University of Wisconson Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Our first date was at a TKE fraternity party at Devil’s Punch Bowl in the Fall of 1968. I arrived and she was late because she was hoping I would not show up. She did not enjoy the date or me but I persisted. Now we have been married 41 years. She looks the same but I look 41 years older. Ray Birk
Inserted: 2/15/2012

While I worked at the Student Center information desk, Jon used to stop by and visit me. He was a junior and I was a sophomore when we started dating. We are still together 41 years later. We have two beautiful daughters who are Stout grads, two great sons-in-law and one of them is a Stout grad.
Inserted: 2/18/2013

The first time I met Larry at the Villa I said to Karen (Peterson) Zwissler (1970), "I don't know who could go out with Larry Helgason". A year and half later Larry asked me out on a bet with Jerry Beck (1970). The bet was a six pack which was never received. Our first date was a "culture trip" AQ mets FOB. We toured the rural bars of the area with a number of other cars full of friends and danced to polka music. After graduating in 1970 we were married in Feb 1971. We both retired from teaching jobs and enjoy life on the IL Rock River and the beaches of FL.
Inserted: 9/28/2009

Our paths never really crossed while on the Stout campus; but we both ended up practice teaching at Arrowhead H.S. in Hartland in the fall of 1969. Went to the faculty Christmas party together and things got serious soon after that. It was late January when we decided to get married in Menomonie. And why not do it on May 23, 1970, our graduation date, so that our friends and family could attend both events in the same day. We graduated in the morning that day and were married at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in the afternoon. We have three grown children and two granddaughters. I recently retired after teaching 36 years, while Cyndy continues her work as a Family Living Agent for UW-Extension and the Food Service Director for our local school district.
Inserted: 10/10/2007

Married since 1974. Three daughters; one attended Stout and transferred to Stevens Point. A second daughter started at Stevens Point then transferred to Stout where she graduated, met her future husband. They and their little boy reside in Menomonie.
Inserted: 3/25/2013

In March 1970, UW-Stout decided to have a student week project - every student had to plan their own curriculum for 1 week-on or off campus. We both stayed at Stout and on March 17, 1970, North Hall (where Bob lived) invited the women of AFM (where Mary lived) to go to a party at picnic point. Bob’s roommate, Jim Smith, introduced us. We started dating. I left at the end of the week to go student teach. We had a long distance relationship and were married 16 months later on July 17, 1971.
Inserted: 10/10/2007

Linda and I met at Fred’s Tap. Linda was playing pinball and I walked up to say Hi. We had a few beers at The Tap and then went over to The Pit to have some Stite with lemon. We worked on making a tower of cans with the help of some friends. Then we left and went to Harvey Hall to climb the fire escape to get a close look at the tower clock. I was able to get her back to Jeter Hall by 11 pm as she had hours. The next week I tried calling her, I knew she lived on 2nd Jeter but she only told me her first name and there were four Linda’s on her floor. Luckly I remembered she was from Beloit and the person on phone knew her. We were married our senior year and were able to student teach together in Bloomer. We have been married 41 years and have two daughters (one went to Stout).
Inserted: 9/25/2012

We made “beautiful music” together. We played in the concert band and in the musicians groups to accompany the symphonic singers. In the summer we played in the Menomonie Community Band. We enjoyed the touring the band and choir participated in each year!
Inserted: 10/10/2007

Michael and I met in 1967 at the Pizza Villa. He was standing with a group of people that included a friend of mine who had come from UW-Eau Claire to visit me for the weekend. I walked up to the group, greeted my friend. Michael and I started talking, which resulted eventually in his asking to walk me back to my dorm. I lived in South Hall at the time…not a short walk…and since I had quickly run out of my dorm to meet my friend with too lightweight of a jacket on a crisp November night…Michael chivalrously offered me his jacket for the walk home. I was certainly impressed with his “gentlemanly” gesture, and when he asked if he could meet me between classes at the Student Union the next day, I certainly took him up on it! We began dating exclusively after that. We became engaged during that summer of 1969, and were married on June 6, 1970, several days after my graduation from UW-Stout. Because Michael had on more year at Stout until his graduation, we lived in Menomonie until January of 1972, in a small house known as a Quonset Hut, (it had a rounded roof), that was located where the present Student Center is now. We had the Modulux in our backyard, and the Science and Technology building across the street out of our front door. I worked at the Ide Hour Fabric Shop and Bark’s Bake Shoppe while Michael finished his senior year. After his graduation, he was offered a job in the New Berlin (Wisconsin) Public Schools, and we’ve lived in New Berlin since then. Michael retired in June of 2005 after 34 years as a Technology Education Instructor and Guidance Counselor at New Berlin West High School. I worked in the retail fabric business for 10 years, and then taught Family and Consumer Education for 10 years. For the past 15 years, I have been a Library Media Specialist at Park View Middle School in Mukwonago, WI. We have visited Menomonie once during each decade since we left in 1972, most recently at Thanksgiving 2005. We visited out old “haunts,” (the ones that still remain), and reminisce about those times back in the era of hippies and flower children! We enjoy seeing the changes in the campus and in the city. Our time together at UW-Stout and in Menomonie has always had a very special place in out hearts…after all, it is where we found each other and where we began out life together. This June, we’ll be celebrating 36 happy years of marriage.
Inserted: 10/10/2007

Bill and I arrived in Menomonie as freshmen in the Fall of 1968. We hung out with the same group of people, (first Hovlid and first Jeter) but did not date each other for another year. Our first date was September 27, 1969. We spent a beautiful Fall afternoon riding Bill's BSA motorcycle through the Menomonie countryside. 43 years later, we still celebrate that date. Our original friends from Stout are still very close to us, and our adventures there seem like they happened yesterday, until we look at our three beautiful grown up children. These two Blue Devils really did find a “happily ever after” at Stout.
Inserted: 2/22/2012

In 1970 while attending Stout, the head football coach, Mr. Sten Pierce kept telling me to do “whatever it takes” to get my boyfriend, Jeff Towner here to play football. He was at Ripon College at the time so to make a long story short, Jeff transferred to Stout, he had a great football career and we were married in August of 1972. We spent our last semester of school together as newlyweds and graduated in Dec. of 1972.
Inserted: 10/10/2007

Met in Harvey Hall, married in 1972, graduated in 1973. Still married, still working, still happy!
Inserted: 9/14/2010

Met my wife Barbara at a floor party out at Devils Punchbowl on October 1st 1970. Love at first sight ... for me at least. We got married in 1974 and 35 years later we're still going.
Inserted: 7/15/2009

We met while doing Winter Carnival committee work.
Inserted: 3/3/2008

We met when we both worked in the Commons. Mike was supervisor of the dish room and I served food on the line. We really got to know each other the following summer when we both went to summer school. I was RA of CKTO where Mike was staying for the summer.
Inserted: 10/10/2007

Winter Carnival; 1974- John asked me to drive his car in the ice races…I’ve been driving his cars ever since.
Inserted: 10/10/2007

I'm sure this is a first, but we probably had our "first date" at Fred's Tap. I know I was a sophomore so when you count it all up, we've been together for over 40 years! Wow! Where does the time go? We both have fond memories of Stout (and Fred's, the Pizza Villa, The Rendevous, etc).
Inserted: 5/10/2012

Our first date was in November of 1973. We went to an REO Speedwagon concert at UW Stout's fieldhouse. Ross & Kerry
Inserted: 2/14/2012

Nancy and I met at The Buck upon the Vets Club return from a State Vets Convention in Green Bay. Some dates you never forget - March 24, 1974. While the bride and I first "officially" met at The Buck, our first date was at the Amon House, where all the Hotel & Restaurant Management buddies had to cook and supervise a meal in order to graduate. That would have been in Spring of 1974, before the current Home Ec building was constructed. Nancy and I have been married since 1976, or as long as Ford trucks have been #1 (35 years). BTW - Nancy has missed only two Homecomings since 1971 and I have missed only one since 1973. We will always be indebted to Stout and the last class offering of Slide Rule in the Spring, 1974.
Inserted: 2/13/2012

Jean and I met through our respective roommates, Dennis Grabow and Patricia Geralts, who also married each other. Since both Jean and I had early classes we would meet at the Commons before class. This went on for over a year before I asked her out on a date. We also shared many Alfresco activities and still get together on a regular basis with those friends yet today. We were married June 25, 1977 and have four great children; Christina, William, Elizabeth and Micheal. Jean has been my inspiration and partner for over 30 years, whom I look forward to waking up next to each morning. We look forward to spending our retirement travelling and growing old together.
Inserted: 2/13/2008

We met on a ride home one weekend. Tom's friend owned the car, a 1965 Ford Thunderbird. Today we own a 1965 Ford Thunderbird - bought specifically to celebrate how we met.
Inserted: 2/28/2012

It was 40 degrees below zero (windchill) and me (Laura) and my girlfriends were tired of sitting indoors, so we decided to check out a football from the front desk of our dorm, go outdoors, and play football for a little while. Mark and his friends were walking around as well, saw us playing football, and decided to join us. While we didn't know each other very well at that time, we knew that we lived in the same dorm, and had some of the same friends. After that night, Mark asked his friends about me, and asked me out. He knew that I studied hard, so on our first date, he arrived at my door with a book in his hand, thinking I was going to want to go to the library (ha.) We went on several dates (without books,) and were married on June 2, 1979. We will celebrate our 30 year anniversary this June!
Inserted: 3/9/2009

Well, here we are 32 years AS (after Stout). Christy and I met early in our freshman year either October or November of 1975. Christy lived in the only remaining 'all girl dorm' on campus and I lived on 4D North Hall which was the only remaining 'all guys dorm' on campus. The RA's of our two floors arranged a "meet and greet" activity out in the commons area that turned out to be some kind of a cheesie mixer. It's hard to remember the details of the activity but we (maybe 30 or so freshman) formed a large circle and mixed it up boy girl boy girl. The mixer had us engage in some goofy name calling that poked fun at one another. Low and behold, Christy and I caught a little chemistry at the event. I remember getting back to 4D North and talking to some of my room mates about the hot girl that called herself "turtle" during the activity. One thing led to another and some of the boys from my floor (including myself) took it upon ourselves to follow up with some of the girls from her dorm. This led to more and more invites to come to our dorm and visa versa. You can predict the rest of the story... we found each other and enjoyed 3 more years at Stout as a couple, we married in November of 1979 and now here we are 32 years later living in Lakeville, Minnesota.
Inserted: 2/13/2012

We met through a blind date approximately 20 years after we graduated from Stout. I never knew Kerry at Stout; however he attended the last semester I was present. I always joked at him and told him I saw him on campus. He had more hair and a moustache at that time.
Inserted: 10/10/2007