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Alumni Memories
The Western Illinois University Alumni Association is pleased to share the following photos and stories with you. Our Alumni and Friends are so very proud of Western and they want to share with others the experiences they have had since they left Western as well as some of their greatest memories. If you would like to post something to our Alumni Memories page, please email A-Association@wiu.edu. Alumni staff will review all submissions and update this page on a monthly basis.
March 2013
Below is a picture from WIU Graduate James Nardelli '08; it was taken in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.
He brought this WIU banner to both of his deployments, the first in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan and the second in Nangarhar Province. He was commissioned through the WIU ROTC program in 2008 and has enjoyed every minute of it. And he still keeps in contact with his fellow alumni and Sigma Pi fraternity brothers.
The WIU banner has also been proudly displayed in his offices where he's been stationed, including Fort Benning, GA; Fort Campbell, KY; and Fort Huachucah, AZ.
October 2012
Howard Montgomery started taking classes at Western in the fall of 1932. He took many classes at Western before beginning a career as a teacher in Oakford, Illinois. Howard celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2012. Helping him celebrate below are his brother and sister.
L-r: Raymond, Howard and Mary Ella.
A group of friends who met at Western Illinois University has organized their own annual reunions since the mid 1960's. This year, they traveled to Frisco, Colorado.
L-r: Pat Renner '62, Rex Renner '61, Pat Auten, Ron Thompson '62, Milan Dexter, Lorrie Dexter, Carol Thompson and Dick Auten '62.
September 2012
Susan Caldwell Schweitzer '75 (far left) and Julie Ward Johnson '76 (far right) met in 1973 when they were both resident assistants in Bayliss Hall. Although Susan and her family moved to Atlanta, GA, in 1987 and Julie and her family remained in the Chicago area, the two continued to be best friends visiting each other often and taking family trips together.
When Julie's daughter, Kristen (2nd from right in picture), transferred to WIU this past August, the two families knew it would be a perfect opportunity to make it back for Homecoming. Susan had not been back to the campus in 35 years and Julie had not been back until her campus visits with Kristen. Julie along with husband Bob and Susan with husband Gary and daughters Stephanie and Samantha met up with the new Leatherneck, Kristen, for Homecoming weekend. Both families had a wonderful two days reliving old times and making some new memories at WIU.
June 2012
Ann Kilbourn Augspurger '86 submitted this photo of her and her mother at a WIU Football Game in the early 1980's. Her mother passed away in early 2012 and Ann wanted to share the photo with the WIU Alumni Association. Ann was a member of the WIU Marching Leathernecks.
May 2012
Fernando Medina MBA '76 has not been on campus since he graduated in the mid '70s. He currently lives in Columbia and traveled to the United States for a trip in May. During his time in the states, he took the Amtrak train from Chicago to Macomb and spent the day on campus. He was excited to visit his old residence hall (Higgins), shop in the WIU Bookstore and tour campus, including a stop at Hanson Field. We, at the Alumni House, were excited that he stopped by to visit us!
April 2012
Alumni gathered at Bahama Breeze in Tampa, Florida during the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Convention in March. WIU Rec Staff were excited to reconnect with so many WIU Rec Alumni.
L-r: Nick White MS '09, Intramural Manager at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla MO; Mike Chadee MS '07 who works at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center; Nick Knowles '02 MS '07, Assistant Director of Club Sports and Facilities at WIU; Scott Vandermoon MS '06, Assistant Director for Student Development at the DePaul University Campus Recreation.
L-r: JT Timmons MS '02, Director of Recreational Sports at the University of Illinois-Springfield with Milly MacDonell MS '00, Director of Campus Recreation at WIU.
L-r: Steven Dowhan, WIU Campus Recreation Graduate Assistant, Dominic Ackerman MS '12, Tony Dirth MS '09, Intramural and Sport Club Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-OshKosh and Ben Blodgett, WIU Campus Recreation Graduate Assistant.
L-r: Ryan Hansen, former WIU Assistant Director of Intramurals and Kari Leigh Osborne MS '09, Assistant Director of Intramural and Club Sports at Texas A & M-Commerce
March 2012
Tom '74 & Alice Robison Berntson '74 were excited to watch the Men's Basketball Team play in Oregon in March when the Leathernecks took on Oregon State in the CIB postseason tournament. These Oregon alumni donned their purple and gold and met up with fellow WIU Alumni & Friends. They were excited to sit right behind the bench and shared a few photos from the game.
L-r: Andy Houpt '78, Alice Robison Berntson '74, Tom Berntson '74, Bill Young '73 and Vice President of Student Services Gary Biller.
(Houpt is the father of WIU basketball player Jack Houpt; Andy had gotten up at 3:20 a.m. to catch a flight from northern Indiana to be in Oregon for the game.)
January 2012
Former WIU hockey players together again, l-r: Lynn Fulton '73, Mike Kunze '73, Duane Grahovec and Bob O'Toole '73 '74.
