UMC Honors Four Top "Aggies" for 1999

UMC Honors Four Top "Aggies" at Annual Alumni Reunion

Four alumni were honored at the annual Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) Alumni held recently at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC).

Receiving the Top Aggie Awards were: Evelyn Bierbaum Peterson ’29 of Villa Park IL, John Drees ’64 of Grand Forks ND, Hazel Stephenson Halverson ’29 of Roseau MN, and Forrest Mykleby ’44 of Cedar Rapids IA.

Evelyn Bierbaum Peterson was both a student (as Evelyn Bierbaum) and a faculty member from 1953 to 1959 (as Evelyn Peterson). Throughout her life her standard of excellence has been her training at the Northwest School of Agriculture. It has been her foundation throughout her interesting career.

After graduation she took courses at the University of Minnesota, and became a 4-H Club Agent in East Ottertail, Becker, East Polk, Nicolett, Scott, Wabasha and West Polk Counties as well as a County and State Fair Judge in foods and clothing. She was a WPA Farm Housing Survey Director, and a county National Youth Administration Recreational director.

Bierbaum hosted a 4-H radio program in Moorhead and worked as a social worker. She was executive secretary of the Marshall County Welfare Board. She served her community as PTA President and her church as deacon, member of the Board of Education and Ladies Aid president. In later years she retired to the Texan Mobile Park in McAllen TX where her leadership continued for 19 years in organizing activities and programs.

While at the NWSA John Drees played basketball and enjoyed being in crop judging. Following graduation he served in the Army Reserves. He farmed in Grand Forks County from 1969 to 1998, growing 3,500 acres of potatoes, beets, grain and beans. At present he works for one of his brothers part-time in his construction business.

Drees is very committed to serving on non-profit boards, including the ARC and LISTEN Boards, ND Water Systems Association (chairperson), Thompson Rural Fire Department, Grand Forks Traill Water Board (chairperson), Grand Forks Planning and Zoning Commission, and Grand Forks Township (chairperson). He is a member of the Sharon Lutheran Church in Grand Forks and has been a Foster Parent for Grand Forks County for over 20 years, caring for 28 children over that time.

Drees and his wife Vivian have seven children, six were adopted and some are special needs children, ranging in age from 14 to 32 years. They have seven grandchildren.

For over 58 years Hazel Stephenson Halverson has been the organist at Messiah Lutheran Church in Roseau. Her love for music flourished while she was a student at the NWSA where she was active in music and drama. She recalls the excellent training she had both in piano and theater. After graduating, she attended Concordia College in Moorhead, where she continued with another very good piano teacher.

In 1934 she married Ruben Halverson and moved to Roseau where he was principal for the high school. She bought a piano and started giving piano lessens. Soon after they moved to Roseau, she became organist at Messiah Lutheran Church. Over the years she has had over 400 piano students. She is active in the Roseau Senior Center and Roseau Arts Association. In June of 1996 she was inducted into the Roseau Community School Hall of Fame.

After graduation from the NWSA Forrest Mykleby enrolled at the University of Minnesota. After six months, he was called in the last draft of World War II. He served 13 months in the Army Quartermasters. He returned to the U of M and graduated in 1950 with a degree in Agricultural Business Administration.

He joined Wilson Foods in Albert Lea and over the next several years, received promotions to Omaha NE, Chicago IL, Cedar Rapids IA. He was general manager of that plant and when the plant was sold, he joined the new owner as the senior vice president and chief operating officer. In 1987 he retired but continued to do some sales consulting for several years.