4119 N. Oxford St Shoreview, MN 55126 us
Ramsey class of 1979
Hello Alexander Ramsey Class of 1979
Sunday June 1. 2025
🌞 Hello June! 🌞
We hope everyone had a fun, relaxing, and memorable May! As we dive into the sunshine and energy of June, we’re happy to welcome you back to the Alexander Ramsey Class of 1979 website — your hub for memories, updates, and upcoming fun.
While there are currently no scheduled activities for this month, don’t worry — the Reunion Committee is already cooking up plans for a fun event in July that we think you’ll really enjoy! Stay tuned and keep checking back for more details as they unfold.
In the meantime, we’ve made fresh updates to several pages across the site, so now’s a great time to take a look around. Whether you’re revisiting photos, reading up on reunion news, or just taking a nostalgic stroll, there’s always something new to explore and enjoy. You never know what might spark a memory or a smile!
We want to sincerely thank all of you who continue to participate and support our class community. Your involvement helps keep the spirit of Ramsey '79 alive and thriving. That said, we’d love to see even more classmates join in — whether it’s sharing a memory, attending an event, or simply keeping in touch, every little bit helps build the bond that makes our class so special.
Here’s to a joyful, healthy, and sunshine-filled June! ☀️
~ Your Ramsey Class of '79 Reunion Committee
Attention Rams......
Help Make the Ramsey Class of ’79 Website Even Better!
Dear Ramsey Class of 1979,
Well, it's that time again. We've made some updates to our class website—be sure to check them out! Pay special attention to the Missing Classmates, Birthday, and Events and the Memorial pages for the latest information.
I want to personally invite each of you to contribute in any way you can to our class website. Whether it’s sharing photos, personal stories, event updates, or just fun memories from our school days, your input will help make the site more engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable for all of us. This is more than just a webpage—it’s a living space where we can stay connected, reminisce, and celebrate the friendships that have lasted over the years.
While I truly enjoy maintaining the site, I realize that it’s not just my project—it belongs to all of us. The best way to keep it fresh and exciting is by having a variety of voices, stories, and ideas from our amazing classmates. Your memories and perspectives are what make our class special, and they deserve to be shared!
So please, if you have a funny story, an old class photo, an update on your life, or even ideas for new features, send them in! This site is a reflection of our incredible class, and the more we all take part, the better it becomes. I can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
We truly appreciate your continued visits to our site, as well as your engagement on our Facebook and LinkedIn class pages. Your participation helps keep our class community connected and thriving!
Stay tuned for more updates, and let’s keep the spirit of ’79 alive! So from Mary Koppy Nicklay, Sheila Johnson Youngquist, Mary Falkowski Conway, Bob Kaye, Don Sazma, Chuck Bufton, Lori-Anne William, Dianne Wilson Carlson, (keeping behind the screen Nancy Olsen Reed) and myself, stay in touch, and have a great day, Rams.
If you’d like to contribute, join or contact the reunion committee feel free to text Randy Reed at 651-238-6785 or at email Randsr16@comcast.net
Goals for the website.......
Looking Ahead: Our Goals for the Future
As we continue building momentum and excitement within the Alexander Ramsey Class of 1979 community, the Reunion Committee is proud to share a list of some of our short-term and long-term goals — all designed to keep us connected, informed, and ready for an unforgettable 50th Reunion in 2029!
Short-Term Goals (Next Few Months):
- Continue updating and enhancing the class website with photos, news, and event info
- Collect and post more past reunion photos (especially from the 5th through 25th reunions)
- Reach out and reconnect with classmates still on the “Missing Alumni” list
- Organize at least one fun monthly gathering in 2025
- Recognize and document past reunion committee members and their contributions
Long-Term Goals (Next Few Years):
- Grow class engagement through more frequent updates, activities, and communications
- Continue building our class archive with stories, memorabilia, and photos
- Expand our fundraising efforts to support future reunion events
- Strengthen and grow participation in planning for the 50th Reunion
- Celebrate our shared journey with the biggest and best reunion yet in 2029!
Every bit of support and participation helps us move closer to these goals, and we’re excited about what’s ahead. Thank you for being a part of the journey — the best is still to come!
Did You Know?.........
Kent "Bo" Smith and Marsha Landgraf Smith
Sometimes it’s not only high school students meet their future spouses in High School, Kent Smith and Marsha Langraf did as well.
Mr. Smith is from Mankato, and graduated from High school in 1958 where he was a three sport athlete participating in Cross Country, Basketball and Track & Field. When asked about his favorite high school memory, he said there are too many to rank. He enjoyed hanging out with his chums at Wally’s Wagon Wheel restaurant. Attending his first Drake Relays as a spectator, playing in the state basketball tournament, and painting the Mankato Water tower on his graduation night.
While in High School he was a member of the national honor society, student council. He was a Captain of his Cross Country team, and qualified for three state championship meets. In Basketball, Bo was a stand out and his team took 4th place in the state tournament. He was also a Track and Field Captain and qualified for two state Championship meets. He then attended and ran track at Mankato State College.
He started at Alexander Ramsey in the fall of 1966 as an English teacher, track and field and cross country coach. Bo was an assistant coach on the 1968 Boys State Champions for Cross Country. Bo started the girls cross country program here at Ramsey and coached that team from 1979-2001. In that time they won six conference championships, 13 section championships and one individual state champion.
Miss Langraf was from the St. Louis area and moved to Minnesota to attend school at St. Olaf College. She began teaching in the Drama & Speech Department in the fall of 1971. Shortly after beginning her career at Ramsey she started teaching “The Art of Film” class, which was wildly popular with all the students. Each class culminated with a student created film.
Mr. Smith and Miss Langraf married in 1985. During her time at Ramsey Marsha directed numerous plays with her fellow teacher and good friend Dann Peterson.
Sadly, Marsha died in 2014 at the age of 65. Kent still lives in his and Marsha’s home in St. Paul.
Until 2022, Kent continued to coach (girls track & field) at Roseville Area High School.
Looking for all former reunion committee Members!
Thank You to Our Ramsey Alumni!
The Ramsey Reunion Committee would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all classmates who have taken the time to share names and the years they or others served on past reunion committees. Your input has helped us create a strong and growing list of those who have played an important role in keeping our class connected through the years.
While the list is coming together nicely, we know we’re still missing many names — especially from the earlier reunion groups. If you were involved or know someone who was, please reach out and let us know. Every name matters, and we want to ensure everyone’s efforts are acknowledged and remembered.
We are also looking for any photos from those early reunions to include on our class website. If you have any pictures from the 5th, 10th, 15th, or 20th reunions (or any behind-the-scenes committee snapshots), we would love to add them to our growing archive.
Thank you again for all your help and continued support. Your participation makes this website more meaningful and enjoyable for everyone in the Alexander Ramsey Class of 1979!
Committee Members 1984 05 year
Committee Members 1989 10 years
Committee Members 1994 15 years
Dianne Wilson Carlson
Committee Members 1999 20 years
Margo Denman Martin
Becky Street
Lori Rajacich Purdham
Kathleen McGough Patri
Laurie Boche
Barb Thompson KirkPatrick
Mary Jean McGough Sargent
Shelley Boege Koren
Lori Anne Williams
Jacque Beavens
Committee Members 2004 25 years
Shelly Boege Koren
Margo Denman Martin
Lori Rajacich Purdham
Kathleen McGough Patri
Mary Jean McGough Sargent
Kim Nelson Beecham
Laurie Boche
Rick Feidt
Committee Members 2009 30 years
Jeff Lutz
Mary Falkowski Conway
Julie Kruse Ledvina
Nancy Schmedeke Petrun
Sheila Johnson Youngquist
Mary Koppy Nicklay
Larry Meissner
Paula McCarthy Aherns
Rhonda Battisto
Kathleen McGough Patri
Becky Street
Rick Feidt
Dianee Wilson Carlson
Committee Members 2014 35 years
Jeff Lutz
Mary Falkowski Conway
Julie Kruse
Nancy Schmedeke Petrun
Sheila Johnson Youngquist
Mary Koppy Nicklay
Randy Reed
Committee Members 2019 40 years
Mary Koppy Nicklay
Sheila Johnson Youngquist
Mary Falkowski Conway
Julie Kruse
Nancy Schmedeke
Bob Kaye
Randy Reed
Nancy Olsen Reed
Committee Members 2024 45 years
Sheila Johnson Youngquist
Mary Koppy Nicklay
Mary Falkowski Conway
Bob Kaye
Chuck Bufton
Don Sazma
Randy Reed
Nancy Olsen Reed (behind the scene)
Committee Members 2029 50 years
Mary Koppy Nicklay
Sheila Johnson Youngquist
Mary Falkowski Conway
Bob Kaye
Chuck Bufton
Don Sazma
Diane Wilson Carlson
Randy Reed
Nancy OLsen Reed (behind the scene)
