The Berea College Alumni Association enjoys hearing from Bereans from all over the world. The “Class Notes” section of Berea College Magazine reports verifiable news you wish to share with your alumni friends and associates: careers, weddings, retirements, births, and other items of importance to our alumni. Please include your class year and name used while attending Berea. Notes may be edited for style and length. While we will make every effort to put your information into the next issue of BCM, some delays may occur. We appreciate your understanding.
Submit class notes and photographs via email: alumninews@berea.edu.
1949
Fannie Patrick Owens and her husband Prince Everett celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary with their four children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
1952
Ursula Boehm Dickinson, Fd ’48, is still adjusting to life without her husband Tom, who passed away February 4, 2016. Ursula said she knows she’s not alone in this and that she understands what others are going through. If fellow classmates would like to reconnect with Ursula, email her at ursuladi@msn.com.
1954
Nancy Henderlite, wife of Rev. Edward Henderlite, wrote to let his classmates know that he is paralyzed as the result of an autoimmune disease, but his mind is very alert and is able to process information. They have fond memories of their visits to Berea.
Jessie Reasor Zander shared this photo of herself wearing a bracelet and pin etched with the symbol of Sankofa given to her by Berea College in 1997 when she was recognized by the Tucson YWCA as that year’s Phenomenal Woman. Jessie said she was thrilled to see the Sankofa bird etched on the glass in Berea’s Carter G. Woodson Center. Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and symbol is “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” The symbol is based on a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward with its head turned backwards. The Akan believe the past serves as a guide for planning the future.
1958
In February, Marion and Suzanne Hile Atkinson, along with 3,498 other competitors, raced in the Me Strong 5K through the oak-lined streets and paths of Deland, Florida and Stetson University to raise funds for children’s health. Sue and Marty finished third in their respective age groups. Just three months later, they travelled to Tallahassee, Fla., to compete in The Tails and Trails 5K run/walking event along with their son, Joel, and his family, to benefit pet sanctuaries. They both finished first in their respective age groups. Tallahassee, with its rolling hills, fondly reminded them of Mountain Day at Berea College. Sue and Marty have been enjoying their retirement from the Florida School System since 1995.
1959
Dr. Bill Best published his newest book, Kentucky Heirloom Seeds: Growing, Eating, Saving (University of Kentucky Press, 2017) on April 7. Writing with fiber artist and photographer, Dobree Adams, Bill explores Kentucky’s rich history of saving seeds from the roots of the practice among Native Americans to current efforts aimed at recovering and saving seed varieties that might otherwise be lost. He also tells the stories of Kentuckians who have worked tirelessly to preserve heirloom varieties. Bill is professor emeritus at Berea College, is a Madison County, Ky., farmer and one of the charter members of the Lexington Farmers’ Market.
1961
Lois Lankford Alexander and her husband Charles were married 49 years until his passing April 25, 2017. The couple, both retired school teachers, have two sons and one daughter. Lois would love to hear from anyone who attended Berea from 1957 through 1961. She lives in North Wilkesboro, N.C. and her email is crajr1@embarqmail.com.
1962
Birth: a daughter, Vivian Jade Evans, to Deanna and Holly Evans, on May 1, 2017. Vivian is the granddaughter of Carl Evans and Dr. Ann Evans. Vivian joins her big sisters, Hailey and Carly.
Mary Johnson Marasa’s granddaughter Erin is attending nursing school and her grandson, Kerry, finished up his freshman year at Eastern Kentucky University.
Celia Hooper Tauscher Miles in Asheville, N.C., continues to write regional fiction and cozy mysteries featuring old grist mills and a female mill consultant who keeps finding bodies at the sites. Check out her work at www.celiamiles.com.
1965
Kattie Deel Blankenship wanted to shared that her husband, Alvin, is battling a brain-stem tumor and that prayers are appreciated.
Veree Thompson Woodbridge, Fd ’61, and her husband Tom enjoy both domestic and international travel and catching up with Berea alumni wherever they can. Their move to coastal Georgia (St. Mary’s) has been a real pleasure, Veree said. The couple lives within walking distance of Foundation School classmate Hugh Browning, Fd ’61 and his wife Bonnie.
1967
Charles W. Williams retired as superintendent of Wayne Local Schools in Waynesville, Ohio.
1968
Malcolm Edward Kitchen was elected to the city council of Mullins, S.C.
