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class notes

class notes

• 1930-39

  Galen Koehn ’38, North Newton, joined Roland Schmidt ’42, North Newton, and Berta Miller, Hesston, on a panel for “Dust Bowl Conversations” at Kauffman Museum’s Celebrate Kansas Day! in January. Raylene Hinz-Penner ’70, Topeka, presented and facilitated the storytelling.

• 1940-49

  Pauline (Jahnke) Bauman ’48, Kitchener, Ontario, has been happily retired for 21 years after working at Conrad Grebel College (now Conrad Grebel University College) for 22 years. Her hobbies include needlework, Scrabble®, crossword puzzles, bookkeeping for charitable organizations and traveling.

  Henry Epp ’48, Leamington, Ontario, reports that he is 91 years of age and “feeling very well.”

  Roland Schmidt ’42, North Newton, joined Galen Koehn ’38, North Newton, and Berta Miller, Hesston, on a panel for “Dust Bowl Conversations” at Kauffman Museum’s Celebrate Kansas Day! in January. Raylene Hinz-Penner ’70, Topeka, presented and facilitated the storytelling.

• 1950-59

  Marlow Ediger ’53, North Newton, is co-author of Social Science Education, a textbook for teacher education published by The Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi, India. He is also author of the journal article “Current Events in the Social Studies” in Edutracks and “Learning Activities in the Curriculum” in College Student Journal. Marlow is a member of the Educational Board of Edutracks, and his biography will be listed in Cambridge Who’s Who 2008. He was reappointed to the position of external examiner of Ph.D. theses for Alagappa University, India.

  Vivian (Brockmueller) Gering ’52, Freeman, S.D., has been enjoying retirement since 1990, after working 10 years as a classroom teacher, spending 10 years being a mother at home, earning a master’s degree from South Dakota State University in 1970 and serving as a guidance counselor for grades K-12 in the Freeman public school system for 20 years. She reports that all were “meaningful, rewarding years.”

  MaryAnn (Hooge) Goerzen ’56, Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and her husband, Martin, have been married nearly 46 years. Both are retired teachers. Among their six children is David Goerzen ’90, Calgary, Alta., whose work takes him to many countries.

  Donna (Regier) Kroeker ’59, Inman, and her husband, John, recently retired from 50 years of farming.

  Loren Kuehny ’59, Medford, Okla., retired from high school and college teaching in 1980 but has continued farming and ranching in north and south central Oklahoma with his sons and grandsons.

  Loretta (Siemens) Kuehny ’59, Medford, Okla., retired from banking after 32 years and now does church and school volunteer work.

  Peter J. Neufeld ’57, Hutchinson, is retired after serving as a pastor of five Mennonite churches. All three of his and Onalee’s children attended Bethel, and a granddaughter currently attends.

  Joyce (Unruh) Watts ’59, Newton, retired in 2007 from being chairperson of the Plants and Things department at the Kansas Mennonite Central Committee annual sale, after having been in a position of leadership there for 20 years.

• 1960-69

  Henrik Eger ’66, Upper Darby, Pa., associate professor of English and communication at Delaware County Community College, Media, Pa., and Wuppertal-Bethel exchange student (1964-65), wrote Metronome Ticking, a docudrama. Based on the letters written from occupied France by his father – a German World War II correspondent – and the memoirs of a Holocaust survivor, it is now being performed in synagogues and schools. The Association for Jewish Theatre recognized Metronome Ticking as one of the best new plays, and selected it for a performance at the World Congress of Jewish Theatre in Vienna, in March 2007. “All About Jewish Theatre,” the world’s largest Jewish theater Web site (located in Israel), commissioned Henrik to write and produce the informational video “AAJT: The World’s Largest Secular Synagogue and Open University.” Henrik’s Web site, www.henrikeger.com, contains educational handouts and his report on having worked as a Nobel Peace Prize mail translator for Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Menno ’62 and Margaret (Regehr) ’63 Froese, Canmore, Alberta, are happily retired, living in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.

