Sharing their success with future Muskies
The 164-year history of Lakeland University is filled with the stories of couples finding themselves, finding one another and generously making it possible for future students to repeat history.
Dennis and Jeanie (Kurka) Reimer ’74 ’77, who created the Dennis and Jeanie Kurka Reimer Scholarship, have Lakeland roots dating back nearly five decades and a growing legacy of helping their fellow Muskies.
Dennis, a native of Bailey’s Harbor, graduated from tiny Gibraltar High School knowing he wanted a career in business. There were two schools on his college search list – UW-Madison and Lakeland, the latter with a well-known business program created by Prof. J. Garland Schilcutt. A combination of civil unrest in Madison at that time and a full scholarship from Lakeland led to him becoming a Muskie. He was a first-generation college student and remains the only one of his siblings with a college degree.
Jeanie’s introduction to Lakeland came on a visit with her pastor, The Rev. Don Stannard ’58 ’60. An Appleton native, she was just 17 years old when she graduated from East High School and Lakeland’s smaller campus and friendly atmosphere was appealing compared to the larger state schools and campuses that felt overwhelming.
They blossomed during their time as Muskies.
Dennis, who graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration, joined the Psi Alpha Kappa business fraternity and became president, was editor of the Spectrum, sang in the choir and was night manager of Richard Pruehs in the campus center.
Jeanie graduated with a bachelor’s in sociology with minors in psychology and business administration and was extensively involved. She was a cheerleader, played volleyball, was a member of the student admissions team, was student secretary for Prof. Schilcutt for three years and was a member of the Homecoming and May Day courts. She won the 1977 Clarence H. Koehler Award, the university's top award for undergraduate students.
Their Lakeland years proved formative in many ways and paved the way for their future professional success and personal growth.
“I didn’t go in saying ‘I’m going to be involved in this and this,’” said Jeanie, who worked for 30-plus years in the human services and social justice field. “When you’re on a small campus, the people around you help you get involved. You’re going to be involved because of the culture of the campus.
“Prof. Schilcutt and Dr. (Keith) Striggow were two professors who helped me build my confidence and instilled a lot of leadership in me. Those two, in particular, believed in me at a time when I needed that.”
Dennis came from a small high school where he was subtly bullied, and the influence of Lakeland faculty and staff and his student peers instilled in him a new confidence.
“Because of the caring nature of people and a lot of support, I began to find myself and stared to get my self-confidence back,” said Dennis, who worked for 40-plus years in the paper industry. “I started to understand I was a leader. And it’s not only the faculty and staff at Lakeland, but also that family among the students.
“We knew everybody on that campus. We’re traveling with a lot of them today.”
Dennis and Jeanie met in October of 1973 when he was a senior and she was a freshman. During a walk to the campus center, one of his frat brothers asked if he’d seen the two “good looking freshman girls” who were new to campus. When they arrived at the Muskie Inn, he pointed out Jeanie to Dennis. “I knew right away I was going to marry her,” Dennis said. Their first date came in the spring and, after Dennis graduated, their relationship grew that summer.
They married on July 10, 1976, during her junior year and held their reception at Lakeland.
After marrying, their close connection to Lakeland drifted for several years until they were invited to re-connect and took a riverboat cruise with Prof. Schilcutt as part of Lakeland’s 150th anniversary.
They’ve taken advantage of alumni programs and events which brought that Lakeland family back into their lives and, in turn, they’ve taken leadership roles and created new opportunities for other alums.
The Reimers motivation to give to Lakeland centers on four key principles:
Since it was first awarded in the 2022-23 academic year, the Dennis and Jeanie Kurka Reimer Scholarship has been awarded to 13 Lakeland students, with many more to come.
The Reimers met some of their students earlier this year at the scholarship donor luncheon.
“It was incredible to hear about their dreams for the future and what they were gaining at Lakeland, especially through the Co-Op,” Jeanie said. “This is really the gem of what Lakeland is … the innovation and the creativity. To hear their stories, it makes us want to continue to give because of their potential and future.”
Honor your Lakeland story and continue our legacy with a gift supporting our Lakeland students. Connect with our Advancement team at Advancement@lakeland.edu or give online at https://lakeland.edu/alumni-and-giving/give.
