Bethel’s Class of 1975 has issued a challenge to the Class of 1976, and all upcoming 50-year classes.
The class was the special “Golden Thresher Class” (50 years) at this year’s Fall Festival in early October, and probably set a record – based on RSVPs, 78 class members (116 total including spouses and partners) attended at least one event.
Class members give a lot of credit for their high numbers to organized planning that started early.
A reunion committee began meeting online in February 2025, comprising Meribeth (Schmidt) Buhr, North Newton; Glen Ediger, North Newton; Rex Esau, Austin, Texas; Carol Flickinger, North Newton; Steve Friesen, Littleton, Colo.; Orlin Martens, Inman, Kan.; David E. Ortman, Seattle; Marcia (Andres) Schmidt, Newton; Russ Stucky, Moundridge, Kan.; and Tim Voth, North Newton.
Using an email list from the Bethel alumni office, Friesen created and sent out an online registration form.
The committee also created a series of email blasts leading up to the October reunion, to encourage RSVPs and to solicit donations for a class gift (currently at $105,000 in gifts and pledges).
The class has designated the funds to go toward renovation of Haury Hall, a central pillar in the newly launched Foundations Strong and True capital campaign.
Fall Fest each year has a Golden Thresher mixer on the Friday evening schedule, with snacks and beverages provided by the alumni office.
This one also included a reception during the Fall Fest football game on Saturday in the Thresher Locker Room Viewing Suite, again with refreshments from the alumni office.
For the Friday mixer (which had to be moved to a larger venue when the Mantz Library lounge proved too small), historical photos collected by Dave Linscheid, North Newton, rotated on a laptop computer.
Class members provided two cakes with the special Class of 1975 logo that Ediger designed.
Ortman created a 50-page Class of ’75 special e-edition of The Bethel Collegian that included a compilation of “Class Notes” for the Class of ’75 from 50 years’ worth of alumni magazines, as well as editorials and headlines from many of the 1971-75 issues of The Collegian.
Ortman later put the e-edition Collegian, Linscheid’s collection of photos, and photos taken during the weekend by Ortman and Rod Wedel, Newton, into a Google drive, and sent a link to all class members.
In addition, the Class of 1975 planned and hosted their own booth on the Green on Saturday.
“Our reunion turned out to be all that we hoped for and more,” Friesen said. “Everyone who came had a great time and the class booth on the Green was exactly the magnet we hoped it would be, with almost constant conversations going on.”
The committee also planned an extra event, on Sunday afternoon.
Stucky offered his barn in rural Moundridge and other class members organized and underwrote the catered BBQ meal.
The special Class of 1975 logo was reproduced on swag that included T-shirts, refrigerator magnets, pint glasses and bookmarks – again, with class members footing most of the bill.
Friesen noted that “the commemorative T-shirts were omnipresent throughout the day.”
Members of the Class of 1975 planning committee now challenge subsequent Golden Thresher classes to do as well or better with their 50th reunions.
“So much more can be done with the 50th reunions,” Friesen said, “and we discovered that, while it took some work, it was not that difficult to put together. Future reunions can be as successful as ours and even more so.”
After participating in his wife’s successful 50th-year class reunion at Knox College in Illinois in 2024, Friesen recommends starting to plan two years in advance.
“Given the late start for our [Bethel reunion] planning, I think we did quite well,” Friesen said. “I hoped it would establish a model for future 50th reunions, and I believe it did.”
Ortman, speaking directly to future Golden Threshers, said, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to outdo the Class of ’75. Good luck.”
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is ranked #25 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional College Midwest for 2026. Bethel was the only Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Community Healing and Transformation (TCHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu
Photo by David E. Ortman; logo design by Glen Ediger