  Marnette (Abrahams) Hatchett ’64, Newton, was named the Newton Business and Professional Women Organization’s Woman of the Year in September 2007. Marnette is the director of advancement for Prairie View Inc.

  Don Klassen ’62, Harrisburg, S.D., has been M-2 program coordinator at South Dakota State Penitentiary for 29 years.

  Roine (Mierau) Klassen ’67, Harrisburg, S.D., has been a registered nurse at Sioux Valley Hospital, now Sanford USD Medical Center, for 35 years.

  Myrna (Gaede) Krehbiel ’68, North Newton, and Mary “Cookie” (Voth) Wiebe ’76, Newton, spent three days in Marshall, Mo., at a Move the Mountain hands-on training session, learning about the organization’s CirclesT program. Both came home excited about the new initiative and eager to see if it could be the “next step” in current Bridges Out of Poverty work in the community. They were featured in the Nov. 3, 2007, edition of The Newton Kansan.

  Vern Neufeld ’69, Lethbridge, Alberta, and his wife Ruth traveled in their motor home for 781/2 days last summer, visiting the Maritimes, including Newfoundland. They look forward to more traveling this coming summer, though closer to home. Both continue involvement in church and as volunteers and Vern occasionally helps daughter Cheryl by driving truck for her company.

  Carroll Peterson ’69, Pella, Iowa, will retire in May after 31 years as a school social worker for Heartland Education Agency in Iowa.

  Doyle Preheim ’63, Santa Fe, N.M., retired in 2003 from 30 years of teaching music at Goshen (Ind.) College, and moved with his wife Mary Jo (Goering) Preheim ’67 to Santa Fe, where he continues to be involved in music. Doyle is musical director of the Sangre de Cristo Chorale, a community choir of 50 singers. He is also an adjunct voice teacher at the College of Santa Fe and has performed with several choral groups in the city.

  Kenneth Schmidt ’65, Greensburg, and his wife, Phyllis, live in the country southwest of Greensburg and were just outside the area that was devastated by a tornado last year. Their church, parsonage and homes of many friends were destroyed. They express thanks to Mennonite Disaster Service and the many volunteers who helped and continue to help the community clean up and rebuild.

  Linda Hiebert Sekiguchi ’67, Minden, Nev., spoke on “Making a Difference in Our World” at Prairie View Mental Health Center, Newton, in October 2007. She is national chairwoman of the International Affairs Committee of the American Association of University Women. Linda was featured in the Sept. 26, 2007, issue of The Newton Kansan.

  Ed Yoder ’64, Harrisonburg, Va., and his wife, Clara, are active in the Earth and Sky Cohousing Association, whose goal is to build a senior residential community that facilities aging in place with an emphasis on sustainability.

• 1970-79

  Elda Bachman ’72, North Newton, is a minister of visitation for First Mennonite Church, Newton. She is one of a number of retired people in the church who serve in this way. Elda received a certificate of theology from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 2003 after taking courses for more than 20 years, most at AMBS-Great Plains in North Newton but some at the Elkhart, Ind., campus. Elda volunteers in other ways, as well.

  Edward Epp ’71, Portland, Ore., presented a paper at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers international conference in Munich, Germany, in November 2007. With a theme of “Meeting the Growing Demand for Engineers and Their Educators 2010-2020,” the conference was limited to 125 decision makers from industry, government, professional societies and academia who came from 25 countries. Ed’s paper was titled “I’d Rather Be a Hammer Than a Nail.” He is a senior software engineer in Intel’s Consumer Electronics group.

  Lauren Hiebner ’72, Omaha, Neb., teaches AP U.S. History as well as other social studies classes at Brownell-Talbot, a private college preparatory school. Last summer, Lauren and his wife went to Spain and Monaco for an AP Spanish workshop, then spent three weeks in Ecuador visiting family and friends, after which Lauren attended an AP U.S. History workshop in Vancouver, Wash.

