Class Of - Shawn Snider

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30 Class of ‘58 ' Phyllis (Showalter) Ramer early retirement. At that time, my parents here in Broadway were moving to the retirement home so we moved into their house on the hill in the country. Many days are so beautiful, I could sit all day looking out over the Valley, but with several volunteer commitments, I haven’t been able to do that! I also like to work crossword puzzles, travel, read, try out new recipes, and visit grandchildren in Williamsburg, Virginia; Princeton, New Jersey; and Edmonton, Alberta. I also spend time with my 90-year-old mother in VMRC. Adult life has provided many surprises. Who would have dreamed I would take a Northern Survival Course (in case the plane went down on a transport of a sick newborn)? Or that I would learn to know and love hockey? (One son could have made hockey his career?) Or that I would take a course at the University of Alberta (for a neonatal care certification)? Or that I would often run into people I learned to know at EMHS or EMC? Or that I would visit every state except Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Alaska? I could go on and on, but Gloria said to keep this compact! Our class motto “Christ Lead Onward” has guided me over these 50 years. Blessings to all, —Phyllis Showalter Ramer Miss Beachy enjoys the birthday cake that the class baked and decorated for her. Dear Classmates of eMHS 1958 – 50 years! Schooling (after high school) I entered EMC (EMU) in the fall of 1958 after graduating from high school. I graduated with a number of my high school classmates in 1962 with a BS degree (although I also completed requirements for a BA) and majors in chemistry and mathematics. I then applied to the biochemistry program at Virginia Tech and was awarded a research assistantship. I studied there in the summer of 1962, but returned to EMU to teach chemistry instead of continuing at Tech. While teaching I took seminary classes. After leaving EMU in 1965 and moving to Johnstown Pennsylvania, I began studies in chemistry during the summers at Bowling Green State University in Ohio with an NSF grant. I graduated with an MA in Chemistry in 1969. I also studied some education and geology at James Madison University. Later I studied higher education at the University of Michigan and completed a PhD in Education in 1985. After my initial work retirement in 2001 I returned to Eastern Mennonite Seminary and completed an MAR degree in 2007. It would appear that I have been an almost perpetual student. It has been a challenging, but good experience. For the present I have no other formal education plans. Work Career I started regular part-time employment as janitor of Park School several years after completing my elementary education there. (Some of my high school class mates were in elementary school with me.) During college years I worked part-time as an orderly at Rockingham Memorial Hospital, which enabled me to graduate from college without debt. I then taught at EMU from 1962 to 1965 as a faculty assistant in chemistry. Merle Jacobs and I made up the chemistry department during those years, but D. Ralph Hostetter served as my teaching mentor. In 1965, Susan and I moved to Johnstown, and I taught at Johnstown Mennonite School. In those years, I taught about anything from 8 th grade health, world religions, English Literature, chemistry, physics, beginning math, algebra, coaching soccer and more than I can remember just now. However, I discovered that I felt more at home in the college classroom, so in 1968 I taught chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Then in 1969, I returned to teach chemistry at EMU. I also taught geology after D. Ralph Hostetter retired. I got sidetracked into administrative work in institutional research and planning, and one year worked a quarter time for the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities. I wrote or helped write training manuals for institutional research, and conducted research on the staffing of these colleges and universities, which later became my PhD dissertation. I also co-taught, with Ernie Martin of EMHS, a course for the University of
50th Reunion 31 Virginia on doing self-study for accreditation. I completed my career at EMU in 1985 as the Chief Financial Officer. I then began private consulting and built an oak post and beam house, that Susan and I designed, on the wooded hillside just west of EMU along Lincolnshire drive. In 1988, I began working for Computer Management and Development Services which later became Janzebar. I retired from that company in 2001. During those years, I helped to develop computer software for colleges, wrote training manuals and trained administrators to use software. I worked with some 200 colleges, universities and seminaries all around the country from southern California to Alaska and Florida to Maine. Some of my most interesting experiences were in Native American Colleges and in seminaries. While at Princeton Seminary, I walked to campus past Albert Einstein’s house each day. In Barrow, Alaska, the sun never set while I was there, and I had a meal in the home of the Acting President whose wife and himself