The Class of 1960

Elaine K. Abels, Jerry Adams, Norma Ader, Marilyn Albrecht, William Allen, Adrian Andree, Michael Arndt, Sally Arola, Frederick Ascher, Michael Ascher,

Jerrell Babb, Raymond Baker, Ronald Baker, Dorothy Barker, Barbara Bauch, Shirley Baum, Julie Beard, Marilyn Beidler, Richard S. Bell, Kenneth L. Benson, Janet K. Best, Judith M. Bishop, Sylvia K. Bittner, Marvin R. Blackbourn, David E. Bliss, Max E. Boeke, Sherry M. Boeke, Velma V. Boomgarden, John M. Borchers, Karen S. Bose, Sandra K. Bowen, Linda I. Brechtel, Dennis L. Breo, William C. Chock, Dan I. Brooks, Joseph H. Brown, Martha K. Bunchman, Janet L. Busekros, Kay E. Buss, Patrick R. Butler,

Lee Carter, Ray L. Carter, Larry W. Casford, Patricia J. Casford, Tamara J. Cazel, Stephen Chasten, Ronny L. Clark, Melvin L. Colberg, Clara Collins Joseph Conder, Michael Cook, James Coomber, Terry Corman, David Cremer, John Criddle, Madge Cummins, Gary Cuplin,

David Detwiler, Judity Diddens, Arthur Dieterman, Kirk Dietmeier, Richard Dorman, Dee Dotlich, Karl Downing, Mary Dryer,

Jerry Edler, Sylvia L. Eicholtz, Mary L. Enstrom, Thomas W. Erdman, Richard L. Ertmer, Liana D. Erwin, Patricia K. Evans,

Ross G. Fagot, Jack J. Faull, Gary L. Fetter, Susan K. Finkbeiner, Donald A. Flack, Sandra K. Fogel, Susan K. Fogel, Michael F. Fortner, Henry H. Fortney, Janis M. Frey, James A. Fritzenmeier, John E. Fulkerson,

Carlisle J. Ganze, Sharon S. Geiseman, Russell J. Gennusa, John J. Ginger, Joseph E. Ginger, Elizabeth J. Glasow, Don L. Glasser, Kathleen A. Gorski, Mary E. Gramley, Wayne L. Gravenstein, Sandra K. Greier, Nancy J. Griffeth or Griffith, Carson H. Grinnell, Richard L. Groshans, Douglas E. Gugger,

Cecil F. Haas, Frank A. Hadjokas, Carolyn J. Halzel, Sharon J. Hammond, Judith E. Hannah, Douglas Hansen, Sally A. Hanson, Kittye L. Hartman, Kathi Hastings, Faith Hatjimanolis, Richard A. Hauger, Jerry L. Hawes, Charlene K. Heath, Robert L. Heiden, Carol A. Henning, Jack L. Hepner, Jacqueline L. Hepner, Jon R. Hepner, James R. Herbig, Samuel Herron, Mary L. Hickman, Roger A. Hill, Lillie P. Hilton, Janet M. Hoffman, Dennis L. Holland, Dennis D. Homan, Leland R. Houser, Paul D. Hubbard, Darlene J. Hughs,

LeRoy R. Ilgen,

William R. Jacobs, LeRoy Jensen, Curtis Johnson, David L. Johnson, Frederick L. Johnson, Harold E. Johnson, Nona L. Johnson, Shirley D. Johnson, William Johnson, Stephen W. Joiner, Linda J. Jones, Mary E. Jones,

Sandra K. Kaiser, Michael V. Kaney, Sally J. Karstedt, Charles Kasch, Darlene A. Kasch, Ray Kemp, Harry Kent, Steven Kerloff, Terry Kerlin, Richard Kidd, Jerry Kiefer, Donald Kimes, Zelda Kinman, Linda Kintzel, Gary Kirkpatrick, Nancy Kleihauer, John Klinger, Roger Klontz, Julie Klosa, Gail Kneller, Raymond Kneller, Robert Knipschield, Sally J. Koppein, Steve F. Krehl, Stephanie J. Kutz,

Richard A. Laible, Sharon L. Lamb, Marilyn A. Lamm, Judith Lebrecht, Patricia Libby, James H. Lincoln, Judith A. Linder, Allison Lockett, Daniel Loeffelholz, Gerald Loeffelholz, James Lorenze, Robert G. Loring, William R. Loring, Monroe C. Love,

