Margaret Trail Nielson ’49 knitted 124 warm winter stocking caps for McCook’s 30th annual “Coat Closet”.
Jack Stevens ’50 and his wife Norma were the 2011 Heritage Days Honor Family.
Marlene Reiners Foster ’53 along with her husband, Ken, selected the “Butterfly Sanctuary” at Community Hospital’s healing garden for a memorial gift of $10,000 to honor her twin brother Melvin Reiners ’53 who passed away in January 2011.
Lloyd Benjamin ’56 was recognized by Mid-Plains Community College as their 2011 Alumni of the Year recipient. In 1956 Benjamin enrolled at McCook College on an athletic scholarship to play football, wrestle, and run track. He also excelled in the classroom and later transferred to the University of Idaho and then the University of Nebraska, completing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1961
Loni Helwick Johnson ’60 was instrumental in the apprehension of a potentially dangerous criminal. On 1/28/12 two suspects led local law enforcement on a high speed chase through Kearney County and Minden, NE. Shots were fired at the Nebraska State Patrol officers. The two men abandoned their vehicle and continued on foot. At that point one of the suspects was apprehended. On Saturday, unaware of any of the previous night activities, Loni arrived at work at the Minden Library, to find a young man she described as “looking kind of rough” at the door. He wanted to make a phone call but she told him he could not use the phone to make long distance phone calls. She then noticed the man was on Facebook on the library computer. Shortly, the library phone rang and the person on the line wanted to speak to Peter Strizheus, who was the only one in the library. Johnson became suspicious, noting the scratches on the man’s face, the lack of shoes and what looked like pieces of corn husks on his clothing. Loni decided to call her friend and shared her observations about her patron’s appearance. Her friend alerted her husband, who was a deputy sheriff. “ He took over from there and got the cops here.” Loni was taken out of the building and the man was arrested. Loni said, “I wasn’t scared, he was a young kid to me. He didn’t seem to be a threat.”
Janet Rutt Hepp’65 was appointed to one of two unoccupied seats on the McCook City Council by Mayor Dennis Berry.
Judy Bauer Proett ’65 Altoona, WI does watercolor painting and is teaching beginning classes three times a week at the local Senior Center.
Ronnie Rogers ’68 received a certificate for 25 years of safe driving in his work as a mail carrier in McCook. Postmaster, Kelly Parry Lacey ’85 also recognized Rogers and Robert Logan ’61 for 7 years of safe driving.
Randy Peters ’71 was elected to the Farm Credit Services of America Board of Directors.
Doug Skiles ’73 CPA, was re-elected to chair the Nebraska State Board of Public Accountancy.
Judy Andrews McKee ’75 has been appointed director of the VA Hospital in Madison, WI.
Diane Snyder ’76 has become a nationally licensed Emergency Medical Technician (EMT); she holds license in NJ under a medical doctor and in PA and AZ, as well as her nationally recognized certification. Diane even got to try out her license on a cruise ship for ten days in March. Diane says she truly enjoys giving back to the community in a way that isn’t for everyone.
Carol Stewart Schlegel ‘78 was hired as the Red Willow County tourism director. Her duties will be to promote, encourage and attract visitors to the county, and to facilitate events and activities that can utilize travel and tourism facilities available in the county. Denise Garey Ringenberg ’80 is now the Health Educator with the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department.
Alisa Williams Parde ’82 is the new associate pastor at Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook.
US Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Victor Purvis ’82 received the Purple Heart awarded to him by President Obama for wounds received in action on Dec. 1, 2010 in Afghanistan. Purvis has also received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Tri Valley Health Systems in Cambridge, NE recently welcomed a new Director of Surgical Services. Mike Fritz, 86 brings seven years of experience with him from serving as the Orthopedic Surgery Coordinator at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Mike is nearing completion of his Masters of Nursing Degree.
Mark Kool ’89 and members of the McCook Fire Department’s GO GO Light team competed in the World Firefighter Compbat Challenge in Myrtle Beach, SC, advancing to the finals.
Darcey Newlon Hansen ’89 serves as the McCook TeamMates coordinator. The TeamMates Mentoring Program was founded in 1991 by University of Nebraska Head Football Coach Tom Osborne and his wife Nancy. What began with 22 matches in the Lincoln Public Schools has grown to more than 5,000 matches across Nebraska, Iowa and California.
Major Tony Bauer ‘90 was promoted to Lt. Colonel on Jan. 1, 2012. He is Chief of Plans and Operations for 3rd Army Gl, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Amy Nelms Strauch ’93 was the McCook Art Guild Artist of the Month for her photography depicting the simple beauty of Southwest Nebraska.
Stacey Alberts Aguilar ’94 of McCook Community Hospital and Cathy Fidler Broz ’73 of Dundy County Hospital were honored as “ Caring Kind” recipients during the 2011 Nebraska Hospital Association convention.
Matt Kaminski ’94 has taken over as head basketball coach of the 2011 North Platte Bulldogs after he worked as an assistant there from 2000-2005.
Marcus Clapp ’96 enters his seventh season as the pitching coach for the Scottsdale Community College Artichokes, in Scottsdale, AZ. Coach Clapp is responsible for all aspects of the pitching staff’s conditioning, mechanics, and game preparations. But his duties do not stop there. Clapp is also involved in recruiting, fundraising and travel arrangements. Coach Clapp has been named Assistant Athletic Director. He assists in development and management in the athletic department, monitors all student athletes and promotes a philosophy of academic achievement. He also assists in the organization, supervision and administration of all programs of athletics at Scottsdale Community College. Marcus and his wife Leesa have an 18-month-old son, Wyatt.
Dr. Craig Nemechek ‘97 is a new general surgeon at Midlands Clinic in Dakota Dunes, SD. Nemechek has an interest in complex hernia repair.
Phillip Corey ’98 recently opened First Financial Merchant Services in McCook. The company processes credit card transactions. Also, along with his wife, Hannah they have opened, Rock N Cola Sweet Shoppe, specializing in glass bottled sodas and vintage candies.
Brett Warren ’00 was one of seven UPS automotive technicians who qualified for and competed in the national “Super Tech” contest in Raleigh, NE
Kevin and Tera Montey Boyd, both from the Class of 2001, have recently moved back to McCook with their infant daughter Raegan. Tera has been hired by Community Hospital of McCook to be their safety assistant. Kevin is now the operations manager for Double D Lawn and Landscaping, owned by Dan Dueland ’74. Kevin worked for Double D Lawn during high school and while he was attending college at MCC. Welcome back to McCook!
Kaitlin Powell Haag ’04 is a dentist at Southwest Nebraska Dental Center in McCook and Imperial, Nebraska.
Andrea Soden ’06 is the new Area Activity Specialist/Administrative Assistant in the Office of Student Life for McCook Community College. Andrea manages the office with coordination housing contracts, athletic correspondence, and business functions as well as serving as the coordinator of student activities for MCC. Andrea said “I really love the interaction with students and being in a college environment.”
Kari Eisenach Messinger’07 has returned to McCook as the new respiratory therapist at U-Save Pharmacy.
Abby Stewart ‘07 graduated from UNMC College of Nur-sing in December of 2011. She is working in Omaha at Im-manuel Medical Center on the Maternal Services ward.