Classmate Profiles
Instructions: Hello, Classmate! Our once-in-a-lifetime GOLDEN class reunion is coming soon, and your classmates hope to see you in August! Even if you aren't able to join us, please share below about your after-high school life (~350 words), favorite high school memory/ies, and include a current photo of just you, with your face and hair - or lack thereof. And although your contact information won't be visible on this website, your classmates can contact you via email by clicking on "send [name] a message" link at the bottom of each classmate's profile. Enjoy reading the profiles!
One classmate per profile. To change your profile click Log in. Username = your email.
Paula Norton (Dunham)
| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Part-time Reading Program Supervisor |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | After graduating from The University of Iowa I began my career as an educator. I have a passion for teaching students how to read and am still working part-time as a tutor and a Reading Program Supervisor. I have worked mostly as a Reading Specialist for over thirty years. When I lived in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I finished my master's degree at the University of Northern Iowa which led me to becoming a Language Arts Consultant for the Cedar Falls School District. You know the famous phrase, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life." I was lucky to discover in college just how much I enjoyed working with students. Working in schools has also been a great job because I always had the same schedule as our children. My husband, who worked as a scientist at Iowa State University, could plan his vacations around our school schedules. We took many family trips to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. I still love hiking and being in the mountains. Now that my husband is retired, and the boys are working we have time to do more traveling. We had a wonderful trip to Alaska last summer and we hope to go to Hawaii and Antarctica in the near future. Our list of places to see gets longer every year. Thanks to everyone on the AHS reunion committee for all your hard work and great planning! |
| Share a high school memory: | My favorite high school memories are being in Choir and being in AHS musicals directed by the talented Wayne "Hank" Hansen. I also have special memories of watching Mark Homers 8mm films. |
Melba Olson (Smith)
| State / Province: | IA |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Executive Director AgServ |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | After attending East Carolina University in North Carolina for 2 years I then graduated from Iowa State College of Design in Interior Design in 1978. Early on I worked in my field but with marriage and starting a family I found myself delving into projects with family, friends, my Iowa State sorority to name a few but always have found a way to keep my art side happy. My involvement in the Ames/Iowa State Community extended to volunteering in numerous areas, my children’s schools and sports, working with my Alpha Delta Pi sorority on a local and national level to name a few. Along the way I unexpectedly gained proficiency in bookkeeping/accounting, surprising even Mr. Jorgensen (7th grade math), who doubted my mathematical abilities! Learning along the way that amidst the twists and turns of life’s sudden changes and surprises I can pretty much adapt to anything! Fate took a humorous turn when I met my husband Kurt, he was dating Lynn Schultz only for her to leave and fall in love with her future husband from Seattle! Kurt and I were quite happy as it turned out that she headed out west! Lynn is still a close friend, and my daughter Paige and her son Sam are currently engaged to be married. They are a hilarious couple as you could only imagine! Married we were blessed with 3 beautiful daughters, Nicole, Lindsey and Paige. We enjoyed bringing them up in Ames, cheering them on in many sports and activities at Ames High. Mr. Jorgensen coached two of my daughters and laughed, “the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree”! We have enjoyed many hobbies and travels, but our love of bicycling has led to 37 years of Ragbrai and forming a bike team of 55 members and 3 buses to support. We ride mostly a tandem bike, but I just enjoy any bike as long as I’m out riding. Don’t ask how many bikes I have! My husband who came from a Iowa farm, attended Iowa State and proceeded to own a Farm Manager/Ag business that all soon became a huge learning curve for me after growing up as a “Townie”. I embraced the challenge and contributed in many ways to help run our business and even becoming an owner of Iowa farmland and learning the ends and outs of raising corn and soybeans besides just detasseling it in high school! A note to all my fellow detasseling buddies, the only corn detasseled is corn used for” Seed Corn”, did someone tell us that? Time has made me realize how fortunate I was to have grown up in Ames surrounded by all of you as those experiences and memories continue to enrich my life today in countless ways. |
