Congratulations to the School's newest graduates, the May Class of 2011!
Sheila Madahbee won the United States Indoor Nationals at the National Field Archery Association competition in Louisville, Kentucky, March 27, 2011. She shot a 598 (out of 600) with 81x’s in the Adult Female
Bowhunter Freestyle division. She won by 4 x’s, there was a three-way tie for 2nd place where three scored 598 and 77x’s.
Mike was in Houghton in June 2010, “Just for a visit and to find a good tree key.” We like visitors.
Scott and Tonya (Treichel) Albers 1998 welcomed a son, Jonah Scott on August 28, 2010. He and his big sister Nora, 4, are looking forward to spring so they can get outside and learn about the trees around their home.
Tonya is currently a stay-at-home mom, but is considering getting back into the field in the next few years if the right opportunity comes along.
The family lives in Medford Wisconsin. “Surrounded by the beautiful Chequamegon National Forest,” says Tonya.
During spring break of my senior year (1967) of high school, my Dad, my cousin Chuck (his company sold hockey equipment to John MacInnes and Michigan Tech hockey), and I drove up to Tech from the Detroit area for a visit. I had been accepted at Tech already and I wanted to see what I was getting into. I chose Tech because I wanted to play hockey (I played on the Freshmen team) and to go into Forestry, and to get into some of the great hunting that was talked about up here.
While we were visiting, we got a chance to go to the Forestry building (Hubbell School) and meet Dr. Hesterberg. Upon meeting Dr. Hesterberg (he insisted we call him Gene) and seeing a mounted Ruffed Grouse on his desk I knew I was in the correct place! My classmates and I were the first freshman class in the new building. We were also the first class to have Summer Camp on campus.
After I graduated I never left the area and have been here for 44 years! Incidentally, my parents moved the entire family up here just before I graduated. My brother, Drew, was at Tech with me and he graduated in 1973, and the DePuydt name has been a stable name in the Copper Country for many years and many more years to come!
I had never heard of the Michigan College of Mining and Technology until receiving the offer of a $100 scholarship in the spring of 1959 to attend the Soo Branch. That was a good sum of money at the time. Three of my classmates had received the same offer and accepted so I decided to join them, and quickly picked Forestry as my major.
Coming from a poor family with little money, I hoarded the few dollars earned from paper route and grocery store jobs and headed north with my father and a promise from a very benevolent aunt to pay for tuition and other expenses. My first quarter was extremely difficult with 5 Cs and a D. A very understanding and compassionate Algebra professor straighted me out in the second quarter (stop playing card games!). From then on my grades improved every year culminating with graduation with honors in 1963.
I thoroughly enjoyed both the Soo and Houghton campuses, summer camp at the Ford Forestry Center, the campus food (generally better than what I got at home), and finally the 9 hole golf course the last quarter of my senior year (hitch-hiked as I had no car). I participated in seven intramural sports as well as winter statue construction.
The course work was very hard for me, not being the brightest bulb, but I made it. I am extremely grateful to the college, to the Forestry staff at both campuses, and especially to my aunt who came through on her promise. My aunt was a hoarder and saved all the letters I mailed her from both campuses, the summer camp, and my Forest Service internship in the Rio Grande National Forest the summer of 1962.
Again, thank you everyone.
—Tom Cieslinski
The reasons I came to MTU was to get as far away from home as possible but to remain in the state. Also, as a forestry student what better place to go but to a school in the woods. I also had a cousin that went to Tech in the sixties and he had some great stories.
—Pete Baker
“Old Pals,” Kate Lenz and Missy Taylor took a Copper Country Road Trip to Houghton last fall (2010) to see the colors and visit the area. It was Kate’s first visit to the “new” building since graduation. She said, “It’s nice to see that students hopefully never have to endure classes in the trailers again!” Kate works for the Wisconsin DNR and lives in Peshtigo. Missy lives in Marquette and is employed by Peninsula Land Surveying.
Paul Leach lives in Hancock, Michigan during the summer months and Largo, Florida during the winter. Paul mentioned that Hal Williams was his roomate in college. They married sisters and he described their relationship as “inseparable buddies.”
Cody Caulum has accepted a Forester position with Joseph Bollig Forest Products of Mauston, Wisconsin. Bollig is a small family logging company in Southwestern Wisconsin. Congratulations, Cody!