Get Together With Some Class of '55 Classmates and Friends

 

 

 

On Saturday, July 25th, Mary Lou Hoffer Beggan from Wilmette, IL, was in town to visit her family, and some of us from the Class of  '55 got together with Mary Lou, her daughter Ann, and Jane her niece, as well as other friends. We met at The Golden Spoon for a delightful brunch and stimulating conversation.  Fortunately, the weather turned out to be beautiful for our day. 

Karen Peters Pugh,

an old friend

Dolly David Wetzel and Mary Lou Hoffer Beggan

holding up their Golden Spoons

Dorothy Minning Cuccia: 

we thank you for setting up the event.

                From front to back:  Mary Lou's daughter Ann, her 

niece Jane, Susie Justmann David, Mary Lou Hoffer Beggan,

Dolly David Wetzel, and Dawn Klemme Ross 

 

                                                                   Dawn & Dolly

The Whole Group

                                            Patti Wackett, Marialyce Hartmann       

                           Wackett, Karen Peters Pugh, Richie Block, 

  and Dorothy Minning Cuccia

And Our Lone Man, the Charming

Richie

Block

Watertown Women Once Again Meet for Lunch

Celebrating our Long Friendships, Friday, November 7, 2025

Donna Howard Lehman, Audrey Rieck Williams, Dorothy Minning Cuccia! Sitting is Dolly David Wetzel and Marialyce Hartmann Wackett!

Dawn Klemme Ross was unable to attend due to a family celebration for her late sister Marlene, whom we all remember affectionately.

 

Hello From Our Class of '55 Blog

 

Thought You'd Like to Know!

 Thanks to Jack Bast for sending this to our blog

Subject: Very Cool!

 

The One percent group born

between 1930 & 1946

 

For those born between 1930-1946

Some interesting statistics......

The 1% Age Group

This special group was born between 1930 & 1946 = 16 years.

In 2022, the age range is between 76 & 92

Are you, or do you know, someone "still here?”

Interesting Facts For You . . . .

You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900s.

You are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.

You are the last to remember ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves.

You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.

You saw cars up on blocks because tires weren't available

You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the "milk box" on the porch. The Good Humor ice cream truck coming through the neighborhood. 

You are the last to see the gold stars in the front windows of grieving neighbors whose sons died in the War.

You saw the 'boys' home from the war, build their little houses that they were so happy with. 

You are the last generation who spent childhood without television; instead, you “imagined” what you heard on the radio and you read library books.

With no TV until the 1950s, you spent your childhood "playing outside" There was no Little League. Many kids walked to school.  

There was no city playground for kids. You organized neighborhood baseball and football games on vacant lots. You rode your bike everywhere.

The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the world was like.

On Saturday mornings and afternoons, the movies gave you newsreels sandwiched in between westerns and cartoons.

Telephones were one to a house, often shared (party lines), and hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy).

Computers were called calculators; they were hand-cranked.

Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon.

'INTERNET' and 'GOOGLE' were words that did not exist.

Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. Kids read comic books.

The Government gave returning Veterans the means to get an education and spurred colleges to grow.

Loans fanned a housing boom

Pent-up demand, coupled with new installment payment plans opened many factories for work.

New highways would bring jobs and mobility

The veterans joined civic clubs and became active in politics.

The radio network expanded from 3 stations to thousands.

Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into exploring opportunities they had never imagined.

You weren't neglected, but you weren't today's all-consuming family focus.

They were glad you played by yourselves until the street lights came on.

They were busy discovering the postwar world.

You entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed ourselves and felt secure in your future although the depression poverty was deeply remembered.

Polio was still a crippler.

You came of age in the '50s and '60s.

You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland.

The second world war was over and the cold war, terrorism, global warming, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with unease.

Only your generation can remember both a time of great war and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty.

You grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better...

You are "The Last Ones."

More than 99 % of you are either retired or deceased, and you feel privileged to have "lived in the best of times!"

Amen! It’s great being part of the 1% ….Special Group!!

 

To All Our Class of '55 Classmates!

 

Dawn Klemme Ross

Editor, Class of '55 Blog

Our Classmate Augie Tietz never to be Forgotten!

