Hall of Fame 2009 - St. Mary's Central High School

A Publication of the SMCHS Alumni Association and St. Mary’s Central High SchoolWHAT’S INSIDEHall of Fame 2009Father Earl James (EJ)Becwar (Posthumously), Friends and BenefactorsFather Becwar was a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent at St. Mary’s Central High School.He served as the principal starting in 1955 and later served as superintendent until 1974.Father Becwar attended St. John’s University and Seminary in Minnesota. He completed is theologicalstudies at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Father Becwar received his Master’s Degree inEducation from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the priesthood forthe Diocese of Bismarck on December 21, 1944, by the Most Reverend Vincent J. Ryan D.D.Father Becwar served throughout North Dakota his entire life. He started his service at the Churchof St. Leo in Minot. He went on to serve as the Chaplain and Religion Instructor at St. Alexius NursingSchool. After St. Alexius came his tenure at SMCHS. He then moved on to the Church of St. Hildegardin Menoken and the Church of St.Vincent in Crown Butte. Then he became the Director of the Office of Religious Education andSuperintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Bismarck until 1984. In July of 1974, Father Becwar was appointed pastor ofthe Church of Ascension in Bismarck where he served until his retirement in June of 1988. Father Becwar served as chaplain atMedcenter One until his death.Father Becwar was passionate about Catholic education. He always supported SMCHS throughout his life and made sure anystudent with the desire, had the opportunity to attend St Mary’s.Sister Barbara Ann Gehrki (Posthumously), Friends and BenefactorsSister Barbara Ann was an English, Speech and American Literature teacher at St. Mary’s Central HighSchool from 1948-1966. She was an inspiring teacher who taught her students to appreciate the beautyand culture that the arts offered. Many of her former students credit her for introducing them to the artsand teaching them to love reading and performing.Sister Barbara Ann devoted her life to education. Not only did she teach at SMCHS, she also was theprincipal of Gladstone Public High School and the chairperson of English at the University of Mary. Sheis credited as being one of the founders of Annunciation Monastery and the University of Mary.Sister earned degrees from St. Benedict’s College, St. Louis University and a doctorate from theUniversity of Nebraska. She was also a member of the North Dakota Speech and Theater Hall of Fameand she received a DistinguishedService Award from the North Dakota Council of Teachers. In 1970 she started the children’stheater group, the Shade Tree Players.Sister Barbara Ann entered St. Benedict’s Convent in 1933 and pronounced her life vow in 1939. Throughout her life of service,Sister Barbara Ann touched many lives. A group of her students used to meet with her at Christmas every year to reminisce,reconnect and discuss the latest play they had seen or book they had read. This tradition continues on even after her passing in 2001.Continued pg 4Page 3-4: Hall of Fame InducteesPage 5: New St. Mary’s AlumniPage 6: Saints ReconnectPage 7: An Alumni Messagewww.smchs.orgissue no.26SUMMER2 0 0 9

issue no.26SUMMER2 0 0 9DIRECTIONSis printed four timesper year by St. Mary’sCentral High School(SMCHS) and theSt. Mary’s CentralHigh School AlumniAssociationST. MARY’SCENTRAL HIGHSCHOOL1025 North 2nd St.Bismarck, ND 58501(701) 223-4113www.smchs.orgSUPERINTENDENTJohn JankowskiPRINCIPALTom EberleSMCHS SCHOOLBOARD PRESIDENTFather Paul BeckerSMCHS ALUMNIASSOCIATION, INC.1025 North 2nd St.Bismarck, ND 58501(701) 224-9753www.smchs.orgPRESIDENTLeeRon PlanteOFFICEADMINISTRATORFran FeigitschDIRECTIONS EDITORGwen BecklerCONTRIBUTINGWRITERSConnie TschiderKelly VelazquezSend commentsregardingDIRECTIONS to:DIRECTIONS Editor1025 North 2nd St.Bismarck, ND 58501John JankowskiSMCHS SuperintendentFriends and Alumni of St. Mary’s Central High School:Ninety seniors became alumni of St. Mary’s Central High School onMay 17th. I wish them the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.I hope that their experiences here at SMCHS have prepared them forthe challenges they are about to face.Our alumni are an important part of our school’s history andheritage. This issue of the Directions Newsletter is dedicated to thenew inductees to the SMCHS Hall of Fame. The induction banquetwill be held on September 11th as part of our Homecoming activities.Tickets for the event will soon be on sale.I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the annualAlumni Phone-a-thon. Your gift supports our Scholarship and Work-Study programs, which areso important to our school. As we move forward, our greatest challenge continues to be able toprovide a Catholic education at a reasonable cost. Our tuition next year will be $3,350. It is onlythrough parish support and our various fundraising activities that we are able operate at such a low tuitionrate.Again, congratulations to our new Hall of Fame inductees, and please join us on September 11th atthe Radisson Hotel in Bismarck to congratulate them.SMCHS Homecoming and Hall of Fame Weekend 2009Friday, September 11th, and Saturday, September 12thSt. Mary’s Central High School (SMCHS) welcomes all alumni and friends forHomecoming and Hall of Fame Weekend 2009! For more information or to purchasetickets for the Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, call (701) 223-4113or visit www.smchs.org.Friday, September 11thHomecoming Mass(SAINTS Gymnasium at 10:30 a.m.)Hall of Fame Induction Banquet(Radisson Inn, Downtown Bismarck)Social begins at 5:30 p.m. and Induction Ceremony immediately follows at 6:15 p.m.Saturday, September 12thSMCHS Homecoming Football GameThe SMCHS SAINTS vs. Bottineau BravesBismarck Community Bowl at 6:30 p.m.Halftime features a parade of the 2009 Homecoming Courtand 2009 Hall of Fame InducteesSunday, September 13thSt. Mary’s Central High School’s PRIDE Parents Homecoming Breakfast.All friends and alumni of SMCHS are invited to end the weekend withbreakfast at St. Mary’s High School.2

