A BHS Matriarch?

Recently Marge Quam, longtime secretary to the principals of BHS, passed away (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/marjorie-quam).  Her life story is exceptionally intriguing and inspiring.

As stated, she had to quit high school three years before before graduating.  However, she returned to complete high school at BHS when she was in her early 30's and graduated in 1962, having completed three years of coursework in only two years, while also making the National Honor Society in her senior year.  My brother also graduated that year.  I was always mystified why this older student was pictured in their yearbook.  Now we know why.  A number of our classmates also had siblings in that class.  Among them are (my apologies if any of these listed are not brothers or sisters) Nancy Davis, Julie Faust, Joanne Gustafson, Mike Harrison (his brother David was here in elementary school before moving away shortly after 1962), Marnel Hirschmann, Linda Hokanson, Jerry Koenders, Mike Mehegan, Dave Moxon, Pat O'Connell, Floyd Olson, Rodney Sanders, Priscilla Stoner, Jim Webbenhurst, and Bob Walz. 

Marge must have impressed Mr. Bell, as she was hired to be his secretary soon after she had graduated.  She then held that position for 31 years until retiring in 1993.  Like most secretaries, she probably knew more about what was happening in the school than the faculty and administration.  She knew which students were absent, habitually late for class, or even skipping.  Her skills were perhaps most appreciated and needed in the spring, when many extra-curricular activites are occurring and graduation preparations need to be finalized.  Her ability to remain calm and to hold faculty and students accountable helped make BHS an exemplary school.

She would also know what activities most of the students were involved with, as advisors and coaches would have to provide the office a list of students who would need to be excused for competitions and practices.  

Marge's husband Herb owned Herb's Body Shop, which was originally located somewhat kitty-corner form Bozied's Conoco at 6th and Main.  That business was later taken over by their son Dave, who was in the class of 1967, the last one to graduate from the "old" high school by the courthouse ( a number of us had older brothers or sisters in that class:  Jim Wright, Bob Wakeman, Brian Walsh, Ann Thysell, Bill and Bob Sturdevant, Bob Sterud, Jim Steen, Anita Sloat, Tom Simmons, Susan Robish, Jan Roberts, Steve Quincy, Joann Perso, Linda Mehegan, Ginny Marshall, Catherine Linder, Terry Liebing, Jay Leibel, Lee Kratochvil, Tony Koenders, Beth Kallemeyn, Mary Ellen Josephson, Dexter Johnson, Janice Jensen (?), Steve Holm, Chuck Hoekman, Ruth Herrig, Barb Hendricks, Pete Hauff, Brad Hamilton, Barb Davis, Brian Darnall, Bonnie Christie, Dave Cavanaugh, Richard Brown, Dave Bozied, Ralph Bortnem, Tom Boggs, Phil Bjordahl, Mary Ann Berkland, Joyce Berge, Dennis Baker, Bill Anderson, Duane Allison, and Elizabeth Ahlers.  My apologies for any errors or omissions).  In the early 70's, Dave moved the shop to South Main between the old Purple Cow and the Sioux Drive-In, and renamed the business "Dave's Collision."  Dave retired a few years ago, and his son Nate now runs the shop, which continues to do outstanding repairs.  They even restored a 1957 Chevy for a classmate of ours.   Dave is best remembered in high school as being an excellent student manager for the athletic teams.

Marge was certainly an importanteam member of an outstanding school.  As our 1969 yearbook states, "Not the biggest, but the best."  Marge Quam certainly did her share to uphold that tradition.  Our condolences to Dave and his family on the loss of their mother and matriarch.  

   

Cheaper By The Dozen?

Does anyone recall the Junior Class play when we were freshmen in 1965-66?  If not, it was the title of this post, Cheaper By The Dozen (https://www.supersummary.com/cheaper-by-the-dozen/summary/) My vague recollection of the play was that Lefty" Johnson's son Chuck played the father of a large family.  He seemed obsessed with time management, even going so far as to time how long it took for his 12 children to come out of their rooms and gather for a family function.  

