Alumnotes [ 50s | 60s | 70s | 80s | 90s ]
1940s1950s Top
Raymond Anderson ’51 and his wife, Irmagene
“Genie” (Davis) att., live in Desert Hot Springs, Calif.
Raymond credits the dedication of the WWC faculty in his decision to become
a minister. He taught for three years and did ministerial and departmental
work for 33 years in the U.S. and Canada. His greatest memory of WWC is the
fellowship of the G.I.s. During a party they had in Columbia Auditorium, he
remembers performing a few magic tricks and, with the help of Dick McCoy,
“sawing” Everett Cumbo in half on stage. Raymond and Genie have
three children, Ronald ’77, Carey, and Judith.
Herbert Bork ’51 and his wife, Nadene (Thompson) ’51, currently make their home in Pendleton, Ore. They are retired from teaching after more than 37 years. Herbert taught upper grade subjects and was principal at several different schools; Nadene taught mostly lower grades, all in the Upper Columbia Conference. The couple currently owns a foundry business producing Bronze Saddle Hardware and are members of the Pendleton Church. They have one son, Stephen ’74.
Richard Bredemeier ’51 and his wife, Joyce (Hardt) att., live in Hermiston, Ore. Richard’s greatest memory of WWC is meeting and dating his then future wife, Joyce. After graduating, Richard earned a master’s degree in mathematics at Oregon State University and spent 27 years as the head of the math department at Hermiston High School. Richard and Joyce have four children, Curtis, Chet ’78, Gordon, and Jane Roe att.
Bonnie Chinn ’51 currently lives in College Place. She spent 33 years teaching at Lynwood Academy in Los Angeles before retiring. She keeps busy volunteering for an overseas mission support group, visiting and running errands for the home-bound, and being the fellowship kitchen chairperson for her church.
Clarence Chinn ’51 and his wife, Catherine, live in College Place. Clarence received both master’s and doctoral degrees from Oregon State University and later a second doctorate from the University of Tennessee. He taught at WWC from 1967 to 1981 and worked at the College Dairy until 1995. Clarence and Catherine are charter members of a small church in Umapine, Ore. They enjoy gardening, bird watching, camping, traveling, and visiting family. They have three children, Duane att., Dale ’79, and Donna ’80.
Clayton Cochrane ’51 resides in Martinez, Calif., with his wife, Barbara Ann. Clayton has been an instructor at Diablo Valley College for more than 40 years, and Barbara is the secretary to the president of the Northern California SDA Conference. They have two sons and ten grandchildren whose ages range from four months to 27 years. Clayton’s fondest memories of WWC are the friends he made.
Ben Fischer ’51 and his wife, Roberta (Davis) ’47, live in Battle Ground, Wash., where they continue working in the family greenhouse business. Ben’s fondest memory of WWC is being part of the International Relations Club. The couple have three children, Jacqueline, David ’79, and Curtis att.
Zeph Foster ’51 met his wife, Lorraine (Beach) att., at WWC. They live in Boise, Idaho. He remembers the good time he had living in Sittner Hall and the great roommates he had.
Ted Glendrange ’51 and his wife, Judi, reside in Whitmore, Calif. After graduating from WWC, Ted spent four years in the Marine Corps. He served in Japan and Korea and was discharged as a captain. Ted spent some time working in aerospace technology, served as research director for a small international chemical coatings and adhesives company, and later started his own manufacturing company in California and Texas. Currently he teaches math and science in a private high school. Ted and his wife have six children.
Joyce (Peterson) Grasser ’51 and her husband, Lester, make their home in Heppner, Ore. Looking back on the past 50 years, Joyce reflects that they have been “busy and pleasant.” The couple have been active in their small church, and since retirement have volunteered in the community as well. They are happy at home tending their yard and garden.
LeRoy Hesgard ’51 and his wife, Lenore, are retired and living in Salem, Ore. LeRoy has two children, Sandra Pascoto att. and Randy ’72. LeRoy was inspired by a “Spirit of Prophecy” class he took from Professor Hendershot, who told the class that public schools were a great opportunity for mission work. LeRoy, who originally planned to teach in an SDA school, chose to teach for 27 years in the public school system.
Thelma (Burbank) Johnson ’51 and her husband, Delmar ’50, are retired and live in Redlands, Calif. Thelma and Delmar have two children, Laurel ’78 and Walter ’79.
Donna (Newell) Lindstrom ’51 and her husband, Paul ’56, live near Pasco, Wash. They are retired and Donna works with Bibleinfo.com in Spokane, Wash., in addition to speaking appointments at some smaller churches. Her fondest memory of WWC is of taking nursing at the Portland campus.