Leaders sing praises of Tietz as Jefferson County preps tribute

 

How To Survive a Heart Attack When Alone

 

Read this for info:  Dear ALL,   1 Let's say it's 7.25 pm and you're going home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job.   2 You're really tired, upset and frustrated.   3 Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up in to your jaw. You are only about five km from the hospital nearest your home.   4 Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.   5 You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.   6 HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE? Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.   7 However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.   A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.   8 Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.   9 Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives!   10  A cardiologist says If everyone who gets this mail, kindly sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at least one life.   11 Rather than sending jokes, please.contribute by forwarding this mail which can save a person's life....   12 If this message comes around you ......more than once.....please don't get irritated......You need to be happy that you have many friends who care about you & who remind you of how to tackle....Heart attacks....

Interesting, Unique Photos of the Past

 

These photos are from Dick Karcher.  Thanks Dick.

One quick click and you will be in the web site:

http://www.douglascountygensoc.org/photos004.html

66th Class of 1955 Reunion Held

 Some of you probably found the class photo of our Watertown High School, Class of 1955  66th Reunion in the local Daily Times on  Wednesday, August 18, 2021.  And what a superb photo it is:

Watertown High School Class of 1955 celebrated its 66-year class reunion at Lindberg’s by the River Thursday. Josephine Lindberg was a classmate of the 26 schoolmates and the chef for her Class of 1955 Reunion. 

Those attending included, from left, back row, Jack Bast, and Josephine Willman Lindberg, third row, Donald Fredrick, Jack Nass, Wallace Scheiber, Peter Hartwig, Dave Veldhuizen, Leon Gans, Buddy Aufdermauer, and Paul Voegeli; second row, Al Worden, Rich Block, Augie Tietz, Dolly David Wetzel, Harriet Hoppe Balmer, Marialyce Hartmann Wackett, Janet Borazo Boeder and Rosemary Rowe Rennhack; front row, Rosemarie Fitzgerald Ulmer, Audrey Fuchs Zautner, Donna Howard Lehman, Leah Richter Mullane, Mary Lou Hoffer Beggan, Dorothy Minning Cuccia, Beverly Haseleu Saniter and Betty Meyer Lillge. The 1955 class won the state baseball tournament that year.

 

Now you can enjoy a closer look:

A special thank you to Leah Richter Mullane who stepped up at the last minute to take best friend absentee committee member Pat Melius Cease of River Falls place at the door.  Sadly, Pat was unable to attend because daughter had to work. Thank you to all family members who took off from work to get their parent to our class reunion.  

Augie Tietz looking great. His friendly nature makes
everyone around him smile. Always a good-time person

Rosemarie Rowe Rennhack arrived with the nicest smile.
Obviously she is happy to be here!

Rosie Fitzgerald Ulmer & Audrey Fuchs Zautner
worked so diligently for the reunion to make it a success!

Wallace Scheiber has his friendly face on for
all of his classmates. Nice to see you Wally!

Joey Kaul, with her wonderful smile,
 brings Tommy Kaul's spirit with her.

Paul Voegeli and Leon Gans

Dawn and Dave Veldhuizen who drove from
Minocqua.

Harriet Hoppe Balmer arriving with her wonderful smile.
She drove from Hartland.

Don & Donna Fredrick are ready to enjoy
the reunion.

Betty Meyer Lillge and her dear grandson made
sure she made her happy arrival with no trouble.
You look great Betty in your red, white, and blue.

Donna Howard Lehmann was so happy to be here too.
Whoops! Dot Minning Cuccia caught her blinking.

Jan Milbrath and Jack Nass

Marialyce Hartmann Wackett

Son, Mike Worden with dad Al Worden

Mary Lou Hoffer Beggan and daughter
Ann Beggan Subry traveled from Illinois.

Paul Voegeli

Rich Block with his guest Gilda

Jack Bast and Dave Veldhuizen. Love the shirt, Dave!

Honorary Classmate Buddy Aufdermauer, all the 
way from out West.

Peter Hartwig and wife Loretta drove up from
Indiana.

Jack and Carole Bast

Leon Gans and his wife Bobbi Sue from Oklahoma.

