By now some of you may know who this is: it’s Mr. G or Mr. Ken Gansebom, my Dad. I was so lucky to be brought up in McCook as were my brothers, Anthony ‘76 and Mark ‘78, and my sister Suzanne ’82 (although Mark and Suzanne finished school at Wayne, NE). Mom and Dad gave us a wonderful life in McCook.

Some of the musicals he did while in McCook were South Pacific, Oklahoma, Show Boat, Guys and Dolls, Camelot, Sound of Music, and Pajama Game. The kids that participated in the musicals are near and dear to his heart. I used to know many of them by their character names because I and my siblings were lucky enough to go to many of the rehearsals, so that by the time the musical was ready we knew many of the songs if not all of them and had learned a lot of the dialogue. My Dad felt that McCook was filled with wonderful people and so many made him feel that he was contributing to the community and treated him with much respect and admiration. He has always treasured his years of service in McCook. He and Mom are celebrating 55 years of marriage this year and they both turn 80, which is very special to us. They both continue to work; Dad is still substitute teaching in the Wayne area and Mom is working in the grade school kitchen. They are both very active and enjoy their 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. We would like to invite any and all who would like to come to their 55th Anniversary celebration on May 17th in Carroll, NE at the city auditorium from 1-5. They would love to see both past students and old friends. If you would like to send a card, address it to Kenneth & Susan Gansebom, 103 Erikson, Carroll, NE 68723. Thank you McCook for all the wonderful memories. Our carefree days of growing up are treasured by all of us.

by Sarah Gansebom Brown ‘72 dbrown_winky@cox.net

If you have a fond memory, funny anecdote, or story about Donnie that you would like to share, please mail your memories to Deanna Johnson, 603 West F Street, McCook, NE 69001 or email them to her at scott@mccooknet.com. She would like to have this book finished by the fall, so please mail them to her as soon as possible.

On September 8, 2007 Donnie lost a short but courageous fight with brain cancer. She was diagnosed with cancer in early June. Staying in Lyons, NE with her parents, she and her husband, Tom Poore ’74, made a daily trek to Omaha Methodist Hospital where she underwent very aggressive treatment to destroy the tumors. In early August it was determined that the cancer had won and they returned to McCook. 

Donnie’s children are students in McCook Public Schools; Ethan a senior, Josh a freshman and Mariah a seventh grader. 

I first met Donnie in college. We both attended UNL and lived in Love Hall on East Campus. She was a meticulous student who studied or read for pleasure all of the time and graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was a member of Innocents Society, a prestigious honorary society. We both moved to McCook the same year. She began her teaching career at MJHS where I was doing my student teaching, and then I got my first job there as well. We taught there together for 21 years. 

Young and single, Donnie poured her heart and soul into her career and sponsorship of FHA (Future Homemakers of America). Donnie told me she chose the profession because of the influence of her high school teacher. Not many of us can boast scoring a 35/36 on the ACT, and I often marveled that a high paying career in some other field would have been a more likely choice. Like all young people who choose this profession, she wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids; she certainly did. 

During her tenure, she saw many changes in the course offerings and the transition from two Family and Consumer Science teachers to one. When Donnie only taught junior high students, the curriculum included predominantly cooking and sewing projects for seventh and eighth graders. Eventually, her curriculum changed to more of a consumer driven focus which is a sign of the times and a transition to one teacher for the whole school. Of the entire curriculum offered to students, her curriculum is probably the most practical for survival in the world after high school. All students benefit from good consumerism and family communication skills. She was an expert in those areas.

Her classroom was a haven for her and her students. As a young teacher, she grew very close to her students who were going through the maturation process, and it is those students who have repeatedly shared the profound impact she had on their adult lives. 