| Share a high school memory: | Memories from Ames High are very precious as I remember many fun-loving friends, UN trip, Drill Team, and many adventures I best not put on paper!! A special memory was running track my Senior Year and earning Iowa All State Honors and a 2nd place finish at the State meet alongside my talented peers. |
Andrew Orngard
| State / Province: | IA |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 4 |
| Occupation: | Building contractor |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | I started working for a contractor in the fall of 1974 building churches, and then in general residential construction with him for 15 years before going out on my own in 1989. I moved to a beautiful wooded farm along the Des Moines river north of Boone Ia. in 1977. I married Sarah Austrheim (AHS 1975) in 1983 and have shared this charming life with her ever since. We had 4 children, first our son, then 3 daughters, and now 2 granddaughters. We love the seasons, making hay, maple syrup, apples, gardening, prairie restoration and appreciating the wildlife. |
| Share a high school memory: | One memorable event from our high school years happened when a group of us were hanging out one dark night at my family’s barn, swinging on ropes and climbing the timber framing to various lofts and heights. Someone apparently lit off some fireworks as an officer of the law was driving by on the road. Fireworks were illegal at the time, so when we revelers spotted the officer driving up our lane to investigate, someone ran inside the barn to herald his arrival. Toby was in the barn and began desperately searching for his escape route. He hadn’t been there before in the daylight but spotted a low door open at the back of the barn. It was a door that we used to throw hay about eight feet down to the livestock in the pasture behind the barn. Toby realized the change in elevation as he flew at full speed out the door into the darkness, pedaling without purchase all the way down. Lucky for him his landing was softened by the old hay and manure that had accumulated there over the years. Amazingly, he was able to jump up and continue dashing into the darkness and away from the danger in the barn. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see the low woven-wire fence that we had installed about 25 feet behind the barn, to separate the sheep from the horses. He discovered the fence at about the same time he again reached top speed in his valiant effort to escape. The unseen fence caught him at about mid-thigh height and face planted him into another field of grass, manure, and muck. After all of that trauma, you’d think that we would have found his lifeless body the next morning during a missing person search of our property. Toby, however, was a resilient and determined lad who would not give up easily. He was able to pull himself out of the muck and carefully circle around the barn to his red Karmann Ghia getaway car. With great relief and a sense of accomplishment he escaped back to town, where a well-deserved “good hot shower” awaited. In the meantime I headed for the hills like everyone else. We all know the thrill of evading your pursuer, from playing tag as a child. While running I considered that, if the officer found no one at the barn, he would go to the house and discuss it with my parents, so I turned around and met him at the front of the barn and told him that I thought the fireworks came from a car driving by on the road. He said that he was driving by at the time, but that he couldn’t find any evidence to prove his allegation without a warrant. As he left, he reminded us that fireworks were illegal and they would be keeping an eye on us. I think they did. |
Mary Osborn (Vestal)
| State / Province: | IA |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | All I can say is WOW how can 50 years have flown by so quickly. Married in December 1973, graduated in January 1974 which was the same month I gave birth to my daughter. Like most teenage marriages I was divorced in 1977. My husband Mick and I have been together since 1980. We raised our 3 children in Kelley, Iowa and moved to Cambridge, Iowa after our youngest graduated high school. We spent our summers camping and just enjoying life. I worked at Hach Company for 36 years. In 2018 we decided it was time to retire. We hooked on to the camper and headed to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas for the winter. After 4 years of pulling the camper to Texas we decided to purchase a home in a 55+ resort. We now Winter in Texas and Summer in Iowa and throw in traveling the US in our camper when we are not spending time with family. ...and a big family we are. 3 kids, 10 grandkids and 6 great-grandkids. Life has definitely blessed me. |