Bev Haseleu Saniter was an early
arrival, and she is happy to be with
her classmates.

Gilda, Richard Block's guest; Dawn Veldhuizen and 
Carole Bast getting the thumbs up from Dave.

.

Donna Howard Lehmann, Harriet Hoppe,
and Mary Lou Hoffer Beggan.

Betty Meyer Lillge and Joey Kaul

Al Worden, Buddy Aufdermauer, 
and Augie Tietz

Audrey Fuchs Zautner, Rosie Fitzgerald
Ulmer, and Leah Richter Mullane---the attendees
were greeted by these special helpers. And we miss
Pat Melius Cease so much!

A fun time it is for Sis Hartmann Wackett, Bev
Haseleu Saniter, Dolly David Wetzel, and Janet Borazo Boeder 

Donald and Donna Fredrick meeting
up with Rosemary Rowe Rennhack.

Rich Block mingling with Jan Milbrath, Jack Nass
Wally Scheiber, Peter Hartwig and his wife Loretta.

Janet Borazo Boeder and Dolly David Wetzel

With cars in the Lindberg by the River parking
lot around 3:30 it was a fun cozy 66th Reunion party!

Never To Forget
This is the table we set up In Memoriam for all our classmates who have passed on before us.
Audrey Fuchs Zautner just lit the white candle with a blue ribbon wrapped around it.

And when everyone arrived, we had all the name tags set. Audrey Rieck Williams, yours is here too!  We missed you.




Because Dot Minning Cuccia was busy taking these beautiful
photos and our classmate chef Joey Willman Lindberg was preparing the dinner, you will not see them featured in the individual photos as well as the groups. But you can see them in the above class photo at the beginning of this edition to our blog. And to be certain, everyone enjoyed the chicken dinner that Joey prepared.  Surprise! We had chocolate cake for dessert.  Yummy!

Committee member Mamie Lueck Else added the decorations for our Memoriam table as did Dawn Klemme Ross, our editor for the Class of '55 Blog.  Unfortunately, both were unable to attend. Thanks again for stepping up behind the scenes.

The count of classmates was 25, plus one honorary, one single, and
nine partners which gave us a grand total of 36 attendees for our 66th Class of 1955 Reunion.

Thanks to Dot Minning Cuccia for writing most of this edition of our blog. Dawn Klemme Ross, however, did manage to edit it a wee bit as well.

AND, thanks to all of you who attended. It takes a special
effort to get out of our comfort zones!

Another Super Recipe

 Thanks to Dot Minning Cuccia, you have another recipe to try.

Thank you Dot.

 Pumpkin spice muffins or cake

1 can 100% pure pumpkin   (15 oz size Libbys for example)

1 box any brand cake mix called: Spice cake   (Betty Crocker for example)

3/4 cup water

Mix together:  Muffins 350 degrees 30 minutes  or mini muffins for 15 min.

Make a cake if you don’t have muffin tins!

A Diagnosis of Anosognosia!

This is a good one from Dick Karcher. Thanks Dick!

 Anosognosia

Check this out.  It might reassure you!

Have you been diagnosed with Anosognosia (temporary forgetfulness)?

In the following analysis, a French Professor, Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory

and Alzheimer's Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière - Paris Hospitals / addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way:

"If anyone is aware of his or her memory problems, they do not have Alzheimer's."

1. I forget the names of families.
2. I do not remember where I put some things.

It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory.

"The information is always in the brain, it is the 'processor' that is lacking."

This is "Anosognosia" or temporary forgetfulness. Half of people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease.

The most common cases are:

- forgetting the name of a person,
- going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there,
- a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress,
- a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys.

After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease, but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years.

Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following two statements:

"Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory."

"Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer's, are not aware of what is happening."

Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights:  "The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness."

Now for a little 3-step neurological test:  Only use your eyes!

Step 1- Find the C in the following table:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Step 2- If you have already found the C, then find the 6 in the next table:

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

Step 3- Now find the N in the final table.  Attention, it's a little more difficult!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

CONCLUSION:  If you pass these three tests without a problem:

- you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist.
- your brain is in perfect shape!
- you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer's.

So, share this with your over-60 friends, it might reassure them too.