  Raylene Hinz-Penner ’70, Topeka, presented “Dust Bowl Conversations” at Kauffman Museum’s Celebrate Kansas! Day in January, including facilitating storytelling by Galen Koehn ’38, North Newton, Roland Schmidt ’42, North Newton, and Berta Miller, Hesston. Raylene teaches English at Washburn University. She also did a reading from her book, Searching for Sacred Ground: The Journey of Chief Lawrence Hart, Mennonite, at Washburn in October 2007. Lawrence Hart, Clinton, Okla., is a 1961 Bethel alumnus.

  Ted ’71 and Fran (Lichti) ’72 Loewen, Parlier, Calif., own Blossom Bluff Orchards, a farm formerly owned by Fran’s parents, Herb and Elsie (Heer) Lichti ’44, now of Reedley. They sell fruit in the San Francisco Bay area at farmers’ markets, directly to grocery stores and to restaurants. Their peaches – mesquite-grilled and “offset with the bite of arugula and watercress and creamy mascarpone, and accented with sage honey” – were among the delicacies mentioned in a positive review of Greens restaurant, San Francisco, in the Nov. 18, 2007, travel section of the New York Times, in an article titled “Expanding the Frontiers of the Vegetarian Plate.” Ted started changing the farm from conventional to sustainable 18 years ago while Fran, who was still teaching middle school at the time, spent summers living in Berkeley to get farmers’ market business going. In order to keep the “small family farm” alive, they planted more than 180 varieties of peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, pluots, persimmons and citrus specifically for direct marketing. See www.blossombluff.com.

  Delbert Peters ’75, Hillsboro, was recognized for 30 years of employment as comptroller at Cooperative Grain and Supply, Hillsboro.

  Don Schrag ’71, Wichita, of Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock and Kennedy, has been included in Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers of Missouri and Kansas. The journal, Best Lawyers, is the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession. As an annual referral guide, it includes nearly 30,000 attorneys in 78 specialties, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Staff conduct peer-review surveys in which thousands of lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The regional list includes a peer survey of 25,000 active lawyers throughout the two states, a panel review and independent research on the candidates. Only 5 percent of Missouri and Kansas attorneys receive the honor.

  Clint Stucky ’73, Wichita, is assistant professor and director of the occupational therapy assistant program at Newman University in Wichita, where faculty and staff as well as students note his creative teaching style. Full of school spirit, Clint recently produced a soundtrack for the university’s fight song and encouraged students, faculty and staff to sing along.

  Jim Robb ’73, Moundridge, received the Judith Cromwell Excellence in Teaching Award from the Kansas Council of Social Studies in November 2007. He teaches at Hillsboro High School.

  Mary “Cookie” (Voth) Wiebe ’76, Newton, and Myrna (Gaede) Krehbiel ’68, North Newton, spent three days in Marshall, Mo., at a Move the Mountain hands-on training session, learning about the organization’s CirclesT program. Both came home excited about the new initiative, are eager to see if it could be the “next step” in current Bridges Out of Poverty work in the community. They were featured in the Nov. 3, 2007, edition of The Newton Kansan.

• 1980-89

  Brent Auernheimer ’80, Fresno, Calif., a computer science professor at Fresno State University, received FSU’s 2008 President’s Award of Excellence in January. The award recognizes a faculty or staff member who demonstrates integrity, leadership and a commitment to the university and community. Brent joined the FSU faculty in 1986 and has been director of the digital campus program at California State University-Fresno since 2003.

  Fred Fransen ’88, Fishers, Ind., was interviewed Dec. 7, 2007, on American Public Media’s “Marketplace Morning Report” in a story about donor expectations of the educational institutions they support. Fred heads the nonprofit Center for Excellence in Higher Education, which was hosting a conference on donor discontent.

  Daniel Hege ’87, Jamesville, N.Y., was featured in the October 2007 issue of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center publication Intermission. The profile was in connection with his conducting the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra’s ”A Magical Evening” that month. Dan is in his seventh season as conductor of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Symphony.

