“Rural Nebraska is in a struggle for its very survival,” Path said.

6
ClAss
Notes
Ruth (Behr ) Puls (’64) married
Steve Schumacher (’65) in 2004.
Ruth retired recently after 44 years
as a professional educator serving
students and schools as a classroom
teacher, reading recovery
teacher leader, literacy coach, college
instructor, and educational
consultant. She also served on the
Nebraska State Title I Assessment
Committee and several school accreditation
visitation teams. Steve
became the successful owner of
funeral homes in Wayne, Winside,
and Laurel while serving a wide
variety of civic organizations and
church committees. They now live
in Branson West, Mo., where Steve
works as the house manager at the
Andy Williams Moon River Theater
and Ruth is enjoying making decorative
gourds and doing all of the
things she put off over the years.
Darrell Vossberg (’64) attended
Wayne State College and then
joined the US Navy following his
graduation from Norfolk Junior
College. He served in the Washington
Navy Yard in Washington D.C.
and then worked for a number of
Defense Department contractors.
He retired from Northrop Grumman
in 2005.
Linda (Hayes) Bellows (’76)
earned her bachelor’s and master’s
in nursing degrees from the
University of South Florida (USF)
following her graduation from
NECC. She is ANCC Board Certified
as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
She was presented a USF Advanced
Nursing Practice Clinical
Excellence Award-Family Concentration
in 2009.
Russ Kosch (’86) was appointed
by First Bank of Utica to vice
president and manager of the loan
processing office and manager of
the company’s proposed branch
in Friend that is pending state
approval. He and his wife, Carla,
have two children, ages 14 and 22.
Susan ( Wragge) Rinkel (’86) is
a paraprofessional in the Pierce
Public Schools in the preschool
classroom.
Kim (Hagen) Frank (’89) and
her husband, Troy, announce the
birth of their son Bentley Joseph,
born Sept. 8, 2010. He weighed 6
lbs. 6 oz. and was 19 in. long. He
was welcomed home by his sister,
Morgan (17), and brother, Maxwell
(13).
Tory (’94) and Koni (DeBlauw)
Opfer (’97) announce the birth
of their daughter, Jaden Lee, born
June 17, 2010. She was welcomed
home by her sister, Jessica (6).
Barbara (Hashberger) Wylie
(’95) was recently promoted to
Assistant Professor in the School
of Education at Ivy Tech Community
College in Indianapolis, Ind.
She was also appointed as Interim
Program Chair in the School of Education
for the 2010-2011 year. In
addition, she was accepted to Ball
State University’s Ed.D program
with a course of study in elementary
education.
Michelle (Brazda) Johnson
(’96) and her husband, Eric, announce
the birth of their son, Myles
Oliver, born Oct. 28, 2010. He
weighed 6 lbs. .5 oz. and was 19.5
in. long. He was welcomed home
by siblings Cecylia (7), Dylan (5),
and Jack (2).
Tony Kronberg (’98) and his
wife, Jessica, announce the birth
of their daughter, Sydney Rhae,
born July 2, 2009. She was welcomed
home by siblings Aubrey
(7), Casey (4), and Brock (3).
Angela (Nielsen) (Beckenhauer)
Roskeland (’98) and her
husband, Eric, announce the birth
of their son, Nathaniel Eric. He
weighed 7 lbs. and was welcomed
home by siblings Madeleine (13),
Caleb (11), Emma (10), Lydia (8),
and Hannah (5).
Michela Keeler-Strom (’99) and
her husband, Waylon, announce
the birth of their daughter Paleigh
Julia, born Sept. 29, 2010. She
weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19.5
in. long. She was welcomed home
by her brother, Parker (4), and sister,
Piper (2).
Luke Burtwistle (’01) and his
wife, Rachel, announce the birth
of their twins Hannah Lynne and
Ryan James, born on Dec. 18,
2010, at 12:44 and 12:45 respectively.
Hannah weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz.
Ryan weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. They
were both 20 in. long. They were
welcomed home by their brother,
Drew (5), and sister, Haley (2).
Kari (Bartels) Gall (’01) and
her husband, Toby, announce the
birth of their son, Oakley William,
born May 16, 2010. He weighed 8
lbs. 15 oz. and was 21 in. long. He
was welcomed home by his sister
Kloe Lin (7).
Batiste Haywood (’01) is the
volunteer assistant coach for the
NECC Hawks.
Elaine (Sokol) Wessendorf
(’01) and her husband, Ryan, announce
the birth of their son, Collin
Charles, born July 4, 2010. He
weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20
in. long. He was welcomed home
by brothers Mason (7) and Cameron
(2).
Trisha (Kathol) Grevson (’02)
and her husband, Brandon, announce
the birth of their daughter,
Alexa Rose, born Sept. 2,
2010. She weighed 9 lbs. 4 oz. and
was 22 in. long.
Mary Jackson (’02) is serving in
Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Will (’02) and Mysti (Kruger)
Kucera (’03 & ’06) announce
the birth of their daughter, Calli
Janice Jean, born July 16, 2010.
She weighed 8 lbs. 15 oz. and was
20.25 in. long.
Rachel Meier (’02) earned a master’s
degree in curriculum and
instruction and is currently a first
grade teacher at Creighton Public
Schools.