Alumni News and Stories

• Ronald E. Bergmann `60 published his autobiography ‘A Fork in the Road’.
• Daniel Stewart `70 was appointed by Indiana governer Eric Holcomb to the Indiana Rehabilitation Commission in January 2018. Dan is the President/CEO of Achieva Resources and plans to retire in June 2018 after 48 years in the rehabilitation industry.
• Sharon Johnson `71, retired from Corporate Four Insurance Agency on April 26, 2017.
• Warren Nilsson `73 retired after spending most of his 45 years in industrial distribution.
• Katherine "Katie" Gardner `75 retired December 1st after working as a registered dietitian for 39 years.
• Christine Welsh `76 retired as the supervisor of food services at D. C. Everest Area School District after 27 years. 
• Jim “PJ” Noll `78 was sworn in as a district governor for Lions Clubs International District 27B2 of NE WI in Chicago last summer. The district has over 2,250 members in 70 Lions clubs.
• Donna Fain Brown `81 has been named senior manager, security, the Americas region for Western Digital Corporation in San Jose, Calif.
• Joan Willshire `81 received 2018 Commitment to Service Award at the 32nd Annual State of Minnesota Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration in St. Paul.
• Elizabeth Bettenhausen `85 is the program manager at River City Estates in Hewitt.
• Jeanne Wilkinson `86 was awarded the 43rd New Millennium Award for Nonfiction for her story “Hidden in a Suitcase” in 2017. 
• Leslie Joslin `86 is a child care licensor for the Department of Human Services in Minnesota and she resides with her husband, John, in Woodbury, Minn.
• Jeffrey Brown `89, was named Citgo STEM Teacher of the Year.
• Tom Voegele `92 retired December 20th, 2017 after selling Bayside Home Medical in Sturgeon Bay.
• Gary Wiedmeyer `92, is a sales engineer with Jorgensen Conveyors in Mequon.
• Karen Lee Hayes `95, is helping at-risk, traumatized youth at Dakota Memorial School, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch in Minot, North Dakota.
• Lisa Hoffman Wojcik `97 was appointed executive director of Leisure Education for Exceptional People (LEEP). 
• Dyana Doherty `08, named Business Person of the Year by the Savage Chamber of Commerce in Savage, Minn. 
• Melissa Wilson `11 began Melnaturel in 2017. Melnaturel is a natural skincare line that is sold online and at stores in Eau Claire, Hudson and Milwaukee.
• Zane Glumske `15 began new role as a product development verification lead for Advanced Energy Generator in January 2018.
• De’Andre Jones `16 is a program associate at Summer Search in Seattle. 
• Lucas Feldkamp `16 was promoted to admissions system analyst at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn.
• Mark Lorenz `16 was hired as the manager of learning and development at Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

Engagements:

• Laura Bauman `15 is engaged to Zack Knight `15. They plan to wed in 2019.

Marriages:

• Thomas V. Hable `77 and Jennifer K. Beyer Huber `78 were married in Federal Way, Wash.
• Nicole Crowell `08 and Jack Hajewski were married on July 14, 2017
• Jenna Huseboe `12, September 16, 2017, Milwaukee, WI
• Amanda Kessler Steffes `13, September 30, 2017, Milwaukee, WI
• Sarah Thomas Strang `14, August 12, 2017, Eden Prairie, MN
• Abigail Filcher `15 and Blake Meyer `16 were married September 16, 2017 in Burnsville, Minn.

Arrivals:

• Sara Lynn and Bradley ` 03 Jensen, welcomed Opal Julianne Jensen to their family on November 10, 2017. She has two older brothers, Daniel (3) and Bruce (2).
• Tiffani Calmes Roltgen `04 and Mike Roltgen welcome Calvey Matthew Roltgen to their family on Feb. 19. Calvey joins siblings Adelline, Stella and MacArthur.
• Joy Williams `07 and Brett Jackson `07 welcomed their second child, a son in August.

Passings:

• Paul Erickson `46, October 29, 2013, Turlock, Cali
• Arthur Goglin `56, January 31, 2018, Wilsonville, Oregon
• Robert Olstrom `57, February 16, 2018, Reedsport, Oregon
• Brian Hepperly `63, June 2, 2017, Beloit
• Joyce J. Giovani `63, January 9, 2017, Wausau
• Chester Jensen `64, September 11th, 2017, Neenah
• Marlene Worzella `68, December 2017, Richfield
• Sandra “Sandy” Hassemer `68, June 04, 2008, Sun City West, Ariz.
• Duane Hambleton `70, March 8, 2018, Neenah
• Robert Newton `74, July 18, 2018, Beloit
• Nancy Zieman `75, November 14, 2017, Beaver Dam
• Daniel Grosskopf `77, June 15, 2014, Farmington, Minn.
• David Dawson `86, October 18, 2017, Menomonee Falls
• Freedom E. Nakpodia `86, July 27, 2016, Nigeria
• Thomas Jahn, June 20, 2017, Tomahawk
• Amanda Geissler `07, December 30, 2017, Costa Rica

Faculty Passing:

• Genevieve R. Lambert, 103, formerly of Menomonie died Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. She worked as a cook at the UW-Stout student union, retiring in 1977.
• Terry Ingram, 80, of Menomonie, passed away Nov. 22, 2017. He taught in media technology and photography from 1970 until his retirement in 2001. He was a professor emeritus in the College of Technology, Engineering and Management.
• Ervin Schlick, 92, of Rochester, Minn. passed away December 30, 2017. Ervin worked as the director of instrumental activities. He retired in May 1989, after working just over 5 years at UW-Stout.
• Philip Sawin Jr., 84, of Menomonie, passed away Feb. 7, 2018. Phil worked in the UW-Stout Library Learning Center as a collection development librarian and was at the university 21 years. He retired in July 1996.
• Chancellor Emeritus, Charles William Sorensen of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, passed away on Friday, February 23, 2018, in The Hospice of the Comforter in Altamonte Springs, Florida.Chuck spent his professional life as an historian, scholar and administrator. His first position teaching history was in a junior high school in Denver, Colorado. After graduate school he taught at Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana, and Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Chuck’s career then took a turn toward higher education administration. He served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Grand Valley State University, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Winona State University, and finally as Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout from 1988- 2014.
• Zenon T. Smolarek, 77, of Spring Valley, passed away March 8, 2018. Zeke taught at UW-Stout for 34 years in the industrial management department. He retired in 2000.
• Duane A. Johnson, 83, of Milbank, S.D., passed away March 2, 2018. Duane taught at UW-Stout for 36 years in the department of communications, education and training. He retired in 2002.
• Victor C. Rhodes Jr., of Menomonie, passed away April 8, 2018. Victor worked at UW-Stout for about 33 years. He retired in 1998 as a senior laboratory preparations technician in the chemistry department.
• Virginia K. Peter, 80, of Wausau, passed away March 21, 2018. Virginia taught at UW-Stout in the education department for about 20 years. She retired in 1993.