Tony Hooper celebrated his 80th birthday with his wife of 57 years, Mary Jane, MJ, along with an extended family of three children, spouses, and grandchildren in Sparrow Lake, Canada, just north of Toronto where their son, Kevin, lives.
The three children of Anthony and MJ at an 80th birthday celebration for Anthony recently in Canada.
Oh, Canada, eh! Anthony enjoys turning 80 with extended family. He and MJ, from South Africa, have visited their son, Kevin, in Toronto several times over the years. Now if they could swing by Cedar Falls sometime for a reunion with the class of '62, that would be sublime!
Our only Canadian classmate. Meriel lives in British Columbia and recently retired. See what she has shared on the MEMORIES page of schs62.com.
Sigrid Erickson Jones and husband Gary are enjoying retirement in California. August 2017 finds them buying a horse for their stable. Sadly, Sigrid passed away in 2023. With her passing, many fond memories of this all-American, charming, and talented student came to mind and brought home the mortality
of us all.
Friendships in the class of '62 last a long time. Becky and Sig got together with Pam and Barb, who have places in Florida, in January, 2014. Who can blame them for living in Florida or just visiting? It is 15 below in Iowa.
Going to pot and bowling has a whole different meaning for Barbara than many less industrious Americans.
Pete Eisbach writes: A year after graduation, I entered the US Army for three years, the last year of which was spent in Viet Nam.
After I came home, I married my wife, Nancy, in November of 1966. During the next few years, we became parents to three daughters and I began my employment at Dubuque Packing Company that lasted the next 28 years. When they closed in 1996, I went back to school and received an associate degree in culinary/culinary management. My last job in that field was that of assistant banquet chef at the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark in Dubuque. This was prior to being medically disabled after a four-month hospitalization at the Veteran's Hospital in Iowa City.
I also served in the boy Scouting programs for 19 years, starting with cub scout master and ending up as a district commissioner for the whole Northeast Council of the Boy Scouts of America. I truly loved these years of scouting and didn't even have any sons to be in it.
I now work part-time in our parish school lunch program. Again I am working with youth and they and I are both very happy in the lunchroom setting.
We now have five grandchildren, of which we are immensely proud. They range from nine to near twenty years old. They make life worthwhile and so enjoyable, as do all our family members. We are so lucky to have them living right in Dubuque.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in June.
Pete Eisbach.
After I came home, I married my wife, Nancy, in November of 1966. During the next few years, we became parents to three daughters and I began my employment at Dubuque Packing Company that lasted the next 28 years. When they closed in 1996, I went back to school and received an associate degree in culinary/culinary management. My last job in that field was that of assistant banquet chef at the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark in Dubuque. This was prior to being medically disabled after a four-month hospitalization at the Veteran's Hospital in Iowa City.
I also served in the boy Scouting programs for 19 years, starting with cub scout master and ending up as a district commissioner for the whole Northeast Council of the Boy Scouts of America. I truly loved these years of scouting and didn't even have any sons to be in it.
I now work part-time in our parish school lunch program. Again I am working with youth and they and I are both very happy in the lunchroom setting.
We now have five grandchildren, of which we are immensely proud. They range from nine to near twenty years old. They make life worthwhile and so enjoyable, as do all our family members. We are so lucky to have them living right in Dubuque.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in June.
Pete Eisbach.
Craig Eaton anchored PBS radio news with the West Palm Beach, Florida PBS station until retirement and may return to live in Cedar Falls.
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Many classmates have traveled a good deal and will recognize O'Hare Airport.
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Obviously our teachers made an impact on us, because I still AM ONE! Have not yet retired and therein lies the rub--my school district will not release me until June 29. That's the last day for Canadian kids. I am sure that as the date of the "gathering" gets closer, I'll be more down in the dumps. But I definitely wish all of you there a wonderful reconnecting time.
I still teach Grade Seven (last year of elementary, here) because I love it. The kids keep me young and I still think I make a difference in one or two lives every year and that's important--to realize that, even though I'm now old enough to be their grandma and they still need me, is absolutely cool. I still take 50-60 kids to the woods every October for one full school week in Outdoor Education.(You see, Grade 8 Camp left a lasting impression on me).
Many of my former students from past years have returned to tell me that Outdoor Ed. was the best thing they had ever done in school. I smile because without that special time every fall, I would quit. It has become the heart of my program.
The love of my life, David Abrahamson, is still my kindred spirit after 44 years of marriage. We have become townhouse dwellers since leaving our acre nine years ago. No more St. Bernards and no more mowing the lawn with a tractor! However, IF I were money rich, I'd buy another parcel of land with big cedars and Douglas fir and hire someone to do the physical upkeep.
Iowa was a good place in which to grow up and the Class of '62 was a good one to be a part of. And if I win the lotto someday soon, I'll say a welcome "good-bye" to my School Board and fly to Cedar Falls to dine with you! Thinking of you as I share my thoughts and God bless.
Meriel (Roskamp) Abrahamson
I still teach Grade Seven (last year of elementary, here) because I love it. The kids keep me young and I still think I make a difference in one or two lives every year and that's important--to realize that, even though I'm now old enough to be their grandma and they still need me, is absolutely cool. I still take 50-60 kids to the woods every October for one full school week in Outdoor Education.(You see, Grade 8 Camp left a lasting impression on me).
Many of my former students from past years have returned to tell me that Outdoor Ed. was the best thing they had ever done in school. I smile because without that special time every fall, I would quit. It has become the heart of my program.
The love of my life, David Abrahamson, is still my kindred spirit after 44 years of marriage. We have become townhouse dwellers since leaving our acre nine years ago. No more St. Bernards and no more mowing the lawn with a tractor! However, IF I were money rich, I'd buy another parcel of land with big cedars and Douglas fir and hire someone to do the physical upkeep.
Iowa was a good place in which to grow up and the Class of '62 was a good one to be a part of. And if I win the lotto someday soon, I'll say a welcome "good-bye" to my School Board and fly to Cedar Falls to dine with you! Thinking of you as I share my thoughts and God bless.
Meriel (Roskamp) Abrahamson
Classmates! Please keep us posted with what you are doing. Send to knutson.karl@gmail.com
