Douglas Jones

Posted on: Apr 14, 2024 at 11:46 AM

We are saddened to report the passing of Bill Boese, husband of classmate Ramona Finch Boese. Our condolences to Ramona and her family


Obituary of William "Bill" Boese

Memorial Mass for William "Bill" Boese, age 79, of Milford will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 10:30am at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. Visitation will take place prior to the service from 9:30-10:30am at the church.

William John Boese, son of Burdette ”Buzz” William and Helen Mary (Trainer) Boese, was born in El Paso, Texas, on August 3, 1944, where his father was stationed with the Army.

The family returned to Webb, Iowa, upon “Buzz” fulfilling his tour of duty. Bill grew up helping his grandpa on the county road grader and his dad at the Champlin gas station. Bill loved baseball and played catcher from elementary through high school. Bill graduated from Webb High School in 1962 with a baseball scholarship to South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, SD. During his freshman year at SDSU, Bill decided he’d rather be a United States Marine. He quit college, enlisted, and was stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego, California.

During his time at MCRD, Bill was recognized as a leader and was encouraged to apply for appointment to the United States Naval Academy (USNA) Prep School, Bainbridge, MD, where upon completion, he received an appointment to the 1965 USNA plebe class. He graduated from USNA in 1969 thus pinning on the single silver bar of a United States Marine Corps (USMC) Second Lieutenant. Bill proceeded to the Basic School, Quantico, Virginia. With him, beginning a 26-year military career, was his wife, Ramona Finch Boese of Spencer, Iowa.

Bill’s accomplishments at the Basic School qualified him for flight training, his future military career. The Vietnam War was going on and Bill’s pilot training began with the Air Force (space available), receiving Air Force wings. Marines fly with the Navy. To earn Navy wings, they moved to Cherry Point, NC, there earning those wings. Through his career, Bill flew the A-4 Skyhawk and the AV-8B Harrier. LtCol. William J. Boese retired from the Marine Corps in 1989, moved to Milford, Iowa, and began a cow/calf operation on his farm west of Milford.

Bill was active with the American Legion Post #384, served as a Dickinson County Supervisor, and was active with his church. Surrounded by his family, Bill passed on April 10, 2024. Preceding Bill in death were his parents, Burdette and Helen. Left to remember and honor him are his wife, Ramona; daughter, Sarah Boese Crowder, and her husband, Josh, and their children: Hanah, Jakob, and Elaina; son, John, and his son, Max; sister, Marilyn Boese Douglas and her husband, Greg. Bill has many relatives and friends who will talk about his storytelling and golfing skills.

TurnerJenness Funeral Home , Milford IA is in charge of arrangements

Posted on: Jan 03, 2024 at 9:08 PM

I received this from Pam Shippy today RIP my friend

Posted on: Nov 30, 2023 at 7:44 PM

We are saddened to report the passing of Ruth Thurston mother of our classmate Blaine and his sister Laurie ‘66. Warners are in charge of services. Our condolences to Blaine and Laurie and their families

Posted on: Nov 20, 2023 at 10:04 PM

Received word tonight from Pam Shippy of the passing of classmate Tom Preston. Celebration of Life in January. More as we receive it Condolences to Tom’s family

Happy Birthday Sandra!

Have a great birthday!

Posted on: Jul 27, 2023 at 3:33 AM

Posted on: Jul 13, 2023 at 2:44 PM

So what the hell happened with the website being down? Each year we have two subscription fees that are due for our website. The first is the cost that Class Creator charges us for an ad free website.This is paid automatically each year by a charge to my credit card. The second is a charge for the use of our domain name which is a separate charge to the keeper of such things, whom I know not. The first payment went to Class Creator without a problem by auto pay. But the second didn’t know where to go and therefore did not get paid. BOOM! they shut down the site. What to do? I tried to call Class Creator but with the Crazy 4th holiday week it was hard to find a real person to talk to. Finally got a text message from Class Creator, sent them more money and Wall La we are back in business. More than you needed to know probably but there are those who wonder. Thanks to those that donated to help pay these costs. We are almost there and the donation link will drop off when this year’s expenses are met. Thanks for your patience.

Well it took a while but we are back Sorry about that Thanks for your patience BTW We still need donation See link at the left side of home page

Posted on: Jun 22, 2023 at 12:11 PM

Dues are due. Please donate what you can on the front page

Posted on: Mar 18, 2023 at 9:03 PM

I have just received word that our friend and classmate Will Steffen pasted away in January of this year in Canberra Australia. I am posting an email from his wife to classmate Jo Schar and an article from the Canberra paper

I am Will's wife, Carrie. I am fiddling on his computer and came across a "draft" email that he apparently intended to respond to you last year. I do not have his contacts from Spencer, though I know he was in contact with a number of you over the years. I would be grateful if you would let them all know that Will passed away on 29 January. He had surgery for his pancreatic cancer, but there were complications following it. There has been a huge outpouring of grief from his scientific colleagues, friends, climbing buddies and family. We are having a "celebration of life" on 28 March. I am copying myself into this email so that you will have my personal email address, as it is really hit and miss whether I can access his computer or emails.

