Union-Bulletin

Sabine Funke Simon and husband Udo are anticipating a great visit in Walla Walla for Sabine's 50th high school reunion, Udo e-mailed from Germany.

Sabine finished her Walla Walla High School examination after being a year-long exchange student from Germany in 1959-1960.

"To my knowledge she was the first exchange student coming from Europe to Walla Walla after World War II," he said.

Sabine will converge with classmates Sept. 24-26, including the Sept. 25 dinner at the Walla Walla Country Club.

Her stay in Walla Walla strongly determined her later life, Udo said. The contacts with her host family developed to be like the strong relations found in family situations, "thus later we just said 'Mom' and 'Dad' to her American 'parents.' Sabine's folks died before she reached her 25th birthday.

Sabine, Udo and their son have been often to see their American family, which is now distributed mainly in the West part of the United States, "and their children and grandchildren have come to see us in Berlin from time to time," Udo said.

"My wife's American mother (Margaret Franzen) is now 98, mentally strong, living at Seattle near to her eldest daughter. And, you won't believe it, her airmail greetings (for) my wife's birthday and our wedding day come in time, still every year. My wife's American dad (Edwin Franzen) died a few years ago, only a few years before reaching 100. He was famous for building some of the great dams in North and South America."

Sabine was an English teacher at a German gymnasium. Udo was a professor of mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin where he still maintains an office for research. He also initiated cooperation agreements in science and for student's exchange and is a consultant for that.

The Wa-Hi reunion is being coordinated by Linda Huber at lindajhuber@charter.net.

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People in the holiday spirit braved the heat for a little summertime Christmas giving, said Kevin Krueger, general manager of Positive Life Radio. The station held its annual Christmas in July Food Drive and this year listeners donated approximately 18,500 pounds of food, toiletries and miscellaneous items to help stock regional food banks.

"Christmas in July never disappoints me," said Rebecca Hanan, announcer and office assistant at Positive Life Radio.

"I love standing by the doors of a grocery store and handing out lists of needed items. You see people pick up a list on their way in. Then, a short time later, they come out and drop off exactly what is needed."

In the Walla Walla Valley, the food drive collected 1,448 pounds, which was given to Blue Mountain Action Council for distribution.

Totals elsewhere in the listening area: Lewiston-Clarkston, 3,000 pounds; Spokane, 3,470 pounds ; Tri-Cities, 4,068 pounds ; Wenatchee, 4,596 pounds ; Yakima, 1,900 pounds.

Annie Charnley Eveland can be reached at annieeveland@wwub.com or afternoons at 526-8313.