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Class Notes

Notices received as of Feb. 6, 2024.

1956

Kenneth Peterson had his 39th consecutive Daily Bible Reading Guide published by the Canadian Bible Society. Printed in English, French and indigenous languages, more than a million copies have been distributed during the past 39 years. 

1981    

Patti Doud Paul was inducted into the East Aurora High School Sports Hall of Fame. 

1982    

Suzanne Dell-St. Clair retired in 2022 after a 10-year career in higher education and 25 years as a non-profit fundraiser.

Timothy Moore retired as operations controller with Ardagh Metal Packaging after 41 years.

1985    

Patricia Salsman Coury retired in December 2023 as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for housing, a senior executive service position responsible for the Department of Defense’s worldwide housing portfolio, which includes more than 1 million barracks and bed spaces and 240,000 family housing units.

Eric Volkert was named the greatest track athlete in the history of Peoria Bergan High School by the Bergan High School Track Alumni Association.

1986    

John VanSanten retired after 32+ years in the real estate appraisal industry, with the last 13 years as co-leader of the Real Estate Practice at Stout.

1987    

Martin Olsen has moved to Kyiv, Ukraine, to work for the state oil and gas development company as the chief expert in geophysics.

1988    

Donna Knurek-Soderman is the assistant principal at Jehue Middle School in the Rialto Unified School District in Rialto, Calif.

1992    

Melissa Anderson Wong was appointed editor-in-chief of the quarterly journal “Library Trends” for the School of Information Sciences (iSchool) at the University of Illinois.

1995    

Demetrius Johnson is the dean of students at Hood College in Frederick, Md.

2000    

Jennifer Pozniak Fischrup was promoted to director of human resources at Northgate Technologies, Inc.

2001    

Chad Johansen received the 2023 Youth Player Development Award from the Illinois PGA.

2002    

Matthew Deans is president and CEO of Pentec Health.

2004    

Matt Furlong is the varsity football coach for Geneseo (Ill.) High School.

2015    

Michael Kruse has been promoted to Partner at DeWitt LLP.

2017    

Irene Mekus married Angel Muñoz on July 30, 2022. She is a planning and zoning technician with the City of Moline Community and Economic Development Department.

2019    

Katelyn Miller married Michael Kipka on Sept. 16, 2023.  She is employed at Omnicon, Inc, which her parents started in 2002. She manages a division of the company assisting people with their personal property after a house disaster.

Harrison Phillis earned his master’s in library and information studies from the University of Wisconsin iSchool (the School of Computer, Data, and Information Sciences). While completing his degree, he worked as a special collections assistant in the library at Augustana and completed his practicum at the Davenport Public Library.

2023    

Chloe Fausett is a fixed asset accountant at John Deere.

Deaths

Notices received as of Feb. 6, 2024

Paul Johnson  ’50 on Nov. 7, 2023.    

John Spellmeyer  ’50 on Dec. 24, 2023.

Bruce Johnston  ’51 on Jan. 26, 2024.    

William Korf  ’51 on Sept. 1, 2022.     

Ronald Hallgren  ’52 on Jan. 20, 2024.     

Louise Taylor  ’53 Heath on Jan. 18, 2024.

Dorothy Johnson  ’53 Palmquist on Dec. 29, 2023.

Carol Vezzetti  ’54 on Oct. 4, 2023.

Garnett Williams  ’54 on Jan. 16, 2024.    

Robert Moline  ’55 on Jan. 23, 2024.

Carol Anderson  ’56 Palmquist on Jan. 7, 2024.    

Janet Hixson  ’57 Dailing on Jan. 9, 2024.    

Charles Stark  ’59 on Jan. 3, 2024.

Diane Johnson  ’59 Vukson on Feb. 1, 2024.    

Marilyn Fargard  ’59 Winquist on Nov. 11, 2023.    

P. Daniel Fant  ’62 on Jan. 1, 2024.

Kenneth Hofstetter  ’62 on Jan. 15, 2024.    

Harry Arvanis  ’65 on Jan. 13, 2024. 

Mary Valsoano  ’68 Roberto on Dec. 31, 2023.

M. Deborah Strom  ’71 Carlsen on Dec. 29, 2023. 

Timothy Ricketts  ’71 on Jan. 16, 2024.

Kevin De Decker  ’72 on Jan. 6, 2024.

John Schuette  ’72 on Jan. 21, 2024.

William Royce  ’78 on Nov. 25, 2021.    

Bonnie Ellis  ’83 on Dec. 23, 2023.    

Eric Weems  ’87 on Jan. 13, 2024.

Robert Guy  ’88 on Dec. 11, 2023.


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