A few words from Rhonda Tiek

"Still single after all these years..." (country western song)

I've been divorced since '81 but haven't found my soul mate as yet. I've come close to tying the knot again a couple of times, but failed to slip the last string through the hoop and pull it tight. In May of '06, I ended a 10 year relationship with a guy, so it's just me and my dog Sadie for now. "She loves me."

I've been in Big D for 26 yrs. this October and love it here. It took me years to drop the "Northern" accent and pick up the "Texas" accent, but..... I gotter now. During the past 19 years, I've been supervising and training managers in the self-storage industry. Ten of these years I've owned my own business - Achieva Consulting & Property Management. I specialize in all aspects of self storage; from property design and construction, financial planning and forecasting, auditing and property inspections, auction preparations, accounts receivable/payable, human resources, implementing policy and procedures; employee management, recruiting, training and staffing; to the most intricate details of setting up leasing offices and computer systems.

I have 9 self-storage facilities located throughout the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex which keeps me extremely busy. Most of the storage facilities I manage are owned by individuals from out-of-state. So instead of trying to please one man in my life I have to please 9, so at times it's rather nerve wracking.

And, I've seen it all. From prostitution inside a storage unit, to meth labs, to finding a coffin with a real skeleton in it, (the tenant was a biology instructor) to a tenant who used a unit as a dressing room. He'd arrive on the property in a gorgeous White Jag with heavy dark tented windows and leave in a beautiful 2-seater Black Mercedes as a FEMALE. Guess he didn't want anyone to know who he was. But trust me, the outfits and shoes this guy had were awesome, not to mention the cars.

In my "spare time," I follow football and NASCAR. Every spring and fall, without fail, when NASCAR comes to Texas you'll find me at the south tunnel, on the infield, second row from the fence, right off turn one, waiving on my guys! #20, #9, #43, #11, etc., etc., so do not disturb me then!

Well, that's the Readers Digest Quick Version of my life till now. If anyone from home wants to attend a Dallas Cowboy football game or go the Texas Motor Speedway, or Billy Bob's, or the Ft. Worth Stock Yards, have 'em e-mail me. There's always somethin goin on here in Big D and I would welcome the company.

Looking forward to seein ya'all over Labor Day.

Rhonda

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Joe Stambaugh!

Our very own Deb Miller/Mitchell is now Mrs. Joe Stambaugh as of June 21st.

Debbie says she married "Joe, the State Trooper". We're hoping for some pictures of their wedding soon (displayed photo is just symbolic).

Deb says she'll see everyone at the beer tent because she'll probably have to work the holiday weekend. Keep your fingers crossed that she and her new hubby will make it to the actual reunion! Again, congrats to the new couple.

Connie Schutzenhofer Schmidt, Professional Funster

“Professional Funster?” you ask. Well, let’s break it down.

pro·fes·sion·al
Function: adjective
1: participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs
2: following a line of conduct as though it were a profession

fun·ster
Function: noun
1: a slang term for a person who participates in fun.

For a time, back a couple of decades, Connie (along with another 72 classmate named Gwen) was an integral part of a local group calling themselves Professional Funsters and having fun in all of the right places. (Minds out of the gutter!) With activities centered mostly on boating & skiing, this funster-pack traveled many miles in search of water-like-glass, cool beverages on warm summer days, and beautiful sunsets. After many of the couples within the group broke up, and after neck surgery for Connie in 1993, water skiing and the Professional Funster era came to an end in the same fashion as the disco era…gone, but never forgotten. In their hearts, once a Professional Funster, always a Professional Funster.

Would a future Professional Funster drive a baby-poop-colored car to high school? Well, this one did. During her senior year, the only year spent at CMHS after having moved to Cottage Hills from East St. Louis in 1971, Connie made many new friends. How many of those friends Connie took to school in her “yellow” Mustang, we don’t know, but we do know that she drove it through rain, sleet and snow to work in the office of Don Simpson, Superintendent of Schools for District #8 during this year and even after graduation. After working for Mr. Simpson, she went on to Lewis & Clark Community College to major in Secretarial Science. This led to employment with Kroger, National, Venture, and eventually Miller’s Mutual Insurance, all companies that no longer have a presence in the Riverbend area, but through no fault of Connie’s…she says. To defend that point, she offers that she has been an Administrative Aide (that's a secretary, to the rest of us) for 17 years at SIU-Edwardsville, and the school is still open.

Connie and her husband, Dave, (CMHS class of 1973) and a collection of more than 200 clowns (figurines of every shape and size, not the real clowns that you find at the circus) reside in Roxana in a house built for them by Bob Dake, CMHS teacher alumni. Dave has 20+ years of service with Boeing (fka McDonnell-Douglas) in St. Louis. The happy couple has fun together fishing, visiting with family, and traveling. Among their favorite vacations: one fall trip to the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and other trips to Arizona. Connie met Dave July 1985 at The Runway Lounge in Bethalto, and it was love at first sight; they were married October 1985. Many of you will remember that Dave is the brother of our 72 classmate, Chris Schmidt, who was/is a friend of Connie’s, along with their sister, Ginny. It was these friendships that brought Connie to The Runway that day in 1985, a day that Connie counts among the luckiest days of her life. (Tissue, please.) Connie’s stepson, Michael, 25, lives in Godfrey, and works at Washington University.

Connie says its “funny how time has crept up on us,” but she and Dave look forward to retirement, and before that, to seeing everyone at the class reunion on September 1.

We say, “Send in the clowns, Connie. It’s time to initiate some new Professional Funsters.”