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.
Judy Brown (Judy Brink)
Now
| State / Province: | IA |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
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Highlights of your last 50 years:
In my senior year of high school, I was cast in the production of Camelot for The Ames Community Theatre (ACTORS). They needed a soprano for a quartet. I continued to be involved with ACTORS from 1974 - to present. (That is 50 years, onstage, set building, producing, stage manager, makeup, board member and President of ACTORS 1994-95. In-between the 50 years with ACTORS I got married to Dean Stevens in 1978 through ACTORS, had two daughters, Monica and Eva. I worked for ISU Press as a Production Coordinator. After 8 years of marriage, I went through divorce. My girls and I moved from Nevada back to Ames to start a better path for us. I met Dave Brown, a pharmacist at Mcfarland Clinic Pharmacy in January 1987, when buying Amoxicillin for one of the girls! Eleven months later we were married January 23, 1988! I worked at ISU Press for 12.5 years, as a Production Coordinator working with ISU professors with their floppy discs with their book manuscripts on them. I decided to changed jobs for better benefits, a place to grow with for the next 25 years. I worked for Ortho2, an orthodontic software company. The software was for Orthodontic practices. I retired at 64, October 19 of 2019, right before covid, and the company went to most of the employees working from home. My greatest joy in my life is having both my daughters and their children living in Ames. Monica has 3 sons, 22, 20 and 13. Eva has 4 children, 2 sons 16 and 14 from marriage and a set of twins, a girl and boy 8 from 10 year relationship. Dave and I have done a little traveling over the past 2 years, Alaska cruise, AirBnb in Fort Lauderdale, Florida... This world has gotten crazy with all the gun violence in schools, climate change all over the USA, cost of gas, food prices up. I am sure glad we live in Ames, Iowa! Looking forward to seeing friends and celebrating all weekend in August! |
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| Share a high school memory: On the way to rehearsal for the play Guys and Dolls in my car, Carol Rosheim Dittmer and I would chew gum and smoke a cigarette to get into character for our Hot Box girls' role. (Note I never became a smoker, but only as a prop!) | |
Brad Brunia
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
|---|---|
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | retired |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: Married Karen Hagerty. Enlisted in the Air Force. When I came back to civilian life, went to work for the family business.(Electric Wholesale in Ames) Work there to 47 years, sold it in Nov of 2021. Worked for them part time for another 2 years. Now moving to Florida. When not working loved watching my kids in sports. Then the grandkids came and loved watching the grandkids in sports. | |
| Share a high school memory: Wasn't much for academics, but really like wrestling and hanging out with the gang. The wrestlers would get together, Dennis Reinch would sometimes come along with us, he would get annoyed because all we talked about was wrestling, he was a basketball player. He asked "Can't we talk about anything but wrestling. LOL | |
Steve Buck
Now
| State / Province: | IA |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Single |
| Children: | 0 |
| Occupation: | Retired Ecologist |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: Went to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, along with a half dozen other AHS classmates. Graduated with degree in Elementary Education. Taught mostly self-contained 5th grade in Iowa for 9 years plus some substitute teaching for two other years. Bought 60 acres of land near Cass Lake, Minnesota. Although I never moved there permanently, the land has been my place of choice for over forty years. Went back to school, Texas Tech, Iowa State and then University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana for my Master’s degree. Stayed at the University of Illinois for over 20 years as the Manager of the Natural Areas, the University’s properties dedicated to ecological/biological research. Stressful at times, but nearly the perfect work for me. The job also allowed me to spend some time studying the effects of woodland burning, changes in woodland ground flora, and freshwater mussels. Arthritis forced an earlier retirement than hoped for. Wound up back in Ames where I currently reside. The current Iowa is not the same State that I grew up in, however. Never married, no kids. Have had a number of cats over the years and currently have two. | |
Daniel Busse
| State / Province: | MN |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
Anne Byrne (Burkholder)
Then
Now
| State / Province: | MN |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Attorney |
