In Memory

ALUMNI NEWS

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1950s

Kay ’58 and Ruth Cole celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 27, 2020. Their son Deloy ’84, who heads GU’s digital media program, daughter Kari (Cole ’01) Cliff, and son Paul, and their families joined them in celebration at their home in Caldwell, Idaho, in July.

1970s

’70

REUNION YEAR

October 16-18, 2020

1 Jeff Barker ’76 recently published two books: Performing the Plays of the Bible: Seven Ancient Scripts and Our Journey to Return Them to the Stage (Webber Institute Books, 2020) and Iowa Ethiopia: A Missionary Nurse’s Journey Continues (Hendrickson Publishers, 2019). Barker recently retired from his work as professor of theatre at Northwestern College.

2 John Edwards ’77 retired and moved to Wendell, North Carolina, in 2018. He and his wife Nita (Smith ’77) live in the Robinwood Apartments where John serves as a volunteer chaplain for Robinwood’s 135 residents. PO Box 2276, Wendell, NC, 27591.

’85

REUNION YEAR

October 16-18, 2020

1990s

Janet (Koch-Tuin ’93) and Richard Knack were married on October 20, 2018, in Gaylord, Michigan, where the couple currently resides. Janet runs her web design business Acera Technologies and works parttime in retail. She also serves as her mother’s guardian and caretaker.

’95

REUNION YEAR

October 16-18, 2020

2000s

Last fall, Jim Catanzaro ’00 completed his 11th season as head football coach for Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois. He now ranks as the second winningest coach in Lake Forest football history with 60 wins. Jim is just 21 wins away from making school history.

3 Yvi Martin ’01 now serves as senior pastor at Platte Woods United Methodist Church in north Kansas City, Missouri.

4 Amber (Boxley ’04) Hurd

earned her doctorate in educational practice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. drahurd19@ gmail.com.

Cory and Emily (Nicholas ’06) Gerdts welcomed Avi Anne on May 18, 2020. Big brother, Landry John, three years old, is overjoyed.

Seth England ’08 was featured in Billboard’s 2020 Indie Power Players list. His previous distinctions include Billboard’s Nashville Power Players (2018, 2019), Billboard’s 40 Under 40 (2014), Variety’s Hitmaker List (2018), and Variety’s Music City Impact Report (2017). He is a partner and CEO of Big Loud Publishing in Nashville, Tennessee. Big Loud’s records division celebrated five years on August 1.

Jeff Barker ’76

2

John ‘77 and Nita (Smith ‘77) Edwards

3

Yvi Martin ’01

4

Amber (Boxley ’04) Hurd

5

Stewart Stephens ’14 and Kiki Lizárraga

Tara (Underwood ’09) Docekal

has filed for 501c3 status for her nonprofit Mightiest Mamas. Mightiest Mamas supports mothers who face obstacles and hardships on the journey to conceive and give birth. The organization collects and shares personal stories from other moms and donates gift bags and baby clothes to the mothers of NICU babies at St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis.

2010s

Rashod Seaton ’11 recently published Key Traits to Becoming A Success: A Young People’s Guide (Lulu.com, 2020). The book draws from his experiences teaching and coaching in middle school and high school. He currently teaches seventh-grade writing in Champaign, Illinois. As an AVID instructor, he teaches midlevel students study skills that lead to Advancement Via Individual Determination. Rashod continues to minister as a musician and worship leader.

5 Stewart Stephens ’14 married Kiki Lizárraga on September 15, 2019. The couple lives in Long Beach, California, where Stewart works as bikeshare fleet

manager for cycling sustainability company Pedal Movement. He manages over 1,000 city bikes for the Transportation and Mobility Bureau of the City of Long Beach. He recently completed a master of arts in mythological studies with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California, and will continue his studies as a doctoral student.

6 Autumn Hartman ’15

graduated from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary with a master’s in public ministry. She majored in youth ministry while at GU.

Caleb Watts ’19 is the new baseball coach at North Greene High School in White Hall, Illinois. Caleb majored in physical education at GU.

