Updated 21 July 2000 URL is http://our.tentativetimes.net/youth/norwell.html
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They leave us, eager but a little afraid. It’s a big world to have to find a niche in. This picture is from the museum of the works of Nicholas Roerich, an artist and writer who devoted his life to world peace. If we could only keep all our children safe, forever.
Hi. I’m Mary Sorg Mansell. I graduated from Norwell in 1976. I am now married, have four children and live in the Chicago suburbs. After high school, I got an elementary teaching degree from Ball State University. I moved to Houston where I met my husband, Jerry. A year and a half later we got married and started our annual moves around the country and overseas. (his job ). We have 2 adopted children. Our oldest is starting in in the Navy’s nuclear engineering school in December. Our youngest is 9. I now teach piano lessons and do art work on the side. I also direct the community children’s theater productions. Please email me at MaryElmhur@aol.com if you are interested in corresponding.Hi there! Sterling Lewis here. I’m a 1978 graduate of NHS! After graduating, I attended Baptist Bible College (Springield, MO), receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Theology in 1982; I also attend classes at Southwest Missouri State University (majoring in mathematics, if you can believe that).
While at BBC, I met my wife, Kelly (from Ft. Lauderdale, FL)and we were married June 7, 1980. Our first child was born in December of 1983, Brian is now 16 and attending good ole’ NHS. Our daughter, Kristen, was born in May of 1987; she is now 13, and will be in 8th grade at Norwell Middle School. After returning to Bluffton in 1985, I worked at Wayne Metal Products, in Markle, for nearly 15 years. For 12 of those years, I worked in the QA Department. In May of 1999, I accepted a position as Quality Manager with Summit Manufacturing, and I love it! And I am still going to school!
I spend most of my time working, coaching girls fast pitch in the summer, and attending Brian’s wrestling matches. I occasionally see some fellow ’78 graduates: Mark Krinn (at wrestling matches), Ron Harnish (at NHS events), Cheryl (Blocker) Buckland (at the ball diamond), and I regularly receive phone calls from Mike Lacey. It would be great to be able to have a 25 year reunion and see everybody! I am in the Bluffton phone book, and can be reached via email at slewis@vptag.comKristin Biberstein Brookmeyer
I graduated from Norwell in 1992. I went to Indiana University in Bloomington and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Nursing Science in 1997. I am currently the Patient Care Coordinator on a Telemetry Unit at St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, IN (Indianapolis). My husband is Aaron (AJ) Brookmyer a 1987 Graduate of Norwell. We live in Brownsburg,IN which is, of course, a subburb of Indianapolis. AJ is the manager of a warehouse in Indy.
My brother, Michael Biberstein, Norwell 1996, is getting ready for his senior year at Wabash College. This year he has served as the President of the Sigma Chi house and also as the president of the Intrafraternity Council (IFC). He was an aid to Sue Ann Gilroy last summer and wishes to attend law school after graduation from Wabsh.
My mom, Susie Cotton, is a 1969 grad of Norwell. She is still living in Ossian just off of Highway 1. She works for GTE in Ft. Wayne and spends her extra time with her little Scottish Terrier named "Scooter." She is also a graduate of Indiana University.
Norwell was a great place to get an education….and did it ever fly by. Thanks for compiling this information. My email address is scubarnknb@aol,com. Thanks, Kristin
from Tony Ehret, email TONYEHRET@aol.com
Norwell High, bicentennial class of ’76 reports:
I’m living in San Rafael, California, about 10 miles north of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. It’s a beautiful and sunny place, and I’ll never leave. I’m happily married and we’re happily childless. I
I have a great job in a small firm called Baseline Software, a little publishing company in Sausalito, with a view from my desk of the Bay and the East Bay hills. We publish two texts on arcane and obscure technical and information policies. I’m the "Internal Systems Manager," which means I plot and implement our general business strategy on both a short- and long-term basis.
I ride my motorcycle, hike, and worship nature whenever possible. Life is great.
I try to check in at the B & K in Bluffton when I’m in town visiting the folks, but otherwise I’ve lost touch with all my old classmates. Specifically, I’d love to hear from Scott Duncan, Nathan Wilson, and Anne Dormire. I’m online at tonyehret@aol.com if anyone wishes to get in touch.
My name is Marge (Harber) Proctor, class of 1979.
(I can’t believe it’s been 20 years!) I went to Ball State for 4 years and got a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. Then I joined the Air Force in 1983. They sent me back to school at Louisiana Tech University where I got a second Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering. From there I was sent to Albuquerque, New Mexico for 2 years. I left the Air Force in 1987 and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where I now live. I work as a computer analyst for Lockheed Martin Energy Systems. My husband, Bill, and I have no children (yet). We make it up to Indiana once or twice a year. I’m wondering if anyone knows details about our 20th year reunion
Thanks.