Drew Palmer
| State / Province: | CA |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 4 |
| Occupation: | Owner/Founder of Advertising Firm |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | After leaving Iowa State University I attended the College for Recording Arts in San Francisco to learn the recording industry. After CRA I was a recording engineer for 10 years then started an advertising agency and have been building this company for 36 years. I have been residing in Northern California for several years and also recently in Southern California. We enjoy California but also miss Iowa. I am remarried and have 4 beautiful children and very much in love with my wife. |
| Share a high school memory: | My fondest memories of highschool are friends, basketball and fun. I remember hanging with Jim Benn, Evy Cochrane, Dave Knutson and Chris Lang and going to get a "Dew" before basketball at the gas station on 24th and Grand and also in Campustown. What fun with friends. I also so remember winning the state championship in basketball in 1973. Although I was a benchwarmer I certainly enjoyed playing against the starters and going all the way to Vets auditorium in Des Moines. Other fun times were "Woodsies", hanging out by the "rail" and other. So miss everyone I knew. |
Randy Parrish
| State / Province: | OH |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Sales, Marketing and Business Owner |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | Graduated University of Iowa, with a business degree, in 1978. Ellen and I got married that same year and we moved to Chicago, where we had a daughter, Megan in 1979. Megan is also an AHS graduate, and University of Iowa graduate. She is also the mother of our grandson, Connor. I have been remarried for 37 years to Debbie, whom I met in Chicago. We moved to Cincinnati and have 2 children, Sarah and Ben. Both of them are also University of Iowa graduates. We are a Happy Hawkeye Family! I retired in August ‘22 after a rewarding business career. I held positions in sales and marketing. I also owned an outdoor power repair company for 30 years. Can’t believe it’s been 50 years! Life is short. Enjoy the Ride. God Bless AHS, Randy |
| Share a high school memory: | AHS Memories: Our student organized get-togethers at Lynn Fuhrer Lodge, Cooks Quarry, Soapers Mill, Wierson’s Farm, Country Estates, Orngard’s Barn, etc. Rooting for the Little Cyclones. Especially my best friend, Mark Grover who won the 1974 state cross country championship. Also enjoyed rooting for our star football quarterback and star basketball player Ev Cochran. My high school sweetheart Ellen Newell, whom I married in 1978. Getting to and from school in my 1965 GTO, which I later traded for a 1974 Dodge Challenger. Also riding my Suzuki 185 motorcycle on nice days. Very positive memories of our principal, Ralph Farrar and his assistant Mr Ritland. Also I fondly remember student counselor, Dale Tramp. Fellow classmate, Bob Francis (Medical Doctor in Nashville) and I roomed together at the University of Iowa. - That brings me to my brief recap of last 50 years: |
Brian Perry
| State / Province: | TX |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 1 |
| Occupation: | NASA Engineer, Space Flight Operations |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | If time flies when one is having fun, I must be a really ecstatic dude. I recall our 40th like it was yesterday (but can't remember what I actually had for lunch yesterday). The big news since then is that, despite all odds, I managed to commit matrimony with a wonderful British lady called Eleanor, who has expanded, blessed, and enriched my world beyond measure. We met in 2015, married in '17, and became 1st-time grandparents in June '23 (happy family in attached picture). While I continue to toil in the gov't vineyards at NASA in Houston TX, she works as a Nurse Practitioner in uro-gynecology for the University of Texas hospital system. At NASA, I'm still working in Mission Control for the lunar exploration program (Artemis). I was privileged to be the launch shift Flight Dynamics Officer, as well as working a handful of the (very long) mission's translunar shifts. Lunar missions are VERY different from all the Earth orbit operations we did in the Shuttle days, and everything in Mission Control has been overhauled since then, so there are a lot of new things to learn and develop. Lots of fun, with a sizeable dollop of frustration as well. I could retire, but don't know what I'd do instead; and since it's still a generally interesting and exciting job, I'll likely keep at it for a while. |
| Share a high school memory: | Mostly, I remember the teachers...in particular, a shout-out to Mr. Windsor (Physics), who was able to turn the mush of info in my brain into a useful, functional understanding of mathematics and the physical world. To him I owe my livelihood and a career that only a few have enjoyed. Also Mr. Olsan (Electricity), a guy whose classes were geniunely fun, and probably more laughs than some might have approved. He seemed to love working with young folks, and was willing to do so before and after regular hours. He had a student teacher (surname Dreagor, that Dubberke and I called "Igor") who started off a bit uneasy working with "us kids", but we dragged him out of his shell and he turned out OK ;) And I recall the Senior Picnic, when Tom Gleason and I flew a couple airplanes over the gathering. Good times! |
Jack Petersen
| State / Province: | IA |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Attorney - Retired |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | I graduated from UNI and married Susan Chantland in 78. I graduated from Drake Law School in 81, spent a couple of years in private practice and then moved to the Law Department of Principal Life Insurance Company in 83. After a short 38+ years at Principal, I retired in the fall of 2021. In between Sue and I had two boys, Samuel in 89 and Joseph in 91. Sue and I are enjoying retirement and looking forward to traveling as much as we can. |
| Share a high school memory: | I think that my favorite memories involved hanging out with friends, you know who you are, and playing baseball. My favorite incident involved being called down to Mr. Ritland's office to explain why I had parked my car inappropriately in the parking lot. Since this was news to me, we went out to look at my car and found that my 2-cylinder NSU Prinz had been turned sideways in the parking space. (Yes, it was that short and light.) Needless to say, Mr. Ritland let me off with a warning. |
Martha Peterson (Peterson)
| State / Province: | IN |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Retired archivist |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | I spent the summer after graduation on the island of Crete. I fell in love with the ancient world and decided to study classics and ancient studies when I arrived at St Olaf college in the fall. I spent my junior year going to college in Athens with the intention of figuring out how to be an archeologist after graduation. As great as that year was, I realized that was not my path. I quickly figured out how to graduate with an American history degree tacked on and went to graduate school at Case Western Reserve to become an archivist. I accepted a position at the University of Notre Dame from 1980-1987. During those years I got married and started a family. In 1989 I accepted a position at Goshen College as an instructor and reference librarian. By the mid 90’s I was very busy with three children and decided to ‘retire’ early to concentrate on raising children and volunteering in the school districts. I have continued to volunteer in my community and have been fortunate to serve on several community boards most recently the Wellfield Botanic Garden and the Elkhart Country Historical museum. These positions have allowed me to live a bit of a nomadic life splitting my time between Northern Michigan, Northern Indiana, and Naples Florida. With the addition of three grandchildren however, the pull to spend time in Indiana has increased. We will see how that works out….As long as I get to travel and spend time with family this retirement gig will be pretty great. |
| Share a high school memory: | The opportunities I had because of Title Nine are irreplaceable. |
Susan Peterson (Frazier)
| State / Province: | AZ |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: | Married my husband Ronald, Oct. 10, 1975. Have 2 children, girl and a boy. And been blessed with 5 grandsons. Been jack of all trades. Beautician, Daycare Provider, Bookkeeper, Postal clerk, CNA, Special needs aide. Started living in Story City for 13 years Next rural Colfax on 4 acres built home. Lived there 13 years. Moved to Plainfield, Il for 4 years. Moved to Andover, MN for 13year. Finally said enough of cold and snow. So moved to Tucson, AZ for the last 8yrs. Both my husband and I are retiring this May. Plan on living here in AZ and traveling to IA to see grandsons and traveling. |
| Share a high school memory: | Marching band, when went to St Louis Arch. Climbed the stairs inside to top and down. Also getting stuck in elevator with my girlfriend, Dawn. Someone thought it would be funny to push all the buttons at once. They did get the elevator lowered and we had to jump to floor. Still remember looking down at the elevator shaft. And most of all those wool band suits that got wet when we got caught in the rain. Boy, did that bus smell like sheep. ( Think it was Veisha parade. Loved Mr. Trexel.) |