Recently our class lost another one of our beloved matriarchs when Louise Beckman, mother of Ken, passed away at the age 93. 

The obituary notes that Mrs. Beckman had six sisters and five brothers, thus making her one of 12 children.  Growing up in the depression with numerous siblings, the family definitely learned how to conserve their resources and cherish what little they probably had.  Many our our parents likely experienced similar difficulties during that time.

For a number of years, Ken's father had the John Deere Dealership in Brookings.  It was located on 3rd Street between Main and 5th Avenue.  They also had a lot near the viaduct on 6th Avenue, which was across the street from  our house.  It seemed like used machinery was stored there, and it was surrounded by a white picket fence.  Right next to  that lot, near the railroad tracks, were some gasoline storage tanks that were used by the Sinclair station on Medary and 8th Street, near the college campus.  That station has been torn down, and that block is now part of the SDSU campus.  A little further to the west was a large coal pile that held coal for the power plant at the corner of 4th Street and 5th Avenue.  In the wintertime, that provided a good sledding hill for us.  In between the gas tanks and the coal pile was a wide gravel road.  In the summertime, that space became a small baseball field for some of us in the neighborhood.  Next to the coal pile was Sokota Hybrids.  In the fall, our neighborhood would be rife with the little pink remains of the corn cobs from their plant.  

Ken was, and still is, one of the brightest students in our class.  As a senior, he and Helen Sheimo were National Merit Scholarships winners.  Since he went to Hillcrest, I never knew him until we went to Junior High in 1963.  I learned very quickly how smart he was, as we were in the same classes every period.  We were also on the same baskeball teams in 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, and on the cross-country teams when we moved out to the "new" high school.  Also in Jr. Hi, we had track practice at Hillcrest. I would often stop at Ken's house afterwards, which was about a block from Hillcrest, and we would shoot baskets in his driveway.  

One incident from our senior physics class with Mr. Karnes remains etched in my mind.  After we had written up and hadned in our lab reports, Mr. Karnes would often critique our results.  One time he had high praise for Ken's observations, but what impressed me was that Mr Karnes lauded him for giving a very thorough explanation of the experiment, yet using a minimum of words.  Somewhat reminiscent of the "Dragnet" television show:  "Just the facts, ma'am."

It was wonderful to visit with Ken and recall some of those earlier years.  It was also pleasant to visit with his uncle Eugene, who graduated in 1958.  Some of my siblings were about his age, so we had a few things in common to discuss. He recalled having to paint that white picket fence on the lot near the viaduct.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ken at the loss of his mother.  

Speaking of the "new" high school, there will be a school bond issue in an upcoming election.  Hillcrest may be torn down, and a new school erected just to the east, on the playground.  To renovate the school to safety standards and to accomodate more students would be just as expensive as building a new facility.  A similar situation exists at Medary Elementary, but the board has decided to renovate and expand there.  According the Brookings Register: 

School bond, Amendment C

The Brookings School District bond election asks all district voters, regardless of political affiliation, whether they approve of $32.4 million in school bonds, not to exceed 20 years after the date of issuance, to pay for a new Hillcrest Elementary School and a renovated and expanded Medary Elementary School.

The total cost for both projects will be approximately $43 million, which means the bond will not be the sole source of funding. The remaining $10 million will be paid for through capital outlay certificates, capital outlay cash, and other cash that the district has on hand.

The projected levy is 85 cents per thousand dollars in property tax valuation, which would be a universal levy for all property taxpayers (regardless of property size and type of property).

School bonds require a super-majority vote of 60% to pass.

Do you recall the cost of the "new" high school when it was built in the 1960's?

