St Mark's Catholic Grade School

ST. MARK'S CATHOLIC GRADE SCHOOL 4 Marilyn Tribbey '44 has fond memories of St. Mark's. She made her best friends there, and they are still in touch: Anne Sietz, Dorothy Ober, Carlene Becker, and Mary Margaret Craban (Sr. Marietta OSB). In 1946, St. Mark's won almost all the Blue Ribbons in the Diocesan Competition for single music and orations and chorus. Fr. Fitzgerald was so proud! anks to Srs. Norberta and Killeen. Joann Newberg '45 retired to sunny (hot!) Phoenix. She enjoys spending time with family. Her daughters, Julie and Diane, and her granddaughter, Nickolette, are in Phoenix; daughter, Ellen, and her family are in Colorado; and daughter, Liz, and her four children are in Connecticut. Joann enjoys going to the movies, the ballet, and the art museum in Phoenix. She reports that she is still moving! John Stuckel '46 and his wife, Maryann, moved from Normal, Ill., to Sheboygan, Wis., in April 2014. Sr. Marianne Franzgrote '46 reports that aer 59 years in the classroom, teaching music and art, she retired four years ago. Sr. Marianne continues to volunteer for certain art projects at the school from which she retired and does art projects with the homeless in their downtown church, St. Olaf 's. She is active with her Sinsinawa Dominican sisters. Joseph Hoerdeman Sr. '47 has been a professional Santa Claus for 15 years. For the past 10 years, he has been Kris Kringle at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Buckhead, Georgia. John '49 and Mary Hurst Slevin '48 enjoy their retirement, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. George Rothan '55 graduated from Spalding High School in 1959 and Michigan State University in 1963. He worked for and ran the Architectural Millwork Co. for 48 years, retiring in 2012. His two sons now run the fih-generation family business. His daughter is a counselor in the Dunlap school district and his wife of 53 years, Iris, is a retired teacher. Kenneth Johnson '58 has been retired since 1997. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and following his grandchildren's sports activities. Barbara Davis '59 has lived in Grand Junction, Colo., since 2002. Her four children and five grandchildren live to the west in many locations and all of her siblings live to her east. She is very grateful for her eight years of schooling at St. Mark's. Jim Croegaert '60 works part time as a hospital chaplain for Bishop Anderson House, visiting HIV/AIDS patients at Stroger Hospital (formerly Cook County). He also writes and records music. His website is www. roughstonesmusic.com. Tom Kahn '61 shares that besides being an alumnus, he is also a former teacher at St. Mark's. Father Fitzgerald hired him for the 1970-71 school year. It was his first teaching job and Tom had the classroom with the fire escape slide. Following St. Mark's, Tom worked as a teacher, dean, athletic director, football coach at Spalding, principal, and superintendent (for 18 years). He and his wife of 42 years, Janni, have three children and seven grandchildren. Gail Matthews '61 happily lives in northern Minnesota. She and her husband have seven beautiful grandchildren ranging in age from 8 to 25 years old. Patricia Miller Russo '62 and her husband, Frank, recently celebrated 45 years of marriage. eir sons live in the Peoria area, News from Alumni and Friends 120 Years of Catholic Education Where Traditions rive St. Mark's was founded in 1897, the same year as Bradley University. Our first school was located behind the church. In 1924, the building on Bradley and Underhill was dedicated. Msgr. John Burke, pastor of St. Mark's from 1910 to 1941, raised $100,000 to build the school and parish hall. In 1962, the addition, where the office is, was built. In 2017, St. Mark's School will celebrate its 120th anniversary! at's 12 decades of all-school Masses, spelling bees, hot lunches, pep rallies, and basketball games. Here are some of the highlights. All of our alumni from the 1970s and earlier remember Father James Fitzgerald, pastor of St. Mark's from 1941 until 1973. Some students cad- died for him on the golf course or served Mass along side him. Others remember him throwing coins to us at the parish picnic. He was so gen- erous to St. Mark's and his influence continues. Each year, four graduates receive a four-year full scholarship to Peoria Notre Dame, thanks to the Father Fitzgerald Scholarship.

• Cover