were both descendents of the original 12 Mormon Apostles. I was at Southern Baptist Seminary when the Board decided that no professor could accept ordination of women. The registrar that I was working with was a woman who had been a pastor and her husband was an OT professor who accepted ordination of women. That was a tense time to do training. Most of my travel was by air. I took off once to have smoke coming from the cockpit – it turned out alright. My plane was struck by lightening once, and once we circled for an hour or so with sparks coming from one engine and on landing were followed by fire trucks. Nevertheless I loved to fly. Church Involvement While in college Earl Delp, Jr. and I served as YPCA pastors/teachers, following David Augsburger, at Crest Hill Mennonite Church in Wardensville, W. Va. Then I started teaching Sunday school at Woodland Mennonite Church, another Y-church. I became pastor there for one year in 1964, the first year Susan and I were married. Then we moved to Johnstown to teach and I became the first paid pastor at Carpenter Park Mennonite Church. After returning to Harrisonburg we were members at Park View Mennonite Church for 25 years. In 1994, we became part of Immanuel Mennonite Church, in the historic black community of Harrisonburg. I became an associate pastor part-time there about 5 years ago and continue as part-time pastor along with Angie Williams who is also serving part-time on an interim basis. This has been a rich experience. In 2004, Susan and I were part of a team that did service work at the Mennonite Theological College in Eastern Africa in Tanzania. We visited Immanuel members there and at Roslyn Academy in Nairobi, Kenya. I have also done volunteer work on a short term basis in Belize and Jamaica. These have been very educational and rewarding occasions. Family In 1964, Susan Leaman and I were married, after she completed her BS in Nursing at EMU. Susan worked in the medical area for many years, but now has her own licensed infant care business. We were blessed with three children in about that many years. Timothy arrived near Christmas in 1965, Aletha in 1966 and Theodore in 1968. They all graduated from EMHS. Tim and Theo graduated from EMU, but Aletha chose Goshen College. Subsequently she completed a PhD in comparative literature at the University of Iowa. Tim married a fellow EMU student, Belinda Wilfong, and they live in Hagerstown, Maryland. They own and operate Keystone Sporting Goods. They have two children: Audrey who just turned seven, and Benjamin who turned three. Aletha married Neal Baker, but kept her name as a professional. They have a son, Luc, who will turn seven shortly, and lives in a world that includes French as well as English. Both Aletha and Neal are faculty at Earlham College, a Quaker school in Richmond, Indiana. Theo is not married. He owns a house at Rawley Springs near Harrisonburg, and works in the commercial irrigation business. JMU is the biggest client. Did you know that artificial turf is watered before football games? We also serve as grandparents to JR, Josh, Liz and Rachel of the Basil Marin family. I have been greatly blessed. I thank God for the many challenging opportunities that have come to me over these years and for continuing relatively good health. My EMHS experience was a blessing that continued in many other learning and service experiences. My best wishes to each of you, my high school classmates of 50 years, and to our class adviser! We do have much to celebrate. —John Stahl, your class poet. (You probably forgot that.) Dear Classmates, Fifty years since graduation! I thought only old people had 50 year class reunions. We still live in Elkton on the farm, but do not farm it ourselves. We rent it out but are in process of selling part of it. We keep really busy with a big lawn, big garden, freezing corn, canning tomatoes and a lot of weeding and cultivating. I love the flowers the best. Pick’m, bring them in and enjoy them. Our summers are very busy and some days I feel like we need to start down sizing. After working at the Bad Axe Public Schools at the administration office as a bookkeeper for almost 30 years (29 ½) I retired in 2002. I loved my work there but also knew when it was time to leave. John Stahl (
Page 1: Class of ‘58 M e M o r y B o o k
Page 4 and 5: 4 Class of ‘58 Gloria (Harman) Sn
Page 6 and 7: 6 Class of ‘58 ' Ruth (Benner) De
Page 8 and 9: 8 Class of ‘58 ' Marjorie (Brenne
Page 10 and 11: 10 Class of ‘58 ' Marlene (Collin
Page 12 and 13: 12 Class of ‘58 ' Nelson Driver E
Page 14 and 15: 14 Class of ‘58 ' Audrey (Eshlema
Page 16 and 17: 16 Class of ‘58 ' Cynthia (Good)
Page 18 and 19: 18 Class of ‘58 ' Roy Heishman (n
Page 20 and 21: 20 Class of ‘58 ' Josephine (Kana
Page 22 and 23: 22 Class of ‘58 ' Jeanette (Lande
Page 24 and 25: 24 Class of ‘58 ' Arley Miller El
Page 26 and 27: 26 Class of ‘58 ' David Mumaw Mar
Page 28 and 29: 28 Class of ‘58 ' Albert Schlabac
Page 32 and 33: 32 Class of ‘58 ' Sharon (Stalter
Page 34 and 35: 34 Class of ‘58 ' Ethel (Steiner)
Page 36 and 37: 36 Class of ‘58 ' Robert Wenger (
Page 38: 38 Class of ‘58 ' Margaret (Witme

Class Of - Shawn Snider

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