The 125th anniversary of Hills is coming in June along with a meet and greet for alumni Saturday, June 13, from 10 to 12 noon at the Hills-Beaver Creek High School
The Hills Crescent is traveling down memory lane to prepare readers for this anniversary event.
This week’s edition highlights the class of 1966, which was the first year of the combined Hills-Beaver Creek school. Future editions will feature other pieces of Hills’ past.
The year was 1966. The annual staff dedicated the 1966 Patriot to the student body for all its efforts to make the first year of the combined Hills-Beaver Creek district a successful one.
Superintendent was Russell E. Castor, and school board members were Howard Crawford, Art Anderson, Alvin Finke, Vernon Kvale, Marvin Bosch and Irid Eitreim.
High school principal was Dean J. Deragisch and grade school principal was Robert D. Passeri.
Other faculty members were Colin Barrett, Thea Leekley, Janet Solberg, Ronald Solberg, Ruth Kleist, Wendell Erickson and Earl Colgan.
Hills-Beaver Creek High School Class of 1966 graduate Ray Tilstra was asked the following questions:
What was the best lesson you learned from school, not necessarily in academics?
I learned that it pays to give your best efforts in all that you do. Principal Dean Deragisch was a great leader and role model to me when in high school.
What was your favorite school lunch?
Unfortunately, I did not eat noon lunches at school very often. My favorite lunch was a bag of barbecue potato chips and a coke at Chuck’s station across the street from school.
What did you do right after high school?
After a summer working at home on the farm, I attended Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, graduating in 1971. Then on to Western Seminary in Holland Michigan, graduating in 1974, and then got my doctorate at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
I became a pastor, serving churches in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Alton, Iowa, Oostburg, Wisconsin, Pella, Iowa, and now in Sioux Center, Iowa.
What was your proudest achievement after high school?
Personally I think it was just growing up. That was quite an achievement. Other than that, I feel good about being a pastor for over 40 years, and still enjoying what I do.
Tell us what you are doing now, where you live and about your family:
I married Ginny Fikse and together we have two children, Kathy and Shawn. Kathy is married to Todd TeBrink and they have two children, living in St. Charles, Missouri, and Shawn is married to Kelly and they have two children living in Sycamore, Illinois. Ginny and I live in Sioux Center, Iowa where I serve as the teaching pastor at New Life Church.