Hall of Fame Inductees, continuedValerie Jundt, AlumniValerie (Geiger) Jundt is a 1975 graduate of St. Mary’s Central High School who pursued her higher educationdegrees from Bismarck State College and Dickinson State University (Magna Cum Laude). Val and her husbandWayne Jundt have two daughters. Their daughters, Kathryn and Anne, attended St. Anne Elementary School andgraduated from St. Mary’s Central High School.Over the years, Val actively participated as a volunteer in her children’s extracurricular activities in music, 4Hand Girl Scouts. Val served on a number of volunteer committees, but most actively as a SMCHS Music Parent.She served as the Editor for the UPBEAT for seven years and volunteered for numerous concerts and musicevents. Val received the 2007 SMCHS National Band Association Band Booster Award.Val has become a nationally recognized subject-matter specialist in the field of unclaimed property. She hasover 25 years of experience in government and the private sector. Currently, Val is the Director of the UnclaimedProperty Group at Onesource Property Tax.Val speaks on unclaimed propertyat national conferences and trade association meetings and has been quoted in Redbook, GoodHousekeeping, Readers Digest, Women’s World, Money Magazine, USA Today and the WallStreet Journal. She has also been interviewedby Dateline NBC, CNN News, EXTRA and WallStreet Journal Reports. Val is a two-time recipient of NAUPA’s Presidential DistinguishedService Award and the Unclaimed Property Professional’s Organization’s Team Player of the Year Award in 2004. In 2008, Val was awardedthe NAUPA Lifetime Achievement Award. Val is the co-author of the Bureau of National Affair’s Treatise, “Unclaimed Property,” and waselected to serve as the First Vice President of the Unclaimed Property Professional’s Organization (UPPO), rotating to President in 2010.Joseph Mahoney, AthleticsJoseph (Joe) Mahoney graduated from St. Mary’s Central High School in 1990. While he was at SMCHS Joeexcelled in sports and academics. Joe lettered twelve times in four different sports: cross country, soccer,swimming and track & field. Until 2008, Joe was the school record-holder for the 1,600m and 3,200m. Hereceived the Elite Saint Award and the Harry Weisgerber Award. He was the senior class co-president and alsohis class valedictorian.Joe earned his undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University where he was a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist and a4-time All-American in cross country and track. He currently holds the school record in the 10,000m. He wasalso named the New England College Athletic Conference Division III Male Athlete of the Year.Joe went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Jefferson Medical College. He trained at the Children’sHospital in Pittsburgh where he won two prestigious teaching awards. In 2004, he became the only practicingmedical doctor to ever qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon by running the Chicago Marathon in 2:19:36. During that race, he also set theNorth Dakota record.Currently, Joe lives in Minnesota with his wife, Deborah Mahoney, and their two children, Noah and Isabel. Joe is a pediatrician at theMonticello Clinic and serves on the clinic’s Executive Committee. He is also on the Monticello Big Lake Hospital Board. He is still an activerunner and enjoys spending time with his family.Dave St. Peter, AlumniDave St. Peter was named the fourth president in Minnesota Twins history on November 26, 2002. He overseesthe team’s strategic planning process and the club’s business departments, including ticket sales and service,corporate partnerships, marketing, community affairs, communications, broadcasting, stadium operations,human resources and finance. St. Peter is also involved in business-related baseball decisions as well asthe development, design and construction of Target Field – the team’s new ballpark currently being built inMinneapolis’ Historic Warehouse District.At age 42, St. Peter begins his 20th year with the Twins in 2009. He joined the Twins organization in 1990 andheld avariety of positions within the organization. In addition, St. Peter’s leadership has been integral in theteam’s growing corporate partnership base, aggressive community outreach and expanded alumni involvement,including the development of the Twins Hall of Fame.Continued on pg 4DIRECTIONS Summer 20093