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Highlights of your last 50 years:
Like many, the highlight of my last 50 years is my family. I have a great husband, two sons, and three grandsons--apparently we don't know how to do girls! Both of my sons and their families like in the Twin Cities area so we get to see them and their kids very often. And, as I write this input, my latest grandson was born just 5 days ago so we are loving the baby smells, tiny little faces, etc. Watching your children become parents is one of life's greatest joys. Career-wise, I worked in the business world for several years and then when back to law school a little later in life. I've had my own practice (estate planning and family law) for over 10 years and enjoy the work and the flexibility. No plans to retire yet, since I now only take the clients and cases that I like. When I'm not working and spending time with family I love to travel, cook, ski, try new restaurants, read, hike, and hang out with friends--probably the kinds of things most of you enjoy. I also feel it's important to give back to the community so I've served on several nonprofit boards over the years (and currently serve on two boards). I'm probably not going to make it in August (and am sad about that) but I'm sure you'll all have a great time. Many thanks to this amazing committee for all of their hard work and great planning--much appreciated! |
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| Share a high school memory: I have such a terrible memory! More often than not when one of my AHS friends says 'remember when...." I don't! But I do remember the great trips, including the NY City/Washington DC trip and the one to St. Louis where we walked up all of those steps in the Arch. Ames is such a great community to grow up in and I feel blessed for that. | |
John Campbell
Then
| State / Province: | MN |
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| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 1 |
| Occupation: | Professor |
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Highlights of your last 50 years:
Not having ever written a Christmas or Hannukah family newsletter summing up the year’s doings, I bring no particular skills for writing this life-time summary of the past five decades. Rather than make up for lost time by offering a blow-by-blow feature for each of the previous fifty years, I will spare you the details and just mention seven highlights, in no particular order: 1) Thirty-seven generally wonderful years with my wife, Colette, despite being married in the chambers of a Hennepin County Juvenile Court Judge. 2) A rewarding professional career as historian and college professor at the University of Arizona and Winona (Mn.) State University; the reunion sits on the eve of my last semester of teaching. 3) Many joys associated with daughter, Raizl, who has blossomed into a first-rate adult—how does that happen anyway, after those seemingly endless years of high school-ish surliness?-- and makes her parents proud everyday she enters a middle-school social studies classroom in Prince Georges County, Maryland. 4) The endless pleasures of movie-going, museum-going, travelling, eating organic yogurt, riding a bicycle, reading all sorts of stuff: most of it on paper. 5) The challenges and frustrations of being a political junkie, starting the day—not always a good move--with the New York Times. 6) Trying to convince Colette that we need a house full of Boston Terriers, the Campbell totem dog that stretches back to the 1930s. 7) Obsessing about, collecting, buying, and selling scarce and rare books: retirement here I come! Thanks for reading. Best, John Campbell |
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| Share a high school memory: Click https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahs/48780184317/in/album-72177720303719226/ for pages 186 and 187 of 1974 Spirit Yearbook Senior Portraits. | |
Jeff Carter (Carter)
Then
Now
| Marital status: | Married |
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| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
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Highlights of your last 50 years:
After graduating from AHS, I needed four years and a quarter to get through Iowa State. Upon graduation from ISU I started my sales career with General Mills in St Cloud, Mn. Yes, I was the guy selling Cheerios, Wheaties, Yoplait, Betty Crocker desserts and Hamburger Helper to the local warehouse and grocery stores. St Cloud was where I met and married my wife Pam, and after a short stint in St Cloud we were on the sales promotion roller coaster. Moving about every year and a half to two years we went from St Cloud, to Lacrosse WI, to Detroit, to New Hampshire, back to Mills HQ in Minneapolis, then to St Louis, Mo. Having two kids by this time and rooting for the Cardinals for 14 years, we thought St Louis was our home to stay until they closed the sales office