Clyde Petersen ’51 and his wife, Barbara, live in College Place. After graduation, Clyde took graduate courses at the University of Oregon, served a few years in the military, and married Barbara, a nurse in training at Loma Linda University. They returned to the Walla Walla Valley in 1958 and began a real estate business. Clyde and Barbara have two children, Gary ’85 and Gail Roberts ’86.
Donna (Loop) Pigg ’51 lives with her husband, James, in Spray, Ore. They are both retired. Throughout the years, Donna has enjoyed music, photography, outdoor hiking, traveling, and gardening. The couple has been busy with their new project of raising cattle and growing alfalfa.
David Ritchie ’51 and his wife, Donna, are retired and recently returned to their “roots” to live in College Place. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 2000 and have four children and two granddaughters.
Claude Sterling ’51 lives with his wife, Doris, in Angwin, Calif. He completed a master’s in business administration degree at Golden Gate University. The high point of his career was installing a $3 million digital telephone system at Loma Linda Medical Center. He has participated in several Maranatha projects, and is active in the Elmshaven SDA Church. Claude and Doris enjoy trips in their motor home as well as spending winters in Arizona. They have two children, Rodney and Keith.
Oscar Teske ’51 and his wife, Oralee (Johnson) att., live in Sun City, Calif. Oscar retired in 1983 having balanced 23 budgets for the city of Covina. Oscar and Oralee have three children.
Lois (Schaffner) Thornton ’51 and her husband, Irving, make their home in Riverside, Calif. Lois retired as a nurse, and Irving retired from sales and marketing. One memorable time for Lois at WWC was being a Sabbath School superintendent. “Everyone worked together so well,” she says. “It laid a foundation for me as I held various church offices in later years.” Lois has two children, four stepchildren, and 12 grandchildren ages 4 to 25.
Verna (Sackett) Travis ’51 and her husband, Gordon ’51, live in Grand Prairie, Texas. Since graduation, Verna has worked primarily for the U.S. government and the Seventh-day Adventist church. She worked for seven years at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and a short time at Mather Airforce Base in California. Her denominational work includes 10 years of pastoral ministry for Northern California Conference and more than 17 years at St. Helena Hospital and Health Center. Since 1998 the couple have been assisting in evangelistic meetings and pastoral visitation in the Texas Conference. They have three children.
Betty (Knapp) Van der Vlugt ’51 and ’57 retired more than five years ago and now works part time as a parish nurse coordinator. She lives with her husband, Eugene “Ray,” in Rocklin, Calif. Betty is enjoying retirement and having more time for outreach projects.
Lowell Van Tassel ’51 and his wife, Viola, are retired and currently live in Redmond, Ore. They are directors of an active Community Service Center that serves approximately 200 families every month. Lowell’s hobbies include woodworking, photography, and gardening. One of his favorite memories of WWC is of holding an evangelistic series in Prosser. Lowell and Viola have two daughters and five grandchildren.
Ramona (Bates) Wesson ’51 met her husband, Roy ’50 and ’59, while attending WWC. They have been married more than 50 years and currently reside in Baldwinsville, N.Y. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. Ramona and Roy are retired and do volunteer work for the church.
1960s Top
Adella Ashbaugh ’61 and her husband,
Earl ’61, live in Shelton, Wash. They have one daughter, Leisa
att. Adella remembers attending chapel three days a week in the old Columbia
Auditorium during her freshman year and looking out the windows of her classrooms
at the beautiful Blue Mountains. The retired couple enjoy reading, politics,
and visiting the Oregon and Washington coasts in their motor home.
Glenn Aufderhar ’61 lives in Thousand Oaks, Calif., with his wife, Barbara. The couple have three children and seven grandchildren.
Burton Briggs ’61 and his wife, Carolyn (Hayden) ’59, reside in Cherry Valley, Calif. He is a professor of anesthesiology at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Burton and Carolyn have two children, Susan att. and Cynthia ’93.
Kenneth Carr ’61 lives in Aurora, Ore., with his wife, Ellamae (Kurtz) att. The couple is retired and has worked for several years with Maranatha Volunteers, helping with construction of churches and schools. They have two sons and five grandchildren. Kenneth’s favorite WWC teacher was Donnie Rigby because “she made communication come alive.”
Lynn Heath ’61 lives in Loma Linda, Calif., with his wife, Peggy. Lynn is a medical technologist at the Loma Linda University Medical Center Clinical Laboratory. Peggy is self-employed as a consulting dietitian.