Our Condolences to Patti Davis

 Recently, the mother of Patti (Davis) Borgen passed away:  (https://www.eidsnessfuneralhome.com/obituary/delila-dee-davis).  As her obituary states, she worked at the Sawneed Hotel for a time.  When we were younger, the Sawnee was the place to stay for visitors in Brookings.  It was also the bus depot for Jackrabbit Lines, which seems to make for a logical connection.  Additionally, the first liquuor store in Brookings was located in the north portion of the building.  They were a customer on my Minneapolis Tribune paper route in the early 60's.  If memory serves me correctly, they gave me a generous (for the time) tip of 25 cents for every collection period of two weeks.  Since she then worked at the SDSU bookstore, some of us likely ran into her during our time on campus in late 1969 through the early 70's.  

Although our paths seldom crossed in junior high or high school, an event concerning Patti that is forever etched in my mind occurred during our grade school days.  A member of the fire department came to our class to give us some tips on fire safety and what action to take if a fire actually occurred.  He mentioned that we should always hang our clothes so that the hooks of the hangers faced the same way.  When he asked us why, Patti impressed all of us by promptly giving the correct response.  

Patti's older sister Barb was in the class of 1967, the last class to graduate from the "old" high school.  Other familiar names are Ahlers, Allison, Anderson, Baker, Berge, Kerkland, Bjordahll, Boggs, Bortnem, Bozied, Brown, Cavanaugh, Christie, Darnall, Hamilton, Hauff, Hendricks, Herrig, Hoekman, Holm, Ishmael, Jensen, Johnson, Josephson, Kallemeyn, Koenders, Kratochvil, Leibel, Liebing, Linder, Marshall, Mehegan, Person, Quincey, Roberts, Robish, Simmons, Sloat, Steen, Sterud, Sturdevant, Thysell, Walsh, Wakeman, and Wright.  My apologies for any mistakes or omissions.  

On behalf of the class of 1969, out thoughts and prayers go out to Patti at the loss of her mother.

Saying Good-bye To 2021

Not only are we saying good-bye to the year 2021, but we also remember some notable acquaintances who also said farewell to us.

On December 10, the father of Ron Havermann passed away (https://www.kirkfuneralhome.com/obituary/raymund-havermann).  The funeral was in Rapid City, and was livestreamed (https://boxcast.tv/view/raymund-havermann-133346).  At about 36:15 on the video, Ron speaks for eight minutes.  Ron is easily recognizable, as he seems not to have changed much since he left Brookings.  His younger brother Rick was a student of ours in the mid 70's, graduating in 1978.  He contacted us and brought us up to date on his life since leaving Brookings shortly after graduation.  He indicated that would pass on our condolences to Ron.  We hope that Ron will contact us so we can add him to our class list and perhaps see him at our next reunion.  

My brother-in-law had a masonry business in Yankton in the 1960's, and mentioned to us that Ray was one of the most efficient and meticulous masons with whom he ever worked.  As the obituary and the comments at the service indicate, he took great pride in his work.  

Also passing away on that same date was Wanda (Anderson) Barton (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/wanda-barton).  She was a few years older than we were, graduating in 1965 with many of our older siblings.  While we may not have personally known her, we likely knew of her mother.  Her mother Irene was one of the "lunch ladies" at the school.  Does anyone remember the others?  The 1966 annual has a picture of Bernadene Giesen, Helen MacDonald, Irene Anderson, Della Meyer, and Ruby Nielsen. 

On December 18, the wife of Stuart "Skip" Webster passed away (https://www.eidsnessfuneralhome.com/obituary/sharon-webster).  While "Skip" taught at the junior high and middle school during our school days, he was one of our 9th grade football coaches, and our JV basketball coach when we moved out to the new high school.  "Skip" was ten years older than we  were, and was a stellar football and basketball player at BHS.  He played alongside Bob Shelden, which made for a formidable duo on the playing fields.  The Webster children were students and athletes of ours during their school days. 

On December 21, we lost Kevin Moad, brother of our classmate Jerry (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/kevin-moad).  He was about seven years younger than we were, having graduated in 1976.  His older sister Diann is married to Jerry Hoffman, brother of Paula (Hoffman) Platz.  

