2015 fall contact

GUIDED BY FAITH. DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE.

FALL 2015 | ALUMNI & FRIENDS MAGAZINE

WLHS

WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL || Fall 20152

A Message from Pastor Kenneth FisherPresident of the WLHS ConferenceCome and See God’s Blessings

Do you see how God has been blessing your school? I do.

Just consider how God rewarded the pursuit of excellence last year. WLHS students taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams excelled in comparison to other Wisconsin students. Equally impressive is the fact that 94% of seniors who came to WLHS below grade proficiency were accepted to a four- or two-year college or decided to join the military.

Not only did our athletic teams produce 3 state championships and one runner up, Wisco had nine conference championships—more than any other school in the Little Ten.

Last year, our students, parents, faculty and staff offered wonderful examples of Christian faith in action again and again. And, despite a lower than expected enrollment in 2014-15, we ended in the “black” for the fifth consecutive year.

Now, this school year, we have the biggest increase in enrollment since 1994. I am so thankful for the generous support from people like you that enabled us to award $756,000 in tuition assistance and scholarships to 198 students to make our superior, Christ-centered education possible.

Do you want to know how God is blessing your school? I invite you to come and see for yourself.

Thankful for Christ’s blessings,

Pastor Kenneth FisherPresident of WLHS

Welcome

Upcoming EventsChristmas Pops Concert December 6Christmas Sacred Choral Concert December 12Winter Festival January 22-235th Grade Extravaganza January 31Kids Carnival February 21School Musical - Mary Poppins March 4, 5, 6

View additional events and get more information at www.wlhs.org.

For Christ’s Love Compels Us . . . 2 Corinthians 5:14

Our MissionCompelled by Christ’s love, guided by the Great Commission, and rooted in God’s Word . . .

Wisconsin Lutheran High School prepares youth in a diverse world for productive, Christ-centered lives.

Our PurposeChrist’s love compels us to provide a comprehensive Christian secondary education for Milwaukee area youth.

On the Cover: Members of the 2015-16 freshman class

WISCO TODAY 2016 BREAKFASTSfrom 7:30 – 9 a.m.

• January21 • February12 • March23 • April19

RSVP to Heidi Witz, 414-453-4567 ext. 2004 or [email protected]

In This IssueTo God the Glory! Page 3Guided by Faith Page 4-5Driven by Excellence Page 6Lutherland Tour Page 7Students Circle the Globe Page 8-9Faculty News & Additions Page 10-11WLHS Good News Page 12Grapevine Page 13-15Scholarships Back cover


To God the Glory!

Upcoming EventsChristmas Pops Concert December 6Christmas Sacred Choral Concert December 12Winter Festival January 22-235th Grade Extravaganza January 31Kids Carnival February 21School Musical - Mary Poppins March 4, 5, 6

View additional events and get more information at www.wlhs.org.

For Christ’s Love Compels Us . . . 2 Corinthians 5:14

Our MissionCompelled by Christ’s love, guided by the Great Commission, and rooted in God’s Word . . .

Wisconsin Lutheran High School prepares youth in a diverse world for productive, Christ-centered lives.

Our PurposeChrist’s love compels us to provide a comprehensive Christian secondary education for Milwaukee area youth.

On the Cover: Members of the 2015-16 freshman class

In This IssueTo God the Glory! Guided by Faith Page 4-5Driven by Excellence Page 6Lutherland Tour Page 7Students Circle the Globe Page 8-9Faculty News & Additions Page 10-11WLHS Good News Page 12Grapevine Page 13-15Scholarships Back cover

WLHS Welcomes Largest Freshman Class in Nearly a Decade

This August, 240 freshmen students entered the doors of Wisco. The 9th graders are from 37 different WELS congregations throughout Milwaukee and the surrounding suburbs.

And, while everyone at WLHS has an impact on enrollment and retention, during the last year, the recruitment team of Mark Ricke and Brad Wetzel made hundreds of visits to WELS grade schools and worked with parents and students to share with them the excellent education Wisco delivers.

The high school has also been adding academic scholarships to ensure talented freshmen are able to attend WLHS. This year, 41 freshmen earned scholarships while many others received tuition assistance. WLHS now has 66 annual scholarships and is looking to add several more each year.

Freshman Parents & Students Share Their ThoughtsAlan and Penny Larson, Mt. Calvary, Waukesha “The teachers are so very caring and that’s important to us. Cory has some health issues and there was a teacher who specifically wanted to learn more about the situation so he could understand things better.”

Cory Larson, Plays Boys JV Soccer “I love it that you can talk to so many people. I’m surrounded by good, supportive Christian friends.”

Craig and Tammy Weide, Christ, Big Bend “We choose WLHS because the curriculum is Christ-centered. We’ve had three children attend Wisco and wouldn’t have considered anywhere else for Grace.”

Grace Weide, Plays Girls JV Volleyball, Student Council “For me, going to chapel every day and praising God with the whole student body is really amazing.”

Monica Romos and Ignacio Rocha, St. Lucas, Bay View“We were impressed with the students, classes and the overall environment. Wisco has Jesus and a good education—a structured education. When children have the two together, they are secure for life.”

Fernanda Rocha, Sings in the Freshman Choir, Student Council “It’s been fun to meet so many kids with such a wide variety of personalities. Everyone has been so helpful to me as a freshman.”

This year, WLHS is blessed to have 768 students attending the high school.

Cory Larson

Grace Weide

Fernanda Rocha

Homecoming Pep Fest was a sea of red fresman shirts this year.

GUIDED BY FAITH. DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE. 3


Guided By Faith

Olive and Her Branches Grows from Loss of Newborn Daughter

“I’m constantly searching for ways to draw closer to God. Before Olive’s death, I was comfortable with my faith but

now I don’t take it for granted and instead look for ways to strengthen it,” Nicole Smith, ’98 WLHS graduate


Nicole (Genthe) Smith graduated from WLHS in 1998 and proceeded to follow a path of college, boyfriend, career, marriage and pregnancy. And, although her pregnancy was normal and without concern, she and her husband Chuck lost their daughter Olive just 36 hours after she came into the world.

“When our beautiful baby left us, Chuck and I made a pact to work through all the challenging times that were ahead of us,” says Nicole. “I also made a choice to look for love and hope through God instead of becoming angry and bitter about life and God.”

To deal with her intense grief and wide-ranging emotions and as a way to update family and friends, Nicole began an online journal, Olive and Her Branches.

“In the days, weeks and months after Olive’s death, I was looking for strength and peace. I got tons of messages, Bible passages and devotions from Wisco friends and other strong Christians who are part of my life,” says Nicole.

She found herself drawn to the Bible. She listened to Christian radio station K-LOVE and reflected on hymns she sang in church.

Her first post in August of last year was titled, “A Journey of Hope and Healing.” Since then, Nicole has shared the joy and sadness she and Chuck experienced as parents and how she’s beginning to understand God’s plan, even though she doesn’t always fully comprehend it.

“Olive made us a mom and a dad. She gave us the greatest gift—the ability to feel that unconditional love when you first hold your baby.”

As Nicole writes in her blog: Olive was baptized in the hospital, many family and friends were able to meet her and pray over her. They were able to hold her hand and kiss her sweet head. She was so very loved.

WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL || Fall 2015 GUIDED BY FAITH. DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE. 5

During the past year, Nicole’s blog has brought together parents who’ve suffered pregnancy and infant loss. The families have been able to connect, share their stories and talk to others who understand what they’re going through. “God definitely had a plan for Olive, Chuck and I. I truly feel that we were meant to share our story to help remove the social stigma of talking about babies who have died. Sharing is an important step in helping parents heal.”


An excerpt from Olive and Her BranchesI continually pray for my marriage. I thank God that we created our beautiful daughter and that God honored us with being her parents. My heart is far from healed and my marriage is far from perfect, but my spouse is my perfect partner— brought into my life by God and chosen specifically for me, specifically as Olive’s father, specifically for our journey.

oliveandherbranches.blogspot.com

For their annual Christmas card, Nicole and Chuck had family photos taken with Olive’s belongings.

Photo Credit: Tony Just Photography


Briggs & Stratton Leader Brings Career Experience to WLHS

Dave Rodgers, president of the Engines Group at Briggs & Stratton, has been on the WLHS board for just one year but he’s been involved with the high school for longer than that.

In 2013, along with the Guidance Department, he led an initiative to establish a Mentorship Program at WLHS. The program began with 15 adult mentors who were matched with a dozen engineering students. “Kids learn in all different ways. A mentorship gives them the opportunity to experience things outside of the classroom, see a potential career first-hand and explore a field that they may be interested in,” says Rodgers.

The program continued last spring when another group of WLHS students were paired with professionals from the world of business and finance. “I’d like to start a business someday so my mentor took me to a women’s boutique where I was able to talk to the owner for more than an hour,” says senior Janae Freeman, Atonement, Milwaukee. “It was very helpful and is something I’d encourage other students to do.”

The next mentorship concentration Rodgers has his sights set on is health care, followed by information technology.

“For WLHS students, the Mentorship Program gives them an advantage because they’ve already been exposed to the world of work and had an introduction to careers that might, or might not, interest them. They can use that information to decide what classes to take next in high school or what areas to pursue after high school,” says Rodgers.

Dave Rodgers, Star of Bethlehem, New Berlin, WLHS Board Vice Chairman, Married to Jamie with three boys. Rodgers’ oldest son is a freshman at WLHS and his younger boys attend Star. He’s currently President of the Engines Group at Briggs & Stratton and has been with the company since 2006.

Driven by Excellence

“For me, excellence means continuous learning. It’s

important to surround yourself with good people and good mentors who challenge and

expand your thinking. We choose to send our son Dunovan “Dun” to Wisco because my wife and I fundamentally believe that

9th-12th grade Lutheran education is vitally important

to a child’s development as a young, Christian leader.”

—Dave Rodgers


The WLHS 2017 Reformation Tour will take travelers on an inspiring and joyous journey that traces the steps of Dr. Martin Luther and the birth of the Lutheran Church.

“Buildings, monuments and churches will come alive as we explore the Reformation as a group of like-minded Christians,” says Pastor Kenneth Fisher. “We’ll tour the Augustinian Monastery where Luther studied, walk the streets of Wittenberg where he lived for more than 30 years and worship together to celebrate our shared faith.”

The tour also includes visits to Eisleben, Worms and Coburg—some of the most significant cities in Luther’s life. Luther was born in Eisleben in 1483 and preached his last four sermons there before his death in 1546. Worms is the city where he was summoned to recant his teachings in 1521. Coburg is home to Veste, the hill-top fortress that is one of Germany’s largest castles, and where Luther sought refuge for a number of months during the Diet of Augsburg in 1530.

The trip is hosted by Pastor Fisher who will provide spiritual insight and context and has experience leading tours around the world, including Lutherland. In addition, knowledgeable local guides will bring the sites to life and share the history of each city, town and attraction.

The Lutherland trip will also deliver blessings to students. Next summer, a diverse group of 28 WLHS choir members will be selected to travel to Germany and follow a route similar to the Friends and Alumni Reformation Tour. Students will perform five times throughout the trip and travel on their own bus.

“Through this experiential learning opportunity, students will be able to engage with the lessons they’ve learned in class,” says Ned Goede, choir director and trip chaperone. “I know they’ll grow spiritually during the trip and it will also expand their knowledge of the world.”

WLHS Sponsors 2017 Trip to Lutherland10-day Germany Tour for WLHS Friends and Alumni Celebrates 500th Anniversary of the Reformation


The Reformation Tour is March 24 – April 2, 2017 and includes visits to more than a dozen Luther sites

Savings are available for those who sign up by Dec. 1, 2015 or before Aug. 1, 2016. To learn more, visit WLHS.org/lutherland2017.


Students Circle the Globe Last school year, WLHS students broadened their horizons by traveling to destinations throughout the United States, Mexico and China.

