The Thorp Courier

Thorp High School Alumni Letter

October 18, 2006

 

Greetings to Thorp Alumni

Each year the Thorp Alumni Association (TAA) presents scholarships to graduating Thorp High School seniors who plan to go on to college or otherwise further their education. In May of 2007, the TAA will award five $500 scholarships to THS seniors.

In addition, there are families, individuals, and organizations that support graduating THS seniors with scholarships of varying amounts. Nancy (Lindquist) Teclaw ’55, at the 2006 All-Alumni Reunion, told of the Lindquist family and how Thorp High School graduates will benefit from their legacy.

The Lindquist Legacy in Thorp

Before the turn of the twentieth century, my grandfather, Eph Lindquist, came to the United States from Sweden with a couple of his friends. They came to Door County and eventually to Thorp, where they took a job working for August Soderberg. About the same time, my great-grandmother, Ingrid Marie Kronberg, lost her husband in Sweden and, because there wasn’t any future for her there, immigrated to the United States and came to Thorp to be close to her brother, August Soderberg. She came with three of her children, Liza Katrina, Charlie, and Pete. Her two other boys had come before her, John and Mike.

As fate would have it, Liza and Eph Lindquist fell in love, were married, and homesteaded just north of Thorp. Together they had twelve children. I remember growing up and listening to the stories my uncles and my dad told about life during their youth. My dad was probably one of the best storytellers I have ever heard.

Life during that time was difficult, with Eph farming in the summer and logging in the winter. But the one thing that was always a given was no matter what, education was the most important aspect to cherish, and this was instilled in all their children. This legacy is evident when you look at the display of classes dating back to the early nineteen hundreds (the class pictures are displayed each year at the All-Thorp Reunion). There are eleven Lindquists there, with one missing, Donald, who died when he was 12 years old. Each of those graduates was the top in their class, achieving the distinction of valedictorian or salutatorian. Starting with the oldest, Jennie and Ella were from the class of 1909, (Jennie was the oldest but because of polio when she was young, was crippled and waited to attend school with her younger sister, Ella.) Minnie (Johnson) graduated in the class of 1911, Esther in 1913, Lawrence in 1914, Charlie in 1917, Ruth in 1919, Russell in 1922, Kenneth in 1923, Durward in 1929, and Lorraine in 1933. Every one of these graduates continued on to higher education; some were teachers, a few were in business, and three, including my father Kenneth, were civil engineers.

This past year, the youngest of this generation passed away. Lorraine was ever conscious of this strong sense of education and what it had meant to her siblings. In keeping with this legacy that was passed to her, Lorraine saw fit to establish the Lindquist Memorial Scholarship Fund, and to assure that other students would have the opportunity to continue their education; she endowed the fund with $66,000 to continue for the next 25 years. This past year four Thorp High School graduates received $1,000 each to further their education. These young people will benefit from the legacy left by the Lindquist Family, instilled by my grandparents many years ago.

By – Nancy Lindquist Teclaw ‘55

Plans Underway for 2007 All-Thorp Alumni Reunion

Annually, the All-Thorp Reunion is held on the weekend closest to July 4th. In 2007, July 4th is on Wednesday, there-fore the 2007 All-Thorp Alumni Reunion celebration will take place Friday through Sunday, July 6, 7, and 8.

  • Fri.: 2:00-9:00 p.m. Memorabilia and Art Display
  • Sat.: Starting at 9:00 a.m., Memorabilia and Art Display; 4:00-5:00 p.m., Social Hour; 5:00-6:00 p.m., Alumni Dinner; 6:00-7:00 p.m., Alumni Program
  • Sun.: 1:30-2:30 p.m., Annual Meeting

All events will be held in the multi-purpose room at the high school.
 

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