Ninety New Saint Mary’s Central High School AlumniOn Sunday, May 17, 2009, a crowd of well wishers comprised of family,friends, teachers, and administrators gathered to support the graduates ofthe Saint Mary’s Central High School Class of 2009. Though some of thistalented group of young “Saints” might wish for a crystal ball into whichthey can peer to determine what their futures hold, most are filled with theexcitement and expectancy of the unknown, which will propel them into theworld, ready to explore their many options.Amid the pomp and circumstance of Graduation Day were moments ofjubilation and celebration tinged with sadness, as opportunities for reflec-tion presented themselves. Graduate Rachell Kuntz conveyed a heartfeltreminder to her classmates of a statement from Mirianne Williamson: “Ourdeepest fear is not that we are inadequate,” rather that “we are powerfulbeyond measure.” For, “as a child of God, we are all meant to shine.” While graduate Weston Swetich used a lighthearted approach inextolling the value of living life to the fullest, saying, “Think of all of the people on the Titanic who passed up the chocolate dessert.”It is the special wish of the entire Saint Mary’s community for a successful, happy life for the SMCHS Class of 2009. They are wellequippedwith the tools for such a life: It’s called Saint PRIDE (Prayer, Responsibility, Ideals, Desire, and Education). And as theyembark on a journey that will take them to many different places, from nearby University of Mary or Bismarck State College, to equallyfamiliar UND and NDSU; to places such as Flagstaff, AZ; Rockville, MD; Omaha, NE; or universities in Minnesota or Montana, may theyremember the challenge offered by the President of Pride Parents and recipient of the 2009 Saint Mary’s Distinguished Service Award,Sandy Kienzle, who, in quoting Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”KICKBACK FOR SMCHS AT BILL BARTH FORDBill Barth Ford will be contributing $50 from every car sold during their “Red HotClear the Lot” sale on July 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 20th. The sale will be heldat the Bismarck Civic Center in the Southwest lot.~Register for drawings!~Hot dogs and beverages will be served.DIRECTIONS Summer 20095

Alumni MessagePaul Kaiser andVivan JacobsonHoun Family of BismarckGreetings St. Mary’sAlumni, Familiesand FriendsClass reunions; who doesn’trejoice when thinking backto the good ol’ days of highschool and the memories thataccompany those thoughts.Yes, it is time again for many class reunions. If thisis your year for a reunion and the alumni office canbe of any assistance in planning or learning aboutupcoming reunions, please give our office a call.We hope that you all enjoy your stroll down memorylane with old friends and classmates.Dave St. Peter joinsthe Seiler FamilyAnother big event that will be here before we knowit is the Hall of Fame event scheduled in September.This is a very special evening for all of the inducteesthat are honored. I always take great pleasure inattending this event to celebrate and recognizesuch fantastic accomplishments. I would like tocongratulate all of the nominees and the awardwinners who have set the standards high for thosewho follow. I look forward to seeing all of you at thebanquet.Damien Riehl ‘93 andNancy Dietz, Alumni andTeacher at SMCHSThis past spring, I also attended the Church Walkwith St. Mary’s senior class members. The AlumniOffice sponsored the breakfast and I enjoyed visitingwith all of those in attendance. I would like tocongratulate the Class of 2009 and wish them thevery best in their future endeavors.The summer seems to be going by quickly. I hopeyou are enjoying summer barbecues, time withfamily and with friends.Class of 1990Alumni and theirFamiliesI would like to recognize all of the soldiers servingour country and thank you for what you do for meand my family. The 4th of July is always a veryspecial day in our lives and it brings me great prideto be an American. May God bless you and yourfamilies as you enjoy the remainder of your summer.Sincerely,LeeRon PlanteAlumni PresidentDIRECTIONS Summer 20097

Upcoming Class Reunions50YEARS40YEARS30YEARS20YEARS10YEARSClass of 1959August 21-23, 2009Contact: Rodney Fischerrlfcif@hotmail.comClass of 1969September 5, 2009Contact: Tom Schafertrschafer@usaquaticsinc.comClass of 1979July 31, August 1-2, 2009Contact: Craig Schmidtcraigs@questenginc.comwww.smchs79.myeventClass of 1989July 17-19, 2009Contact Trish Kiefertakdc71@yahoo.comClass of 1999July 17-19, 2009Contact: Katie Cashmancashmankatie@gmail.comSt. Mary’s Alumni Association, Inc.St. Mary’s Central High School1025 North 2nd St. Bismarck, North Dakota USA 58501non-profit orgU.S. postagepaidBismarck, NDpermit no. 433RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED