Class Notes
1940s
H. Bernadine Beenders ’43 and F. Roy Beenders, Emmett, write, “age has caught up to us.” They are living in an assisted living complex. Their daughter Lynn and her family are in Horseshoe Bend, and their daughter Karen and her family live in St. Maries.
Edward H. Hansen ’42, Manley, Australia, worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1946 to 1976. His final position was assistant to the secretary for PEO-state relations. He then was self-employed as an income tax preparer. He has lived in retirement off and on in Australia since 1987. His grandson Gunnar graduated from the University of Idaho in 2005 with a degree in architecture.
1950s
Charles L. Starr ’55, Hillsboro, OR, finished 14 years as an Oregon state legislator in January 2007. He served eight of those years with his youngest son, Bruce. He celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary to Katherine Weber Starr in March 2006. He will continue as a lobbyist in the Oregon Legislature for the next few years. He has been blessed with four sons, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
1960s
Lee Heinrich ’65, Cascade, has retired as Valley County clerk to begin serving as the Idaho Legislature’s senator from District 8 serving Valley, Idaho, Clearwater, and Lewis counties.
Truman Kohtz ’67, ’70, Nampa, retired after 34 years with Harris Moran Seed Company. Truman is now serving on the University of Idaho National Alumni Board.
Vern Studer ’63 and Arlene Sharp Studer ’65, Walla Walla, WA. Studer recently celebrated 30 years as a Farmers Insurance agent, the last 24 years in Walla Walla. His previous positions included regional sales manager for a division of Collier Carbon & Chemical Corp. and cattle buyer for Armour & Co.
1970s
Sara Dau Benton ’71, Twin Falls, recently retired after owning a clothing alterations business. She is still the organist at Twin Falls First United Methodist Church.
Jerry Mai ’72, Filer, is still farming.
Frank McIntire ’73, Kamiah, has been a cattle rancher since he graduated in 1973. He raises Limousin and Angus cattle near Kamiah.
1980s
Ben Barstow ’80, Palouse, WA, is chairman of the Washington Pea & Lentil Commission. He finds it interesting to be funding some of the same kinds of research that he worked on as an undergraduate employee at the University of Idaho.
Terry L. Blackwell ’86, Meridian, has been working at MWI Veterinary Supply as a sales/customer service representative for veterinary pharmaceuticals and supplies for more than seven years.
Rod Dennis ’88, Warden, WA, is currently an operator/field service
representative for Wilbur-Ellis Company. He won the first annual AGCO/Ag Chem
Operator of the Year award in St. Petersburg, FL. He was selected from 125 finalists
to win the $15,000 prize. The program is sponsored by the ARA, AGCO, & Ag Chem.
He operates a 9203 Ag Chem Variable Rate Fertilizer Applicator.
Gregory Mac Mertz, Amana, IA, is the golf pro at Amana Colonies Golf Course—rated the #1 public golf course in Iowa and the #3 public course in the country.
1990s
Jennifer Smith Ayers ’96, married Jim Ayers, Leadore, in 1998. They have a daughter, Loni, 4, and 9-month-old son Taylor. They work for Leadore Angus Ranch.
Melinda Becker ’96, LaGrande, OR, is working on her master’s degree in elementary education at Eastern Oregon University.
Melissa Fuentes-Dannenberg ’91 and husband, Todd, welcomed their third child on June 30, 2006. Bryce joins big sister Lauren, 6, and brother Blake, 3.
Elizabeth Carey Vanausdeln ’92 married Kurt Vanausdeln, a UI College of Engineering graduate. Kurt works for Alcoa as a staff mechanical engineer. Elizabeth is a para-educator in elementary special education. She is also working on her master’s degree in special education. They have two beautiful children: a daughter, 10, and a son, 7.
Brian S. Winn ’99 and wife Amanda, Twin Falls, welcomed their first baby, Timothy Jacob Winn, 8 lb, 15 oz, on November 10, 2006. Brian and Amanda moved back to Twin Falls where he constructed and manages a wholesale nursery expansion in the Magic Valley for Jaybee Wholesale Nursery. He has been with Jaybee for six years.
2000s
Nila Gregory ’05, Spokane, WA, works as a registered dietitian. She will return to grad school next fall.
Kim T. Henon ’01, ’03, Ontario, CA, spent the past two years working at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and has decided to attend medical school. She started classes at Western University in August 2006 and is working toward a doctorate in osteopathic medicine. She will graduate in May 2010.
Chandra Neils ’01, Spokane, WA, is working as a resource soil scientist.
Mandy Weeks Rey ’04 and her husband Jonathan
REY ’05 live in Missouri and had their first baby, Benjamin Allen, born December 6, 2006.
In Memoriam
Virgil S. Cross ’30
Sequim, WA
Arthur M. Finley
Phoenix, AZ
Retired faculty
Roger Harder
Moscow
February 18, 2007
Retired faculty
James R. Nelson
Moscow
December 8, 2006
Nelson died while serving as a professor in the Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology Department. At the university for 17 years, he headed the department from 1990 to 1999.
Mildred L. Himes Sanborn ’37
Sacramento, CA
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