I was just looking at something on Ben Lippen and saw you had a project going on. I am from the class of 1964 which has been fairly active over the years. We have someone who has kept us in touch with one another. I will e-mail her and tell her about your project. I notice that no one from our class has signed in. We will try to change that.

hello all . It was nice to see all those familiar names and I will check this site out from time to time.

– Updated on Saturday, September 06, 2003 at 17:31:43 (EDT)

I stumbled on this site and was quite surprised to see old names appear on the screen. Hey Dave Martin, I remember the trip to Washington and the CHIINESE restaurant. I know you are from Japan, I didnt forget. I guess Steve never married Bev Wills. I lost contact with BILL lubkemann but I DID LEARN TO CARVE roosters like his brother Chris. I am retired from VERIZON phone co, and I spend my time hunting, riding motorcycling and working on a few horse farms in my area.

– Signed on Thursday, September 04, 2003 at 12:44:23 (EDT)

Wow! My sister-in-law, Gail Brower, married to my brother George, just recently told me about this website. I finally got a chance to check it out and am pleased to read from and about many familiar names. Quite nostalgic, it is! But tell me, WHERE IS THE CLASS OF '68????

How to sum up so many years in so few words? I graduated from CBC in 1972 and then from an LPN course here in Columbia in 1974. After living in Indiana, Texas, New Jersey and California, I am back in SC again. I have 4 children from my 21 year marriage that ended in 1995. They are twin girls (25), and two sons (23 and 18 - a fresh new high school graduate). They all live here in Columbia. I am also raising my 7 year old granddaughter; she just finished first grade.

In 1996 I married Jonathan Marcy, class of 1969. He has two sons (21 and 19) from his first marriage. He is self-employed as a Human Resources Consultant.

That'll do for now.
Bye.

– Signed on Monday, June 10, 2002 at 22:34:08 (EDT)

Thanks to the creators of this site!

For my class members whom I've not kept up with, I went to CBC for for years, met Esther there, we were married the year we graduated. We joined WBT and have worked with SIL in Mexico since 1970, in an area 700 miles from where I grew up, where totally different languages are spoken. We have four children, two now married. You can see pictures of all of us at our son Matthew's website: www.matthewweathers.com.

Hope to see some news from more of your here eventually.

Mark

– Signed on Saturday, February 16, 2002 at 23:45:32 (EST)

Hello to all!

My autobiographical note: After graduating from ole BL in 1967, I attended the College of Charleston for premedicine, went to medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and completed a residency there in Pathology in 1978. After two years on faculty at the University of Kentucky, I abandoned academia, took another brief residency in Cincinnati, and moved to my present job in Norfolk, VA in 1982. For the last nineteen years I have been associated with DePaul Hospital as one of a group of pathologists now servicing three area hospitals.

I married Susan Baer in March of 1971, still in my freshman year of medical school. We have two children, ages 20 (Matt)and 18 (Tricia). And we now have a new grandson one month old, courtesy of my son and his former girlfriend (yes, you read it right).

I remember my days at Ben Lippen with great happiness. That is where I was truly introduced to the practice of Christian living-- prayer and personal Bible study. This reached and changed me despite the inconsistencies of faculty and the irritations of daily life at the school. And though my life has had its share of inconsistencies (just like those annoying faculty), still my course has been set, since way back in the sixties.

God has continually placed me is situations where I have had to turn to Him; the current one with my son is just the latest in the sequence. I must have a troublesome self-reliance or independence, because God continually works on my dependence on Him. Or, as my Dad would say, the flesh dies hard. But I am ever amazed at what God brings out of these situations, although they are no fun as they evolve.

It is great to hear how others are doing. Thanks for the opportunity to share in this and to be reminded of those days at Ben Lippen. And to any who read this and don't share warm feelings about their days at BL, take heart. In my immediate circle of family and in-laws, there are eight who attended Ben Lippen, and none of them feel that the experience was positive. Sobering! I feel like an aberration. So we didn't send our kids to Christian schools despite all the positive things I received.

Take care, all.

Ray Smith, class of '67

– Email Updated on Thursday, November 23, 2006
– Signed on Sunday, December 02, 2001 at 14:20:04 (EST)

AFter receiving my diploma from nurse's training at Georga Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, I spent several years as school nurse/student at Northeastern Bible College in Essex Fells, NJ; two years in France with Slavic Gospel Association; two years at Columbia Bible College/grad school; and eighteen years of marriage serving with my husband, LeRoy, music director at Family Life Ministries in Bath, NY. Now we find ourselves in Vianopolis, Brazil, with New Tribes Mission, both teaching at the MK school. We plan to be here one to two years. We have two children: David 14 and Leanna 12.

