Ruth DeGraaf ’50 Dirkse

In the fall of 1929, the daughters of three young Hope professors celebrated together their first birthdays, which were just two months apart. On Sept. 2, Jan Vander Borgh ’50 Ver Helst, Ann Wolters ’50 Fredrickson and Ruth DeGraaf ’50 Dirkse celebrated their 90ths surrounded by family and friends at the Warm Friend, where they all now live.  Lifelong friends, they not only attended Hope together but all joined the Delta Phi sorority, married Hope classmates (Maurice VerHelst ’50, Phil Fredrickson ’50 and Lamont Dirkse ’50 respectively) and participated in each other’s weddings. Their faculty parents, all of whom were at the college through retirement, were, respectively: Garrett Vanderborgh 1920, who between 1923 and 1964 was principal of the high school formerly operated by Hope, and taught mathematics, physics and education; Edward Wolters, who between 1926 and 1966 taught English, German and Latin; and Dr. Clarence DeGraaf, who between 1928 and 1972 taught English.

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