2017 Inductees
 Alphonse Gerwing - Humanitarian Service Alphonse (Al) Gerwing was born on February 28, 1923 on the family farm near Lake Lenore. Al attended school in Lake Lenore, Nebraska, Marysburg and St. Peter’s College. While in Marysburg, he took piano lessons from his aunt, Louise Schulte. She instilled in him a love of music that would last his entire life. After graduating from St. Peter’s College, Al attended Normal School in Moose Jaw. This training set him off on a teaching career that spanned over fifty years. Al taught in many communities in Saskatchewan and Alberta, including St. Bernard (Pilger), Carmel, Annaheim, Humboldt, St. Peter’s College and Muenster School. Throughout his career, Al instilled the love of music and literature to his students. In his first school in Carmel, he had 51 students from grades 1-10 in a one-room school building. Despite this, he squeezed in a piano so he could have a school choir. During his stay in Annaheim, he formed a men’s choir that was invited to perform on CBC radio. While at St. Peter’s, he put on plays, formed a student choir and put on Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. He was also instrumental in forming a community band and the St. Peter’s Chorus. Many residents of Humboldt and area were “found” by Al and displayed talents they didn’t realize they had. In the late 1970’s, Al paid his first visit to Northeastern Brazil to work with the Mission to the street people established earlier by the Benedictine Monks of St. Peter’s Abbey and the Ursuline Sisters of Bruno. Al fell in love with the people of Brazil and the cause, the “movimentos populares”, became Al’s passion in the last thirty years of his life. He became an apostle of social justice and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the dispossessed and impoverished in Brazil. He rallied against those who caused the poverty of woman and street children. Al insisted that his family and others become aware and that people sit up and pay attention to the struggles of others. If he himself was not working alongside those marginalized and oppressed, he was moving mountains to raise funds for projects designed to help them help themselves. Al spent the rest of his life putting on musicals and concerts to raise money to fund his many projects in Brazil. It was this grassroots devotion to improving the lot of ordinary people that led to Al being appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1989 and the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005, among many awards and recognitions he received for his contributions to society. As was stated at Al’s funeral by his brother Carl, “All of his life he worked to improve the human condition and to influence people to be more caring and better than they thought they could be”. |
 Kathleen Grissom - Literature Kathleen Grissom (Doepker) was privileged to be raised in Annaheim, Saskatchewan, a small, tightly knit Roman Catholic community. Kathleen was fortunate to have parents who were open to other religions and cultures. Since television was not a luxury her household could afford, books were the windows that expanded Kathleen's world. Soon after her first grade teacher introduced Kathleen to Dick, Jane, and Sally, she began reading on her own. Kathleen became so influenced by books that after reading Anne of Green Gables she was convinced that she, too, was adopted. Kathleen limped desperately during Red Shoes for Nancy, until her sister told her to cut it out, people would think that something was wrong with her. Wanting to more closely experience Helen Keller's tribulations, at every opportunity Kathleen walked with closed eyes until she solidly whacked her head on a doorframe. Enid Blynton's Famous Five series had Kathleen looking for adventure around every corner, and when in class Rudyard Kipling's, Kim, was read aloud, she couldn't wait to leave for far-off lands. Throughout Kathleen's high school years Simon Lizee, a poet of merit, was her principal. He taught literature and it was he who encouraged Kathleen to write. Upon graduating from high school, Kathleen became a nurse and worked at the Royal Vic Hospital in Montreal, eventually marrying and moving to the United States. Throughout this time, she read voraciously and wrote often, sending her work back to Mr. Lizee in Saskatchewan, who took the time to continue to instruct her. It wasn't until the birth of her daughter, Erin, that Kathleen worked up the courage to submit a short story to the editor at Family Circle. Kathleen received a lovely rejection note in return, but was encouraged to submit other stories. Kathleen thought the editor was being kind and foolishly submitted nothing further. In time, Kathleen remarried, and worked as an Ad Executive for a graphics company. She did not stop reading, nor writing, and during this time took a number of creative writing classes. Kathleen and her family relocated to a large farm in rural Virginia. This was an exciting, yet frightening time and Kathleen began to journal the experience. She joined a writers' group, and found a mentor in Eleanor Dolan. As Kathleen restored her plantation home, she began researching the history of her home and the land that surrounded it. This was the inspiration for her New York Times Bestseller The Kitchen House. |
