to View the GACC Alumni Newsletter for August 2015

GACC School: “Learning and Leading Through Christ.”
Alumni News
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
August 2015, No. 3 of 4
Above – Class of 1950: Attending were, from left, front row: Doris Sendgraff Batenhorst,
Marjorie Toelle Kelly, Kathryn Reimers Lux, Margaret Wortman Montgomery, Willard Harstick; back row: Dennis Reichlinger, Virgil Schlautman, Edward Heimann, Roman Uhing.
Left – Class of 1945: Attending was Bernice Stalp Hassler.
GACC celebrates 2015 banquet
By Delores Meister
The GACC alumni banquet
began with Fr. Jeff Lorig (‘95)
celebrating the 4:30 Mass at St.
Mary’s. Earlier, tours of the West
Point Community Theatre were
conducted.
At the Nielsen Community
Center, Fr. Lorig led the alumni in
prayer, praying for our future and
asking Him to bless our school and
to keep it around for generations
to come.”
Class pictures were taken, dinner followed, and the alumni heard
the class reports.
Nicole Fisher (‘15) spoke for the
recent graduation class, thanking
the alumni for their support.
She said, “Our class has (racial)
diversity and one foreign exchange
student. We have a lot to be proud
of. All the places we will go, we
will always be Bluejays. Keep it
classy, Bluejays.”
Bernice Stalp Hassler (‘45) of
Calgary, Alberta, Canada was the
class’s lone member in attendance.
She said, “We started high school
in 1941. The war was just starting.
We were a class of 21 members.
When we graduated, two of our
classmates had already gone to
service.”
Roman Uhing (‘50) reported,
“Nine members of a class of 35
were present. Seventeen had
earned their eternal reward, while
the remaining 18 of us are still
working on it.”
Uhing said they won the Class
C District basketball championship. Two team members, Willard
Harstick and Ed Heimann, were
present. He also gave reminders
that Msgr. Bosheck gave out report
cards and that Virgil Schlautmann
had a memorable car.
The ‘50’s graduates were facing
the Cold War and Korean War.
Uhing told the graduates,
“You’ve been given the value
system that will make our world
better. Your future starts tonight.”
Marvin Prinz (‘55) said the class
had 24 girls and 12 boys. “Present
tonight we have three boys and
nine ladies. We won’t talk about
the sports.”
Patricia Tingelhoff Greckel (‘60)
said when she transferred from a
rural school to Guardian Angels
she “learned about the angel sitting on my shoulder.”
Bob Frickenstein (‘65) had a lot
to say about the ‘60’s.
“The ‘60’s was the era of flower
children, hippies and good old rock
and roll. We cruised Main bumper
to bumper. There was a drive-in
movie south of town. We used the
telephone. You actually had to talk
to each other. We had all kinds
of music, the Kinks, the Rolling
Stones and the Beatles. One guy
said, ‘Those long-haired hippies
will never last.’”
“Then three assassinations,
President John F. Kennedy, Martin
Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. When the announcement came
of President Kennedy’s death, I’ll
never forget it. In the whole school
you could have heard a pin drop.”
“The Pope came over, St. Louis
See 2015 banquet, Page 2
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
Page 2
2015 BANQUET: GACC alumni reunite in West Point
FROM PAGE 1
Arch was built, the minimum
wage was one buck. A gallon of
gas was 30 cents, a Hershey candy
bar was 5 cents. I don’t remember
what beer cost, but we didn’t drink
it anyway,” Frickenstein added.
“Fifty years went fast. We don’t
get together often enough. Keep
on rocking. Enjoy life.”
Jackie Hunke Ridder (‘79) said,
“The late ‘70’s were the years of
boys with long hair and girls with
short skirts. Five priests and nine
sisters were on the faculty. The
class boasts of one sister, Sister
Marcia Baumert and one priest,
Father Thomas Wordekemper who
is at Mount Marty in Yankton,
South Dakota.”
Ridder said, “We hope and pray
we can make a difference in the
world because of what we have
been taught.”
Dan Bracht (‘85) said, “At 30
years out of high school, hopefully
we got some common sense.”
