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FAMILIAR FACES (4th edition)
Hello DWS Alumni from the 70's and 80's! Welcome to our fourth edition of Familiar Faces. With DWS alumni spanning the globe, we thought it would be fun for you to see what everyone is up to and to have the opportunity to re-connect with your DWS community.
*Note: class years listed are for graduation of the 8th grade and the names following the year are the class teacher at the time of graduation.
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Beth Krause
Class of '74 and '79 | Theo Buergin with Carol Fulmer (grades 6-8)
The Detroit Waldorf School holds a special place in my life. Not only was I in the first eighth grade graduating class but also in the first high school graduating class. I returned to the school in my early 20s as a teacher in early childhood. Over my 25 years as a teacher at DWS, I taught Kindergarten, 2 years as a class teacher, handwork and art. Detroit Waldorf is my home where my roots run deep.
In third grade, Waldorf students learn about farming and gardening. As we were a very new school in 1969, My third grade class planted trees and lilac bushes on our campus. One of the trees we planted was the willow. Now, over 50 years later, the willow is still there. This special tree has grown with the school and is given joy to generations of students.
After 40 years of teaching in Waldorf schools, I have now retired. I live in a small town in northern Idaho surrounded by the Rockies and on the shore of the largest lake in Idaho. I fill my days doing what I love. Road tripping, hiking, walking my dog, photography and making Waldorf dolls, toys, and knits to sell. I am finally able to to use my degree in fiber arts to full advantage. Many of my former students have my creations in their home for their children. A continuous thread of love.
I am so blessed to have the continuity of our extended Waldorf family still with me today. If you ever want to experience the beauty of North Idaho my door is always open.
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Carol Fulmer
Class Teacher | 1978-1986
I enrolled my two children in 1967 in the kindergarten and first grade classes and then thought, “I should know more about this education” and so enrolled myself in the Waldorf Teacher Training Program connected with Mercy College. After three years of part-time study including a practicum with Theo Buergin, the founding teacher, I became his assistant class teacher through grades 6-8. Altogether I taught three other class groups, 1-6, 4-8, 7-8 over a period of 18 years.
After leaving the classroom I directed teacher preparation programs in Detroit/Ann Arbor and Sedona, Arizona. My career then took me to working for the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America coordinating the schools in the Central Region of the U.S. In 1996 AWSNA approached me to develop an accreditation process to serve Waldorf schools. A process and materials were created and co-accreditation programs were established with 17 other state and regional accrediting organizations. I coordinated the program for AWSNA until 2010 when I retired but continued to mentor and do teacher evaluations until age 75.
Although I hold degrees from the University of Michigan, Mercy College, and Oakland University, I really received my education through preparation of lessons for the children and am grateful to have spent years in a very rewarding career.
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Karen Gray (Moore)
8th grade Class of 1980-81 | Paul Gierlach
Since DWS, I graduated from Lutheran High School West, attended and graduated from Concordia University and the University of Phoenix with a degree in psychology. After studying elementary education at Concordia University I discovered my passion for the medical field. This passion lead to my enlisting in the United States Army.
After completing basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey, I began my
Advanced Individual Training at Brooke Army Medical Center located at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. During my training at Fort Sam Houston I was taught the fundamentals of nursing, and nursing care. I completed first aid courses, emergency nursing procedures and an internship in emergency room nursing procedures. I've served in the US Army as a combat medic, touring in New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, Germany, Tennessee, and Kansas. In 1989, I was assigned to the 514th Medical Company (FORSCOM) FC at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. During my assignment, I was mobilized to Fort Lewis Washington for deployment during Desert Storm.
After serving in the military for two years, my main focus was raising
my three adult sons, whose ages range from 24-31, and are now living in different cities and states. I am looking forward to completing my master's degree in early childhood preferably with the Waldorf curriculum. In my spare time I enjoy watching sporting events: football, basketball, and baseball....and supporting high school students, as I was supported by my DWS teachers.
My experiences as a DWS student were instrumental in my decision to serve in a Medical Unit early in my career. DWS helped me to understand the connection between mind and body, healing and learning, through body movement and music. I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to play the violin and the recorder during my learning experiences at DWS. I hope that I've passed on the lessons of compassion and empathy, learned and taught through DWS to my sons, and other children in my sphere of influence.
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Chenta Laury
Class of 1985-86 | Carol Fulmer
Although I only spent grades 6-8 at DWS, they proved profoundly influential to my life since it was there I met my future husband, Stefan Schaefer. We reconnected in NYC twelve years after our time at DWS, and we just celebrated 25 years of being together this past January. We now live in Maui, Hawai`i, where our two wonderful teenagers attend the Haleakala Waldorf School.