Marge Proctor, email proctor@icx.netArchie Shaffer Class of 1979 and member of the 1977 Norwell State Champion Band..
I live in Fort Wayne want to plan a 25 year Get together for the Band members. If any one knows them send me the address to this e-mail norwell@hotmail.com …. The reunion is planned for the year 2002….
I am planning to get married some time this year to my fiancee. We just haven’t got around to setting a date yet…
I miss the Blue Knight Special at lunch.
Thanks, Archie, that’s a neat idea, a band reunion. Cool beans! (Sandra the slow editor)
April (Taylor) King, 1992 grad of Norwell, is entering her third year of law school at the University of Georgia, and would like e-mail from any old high school friends. Write to aeking@arches.uga.edu
And when I looked at her husband’s email address, which April was using at the moment, it was from the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry. I just figured I was too dumb to read the letter! Wow. What a powerhouse team this happy couple will make in a year or two.
News from the Nodine clan! Fritzi wrote:
"Sarah Nodine is a 1995 graduate of Norwell High School. She is the daughter of Duane and Fritzi Nodine and is a junior at Indiana University, Bloomington, in the School of Business. Sarah is spending the ’98 summer in Berlin Germany studying business in Europe. She is also a contributing Editor at the 10th Street Times, IU’s School of Business newspaper. Her IU school e-mail address is snodine@indiana.edu. She will be joined this year by brother Jon, who is a new 1998 graduate of Norwell High School"
It’s great to get new news here. Thanks to Fritzi and to all moms who take time to update us.
My name is Angela Koons, and I am a 1985 graduate of Norwell High School. I discovered this website while catching up on local news from the Bluffton Banner’s web site. I recognized most alumni names from various years (or know family names). When you live far away from home, it’s kind of nice to read about classmates or people who grew up in your own backyard.
Some alums who don’t know me will probably remember my parents, Mike and Marlyn Koons, who both taught English in the Northern Wells School system. My mother taught high school at Ossian in the mid-sixties, and then went on to teach (and is still teaching) english at Norwell High School. My father taught at Lancaster High School in the mid-sixties, then taught junior high at both Ossian and Lancaster, and finally went on to Norwell Middle School—he retired two years ago.
I graduated from Ball State in 1989; worked for Governor Evan Bayh until 1994; worked briefly in Chicago for a public affairs firm; moved to Washington, DC and worked for a lobbying firm and then the US Chamber of Commerce; and, presently, I am living in Annapolis and working for Governor Parris Glendening in the State of Maryland.
I truly love living in this area of the country, but I must confess I really do miss "broasted chicken" and "breaded tenderloin sandwiches" from the Dutch Mill; Pizza King pizza; and the Street Fair—not to mention my family and friends!
I would absolutely love to hear from former classmates or other alum. My e-mail address is: akoons@gov.state.md.us
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998
From: STEVE & REBECCA ZUERCHER
To: editor@tentativetimes.net
Hi, My name is Steve Zuercher, a 1975 graduate of Norwell. Six months after graduation I left Bluffton for the Army and have yet to stop. It’s all been good to me over the 22 years and I have achieved the top of the enlisted ranks, Sergeant Major. My oldest son, Stephen, 18, is also a soldier now, working in aviation (helicopter) maintenance. After I finish my schooling here at the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, TX, I will be joining him at Fort Campbell, KY. It has been about 12 years since we’ve been together and it should be a great assignment for both of us.
I have two other sons, Corey, 12, in New York, and Kyle, 11, in Germany with his mother. As I said earlier, it has been a good 22 years. I have been to Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Hawaii, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, and most of the 50 states. I am married to the former Rebecca Hill of Murphy, North Carolina.
My specialty in the Army is communications. It would surprise many of the folks out there to know that US Army is, by necessity, on the cutting edge of mobile communications technology. Has anyone ever heard the term Force XXI? We take everything normally found in offices, businesses, and personal autos, pack it on tactical vehicles (including tanks), and put it to use in the worst conditions. E-mail, GPS, position location systems and video teleconferencing are normal, run of the mill activities for modern military communicators. Kind of neat, eh? I’ll get off the soapbox now.
I think of home often, particularly the great people, and wonder if I will ever make it back for more than just a short visit. Both of my parents passed away in ’90 and ’91, leaving my sister in Portland as the last remaining immediate family in the area. The family on my father’s side is deep-rooted in Berne, while those on my mother’s side are firmly in the Portland/Muncie area. I have a fondness for Texas. It’s wild and open, even more country than Indiana’s reputation. Maybe that’s a good place to stay.