– Signed on Monday, November 19, 2001 at 08:07:36 (EST)

I married Jim Martin, Class of '62. We have served the Lord in a number of academic institutions over the years, most recently at the University of Southern Mississippi. Would love to hear from anyone we know! Fran

– Signed on Monday, September 10, 2001 at 10:13:34 (EDT)

I'm Jim Martin, class of '62, married to Fran Reed, class of '61. We have three daughters, Ruth an ob/gyn living in Atlanta, Georgia, Joanne, a student living in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Deborah, a "housefrau" living in Freiburg, Germany. I am Dean of Libraries at the University of Southern Mississippi and Fran is Director of Nurses at the Southern Miss clinic.

– Signed on Thursday, January 18, 2001 at 16:47:19 (EST)

After 2 years at CBC, 1 year at USC, 20 years of marriage, I am a single mom with a 19 year old son attending Eastern College, St, Davids, PA and a 17 year old son living with me in St. Pete. Where are all the rest of the grads of '69?

– Signed on Saturday, April 29, 2000 at 16:24:57 (EDT)

It looks like I am the first of the class of 1961 to register! I have been married for 25 years to a wonderful Texan, and we live in a town in the Dallas metroplex. Our son Billy lives and works in Chicago; our daughter Evelyn will graduate from Abilene Christian University in May of 2000 with a degree in Theatre. My husband Bill is a retired public high school teacher (drafting and architecture), and he continues to work in the drafting field. I teach Spanish part time in a small school in the area--to kindergarten through sixth grades. I would love to hear from any of my former classmates!

– Signed on Sunday, March 26, 2000 at 23:42:50 (EST)

Dr Fortosis led me to the Lord in January 1963, my senior year. I always remember his Bible classes from Isaiah. His love for the Lord, sincerity and dedication to all those around him were unquestionable and unique. I have been an airline interpreter for over 20 years, 15 of them in Michigan. Would love to hear from anyone who attended BL in the 60's.My wife is from Germany and we have twins, Robert and Elizabeth, 23 years old. God bless you!

– Signed on Saturday, March 25, 2000 at 23:39:42 (EST)

Forty-plus years on, I'm "Jean Marie" to most of my acquaintance but still "Jeanie" to family and old friends. After three decades I'm still working as secretary and researcher for the same boss, Preston Manning. He has moved on from being Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Parliament to starting up the Manning Centre for Building Democracy based in Calgary, Alberta (www.manningcentre.ca), dedicated to preparing Canadians for principled participation in politics (alliteration not my own). It's a joy to be a servant to someone who sees himself as a servant, always a challenge and a blessing.
Would enjoy hearing from a classmate or others of my vintage at Ben Lippen. I still benefit from what I learned there, specially from Reita (Hall) Wells and Terry Elniff. Thank God for Ben Lippen.

----- Previous Entry: -----

My sister Laurel (class of '80) passed along the URL and I'm sorry to see no others for class of 1967. I am living in Ottawa, working as Personal Assistant to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, and keeping balance in my life by singing in a church choir. My family, including parents, siblings, nieces & nephews, step-grandmother, step-children, and grandchildren, are the light of my life.

Ben Lippen seems a LONG time ago, but I'm still making good use of Miss Hall's English grammar notes -- part of my job is to edit and correct letters written for my boss's signature, and I have often sent a mental thank-you to Reita Hall. (By the way, I have her address if anyone from my era would like to have it.)

– Updated on Sunday, February 03, 2008 at 15:37:22 (CST)

– Originally Signed on Thursday, March 02, 2000 at 15:32:49 (EST)

Dear Becky,

This is just a quick note to let you know that we (my wife and I) are grads of BL in the class of 1965. My wife's name is Dianne DuBois. My name is John Turnidge.

Currently living in Fort Collins, Colorado, but moving this fall to Parker, Colorado.

I will get back to you later with more information about us, but Dianne is an accountant for a civil engineering firm, and I am a consultant for Church Ministries International, helping urban churches in major cities in Latin America and Spain. Dianne and I spent 15 years in Spain as missionaries, and returned to the States in 1988.

Thanks for the work you have done on all of this! It is a great job!

John

– Signed on Monday, April 19, 1999 at 21:16:07 (EST)

Fantastic idea, Becky! Thanks for all the hard work.