Freida Hopkins Outlaw lives in Nashville with her husband of 47 years, Dr. Lucius T. Outlaw Jr. The couple has three sons, Lucius Outlaw III and his wife Ami; Kofi Outlaw and his wife Alison; and Chike Outlaw and his wife Jessica. They have one granddaughter, Emily Jean, 2, from Kofi and Alison, and Alaia Mae, born June 26, 2017, to Chike and Jessica. Freida is working for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association as the executive program academic consultant. She is also very involved in local health care issues, bringing her experience as a professional nurse. She has recently been appointed by the mayor of Nashville to the Hospital Authority Board of Directors.
Edith Yvonne Shifflett Williams retired as an R.N. from the Dayton VA Medical Center. She is enjoying spending time with her family and retired life.
1970
Clemente Conde, Fd ’66, moved back to Kentucky and can be contacted at PO Box 3453, Midway, KY 40347. He said he would love to hear from friends.
1972
Emma Faultz Cox retired from LaRue County High School in 2000 after serving 28 years. She spends time taking care of her grandchildren.
Ron Daley was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame on April 28 in Lexington, Ky. Ron was co-founder, along with his late wife, Amy Turner Daley ’73, his late friend and Berea roommate Mike Mullins ’71 and his wife, Freida Smothers Mullins ’74, of the Troublesome Creek Times in Hindman, Ky. The weekly newspaper was published from 1980 to 2000. Ron won more state and national press awards in a decade span than any other Kentucky journalist. He can be reached at PO Box 2050, Hazard, KY 41702 or ron.daley@rctcs.edu.
1973
Willa Gay Chaney retired after 40 years of working in the nursing profession. She now lives in Ooltewah, Tenn.
1975
James Mawyer retired after 34 years of service to Verizon and is on the board of directors for the Miss Kentucky Scholarship Organization. He has been a resident of Richmond, Ky. since 1978.
1978
John Alexander currently serves as principal of Fries School (pre-k through 7th grade), while his wife, Susan McGuffin Alexander, teaches preschool at Grayson Highlands School, both in Grayson County, Va.
1983
Gerald (Jerry) Carpenter celebrates seven years working at United States Geological Survey. He has been a lead Domain Administrator for USGS for 1.5 years. Some of his primary duties include teaching other government and contract employees how to operate in the Microsoft Active Directory environment, day-to-day activities for USGS, and leading a team of five employees. He can be reached via email at jcsf1090@comcast.net and found on Facebook. He continues to teach the hobby of bonsai around the San Francisco bay area, and can be followed on his blog at www.artsofjc.com.
1985
Terri Gattringer-Sabino was recently named Entrepreneur of the Month by the Regional Chamber of Commerce in the State of Styria, Austria where she has been living and working since 1988. She was featured in a full-page article highlighting her accomplishments during her 20 years in business. The article underscored how learning a language isn’t just vocabulary words, but finding joy and pleasure in living the language at whatever level you can. Terri works with companies in the region providing translation services and foreign language courses. She has been a court-certified translator for 26 years and has helped create translations that are an integral part of tourist attractions in the region. She has also been a member of Soroptimist International for nearly 10 years and successfully founded an informal Women’s Network in Bruck an der Mur a little more than a year ago.
1986
Classmates from all corners of the globe returned to Berea on April 8 to celebrate the marriage of Dana Adams Wolfe and Pete Anthony Foley ’87. Witnesses to a love story that began more than 30 years ago were Sheila Hazel Lyons, Mark Jennings, Claire Meade Jennings, Leasa Goodwin, Jennifer Stamper Sandefur, Ann Bane Stenzel, Jay Stenzel, Cherolyn Perky Dean, Randy Hays, Terri Gattringer-
Sabino ’85, Trish Adams Osborne ’85 and Todd Wegenast ’88. The ceremony at Danforth Chapel and the reception held at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant were attended by some 40 other friends and family as well. The wedding cake was a present from Ann Bane Stenzel of The Banery Bakery in Winchester, Ky. Decorations were a present from Jennifer Stamper Sandefur of SJ Graphics, Berea, Ky. Dana works in Tazewell, Va. at Clinch Valley Printing and Pete is employed by Friends of Southwest Virginia. The couple resides in Abingdon, Va.
1989
Cleve Wright joined the women’s basketball coaching staff at Eastern Illinois University in June. Cleve served four years as the head coach at Miami of Ohio and has 15 total years as a head coach at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels. News of his hiring was published in the June 2 article, “Bollant completes EIU women’s basketball staff,” in the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier (jg-tc.com), a newspaper that serves central Illinois.