  Rachel Kasper de Benedet ’88, Astoria, N.Y., won critical acclaim for her performance as Guenevere in the national tour of Camelot. She adds this character to a list that includes Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Anna in The King and I, Lilli/Kate in Kiss Me, Kate, Muriel in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Diana in Nine and Elsa in The Sound of Music. Rachel was featured in the Nov. 27, 2007, issue of the Lebanon (Pa.) Daily News.

  Kevin Kirkpatrick ’84, Gravois Mills, Mo., works in national account sales for CorpLogoWare, a promotional products and logo merchandise company that was the first in the industry to promote GreenLogoWare – all eco-friendly logo products, including apparel. He attributes his current interest in environmental issues to former Bethel professor Dwight Platt ’52, North Newton.

  Karen Lehman ’85, Newton, was awarded the School Health Coordinator Award by the office of Kansas Coordinated School Health in October 2007. The award recognizes a school health official who has demonstrated leadership, guidance and consensus-building.

  Susan Loepp ’89, Williamstown, Mass., was promoted to the rank of full professor in the Department of Mathematics at Williams College. Susan has taught Multivariable Calculus, Abstract Algebra and Algebraic Error-Correcting Codes at Williams.

  Bryan Reber ’81, Athens, Ga., was promoted to associate professor with tenure at the University of Georgia in 2007. In 2006, he co-authored the book Gaining Influence in Public Relations: The Role of Resistance in Practice. A textbook that he co-authored, Public Relations Today: Managing Competition and Conflict, will be released in 2008.

  Larry Regier ’88, North Newton, was named a partner of Kirkpatrick, Sprecker and Co., Wichita, a certified public accounting firm.

  Mark Rich ’83, Yellow Springs, Ohio, was part of a group of Wright State University scientists who received a Program Project Grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The $4.8 million grant, the first for Wright State, will help further the group’s research into why full recovery is not always achieved after damaged nerves have regenerated. The team’s work was featured in the Oct. 24, 2007, issue of the university’s Communication and Marketing Department periodical.

  Shirley (Mueller) Rodenberg ’85, Halstead, is a stay-at-home mom and homemaker, and also serves as church custodian. In the warm months, Shirley, her husband and three sons raise and sell sweet corn, melons and pumpkins.

  Paul Rudy ’84, Kansas City, Mo., was awarded first place at the international Sounds Electric ’07 Electroacoustic Music Competition. He was one of six finalists from all over the globe, including the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Taiwan and Germany. The finalists’ concert was at the Sounds Electric ’07 festival in Dundalk, Ireland, in November 2007.

  Diana (Erb) Schunn ’87, Whitewater, became executive director for the developing Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County in mid-February. She had worked with the SANE/SART Program at Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wichita, for the past 15 years, and plans to continue in a consulting and teaching role.

  Michael Sprunger ’82, Lancaster, Pa., is the first executive director of Lancaster Living, a new organization with a goal of boosting homeownership in the city. Michael has lived in Lancaster for 20 years and worked for Tabor Community Services there for 12 years. He was featured on the Lancaster City Living Web site and in the University of Kansas alumni magazine.

  Bob Stinchcomb ’80, McDonough, Ga., has been selected as athletic director at Darlington School, Rome, Ga. He will take over during the 2008-09 school year. Bob has been athletic director and head football coach at Eagle’s Landing High School in McDonough since 2001. He was twice named Region Athletic Director of the Year and received top honors in 2003 as State of Georgia 5A Athletic Director of the Year.

  Tim Wall ’84, Goshen, Ind., was elected president of the Indiana Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Indiana). The chapter has more than 700 members throughout the state. Tim continues to work as chief architect for Ken Herceg and Associates, an engineering/ architecture firm in South Bend, Ind.

• 1990-99

  Miranda DeLuna ’98, Mt. Hope, joined Wichita Clinic-Augusta in September 2007. After receiving a medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, she graduated from residency with Wesley Family Medicine in June 2007. Miranda was a chief resident and also received the Outstanding Clinician Award (3rd year).