I am going to break the ice on the 60's, and provide some feedback on the Class of 1965.

First off, I should mention that while at BLHS, I was known as David W. Dahlquist. On October 21, 1997, I legally changed my name to Brandon J. Wolf. I had been wanting to change it for the past couple years, and when it finally happened, it was a very happy event for me. As far as why, it's a long story. But the bottom line is that it is a very positive step for me.

After Ben Lippen, I attended Cornerstone College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for two years. Then I finished out at Baylor University, in Waco, Texas.

First two years out of college, I taught high school English at Hargrave Military Academy.

Then, for six years, I worked in the Public Relations Office at Northern Virginia Community College, in Annandale, Virginia, a surburb of DC. I wrote news releases and took a LOT of pictures.

From 1977 through the present, I have lived in Houston, TX, and worked for Texas Commerce Bank. I have been a special report programmer for the past decade, in the Technology Partnership at the bank. On January 20, 1998, our name will officially change to Chase Bank of Texas, although we have been part of Chase for the past ten years.

For anyone who knew my oldest brother, Don Dahlquist (Class of 1956), he passed away in March of 1979, of diabetes melitis, at the age of 38. He went to Wheaton College after BL, then to Baylor Medical School. He was working in heart surgery, until the diabetes impaired his eyesight. He then set up a company called Houston Emergency Physicians Associates, which contracted emergency services for hospitals that found this too big an effort to handle themselves.

My memories of Ben Lippen are mixed. I was considered a good student, and never had any conduct problems to mention, but I always felt detached from things while there. I guess it just wasn't my thing. I remember certain friends with much fondness, but the "ruling philosophies" I don't miss at all. There are a number of things that I take issue with, even today, and I feel that they are detrimental to being a healthy human being. I do think the finishing school touches were nice. There are still things I do that I learned there, that I rarely recognize in anyone else.

I am single, and live with my miniature schnauzer, Brandy, in the Memorial area of Houston. Although I am no fan of the former president, I do find it noteworthy to mention that George Bush's post-White House office is just ONE block from where I live. I can see his office suite from my back porch. He began his political career as a US Representative from the Memorial area of Houston, and lives here now.

My biggest disappointment with people from my past is their lack of understanding about the realities of my life. I won't get into a controversial dissertation here, but I will say that over the last sixteen years, I have seen more than two hundred friends and acquaintances die of AIDS. It totally broke my heart when my partner Michael Cole died of AIDS in 1993. As I struggled to deal with the enormity of my losses, I generally found that fundamentalists felt that I and my friends had simply brought this situation on ourselves, and now the judgment day had come. I felt very betrayed by people I had shown support for, for years. I am baffled by people who are shallow enough to think being gay is "a choice." That is an insult to my intelligence and integrity, and the same for all my friends. One has the choice to be honest about themselves, but none of us ever sat down and said, "Hmmmm, I think I will be gay." We just learned to live with the realities of our lives. Whatever seems to motivate such antipathy towards gays, from fundamentalists, is totally beyond me. And I can honestly say it is NOT Christ-like whatsoever.

Below is a list of e-mail addresses for the Class of 1965. A year ago, I began "collecting" them, and so far, have about 1/3 of the class, which I am sharing with you below:

Larry Ayotte: hopes to have e-mail soon
David Beam: dbeam@co.dona-ana.nm.us
Nancy Birch:
Steve Bissett:
Dan Cervenka:
David Dahlquist: brandon_wolf@email.msn.com
David Dix:
Dianne DuBois: jturnidge@compuserve.com
Steve Gay:
Susan Glazebrook:
Betsy Grimm: dets68@aol.com
See recent update on the death of her mother, Winnie Grimm.
Rodney Hatcher:
Ken Heneise: kheneise@ix.netcom.com
Kathy Herr:
Bill Lubkemann: does not currently have e-mail
Pat Major: patmajor@verizon.net
Bill Martin: billdaquill@aol.com
David Martin: martinnn@aol.com
Suzanne Nelson:
Gerry Reugsegger:
Clare Strachan:
Peter Strong:
Glen Sutherland:
John Turnidge: jturnidge@compuserve.com
Mark Weathers: mark@markweathers.com
Marilyn Wenzel:
Beverly Wills:

Chuck VanEngen ('66): chuckveent@aol.com

Thanks again, Becky! You are doing a wonderful job!

Brandon Wolf
Houston, TX

– Signed on Sunday, January 04, 1998 at 22:17:55 (EST)