January 2012
2012 Greetings from WIU alumni and students serving in Kunar Province, Afghanistan (photo courtesy of Alan Cale). L-r: SFC Brandon Golden '05 - law enforcement and justice administration (LEJA); MSG Jeramie Mayes - senior LEJA major from Springfield; SSG Travis Helkey '07 - LEJA; SFC James Mayes '98 - biology; 1LT Kyle Scifert '98 - LEJA; SGT Alan Cale - senior English major from Macomb. Read more about Alan Cale's time in Afghanistan and his appearance in "Transformers 3."
November 2011
Alumni Council member John Sanders '74 poses with David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals after our WIU Alumni event in Jupiter showing Leatherneck pride! Sanders coached Freese in baseball when he was growing up and as many of you know, Freese went on to be named the MVP of both the National League Championship and the World Series.
October 2011
WIU held its annual Lacrosse Alumni Game on Saturday, October 15 at Hanson Field.
June 2011
Retiring Director of Guidance at Carlinville High School and 1976 Kinesiology alumnus Bob Flowers (right) with retiring Band Director at Carlinville High School and 1977 Music alumnus Gary Gardner (left) on their last official day. They share fond memories of their days at WIU. Photo taken by Bob's wife Elaine Tapen Flowers, a 1974 management graduate!
L-r: Gary Gardner '77 and Bob Flowers '76.
January 2011
Richard Hunter '70 recently made a unique contribution to his alma mater because of a fond memory he had of his time at WIU. He is shown below at the 2011 Atlanta Alumni & Friends Event. Click here to read his letter.
January 2011
Two former Leathernecks serve on the Board of Directors of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. This photo was taken prior to their annual dinner this past fall.
L-r: WIU Hall of Fame member Booker Edgerson and John Maddock ’76 MS '78 who was a member of the WIU golf team.
December2010
It's "all in the family" for Dan and Nancy Reed of Macomb. Both are WIU alumni, all three of their children are WIU graduates and so are all of their children's spouses.
Seated, l-r: Dan Reed '60 and Nancy Reed '70. Standing, l-r: Doug Reed '95, Stephanie Reed '97 MBA '99, Robert Eric Reed '93, Shannon Reed '92, Margaret Reed Taylor '99 MBA '06 and Andy Taylor '02.
November 2010
WIU Sigma Kappa Reunion in Oak Brook Terrace
Front row, l-r: Barb Ford Shor '76, Kathy Schimanski Harmon '76 and Eileen Geraghty Orgo '75. Back row, l-r: Jodi Rudd Bouris '76, Debbie Novotny Carter '75, Linda Middleton '75, Rose Marcione Miksan '74, Sherry Stephens Belanger '78, Carole Hall Cozzi '73, Jan Kwiecinski Lorenz '73, Nancy Apitz Sanneman '74 and Lydia Blackburn Lutzow '74.
October 2010
WIU Alumni Programs Big Pink Volleyball Team.
L-r: Assistant Alumni Director Michael Jones, Danica Ullom, Kipp Jones '00, Alumni Director Amy Spelman '98, Alumni Graduate Assistant Drew Donahoo and Assistant Alumni Director Judy Eckerly '96.
October 2010
Three generations of WIU alumni enjoy a family vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada.
L-r: Kate Nelson, Tom Nelson, JoEllen Busich Nelson '78, Mindy Nelson, Jamie Nelson '06, Ted Nelson '51 MS-ED '51, Jim Nelson '77 and Zach Buhnerkemper '06.
October 2010
WIU education alumni teaching in Montana.
L-r: Scott Brokaw '80, Mary Ann Davis Whiteman '76, Anne Bodane Luft '76, Kathy Farr Stenerson '74, Marilyn McMullen Hyde '75, Pat McGuire Pitsch '74 and Reiko Kobayashi Knudson '81.
September 2010
Col. Ronald K. Taylor '71 MS-ED '72 during his deployment in Afghanistan.
July 2010
Several WIU Alumni, parents and friends of Western hit the links this summer and made a stop at the Mussatto Golf Course. They are l-r: Director of Alumni Programs Amy Spelman '98, Joe McManus, Terrance Carlson, Tom Dunne, Ed Hoffman '78 '85, Pat Schwinn '73, WIU Foundation Board Member Jim Garner '50, Mike Swearingen, Vice President for Advancement and Public Services Brad Bainter '79 '83 and Ed McManus '73.
Henninger 7 Reunion
June 2010
Every summer, a group of WIU alumni who once lived together on the seventh floor of Henninger Hall plan a Reunion to Macomb. This year, they stopped by the Alumni House before golfing at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course.
L-r: Matt Martin '74, Darrell Stevens '76, Brad Rosander, Les Gack '76, Don Whitacre '74, Chris Hoban '74 and Rocky Barron '74.
April 2010
CSP alumni celebrating 50 years at the National Association for Campus Activities Conference.
Alumni & Friends Events Photos
Click here to see photos from previous Alumni & Friends Events.
