CROOKSTON HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME INDUCTS THE 2018 CLASS
2018 inductees – Kevin Taylor, Brent Thorson, Eric Patenaude, Eric Barnum, Elaine Anderson Phillips, Charles Potter, Hank Hulst, Liz Thompson and Len Devos.
The annual Crookston High School Hall of Fame Induction was held on Saturday afternoon at the Crookston High School commons.
Inducted into the hall of fame were The Soles, Ron Thompson, Len Devos, Carol Anderson Barnett, Elaine Anderson Phillips, and Charles Potter. Hank Hulst and Bill Taylor were inducted into the Legends Hall of Fame.
The Soles were a Crookston High School Acapella group formed in 1993 by Kevin Taylor, Eric Barnum, Eric Patenaude and Brent Thorson.
Charles Potter started his career in Crookston as a fifth-grade teacher at McKinley School in 1968 and moved on up to Superintendent. “I was superintendent in the 70’s and at that time we had large number of schools with a declining enrollment with about 3,200 students, so we started closing some of the neighborhood schools which was the main issue at the time, money was scarce as we had many students but were losing revenue each year,” said Potter. “I went to Dahlgrens for a couple of years and was laid off so went to White Bear Lake for five years as a superintendent.” Potter lives in Cape Cod with his wife Trudy. “There are a lot of changes in Crookston after being gone for many years, but it is great to be back,” added Potter.
Len Devos was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his sports career. “It was a real honor and I’m excited after being inducted with the track team last year,” said Devos. “I stand on the wall with teachers and coaches after playing football for three years, two years for basketball and four years in track.” Devos never left home and works for the city of Crookston for the past 26 years. He is married to Luanne and a daughter Lindsey in Bismarck where she is a radiologist technician.
Henry “Hank” Hulst was inducted into the Legends Hall of Fame along with Bill Taylor who was unable to attend. “It is a big deal as I am not much for honors and turn down a lot. I played basketball for three years and had some scoring records, played baseball for five years and the tennis team, played at Jamestown College for two years and Mayville State for two years of tennis,” said Hulst. “I have taught for 40 years at the middle school at Huron, South Dakota and coached tennis and basketball retired in 2006.”
Bill Taylor was a 1959 graduate and earned 15 varsity letters in basketball, football, baseball and track and now lives in St. Louis. Elaine Anderson Phillips graduated from Crookston in 1969 and was honored along with her sister Caro Barnett who graduated in 1967 and was unable to attend. “I love to brag about her for her composing and is internationally known,” said Phillips. “I am a Biblical Studies teacher at Gordon College and take students to Jerusalem University College in the summer and live in Boston and hope to see people I know.”
Ron Thompson started teaching in Crookston on 1956 which lasted for 31 years and was married to Liz and the father of five children, Barb, Beth, David, Jennifer and Karen. “It is a great thing to do for my Dad who was a great person with lots of friends and loved the outdoors, hunting deer, ducks, pheasants and fishing for walleye,” said David Thompson. “He was involved in all the sports, it was good to see everyone who worked with Dad.”
Eric Patenaude was a member of the Soles when it was formed in 1993 and was happy to get together again. “I went to Concordia College with Brent and Kevin and we started singing again and studied music and religion,” said Patenaude. “After singing professionally until about 2006-2007 when we toured the country my first daughter was born 13 years ago and realized I needed to get out of touring life so I got a job at General Mills at Golden Valley where I have been for 11 years.” Patenaude is married to Becca and they have four daughters from age 13 to six years old.
Brent Thorson graduated from Crookston in 1995 and went on to Concordia College in Moorhead. “I went with Kevin and Eric and started Marcoux Corner and did about 200 shows a year,” said Thorson. “I live in Fargo-Moorhead and work at H2M Productions with accounts like Lund Boats, my wife is director of admissions at Concordia College.”
Kevin Taylor was injured in an accident last year but was glad to be able to make it for the ceremony this year. “I am happy to be here this year and now work in New York City as Director of Program Development at Distinguished Concerts International New York and work with music as an example by Eric Barnum doing his music at Carnegie Hall,” said Taylor. Kevin’s family includes his wife, Anna Noel and one child with another on the way. His mother who lives in Boise, Idaho where his brother Dave lives with his wife and two kids, sister Allison lives in Alaska with her husband and two boys.
Barnum is a professor in Wisconsin. “I am an associate professor of music at the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh and a self-employed composer and conductor and have worked with Kevin several times in New York and perform at Carnegie Hall with choirs from across the country to sing my music,” said Barnum. “I want to credit the community and teachers as it was a great place to grow up and then see the big world.” I am married to Heidi and have two children ages four and two.
The Pirate Hall of Fame Ceremony is sponsored by Crookston Pirate Fine Arts Boosters, Crookston Baseball Association, Crookston Pirate Boosters, KROX Radio and Fitzgerald, Reynolds, and Harbott PLLP.