  Anna (Cook) Freeland ’97, North Newton, and her family moved from California to Kansas so that her husband, Rod, could become a student in Bethel’s nursing program. “We moved out here because we knew it was such a good program,” Anna said. In 2004, she received a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor degree from the University of California-San Diego.

  Todd Janzen ’95, Indianapolis, has been appointed to the Indiana Agriculture Regulatory Structure Task Force. He is an associate with Plews, Shadley, Racher and Braun, Indianapolis, the largest environmental law practice in Indiana. The firm handles environmental insurance cost recovery and claims involving solid and hazardous materials, clean air and water acts, underground storage tanks, environmental property damage and other environment-related claims.

  Chris Kliewer ’97, Wichita, gave a presentation on “Making Greensburg Green” at Kauffman Museum’s Celebrate Kansas Day! in January. Chris is an architect with WDM Architects P.A.

  Arthur Marks ’93, New York, N.Y., Bethel’s Young Alumnus Award recipient for 2008, performed in the world premiere of It Happened in Little Rock at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, which commissioned the play for the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1957 integration of Little Rock’s Central High School by a group of students who became known as the Little Rock Nine. Marks played the part of senior Ernest Green.

  Chris Peters ’94, San Francisco, is manager of the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Department at the headquarters of Brown and Caldwell, a full-service environmental engineering and consulting firm with 45 offices and 1,500+ professionals across the country. Chris is also chair of the advisory board for the Ribbons of Pink Foundation (ROP), an organization started in 1999 by his wife, Jana, who passed away in December 2006 after an 8 1/2-year battle with breast cancer. ROP funds grants to organizations that meet ROP’s mission of promoting breast health and supporting young breast cancer survivors.

  Susan (Dixon) Sibrian ’98, Austin, Texas, was promoted in June 2007 to the position of senior paralegal at the law office of Paul Parsons, P.C. She has worked there since October 2000.

  Yvonne (Yoder) Sieber ’90, Newton, began as Hesston College’s vice president of development in October 2007.

  Byron Rupp ’93, Owings Mills, Md., is director of operations for the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Baltimore, Md.

• 2000-07

  Garry Albright ’03, Lee’s Summit, Mo., received a master’s degree in business administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, in 2007. He was promoted to financial analyst with Seaboard Foods at their corporate office in Shawnee Mission in August 2007.

  Ruth R. Harder ’01, North Newton, was licensed toward ordination in November 2007 by the Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA at Bethel College Mennonite Church, where she has served as associate pastor since September.

  Braden Hiebner ’07, Lawrence, won the John Horsch Mennonite History Essay contest sponsored by the Historical Committee of Mennonite Church USA for his 2007 senior seminar paper, “Being Wilhelm Mannhardt: Reintegrating the Life of a Nineteenth-Century Mennonite, Mythologist, Nationalist, Pietist and Liberal.” The paper explored the ideals that influenced Mannhardt to promote combatant military service among Mennonites living in Prussia. A lengthy excerpt was published in the October 2007 issue of Mennonite Historical Bulletin.

  Paula Regier ’07, Valley Center, a science teacher at Goddard Alternative High School, invited Bethel chemistry professor Gary Histand and education students Dana Daugharthy of Iola and Monica Schmidt of Haven to do three chemical demonstrations for the student body in December 2007. The shows consisted of loud, colorful and “gee whiz” chemical reactions.

  Sarah Rempel ’02, Baltimore, Md., passed the Maryland bar exam in July 2007 and was approved to practice law in Maryland in December 2007.

  Erin (Lehrman) Rosfeld ’03, Pueblo West, Colo., received a master’s degree in nursing from University of Phoenix in 2007. She is a full-time nursing faculty member at Pueblo Community College.

  Tina Troyer ’03, Cali, Colombia, teaches fifth grade at Colegio Bolivar, an international school in Cali.

• marriages

  Nathan Bartel ’02 and Kendra Burkey, Newton, were married Dec. 30, 2007.

  Susan Dixon ’98 and Bryan Sibrian, Austin, Texas, were married Nov. 10, 2007.

