It began with a walk after church and concluded with a basketball shot through a hoop. The vision Marty Russell ’63 had in 2005 of a park to honor his father, Carson Russell, came to fruition Saturday with the official opening of Russell Park, on East Fifth and J streets.

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For the past 25 years, the Family and Consumer Science teacher for McCook Public Schools has been LaDonna Kay Anderson-Poore. For many students who passed through her doors she may have been “Miss A”, and no one can forget how she radiated a love for teaching and a sincere concern for her students. 

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When the Hormel Family Foundation kicked off its first annual Hormel Business Plan Competition on June 15^th, it was three Bison graduates who walked away with the victory.

Cody Dame ‘01 and Tanner Lytle ’04and Ciprian Galarneau ’04 managed to wow a judges’ panel of local business and community leaders with their proposal to create McCook’s first gaming store: GAME ON.

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You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!)

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Alumni Reminiscences.

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Every year we have some teachers and staff who hang up their grade books and leave their classrooms in the McCook school system for the last time. Their absence is felt at the school and they will be truly missed. We want to thank them for the many years of hard work and effort they put into educating the young minds of our district.

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Both inductees to the 2007 Bison Alumni Wall of Fame were chosen by the committee for their unusual talents. 

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Several of McCook’s student athletes were able to compete at the state level in their sport and did quite well. Three wrestlers went to State Wrestling Tournament; Ahren Hays, Chris Schleeman, and Sam Frazier; and Frazier was able to fight his way through the consolation rounds to place fourth at 189 pounds. MHS junior, Matt Hall, placed third in the Nebraska State Diving Championships, with a score of 366 in 11 dives. He finished behind two competitors from Lincoln Southeast. 

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During 2007, McCook celebrated its 125^th (Quasquicentennial) year with an impressive array of events.

On April 14th, the Prairie Statesmen barbershop choir performed at the city auditorium with an expanded chorus of singers from the McCook area. This group was known as the “Big Q” choir in recognition of McCook’s 125^th celebration and was directed by Carl Philo. The local barbershop quartet, “Key of Gee”, also sang featuring Prairie Statesmen members Charles Coleman ‘66, Merlin Brown, Russ Ankersen, and Philo.

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Thank you for your support of the McCook Educational Foundation.
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The Marsh twins, Ed and Wallis, came to McCook as seventh graders in 1980 and headed for college following graduation from McCook High School in 1985. Looking back, Wallis says the years here were life-changing for both him and his identical twin, Edward.

"The years in McCook helped set our life course," Wallis said. "We owe special thanks to four teachers: Dave Dunham, John Gumb, George Briggs and Doug Martin. They helped steer us along the right path."

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Thirty-one 1965 classmates contributed almost $2000 to acquire digital cameras and recording equipment to donate to the McCook Library. Steve Batty put the class project together and delivered it to the library in early October. The equipment will be used to record (digital audio and video) oral histories at the library. Initially the digital video camcorder was loaned to MHS teacher, Linda Crandall for her journalism kids to start using. The high school will be able to record HS events and could even produce an online version of the Bison year book and maybe do some pod casts for their web site. Stop by this link to see what the library will have http://www.mccookdirect.com/classof65/class-project.htm Classmates helping financially with this project were: Warren Jones, Dan Crow, Linda Leibrandt Taylor, Nancy DeVaughn Schwery, Mary Tincher Kalb, Larry Cain, Steve Batty, Chris James, Phil Pate, Mary Jo Stephens Weigand, Roger Jones, Susie Hutt Trupp, Mike Gilbert, Pam Gull Schilz, Colleen Grant, Ashley Stevens, Roger Leitner, Judy White Anderson, Connie Rutt Jones, Jack Tuttle, Linda Ambrose Harr, Jay & Lynn Reed Nylander, Jane Flaherty Peterson, Gray Grim, Janet Rutt Hepp, Linda Krieger Shaw, Bob Best, Mary Ann Budig Myers, Ernie Weyeneth and Mike Walker in memory of Jennie Walker.

Years ago, deep inside Mark Haller ‘75, a battle raged. He remembers that a primal voice – bent on self-preservation – screamed at him. “It’s hot! It’s hot! Get back!” But other voices – curiosity, imagination, self-expression – won out, and Mark blows and sculpts molten glass into wonderful, flowing expressive forms. Mark’s creative side just doesn’t listen any longer to that primitive voice – that “little lizard in the back of my mind,” he calls it – that warned him of the dangers of that howling, fire-breathing furnace. Mark is a native of McCook, and the son of Luanne Beneda Haller ‘47 of McCook and the late Rod Haller of Culbertson. Mark bypassed a career in law to live the life of a gypsy, traveling the country, blowing glass, teaching about sand and silica and soda ash, and sharing his art with others. Haller demonstrated his talent and imagination during a week-long workshop and art show at the McCook Art Guild. Story by Connie Jo Discoe ’73 – McCook Gazette

“Challenge Concepts, LLC”, is a Nebraska hunting and fishing company owned by Mike Roth ‘87 of Lincoln, Matt Egglsston of Broken Bow and Chris Fryzek of Burwell. They say, “Welcome to the Nebraska Xtreme Outdoorsman Challenge.  Hunting in Nebraska has never been this big!” The challenge is for a two man team to hunt five native species in three days in December. The Top Gun team will receive $40,000 and will pay the top 5 teams, over $70,000.00 in prizes. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, Dec. 5th thru Sunday, Dec. 9th, 2007. Check out all the details at: huntandfish.org or outdoorsmanchallenge.com

Some 16 months ago the Class of ‘66 realized we wanted a better way to keep in touch as we were losing track of one another in between reunions. Originally, an e-mail list & directory was gathered.   The e-mail list gave classmates an opportunity to communicate that heretofore did not exist. In some cases people reconnected with others they had not heard from in 40 years. Then we created a web site which went on line July 1, 2007.

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In our spring newsletter we ran the cover article entitled “Our 1920’s Alumni Ladies”. In this article we listed Dorothy Perkins ’22 as a surviving alumni member from that decade. John Thuman ’59 was kind enough to write us and let us know that Dorothy passed away about five years ago. Dorothy was a friend of his mother, Audrey Rector Thuman ’23, and spent her life working for the federal government in Washington D.C. Our thanks go to John for telling us about Dorothy’s death so we could correct our alumni database.

Do you believe it? Who is married? You must be kidding! :)

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We express our condolences to the families of these alumni.  If you wish to send condolences, please feel free to contact the class representative of these people. You may read more information about many of these deaths on-line at www.mccookgazette.com
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Terra Ellerton Michaelis ‘94 became our part-time assistant director ($100 a month) in July of 2005. She resigned in March of 2007. We thank her so much for taking on the task and doing a great job. Camy Eggers Bradley ’80 was hired in May to fill the position. She continues to make hundreds of address changes in our database of 10,872. She does numerous other office duties to make the newsletter happen. This position is critical to the continuation of the newsletter into the future.

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