Alumni were welcomed recently to the 129th Black River Falls High School (BRFHS) Alumni
Banquet by Steve Peterson, president of the alumni board. The evening was marked with enjoyable
encounters as well as collective memories and accomplishments of the honored most senior and
anniversary-year attendees. The event this year was co-sponsored by three 1961 graduates, David
(Marilyn) Hoffman, John (Jan) Reichert and Mark (Lorie) Werner as well as 1960 graduate Gerald
Schunke.
Before dinner was served, five flutists from the BRFHS Music Department, Alicia Betancurt,
Jaide Charles, Sophia Gorski, Taylyn Oliver and Grace Tande, performed some musical
arrangements, including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which found guests joining in singing. Then
Pastor Elden Simonson, Class of 1974, provided the invocation followed by Randy Bjerke, former
Jackson County Veterans Service Officer, paying tribute to veterans and leading the group with the
“Pledge of Allegiance.”
After a short business meeting, Peterson then acknowledged the efforts of the school district’s
Nutrition Services Department staff and its supervisor Connie Lechner Seiber for their continued
support in coordinating the evening meal as well as the coordination of behind-the-scenes roles of
Andy Osegard, activities director, and Marti Herzberg, district office administrative assistant. Assisting
the department with serving the buffet meal were Miss Jackson County court members Grace Roskos
and Samantha Blazek and Miss BRF court members Olivia Heller, Rilyn Holcomb, Annaliese Rave
and Tamber Scheurich. The court members’ organizations have been dedicated volunteers to the
alumni for many years. Also acknowledged for their years of assistance was the front desk
registration crew, Bonnie Gomer, Bonnie Wakershauser Harmes, Blanche Higgins Dobson and Linda
Kubina Nortman, as well as the Friday night set-up crew, Randy Bjerke, Carol Johnson Kler, Kirk
Franke, Ian Janowski, Erika Phillips, and past alumni board officers Ellie Aldach Hurlburt, Lois
Peterson Ferries and Karen Noard Arndt. Additional alumni who recently signed on included Mary
Peterson, Diane Thompson Anderson and Susan Engebretson Johnston.
Peterson again recognized the financial support of the four alumni members as well as the
efforts of the custodial staff, scholarship committee, WWIS, the Banner Journal, The Print Shop, and
the Co-op Credit Union for their contributions to the success of the banquet.
Clarice Hanson Franke, secretary/treasurer of the alumni board, expressed appreciation to the
alumni for their continued financial support of the BRFHS Alumni Scholarship Fund, which since 1999
has provided $72,500 to eligible alumni applicants. She noted the board was fortunate at one time to
award one $500 scholarship; now three $2,000 scholarships were distributed. The BRF Area
Foundation manages the fund with coordinated efforts of Julie Murray, the Foundation’s operations
specialist.
This year’s scholarship recipients were introduced by Grace Hanson Nordahl, alumni board
vice president. All three recipients were in attendance this year along with their parents: Kenley
Brown (Class of 2025), Emma Goodenough (Class of 2019) and Lyndsi Laufenberg (Class of 2024).
Brown is majoring in nursing at Edgewood University with a career pursuit as a prenatal or neonatal
nurse; Goodenough, majoring in nursing at UW-Eau Claire, plans to obtain a nursing position at UW
Health in Madison; and Laufenberg, carrying a major in marketing/minor in management and art,
aspires to be a marketing or business manager.
The program then noted the six school district retirees: Anthony Boerger, instructional coach,
middle school, 32 years; Ann Eberhardt, kindergarten teacher, Forrest Street Elementary, 20 years;
Theresa Meek-Skogstad, 6th-grade teacher, middle school, 28 years; Kirsten Meier, interventionist,
Forrest Street Elementary, 35 years; Larry Severson, special ed teacher, middle school, 3 years and
many years with football/baseball/hockey programs; and Scott Tubbs, special ed teacher, Red Creek
Elementary, 22 years.
The alumni (Classes 1946-1953) at the front table always receive special attention. Nordahl
introduced the audience to these guests along with some of their high school highlights: Tom
Ristuben and Mary Lou Zeman Brown (Class of 1946), Mary Van Gorden (Class of 1947), James
Smetana (Class of 1950), Donald Barkley, Mary Solberg Glasenapp and Roger Heineck (Class of
1951), Basil Holder (Class of 1952), and Charlotte Tomter Peterson (Class of 1953).
Welcoming anniversary-year classes and introducing their classmates to the audience were
Dick Hillliker (70-year Class of 1956), Jim Sprester (65-year Class of 1961), Junior Lindow (60-year
Class of 1966), Pat Anderson (“Golden Anniversary” 50-year Class of 1976) along with classmate
Mike Kappen, Allen Johnson (40-year Class of 1986) and Ryan Nordahl (30-year Class of 1996).
The closing remarks by Peterson included introducing those in attendance of the non-
anniversary classes in five-year increments. The alumni officers will remain the same: Steve Peterson
(Class of 1970), president; Grace Hanson Nordahl (Class of 1969), vice president/scholarship
chairwoman; and Clarice Hanson Franke (Class of 1965), secretary/treasurer.
Next year’s banquet will be held Saturday, May 29, 2027.