I met Rick at Highland State Grade in Pleasant Prarie. We had a small class of 12 or 13 kids and shared a teacher with another grade each year. Since there weren't many of us, we got to know each other well and Rick was always friendly with a good sense of humor and he could read people well. Back then, he was especially proud of his perfect attendance record. I don't think he missed a day in all his years at Highland. That was a tight group and we went through a lot together. He will be missed.
I, too, was a member, along with Dan and Ricky, of to what I refer as Highland Elementary School Class of 1968 (sixth grade). Mr. Nemeth lived less than five minutes' walk east of the school. He was the oldest member of our class (by virtue of his birthdate?), and was memorable for his grade-school birthday parties. He did not grow up in a large house, but each year nearly all of his classmates would attend these parties and overfill its capacity.
Dan is correct: I do not believe anyone but him had perfect grade school attendance, but he did indeed.
Our school's before-, during-, and [sometimes] after-school softball games were the stuff of legend! Essentially our entire class would divide itself between one side or the other. While we each tended to have a 'usual' position on the softball field, I cannot, with certainty, recall Ricky's - I do recall he was a rather fast sprinter on the basepath.
The class ahead of us was the first to next attend the newly-created Gilbert S. Lance Jr. High, turning our 8-grade elementary school into a 6-grade institution (although I believe they then added kindergarten).
It is too bad we've not [yet?] had our own "'68 reunion" (all sixteen-or-so of us!). Help me out, Dan, if I've negligently not listed anyone (sorry!), but said Class consisted of, beside Ricky, Dan and myself: Mary Anderson, Gary Wolf, Wendy Purnell, Bryon Ruetten, Chris Verbick ('69??), John Gaddy, Chuck Knutter, Doug Mattson, Kathy Neitzel, Tamara Broker, Butch Fellows, and Dale Bruzas.
It is also too bad that it's taken the passage of Ricky, John and Kathy to suggest this. Blessed R.I.P., our friends!
Daniel Larson
I met Rick at Highland State Grade in Pleasant Prarie. We had a small class of 12 or 13 kids and shared a teacher with another grade each year. Since there weren't many of us, we got to know each other well and Rick was always friendly with a good sense of humor and he could read people well. Back then, he was especially proud of his perfect attendance record. I don't think he missed a day in all his years at Highland. That was a tight group and we went through a lot together. He will be missed.
H. Winston Slater
I, too, was a member, along with Dan and Ricky, of to what I refer as Highland Elementary School Class of 1968 (sixth grade). Mr. Nemeth lived less than five minutes' walk east of the school. He was the oldest member of our class (by virtue of his birthdate?), and was memorable for his grade-school birthday parties. He did not grow up in a large house, but each year nearly all of his classmates would attend these parties and overfill its capacity.
Dan is correct: I do not believe anyone but him had perfect grade school attendance, but he did indeed.
Our school's before-, during-, and [sometimes] after-school softball games were the stuff of legend! Essentially our entire class would divide itself between one side or the other. While we each tended to have a 'usual' position on the softball field, I cannot, with certainty, recall Ricky's - I do recall he was a rather fast sprinter on the basepath.
The class ahead of us was the first to next attend the newly-created Gilbert S. Lance Jr. High, turning our 8-grade elementary school into a 6-grade institution (although I believe they then added kindergarten).
It is too bad we've not [yet?] had our own "'68 reunion" (all sixteen-or-so of us!). Help me out, Dan, if I've negligently not listed anyone (sorry!), but said Class consisted of, beside Ricky, Dan and myself: Mary Anderson, Gary Wolf, Wendy Purnell, Bryon Ruetten, Chris Verbick ('69??), John Gaddy, Chuck Knutter, Doug Mattson, Kathy Neitzel, Tamara Broker, Butch Fellows, and Dale Bruzas.
It is also too bad that it's taken the passage of Ricky, John and Kathy to suggest this. Blessed R.I.P., our friends!