Civil Rights TourFor an entire week last April, a diverse group of 24 sophomores and juniors immersed themselves in a Civil Rights Tour of key sites in the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The students visited the Atlanta History Center to learn about the causes and consequences of the Civil War. Toured the MLK National Historic Site and Rosa Parks Museum and walked the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

“I’ve witnessed how this educational experience impacts our students in profound ways. It not only expands their racial consciousness and empathy but it gives them confidence to have courageous conversations,” says Pastor Kenneth Fisher who organized and led the annual trip.

“What impacted me the most were our discussions and how everyone talked. No one was afraid to speak up. We all made new friends and had a life-changing time,” senior Josh Kren, Trinity, Waukesha.

“It was not a vacation. It was not a break from school. In fact, I learned more on this trip than I’ve learned in a lifetime. If it weren’t for the incredible and courageous things that happened during the Civil Rights Movement, along with the horrible events too, I wouldn’t be here today,” junior, Whitney Hubbard, (pictured third from the right)Atonement, Milwaukee, daughter of Brandon Hubbard, ‘93 WLHS grad.

Students visited the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated.


Share the Mission TripsDuring the summer, more than 50 WLHS students took Share the Mission trips to teach Vacation Bible School and help WELS churches and organizations with their outreach activities. Spanish teacher Karen Kilchenmann organizes the trips and this June led a group to Mahahual, Mexico. Mahahual is a small fishing village approximately 200 miles south of Cancun and is home to Costa Maya Ministries, which was founded by two WELS couples from Wisconsin.

Over the course of nine days, the Wisco students shared Bible stories with children from the village, served in the soup kitchen and did maintenance and cleaning work at the church.

“Some of the children we taught didn’t know Jesus so during the Bible stories they’d ask all kinds of questions and want to know every detail,” says junior Henna Dulak, St. Jacobi, Greenfield. “Serving in the soup kitchen changed me. The kids would look for and eat the meat first. It gave me a whole new perspective on the blessings in my life.”

In China, 14 WLHS students, including two from the International Program, volunteered at an English summer camp and spent nearly two weeks in Beijing. During that time, the group explored the city of 21 million—taking the subway, trying different foods (think chicken feet and fried frog), visiting the Great Wall and experiencing an entirely new culture.

As part of the English camp, the WLHS students taught Bible lessons and outdoor activities, organized a talent show for 70 children and led group prayers.

“Bryce Roberts and I taught Old Testament Bible stories to the children and it was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done,” says senior Will Olson, Star of Bethlehem, New Berlin. “In China, they don’t get to hear the word of God everyday like we do. It made me realize we take that for granted and don’t appreciate how blessed we are.”

“I definitely want to go back to China. In fact, after I graduate from college, I’m considering signing up

for Friends of China to teach English and spend at least a year there,” senior Taylor Luck, Grace, Milwaukee.

Micah Ricke, a ’06 WLHS grad, who speaks Mandarin and spent four years teaching in Beijing, led the trip to China. Ricke currently oversees student life for the International Program at WLHS and teaches three theology classes.

On the Great Wall of China


Deb Blackburn, Costa Maya Ministries, Newsletter Excerpt:

Last month, we were blessed with six excited young adults from Wisconsin Lutheran High School.

“Shining your light” doesn’t even touch what these pseudo-angels brought to our church. After being here only a week, we could see how the children

began to love them, cling to them and want more and more of what they were sharing—the love of Jesus—

and their own love. Yes, they were like angels . . . sent to inspire us to keep fighting the fight!


Faculty News & AccomplishmentsAs part of WLHS’ focus on academic excellence, three faculty members are currently pursuing their master’s degrees.Pursuing master’s degrees

This December, Jason Goede will earn his master’s degree in Business and Marketing Education from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Jason joined WLHS in 2002 and is currently the Business Education Coordinator.

Each spring he leads the Reality Store, which takes juniors and seniors through a series of life events that teaches them how to manage money as responsible adults. Students must make a mortgage and car payment, plus budget for childcare and other real-life expenses—all the while keeping a positive bank balance.

Blair Schaper is working on his master’s degree in Athletic Management at Cardinal Stritch University and is on track to graduate in 2017. Blair teaches a variety of math courses, including Algebra 1, Geometry and Money Matters. He also coaches Girls Cross Country and Girls Track.

