Nearly 50 Attend MHS Class of 1976’s 50th Reunion

The MHS Class of 1976 held its 50th Anniversary Reunion on Friday, July 31, and  Saturday, August 1. The event drew 49 graduates from the 115-member class. Alumni traveled from California, Colorado,  Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Texas. Several attendees came from  Aberdeen, Brandon, Custer, Madison, Milbank, Mitchell, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls.

Members in attendance paid tribute to their 13 classmates that had passed before them:
Tom Bury
Tom Chaloupka
Bob Crist
Terry Doland
Gail (Koch) Dragt
David Folk
Marlin Hofer
Mike Kasuske
Greg Moser
Martin Pauli
Nancy (Gillum) Schuler Schmidt
Keith Southwick
Mary Lee (Trevett) Trapp

Lori Hoffert-Rodriguez served as the emcee on Saturday evening. The guest speaker was Makiko Ogihara-Nakasone of Los Angeles – the foreign exchange student from Japan, who had lived with the Charles Tobin family in 1975-76.  Dale Runge created custom name tags featuring a 1976 graduation photo of each attendee. Sue DeJong, one of the members of the reunion planning committee, said, “Several classmates were able to take a tour of MHS. All agreed Milbank has an amazing school. We’re proud to be Milbank Bulldogs!”

Class of 1976 planning committee: Lori Rodriguez, Sue DeJong, Barb Schultz, Peggy Schuelke, Lori Love, Sherry Sholten, Makiko Nakasone, Yvonne Loy, Cindy Bierman, Julie Ratzlaff, Dale Runge, Earl Bohlen, Keith Bracht, Pat DeFea.

Submitted Photos: Back row, (left to right) Brad Torgerson, Gary Schneck, Paul Lindquist, Earl Bohlen, Dennis Wittrock, Wade Davis, Pat DeFea, Leon Schmieg, Randy Busk, Julie Binde-Ratzloff, Gary Cannedy,
Cindy Conraads-Bierman, Steve Sorsen, and Mike McKernan.
Third row, Barb Hansen-Schultz, Lori Hoffert-Rodriguez, Yvonne Conraads-Loy, Barb Dorale-Kelly, Julie Englund-Heggestad, Laurie Schell Love, Roseann Poppen-Noonan, Susan Wilde, Brenda Strege-Hitzemann, Judy Reese-Carlson, JoAnn Mogard Tillman, Peggy Forman-Schuelke, Sheryl Beyer-Scholten, Tony Mueller, and Keith Bracht.
Second row, David Lee, Makiko Ogihara Nakasone, Susan Scheff-DeJong, Judy Naeve-Wolff, Dale Runge, Larry Bakken, Gwen Henze-Barnhart, Nancy Weber-Falor, Kristi Thorson-Bunting, Kevin Bunting, and Morris VanLith.
Front row, Terry Forster, Mike Trapp, Dan Mikkelson, Dave Larson, John Konstant, and Donavan Loeschke.
Not pictured were Doug Barlund and Larry “Butch” Flanery.