“MEI Class of ’75, 50th Grad Reunion: My Story, My Song”
Submitted by Dorothy (Doerksen) Peters
The MEI grad class of 1975 gathered for a 50th reunion on June 22, 2025 at Heronsbridge, the home of Sylvia (Warkentin) and Bruce Friesen. The leadership group – Kathy (Airth) Bergen, Doug Harder, Dan Hiebert, Val (Warkentin) Pankratz, Marcus Unger, Ken Wiebe, and Harv Wiens – chose the theme “My Story, My Song” and met for months, praying that hearts would be open, for unity, and for renewal of lost friendships. Ahead of the reunion, grads were invited to write up their life stories. These were sent around by Ken, who diligently kept up warm communication with us all. In the weeks before, each of the leadership group prayed daily for those who would be attending.
During our student days at MEI, we had all breathed the same air on the same piece of earth. Now, 50 years later, for a few hours on a glorious Sunday afternoon, we did the same, sharing a meal and memories, listening to music and singing together, and looking forward to the future.
As we conversed, we learned more about our individual journeys. Although we had been taught by the same teachers, gone on the same field trips (notably the Biology Tofino trip with Mr. Ratzlaff), experienced shared sorrow (death of our much-loved teacher, Mr. Letkeman), sang together in Concert Choir, played on or cheered for MEI sports teams (or participated in the same pranks!), our individual experiences were often dramatically different.
For example, spiritually, some of us encountered Jesus in a profound, relational way at MEI – in response to chapels and the singing of “Jesus people” songs. However, others experienced and still carry wounds. Some enjoyed close friendship groups, while others felt alone. Ahead of the reunion, some wondered whether to send their life stories, because their relationship to faith was much altered and their story did not seem to “fit” a narrative of a trajectory of deepening faith experienced by others.
As we were graduating in 1975, just starting out on our adult lives, we had hopes and dreams. As the stories started coming in from our classmates, we read of dreams fulfilled: travels around the world, happy and long-lasting marriages, close relationships with children and grandchildren, successful business ventures and academic pursuits, fruitful and rewarding work and ministry, and the strengthening of faith.
But there were other stories. 50 years ago, none of us had signed up for tragedy and loss. We did not hope for business failures, for an amputation or cancer or a too-soon passing. We did not dream of estrangement in our relationships, the end of a marriage, the death of spouse, child, grandchild.
Yet, these happened to us, too, and we shared these hard stories, in writing and at the reunion. As one classmate expressed, “The difficult parts of life are the stories we don’t like to share, but this is the part that makes us ‘real’.”
| “The difficult parts of life are the stories we don’t like to share, but this is the part that makes us ‘real’.” Sylvia (Warkentin) Friesen |
In our communal sharing, Doug Harder spoke movingly of a transformative moment when he encountered people in India asking him questions about Jesus:
| “At MEI I was not the best in athletics or academics or music. In fact, at most anything I did, there were always people who could do it much better than I. What did I have to offer the world? But suddenly there I was, in that moment … and there was only me.” (Doug Harder) |
There were words about our next season of becoming seniors, that journey toward becoming elders. A season of surrendering to our work as we had known it and moving into other kinds of meaningful experience. A season of being intentional about our life as legacy and of loving others, whether frail elder-parents, children and grandchildren, that person next door or around the world.
One moment perhaps best expressed our identity as the Grad Class of 1975, the singing of the grace before the meal, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Individual voices – each one quite different, but each listening to the other – lifted up and together offering up a song of gratitude in four-part harmony, and concluding with a slow, lingering “Amen.” Let it be so.
At our 50th reunion, we were together for a few hours, once again breathing the same air on the same piece of earth. Thank you to each classmate for coming. Thank you to the leadership group for your heart and prayers that created such a hospitable space for a healing and restorative gathering.
Previously Posted
A 50-year reunion is being planned for June 22, 2025. Please contact Ken Wiebe for more information: Phone 778-808-9911 or email info@kenwiebe.com.
Previously Posted
The MEI Schools Class of 1975 had their 42-year grad reunion on Saturday, June 17th, 2017 at the home of classmate Sylvia (Warkentin) & Bruce Friesen. Interact with the photos on Facebook.
MEI Class of ’75 Reunion
Submitted by Dorothy (Doerksen) Peters
July 5, 2017
This year we turned 60, the MEI class of 1975. On June 17, we gathered to celebrate at the home of gradmate Sylvia (Warkentin) and Bruce Friesen. There was a photo booth with silly hats. A wealth of door prizes from generous donors. A banquet. Memories of pranks and funny stories about teachers. Songs of worship and poetry about potatoes. A slideshow of images through the decades, interwoven with music and film clips (Thank you, Ken Bartsch!) But something significant underlying the visible successes of the day had already been present in the hopes and prayers of the five who planned it: Sandra (Neufeld) Frazier, Marcus Unger, Sheryl (Dyck) van Ardenne, Ken Wiebe, and Harv Wiens. They had learned that some classmates had left MEI in pain, so they determined that every person would be loved and accepted just as they were. They hoped that broken relationships would be restored as we re-connected and re-bonded.
Warm and welcoming e-mails were sent and the whereabouts of each ’mate persistently pursued until all were found and invited. Old photos were posted onto a Facebook group. Both excitement and anxiety surfaced early in these online conversations! On Reunion Day, we each had three minutes to tell of our journey. Even those more reluctant to speak were drawn out gently by story-host Ken Wiebe and they shared with vulnerability and courage. Faith and vocation, marriage and children, identity and journey, sometimes lost and sometimes found, but in new and different ways. Every story different but all connected to the formational “DNA-of-being” from our shared life at MEI.
Ernie Klassen reminisced afterward: “I am so glad that the angst and anxiety to which many alluded was unjustified … It felt like we could have created world peace with all the wisdom and strength of spirit that filled the day. So amazed at the strength that people spoke about after tragedies in their lives. So great to hear the positive and happy experiences of life as well.”
The Reunion was a masterwork. This ’mate, for one, is forever grateful for the gift of a communal legacy to cherish and share.
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