Alumni News and Notes

Looking Forward to Reuniting with Central Family

Gosh, I’ve missed you all so much! I’ve missed seeing old friends, getting hugs, raising a glass, and simply being able to visit the campus. The good news is things are changing, slowly but surely. But things are changing. We still need to be careful and take precautions, but we are beginning to see the light. I was almost giddy when I went to get my vaccine, because I knew it would be life-changing. I am looking forward to the day when we can all be together again. The Alumni Relations team is busy working on some of the annual events we missed last year, such as Alumni Band, the Athletic Auction, Luetjen Golf Tournament, and Homecoming, just to name a few. I’m especially excited about Homecoming this year. You all know how much I love Homecoming, but this year it will be extra special. We are planning on honoring our 2020 and 2021 Distinguished and Young Alumni at a special brunch on Sunday. I can’t wait!

Are you making plans to attend any of these events? How have you been keeping in contact with your friends from Central? I’ve been so fortunate to connect via a weekly Zoom happy hour with some of my closest friends. I’ve also gotten to see my Alumni Board colleagues on our Zoom meetings. Life has changed so much for all of us over the last 14 months. Our time together and our relationships are so important to living our best lives. Let’s make the most of each opportunity when we can all be together again. Cherish those times!

In the immortal words of that ’70s classic by Peaches and Herb, “Reunited and it feels so good…” I look forward to being reunited with my Central family.

Central Forever,

Laura Blair, Class of 1986

President, Alumni Association Board of Directors

CORRECTIONS

We feel it is important to note a couple of corrections to our scholarship column in the Fall 2020 Talon, and in doing so share a little history.

The Braxton Rethwisch Hall of Sponsors Scholarship (correction to recipient) was established in 2016 by fellow Mokers and long-time personal friends of Braxton Rethwisch. Braxton was a fixture of Central, arriving in the fall of 1960 and becoming a Moker in 1960-61. When he graduated in 1964, he joined the staff at Central, which became his only employer for 51 years. His interaction with fellow Mokers and students of Central for 51 years provided him 55 years of Moker connection with the organization. Braxton’s time with the Mokers served 71% of the years of the Moker existence! Over the years, Braxton was a constant source of keeping many of the Moker brothers connected to their alma mater, including at the annual Cardinal game each fall. Braxton was also responsible for bringing generations of students to Central. Over the years, his name became synonymous with Central and Central recruitment. Generations of alumni credit Braxton for their recruitment. Braxton passed away November 29, 2020. The ’20‘21 recipient of the Braxton Rethwisch Hall of Sponsors Scholarship was freshman criminal justice and psychology major Matt Barker from Holden, Mo.

The Mitchell Jacobs Turnage Hall of Sponsors Scholarship Est. 1997 (corrected spelling Jacobs) was established in loving memory of Mitchell Jacobs Turnage by his parents, Wallace Jacobs Turnage, Jr., ’65, and Edwina Kent Wagner Turnage, ’65, and by the family of L.W. Jacobs III, ’52. Mitchell was the grandson of James H. and Ramah Kent, ’32, Wagner and Wallace J. (Jake), ’39, and Ann Turnage.

Mitchell Jacobs Turnage tragically passed away in May 1997 as a result of injuries received in an automobile accident. He was 23. Mitchell attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. The ’20 -‘21 recipient of the Mitchell Jacobs Turnage Hall of Sponsors Scholarship was sophomore accounting major Zachary Severns of Lewistown, Ill. Alan Strickler, ’60, and Joy (Ownbey) Strickler, ’72, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on January 29, 2021.

Brenda (Fountain) Bruce, ’64, was named Professional of the Year for 2021 by Strathmore’s Who’s Who Worldwide for her outstanding contributions and achievements in the music education field.

1980s

Marilyn (Bremer) Atkinson, ’81, retired after 28 years with Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc.

Timothy Jackman, ’81, was named the president and CEO of Previsor Insurance Company in Columbia, Mo.

Jacqueline (Allred) Cheary, ’82, received the 2020 Midwest Regional Welk Resort Presidential Circle of Excellence Award.

Dr. Beth Whitaker, ’82, was announced as the winner of the University of Missouri 2021 Outstanding Teaching Award.

Clarence Smith, ’84, is the coordinator of music at Metropolitan Community CollegePenn Valley, where he teaches Jazz history, music appreciation, and percussion.

Kenny Wyatt, ’84, head boys basketball coach at Salisbury R-IV High School, was named the Lewis and Clark Conference Boys Coach of the Year.