Tammy Kreikemeier Fisher, (‘90)
said, “We listened to cassette tapes
as we cruised Main wearing letter
jackets and class rings. Today
we are still mourning the loss of
Nancy Peitzmeier Rase. Without
our CC-taught values, it would
have been very difficult to survive
the stress in our lives.”
Eric Lauritzen (‘95) returned
from California and spoke for fellow classmate Father Jeff Lorig.
‘These are my brothers and
sisters. We can sit down with them
like we did 20 years ago. We can be
true to who we are. This is a room
of pretty solid human beings.”
Alumni were reminded they
were all united in being taught the
same Catholic values and ethics,
and they were challenged to appreciate their Catholic education and
to make their corner of the world a
better place.
Spencer Fredrickson (‘05) reminded the alumni his class won
were the girls’ state basketball
championship all four years.
Mike and Deb (Brunsing) Bai-
Class of 1995: Attending were, from left, front row: Erin Jaspersen Mason, Sandra
Weiler Spiehs, Ellie Olson Girty; 2nd row: Megan Reeson Kvols, Stacy McMahon
Haussler, Jason Luebbert, Chrissy Schmaderer Wilber, Matt Wiechman; 3rd row:
Matthew Knobbe, Jason Kreikemeier, Michael Schlickbernd; back row: Eric Lauritzen,
Kevin Klitz, Fr. Jeff Lorig, Alan Peatrowsky.
Class of 2005: Attending were, from left, front row: Mikayla Klitz, Jessica Cervantes
Martens, Jessica Hagedorn, Luke Strehle, Sara Hagedorn Bradfield; 2nd row: Kelly
Baumert Doescher, Jessica Cihacek Gill, Angela Ridder Wegner, Ashley Hass Petersen,
Megan Neuvirth Maslanka; 3rd row: Deanna Wiechman Mack, Rachel Wortman Prinz,
Betsy Smeal Knobbe, Danessa Brunsing Kenney, Lindsay Ortmeier Merwald; back row:
Jacob Reichlinger, Michael Mack, Drew Wimer, Spencer Fredrickson, Henry Knobbe,
Andrew Meister, Jeremy Wiechman.
ley reported on the endowment,
alumni funds and JayFest. They
reminded alumni that the Jayfest
event is always the night before
the banquet.
The 2015 alumni committee
members were Jessica Cervantes
Martens, Henry Knobbe, Luke
Strehle and Mikayla Klitz.
The 2016 committee is made up
of the 2006 class officers Adam
Guenther, Allyn Knobbe, Robert
Kreikemeier and Katie Kreikemeier Burger.
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
Page 3
Class of 1965: Attending were, from
left, front row: Connie Schmuecker
Kaup, Janet Schmaderer Hart, Linda
Gralheer Rogers, Kathleen Luebbert
Kosmicki, Bob Wellman; 2nd row:
Kathy Schmitt Means; 3rd row: Arthur Johnson, Robert Frickenstein,
Lois Wordekemper Christensen,
Jean Engelmeyer Marksmeier,
Donald Knievel, Melvin Baumert,
Gerald Rief; back: Lorin Batenhorst,
David Ortmeier, Fred Hunker, Elaine
Batenhorst Maly, John Patterson,
Donald Steffen, Richard Hagedorn.
Class of 1975: Attending were, from left, front row: Robert Reeson, Lynn Klitz, Ronald Guenther, Scott Luebbert, Joyce Luebbert, Joann
Meiergerd Kreikemeier, Geri Schaaf, Roberta Graybeal Steinhauser; 2nd row: James Yosten, Keith Nebuda, Eileen Kreikemeier Seeman, Deborah Goeden Wiegert, Sharon Luebbert Wegener, Linda Knievel Korte, Michelle Bliemeister White, Joan Stalp Mendlik, Renee
Gentrup Olson; 3rd row: Thomas Wordekemper, Roxanne Meiergerd Fast, Maureen Nitz, Jackie Hunke Ridder, Myron Luebbert, Patrick
Meiergerd, Daniel Gentrup; back row: Barbara Peatrowsky Hadden, Michael Ruskamp, Mark Nebuda, Gerald Brunnert, John Knobbe,
Dana Leffler, James Meiergerd, Glenn Randel, Duane Hugo.