there in 1998. Bad news was they're collapsing the region office; good news is I still have a job ==> back in Minneapolis. So we've been back in the Twin Cities (Plymouth, Mn) for the past 24 years. Worked through several different regional responsibilities at General Mills and finally landed back at the Mills World HQ as a National Category Management Manager for RTE cereal. After 36 years at General Mills, I got caught up in a corporate lay-off. I rode out severance and then did a part-time gig as a property manager for our church to help offset medical insurance premiums until age 62 when I decided enough was enough. Now, I'm enjoying retirement and staying busy. A positive attitude and a good laugh go a long ways. We have two wonderful grandkids in Madison, WI that keeps us moving. Also find time for family, friends, golf, yardwork and outdoor grilling. I look forward to seeing all at the reunion and catching up. |
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Share a high school memory:
Three high school memories that first came to mind: > All the friends and the good times > The before school breakfasts at the park during Senior Week > And how about The Rail? And how it "disappeared" as a senior prank during Senior Week and then showed up at an auditorium assembly the next day! |
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Susan Chantland
Now
| State / Province: | IA |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Retired |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: After high school, I went to the University of Northern Iowa and graduated in 1978 with a degree in accounting and a CPA certificate. In 1978, I married Jack Petersen and moved to Des Moines. I practiced in public accounting for 43 years, the last 12 as managing partner and retired a few years ago. While we have always made time for 2 or 3 trips each year, we have stepped up the traveling since retirement, but at a little slower pace. It’s nice to have more time to spend outside and with parents, kids, friends and my flower gardens! | |
Esther Christopher (Wright)
Now
| State / Province: | IA |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Married |
| Children: | 1 |
| Occupation: | Retired Social Worker |
| Highlights of your last 50 years: Graduated from ISU and spent 35 years as a social worker at the Iowa State Training School for boys and at the Dept of Human Services as a case manager for child abuse cases. I am retired now and enjoy spending most of the summer months at our lake house in Clear Lake. We have a great daughter, son in law, and three wonderful grandkids that we love spending time with. | |
| Share a high school memory: Swim team, synchronized swimming, drill team and homecoming dances are all great memories! | |
Kolette Clearman (Hoskins)
Then
Now
| State / Province: | IA |
|---|---|
| Marital status: | Widowed |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Retired NICU nurse |
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Highlights of your last 50 years:
Married (Our senior year) to Brian Barnhart Blessed with 3 curtain climbers in rapid succession.Early tough ,fun years ...Brian recieved is Masters in Social Work from Iowa I got my R.N. license Raised our family in the little town of Kelley .Brian worked as a Therapist at Orchard place in Dsm and I started my nursing career at Mary Greeley . Early on Brian was diagnosed with kidney failure.(1979) .Through faith God and love and support we worked through Dialysis at home and 3 unsuccessful kidney transplants.Sadly after a heart surgery Brian passed away Jan 2000 .at 43 .He was a very good man. . Our kids were in college ( remember we started years before the rest of you.) My heart was broken ..and I truly had a empty nest .but slowly surely life begins to grow around you . 2003 New Years on a blind date I met John Clearman I can truly say I have been blessed twice .John was outgoing and made life happen ....We married in 2013 .I was still at MGMC in Neonatal unit.Loving being a part of those new babies lives .In 2019 I recieved the honor of " 100 Great nurses of Iowa" In Oct 2018 I retired .John and I had built a home in the country in 2007 but after retiring we downsized and moved to Ankeny in fall 2019. .Covid came and went I was abit stir crazy so in Jan 2023 I started a nannying for 4 month old triplets 3 days week. They are now 16+ months and a 3 ring circus .! My life shattered once again in Oct 2023 when John passed away unexpectedly.at 65 So now again I am learning a new me.. My advice ...Show extra love to those you love.Gwt you bucket list in order and if you haven't already Get going on it ! |
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Share a high school memory:
Getting the cold stare from Mr.Windsor after skipping class ... .Drivers Ed ( Chaos ) Batgirl for Baseball team. Drill team / VEISHA parade Riding on the back of Julie Nelson's motorcycle. |
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