  Gary Entz ’90 and Ocie Kilgus, McPherson, were married Jan. 21.

  Brian Ewert ’81 and Kathleen Rulka, Marshfield, Wis., were married Sept. 22, 2007.

  Kelsey Goertzen ’07 and Mike Bergen, Aurora, Neb., were married Dec. 22, 2007.

  Charles Graber ’66 and Lisa Grace Hatt, Newton, were married Dec. 13, 2007.

  Heidi Holliday ’06 and Matthew McKitrick ’03, Andover, were married Sept. 1, 2007.

  Katherine Hinz ’06 and Erik Sisk, Wichita, were married June 30, 2007.

  Kerry Saner ’97 and Jennifer Harvey, Cranberry Portage, Man., were married March 3, 2007.

  Halie Schmidt ’02 and Aaron Smith, Wichita, were married Oct. 27, 2007.

  Christy Stanford ’07 and Theodore Jones III, Burrton, were married June 16, 2007.

  Annaken Toews ’00 and Francisco Mendoza, Harlingen, Texas, were married Nov. 3, 2007.

  Maria Tschetter ’04 and Brian Paff, Chicago, were married Aug. 11, 2007.

  Jose Valenzuela ’07 and Rhoda Hochstetler, Kansas City, were married Dec. 7, 2007.

• births

  Suzanne (Zook) Beres ’87 and Seth, Arvada, Colo., a daughter, Talia, born June 1, 2007

  Jacob Childs ’03 and Adrienne, Nickerson, a daughter, Delaney Paige, born Sept. 7, 2007

  Ricky Coon Jr. ’06 and Amanda, Highland, a son, Gunner Allen, born Dec. 5, 2007

  Lowell Ebersole ’93 and Patresa, Wichita, a son, Tucker Dean, born Jan. 8

  Susan Gaeddert ’00 and Stuart Isaac ’00, Madison, Wis., a daughter, Anya Gaeddert, born Dec. 14, 2007

  Celina (Wilson) Gillespie ’00 and David, Newton, a daughter, Madison May, born Jan. 11

  Willmar Harder ’97 and Hannah Neufeld ’99, Inman, a son, Reuben Neufeld, born Nov. 17, 2007

  Krista Anne (Dyck) Klimchuk ’89 and Glenn, Houston, a son, Isaac “Ike” Alexander, born Jan. 8

  Scott Kroeker ’88 and Julie, Honolulu, a son, Max Andrew, born April 14, 2007

  Julie (Bain-Young) Lelek ’98 and Nathan, Centennial, Colo., a son, Jonas Evan, born Oct. 23, 2007

  Suzanne Marks ’07, Abilene, a daughter, Addison Paige, born Dec. 31, 2007

  Jason McMillen ’96 and Stephanie, Morrisville, Mo., a daughter, Jenna Nicole, born Oct. 14, 2007

  Tanya Ortman ’96 and Ky, Kansas City, Mo., a son, Asher J Ortman, born Sept. 29, 2007

  Jon Pauls ’91 and Ann-Katherin Fust, Kisdorf, Germany, a daughter, Jule Katherina Sophie, born April 27, 2007

  Kimberly (Sommerfeld) Paulsen ’96 and Gene, Andover, a son, Nicholas Eugene, born Nov. 18, 2007

  Kyle Penner ’93 and Anne, Wichita, a son, Jackson Lawrence, born Sept. 13, 2007

  Byron Rupp ’93 and Alyssa, Owings Mills, Md., a son, Keaton David, born Nov. 29, 2007

  Joseph Sawatzky ’01 and Anna, Mthatha, South Africa, a son, Levi Christian, born Nov. 4, 2007

  Morris ’97 and Shari (Johnson) ’97 Scheffler, Valley Center, a son, Adam James, born July 2, 2007

  Laura (Gardner) Tong ’95, Rago, a daughter, Liana Ting, born July 28, 1995, and adopted May 21, 2007

  John Tribuiano ’00 and Veronica, Sacramento, Calif., a son Santino “Sonny” Octavian, born Oct. 11, 2007

  Carmen Pauls Wiens ’92 and John, San Jose, Calif., a daughter, Justina Evelyn, and son, Simon John, born Oct. 14, 2007

• deaths

  Leroy Androes ’50, Jan. 6, Maxwell, Texas

  Delsie (Tieszen) Bartel ’45, Dec. 12, 2007, Marion, S.D.