Class of 1985: Attending were,
from left, front row: Chris
Peatrowsky, Becky Klein
Hunke, Lisa Hunke Svec, Karen
Prinz Klein, Cindy Meister
Stratman, Denis Peatrowsky;
middle row: Dan Bracht,
Gina Nebuda Kalous, Brenda
Wiechman Hasenjager, Karen
Oligmueller Hass, Cheryl Linnenbrink Throener, Roy Ritter,
Jeff Guenther, Brian Aschoff;
back row: Tim Hagedorn, Kent
Schlautman, Mike Stieren,
Jerry Hagedorn, Darry Leffler,
Roger Luebbert.
Page 4
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
Right — Class of 1955: Attending were,
from left, front row: Janice Harstick
Eilerts; 2nd row: LaVerne Peatrowsky
Klein, Sister Rita Mae Suhr, Henrietta Harstick Ruskamp, Janice Prinz
Ortmeier; 3rd row: Mary Jean Dinslage
Gatzemeyer, Jolene Reiman Wiesen,
Jean Michaelis Popken, Betty Ortmeier
Kreikemeier, Sharon Rolf Anderson;
back: Marvin Prinz, Edward Bracht,
Melvin Ortmeier.
Below – Class of 1960: Attending were,
from left, front row: Barbara Aschoff
Anderson, Elaine Heimann Ridder,
Patricia Tingelhoff Greckel, Wilma
Gentrup French; back row: Jerome
Dinslage, Leroy Feldhaus, Gene Peatrowsky, Edmund Hugo.
Mardi Gras
theme at JayFest
Class of 1990: Attending were, from left, front row: Lisa Eisenmenger Gulseth, Bruce
Schlickbernd, Jay Knobbe, Nancy Oligmueller Hass; back row: Tami Kreikemeier Fischer,
Lisa Engelmeyer Haase, Jodi Rolf Meister, Gina Steffen Hardisty.
By Delores Meister
JayFest started in 2010 as a funfilled fundraiser with a gourmet
dinner, a silent auction and a live
auction. Now in it’s 6th year the
events have grossed over one million dollars for Catholic education,
of which 10 percent was given to
area non-profits.
This year’s theme was Mardi
Gras, with decorations in purple,
green and gold. The committee, attired with masks, presented beads
to each attendee as they entered
the Nielsen Center ballroom. The
food served was traditional with a
Cajun flair. One hundred fifty-five
donated items were sold in the
silent auction, and 164 ‘Fund the
Need’ specific requests for classroom items were purchased. Fortytwo donated items went across the
live auction.
Jayfest honorary co-chairmen
are Ben and Kelly Dinslage, David
and Laurie Gnad and David and
Shannon Karnopp. The committee
members are parents of present
students and their friends.
Plan for 2016 Jayfest to be the
held the evening before the 2016
alumni banquet.
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
Page 5
Leap of gold
Prieto wins long jump title
History will show that
Bluejay senior Jesse
Prieto was one of the best
to ever go through the
Guardian Angels Central
Catholic track program.
Prieto placed a giant
exclamation point on
his historic career as he
captured the Class C boys
state long jump championship at Omaha Burke with
a winning mark of 21-9.5.
“It’s something you always dream about. To see
this great history here at
Burke, you just want to be
a part of it. Now that it’s
happened, it’s just amazing,” Prieto said.
With his gold-medal performance, Prieto became
just the second Bluejay
to win an individual state
title in GACC school history.
He joins Kurt Bracht,
the only other champion.
Bracht won the 110-meter
high hurdles in 1992.
“He’s worked so hard,
and he takes track very
seriously. He was so motivated, so focused, and so
positive. It was just great
to see Jesse finish the way
he did,” GACC head coach
Matt Schlaebitz said.
Heading into the state
meet, Prieto had already
left an imprint in the
GACC record book as he
held school records in long
jump (22-3.5), the 200-meter dash (22.6) and 4x1
relay (44.81).
Jesse is the foster son of
Bill and Stasia Stokely.
