Alumni Profiles
Alum marks 100th birthday
Friends remember "Sparky"
Historical romance set to "Amazing Grace"
Dativus celebrates 35 years of brotherhood and service
Alum marks 100th birthday
In 1923, Geraldine Ceivilla Zehendner received her diploma from Anderson Bible Training School. She was just 18 years old. On Aug. 2, 2006, she celebrated her 100th birthday, placing her in the position of being one of the oldest alumni of Anderson University.
When a very young Geraldine arrived at Old Main on the Anderson campus, she had in her possession three outfits and a $25 hat. Very soon she attracted the attention of night watchman and student William V. Ramey. Their courtship was strictly chaperoned; one of the dining hall cooks oversaw all of their dates. Fortunately for the young couple, the cook did not sit between them like some chaperones. Geraldine and William were later married.
Geraldine was ordained as a Church of God minister in 1924, and she began her long service as minister with her husband until her retirement in August 1974. Together, they ministered to 11 congregations in Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland. William died in 1971, but Geraldine stayed on at their last pastorate in Kenton, Ohio, until she retired.
Geraldine is now confined to a nursing facility in Delaware, Ohio, where her many friends and family came to honor her on her birthday. Of her four children, only a daughter, Datha Myers, survives. She has 16 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren. However, her heritage includes a great many people, spanning several generations, who have come to Christ through the Rameys’ ministry.
—Submitted by Lynn E. Ramey, Geraldine’s nephew
Friends remember "Sparky"
By Emily Race
In his newest book, They Called Him Sparky, David Liverett BA ’68 gives his readers a fresh look at cartoonist Charles “Sparky” Schulz. Liverett elicited reminiscent essays from friends and family regarding Sparky’s early life and his association with Anderson University. The book opens with Robert Reardon’s memories of Sparky and concludes with those of former Warner Press editor Kenneth Hall, who worked with Sparky on two-by-fours. The middle is a delightful stream of fond memories, remembered jokes, and acts of kindness.
Many remembered the part Sparky played in dedicating the Ellnora Decker Krannert Fine Arts Center, and everyone remembered his gentle spirit and humor. There are many accounts of theological discussions Sparky held with his pastors and friends, as well as favors he happily performed for friends and for complete strangers, such as drawing pictures of Snoopy for them. Other highlights in the book include letters that Sparky wrote Fred and Doris Shackleton and his cartoons from Youth magazine and two-by-fours.
In his introduction, Liverett writes, “It is my hope that the readers will … catch the spirit of the writers who consider themselves most fortunate to have known their friend, Sparky, and who love to tell their stories of him as they remember him.” Through this book, however, readers do not simply catch the spirit of the writers; they catch a glimpse of the spirit of the man known as Sparky, Charles Schulz.
They Called Him Sparky is available through Chinaberry House at www.2lights.com.
Historical romance set to "Amazing Grace"
By Heather Lowhorn
Amazing Grace” is one of the most well-known and beloved hymns of all times. But few people know the story behind the song — the story of John Newton’s redemption and of the woman who continued to love him when all others had given up hope.
In The Longing Season, the second installment in the Music of the Heart series, author Christine Schaub BA ’87 has delivered a well-researched and beautifully written historical romance based on the life of Newton, the man who wrote what has been called America’s favorite hymn.
During the mid 1700s Newton was a man who had no use for religion, and he certainly wasn’t interested in submitting to an unseen God. In fact, he lived primarily for himself. Originally pressed into service in the Royal Navy, he eventually became a slave trader whose most important goal was serving his own needs. He spent his energy on his physical passions and the business of buying and selling humans. Yet, from time to time his thoughts would go back to his deceased mother. Sometimes he could still hear her voice teaching him of God. Despite these remembrances, he sank deeper and deeper into the selfish life from which he feared there was no returning.
Back in England, a young woman named Mary Catlett waited for word of the long-missing sailor she had known in her youth. Urged by others to give up hope that he would ever return, Mary must choose between a handsome naval captain and an absent Newton. If she chooses to wait for Newton, the possibility is great that he has perished at sea and that she will live out her life alone.
Schaub has taken what could have been a dry, biographical story and woven a touching story with honest, human characters struggling with some of the deepest issues of life. She deftly conveys Newton’s struggle with faith and ultimate conversion with a gentle hand. There is no preaching or overbearing attempt to hammer religion into the reader’s experience of the story. The Longing Season is a moving and engaging tale, and a fascinating look behind the song Christians of all denominations have embraced as their own.
