Read Ingrid's Story BelowINGRID AND FAMILY ARRIVE IN RIPON
INGRID Wienberg-Schmolke visits Ripon - the
first stop on 1998 USA Tour. Read Ingrid's Story Below
The STORY by Tim Stellmacher:
In March, 1998 Ingrid Wienberg-Schmolke who attended R.H.S. in the school year 1964/65 wrote a letter to the Principal of R.H.S. explaining that she had been a foreign exchange student 33 years ago and that she was interested in getting in touch with any of her former classmates for a visit to Wisconsin later in the summer.
Her letter was forwarded by the Principal's secretary to my brother, Tom Stellmacher, the current President of the Ripon School Board, who forwarded it on to me. Upon receiving the letter, I found it a coincidence that I would be in Germany at the same time that Ingrid and her family were planning to be in Wisconsin. Also coincidental was that I might have been the last R.H.S. classmate to see Ingrid Wienberg, since I had visited her in Germany during my year of study abroad in Germany in 1968.
I called her soon after receiving her letter and set about to try to make contact with as many friends as possible in Ripon. I thought that via internet that I could find some, if not many, of our old classmates to have a "mini-reunion" in Ripon. Thanks to Cris Johnson (whose email address I had from my brother, Tom) it sounds like the "mini-reunion" was a success. I am told by Nick that Ingrid, her husband, Rainer, and their two children, Julie (14) and Philipp(12) had a very good time in Ripon.
Ingrid lives in Germany near Osnabrueck in the town of
Lingen. It's also a coincidence that this town is near a German division of the company I
presently work for: Thomas Industries, Inc. located in Sheboygan, WI. During one of
my frequent business trips to Germany, I plan to make contact with Ingrid and her family
on the German side of the Atlantic.
One last note: thanks to Cris Johnson for the arrangements in Ripon, and Special thanks
also to my brother Tom, not only for passing on Ingrid's letter to me, but also for
attending the get-together at Cris J's during Ingrid's family's visit to Ripon.
I'm anxious to hear the story of the "mini-reunion" from Ingrid and her family.
signed - Tim Stellmacher
INGRID'S STORY OF HER AUGUST 98 VACATION AS TRANSCRIBED BY TIM STELLMACHER FROM INGRID'S FAX .
" 'Welcome back Ingrid' you could read on a lovely cake
which was prepared by Barb Johnson and her daughter Maren for me when I got back to Ripon
after 33 years taking along my family which means my husband, Rainer, my daughter,
Julie(almost 16 years old), and my son, Philip (13). The whole Cris Johnson family
did a fantastic job in creating a wonderful and unforgettable 'mini-reunion' for me and my
old Ripon classmates in Ripon on Sunday, Aug 2nd, 1998. Unbelievable but true!
Back to my small paradise as I used to explain my children this place. What a great
feeling having the chance to meet old friends again after all these years. A special
thank to Tim Stellmacher and his brother, Tom, for their activity regarding my intention,
the Principal of Ripon High School, and his secretary who handed my letter on to Tom St.
and all the old classmates with their partners, and my former teachers, Mr. Bartig, Mr.
Krueger, and Mrs. Bredahl , who joined the party. The next special thank to Gladys
and Bob Gray, my old neighbours when I stayed with the Schuchman family for the first half
of my exchange year. The Grays povided the first overnight stay for us in Ripon
before we were able to move into a hotel. We thought it was great of them because they had
to take over four persons at a sudden. My family enjoyed staying with them and they like
these two sympathetic people very much.
The most special thank to Cris and Barb Johnson for their invitation to a wonderul well
organized afternoon and eveing with a lot of atmosphere in their beautiful home.
They did a wonderful job having created this class-reunion for me.
My family as well enjoyed talking to all my old friends. And my daughter kept saying:
'Mum, can you imagine, this is all for you!' I really felt very happy and I'm thankfull
for this event in the summer of 1998.
Ripon hasn't changed much. When I came over in 1964 the community counted6000 inhabitants,
today the population is 7000. The big road when you eenter the town is much wider
now and has a lot of shopping centers. When you drive around or even walk through the old
neighbourhood (a typical German habit) you recognize that there hasn't changed much. Ripon
High is still in good shape surprisingly for me after all these years. It is well
equipped and my children were amazed by it comparing their school at home.
Ripon tuned out to have become a highlight on our way to Canada. Soren and his brother,
Cris Johnson jun. gave us a beautiful boat ride on the Green lake. We also spent an
unforgettable afternoon with Mary Boese and her husband Sherwood Zink at their comfortable
cottage there. We visited Peggy Nimz' parents. We also met Ed Bumby with two
of his daughters when we stayed at Gladys and Bob Grays' house. We couldn't meet
Jayne and felt very sorry for that. All of us still keep Ripon in mind and I hope
that I'll have the opportunity to get back some time for another special event, maybe?
But I seem to be lucky and will have the chance to see Jayne and Ed soon. For the
first time I will have the chance to accompany my husband on a business trip to
California. This will be possible at the end of my Easter vacations. It never
had been possible before that I had school off while he was travelling. So I'm very
pleased and lookng forward to see the Bumbys in California. Rainer had the chance to
visit them before in January. Suddenly the world seems to bcome smaller.
And Ripon has become very close again after all these years. I'm very happy about this and
want to thank all of you, my old freinds, for the realy happening that took place in ripon
in 1998.
THANKS! INGRID"
Sunday August 2, 1998 was a beautiful summer evening in Ripon. I arrived a little late from a family reunion near Green Bay but just in time to hear Ingrid speak to the group. Cris and Barb did a fantastic job creating a wonderful atmosphere for Ingrid's family. Cris even invited some of our 'old' teachers, Keith Bartig, Harold Krueger, (and maybe some others I didn't recognize). By the way, they don't look so old anymore !! .... Nick
The tent, bar, food, and pool so impressed Bonnie B. that she persuaded Cris to say yes to a pool party on the Sunday of our Y2K reunion next year - yes that's NEXT YEAR - the real 35th!!!
Great job Cris and Barb, THANKS
Here are a few pictures from Sunday August 2, 1998:
They don't look jetlagged do they?
Julie, Philipp, Barb Johnson, Ingrid, Rainer
Nice Tent
Duane and Bonnie talking to Rainer
Finally, CRIS ! and John Holdorf
Diane Holdorf
and Tina Sauer