More
Notable Students From My Classes I
started this column way back in the fall of 2019 simply with the intent
of highlighting the accomplishments of some of my past students and
their contributions to the Wahpeton Community, and quite a few have
already been mentioned. So I have drifted off into other areas of personal
interest. Lately, however, more of my students have been showing up
in the news, so I'd like to acknowledge some of these. And
speaking of unforgettable students still out there “doing it,”
I mustn't forget Mike Jacklitch now ‘chiro practicing’ here
in Wahpeton. He had all the makings of a good English scholar, which
he still is, but darned if he didn't take up medicine. He was also a
good poet; and he should keep on with that too. Almost every week he
gives my wife the treatments she need for her aching back. With Mike
for her doctor, I know she's in good hands. Nor
can I leave out that mischievous, but lovable Wanda Patnode, now living
in Fargo. And daughter of Don Patnode, Supt of schools at Breck, Fairmount,
and Wheaton. She and a couple of her buddies, Brenda Lackman and Theresa
Wickline took every class I taught, and Wanda delighted in keeping us
all up to date on the goings on in “All My Children,” to
which we were all at the time, addicted--(yup, me too.) They got me
watching it and darned if I didn't get hooked. And,back
to the present, the Benda twins Bev and Barb got a full page and in-color
promotion in the Fargo Forum. In mid June, I previously wrote that my
Benda Paintings may just turn out to be the most valuable assets I have.
And the more I see of their work, the more I think I might be right.
Gene
Pinkney May 17 (June 21) For the Daily News
edited html update 08-17-2021
Individuals Who Have Made
Their Mark
(Gene Pinkney, North Dakota
State College of Science)
Brett Lambrecht who I've previously
praised for his fine work in the area of flood control, has now been
voted a seat on the city council. If his past accomplishments are any
indication, I predict he will be a fine addition to the council. He
is a fine problem solver and very focused on any task he takes up.
And speaking of people running
for office, I see that Robin David ran for mayor of Grand Forks. This
really piqued my interest, because I remember what a tremendous student
she was in my class—Not just smart, but wise well beyond her years.
I think if the voters had known her the way I did she probably would
have been elected. I don't know what party she belongs to or what specific
goals she has set out for herself. I only know I'd vote for her in a
heartbeat. She is easily one of the finest students I have ever had
the pleasure of teaching. Robin grew up right here in Wahpeton.
Another memorable student was
Brenda Lackman from somewhere out around Bismarck. We got to talking
about rattlesnakes in class one day and darned if she didn't send me
the rattles of a fine big rattler. I know this is side bar, but while
I'm at it, I must mention Wyndmere's Bill Blazeck. He stood out by becoming
an Oxford scholar over in England and even taught there a while. And
yup, he went into English. That still makes me proud.
And I can't leave out Connie
Ten Pas. The first day in class, when I asked each student to stand
up and give a little sketch of who they were so students could contact
each other for shared interests, Connie stood up and said she was majoring
in auto mechanics, but was taking Jr. College English courses because
the stuff we were teaching trade kids was too dull. She was part of
a motorcycle group (I won't say gang) and could ride with the best of
them. A truly unforgettable kid, Straight A all the way, but more then
that, she had character—personality plus!
Also, among the out-of-towners
is another person I've mentioned earlier in my tooth article, Audrey
Boehler. She was such a lovely and tactful hygienist and later so excellent
in my lit class that I just must include her in the unforgettables.
She was grace personified. I hope she is somewhere thriving.
A final student that I must include
here who is still living here in the twin towns is Cindy Eckberg. I
think Cindy is a great example of true heroism in the face of real road-blocks
fate put in her path. Extricating herself from an unworkable marriage,
and with five beautiful daughters to support, Cindy tackled those problems
head on. Working part time as a nursing home attendant, and later as
a care giver, she still found a way to get her associate's degree in
Occupational Therapy and keep her family operating on an even keel.
When I see that little family Sundays in church I always think of the
book “Little Women”. They all look like sisters, each just
as lovely as the next.
As an end-note I'd like to add my congratulations to my office mate
for nearly all of my forty years teaching at NDSCS, Larry Merbach. The
fifty years he has dedicated the the furtherance of mathmatics are truly
a testimony to his terrific ability to adapt, improvise and flat out
teach. Nearly every afternoon at four, when I was eager to go home and
maybe go fishing, Larry would be there patiently guiding students through
the problems that come with higher math; and he was loving it. One could
see that the kids were proud and happy to be his students.
Kierann Smith, who went on to Harvard, said that Larry was easily as
good as any of the profs she had had at Harvard. Larry, old pal, Keep
on keep'n on . “We've only just begun!”