FarmHouse - University of Nebraska

FARMHOUSE FRATERNITY Nebraska Chapter / University of Nebraska-Lincoln www.nebraskafarmhouse.org Nebraska Chapter of FarmHouse P.O. Box 21881 Lincoln, NE 68542-1881 Address Service Requested FarmHouse Fraternity University of Nebraska-Lincoln f l @FarmHouseUNL Chapter Grand Wayne F. Keim '42 entered Chapter Grand on February 11. Elden Wesely '51 entered Chapter Grand on February 1. Dr. Lowell E. Moser '74 entered Chapter Grand on April 27, 2019, after a battle with cancer. Alumni News Don Reeves '49 is involved in the arboretum project at his retirement center in Oberlin, Ohio. Email: dbreeves@oberlin.net Glenn Marsh '52 writes, "Just happy to still be here after three heart attacks and two strokes in one year." He lives in Albuquerque, N.M. Email: glenn.marsh14@comcast.net Burt Weichenthal '56 lost his wife, Phyllis, to cancer on April 3, 2019. She was almost 81. Burt lives in Granite Bay, Calif. Email: burtweich@icloud.com Paul G. Herman '58 is retired and still doing work in his vineyard. He is active in St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, and American Legion. "I am in good health and have all my original body parts; my dad passed at 105, still on the farm. I'm praying!" Paul lives in Rio Vista, Calif. Email: pgherm@aol.com Ron McKeever '58 and his wife, Dottie, are blessed with two wonderful children, Matthew and Michelle, and two grandchildren. They have traveled a great amount in past years. Ron and Dottie cherish getting together with FarmHouse brothers and their wives. They meet with Mary and George Fritts '58 and Janelle and Larry Wulf '57 three or four times a year. Ron and Dottie live in Norfolk, Neb. Email: rrmckeever@cableone.net Ralph Grotelueschen '60 has been retired for 19 years. He is an elder in his church and plays senior softball. Last year, their team won both the World Championship and the World Series. Ralph lives in East Moline, Ill. Email: grotelueschenralph@gmail.com Stephen R. England '66 lives in Kearney, Neb., and is currently on the Nebraska FarmHouse Alumni Board. Email: sengland@ipexneb.com Stan Ferris '67 retired in 2016 after 46 years of farming. He enjoys spending winters in Texas, traveling, and messing around on the farm. Email: sgferris48@gmail.com J. Michael Adams '68 is retired and enjoys fishing, hunting, and running Snake Falls Ranch in Lincoln. Email: madams@neb.rr.com Dr. Ronald Cheney '83 is on a six-month volunteer trip in Malawi, Africa. As a general surgeon, he helps to train surgeons through a program called Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons. Ronald lives in Carroll, Iowa. Email: swazidoc@msn.com A n innate ability to problem solve, and better yet help others solve their problems, is a unique skill. Casey Karges '82 has this ability and has used it to serve others. He channeled this calling into ministry and now mediation. He began to realize his calling while attending UNL and being a part of FarmHouse. "I knew that I would be active in college. The idea of other young men who were leaders in their schools coming together with a goal of great academics and supporting each other in our leadership roles was appealing," Casey said. Casey believes for someone to choose to live in a fraternity house it means a commitment to work with others who may believe or act differently than they do. This experience laid the groundwork for his future career. "We are different, and yet, if we can work through our conflicts and differences and find ways that all our interests can be met, we can work with almost anyone. To me that is a building block of leadership," he said. His FarmHouse pledge class was full of men from different backgrounds, but Casey saw this as a strength and learned something new from every brother. "I think I learned in FarmHouse to respect and be proud of others' accomplishments," Casey said. "Watching my FarmHouse brothers succeed felt as good as if it was something that I did on my own." Utilizing his experience in FarmHouse, Casey finished his degree to become a pastor and now runs The Mediation Center. A non-profit organization, the Center mediates disagreements in family issues, small claims court issues, neighbor disputes, and legislative committees. The Center has almost 100 active mediators who are professionals from the community— attorneys, counselors, teachers, pastors, construction folks—who go through specialized training and handle nearly 1,000 cases a year. Casey got involved with mediation through his church work. Mediation was growing in Nebraska because of the farm crisis in the late 1980s. The state was looking for a different way to work on conflict. The adversarial process doesn't work very well for people who are going to live beside one another and work together in the same community, so Casey jumped in to help. "Mediation allows for space to see if people can come to an agreed upon solution. If people agree to solutions, the odds of them working it out are a lot better," Casey said. Besides his dedication to finding solutions for others, Casey is extremely proud of his two children, twins Maggie and Michael. Maggie works for Disneyworld in the costume department and is living her dream. Michael is a special needs adult in a wheelchair and sees the world differently. The world sees him differently. "He brings out the best in those around him. He will make you smile," Casey said. Casey makes his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, and still serves at the Cortland United Church on the weekends. He can be reached at ckarges@hotmail.com. ALUMNI UPDATE A FarmHouse Foundation How Casey Karges '82 Utilized His Fraternity Experience to Serve Others

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