CONCORDIA TEACHERS COLLEGE
River Forest, Illinois
CLASS OF 1966
Photographs from Norm Hellmers
1961-1966
Please send comments and corrections to:
norm.hellmers (at) gmail.com
Click on each picture for a larger image.

In Memoriam
My cousin Ron Wismar and I attended school together for 17 years (8 years at a Lutheran grade school, 4 years of high school, 4 years at CTC, and even one year in graduate school at the University of Iowa). After earning his PhD, Ron's career included four years at CTC and work as a Clinical Psychologist in our hometown of New Orleans. During those years, we were practically inseparable along with our lifelong friend Mike Riemer. Ron died on September 14, 2011. His obituary and additional biographical information can be found here.




1961-1962
A few memories of Second Krauss

CTC Quad, taken from second Krauss. At left, Lindemann Hall -- home of freshmen women and the cafeteria, at right, administration building -- with its iconic Pillars.
 Norm Hellmers at outside entrance to Krauss Hall -- home of freshmen men. In their first year, Norm and his cousin Ron Wismar lived on the west side of second Krauss.



Norm's freshman roommate Ron Wismar reading at his desk. Next door (to the south) were our floor's counselors, seniors Dick Corn and Denny Schrader. At the end of the hall lived Prof. William Lindemann and his young family.
 Norm typing a paper on his old Underwood typewriter. (Norm: "I used it all four years at CTC, and for a number of years afterwards.")



Norm  -- as always -- asking Ron for assistance, or trying to get a pretzel, or both.  Norm: "Ron kept a container of pretzel sticks on his desk."
 Norm reading at his desk.




Each room in Krauss had one dresser, which the roommates shared . . .
 . . . and a closet, also shared.



Some second Krauss residents: (back row) Bob Krueger, Ed Graefe, Michael Rogers, Dave Saeger, Otto Thieme, Dick Hakala, Norm Hellmers; (front row) Ron Wismar, Roger Walker.
 Norm relaxing in some cool Bermuda shorts.




Ron, the "Mad Artiste," shows off his work. The overhead storage cabinets were a good place to show off our artwork.
 The cabinets were also a good place to get away from it all for a while. Here's Bill Loughner catching a few z's.


Dave Ewald ponders the workings of the fates that brought him to such great guys on second Krauss. Some of the great guys on second Krauss (Norm, Dave Saeger, and Ron Wismar), all mature, thoughtful people.




Once you've learned how to make "eucalyptus trees" from newspapers, your dorm room can be transformed into a mysterious wonderland.

 Didn't everyone bring masks to college? Norm: "Ron was ever the impresario. Give him a stage and a mask, and he was off and running."



Mrs. Lenore "Ma" Schoepke, housemother for Brohm Hall.




1962-1963
A few memories of Second Brohm


1962 Homecoming Banquet -- Joyce Zickler and Norm Hellmers.
 Norm by the Pillars. Norm: "One of my best memories of CTC is Sunday evening devotions on the steps of the Ad Building and all of us singing 'Abide With Me.'"


Most sophomores in 1962-1963 lived off campus. Norm: "My roommate (Al Keup) and I were lucky to get a room on second Brohm living with mostly juniors. They were a quirky bunch, many with nicknames (e.g., Bones, Falcon, Camel, etc.). Left to right: Ron Wismar and Terry Rudolph (off-campus roommates), and Al Keup. Norm: "A group of us generally attended church at Grace. For many, Sunday was a 'dress-up' day."


Norm practices for his Keyboard class. His instructor was Arthur Cohrs. Norm: "After my performing a piece I had worked on for some time, Mr. Cohrs said: 'That's nice Norm; of course you'll never be another Horowitz.' He was right." There was usually a crowd waiting every day for mail. Norm: "My mailbox number was Box 222 for some years. The best letter I ever got out was my being accepted to Graduate School at the University of Iowa."



Krauss Hall had bathrooms in the middle of each floor -- toilets and showers on one side, and lavatories on the other. Norm: "To keep costs down, we were required to clean everything. I recall that we referred to the lavatories as 'lavies.'"
 The basement of Krauss housed a recreation room, with a ping-pong table, pool table, bumper pool table, and a separate TV room.



Senior Chris Reimer '63 shows Norm a bit of unusual artwork.
 Norm at his desk in second Brohm.


Ready for intramurals! Norm: "I wish I still weighed 135 pounds."