’10

REUNION YEAR

October 16-18, 2020

2020s

Austin Burkhart ’20 has accepted a position with the Mulberry Grove Unit 1 School District in Mulberry Grove, Illinois, as a junior high science teacher.

Jasmine Webber ’20 works as a youth pastor at John Wesley Free Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jasmine graduated from Greenville University with degrees in worship arts and youth ministry. She also worked as a pastoral intern at the Greenville Free Methodist Church from 2018-2019.

Autumn Hartman ’15

ALUMNA ON CUTTING EDGE OF DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNING

Veronica Schmidt-Gomez ’98 has an inspiring story to tell and found eager listeners last February at a conference of the National Association for Bilingual Education. She developed and delivers a middle school social studies curriculum that engages students with lessons in English and in Spanish on alternating days.

The program has led to skyrocketing scores for students, in part because they more readily connect the two languages. The success has inspired a high school in her district to follow suit.

Schmidt-Gomez created the program to better serve her district’s high population of native Spanish-speaking students. Many enroll in dual language programs in elementary school, but once they move to all-English instruction in middle school, they “stall out” in reading and writing fluency in their native tongue.

A dearth of adequate English-to-Spanish textbook translations in Florida compelled her to translate textbooks and other materials. More elementary schools in her district now offer dual language programs, and her school will expand its dual language offerings to science and math courses. Schmidt-Gomez hopes many future students will share the experience she has enjoyed—loving two languages for life.

IN MEMORY

Ruby (Hastriter ’47) Wytcherley, age 94, of McPherson, Kansas, died February 22, 2020. The former schoolteacher loved to travel; she visited 39 countries.

U.S. Navy veteran Stanley Wytcherley ’48, age 96, of McPherson, Kansas, died March 22, 2020. He formerly worked for North American Rockwell.

GU Trustee Emeritus Donald Joy ’49, age 91, of Wilmore, Kentucky, died June 6, 2020. A prolific author, he taught many years at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Former schoolteacher Betty (Cassabaum ’50) Miles, age 93, of Springfield, Illinois, died April 28, 2020.

William Mullins ’50 died February 25, 2020. His wide interests led to work in education, manufacturing, and electrical contracting. His wife Norma (Randlett ’49) survives.

Educator Hope (Hopkins ’51) Coleman of San Diego, California, died June 3, 2020. She championed year-round education. Her dedicated service touched many.

David Hill ’51, age 92, of Lancaster, South Carolina, died April 12, 2019.

Rev. Gene Jarrett ’51, of Johnson City, Tennessee, died in March 2020. His 45 years of Christian service included Christian camping and church planting.

Retired schoolteacher Luella (Connor ’51) Thomas, age 90, of Forestburg, South Dakota, died March 30, 2019.

Former public-school educator and university director of teacher education Kenneth Dickinson ’52, age 90, of Spring Arbor, Michigan, died April 20, 2020.

Beloved high school business teacher Julia (Erdel ’52) Farley, age 90, of New Carlisle, Indiana, died February 24, 2020. She served others with grace, kindness, and charity.

Fulbright scholar Kenneth Shields ’52 died March 4, 2020. He pursued advanced studies in English literature and Christian theology, joining Southern Methodist University’s faculty in 1961 and retiring as professor emeritus in 2001.

U.S. Army veteran Stan Johnson ’53, age 91, of Mulberry Grove, Illinois, died March 17, 2020. He worked in education both as a teacher and administrator.

Former nurse Linda (Moorhouse ’55) Moore, age 87, of Spring Arbor, Michigan, died June 22, 2020. She also served faithfully through various church ministries. Linda’s husband Jesse ’51 survives.

Rev. Wade Robinson ’57, age 85, died July 10, 2020. He served Free Methodist churches in Louisiana, Illinois, and Texas. Only his love for Jesus Christ surpassed his love for family.

GU Trustee Emeritus David Fisher ’58, age 84, died June 17, 2020. A long-time engineer for Allen-Bradley Rockwell, the skilled communicator and collaborator served on the boards of multiple ministries.