Kind regards

Carrie Steffen

Globally renowned Australian climate scientist Prof Will Steffen has died, aged 75, with former colleagues and family remembering him as an inspiring, courageous and gentle human.

Steffen died in Canberra hospital on Sunday evening after almost a year of treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Colleagues from around the world described him as a scientific giant whohad spent a career studying and communicating the risks of climate change.

Steffen was known for his studies on the rate humans were driving changes to the planet and the risks of irreversible “tipping points” that could push the world to “hothouse” conditions.
He was known as a skilled communicator, delivering countless public talks and interviews to the media, and was a trusted adviser to the Gillard government.

The director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, Prof Johan Rockström, said: “Such a loss for humanity. There is no better friend and colleague for humanity and a livable planet.”

Steffen moved to Australia from the US in 1977, taking a post-doc position at the Australian National University. He was a pivotal figure and leader in coordinating international research collaborations.

• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup
In Australia he was a highly respected adviser on climate change policy and worked on a multiparty committee around 2010 that helped devise a mechanism to put a price on carbon.

Steffen was part of a group of scientists including Rockström who described nine “planetary boundaries” that regulate the planet and formed the basis for a Netflix documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough.


Will Steffen in 2008. Photograph: Supplied
His wife of 51 years, Carrie Steffen, said: “He was a wonderful, kind and passionate man and he was the same as a husband.

“He was the most marvellous companion and the best dinner companion I would ever have, and ever will have. He brought the world to me.”

She said Steffen had been determined to fight the cancer and had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy in readiness for surgery.

“He fought this to the end,” she said.

After complications from an initial surgery, he did not regain consciousness from a second operation and died peacefully with Carrie and his daughter, Sonja, 36, by his side.

Carrie said in later years, Steffen had been particularly proud of his work supporting young climate activists, including providing expert testimony in court cases.

Arrangements were still being made for a private funeral ceremony, but Carrie said she also hoped for a larger “knees up” to celebrate his life.

The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, said “very few people around the world could claim to have done more to tackle climate change” than Steffen.

“He was a first class scientist and a world class communicator,” he said in a tweet.

Prof Lesley Hughes, a board member of the government’s Climate Change Authority, said the world had lost “someone truly special” and she had lost “a wonderful friend”.

Dr Pep Canadell, a climate scientist at CSIRO, said one of Steffen’s biggest contributions was as a pioneer in developing a role that combined scientific expertise with coordinating international networks that, he said, had influenced the scientific agenda and governments around the world.

Canadell said: “I was incredibly sad when I heard – no matter how much I knew it was coming. He has impacted so many people, programs, research agendas and governments.”

Former Australian chief scientist Penny Sackett said Steffen was an “irreplaceable scientist, world citizen and friend” who was “courageous in his truth telling”.

“We’ve lost a truly leading thinker on climate change, someone who made a difference in how the world understands it,” said Prof Frank Jotzo, a climate economist at ANU.

Steffen was a member of the government-backed independent climate commission launched in 2011 by the then Labor government, that was closed down in 2013 only to re-emerge as the not-for-profit Climate Council.

The chief executive of the Climate Council, Amanda McKenzie, said: “Our dear colleague Will Steffen contributed enormously to climate science, climate communications and putting the issue on the agenda here and around the world. He helped to build the Climate Council, like many other institutions, from the ground up.

“We will always remember his bravery, his optimism, his kindness, his energy and his determination. We are devastated that he is gone, but determined that his legacy will live on every day in our work.”

In a hand-written letter in 2020 for a project that asked climate scientists how they felt about the future, Steffen wrote: “I’m angry because the lack of effective action on climate change, despite the wealth not only of scientific information but also of solutions to reduce emissions, has now created a climate emergency.
“The students are right. Their future is now being threatening by the greed of the wealthy fossil fuel elite, the lies of the Murdoch press, and the weakness of our political leaders. These people have no right to destroy my daughter’s future and that of her generation.”

Posted on: Jan 05, 2023 at 12:18 PM

Please notice the survey for a 60th Class Reunion on the left just under “In Memory. Pick one of the five responses and list that number in the comment box. Thanks

Posted on: Aug 19, 2022 at 2:13 PM

Bruce Townsend’s brother Roy passed way today. He was a member of the SHS Class of 59 I think. Our condolences to Bruce and all Roy’s family. There will be no public services.

Posted on: Aug 12, 2022 at 4:43 PM

Well we’re having a bad run here, Dave Meyer passed a way this morning More details to come

Posted on: Aug 05, 2022 at 4:27 AM

We learned yesterday of the passing of classmate Denny Evans as the result of a bee sting. Frank Fitzloff has confirmed this with Dennys daughter Meredith. More info as available. Our condolences to Dennys family.

Well that didn’t take long. We have met our goal for
this year I will take the donate button, thanks to all who donates this year!

Posted on: Jul 20, 2022 at 6:03 PM

Boy I know gas prices are high but, donations this year are dragging. We can’t all be destitute, help the class out!