 Henry Kloppenburg - Community Leadership Born in Humboldt in 1945, his Father was a German immigrant. His mother was a first generation Canadian of German-Russian parents. Growing up on a farm near Humboldt he attended elementary and high school in Humboldt and went on to the University of Saskatchewan. He graduated with a BA magna cum laude in 1965, and a law degree with gold medal in 1968. He was chosen Saskatchewan Rhodes Scholar for 1968 and went to Oxford University to read law, receiving a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1970. A call to the Bar in 1971 was followed by service as Law Clerk to Justice Emmett Hall at the Supreme Court of Canada, 1971-1972. In July 1972 he commenced practice of law in Saskatoon, and since 1977 with his wife Cheryl. Appointed to the Order of Canada in 2012, the citation read: "Henry Kloppenburg's generosity reflects his passion for his community. A lawyer by profession, he is a collector of Canadian and Native art, much of which he has donated for public display. From scholarships and art donations to the establishment of the Kloppenburg Wildlife Refuge, his contributions have enriched the educational and cultural landscape of his province. He has also provided leadership to many organizations, including the University of Saskatchewan's Biomedical Ethics Committee, the Kidney Foundation of Canada (Saskatchewan), the Mendel Art Gallery and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra." He has been honoured by appointment as Queen’s Counsel in 1993, admission to the Order of Malta in 1984, and receiving the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal in 1996. In 2002 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medal, and in 2012 received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. He received the Canadian Bar Association award for public service in 2005, and the Financial Post National award for support of the Arts (with his wife Cheryl) in 1993. Henry and Cheryl Kloppenburg live in Saskatoon. |
 Lyndon Rush - Athletics Lyndon is a retired Canadian bobsledder who has competed from 2004-2014. Lyndon took up bobsleigh after spending five years playing football for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He initially trained as a brakeman before switching to driving due to a hamstring injury. Raised in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Lyndon made his first breakthrough in bobsleigh during 2009-2010 Bobsleigh World Cup, winning the opening 4-man event in Park City Utah. That same season Lyndon, together with Lascelles Brown, managed a tie for the victory with Andre Lange at the 2-man event in St. Moritz. These were not only Lyndon’s first victories but first podium placings in 2-man and 4-man. After a bronze medal finish in the 4-man event and runs in the 2-man event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Lyndon opening mused about retiring. Lyndon is a deeply religious and devoted family man. Following the 4-man run in Whistler in which he lost out on silver by 1/100th of a second, Lyndon said that “It makes me feel like I don’t want to retire”. I’m not a kid. I can’t go touring all over Europe all of the time”. He became partners with Jesse Lumsden at the beginning of the 2012 season and the duo won their first of many World Cup medals together in the 2-man event. Lyndon then built on his successes with Lumsden to win a silver medal at the 2012 World Championships. There, despite Lyndon battling with a stomach virus throughout the competition, was eventually taken over by Steven Holcomb which pushed Rush and Lumsden to silver. In 2013 the duo of Rush and Lumsden won the overall World Cup 2-man bobsleigh title. Lyndon retired from competition after the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Since retiring he has taken up a role as a technical coach for Canada’s bobsleigh program for the training and development of bobsledders. Lyndon and his wife Kyrsta were married in 2003. They currently reside in Sylvan Lake, Alberta with daughters, Olivia (2006), Amelia (2009) and Harriet (2012) and son Winston (2014). |
 Nicholas Schultz - Athletics Born August 25, 1982, Nick grew up in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan. His minor hockey years were spent playing for the Strasbourg Maroons. Nick played for the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders until he was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2000. During the 2001-02 season, he quickly established himself as one of the Wild's most reliable defensemen. He led the Wild with a plus 11 rating in 2002-03 and was tied for first the next season with a plus 12 rating. A veteran defensemen, Nick has steady play and game-day preparation. This combined with the fact that he rarely takes a shift off, has drawn him praise. Nick also proved to be one of Minnesota's most durable players, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to play in all 82 regular-season games (2006-07). He was also the first player to appear in 500 games for the Wild (February 8, 2009, against the Edmonton Oilers) and his mark of 743 games played with Minnesota, stood as the franchise record until Mikko Koivu broke it in 2015-16. Nick has been recognized as one of the NHL's most willing shot-blockers; in 2008-09 he led the Wild in blocked shots (152) for the fourth straight season. He is a sound, but not flashy player, who can be regularly counted on to kill penalties and shut down top forwards. Nick played with the Wild until February 27, 2012, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. Then on March 5, 2014, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets before signing a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 2, 2014. Nick had played his 1000th NHL game on January 13, 2016, against the Boston Bruins. He is also an accomplished player internationally. Schultz played for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in 2001 and 2002 and three years at the World Championship, bringing home gold in 2004 and 2007. Most notably, Nick is known for his continued support of the Strasbourg Community. This includes, an annual graduation scholarship, minor hockey equipment donations, prizes for rink fundraisers, plexi glass installation, support of local fundraisers for families faced with medical costs, contributions of signed jerseys for SHA fundraisers and last but not least, the funding of a new Zamboni for the Strasbourg Arena, in memory of his dad Robert Schultz. Nick and his wife Jessica (Dibb) have three children Jake, Brooke and Sydney. |