On Christmas Day, Duane (Hoppy) Rykhus passed away (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/duane-rykhus).  He was a science teacher when we were in Jr. High.  He also taught 9th grade science at the new high school for a few years before going into the roofing business full-time.  During his teaching career, he provided numerous students summer jobs for young men who enjoyed(?) crawling over worn-out and tired roofs that needed upgrading.  He was the other 9th grade football coach when we were freshmen.  He, too, was an extremely talented athlete at the high school, college, and master's level, earning national recognition in his later years.  

At the visitation, I met "Hoppy's" younger brother Bill.  He was a basketball teammate of one of my older brothers, and is married to Karen Derscheid, Craig's brother.  She gave me a hint about contacting Craig, so maybe we can add another classmate to our mailing list.  

I was fortunate enough to play city league basketball on teams with "Skip" and "Hoppy."  We were the "Rykhus Roofers" when I first joined.  Some other teachers of note were Dave Walder and Paul Johnson.  When Bernie Hendricks returned from his military service, he played with us for a few seasons.  In later years, we were "Webster Insurance."  "Skip" had retired from teaching/coaching in the late 70's, and became a well-known State Farm agent.  

The Brookings Register today listed an obituary for VerDonna Van Liere (https://www.kirkfuneralhome.com/obituary/ver-donna-van-liere).  That name probably means little to most of us, but it reminded me of my Minneapolis Tribune paper route from the early 60's, as they were one of my customers.  They lived on South Main by the old Sale Barn, as her husband Ray managed that facility.   My route was south of the tracks and from Main to just east of Medary, as that was the edge of town at that time.  One of Ray's sister was Evelyn Edwards, whom some of us may have had for a teacher.  Her brother Bob was couple of years older than we were.  If memory serves me correctly, he was a fine baseball player.  

Our condolences, thought, and prayers go out to these families at this difficult time.  

  

Veterans in More ways Than One

Recently, our class lost a couple of wonderful "veterans," Verna Peterson, the 96-year old mother of Phil Peterson, and Pauline Eggers, the 94 year-old mother-in-law of Peggy (Christie) Eggers.  Our deepest condolences go out to both of them on their loss.  My connections with Mrs. Peterson were minimal, but she and her husband, who passed away nine years ago (http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2012/04/phil-petersons-father-passes-away.html), did own Midway Grocery when we were growing up.  

My connections with Pauline Eggers were somewhat more extensive.  Her grandchildren, Erika, Kristin, Jordan, and Adrian, were students of ours a number of years ago.  Their father, David Eggers, was a well-known chiropractor in town, and was featured regularly on KBRK to offer his wisdom and advice for optimizing our health habits.  This summer, I was asked to help out at our church once a month to visit the home-bound.  Mrs. Eggers lived at the United Living Community, which was a favorite place for some of our visits (that facility was part of my paper route in Jr. Hi).  We had some nice conversations with her during those special days.  

Again, our deepest condolences go out to Phil and Peggy.

For Veterans Day, the Brookings Register usually has a supplement that features some of the local residents that have served their country in the armed forces.  Some of our parents have been featured in previous years:  http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-greatest-generation.html, http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2019/11/91-fulfilling-years.html, http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2018/11/another-iron-horse.html, http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2015/11/blog-post_11.html, http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2011/12/pearl-harbor.html

Two of those that were featured this year may be individuals with whom we may be somewhat familiar.  "Farmer, soldier, citizen" is the headline for an article about Mason Wheeler.  He would be the husband of the English teacher that some of us had, Mrs. Janie Wheeler.  Mason graduated from BHS in 1956 and SDSC in 1960 with history and political science degrees.  Since he was a Distinguished Military Graduate from Army ROTC, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army, reporting to Ft. Hood, Texas (would that have been where he met his future wife?)

He spent a year in Korea, December, 1962 to December, 1963.  He decided to resign his Regular Army commission to return to South Dakota and farm with his father and brother, but still owed Uncle Sam a few years of military service.  He fulfilled that obligation by joining the South Dakota Army National Guard in August, 1964.  Because he desired a promotion to colonel, he transferred to Army Reserve after several years, remaining in that post until August, 1992.  Thus, he had 28 years of Guard and Reserve time and 3.5 years of active duty.  