  Howard E. Bechtel ’58, Dec. 19, 2007, Sedgwick

  Boyd E. Bonebrake ’52, Nov. 28, 2007, Topeka

  Pauline (Sawatzky) Buhr ’61, Dec. 16, 2007, Kitchener, Ont.

  Edward R. Buller ’40, Jan. 30, Inman

  Merlin D. Epp ’60, Oct. 9, 2007, Federal Way, Wash.

  Betty S. (Schmidt) Epp ’42, Jan. 18, Goessel

  Velma (Unruh) Franz ’37, Oct. 20, 2007, Goessel

  Raymond E. Frey ’57, Nov. 17, 2007, Newton

  Gilbert D. Galle ’40, Nov. 26, 2007, Moundridge

  Oswald H. Goering ’49, Feb. 1, McPherson

  Marden C. Habegger ’38, Oct. 30, 2007, Reedley, Calif.

  Orville L. Horst ’41, Jan. 14, Colorado Springs, Colo.

  Louise M. (Voth) Krehbiel ’48, Jan. 7, Deer Creek, Okla.

  Harold Plenert ’48, Jan. 27, Wichita

  Mildred M. Regier ’56, Nov. 25, 2007, Newton

  Dwayne M. Reusser ’58, Nov. 14, 2007, Hillsboro

  Alicia K. (Reusser) Rice ’34, Dec. 28, 2007, Elizabeth, Ark.

  S. Milford Roupp ’52, Jan. 7, Hesston

  Leona (Graber) Schrag ’43, June 1, 2007, North Newton

  Ruth E. (Romine) Spangler ’29, Oct. 21, 2007, Newton

  Marcelene K. (Kaufman) Stucky ’81, Dec. 14, 2007, Moundridge

  David L. Suderman ’80, Oct. 23, 2007, Newton

  June S. (Rossiter) Thaw ’85, Dec. 16, 2007, Newton

  Michael K. Tieszen ’78, Jan. 31, Newton

  Roberta (Watt) Troxell ’41, Nov. 6, 2007, Tucson, Ariz.

  Kenneth V. Unger ’49, Nov. 13, 2007, Mableton, Ga.

  Leland S. Unruh ’57, Oct. 13, 2007, Haysville

  Alfred G. Voth ’83, Oct. 6, 2007, Hesston

  Wilma (Unruh) Voth ’47, Dec. 3, 2007, Peabody

  James H. Waltner ’55, Dec. 18, 2007, Goshen, Ind.

  Helen (Hendry) Wiens ’41, Jan. 5, Kansas City, Mo.

A 22-year journey for The Upside-Down King

A “brand-new rock-and-roots musical in the tradition of Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” that packed out Mennonite churches in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma during January was actually about 22 years in the making.

Back in 1986, Doug Krehbiel ’79 and his wife, Jude, were doing Mennonite camp ministry as well as freelance music performance and recording as Road Less Travelled. They had been fascinated by Donald B. Kraybill’s 1978 book on Christian discipleship, The Upside-Down Kingdom.

“After reading the book, and with our work to promote peace issues and a sustainable lifestyle, we got the idea from the title to write a song called ‘The Kingdom that’s Upside Down,’” Krehbiel says. “We recorded that on an album in the ’80s.”

“I’d been in a production of Godspell at Bethel College and found it a powerful experience,” he continues. “Then we did inputs at Camp Friedenswald [in Michigan] using ‘The Kingdom that’s Upside Down,’ and I thought, ‘Hey, this should be a musical.’”

The Krehbiels would continue to think about it off and on during the next 20 years. When they would write a song they thought might work in a musical someday, they’d throw it in a file. Eventually, there were 15 to 17 songs in that file.