I hope that others from Norwell will read this and feel free to contact me. It has been many years since I’ve spoken to anyone. Thanks. Steve Zuercher, email zurkb@sprintmail.com
From Ted Wagner, class of ’83:
I graduated from Norwell in 1983, and am a graduate of Indiana University with a degree of General Studies. My emphasis was on Secondary Education (history) and computers. I am a computer network administrator for Baldwin & Lyons, Inc. located in Indianapolis. We are a property and casualty insurance holding company. We own Protective and Sagamore insurance companies.
My web page is: http://members.tripod.com/~TedWagner/index.html
My email address (home) is: sqtailmess@aol.com
My email address (work) is: wagner@baldwinandlyons.com
Do you know if Norwell High School has a web page? I would like to add it to my list of links. [Ted, I don’t know of one. Can anyone tell us???]
Mark Mann, class of ’71, has just written this: My name is Mark Mann, Jr., and I am a 1971 graduate of Norwell. After 22 years in the Navy, I have settled down in Sunnyvale, CA (near San Francisco) and am working for Applied Materials, a major player in the semiconductor industry.
While no one in my immediate family lives around Bluffton any more, there are plenty of cousins still there. Not to mention the offspring of about seven generations. My family tree includes the Manns from the Warren area and on my mother’s side, the Arnolds from south of Bluffton. One of my uncles, Joy Brown of Montpelier, is a retired farmer and former county commissioner. I would certainly like to hear from former classmates and family members. I’ve kind of lost touch. Write to Mark at mark_mann@amat.com
Good to hear from you, Mark, and thanks for writing!
We have lost Letitia Lopez Mondragon, 26 July, 1996
Someone has murdered Letitia Lopez Mondragon as well as Crystal, her six year old daughter, in their north side Chicago apartment building. Any classmates who want to send condolences can mail to Oscar and June Lopez at 4438 East 100 North, Bluffton In 46714. Funerals were at Goodwins.
The crime was discovered Friday July 26, 1996. A tenant in the same building, Solomon Avila, who vanished from Letitia’s building after the murder is wanted for questioning by the CPD. Avila had a plane ticket to Acapulco for the day of the murders. There is no US extradition treaty with Mexico. The phone number for this case is (312) 744-8261 and the Detective is Tom Keane, most recently, or Detectives Redmon or Aiken.
Nate Pearson, helvn@marshill.com writes that he is in oil in Midland Texas, looking forward to Florida’s beaches. He wants to hear from you.Ryan Werling. We have an outstanding student from Wells County entering the "real world." The Bluffton News-Banner reports that Ryan Werling graduated from West Point with the Distinguished Cadet Award. His GPA was 3.67 out of a possible 4.0. In addition he was one of 43 cadets out of 902 in his class to be awarded the Superintendent’s Award for academic excellence. Ryan majored in Portugese and Spanish. He minored in Systems Engineering. Ryan is now a 2nd Lt. stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. (I lived on the grounds of West Point as an Army brat and remember it fondly. It looks like Ryan will too.)(Thanks to Judy Werling for the updates on Ryan and on Debbie Ramseyer. I even had Debbie’s name wrong. I sure do need more items from you all!)Debbie Ramseyer now teaches business at C.A. Johnson High School in Columbia, South Carolina. Debbie won more awards for running than anyone I had ever known. After Norwell, she went on to Indiana State University for her B.S. degree in secondary education and later taught in Adams County. On August 9, 1997, she will marry Tom Cronin, a P.E. teacher in Columbia. (Updated 1 July 1997.)2-12-97. Angie Bradburn and Michael Spangler were married in November here in Markle. Angie had graduated from the University of Texas and is a professional athlete. Her husband teaches high school history. They live in Gettysburg, PA.
6-11-96. Angie trained for the Olympics in track at Austin, Texas. She has jumped 6-4 or better over the last six seasons. There were three slots and Angie was ranked third in the July 1996 Track and Field News magazine. [Info from Paul Beitler of the Bluffton News-Banner.]
6-16-96: Good going, Angie!! Angie did us proud in the trials. Tonight Dick DuFay reported that Angie just missed the top three cut. The newscasters were saying they would be amazed to clear five feet. It was a feather in the county cap to have Angie representing us.
‘Cause I didn’t grow up here, I am bound to make little mistakes on this page. IF someone reads it who knows better, they will surely tell me editor@tentativetimes.net
I really do want additions and corrections.
This page is sort of an alumni letter. Every one of our "kids" is a credit to us. Wells County is a terrific place. Did you come here from our Nostalgia magazine