When he and his wife retired about 20 years ago, they moved into town (I believe they lived across the street from Edgebrook gold course).  Mason continued to stay "employed" by driving truck for the farmers co-op and Mark Jensen Produce.  I would often Mason and Janie at the library.  In fact, the last time they were there, their son Charlie was with them.  Charlie was helping his parents move out to the Black Hills area, where he lives, so that they could be nearer to him and his family.  We wish them the best in their new environment.  https://brookingsregister.com/article/farmer-soldier-citizen

"Citizen soldier, citizen solon" is the headline for Spencer Hawley, who was two years behind us in school.  His father Wayne was a well-known insurance salesman in town, a business that Spencer also found appealing (he has spent 43 years as an account executive for American Trust Insurance).  He, too, was commissioned a second lieutenant when he graduated from SDSU in 1975.  The article says that ROTC was mandatory at that time.  However, that is in error.  ROTC was mandatory up through the 1968-69 school year.  The first year it was optional was our first year there, 1969.  Spencer had several assignments in Korea, and also spent time in Germany. After his commission was up, he spent 30 years in the Guard, and saw major changes in its operation.  No longer would the Guard receive the Army's hand-me-down equipment or receive inadequate funding.  

Spencer also served in the South Dakota House of Representatives for eight years, serving his last four years as House minority leader.  https://brookingsregister.com/article/citizen-soldier-citizen-solon     

    

Remembrance, Reunions, and Homecoming

 Last week on September 24, 2021, funeral services were held for Leona Steen, mother of Teresa of our class.  She passed away about a year ago, but services were delayed because of the pandemic.  It seems that our parents' funerals have fewer people attending, as there do not appear to be very many people still alive who were acquaintances of our beloved parents.  Although the turnout for Leona's funeral and visitation may have been small, our class was well-represented with Barb Koenders and Mike Andersen in attendance.  Also attending were Ted and Lou Eggebraaten.  Lou was secretary to the athletic director during my tenure as an employee of the Brookings school district, so we were well acquainted.  

At the funeral, Teresa gave an eloquent tribute to her mother.  At the visitation, she explained that her husband Russell had some health problems that kept him from attending.  

It just so happened that last weekend was also the 50th reunion for the class of 1971.  Teresa's sister Marci was a member of that class, as was my younger brother Rich.  Fortunately, Rich arrived in time to attend the visitation, and had a good visit not only with Marci, but also with Teresa's brother Randy.  Some of us also had siblings in that class:  Steve Anderson (Marilyn), Bill Antonides (Jim), Helen Beckman (Ken), Phil Boggs (Larry), Gary Buller (David and Diane), David Bush (Peggy), Annette Clauson (Iris), Kay Crase (Cheryl?), Dale Gabel (Sandy), Cheryl Havermann (Ron), Dwight Hajek (David), Tom Hoffman (Paula), Tim Kattke (Sue), Patty Knock (Craig?) Becky Linn (Stew), Lyle Mueller (Eugene), June Perso (Jeanette), Mike Redmond (Sue), Gareth Roberts (Gawain), Bill Robish (Pat), Kathy Rossow (Harry), Kim Rufer (Brad), Fred Sauer (Joanne), Stan Sloat (Donna), Denis Taylor (Kathy), Dave Ulmer (Joe), Dale Vincent (Gary), Gary Voss (Doug), Clark Walz (Stew), Alan Wells (Howard), and Mary Young (Carl).  Also, Joy Christie and Dale Berkland, but they may be cousins to Peggy Christie and Arlo and Arlys Berkland.  My apologies if I am in error or have omitted anyone.  