Spanish teacher Tanya Tranberg is working on her master’s degree in Education with a focus on High Performance Instruction from Wisconsin Lutheran College. “I’ve been teaching for ten years and now is the perfect time to pursue my advanced degree. Many things

have changed since I graduated from college so I’m enjoying putting new strategies into practice in my classroom.”

Making a difference in the community

Science teacher Roger Festerling traveled to Grenada with a team from Wisconsin Lutheran College to help establish a self-sustaining aquaponics system to provide fish and fresh greens for Grace Lutheran Church & School.

Since 2001, Spanish teacher Karen Kilchenmann has organized a drive to collect thousands of Christmas gifts for Mission to the Children, a WELS organization that shares the Gospel and provides aid to families in Senora, Mexico. Last year, 1,200 gifts were wrapped,

individually labeled and sent for distribution to children as part of village Christmas services.

If you’d like to help defray the cost of shipping the presents, donations can be mailed or dropped off to the attention of Karen Kilchenmann, WLHS, 330 N. Glenview Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53213.


Faculty AdditionsFour new faculty members joined WLHS this year.

Anna Kolander, Biology TeacherAnna Kolander comes to WLHS from Risen Savior Lutheran School in Milwaukee where she served as assistant principal since 2006. Prior to that, she taught Biology at Fox Valley Lutheran High School (FVL) for 11 years.

Anna’s two daughters graduated from WLHS and her two sons are FVL grads. Anna and her husband John are members of Christ the Lord in Brookfield.

Jean Curtis, Family and Consumer Education TeacherJean Curtis returns to the WLHS family after a four year absence. During that time, she was director of early learning for St. Paul Lutheran School in Muskego and extended her licensure by attending

the University of Wisconsin – Stout.

Jean and her husband William are members of St. Paul in Muskego and all three of their children graduated from WLHS.

Joel Radue, Practical Arts Teacher and Varsity Football CoachJoel Radue has been a teacher and athletic director at Mt. Calvary in Waukesha for the past 29 years. He has coached many different sports including basketball, soccer and softball

and for the last seven years served as a WLHS varsity assistant football coach.

Joel and his wife Karen are members of Mt. Calvary. Their youngest son Michael is currently a junior at WLHS and their three older children graduated from the high school in recent years.

Joshua Lindner, English and Theology Teacher Joshua Lindner (’11) is a fifth-year senior at Martin Luther College in the secondary education program and is teaching at WLHS for one year.

Joshua is a member of St. Lucas in Bay View and also attended grade school there. He played football and basketball all four years at WLHS.


Making a Scholarship Difference

WLHS Good News!

This holiday season, the WLHS handbell choir Jubilation will be featured in a Colder’s Furniture and Appliance television commercial. The 16-member choir, led by Marjorie Flanagan, will perform a holiday version of the now-familiar “Step up to Colder’s” jingle.

A few months ago, Flanagan submitted an audition video and later met with a Colder’s composer. A full production crew visited the high school in October to film the choir and capture sound and video for the 30-second spot.

AcademicsWLHS students taking AP exams excelled in comparison to Wisconsin students. 88% of WLHS students scored 3 or higher, while 69% of Wisconsin students hit that mark. Students must earn a 3, 4 or 5 on the exam to qualify for college credit.

Co-curricularsThe boy’s wrestling team was the first private school in history to compete in the WIAA Team State Tournament in Madison.

Through Our Hands for His Service, the WLHS student body raised $30,152 to build a church in Senora, Mexico.

School NewsThe $6.9 million Gifted for Praise building expansion is now complete. The project created an impressive new Atrium and added 9 classrooms and extra space for Project Lead the Way® engineering, Family and Consumer Education, Music and Choir.

Due to reduced expenses, WLHS ended the 2014-15 school year in the black.

39 international students from China, Korea, Canada, Thailand and Germany are part of the 2015-16 student body.

Stay connected to WLHS!

Lights, Camera, Action!


The Wisconsin Lutheran High School Foundation, with approximately $12.2 million in assets, is committed to ensuring that the transformational experience at WLHS continues for generations to come.