After receiving a Ed.M, and teaching in a NYC public charter school in the early 2000s, my husband and I became founding parents/board members of what has become the Brooklyn Waldorf School. We eventually relocated to Hawai’i, where I am originally from, and where I now work as a visual artist and educator. I’m currently spend most days in my studio, where I’m creating work for a solo show that will open in the Fall of 2023. www.Chentalaury.com
A highlight of my memories of DWS was the wonderful old school building itself, from which I looked out of the windows and saw snow for the first time. I recall sneaking up and down the back stairways that connected the auditorium to the gym during various play rehearsals. I also have many fond memories of my class and our wonderful teacher, Carol Fulmer, whom I was lucky enough to cross paths with in 2011. Having attended three different Waldorf Schools over my K-12 years (Honolulu, Detroit and Sacramento), I truly appreciated how large and vibrant the Black community was at DWS… certainly not the norm for other U.S. Waldorf Schools.
|  | Photo caption: Chenta and Stefan with their children Talei and Cyris | |
Charlotte Gerrits (Jarvis)
Class of 1985-86 | Carol Fulmer
There was a prediction for 12-18 inches of snow a couple of weeks ago in Michigan and as our phones all rang and text messages buzzed with alerts of a snow day called before the first flakes fell. I could not help but reminisce about the “old days” huddled around the kitchen radio listening to WWJ waiting for the most wonderful news. “Detroit Waldorf School”, the joy of a snow day, sleds, snow suits, mittens, “do I really need a hat?” And the joy the next day back at school roaming around the huge playground in the snow with your friends. While I have many wonderful memories of my time at Waldorf, I think I was lucky to have a great class that for the most part attended for all 8 years, and while there are always ebbs and flows in friendships, we had a good time together.
After l left Waldorf, I attended Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe and then on to Michigan State University were I very much enjoyed my time after 12 years of small schools, it was nice to be on a large campus with so many different people. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science and worked in a research laboratory at Henry Ford Hospital while I was completing my master’s in business at Wayne State. After working at Henry Ford, I found I enjoyed the challenge of healthcare and moved over to the finance side. After time off when the boys were young and other various roles, I am now the manager of finance for Trinity Health/IHA and oversee the financial operations of 40 physician practices in Southeast Michigan.
I live in Birmingham MI, with my husband Peter and our two boys, Jameson 16 and Andrew 14. We are lucky to be able to send the boys to The Roeper School which they enjoy and through which we have met some wonderful families. When we have free time, we enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors together. We have stayed close to home the last couple of years and are looking forward to visiting with friends and family again.
While I almost never walk backwards, color shading, sewing, knitting, and crocheting have come in handy. Thank you to Claudia for her time in bringing this together I have enjoyed reading each person’s story and it is nice to see familiar faces.
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Photo captions:
1) Charlotte and Peter with their sons Andrew and Jameson
2) The Jarvis siblings: Andrew (class '77), Catherine (class of '85), Charlotte (class of '86) and Patrick (class of '88)
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Remembering Habib Warmack (1972-2001)
8th grade class of 1985-86 | Carol Fulmer
Habib Warmack is the beloved 4th son of Bonnie & Betty Warmack. Habib ("Beeb") passed away on February 19, 2001, in John Hopkins Hospital after a courageous battle with Hodgkin's Disease.
He was born and raised in Detroit's Historic Indian Village and attended Detroit Waldorf School from Preschool through 8th grade. After graduating from Cass Tech High School in 1990, he attended Florida A&M University where he earned two Bachelor Degrees and a Masters of Applied Social Sciences.
In the Fall of 1997, Habib was admitted into the Ph.D. Program in History at Howard University and in the process of receiving his Ph.D., he obtained a second Masters in History (Public History) in 1999, and was within a year of earning his Doctorate.
Habib also served as a researcher for Lerone Bennet's most recent book, "Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream".
Habib loved and participated in all types of sports, but had a passion for baseball. He played from Little League until the Summer of 2000. One of his baseball highlights was playing for Cass Tech High School at Tiger Stadium. Habib received his Masters of Arts Degree for his study "The Diamonds of Knowledge Project: The Detroit Amateur Baseball Association".
Often described as a gentle, courageous, compassionate, peacemaker with an infectious smile, Habib will most be remembered as an inspirational family man and as a proud Father that was devoted to his daughter Asia.
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Do you know other alums who might like to join this group?
Can we feature you in an upcoming edition?
Contact: Claudia Valsi, DWS Alumni Outreach Volunteer Coordinator
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