Category Archives: News

Judy (Johnson) Riseling ’59

Judy (Johnson) Riseling ’59 has been creating pottery the past 5 years. She also teaches children’s classes on Saturday afternoons at the London Clay Arts Centre.  She has sold many of her pieces through the London Potters Guild and Clay Arts Centre.  Here is a sample of her work :

 

Donald C. Norwood ‘50

On August 18, 2000 Don Norwood ‘50 with Jerry Magliano  embarked on a mission to establish Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science.  They spent 5,500 hours promoting the concept of an early entry to college program and encouraging the Kansas Legislature to establish Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science.  Hundreds of students have benefited from their vision and many more will benefit in the future.

Mary Kate (Katie) Reeder Fraley ’58

Greetings IWU Alums!
What a challenge this pandemic has presented! I have followed all the campus news as our grandson, Samuel Soto, graduated with the class of 2020. Congratulations to the class and to the faculty for their classy virtual graduation.  I am thankful for my 53 years in the education field(both in the classroom & on my district’s school. board). My best to all presently working to provide the best possible education.
Mary Kate (Katie) Reeder Fraley, Class of 1958

Ronald (Ron) Clauser ’58

Thank you to Ron Clauser ’58 who shared his IWU memories!

The IWU tradition he remembers is wearing a beanie as a freshman.

The campus events that are most memorable are the sporting events and drama presentations.

If he were to return to campus, he would visit the library first.

In his memories, Ron also shared a message that:

“Even though I live in North Carolina, I have family in Illinois and have returned to the campus to visit and attend homecomings. Through visits, I have seen classmates, met fellow alumni, and old and new faculty. The spirit of IWU continues to flow through all these encounters. 

Combined, Nancy and I have six children, twelve grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. They live in North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, and California. We are blessed by each of them and their spouses plus our own life together at Lake Junaluska in the North Carolina mountains.” 

 

Thank you Ron for sharing your IWU memories with us, and we wish all the best to you and your wonderful family!

Wilberta (Naden) Pickett ’50

Thank you very much to Wilberta (Naden) Pickett ’50 for sending in some information about herself and some classmates, who she continues to keep in touch with.

Mildred (Gaston) Berryman ’50 was a public school music teacher, organist and a choir director. She continues to live in Virginia, and still very much enjoys visiting with others over the telephone.

Clara (Zaccaro) Madonia ’50 spent time playing the piano duet arrangements of the Beethoven Symphonies when they first arrived, and at Illinois Wesleyan learned how to speak English while hanging out with friends at Professor Lowell and Stella Hazzad’s daily tea open house. She was a social worker and now lives in New Jersey. Her sister, Marina Firestone ’49 came to IWU on a scholarship from Italy, speaking no English.

Nadine (Callahan) Simpson ’49 was roommates with Wilberta during her junior year. Nadine and her husband went to Mozambique, where he was a missionary doctor and Nadine was a journalist. They are doing well, and live in Tennessee.

Ruth (Belyea) Beamis ’50 lives in Maine and has one daughter. She is active in Caring Connections, visiting nursing homes. She and Wilberta were part of a team sponsored by AFS during the summer of 1949, and worked for six weeks at the Lincoln State School in Lincoln, Illinois.

Wilberta (Naden) Pickett ’50 herself will turn 92 in June, and she is still blessed with good health with her husband John. The two will soon celebrate their 69th anniversary. The remain active, enjoying exercise classes and the social and cultural life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Masters in Sacred Music from the NYC Union Theological Seminary in 1952. She received a Choir Master degree from the American Guild of Organists and is a Certified Church Musician from the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.

Haroldine (Johnson) Bourelli ’51 was Wilberta’s roommate her senior year. She had six children, one of which was Alex Bourelly ’86, an attorney in Washington, D.C..

If you are interested in contacting any of these alumnae fill out this form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

 

 

 

Suzanne Coventry ’55

Thank you to Suzanne Coventry ’55 for sending this wonderful photo of her and her family. She also reports that recently, here in Bloomington she has visited the courthouse, museum, the farmer’s market, Davis’ mansion and of course, The Yarn Garden. She went by Mercy Creek bus to see The Festival of Trees and the movie “A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood.” This winter, Suzanne will fly to St. Paul for Christmas and stay at Bandana Square, and in January she will fly to Gulf Shores.

In the first row are Suzanne, her daughters and her great-grandson.

Bob Riseling ’59

On 21 November I performed with three others on A Guest Artist Recital of clarinet chamber works at Western University, London, Ontario, CANADA. Three of the works on the program were written for me. Invited to Arizona State University, I spoke to clarinet doctoral candidates about commissioning composers for new works and gave a master class for the clarinet students on 4 December. The next night I performed the MOTOR CITY MEMOIR by Alan Torok (US Premier), 10 autobiographical movements accompanied by powerful videos about growing up in Detroit in the 1960s.