Each year, the Foundation provides a significant grant to WLHS to fund scholarships and tuition assistance. This year, a $293,900 grant provided more than 60 students with support in three different categories:

• Academic – Offered through Drost Honors Scholarships • Ministerial – Offered through Lorenz Ministerial Scholarships for students who are considering the preaching or teaching ministry • Tuition Assistance – Represents the majority of scholarships offered

Since these scholarships come from endowed funds, the high school can count on annual support from the Foundation to address its long-term needs for student scholarships, tuition assistance and program enhancements.

The Foundation also allocated an additional $141,100 for faculty member professional development, a social studies faculty position and annual expenses.

Your investment in the future of WLHS through a gift in your will or trust to the Foundation will guarantee that students years from now have the opportunity to attend a Christ-centered school that’s guided by faith and driven by excellence.

To meet some of the students who’ve received WLHS scholarships, visit www.thewlhsfoundation.org, select Planned Giving and click on the video “WLHS – Building on the Rock” at the bottom of the page.

Have a Question? I Can Help. Pastor Jim Kleist, executive director, WLHS Foundation414-453-4567 ext. 2005 • jim.kleist.wlhs.orgwww.thewlhsfoundation.org

Making a Scholarship Difference

In Loving Memory Class of 1929Dora (Bast) Kuehner October 5, 2015

Class of 1944Charlotte (Jeske) AndersonMarch 23, 2015

Eileen (Marquardt) BadtkeApril 12, 2015

Kenneth WittJune 25, 2015

Class of 1948Elroy Lindner September 10, 2015

Class of 1950Janice “Jan” Maureen (Mickelson) Wallin May 5, 2015Class of 1962 Christine (Lunow) Gilbreath July 22, 2015

Class of 1964Dawn (Bolitho) Muente August 13, 2015

Class of 1973 Larry Zastrow June 20, 2015

Class of 1997Joshua Zellmer September 29, 2015

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

John 10:27-28


Alumni Grapevine Rev. Lester Fritz (‘67) retired from active ministry on June 30, 2015. He and his wife, Eunice, now live in Oshkosh.

Tracey Pope-Hanson (‘91) was inducted into the University of Wisconsin – Parkside Athletic Hall of Fame for Cross Country and Track in October 2014.

Chellee (Jeske) Siewert (‘93) founded Capture Marketing in October 2011 and is now celebrating the firm’s four-year anniversary. Capture Marketing works with a variety of clients, including the J.J. Watt Foundation, Patriot Tour and Florence Eiseman.

Jean (Schram) Gunderson (‘95) and her husband Paul welcomed their second son, Karl Victor, in April 2015. Karl joins big brother Hans Charles who was born in April 2013. The family resides in Elkton, SD, where Paul is a WELS pastor and Jean is an elementary school teacher.

Bryan Proksch’s (‘96) book Reviving Haydn: New Appreciations in the Twentieth Century was published in the University of Rochester Press’ “Eastman Studies in Music” series. The book received an AMS PAYS 75 publication award and was featured in the AMS blog “Musicology Now.” Bryan lives in Lake Charles, LA, with his wife Kari and three-year-old son Max. You can hear his local NPR radio show, “Behind the Music, Sundays at noon streaming on the web at www.kvlu.org

Amanda (Baer) Manke (’98) is now Gift Registry Director for Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. She has been with the company for 10 years and was previously Optimization Manager. She and Eric Manke (’95) have been married for eight years.

Meaghan (Smith) Ward (‘02), her husband Matthew and their daughter Annabelle (age 2) welcomed Lorelei Noelle on May 11, 2015. Meaghan works as a dermatology nurse in Burlington, WI, and Matthew works for the Milton School District in the technology department. The family currently resides in Rochester, WI.

