The 125th anniversary of Hills is coming in June, and the Hills Crescent is traveling down memory lane to prepare readers for this event.
This week’s edition highlights the class of 1983, and future editions will feature other pieces of Hills’ past.
The senior class motto was “No matter where we go or what we do, these memories will remain with us always.”
School Board members were Linda Beyenhof, Pat Paulsen, Jack Wysong, Bob Schneekloth, David Anderson, Roland Crawford and Warren Boeve.
Cooks in the high school were Carol Van Maanen and Shirley Hoogeveen, and cooks at the elementary were Alice Brandt, Marlene Bender and Elleda Verhey.
Janitors were Marie Brown, Margaret Bakker, Janice Ward and Diane Vander Wolde.
Bus drivers were Laura Paulsen, John Tilstra, Brenda Van Maanen, Melvin Paulsen, Lester Gulseth, Everett Fikse and Ron Rauk.
Hills-Beaver Creek High School Class of 1983 graduate Bradley A. Tatge was asked the following questions:
What was the best lesson you learned from school, not necessarily in academics?
Appreciate the educational opportunities given to us by such great educators. From our teachers, shop instructors, teachers’ aids, principal, secretaries and bus drivers and yes even our janitor, “Jake.” I learned how to be humble, respectful, honest, caring, trustful, loving and most of all thankful for the people in my life.
What was your favorite school lunch?
Pizza. It has all the major food groups.
What did you do right after high school?
Started work at Litton Microwave in Sioux Falls for five years and then entered the U.S. Navy.
What was your proudest achievement after high school?
Married my wonderful wife, Aletha, who gave us two beautiful boys.
Tell us what you are doing now, where you live and about your family:
Currently retired from the U.S. Navy after 26 years and work for the U.S. Navy as a civil service employee at Naval Station Everett, Washington.
I always enjoy my yearly motorcycle trip to Sturgis and back home to see family and friends. We have lived in Tulalip, Washington, for six years now. Aletha has now retired after a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy and enjoys traveling.
This past year she and the boys traveled to the East Coast to visit family and friends. They took time out to visit the Naval Academy and some classmates now working there. She is also working on her art hobbies and gardening among other fun stuff. Conrad, our oldest, is a freshman in high school and has set his sights on attending the U.S. Naval Academy like his mom. He loves to run track, football, and competition shooting and wrestling. Duncan our youngest is in the fifth grade and only knows he wants to play football for the Oregon Ducks. He has a few more years to make a more serious choice. He loves football, basketball, soccer, riding bike and track.