Sharon Helland ’61 resides in Aberdeen, Wash. She has been active in her church through the years and currently teaches kindergarten. She also volunteers at the church food bank. Sharon likes to travel, read, walk, and work in her garden. Sharon has fond memories of Friday vespers services in the basement of Conard Hall and singing from the old church hymnal.
Joan (Vestner) Hilde ’61 and her husband, Jack att., live in Sedro Woolley, Wash. Their family of three children and four grandchildren enjoy getting together often. Joan has a passion for traveling, gardening, aerobics, and water and snow sports, to name a few hobbies. She is active in her church and volunteers at their local church school and thrift store.
Eugene Hood ’61 and his wife, Lois, make their home in Springdale, Wash. He is retired and has two sons and three grandchildren.
Viola (Rovaloff) Koberstine ’61 lives in Spokane, Wash., with her husband, Delbert. They have two children, Raymond ’90 and Lori ’94. Viola remembers that Professor Stoehr, who taught “Spirit of Prophecy” and “German,” always challenged his students to be good witnesses and share truth with others. Viola is currently working part time and looking forward to full retirement.
Levi Kuhn ’61 and his wife, Rose-Marie (Olson) att., live in Penryn, Calif. A highlight of his college experience was taking classes at the Rosario Marine Station. Levi enjoys bird-watching, gardening, and his work as an ophthalmologist.
Laura (Buckendahl) Lewis ’61 lives in Conyers, Ga., where she enjoys growing irises and day lilies. She has two sons, Vollee and David.
Wilma (Meske) O’Day ’61 and her husband, Robert ’61, live in Aberdeen, Wash., where they are retired. They are happy to be blessed with good health and enjoy working in their yard and garden. Wilma remembers being inspired by the spirit-filled devotions that Helen Ward Evans presented during worships. Wilma and Robert have two children and four grandchildren.
Greta-Joy (Uehlin) Palmer ’61 lives in College Place where she works as a library assistant. She has happy memories of traveling cross-country on a train and visiting alumni all along the way. Her favorite WWC teacher was Bernice Searle ’39 who taught how precious each child is and how teachers should be reflections of Christ. She has two children, John and Janel “Raelene” att.
Naomi (Budd) Parson ’61 lives in Citrus Heights, Calif., with her husband, William att. Naomi has led prayer ministries in her church for the past six years. The last two years she has also been prayer coordinator for the Northern California SDA Conference. Naomi and William have one daughter.
Morian (Perry) Perepelitza ’61 met his wife, Rose Marie (Goerlitz) att., at WWC. Today they live in Boise, Idaho. Morian attended Loma Linda University Medical School and then decided to study education. He worked as a teacher, and he is currently the superintendent of schools for the Idaho SDA Conference. Rose Marie works at Caldwell Adventist Elementary School. The couple enjoys traveling, hiking, music, reading, and attending various cultural events. They have three children, Stephanie ’87, Mark att., and Kirk Perry att.
Delmer Smith ’61 and ’70 and his wife, Edith (Leno) ’69, are retired and live in Milton-Freewater, Ore. They have three children, Lowell att., Constance ’67, and Judith ’71; and many grandchildren.
Lillian (Mehling) Stutz ’61 lives with her husband, Helmut att., in Burlington, Wash. Their lives have been full with church, community service, family, two mission trips, and continuing involvement in the Saratov region in Russia. Now that they are both retired, the couple looks forward to making family and travel the priorities in their lives. They have two children, Monica Wildman ’83 and Michael ’89.
Betty (Starkebaum) Syme ’61 is retired and lives in Medford, Ore., with her husband Homer att. She remembers being a resident assistant in Conard Hall and working with Helen Evans on Friday vespers programs. Her favorite teacher was Bernice Searle, whose positive influence helped Betty achieve her goal of being an elementary school teacher. She has one daughter, Rachele ’99.
1970s Top
Darlene (Dudar) Bisgaard ’76 and her husband,
Fred ’78, currently reside in Centerville, Ohio.
Darlene is a nurse practitioner of dermatology and Fred works in the emergency
department at Sycamore Hospital. Darlene remembers the closeness and support
from teachers and students in the nursing program. The couple have two children.
Loma (McCreery) Boyd ’76 and her husband, Bruce ’77, currently reside in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Loma is a licensed daycare provider in her home, and Bruce pastors the Orchard City and Sun Valley Fellowship SDA churches. They have three children, Benjamin curr. att., Jeremiah curr. att., and Jodi.