Scott Garcia, ’87, founder and president of Premier Estate and Income Planning LLC based in St. Louis, introduced a new program called the 90-90-90 Estate Plan.

1990s

Kevin Bucher, ’90, announced his resignation as the State Fair Community College Lady Roadrunners head basketball coach.

Leslie (Peters) Reardon, ’91, principal at Hannah Cole Primary School in Boonville, Mo., is retiring after 30 years.

J.B. Waggoner, ’91, was named board chairman for the Moberly Area Economic Development Corporation.

Tim Edwards, ’92, principal at Boonville High School in Boonville, Mo., is retiring after 29 years.

Johnson, ’72, Helps Find Comfort During Hard Times

A book written by Central alumnus Earl Johnson, ’72, could very well apply to those who are enduring difficulty during the global pandemic. Finding Comfort During Hard Times: A Guide to Healing After Disaster, Violence, and Other Community Trauma lays out guidelines for offering solace and support to victims and caretakers alike following a disaster. Johnson is a veteran at offering assistance as one of the founders of the Spiritual Care function in the American Red Cross. He has comforted survivors of September 11 first responders, survivors of the Pulse Nightclub attack in Orlando, and many more. Finding Comfort During Hard Times has been named one of the top 10 health and wellness books of 2021. It is available at independent bookstores or on Amazon.com.

Kerri (Jackson) Greenwell, ’93, was named this year’s Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year.

Kimberlee (Shelden) Jones, ’93, was one of the St. Louis area educators who received the Emerson Excellence in Teaching award.

Angie (Conrow) Rogers, ’97, will be the new principal for Laura Speed Elliott Middle School in Boonville, Mo., for the 2021-2022 school year.

Dustin Fanning, ’98, was selected to be the next superintendent for the Moberly Public School District in Moberly, Mo.

Annalynn Dietzel, ’99, is a CT (Computed Tomography) Scan technologist with the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia, Mo.

2000s

Daren Dean, ’01, will have his novel The Vale of Tears published at the end of 2021 by CJ Press.

Jeff Levy, ’02, is the new chief financial officer with the Lincoln County R-III School District in Troy, Mo.

Laura Bopp, ’03, was one of the St. Louis area educators who received the Emerson’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

Julie Parrish-McAnelly, ’05, was promoted to vice president at Commercial Trust Company. Wes March, ’06, received the MoDNR’s Directors Award. He was chosen for this award due to his hard work and dedication in his role as the project manager for the National Geospatial Intelligence agency.

Christina (Thompson) Shutt, ’08, was named the director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill.

David Stallo, ’08, will be the new principal at Midway Heights Elementary School in Columbia, Mo., for the 2021-2022 school year.

2010s

Debi Bayless, ’10, retired after 24 years at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo.

Chris Baumgartner, ’10, is the project manager with the Alliance Systems firm in St. Louis, Mo.

Jacob Heppner, ’12, is the owner of GRIT Performance, a global multifaceted fitness company in Indianola, Iowa, and a five-time CrossFit Games veteran with three top-10 finishes and a best of sixth place in the 2019 Crossfit Games.

Adam Morton, ’12, finished his second and final term as Mayor of Knob Noster, Mo., on April 20, 2021.

Aaron Shockley, ’12, is the new director of esports for Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. Continued on page 32 The Boys and Girls Club of Columbia has named Tim Jackman, ‘81, its 2020 Board Member of the Year. Jackman, president and CEO of Previsor Insurance, serves on the Central Methodist University Board of Trustees. His award was presented at the club’s first in-person board meeting since last summer. It was inscribed with “Thank you for being the light that guided us safely through the storm.” The organization specifically pointed out Jackman’s exceptional leadership and safety knowledge while it continued to serve youth during COVID-19.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Packard

This 1941 Packard 110 Deluxe was in Fayette’s annual Christmas parade around the square last December. Representing the CMU Alumni Association, it had been decorated in battery lights by Director of Alumni Engagement Stasia Sherman and alumni board member Parker Johnson, ’17, and driven by owner Jim Steele, ’64, accompanied by Larry Anderson, ’67. Long-time friends Sam Guenther, ’51, and Dexter Slagle, ’52, pose together in their CMU masks after being vaccinated this spring. The two met at then Central College and have been friends for more than 70 years.

Continued from page 31

Kelly Asbury, ’14, was recognized for several of her accomplishments by the MU Extension Business Development Program at its annual celebration of performance of statewide staff and teams in January.

Matthew Denton, ’15, was named to the National Recreation and Park Association’s inaugural 30 under 30 list for his exceptional work in the parks and recreation field.