BHS  this year began a "new" tradition of a homecoming parade.  "New" because, to the best of my limited knowledge, homecoming parades were held in the early 1950's.  The 1951 "Bobcat" states "Homecoming activities got off to a colorful start with the traditional Red and Black Day on October nineteenth.  Almost everyone appeared in various combinations of red and black clothing.  Eight of the most original were awarded prizes.  For the first time in the history of Bobcat Day, coronation, the pep skits, and the parade were held in the morning... In the afternoon, the student body were guests of the State Theatre at a free movie.  That night, at the high school field, the Bobcats met the Yankton Bucks for the homecoming game.  The Bobcats played a wonderful game, to make homecoming a big success, with a 61-0 victory over the Bucks, the largest homecoming score in history.  Everyone enjoyed the fall harvest theme and the music of the Collegiates at the Bobcat dance, the final Bobcat Day activity."  It appears that the parade was held for the next three years, as the 1952, 1953, and 1954 annuals have pictures of the homecoming parade, while the 1955 annual does not, indicating that the short-lived tradition had died out.  The 1950 annual indicates that coronation was held in the evening of October 6.  "A diversified program consisting of introduction of players, skits, pep speeches and awarding of gifts was presented for the enjoyment of royalty.  After that the whole student body had a snake dance to the football field where the band and the cheerleaders led the students in a pep fest around a huge bonfire."

This year's parade was very large, and lasted about  50 minutes.  Most of the entries seemed to be student organizations and athletic teams: football; basketball; soccer; golf; tennis; cross-country; track and field; hockey; swimming; gymnastics; marching band; and dance and cheer teams.  I am probably forgetting some.  Most of those squads have both boys and girls teams.  The middle school and elementary schools even had some entries, as did some of the industries and organizations around town.  The parade seemed to bring the town and schools together and to increase school spirit.  The weather cooperated, which made for a pleasant viewing.  It is hoped that this revived tradition will continue in the future.  

Homecoming has undergone numerous changes since we were in school.  Coronation is now held on Monday.  Each day of homecoming has a theme, such as pajama day or backwards pants day.  The football game is the highlight, but other activities, such as soccer, volleyball, and cross-country also receive prominent exposure.  

For homecoming in the fall of 1973 (my first year in the system), the freshman students were in charge of collecting wood and other combustibles for the bonfire.  They asked me to help them, as I had a pick-up to haul the materials.  They topped off the huge pile with an outhouse they had located somewhere out in the country.  It seems that in later years, outhouses were difficult to locate, so the tradition of having an outhouse on top of the bonfire ceased.  The bonfire tradition, too, had to cease a number of years ago, as it was considered too dangerous.  In its replacement is the burning of the "B," in which a large metal "B"  is covered with oily rags and then lit.  Doesn't quite compare with a huge bonfires of days past.   

As Tears Go By

 Many of us may remember the song "As Tears Go By" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Tears_Go_By_%28song%29) from the mid-60's.  It was first made popular by Marianne Faithful, and then about a year later by The Rolling Stones.  This summer it seems that many tears were shed, as our class members lost not only parents, but siblings and nephews.  Previous posts have mentioned some of these influential and wonderful people.  Sadly, a few more have passed away since then.

Jason Kidwiler, nephew of Mary of our class, and son of Mike from the class of 1968, passed away on August 25, 2021.  Mary and I had a nice visit at the visitation, and caught up on the latest with each other.

  While Mark Kratochvil's mother passed away about a year ago, the funeral services were held September 4, 2021,  Mark has been the motivating force behind our class reunions.  He gets us all organized well ahead of time so we can have some wonderful gatherings.  His sister Ann was an eighth-grader in the 1973-74 school year, and one of my stalwart students my first year of teaching in the Brookings school district.  

It is quite evident Dorothy led a rich and beautiful life, and, along with her husband Don, helped raise a wonderful family.