Ron with music building and Grace Church in the background. Ron played a variety of unusual musical instruments, like the autoharp (above) and the ukulele. He was also a fine pianist and played trombone in high school.




1963-1964


Norm at entrance sign at the corner of Augusta and Bonnie Brae.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963. Norm: "I learned that Kennedy had been shot while walking up the stairs in the Ad Building for an early afternoon class on the second floor. We gathered in the classroom, but Professor Wayne Lucht said he was so disturbed, he could not continue and dismissed the class." Where were you?




In winter quarter, a number of us had student teaching at various schools in the Chicago area. Norm: "At a meeting of student teachers, I volunteered to be a van driver. By the way, I still have that briefcase -- I use it to store my DeWalt drill and bits."
 Norm and Mike Riemer student taught the same class.




Norm with Mr. Buelow, a great teacher and mentor.
 Norm behind Brohm Hall. (Mary-Martha Hall is in the background.)


Norm: In the academic year of 1962-1963, we enjoyed getting to know the class that started in 1962 -- a smart and talented group they were. Among them was Dave Mahler, whose musical and comedic gifts could not be resisted. Dave joined (or led) us (Ron Wismar and I) in some pretty quirky activities. In the academic year of 1963-1964, transfer students joined our class, including our friend Mike Riemer.
Here are some more pictures from the fall of 1963.


Norm Hellmers, Ron Wismar, and Dave Mahler created the "Charles DonEvan Trio." Adding Dick "Rosy" Rosenberg, we had a barbershop quartet. Here are a few pictures.


Immediately after the end of the 1963-1964 academic year, Norm Hellmers, Ron Wismar, and Les Netland began a month-long, 1,400-mile raft trip from Chicago to New Orleans. Mike Riemer joined them in Helena, Arkansas. Information about their adventure can be found here.
The day after arriving in New Orleans, the mayor presented them all with certificates and keys to the city.
The Winter 2013 issue of The Forester had a cover story on the raft adventure (cover and pages 26-28).




1964-1965
A number of CTC students had an "intern" year between their junior and senior years. Norm Hellmers taught for a year at St. Paul Lutheran School in Royal Oak, Michigan. Here is his "official" picture for that school year.


St. Paul Lutheran School, Royal Oak, Michigan.
 Norm and Patricia O'Brien, a native of Standish, Michigan. Norm: "I enjoyed my year of teaching, but the most important thing that happened to me that year was meeting my future wife."




1965-1966


Entrance sign with the Bonnie Brae houses in the background.
The Pillars.




Tobogganing at Swallow Cliff Woods near Palos Park. Norm: "I had been sitting in the front and took this picture at the bottom." From left: Ron, ____[help]____, Marion Chalker, Mike, Pat.
 Norm and Pat check out a toboggan. The stenciled "F. P. D." stands for Forest Preserve District, which operated the run.




On Sunday, January 16, 1966, Pat and Norm were engaged. We  were at the Adler Planetarium on the Lake Michigan shore. We'll excuse the inexperienced photographer, whoever it was.
 After a long day and back on first Krauss, Norm was greeted with a surprise "stag" party. Left, Mike Riemer prepares the Pepsis, Ron dressed as a nurse named Ineeda Mann, and Norm, probably wishing he were somewhere else.




First Krauss residents and guests. The CTC staff decided that having some returning interns live with the freshmen would be a maturing influence on them. Norm: "Boy, did we show them."
 Norm was asked to tell the story of how Pat and he met. Norm: "Well, we were at a weekend retreat for Lutheran young people . . . and the rest is history."




In downtown Chicago for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. From left: Ron Wismar, Phyllis Pfund, Mike Riemer, and Marion Chalker. In the background is Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.
 CTC's Class of 1966 graduated on Friday, May 27, 1966. Norm: "Graduating was bittersweet -- I enjoyed all of my time at Concordia. The future looked good too. I would be married in two days and had a teaching assistantship waiting for me at the University of Iowa."



Pat and Norm.
 First cousins: Ron, Sara Speckhard, Norm.




Three lifelong friends/classmates/adventurers, all of New Orleans:
Mike Riemer, Norm Hellmers, Ron Wismar
 Norm: "Our three Dads arranged for an after-graduation party. We were blessed with loving and generous parents."



On May 29, 1966, two days after Norm's graduation, he and Pat were married in Pat's home church in Standish, Michigan. Ron and Mike were groomsmen. On May 29, 2016, Norm and Pat marked 50 years of marriage.