Krehbiel is now youth minister for Western District and South Central Conferences of Mennonite Church USA and, since 2004, youth pastor at Tabor Mennonite Church outside Newton. Tabor lead pastor Corey Miller gave a lot of positive feedback, Krehbiel says, when he and Jude came up with original music for worship. The next thing they knew, that 20-year-old file was filled out with songs written for Tabor – “enough material for a full-blown musical,” Krehbiel says. That led him, about 18 months ago, to look for a script writer, whom he found in Carol Duerksen, a freelance writer and book publisher from the Goessel area.

The cast that Krehbiel assembled with help from key volunteers also did some adaptations to the script. In January, they were ready to go with The Upside-Down King with performances scheduled in three churches in Kansas and one each in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. A seventh performance was added in Hesston that filled the new Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary to bursting. In all, more than 1,500 people saw the musical, with nearly $10,000 in proceeds from offerings going to support youth ministry in Western District and South Central.

Almost all the cast and crew of The Upside-Down King had Bethel connections. In addition to Doug Krehbiel on lead guitar and vocals, the band included Jude Krehbiel (director of teacher placement at Bethel in the 1980s) on vocals, bass and penny whistle, Jason Peters ’00 on keyboards and Ted Krehbiel ’89 on drums. Cast members were Bethany Amstutz ’05, Tonya Keim Bartel ’01, Ben Kliewer ’07, senior social work major Bridget Kratzer and admissions counselor Lowell Wyse. Nathan Eigsti ’07 ran sound along with David Kautz of Hesston College.

Despite numerous requests to give more performances, the all-volunteer cast and crew regretfully had to say “No” for now. The Krehbiels do, however, hope to publish The Upside Down King so that other groups in other churches can experience some of what they did.

Melanie Zuercher

Alumni and friends trip to China

Bethel College alumni and friends are invited to join experienced tour leaders Jim ’57 and Shirley (Suderman) ’57 Goering on a trip to China, Oct. 30-Nov. 17, 2009. The proposed itinerary includes Beijing and surroundings (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square); the Museum of the Terra Cotta Warriors; a cruise on the Yangtze River, including a visit to the controversial Three Gorges Dam; a bus trip through central China; and Shanghai and surroundings.

The trip is being offered on a first-come-first-served basis to 25 alumni and friends, with a minimum of 16 required to make it viable. If interested, contact the Office of Alumni Relations, (316) 284-5251, alumni@bethelks.edu. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu/alumni/events/travel.php.

Tennis Reunion at the U.S. Open

Former players, fans and supporters of the “Marty Ward BC tennis era” are invited to gather at the U.S. Open over Labor Day weekend 2008. Ward, now of Corpus Christi, Texas, and his wife, Carol (Schmidt) Ward ’78, will be there. For more information, go to www.bethelks.edu/alumni/events/gatherings.php or contact Angela (Brodhagen) Bontrager ’00, Wichita, (316) 288-8103, angelaterryb@hotmail.com.

Call for Hall of Fame nominations

Do you know an athlete, coach, administrator or team who deserves to be in the Bethel College Athletic Booster Club Hall of Fame? The Booster Club is currently accepting nominations. See http://athletics.bethelks.edu/halloffame for qualification criteria and an application form.

Nominations may be submitted via mail, phone or e-mail to Diane Flickner, Bethel College, 300 East 27th Street, North Newton, KS 67117, (316) 284-5279, flickner@bethelks.edu.

Keep in touch with Bethel and with friends by e-mail

Alumni and friends of the college who want up-to-date information and want to keep in touch with classmates and other former Bethel students are asked to provide the Office of Alumni Relations with their e-mail addresses. Send them to alumni@bethelks.edu.

The alumni office e-mails Bethel’s free, monthly newsletter, “Thresher E-View,” to alumni and friends (unless they request not to receive it). It includes stories about students, links to current news releases and other brief items. Recent back issues are at www.bethelks.edu/bc/news_publications/.