Charlotte J. Martin, Mary Lou Matter, Barbara Mayfield, Joel McCulloch, Robert McHoes, David D. McNary, Vernon Mercier, Barbara A. Mertens, Janice M. Metcalf, Beatrice E. Metz, John L. Meyers, Robert A. Meyers, Janet I. Miller, Penny A. Miller, Joy L. Mordick, Dorothy A. Moll, Jean A. Morey, Diana E. Moss, LeRoy B. Moy, Nora Kay Muse, Arthur D. Myers,

Carole Sue Nelson, James H. Nelson, Julie A Nunemacher,

Lee M Ocker, David Oltmann, Carol Ortgiesen, Mary L. Osborne,

David C. Pattat, Essie L. Patterson, Dale W. Paul, John Pearson, John Jack R. Peters, James G. Place, Judith A. Plowman, Karen J. Plowman, Elwyn T. Poe,

Kenneth J. Reid, Judith Richert, David Rinderman, Anita Roddewig, Dayne E. Rogers, Rebecca A. Rolinger, Jon C. Rosenstiel, Roland L. Ruhl, David E. Runte, Shareen K. Russell, Leonard C. Ruthe, Corrine J. Ryan,

Oliver E. Schauer, Bruce Schmidt, Larry Schrader, Robert Schroeder, Carol Schweder, Robert Scott, Stephen Seeman, William R. Senneff, Le Ann Shay, Joann J. Shelley, Raymond E. Sherwood, Audrey Shipp, Nellie J. Shipp, Judith L. Shultz, David J. Slaight, Jo Anne Smith, Mary Ann Smith, Richard H. Smith, Judith C. Smithe, Sandra S. Snodgrass, Richard L. Solace, Diane D. Southard, Larry L. Spangler, Ronald M. Spielman, Barbara C. Springer, Mary L. Squires, John W. Staas, Gary L. Stearns, Amor J. Steele, Susan M. Steffen, David P. Stein, Sandra L. Stein, Patricia D. Steinestel, Jean Elaine Stichter, Antoinette K. Stimpert, Gerald G. Stocks, Mary K. Stone, Theresa L. Stuart, Peter S. Stukenberg, Patrick P. Sullivan, Linda D. Sunday, Allen W. Swaim, Dennis W. Swank,

Dan G. TerHark, Harold W. Thompson, Gary L. Thurston, Ronald E. Tobin, Jan A. Toepfer, Karl L. Trester,

John W. Uhlar, Sherry Undieme, Kathryn I. Uthlaut,

Darla VanBuskirk, Gerald E. Vincent,

Donald F. Wagand, Paul Waggoner, Gary Wagner, Patricia Wagner, William Wagner, Franklin Walker, LeRoy E. Wallace, Janet B. Walton, Elizabeth A. Ward, Karin J. Waterhouse, Larry J. Wellman, Shirley A. White, Michael R. Whitten, Karen Wilhelms, Marcella Wilken, Arthur M. Williams, Dean W. Wilson, Gary Wilson, Judith A. Winters, James W. Witt, Erich H. Woehrle, Judith A. Wolfe, Donald R. Wolfensberger, David M. Woodhouse, Judith A. Woolsey, Melvin Wright,

David J. Zahary.

The 1960 Polaris listing for Judith A. Wolfe reads:

Home-bound after having polio, Judy maintains her class standing through the intercom system.

She has studied in this way for the three years of senior high.

Gary Stearns was a great receiver on the Pretzel football team.

He went on to star at Northern Illinois University, where he became a member of the NIU Hall of Fame and a member of the school's All-Century football team. He was a wide receiver for the team in 1963 when the team went 10-0. In the game against Central Michigan that year, he hauled in 17 receptions, which is still the record for NIU for most receptions in a single game. In another game, he had 13 catches in just the first half.

After college, Gary played with the NFL's Washington Redskins.

He earned a masters degree in education at NIU and taught for 25 years at Elmwood Park High School as a physical education teacher, head football coach, and later as athletic director.

Gary was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Illinois High School Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame. He was an excellent football coach, and mentored many young men. He motivated them both on and off the field. His coaching style was to inspire rather than yell.

He later was an adjunct professor of kinesiology and an assistant football coach at Elmhurst College.

Gary was a talented woodworker, building furniture from scratch and refurbishing antiques.

Gary died September 2, 2011. He is survived by his wife, three children, three grandchildren and his sister, Evelyn Stearns Mrkvicka.

His older brother Roger, Class of 1958, died February 27, 2011, and was survived by one daughter and two grandchildren. Roger had been a chemical engineer and computer consultant.

Gary and Roger were my second cousins.

The Green Banner
The school newspaper of Freeport Junior HIgh School.
October 31, 1960

My father's 1960 license plate.