2014 Hall of Fame Inductees

DELPHOS — St. John’s Hall of Fame inducted its 11th class on Sunday in the All Saints Building at St. John’s Schools.

This year’s honorees are:

Professional Achievement – Dr. Bill Lauf, Class of 1960
Athletic Achievement – Sue Youngpeter Hohenbrink, Class of 1979
Service to Mankind – Sisters of Notre Dame
Service to St. John’s – John Gunder

Dr. Lauf’s induction into Delphos St. John’s Hall of Fame is a culmination of a lifetime of dedication to academics, sports, medicine and service.

Lauf’s career spanned more than three decades. He brought both comfort and care to patients in need. He saved lives, improved health and repaired spirits. He performed innumerable life-saving surgeries, cured many of cancer and brought the delight of sound to those who couldn’t hear. He reconstructed not only faces damaged by traumatic accidents, but also reconstructed the morale of those who thought they would never be the same again.

Lauf received numerous awards and recognition throughout his career: board-certified in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, certified by the American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery and certified by the American College of Surgeons. He was chief of surgery at St. Rita’s Hospital from 1978-82 and chief of staff from 1982-84. He was also affiliated with Lima Memorial Hospital.

“This is just a wonderful day,” Dr. Lauf said Sunday. “I’m proud to be part of it and part of the group that is part of the Hall of Fame.”

Sue (Youngpeter) Hohenbrink and her Blue Jay teammates walked into St. John Arena for their first girls basketball state semifinal game in March 1977. They looked up into the massive arena at the twinkling lights far overhead. Then the Blue Jays got down to business and rolled to a 21-point win on their way to their first state championship.

Hohenbrink developed a love for the game in grade school and just knew that someday she and all other girls would get their chance to play. That chance came in the 1975-76 school year, the first year of OHSAA-sanctioned girls basketball in Ohio. She was a freshman in a St. John’s program in only its third year of existence. Under the direction of first year coach Fran Voll, the young Blue Jays experienced modest success with a 12-6 record. In the next three seasons, Hohenbrink and classmates Jeanne Arnzen, Deb Elwer and Laura “Cork” Grothouse got noticed.

The Blue Jays went to three consecutive state final fours, winning two state titles and compiling a record of 74-1. As a senior, she became the first girls basketball player at St. John’s to score 1,000 points with a 28-point effort vs. St. Marys her senior year. She finished her career with 1,246 points and earned All-State honors three years including First-Team All-State her senior year.

Hohenbrink received offers to play college basketball and found the best fit to be the University of Dayton. In her sophomore season, Sue cracked the starting lineup. The Flyers were Regional Champions with a 27-7 record. Hohenbrink, who won the Flyer of the Year award for “hustle and crucial plays.” Her junior season was a struggle for the Flyers who had only one senior (a transfer) and Hohenbrink as the lone junior. She was captain of a team that finished 10-17. In her final season at Dayton, the Flyers finished 20-10 with a berth in the now NCAA Division II national quarterfinals. She was again voted captain of the team as well as Spirit Award winner. She also garnered a spot on the Great Lakes Region Division II All-Star Team. She finished her college career at Dayton with 704 points, 330 assists but most importantly, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Communications with a 3.78 GPA.

“I’m very pleased to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and I’m grateful to all the girls who shared the same path I had in high school. We were team and had the support of our school and families and that’s why we were successful,” Hohenbrink said.

The Sisters of Notre Dame, founded in 1850 in Coesfeld, Germany, by teachers Sr. Maria Aloysia (Hillogonde Wolbring) and Sr. Maria Ignatia (Elizabeth Kuhling) came to America 1874. Mother Maria Chrysostom accompanied eight Sisters, including Sister Maria Aloysia, one of the founders of the community, to America where they were met by Fr. Francis Westerholt at St. Peter’s Church in Cleveland. It was shortly after that the long history of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Delphos began.

On Aug. 2, 1876, the Sisters of Notre Dame arrived in Delphos. Their first duty was to care for the elderly but by September they had also begun teaching two girls’ classes in the German Department School. It was at this time that the Sisters of Notre Dame became a fixture in St. John’s School, a tradition which continues today.

More than 50 daughters of St. John’s have answered the call to become Sisters of Notre Dame.
“We are honored and excited to be here today,” Provincial Superior Sr. Mary Delores Gatliff said. “We are approaching our 140th year at St. John’s and the faith of the families and support of the parish have been wonderful.”

Gunder was a fixture at St. John’s for 43 years – teaching speech, television programming and film appreciation. He also directed 40 senior class musicals.

“I am very proud of the successes of my students who went on to careers in television, radio and marketing,” he said. “In my years at St. John’s, I worked with fantastic faculty, administrations and staff. St. John’s is a remarkable place with a committed parish and student body working together to further our Catholic, Christian and educational goals.”

Gunder was humbled to join the Hall of Fame.

“This is an excellent day,” he said. “I am very proud to be a part of St. John’s Hall of Fame and grateful for all the opportunities I had here as a teacher.”