In Memoriam

Fall 2017

  • Ann Brookes Kurz ’55, Cary, N.C., June 30, 2017. After earning her degree in elementary education at Grinnell, Ann taught second and third grades until she married James E. Kurz in 1963. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher. She was active in her church and the philanthropic organization PEO in both St. Louis and Cary. She is survived by her husband, four children, and five grandchildren.

  • Elizabeth Louise Miller Love ’55, Overland Park, Kan., April 18, 2017. After Grinnell, Lou married James Love, raised three children, and enjoyed a career as a home interiors consultant. She is survived by her children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

  • Judy Conrad-Byrne ’57, Portland, Maine, March 28, 2017. Judy was a loving mother and grandmother and was renowned for her generosity and open-heartedness. She is survived by her three children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. 

  • Richard D. Kohn ’57, Chicago, March 12, 2017.

  • Charles J. Horky Jr. ’58, Palm Desert, Calif., July 15, 2016.

  • Nancy Jo Freeman Wickens ’58, Charlotte, Mich., May 30, 2017. Nancy married Ronald Charles Wickens in 1955, and together they raised three children. Nancy was an accomplished pianist, loved horses and dogs, and made friends wherever she went. She is survived by two of her children, five grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

  • Steven Bauserman ’59, Bee Cave, Texas, May 3, 2017. At Grinnell, Steve studied French and captained the football team. He earned a medical degree from the University of Iowa and practiced family medicine in Agency, Iowa, as the town’s only doctor. He returned to the University of Iowa to specialize in pathology. While fulfilling his active duty Army commitment, he earned a further specialization as a neuropathologist. Steve practiced medicine in Hawaii, Michigan, and Texas before retiring in 2013. He is survived by his companion Martha McBride, three children, four stepchildren, and 18 grandchildren.

  • Benjamin R. Barber ’60, New York City, April 24, 2017. During his time at Grinnell, Benjamin was a “political whirlwind back in the days before Grinnell really came alive on that front,” according to Ronald Goodenow ’63. After graduation, Benjamin went to Harvard, where he earned a master’s (1963) and a doctorate (1966) in government. He taught political science for many years at Rutgers University before joining the University of Maryland in 2001. Benjamin also served at a variety of public-policy organizations, including the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society of the Graduate Center of City University of New York. The author of 17 books, Benjamin’s Jihad vs. McWorld, published in 1995, was a prescient analysis of the forces that led to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Benjamin was awarded an honorary doctorate of law degree from Grinnell in 1985. Survivors include his wife Leah Kreutzer Barber, three children, six grandchildren, and his brother Wilson Barber ’59.

  • C. Lynne Autman Erbach ’61, Wilmington, Del., Jan. 13, 2017. A speech major at Grinnell, Lynne’s interest in theatre was sparked by acting in the Grinnell College Players’ production of Miss Julie. After Grinnell, she earned a master’s in theatre from the University of Indiana. She had an active career in theatre, serving with the USO in Europe and as the executive director of The Children’s Theater of Baltimore. She also worked extensively in talent management at WNET-TV in New York City. From 2009–13, she volunteered for Grinnell’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service. She is survived by her husband Paul Erbach.

  • William B. Hendrey ’61, Tampa, Fla., May 22, 2017. William is survived by two daughters and a granddaughter.