The 125th anniversary of Hills and the All-School Reunion 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 1975.
The annual was dedicated to Hugo Goehle. “This is our way of expressing our thanks for everything you have given to us through teaching and coaching. You have given the leadership and help our school and community appreciates. In addition we congratulate you, Coach Goehle, on your 300th win in basketball. We again express our thanks to a great individual.”
Some of the faculty members were Superintendent W.D. Marshall, High School Principal Greg Spath and Elementary Principal Merlin Klein.
Teachers were Keith Hirsch (agriculture and FFA adviser), David Shea (musical director, chorus and band), Steve Harms (music), Roger Jackson (junior high math and computer programming), Lois Nelson (science), Ronald Solberg (history and government) and Leon Pick (English, drama, debate and declam adviser).
Grade school cooks were Toots Kahler, Ethel Tower and Elleda Verhey. High school cooks were Eleanor Nelson, Martha Aukes and Hattie Berghorst.
Bus drivers were John Steinberg, Laura Paulsen, Melvin Paulsen, Jim Jellema, Lester Gulseth, Clair Crawford, Arden Eads, Arden Hull, Ron Rauk and Margaret Scherff.
High School janitors were Jake Bakker and Bud Bush. Elementary janitors were Leroy Olson and Margaret Scherff.
Hills-Beaver Creek High School Class of 1975 Jim Theis was asked the following questions:
What was the best lesson you learned from school, not necessarily in academics?
I learned that there was a bigger world out there that I wanted to explore. I learned this partly from reading and studying, but also from all the school-sponsored trips that I was able to take part in – all the band trips for parades and competitions in four states, going to the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, our German class trip to Minneapolis and Boys State.
What was your favorite school lunch?
The mini pizzas and chocolate milk.
What did you do right after high school?
I went to Michigan State University on an ROTC scholarship, majoring in history. Then I took an educational deferment and graduated from law school at the University of Minnesota. I served four years in the Army as a field artillery officer, at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, Monterrey, California, Drama Greece and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Then I worked as a legislative aide to Sen. Larry Pressler for three years in Washington before I entered the Foreign Service in 1991.
What was your proudest achievement after high school?
Probably getting into the Foreign Service. It’s highly competitive and was my goal in life after exploring the world some in the Army.
Tell us what you are doing now, where you live and about your family?
I’m still with the Foreign Service, but not all tours are overseas. I’m a consular officer, which means that I’ve worked in U.S. embassies and consulates adjudicating applications for visas to visit the U.S. or to immigrate here permanently, and assisting American citizens abroad with replacement of lost passports and other emergencies, like hospitalizations, arrests, destitution, and death. I’ve also worked at the State Department headquarters in Washington, and I am currently the director of the U.S. Passport Agency in Buffalo, New York.