Dennis Casper ’76 lives in Seattle, Wash., with his wife, Marjo. Dennis’ favorite teacher was Malcolm Maxwell because “he gave one space to work through spiritual issues, but at the same time gave gentle yet clear Godly direction.”
Stan Cleveland ’76 lives in Portland, Ore., where he works as a graphic artist. He remembers the way the men of Sittner Hall sang with enthusiasm during evening worships in Village Hall. His favorite WWC teacher was Lewis Canaday who was an example of service, integrity, and commitment to God.
Graham Glover ’76 and his wife, Sharron (Waterman) ’67, live in Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. Graham and Sharron scheduled their classes to allow them to attend WWC and raise their two sons at the same time. After WWC, Graham earned a master of divinity degree from Andrews University. He is currently a pastor and director of trust services for the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference. Graham and Sharron enjoy golfing and gardening in their free time.
Rollin Hixson ’76 and his wife, Kathleen (Goodman) att., live in Montesano, Wash. Rollin spent 17 years in Alaska pastoring various churches. Recently, he became a pastor in Grays Harbor in western Washington. Rollin’s best memory of WWC is meeting Kathleen. Rollin and Kathleen have two children.
Cynthia “Cindy” (Black) Jones ’76 and her husband, Jack, make their home in Naples, Idaho. They operate a Bible study correspondence school and self-supporting ministry from their home.
Ann (Fulton) Larrabee ’76 and her husband, Mark att., make their home in Sandy, Ore. Ann remembers doing her clinicals at the old Portland Adventist Hospital on 60th and Belmont. She has two children, Paula att. and Peter.
Perry Meador ’76 lives in Yelm, Wash., with his wife, Donna (Bowen) ’79. Perry is a nurse at St. Peter Hospital and Donna is teaching home school. They have two children, Crystal and Jeffery.
Karen Ordelheide ’76 and her husband, Jim Mason, are both physicians and live in Broomfield, Colo. They have two children. Karen remembers dorm life, Friday vespers, and spending the summer at Rosario Beach. Her favorite teachers include Don Rigby, Dale Galusha, and Larry McClosky.
Penny Pancoast ’76 currently lives in Seal Beach, Calif. Her fondest memory of WWC is the beautiful mountains that surround the area. She appreciated all her teachers and their support of her career in medicine.
Kathleen (Hall) Sliwiak ’76 lives in North Potomac, Md., with her husband, Bob. Kathleen and Bob recently helped start a traveling baseball team that one of their two sons plays on.
Dwayne Stevenson ’76 and his wife, Roxanne (Colburn) ’75, make their home in Salem, Ore. They have five children, Matthew curr. att., Erin, Christopher, Laura Ayers Sloan, and Patricia Ayers Moursalian.
Doug White ’76 and his wife, Sandy, currently live in Kirkland, Wash. Doug is the principal of both Kirkland SDA School and Puget Sound Adventist Academy. He cites Ernie Bursey as his favorite teacher for making the “Life and Teachings of Jesus” class practical. Doug and Sandy have two children, Angela att. and Jennifer curr. att.
Janile (Knutsen) Winslow ’76 lives in Smith River, Calif., with her husband, Dwight att. She is finishing a complete rebuild of a house that was destroyed by fire. Dwight is the medical director for the 3,500 inmates in the Pelican Bay California State Prison. The couple has two girls that Janile says are “sweet, pretty, smart, and otherwise generally perfect.” The family enjoys boating and playing volleyball to relax.
1980s Top
Darlene (Ogren) Erickson ’81 and her husband,
Don, live in Goodlettsville, Tenn., with their two children. Darlene works
in the psych-addiction ward of the Tennessee Christian Medical Center. Don
is the manager of a bookstore.
Sheryl (Edwards) Holbrook ’81 is teaching 4th grade and lives in College Place. She was impressed by Hollibert Phillips’s intelligence and enthusiasm for his work. She has one daughter, Callie.
Steve McHan ’81 and his wife, Kelly ’81, make their home in Sonoma, Calif. Steve is the pastor of the Sonoma SDA Church and Kelly is finishing her master’s degree. The couple have two children, Cara and Cam.
Dale Peterson ’81 and his wife, Sharon (Ford) ’82, live in Milton-Freewater, Ore. Dale enjoyed hiking and bicycling on Sabbaths and weekends with Christian friends at WWC. He credits Walt Meske with encouraging him to pursue medicine, although it was the furthest thought from his mind at the time. Dale and Sharon have been active in Pathfinder groups, first in Idaho, and then with the Village Church in College Place. The couple have three children, and the family regularly enjoys snow skiing and water sports.