Levi Gerke, ’16, received his Doctor of Music in Piano Performance (Collaborative Piano) from Florida State University College of Music on December 11, 2020. Kelly Neudecker, ’16, band director with Fulton Public Schools, received the Education Award from the Callaway County Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association.

Danielle (Jackson) Njeri, ’16, completed research work that helped DOORWAYS, a non-profit organization in St. Louis, land a three-year $1.4 million grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health.

Tyler Hudlow, ’17, is the new head coach for the Chillicothe Mudcats college-level summer baseball team in Chillicothe, Mo. Parker Johnson, ’17, and his wife, Emma Wyble Johnson, ’18, are moving this summer for Parker to begin the MFA program in recording arts and technologies at Middle Tennessee State University. Parker, who has served as CMU’s webmaster for nearly two years, has been blessed to earn a graduate assistant position in the MTSU campus IT office. His expected graduation date for the three-year program is May 2024.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Limback Continues Her Winning Ways

Kylie Limback, ’18, is no stranger to winning awards. During her time at Central Methodist University as a biology major, she received the Gamma Sigma Epsilon Excellence Award in General Chemistry back-to-back—once during the 2016-2017 academic year and again during the 2017-2018 year.

Her award winning has not stopped since graduating from CMU. After graduation, Limback headed to Kansas City University with plans of becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. As a second-year medical student, Limback was awarded an Anatomy Fellowship, making her the first CMU alumna to receive such an honor.

At KCU, Anatomy Fellowships are granted to students who show outstanding performance during their training. Fellows have the opportunity to “expand [their] anatomy training by assisting in teaching and lab management, as well as completing a research project for publication.”

Limback says this fellowship will help her increase her knowledge and understanding of human anatomy, gain more knowledge of the research process, and help her lead her own research team in the future.

“KCU is an amazing university, and I am beyond blessed to attend the College of Medicine program and receive my medical degree there,” Limback said.

Limback is sure that CMU played an integral role in where she is today. During her sophomore year, she was accepted early to KCU through CMU’s and KCU’s Partners Program.” She is thankful for Dr. Tiger Gordon’s help during that process.

“Without the partnership between CMU and KCU, there’s no telling which medical school I would have ended up at,” she said. “Dr. Gordon helped me figure out the Partners Program application process.”

She is also grateful for Professor Greg Thurmon’s enthusiastic teaching of biology and anatomy. His passion is what piqued her interest in biological science, and she says that his classes are among the few she’s ever enjoyed studying for.

Charlotte Jane Sherman

The CMU family welcomes Charlotte Jane Sherman, daughter of Matt, ’10, and Stasia Sherman, and granddaughter of Jeff, ’83, and Julee Sherman. Charlotte was born April 26.

Melissa Jordan, ’17, recently joined EBO MD of Fredericktown as a nurse practitioner.

Preston Ary, ’18, and David Adkisson opened Better Man Records, a professional music studio located in Fayette, Mo.

Luke, ’19, and Brooke (Striegel) Knoble, ’19, are directing the CMU Navigators ministry on the CMU campus in Fayette, Mo.

2020s

Connie Hester, ’20, has been promoted to Upward Bound academic advisor.

Dane Korenak, ’20, has moved into the role of Upward Bound academic advisor.

Doug Schaffer, ’20, band director at Mark Twain High School, was named one of Yamaha’s inaugural 40 under 40 top leaders.

Brock Vaughn, ’20, is an assistant coach with the Ferrum College’s men’s soccer team, in Ferrum, Va.

Danielle (Benton) Wood, ’20, is the new seventh grade reading teacher at California Middle School in California, Mo.

Births, Marriages, Engagements 2010s

Rebecca (Moser) Jeske, ’11, and husband Matt announce birth of daughters Kodi Christine and Kamryn Lea Ann, born December 30, 2020.

Richard Strand, ’10, and wife Lauren (Darby), ’12, announce birth of daughter Lyla, born February 15, 2021.

Levi Gerke, ’16, and Sammy El Ghadab were married on December 12, 2020.

Charles Sudduth, ’16, and wife, Jacquelyn (Hoffman), ’16, announce birth of daughter Kennedy Ann, born January 8, 2021.

Luke Knoble, ’19, and Brooke Striegel, ’19, were married on September 5, 2020. Noel Rilea of Ritenour High School won the $3,000 Overland, Mo. Rotary Club Scholarship and will be attending Central Methodist University. Noel will be studying history. This is the first scholarship of its kind for the Overland Rotary Club. Robert Courtney, an Overland rotarian, is a longtime member of the Central Methodist Board of Trustees and was an integral part in launching the club’s scholarship program.