Randi Luverne (Holden) Behrend was about five years older than we were, graduating from BHS in 1964, just as we were finishing seventh grade.  We probably knew her best as a cheerleader, as we usually saw her at the football and basketball games.  We may have seen her in the hallowed halls of the Jr.-Sr. High school, although our classes were generally confined to the first floor, while the second floor contained mostly senior high classes.  She married Don Behrend, who was in the class of 1965.  Don's mother Barb was "Lefty" Johnson's secretary for a number of years, and likely knew more of what was happening in the school than anyone else.  Barb helped me out greatly during my years at the Middle School, and straightened me out on some of the procedures that made the school function so well.  Don and Randi's children also were students of mine, and it was memorable to visit with them after so many years.  They also chose a beautiful poem in remembrance of a beautiful mother.  

Yesterday, Sept. 2, 2021, I was stunned to read in the Brookings Register that Bob Bozied had passed away. Bob graduated in 1965, the same year as Don Behrend mentioned above.  They, and numerous others in that class, served as inspirations for many in our class, not only because of their artistic and athletic abilities, but also because they were our older siblings.  In that class were these familiar names:  Paul Adamson, Bernadette and Bernadine Ahlers, Judy and Jo Ann Berkland, Eileen Bortnem, Keith and Kermit Bortnem, Bob Bozied, Zoell Colburn, Mitch Egeberg, Richard Graff, Linda Ishmael, Carol and Earl Kallemeyn, Cheryl Kohl, Kandace Kortan, Ann McCone, Connie McKeown, Mike O'Connell, Janeane Perso, Darlene Prussman, George Rickerson, Galen Roberts, Kathy Schroeder, Pat Skubic, Gerald Sloat, Donna Smith, Elizabeth Steen, Roy Taylor, and  Dorothy Workman.  (My apologies if there are any omissions or errors; some of these individuals may be cousins and not siblings)

In grade school, the Bozied lived one house away from our house.  During third grade, Tom and I had Mrs. Peterson for a teacher (her husband was a science and industrial arts teacher in the junior high).  I would frequently stop at Tom's before school so we could watch Captain Kangaroo.  Perhaps about 8:50 we would then walk to school.  When we relayed that information to Mrs. Peterson, she suggested we could wait until 8:55 before walking to school, as we were less than two blocks away.  

Bob was one of those older boys we respected since we were old enough to know what athletics was. He taught us much about the games as we played baseball at the Central School ball fields or football on the Courthouse lawn.  He had to hold back while he was playing, or else we probably would have had to make numerous trips to the hospital emergency room.  For me, he was an outstanding little league baseball player, whose pitching style I tried to emulate, but without much success.  I believe when he was 13, he skipped teener ball (or the equivalent) and went straight to the legion team, whose players were usually 16-18 years old.   His senior year, he was named to the All-State football team of 1964 after leading the Bobcats to 4-3-1 record.   He was also a key player for the basketball team, earning the Hustler Award for a squad that finished 11-8.   The annuals in those days listed the activities that the seniors had been in during their high school years.  Bob's extra-curricular activities were FTA 4; Cue Club 3,4: Monogram Club 2,3,4; Football 2,3,4; Basketball 2,3,4; Track 2,3; Bobcat Staff 4; Class Officer 4; Kiwanian 4: Bobcat Day Attendant 4; Stage Cre 3,4; Vocal Soloist 3; Inst. Ensemble 3.   It's interesting that FTA (Future Teachers of America) is listed first.  In his college days at SDSU, he began preparing for his future, as he was one of the few multi-sport athletes, excelling both in football and baseball.  He then used that knowledge to teach and coach.  (I believe he even helped out Mr. Gibbons one year). As his obituary states, he spent over 50 years in the teaching and coaching profession in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.  He not only taught his students and players, as he also was a great influence on his own children.  I believe his son Tagg played professional baseball.  One time Tagg was playing a minor-league game in Sioux Falls, and a number of locals went down to watch, including yours truly and one of my brothers who had played high school ball with Bob.  It seems appropriate that his funeral would be held at the Aurora Public Schools Stadium at Kinkley High School, 1250 Chambers Rd., Aurora, CO 80011. Our condolences to Tom and Beth and the family on their loss.  https://brookingsregister.com/article/robert-bob-bozied-aurora-colorado