Mark Remboldt ’81 lives with his wife, Janette (Gimbel) att., and their two children in Auburn, Wash. Both Mark and Janette work for Auburn Adventist Academy.
Dede (Elsom) Steffanson ’81 and her husband, Dwight att., live in College Place with their two sons. Dede is glad to be working only part-time so that she can spend more time with her boys. The family enjoys water sports on the river during the summer and skiing and snowmobiling during the winter.
Phil White ’81 and his wife, Jan (Zaugg) ’77, live in Auburn, Wash. Phil is the assistant to the president of the Washington SDA Conference. Jan works in women’s ministries and is human resources director for the Washington SDA Conference. Their biggest thrill is in watching their two children grow up. Phil says Loren Dickinson gave him a love for the field of communication and Jon Dybdahl gave him a love for Jesus and the Bible.
Carl Wilkens ’81 and his wife, Teresa (Appley) ’81, make their home in Days Creek, Ore. Carl is pastor of the Milo Academy Church and was involved in planning an evangelistic crusade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, during spring 2001. Teresa is a secretary at Milo Academy. The couple have three children.
1990s Top
David Belcher ’91 and his wife, Lydia, reside
in Bothell, Wash., where David works as a testing engineer at Piexus Corp.
Lydia works in electronic assembly for SynRad Inc. The couple has three children,
Timothy, Julie, and Kimberly.
Ian Ferrell ’91 and his wife, Melati (Baybars) ’91, live in Bellevue, Wash. Ian is a group program manager at Microsoft working on the development of a new type of cellular phone. His job recently took him to Geneva, Switzerland, where he demonstrated a prototype of the phone on stage with Bill Gates. Melati is enjoying being a stay-at-home mom to their 3-year-old son, Hunter.
Barbara (Spencer) Frohne ’91 and her husband, Rob ’83, reside in College Place. Barbara loves being a full-time mom to her two children. She also teaches childbirth classes in Walla Walla. Her favorite memories of WWC are friends, retreats, and spending a year as a student missionary.
Sara (Archer) Knapp ’91 lives with her husband, Daniel ’89, and three stepchildren in Clarkston, Wash. Her favorite teacher was Dave Bullock because “he made me want to succeed, inspired me to write and told me I could do whatever I put my mind to.”
Travis Kokkeler ’91 lives in Bend, Ore., with his wife, Erica, and two children, Dylan and Noah. His favorite teacher at WWC was Loren Dickinson.
Annette Lackaff ’91 lives in Portland, Ore. She is a staff nurse in drug and alcohol treatment at the Veteran’s Medical Center. Annette says she was inspired by Fred Troutman’s dedication at WWC.
Marja-Leena (Raunio) McChesney ’91 lives in College Place with her two children, Andrew att., and Anita ’97. She received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina and currently teaches in the WWC School of Social Work.
Melissa (Fish) Olfert ’91 and her husband, Mark att., live in Poway, Calif. Melissa has a private practice as a preventive care specialist working with various physician groups in San Diego. She recently completed her doctoral degree at Loma Linda University. Mark is completing a fellowship at the University of California, San Diego, in conjunction with NASA. He recently finished his doctoral degree in pulmonary physiology with a focus on high altitude research.
Randy Opp ’91 lives in Puyallup, Wash., with his wife, Kari, and son, Tyler. Randy finished his medical training in interventional radiology and plans to begin practicing in Washington state. Kari coordinates the Cradle Roll class for the Calimesa SDA Church. A distinct recollection for Randy at WWC was the time Greg Jacob and he fell off a chairlift at Bluewood trying to reach someone’s ski pole.
Charles Paulson ’91 and his wife, Loralee, reside in Spangle, Wash., with their two daughters Alisha and Michaela. Charles is a technology instructor at Upper Columbia Academy and Loralee works as a licensed practical nurse at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Michele (Schilt) Schoepflin ’91 lives in Viola, Idaho, with her husband, Ron att. They are excited to be parents and to watch their 1-year-old daughter, Madison, discover the world. Michele previously taught in SDA junior high schools for eight years. Ron is a dentist in Moscow, Idaho.
Karin Thompson ’91 lives in Leominster, Mass., where she is an assistant professor of music at Atlantic Union College.
Kathy (Johnson) Wagner ’91 and her husband, Scott, are self-employed and make their home in Mondovi, Wis. They have two daughters, Mandy and Megan.
Matt Weber ’91 and his wife, Judy (Gren) ’92, live in Bay City, Ore. Matt has taught in Adventist schools for 10 years, and currently teaches at Tillamook Adventist School. Judy works in the billing department at Tillamook Medical Associates. W