Home: 712-323-3637
Cell: 402-699-7860

email: rksmrspook@aol.com

Education after High School: Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Dana College in Blair, NE; Numerous graduate hours in topics related to education from a variety of colleges/universities.
Occupation: Retired Elementary classroom teacher (main focus--third grade); Now I'm a part-time teller at Liberty Bank in CB
Spouse's Occupation: Retired dirt contractor; truck driver
Names and ages of Children: I have 3 step-daughters who were grown when we married: Marilyn, Connie & her husband Roger, Karla & her husband Joey.
Names and ages of grandchildren: We have 7 grandchildren: Shaun (33)& his wife Sara, Jacob (30), Dustin (26), Taylor (26) & her husband John, and Allyson (8).We were also blessed with a great-granddaughter Sofia Kay on June 29, 2009.

Names and ages of great grandchildren: Sofia Kay, 6; Cayne, 3; Sawyer, April 2015

Birthday: 01/06/1952

[45th] Things have remained pretty much the same as I reported at the time of the 40th reunion. We have added 2 great-grandsons: Cayne, who just turned 3 in June belongs to granddaughter Taylor & her husband John; and Sawyer, who was born in April to Grandson Shaun & his wife Sara. Otherwise, we are continuing the same job & hobbies as listed previously. I'm sorry we'll not be able to attend. Have a great time!!

[40th] After graduation from ALHS, I earned a Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Dana College in Blair, NE. From there, I set out to "make a difference" in the world of education! I taught my first class of third graders in Osceola, NE. In the fall of 1975, I moved to Underwood, IA and taught second grade for two years, then third grade for the next 30 years. During that time, I had the pleasure to work with a multitude of eager & talented young people! Staying in the area allowed me to follow their progress into adulthood and also allowed me the opportunity to teach many children of former students. I am most proud of being presented with two Who's Who Among America's Teachers recognitions and a favorite teacher award in the Governor's Scholar Recognition Program because these nominations come from former students. At the end of the 2006-2007 school year I took early retirement from teaching. Since November 2007 I have been working as a part-time teller at Liberty Bank in Council Bluffs and volunteering in a couple of classrooms back at Underwood Elementary. Richard & I met while we both had horses at the same trainer's barn. Since we shared that interest, we have shown American Saddlebred & Appaloosa horses and Shetland & Hackney ponies in many areas around the Midwest. Some of the shows included the State Fairs of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Illinois as well as other shows in those states plus some in Colorado & South Dakota. We still enjoy going to watch these shows and helping my sister, Jackie, with her horses and Hackney pony. I also truly enjoy stamping and scrapbooking and try to spend as much time as I can "creating"; but it doesn't always end up being as much time as I'd like it to be. Richard spends some of his spare time with woodworking projects. Attending some of the old-time country music festivals and traveling are a couple of other interests we share. Most of our recent travels have taken us to Colorado or Kentucky & Virginia to visit friends and family members. I have also been enjoying reconnecting with many classmates and former students through the Facebook connection.

Updated: 07/09/15