1992
Married: Josh Bills to Danielle Capillo ’06 on June 24, 2017 at Indian Fort Theater at the base of the Pinnacles, followed by a reception at the new Berea College Forestry Outreach Center. The family resides in Berea, Ky.
1998
Angela Michelle Collard started a career as a home caregiver in February and works for Tender Touch Senior Services.
2003
Rashaad Abdur-Rahman, Cara Stewart and Christian Motley ‘09, returned to campus for the annual Service Convocation on March 23. They were invited to discuss their lives after Berea and what led them to careers in defending human rights in Kentucky. Rashaad is the director of the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods with the Louisville Metro Government and Cara is a Health Law Fellow with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center. At the time of the convo, Christian was working as the Government Relations Director with the Kentucky Education Association, but has since accepted a position as Senior Manager of Learning and Coaching at StriveTogether, a national nonprofit network of more than 70 community partnerships working to ensure every student succeeds from cradle to career, regardless of race, income or zip code. The alumni also answered student questions during this panel discussion, which was conducted after the recognition of service award recipients, Lynda Whitt and Odessa Woolfolk, women whose service to society achieves the ideals of Berea’s Great Commitments. Rashaad served on the Berea College Young Alumni Advisory Council. Cara and Christian were Berea College Outstanding Young Alumnus Award recipients in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
2006
Married: Danielle Capillo to Josh Bills ’92 on June 24, 2017 at the Indian Fort Theater at the base of the Pinnacles, followed by a reception at the new Berea College Forestry Outreach Center. The family resides in Berea, Kentucky. See photo under 1992.
2007
Birth: a son, Ari Milton Stoebel, to Megan Naseman and Jacob Stoebel this past spring. The family resides in Berea, Ky.
Shaina Ricketts Neal was selected to participate in a seven-week advanced research experience for teachers at Georgia Southern University sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The study will help GSU faculty better prepare engineering students and help them be more aware of real-world applications of engineering and technology. Shaina was one of 10 teachers to be selected from around Georgia. News of her selection was published in The Valdosta Daily Times. She has been teaching for 10 years in Arizona, South Korea, England and Spain and was selected as the AVID coordinator at Valdosta Middle School, where she teaches eighth-grade math.
2008
Birth: a daughter, to Joe Saleem II and Lolly Schuyler Saleem on June 17, 2017. The family resides in Berea.
2009
Christian Motley, Rashaad Abdur-Rahman ’03, and Cara Stewart ’03, returned to campus for the annual Service Convocation on March 23. They were invited to discuss their lives after Berea and what led them to careers in defending human rights in Kentucky. Rashaad is the director of the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods with the Louisville Metro Government and Cara is a Health Law Fellow with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center. At the time of the convo, Christian was working as the Government Relations Director with the Kentucky Education Association, but has since accepted a position as Senior Manager of Learning and Coaching at StriveTogether, a national nonprofit network of more than 70 community partnerships working to ensure that every student succeeds from cradle to career, regardless of race, income or zip code. The alumni also answered student questions during this panel discussion, which was conducted after the recognition of service award recipients, Lynda Whitt and Odessa Woolfolk, women whose service to society achieves the ideals of Berea’s Great Commitments. Rashaad served on the Berea College Young Alumni Advisory Council. Cara and Christian were Berea College Outstanding Young Alumnus Award recipients in 2016 and 2017, respectively. See photo under 2003.
2010
Birth: a son, Josiah Anthony Doss, to Ashley LePage and Ronnie Doss in November 2016. Josiah is Ashley’s first child and she and Ronnie are so happy, she said. Ronnie is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Ashley is a Registered Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. The family resides in northern California.
2012
In May, Raven Weaver earned her Ph.D. in human development with a concentration in adult development and aging from Virginia Tech. Raven accepted a teaching position as assistant professor at Washington State University. Celebrating with her (left to right) are Berea alumni Mikita Weaver ’08, Sonja Escamilla, Raven Weaver, Anda Weaver ’10 and Justin Thomas.
2014
Duncan Blount and Alyssa Blount ’15, met up for lunch with Berea College junior Derby Chukwudi ’19 in Charlotte, N.C. on June 23. Derby was accepted for a 10-week internship with the Enterprise Risk Group at Wells Fargo. She had connected with Duncan on LinkedIn and the two made plans to get together in Charlotte when she arrived for her internship.
2015
Brandon Schurter is currently living in northern Virginia and working as a software engineer for a government contractor. This summer, he travelled to Ecuador to work with Compassion International.