Bluejay senior Jesse Prieto captured the Class C
boys long jump title.
Bluejays medal
two at state track
GACC golf team qualifies for state
The Bluejay golf team represented GACC at the 2015 Class C state
golf meet in Lincoln. GACC qualified for state as they were the C-2
District champs at Indian Trails. Team members are, from left, Sam
Ulrich, Noah Kreikemeier, Isaac Kreikemeier, Cody Steuter and Hannah
Hunke.
A pair of Guardian Angels
Central Catholic seniors
closed out their Bluejay
careers with hardware from
the Class C state track meet
this spring at Omaha Burke.
Jesse Prieto took 1st
in long jump and Krista
Fischer finished 8th in shot
put. Other state competitors
were: Elizabeth Franzluebbers, Breanne Kreikemeier,
Katie Steuter and Lauren
Wobken.
patriot baseball
The GACC-SS-WPB Patriot baseball team went 9-7
this spring.
Page 6
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
St. Mary’s Parish, GACC welcomes Fr. Steve
By Delores Meister
The alumni welcome Father Steve Emanuel, who has been assigned as the pastor of
our four parishes and President of Guardian
Fr. Gerry
moves to new
parish
By Delores Meister
Father Gerald Gonderinger has
been assigned to be pastor of Divine
Mercy, Schuyler, which is the combined former St. Augustine (Irish)
and St. Mary’s (Czech) parishes with
750 families.
Roughly half of those families
are Hispanic. Schuyler, known as a
meat-packing town, has a population
of 6,300.
Fr. Gonderinger came to St.
Mary’s 12 and one-half years ago following the retirement of Fr. James
Ryberg.
One year later he was assigned an
additional three more parishes, St.
Aloysius (Aloys), St. Boniface (Monterey) and St. Anthony (St. Charles).
Many renovations, updating and
landscaping projects were completed.
Fr. Gonderinger pushed for excellence in all phases of Guardian
Angels Central Catholic students’
lives. The two schools were united,
and students’ achievements have
excelled. Religious personnel were
engaged in teaching every grade.
The community thanks Fr. Gonderinger for his leadership, example,
prayers and strong commitment
leading all of us on our earthly journey. May God bless him with many
graces in his continued priestly
work.
In the words of St. Francis, we
wish him peace and all good.
Angels Central Catholic.
Originally from North Bend, Father Steve
was an assistant pastor and teacher here
from 1993-1997.
Pope Francis taps into area
By Delores Meister
Pope Francis tapped into our
area when he recognized and
chose one of our holy, talented
priests, and former Central
Catholic teacher, to be the
bishop of Grand Island.
West Point was a stepping
stone in Fr. Hanefeldt’s journey
in the priesthood and service to
lead us closer to God.
Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt, 56,
grew up on a farm northeast of
Creighton, Neb. Fr. Mel Wiese,
in residence at St. Joseph’s
Retirement Community in West
Point, took high school student
Joe Hanefeldt to a seminary.
Hanefeldt ordained in 1984.
His first assignment was as
associate pastor of St. Mary’s
Parish in West Point, and he
taught at Central Catholic from
1984-1988.
In a return visit to West Point
last summer, Hanefeldt remembered his former students very
well.
From 1988 until 2007, Hanefeldt served at Omaha parishes.
In 2007 he was in Rome as
spiritual director of the Pontifical North American College
for five years. He was named a
monsignor in 2010, and became
pastor of Christ the King parish in Omaha from 2012 to 2015.
The ordination and installation of Hanefeldt as Bishop of
Grand Island on March 19 was
televised nationwide on EWTN
and broadcasted on Catholic
radio. The radio commentator
was Mark Baumert (‘76).
The letter from Pope Francis
appointing the new bishop,
referred to Nebraska as the
Cornhusker State, reminding us that we are united with
the Universal Church on our
earthly journey to the Promised Land.
Archbishop Lucas described
Hanefeldt as “a generous pastor, a trusted spiritual director and a faithful friend to so
many.”
The alumni are proud to be
a part of his life, and we wish
him peace and all good.