Pastor and Portsmouth Counseling Center Founder Rev. Ralph Hudson ’58, age 83, died April 26, 2019, in Lancaster, Ohio. His wife of 63 years, Dorothy (Ruble ’65) Hudson, survives.

David L. Gines ’59, age 82, of Gainesville, Georgia, died March 18, 2020. A fundraiser in higher education, he initiated a resourcedevelopment program at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro.

Marilyn (Martin ’60) Forbes, age 81, of Timonium, Maryland, died May 1, 2020. Before raising a family, she worked with refugees in Jordan and taught school in Beirut.

Pastor and former Free Methodist conference superintendent Rev. Floyd Cooper ’61, age 91, of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, died February 16, 2020.

Former air traffic controller Doug Rolfe ’61, age 82, of Bainbridge, Indiana, died March 25, 2020. His broad interests included travel, home design and construction, and pedal steel guitar.

David Summerlot ’61, age 79, of Pocahontas, Illinois, died July 15, 2020. A U.S. Navy veteran, he worked for AT&T for 36 years.

Former schoolteacher Patricia (Goodall ’62) Staff, age 87, of Springfield, Illinois, died June 10, 2020.

Devout prayer warrior, former schoolteacher Esther (Heilman ’62) Wease, age 92, of Oskaloosa, Iowa, died June 16, 2020.

Lucille (Wheeler ’64) Mann, age 78, died March 21, 2020, in Bethalto, Illinois. She worked at Olin Corporation for 33 years and participated in ministries of the Bethalto First Baptist Church.

Bi-vocational schoolteacher and pastor Rev. Charles Alder, Jr. ’65, age 83, of Folsom, Louisiana, died April 11, 2020. He retired from teaching in 2002 and from the pastorate in 2017.

Pat Campbell ’67, age 76, of Chillicothe, Missouri, died June 30, 2020. She enjoyed many interests, but cherished family time above all.

Former schoolteacher and coach Kenneth McKinley ’67, of Lindale, Texas, died April 11, 2020. He later worked with EOG Resources.

Onetime schoolteacher and hospital lab technician Arlene (Burgess ’68) Miskelly, age 73, died April 15, 2020, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She loved music ministry.

Track coach Lanny Conner ’71, age 70, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, died May 9, 2020. He guided many high school and collegiate athletes to championship titles.

Former graphic designer Cindy (Odermann ’73) Ford, age 70, died July 12, 2020.

Janice (Wiehe ’74) Harbison, age 68, of Edwardsville, Illinois, died May 3, 2020. She served in long-term care and also taught preschool.

U.S. Army veteran Rev. Donald Pratt ’74, age 81, of Bloomington, Illinois, died July 3, 2020. He worked for McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft followed by 30 years of ministry.

Former medical technologist Marilyn (Wood ’76) Jackson, age 94, of Greenville, died Sunday, July 19, 2020.

Schoolteacher and athletic coach Joseph Robinson ’86, age 62, of Zanesville, Ohio, died February 2, 2020.

Gulf War veteran Murlee Bahr ’88 died July 4, 2020. He owned and operated a landscaping business.

Eric Jewett ’98, age 43, died November 29, 2019. He was ordained a deacon in the Orthodox Church in America.

Matthew Blount ’00, age 43, died April 21, 2020, in Westlake, Ohio. Regarded for his kindness and helpfulness, he enjoyed working in recreation and water sports.

Nicholas Olzem ’16, age 25, of Freeburg, Illinois, died April 4, 2020. His broad pursuits included music, science, and working on automobiles.

High school football coach and U.S. Army veteran Jamie Baldwin ’20, MAE, age 45, died July 11, 2020, in McDonough, Georgia.

GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2020 GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS 62246

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CURIOUS ABOUT EVERYTHING

Junior Ben Nguyen Xuan cannot contain his unabashed enthusiasm for learning. He

loves cooking, singing, dancing, making videos, studying languages, and sharing experiences with others. Literature, technical writing, and teaching English intrigue him. He imagines how he will apply what he learns: “It’s like the whole package that provides you the whole career.” Ben gratefully receives a donorfunded scholarship.