Allison Cutting (’03) married Brandon Busch on November 8, 2014 at St. John Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. Allison is the daughter of Bob Cutting (’69) and Linda (Parker) Cutting (’73). Included in the wedding party were Sarah (Oelke) Tweet (’03),

Katie (Oelke) Esposito (’00) and Nick Cutting (’01). Allison is a nurse at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison and Brandon is an electrician. The couple resides in Monticello, WI. Jaime (Steinbrecher) Drewitz (’05) and her husband Matthew welcomed their first child, Johanna Carol, on February 27, 2015. She was baptized the same day and is the granddaughter of the late Mark Steinbrecher (’72). The family resides in Round Lake Beach, IL. Jaime teaches at St. John Lutheran School in Libertyville and Matthew is an accountant.

Bill Sanders (’06) received a Civilian Gallantry award from the West Allis Police Department for assisting an officer. Bill is co-owner of Record Head at 7045 W. Greenfield Ave. in West Allis.

Kathryn Koepke (’08) married Zachary Wood in 2010. They have two children, Finely (born 2011) and Soren (born 2013). Kathryn received both her Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health in 2013 and her Master of Public Health degree in 2015 from Eastern Washington University. The family recently moved back to Milwaukee.

Kevin Worm (’09) graduated from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee in spring 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and was hired by the Bowling Green Hot Rods, a minor league baseball team in Kentucky that is affiliated with MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.

Send us your updates by e-mailing your news and photos to Heidi Witz at [email protected].

We want to hear from you!


On September 18, 2015, the class of 1955 gathered at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee to celebrate their 60-year reunion.

On October 3, 2015, the class of 1995 gathered at the Lakeside Supper Club & Lounge in Oconomowoc to celebrate their 20-year reunion. The Lakeside is owned by WLHS alum Shane Valenti (’98) who’s fashioned it into a modern version of a vintage supper club.

Reunions & School News

WLHS is owned and operated by the following congregations joined together as the WLHS ConferenceAbiding Word Apostles of Christ Atonement Centennial Christ, Big Bend Christ, Milwaukee Christ, Pewaukee Christ the Lord Divine Peace Fairview Faith Garden Homes Gethsemane Good Shepherd’s

Grace, Milwaukee Grace, Waukesha Jordan Loving Shepherd Living Word Messiah Mt. Calvary Mt. Lebanon Nain Pilgrim Redemption Resurrection Risen Savior St. Andrew

St. Jacobi St. James St. John, Lannon St. John, Milwaukee St. John, Mukwonago St. John, Oak Creek St. John, Wauwatosa St. Lucas St. Marcus St. Mark St. Matthew St. Paul, Cudahy St. Paul, Franklin St. Paul, Muskego

St. Peter St. Philip Salem, Cramer Street Salem, 107th Street Siloah Star of Bethlehem The Point of Grace Trinity Victory of the Lamb Woodlawn Zion, Hartland Zion, South Milwaukee

WLHS Contact © is the official alumni publication of the Wisconsin Lutheran High School Conference. President: Rev. Kenneth Fisher; Editor: Monica Baer-Carlson (87); Design/Layout: Carolyn Sachs; Contributing Writers: Rev. Kenneth Fisher, Monica Baer-Carlson (87); Photography: Attention Era Media, Ellen S. Cook Photography, Chuck Cairns, Tony Just Photography, Micah Ricke (‘06), Leanne Ross, Moments and Memories. Contact us with comments or questions at 414-453-4567, ext 2292, or via e-mail at [email protected]. Please notify Ann Nischke at 414-453-4567, ext 2012 or [email protected] if you would like to be removed from our mailing list, change your contact information, or have contributions. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. TM used by permission of Zondervan.


At the 2015 WLHS Homecoming Pep Rally, Elizabeth Mariscal (pictured middle with her escort Kole Hansen) was crowned queen. The court included: Catherine Daily with Bryce Roberts (pictured left) and Emily Frey with Drew Foren (right).

On September 28, 2015, the LHS class of 1944 gathered at Harwood Place in Wauwatosa to celebrate their 71st year together.

GUIDED BY FAITH. DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE.

330 North Glenview AvenueMilwaukee WI 53213-3379

AnnualScholarshipLuncheonThrough the support of generous donors, WLHS is able to offer 66 scholarships that range from $500 to $4,000 to students and their families.

Visit www.wlhs.org/scholarships for more information.

2015 fall contact

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