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Fall 2017
Bend College of Commerce
in 1934. She married her high
school sweetheart, the late Dar
Wiekamp, in 1936.
Dot was a lifelong member
of First United Methodist
Church of Mishawaka. She
was preceded in death by her
husband in 2008, and by her
daughter Mary Lou Schwartz in
2002. Dot leaves behind a son-
in-law, Dennis Schwartz (Ginette
Poirier) of Florida; a grandson,
Jim (Julie) Schwartz of Granger
and two great-grandchildren.
7
GRADUATION
2017
Party At the Ponds
1
Bethel welcomed the Class of 2017 into the Alumni Association
with a cookout around the ponds, complete with a DJ, s’mores,
photo booth, ice cream bar and singing of the alma mater. The
event was sponsored by Brotherhood Mutual.
1967 Graduates Return to Campus
2
The Class of 1967 gathered for a reunion and led the
procession for Bethel’s 70th Commencement Exercises.
Commencement Speakers
3
Speakers included (pictured, left to right): award-winning
editorial cartoonist Gary Varvel, alumna Virginia (Schultz)
Krake ’49 (wife of Bethel’s first graduate, Marcus Krake ’48) and
entrepreneur Don Clark, who received an honorary degree.
1
3
2
served in various capacities as
Sunday school superintendent,
trustee, board member,
youth director and deacon in
congregations in various cities
where the family lived over the
years (Potsdam, Piqua, Dayton
and Strongsville in Ohio and
Bethel and Liberty in Indiana).
Rev. Ralph Edward Strome,
attended ’52-’57
, age 83, of
Goshen, formerly of Troy, Ohio,
died Aug. 8, 2017, at Courtyard
Healthcare of Goshen, Ind.
He was married to Mary E.
(Journey) Strome. Surviving are
his wife; son, Michael A. Strome,
Goshen; daughter, Roxanne
E. (Fay) Rush, Swanton, Ohio;
grandchildren, Matthew Eric
Jones, Goshen; and Brittney
A. Jones, Swanton, Ohio;
great-granddaughter, Annabele
O’Neil, Swanton, Ohio, and a
brother, Russell H. Strome, Fort
Wayne.
Rev. Strome retired from the
Missionary church in 1996,
after almost 40 years, and
was a member of the Liberty
Community Church. He
attended Bethel College from
1952-1957; and was a graduate
of Ohio State with a degree in
accounting.
7
Dorothy “Dot” Wiekamp,
age 103,
passed away, May
31, 2017. Dot Stone was born
on Mishawaka’s East Third
Street, and lived in Mishawaka,
within a mile of her birthplace,
all of her 103 years of life. She
graduated from Mishawaka
High School in 1931 and
received a degree from South
Dot and Dar supported the
building of several businesses
including Owners Discount,
Cast Products and Valley
American Bank. They
found great joy in working
closely together to support
community development
and educational causes, while
volunteering their time and
talents as well as financial
support. The Wiekamp Athletic
Center at Bethel College is
named for Dot and Dar, making
the college one out of many
individuals and organizations
who have benefitted from the
couple’s sincere caring spirit.
Bethel celebrated its 70th
Commencement on
April 29, 2017.