Some comments and condolences from past students attest to that fact:

“Miss A was my favorite teacher. I am 29 now and out of everything I learned in high school, what she taught me is what I’ve used most in my life. She taught all about reproduction (in great detail). I remembered everything and came in very handy when my husband and I decided it was time for children. Cooking, sewing, etc….I am a stay-at-home mom so I use it all. Every time I pack the brown sugar in my measuring cup, I think of her. And also when I crack an egg in a custard cup before dumping it into my recipe. I am ever thankful and grateful for knowing her. Abbey Bruner

“On behalf of the class of 1990, I send my sympathy. I, personally, learned a lot in her class and had fun. She always had a smile on her face. She was always friendly, courteous, and always had an ear to lend if one of her students needed someone to listen to their problems. I can just imagine what she was like as a mother if she was like that as a teacher.” Jeanette Cappel Wonderly ’90

“I was stunned to hear about Miss A. What an incredible woman she was. I was part of her Home Ec. class when Tom asked her to marry him. I learned to do calligraphy on their wedding invitations. I remember when Ethan was born. I credit a lot of my love of cooking to her. What a dear lady and friend.” Nan Dicke Varney ‘90

Because Donnie feared the eventual elimination of the program, she went back to college and got an endorsement in history which she never had the opportunity to use. One of the last things she asked of me was to fight to prevent the elimination of the Family& Consumer Service Program. 

As she married and had her own family, she got involved in church youth activities as well. She gave programs on things like how to set the table and good table manners prior to our MYF members attending prom with their dates. She was a wonderful presenter and she was so knowledgeable about so many things.

Dennis Berry, her principal, writes, “Donnie Anderson Poore’s legacy is one of being a positive role model for staff as well as for her students. The curriculum content for Family and Consumer Science, though valuable, won’t be what is most remembered. Donnie’s kind, giving character will.  She truly cared about her students and her co-workers. She was a quiet mentor to many of her students and she was the behind the scenes person that organized the charitable giving with staff to make donations to a needy student or to help celebrate events or console fellow staff members. She was very professional and had a ready smile and a "can do" volunteer spirit about her. Though she is gone her memory and positive spirit lives on at MJH.”

I never failed to marvel at her decorating talents and tastes; their home does look like a layout in House Beautiful. If you walked into her classroom, you often found her reading which was one way she relaxed. Her talents don’t stop there as she loved to sew, making all of her bridesmaid dresses for her own wedding and for other people. Her needle handiwork and wood working projects are works of art. Her family will cherish the pieces of wood furniture she built or refinished, including all of the woodwork in their home. 

When you consider that she has taught every student who has attended MJHS for 25 years, she achieved what she set out to do. Over 3,000 students have been influenced by her love of learning, her desire to exemplify living a Christian example, and her gentle spirit.

“Miss A was one of my favorite teachers and one of the best teachers I had the privilege of learning from. I enjoyed being a part of her classes. She had a fabulous teaching style and sense of humor. Further, as you know, she was a wonderful woman. She will truly be missed. She was a remarkable teacher, woman, wife, mother, friend and Christian.” Mandy Leamon ‘95

A memorial scholarship fund has been established to help her children go on to college. If you wish to contribute or send a word of comfort, please write to Thomas Poore, 403 East 2^nd, McCook, NE 69001 or you may leave condolences online at www.carpenterbreland.com. Deanna Fox Johnson ‘90 would like to gather memories and stories of Donnie from her former students. These memories would be put into a book form and given to Donnie’s children, as a tribute to her from her students. Please mail your memories to Deanna Johnson, 603 West F Street, McCook, NE 69001 or email them to her at scott@mccooknet.com. Deanna would like to have the book finished by next fall, so please send in your thoughts as soon as possible. Thanks to Deanna for this wonderful offer.

by Pam Wolford, MHS English teacher

Those retiring at the end of the 2006-2007 school year are: Dan Hilton, high school business, Bryan Jones, junior high social studies and reading, Dale Lortz, elementary p.e., Floy Rockwell, second grade, Ruth Ann Hackenkamp ‘57, secretary for the curriculum director, and Carol Huff, curriculum director.

Also leaving our school system to continue their careers elsewhere were Bill Beckenhauer, senior high science, who will be the new high school principal in Cozad, Nebraska, and Dr. Don Marchant, superintendent, who will be the superintendent at Hot Springs, South Dakota.

These teachers and their years of service to McCook schools are:

Judy Schlager, 25 years
Connie McCoy, 26 years
Deanna Hankins, 26 years
Karen (Wegener) Miller 66, 27 years
Randall Datus, 27 years
Rose Mary Datus, 28 years
Nancy (Eifert) Buresh 67, 29 years
John Psota with 33 years

Our hats are off to these wonderful educators and we thank them for the dedication and professionalism they showed their students all these years.