New
alumni
Class of 2015: Attending were, from
left, Nicole Fisher,
Sydney Yosten,
Karen Richards
Guardian Angels Central Catholic Newsletter
29 graduate
from GACC
GACC’s 2015 graduates and
their parents are:
• Callie Fischer: Daniel (‘86) &
Tami (Kreikemeier, ‘90) Fischer; •
Krista Fischer: Brian (‘84) & Doreen
Fischer • Nicole Fisher: Heather
Fisher • Emily Franzluebbers: Donald & Lori Franzluebbers • Emma
Gnad: David & Laurie Gnad • Haley
Guenther: Allen & Kelli Guenther •
Maci Hunke: Joel & Ginger Hunke
• Nathan Klitz: Chris (‘84) & Angi
Klitz • Jenny Knobbe: Scott (‘89)
& Patti Knobbe • Emily Kreikemeier: Tom & Karen Kreikemeier
• Isaac Kreikemeier: Keith (‘81) &
Jodi Kreikemeier • Grahm Manley:
Bernie & Lisa Manley • Megan
McAuliffe: Kelly & Carol (Schlautman, ‘78) McAuliffe • Brandon
Meister: Steve (‘77) & Donna
Meister • Adam Perry: Jim & Judy
(Meiergerd, ‘86) Perry • Elisabetta
Petrucci: Massimo Petrucci • Jamie
Petz: Dave & Carrie (Maly, ‘89)
Petz • Tiffany Plagge: Jeff (‘83) &
Jodi Plagge • Jesse Prieto: Bill &
Stasia Stokely • Karen Richards:
Jim (‘77) & Alice (Hagedorn, ‘77)
Heimann • Kreg Schlautman: Kent
(‘85) & Kim Schlautman • Chett
Simonsen: Brent & Kari (Schmader,
‘92) Simonsen • Thomas Slagle:
Tim & Patty (McMahon, ‘79) Slagle
• Dylan Slaughter: Brad & Marla
Slaughter • Cody Steuter: Paul
Steuter (‘80) and Mary Steuter •
Jeremy Wordekemper: Allan (‘79)
& Michelle Wordekemper • Brooke
Yosten: Bob (‘85) & Deb Yosten •
Justin Yosten: John (‘76) & Robin
Yosten • Sydney Yosten: Patrick
(‘88) & Lisa Yosten
Staff
Fr. Steve Emanuel....................... Pastor
Fr. Frank Lordemann...... Sr. Associate
Mike O’Brien................................. Editor
Delores Meister.......................Reporter
Deanne Wieneke..............Copy Editor
Steve Latka..........................Copy Editor
Page 7
GACC trio performs
Three GACC 2015 graduates, Adam Perry, Karen Richards and
Elizabetta Petrucci, presented a U_GAN_Da summer concert Sunday
(June 28) to benefit Fr. Francis Ssengendo and the students of St.
Dennis School, Uganda. Free will donations totaled $1,200.
GACC grads Adam Perry and Karen Richards were asked to be a
part of the annual Nebraska High School Theatre Awards.
GACC students showcase
acting talents on stage
Omaha Performing Arts
presented the annual Nebraska
High School Theatre Awards
Showcase on Thursday, June 11,
at the Holland Performing Arts
Center.
This red carpet event featured
performances of nearly 300 students from 38 local high schools,
including a few locals kids from
West Point.
In its second year, the Nebraska High School Theatre Awards
program has expanded to 38
schools, nearly double the participants in its inaugural year.
Among those asked to perform
were Karen Richards and Adam
Perry, who were part of the
combined West Point-Beemer/
Guardian Angels Central Catholic spring musical, “Return to the
Forbidden Planet.”
Perry was recognized as one of
seven “outstanding actors in a
supporting role” awarded.
Development Office
419 E. Decatur St.
West Point, NE 68788
Non-Profit Rate
U.S. Postage Paid
West Point, Nebraska
Permit No. 97
Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Anyone interested in attending Guardian Angels Central
Catholic School is asked to contact Fr. Steve Emanuel at
402-372-2188. *Financial aid is available.
419 E. Decatur
West Point, NE 68788
402.372.5326 (High School)
402.372.5328 (Grade School)