends. We cannot attend the reunion because my dear friend's daughter is being married out of state. Have fun! |
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| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | France |
| What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?: psychologist -- court reporter | |
| Which classmate do you stay in contact with the most?: | none |
| What will classmates remember most about you?: no idea | |
| What do you remember most about high school?: the long bus ride every day | |
| What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?: being a true friend | |
| What years did you serve?: My husband is a retired Lt. Col., grad of the Air Force Academy. Served in Viet Nam and flew jet fighters; retiring after serving 28 yrs. He says wives outrank servicemen, so I guess I am a Colonel -- and many days I feel like one! | |
| What areas did you serve?: geographically he was in Viet Nam, Germany, all over the US and had over 1000 trans-ocean refuelings. | |
Michael Hirschi
Last updated 1 month ago
Then
Now
| Graduation year: | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired University Professor |
| Comment: I married Debbie Germundsen (class of '75) on the same day Beth Bradley married Jim Denny, September 16, 1978, so almost 46 years ago. | |
| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?: When I started college, I thought I would be designing airplanes, so I started in aerospace engineering, but there were no jobs, so I changed majors to something that didn't waste a full year of fluids coursework. I ended up in agricultural engineering, graduated from the U in 1978, started a masters, finished that at the U in 1980, then took a research position at the University of Kentucky. They had neglected to tell me that the position I was in required being in a doctoral program, so I quickly took the GRE and got admitted. I finished my PhD in 1985 and began a position as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I retired as an Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering on June 30, 2012, but was hired back as a part-time academic advisor until I retired completely on August 31, 2023. I was on staff at Illinois for 38-1/2 years. | |
| How far will you travel to the Reunion (miles)?: | 535 |
joni hoosline (hawkins)
Last updated 1 month ago
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | service writer |
| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | Hawaii |
| What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?: Nothing planned | |
| Which classmate do you stay in contact with the most?: | none |
| How far will you travel to the Reunion (miles)?: | 1150 |
| What will classmates remember most about you?: Probably not much. | |
| What do you remember most about high school?: Constructing & Climbing the rock wall in the fieldhouse .. | |
| What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?: Having a sense of humor about life. Raising 2 fine young men with my husband of 36yrs. | |
| Reunion Thoughts?: Looking forward to attending my first reunion! | |
Gerald illg (illg)
Last updated 1 month ago| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Dispatcher/warehouse |
Mark Jansen
Last updated 1 month ago| Marital status: | Divorced |
|---|---|
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
Laurel/Laurie Joslyn (Birrenkott )
Last updated 1 month ago
Then
Now
| Graduation year: | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Registered Dental Assistant - retired |
| Where is the farthest you have traveled?: | Hawaii |
|
What job/career did you plan to have and what job/career did you have?:
Art teacher Dental assistant |
|
| Which classmate do you stay in contact with the most?: | Jane Hammer & Carla Turnbom |
| How far will you travel to the Reunion (miles)?: | 2 miles |
| What is the greatest impact you have had, as you colored your world?: I married my high school sweetheart & we now have 6 grandchildren that color our world. | |
| Reunion Thoughts?: Thank you to the reunion committee for making this 50th happen - where did that time go? | |
Patty Kappelhoff (Johnson)
Last updated 1 month ago| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Design Manager |
| What do you remember most about high school?: Friends & working at Perkins in Anoka | |