Dativus celebrates 35 years of brotherhood and service
By Cara Miller
This was a special year for Dativus alumni, their spouses, and former Dolls, who celebrated the social club’s 35-year anniversary as part of the Homecoming festivities. Returning to their Greek roots — Delta, Kappa, Alpha — Dativus alumni of all ages came together once again in the spirit of “Service, Fellowship, and Integrity.”
Known for their mission to serve, Dativus alumni and current club members kicked off the reunion with a service project, working for three days to replace sunken or broken bricks in the walkway between Decker and Fifth Street.
Of course, Dativus is also known for fun and fellowship, and this year was no exception as members spent much of the reunion weekend feasting together, competing in a golf tournament, enjoying the annual “Cheap Thrills” show, and worshipping as a group.
“The worship service is an important tradition and an excellent example of integrity,” says Roger Shoot BA ’74, an organizer for the weekend and a founding Dativus member.
Shoot and Steve Mahuron BA ’74, also a founding Dativus member and president of the Dativus Alumni Association, are among the few people who can recall Dativus’ inception in 1971.
“A bunch of us got together and decided not to join the other clubs,” Mahuron says. “We decided to start our own club, getting a charter, and then asking Mr. Saltzmann to be our adviser.”
The original Dativus club included 23 guys of all interests and backgrounds. Even then, service was an important component of Dativus as club members helped clean up city parks and got up early one morning each week to help feed breakfast to inner-city children at a local church.
“It was very rewarding,” says Mahuron. “I think that made a big difference for the kids. I know it had an impact on us. Thirty-five years later, Dativus members are scattered all over the world, and many of them are involved in some sort of service activity.”
Ted Reese ’80, who rushed Dativus in 1978 and became club president in 1979, recalls the impact Dativus had on him. “As college coeds, we were all pretty occupied with our own little world,” he says. “But being part of a club with an outward-looking perspective and service perspective helped develop a mature attitude about living beyond your own needs.”
It was in the name of service that many of Dativus’ greatest ideas evolved. They pushed a bathtub once from Anderson to Indianapolis as a service project, enlisting pledges and raising money for every mile they went.
Dativus’ major fund-raising project is the famous “Cheap Thrills” comedy show, bringing in audiences from 1,000-1,200 people. The majority of proceeds from each show goes to local charities. The same was true for the “Cheap Thrills” premier in 1971, though the show wasn’t as much of a moneymaker back then. Tickets cost only a quarter. Refreshments were a dime. But the shows, initially produced every month, were always a huge hit on campus.
“The gymnasium held 600 people, and we always had more than 700 people there,” Shoot says. “The fire marshal was very concerned, but the students loved it. You never knew what was going to happen, and we didn’t know either sometimes.”
Professor Paul Saltzmann BS ’57 has sponsored Dativus for its entire existence and continues to take an active interest. “He is an amazing sponsor because he has been so faithful,” says Colin Wiens, an AU senior and the current Dativus club president. “He still comes to every club meeting. He comes to officers’ meetings. Occasionally, he comes to service projects and social events. He even comes to our rush activities. He’s seen every success that Dativus has had and every mistake we’ve made, and as a result, he’s an incredible resource.”
Dativus’ membership has ballooned to nearly 100 students, and the number of Dativus alumni is around 1,000. As a result of this growing network of Dativus alumni, Mahuron, Shoot, and a group of Alumni Association officers, along with the Anderson University Office of Alumni Relations, have been working for three years to build the Dativus Alumni Association. It is a resource that connects alumni with each other and with current Dativus students in need of mentoring or financial assistance.
“I am motivated to take part because Dativus was a big part of my life,” Mahuron says. “I gave to it, and I want to see it grow and succeed. I’m at a different age now, and I feel like I can serve in a different role.”
The alumni association serves, in part, to reconnect Dativus alumni who’ve moved away or lost touch. It provides networking opportunities for alumni and recent graduates looking for job openings. Additionally, members of the association can contribute to a scholarship fund, which goes to a Dativus student in need of financial support.
As a result of the 35-year celebration, more than 150 alumni have joined in the Dativus Alumni Association, and the group is well on its way to reaching the $135,000 goal set to aid current students. It’s another way Dativus alumni throughout the world are continuing in the greater mission of service, fellowship, and integrity
