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Mary Boswell (Olson)

Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: retired publication and graphic design specialist
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: Through the past five decades, highlights include marriage, two kids, moving to Canyon, Texas, earning a BA degree in journalism, working 25 years for West Texas A&M University, grandkids, many horse shows through the years, and retirement 10 years ago. Life continues to be blessed.

Dave Parks

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Widowed
Children: 2
Occupation: Engineering
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: After graduating from Iowa State in ‘77 I accepted an Engineering position with an early alternative energy electronic controls company, Heliotrope General in San Diego, CA. This knocked off a few of my immediate goals in post-graduation life… moving to SoCal to escape the cold winters, living by the Pacific Ocean beaches and becoming involved in the nascent alternative energy industry .

In 1979 I married my college sweetheart, Marty Osterling. Marty grew up in Lagrange, IL (west suburb of Chicago) and graduated with her BS in Food Technology in 1978. Not only did I gain a wonderful partner in life but also two great sister-in-laws and five FUN brother-in-laws (I grew up with three older sisters…). In 1986 we started our own company, Logic Beach Inc to design, manufacture and sell portable, low-power data acquisition instrumentation. Over the years we expanded to network connected instrumentation as well as Cloud reporting instruments. I am still gainfully employed.

After 16 years of marriage we decided to start a family and now have two fun and extremely adventurous boys, Sam and Alex.. both in their mid-20’s. Raised on the beaches of SoCal of course they both now live, work and recreate in the mountains by Denver. They are both always on to the next outdoor, world-wide adventures… hiking the PCT, bike-packing the CT, rock climbing and skiing expeditions. We get together often (not often enough) in Denver as well as outdoor expedition meet-ups.

Marty, my wonderful bride of 35+ years died in 2014 from complications related to early onset Parkinson’s and is still tremendously missed by everyone she touched.

I continue my love of motorcycles with off-road racing in the desert, still playing 2-man beach volleyball (with complaining knees), paddle-boarding, etc. I also remain quite busy with product development at Logic Beach and projects at home…from mundane maintenance to much more interesting projects (currently rebuilding a SCORE Class 5 Baja Bug). RV travels/camping, offroading and boating with local and distant friends slip in as much as possible.

Am hoping to make it back to Ames for our 50th and look forward to catching up.

Carol Waters (Patterson)

Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Elementary Teacher

Larry Paulsen

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 0
Occupation: Actor
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: I've been working at regional theatres as an actor since taking my bachelors degree from UNI and an MFA from UCSD in La Jolla. CA. I'm based in Seattle, but have had the privilege of working on stages from Ashland Oregon to New York City, and quite a few places in between.

David Popelka

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Retired - CIO, ISU Information Technology
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: Please refer to Sandy (Bunce) Popelka post.

Niel Powers

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 0
Occupation: Happily Retired
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: Traveling, riding, playing, working - all the usual stuff

Cindy Albertson (Powers)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Retired librarian
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: I went to college at Cedarville University, in Cedarville, OH, graduating with a degree in elementary education. From there, I spent 2 years in Sao Paulo, Brazil, teaching at a missionary school. I came back and married my college sweetheart, Earl Albertson. We lived in Ohio for 6 years and then moved to Iowa, where we eventually settled in Boone for 30+ years. I took classes at UNI in School Library Media Studies and worked full-time and part-time as a librarian for about 18 years. We have two married children, Carrie and Justin. Carrie is a teacher in Michigan and Justin is an epidemiologist in North Carolina. When it was time to retire, we looked at the map and decided Iowa was too far from either family to visit the grandkids (2 so far and 1 one the way)! So in 2021, we decided to move to Massillon, Ohio, where Earl's brother lives, and roughly half-way between the two kids. We sold our house in Boone and moved to northeast Ohio. We're both involved in making crafts for craft shows and making new friends in our church. It's been quite an adventure! I'm proud to say that three AHS graduates, Marlene Bleeker Clark, Beth Boylan McKee, and I have been writing a Round Robin letter for oh, some 40+ years! I still follow the Cyclones and miss the vistas of Iowa, looking at the horizon as far as the eye can see. We love the freedom of retirement and praise God for His provision in our lives. "All things work together for good" (Romans 8:28).

Mary Truckenmiller (Reece)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 5
Occupation: Retired
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: Steve and I have been married for 47 years. I first attended Iowa State, transferring to Marycrest International University in Davenport, IA and obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Our 1st son was born there in Davenport, and we moved to Camanche, IA and I worked as a RN at Mercy Hospital in Clinton. Upon the birth of our 2nd son, we relocated to Waco, TX for one HOT summer and subsequently moved back to Camanche, IA for a short time. Steve then started his own satellite TV company in Rock Rapids, IA where our 3rd, 4th and 5th sons were born. As his company grew, we relocated to Sioux Falls, SD and it eventually became LodgeNet, a national provider of tv programming to hotels. I assumed various volunteer leadership roles as my domestic duties would allow during our 25+ years there. Once we were empty-nesters, my nursing career was resumed in a variety of ways. This past few years we returned to Ames as we have family back here, and also helped to care for my father who recently passed. A big thank you to those of you who have been instrumental in organizing our 50th reunion and looking forward to catching up with everyone!

John Risse

Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Owner -- RisseLLc , Retired
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: working, family, playing

Leanne Alexander (Robertson)

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Retired
So, what have you been doing for the last 50 years?: I've been working at ISU Library for 38 1/2 years and raising 2 children. I am now retired, have 3 grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren. I also quilt and do stained glass and am a member of my church, singing in the choir and playing bells in the bell choir.