by Linsey | Jul 24, 2019
Marg Rust was born in South Buffalo to parents who valued education and community service. Her parents introduced her to a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities, including Girl Scouting, travel, dance and playing the violin. She received a BS from D’Youville College and a MS from Canisius College. She was hired as an elementary teacher in January 1972 and taught grades 2 through 4 at UPES until her retirement in 2006. She was fortunate to be a member of the UPES community of caring, talented and fun-loving educators. During those 34 years, she had the privilege of working with many wonderful students and supportive parents. It wasn’t long before she came to the profound realization that she was learning as much from them as they were learning from her.
After retirement, Marg became a docent at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. She enjoys working on the many projects, such as the Trolley Station and the Movie in the Park with the other members of Imagine Hamburg. She’s on the Village Beautification Committee and organizes the annual Hamburg Garden Walk and the Garden Walk Buffalo Niagara walks and tours. Marg became an officer and volunteer Master Gardener at the Cornell Cooperative Extension. She enjoys the discovery of travel, theater, playing tennis and reading a good book. Marg enjoyed being a part of Hamburg’s resurgence. The generosity of its merchants and many volunteers truly defines Hamburg as the place that friendship built.
by Linsey | Jul 24, 2019
Mollie lived all of her life in Hamburg along with her brothers Bill (Mort), Hank and Bob. She was an honor student in the Hamburg School system and a varsity cheerleader. Her summers after graduation were spent as a playground counselor at the Community Center. She graduated in 1952 from Wheaton College for Women with a B.A. in American Studies.
Thirty years later she earned a Master’s degree in Theology and was the first Iaywoman to graduate from Christ the King Seminary Graduate School. Mollie was a member of the Village Recreation Commission, Town Youth Bureau, Girl Scout Troop leader and Council Member, an active member of the League of Women Voters, Founder and Editor of the FOCUS newsletter from the School Board to the tax-payers, Board President of Benedict House for homeless AIDS patients which was one of President Bush’s Points of Light, President of the PTA, and co-founded the student ski program at Glenwood Acres. She established and was the Director of Development at Christ the King Seminary where she obtained many significant grants for academic and building upgrades.
She was a member of St. Peter and Paul’s Church Parish Council and served on the 150th anniversary and remodeling committees. She was an avid genealogist and did a detailed research of the McShanes and was in the process of writing the family history Mollie died in 2011 from Alzheimer’s. She just faded away, her memory was gone but her spirit was there. She was a lady filled with love, grace, and dignity
by Linsey | Jul 24, 2019
John was a standout player on both the Basketball and Volleyball Teams at HHS. Under Coach Richard Nassoiy, Wasielewski played on the 1984 and 1985 ECIC Division II Championship Basketball Team. He was named to the ECIC Division Ii 2nd Team in ’84-85 and received 1st Team honors in ’85- 86. He was also named Western New York Honorable Mention in ’85-86. Under Coach Rick Hineman, Wasielewski was a four-year varsity starter in volleyball and named All-League 1983-1986. He was WNY Player of the year and ranked #16 in Volleyball Monthly’s Fab 50 issue of 1986. He won a gold-medal at the Empire State Games in 1984 and 1985, and won a bronze medal at the 1986 & 1987 U.S. Olympic Festival. Some of John’s fondest memories from Hamburg include playing for the Sectional crown in 1984. Hamburg lost to Kenmore East, but it ended up being a great match. John also enjoyed playing in Saturday tournaments around WNY and helping make Hamburg Volleyball a contender in Western New York. After graduation, Wasielewski played volleyball for Penn State, helping the Nittany Lion Volleyball Team reach 2 NCAA Final Four appearances. He is currently Associate Head Coach of the Women’s Volley-ball Program at Duke University.
by Linsey | Jul 24, 2019
Keith Norward was a standout athlete at Hamburg where he played football and competed in Track and Field. He was a versatile track star, who not only competed in the high hurdles, but also ran anchor on the sprint relay team. Keith said some of his greatest memories at HHS included winning the Section VI Sectionals and qualifying for the Indoor State Meet his first year, and breaking his own school records his senior year and qualifying for the State meet in both Indoor and Outdoor track. Keith held the Hamburg High School record in the 110m high hurdles from 1981 until 2007 with a time of 14.44. In 2007, his son Jamal broke his record with a time of 14.36. That record still stands today. Keith was the Section VI record holder for the 55m high hurdles and the Section VI outdoor track record holder in the 110m high hurdles. He served as Team Captain on the 1981 ECIC Champion Indoor Track Team and also received Hamburg’s Art Howe Award for Outstanding Athlete. Upon graduating from Hamburg High School, Keith went to SUNY Fredonia, where he was a four-year letterman in Track. Keith was undefeated in high hurdles in both SUNYAC and NYST&FA in 1983, 1984 and 1985 and went on to be a six-time SUNYAC high hurdles and six-time NYST&FA high hurdles champion. Keith holds two SUNYAC records, two SUNY Fredonia records and two NYST&FA records. He was named NCAA-All American in 1985, and in 1992 was inducted into the SUNY Fredonia Athletic Hall of Fame.
by Linsey | Jul 24, 2019
Bill Durell was an outstanding high school athlete at Hamburg High, holding 2 letters in varsity football, 3 in wrestling and 3 in track. As a junior in 1955, Bill set the school record in the pole vault, tying Jack Griffin for the school track record for most team points scored in a season.
As a senior, Bill was the Section VI Wrestling Champ, going undefeated during the regular season and unscored upon during the Sectional tournament. That same year as Track Captain, Bill continued to set school records in the pole vault At the 1956 Division II track meet, Bill won first place in both the pole vault and long jump, setting division records. He repeated that feat at Sectionals, again setting records in both events. Bill ended the regular season #1 in the state in the pole vault. At the state meet at West Point, Bill took second in that event.
Some of Bill’s fondest memories at HHS include scoring the first of 3 touchdowns at Gowanda in the pouring rain in September of ’55, winning the Section VI wrestling Championship and winning and setting new records in the pole vault and long jump at the 1956 Division II and Section VI track and field finals.
At graduation, Bill was awarded the American Legion Outstanding Trackman Award and recognized as the Outstanding Athlete in the Senior Class. He accepted a full tuition Outstanding Student Scholarship, a combination of both track and academic scholarship. He graduated with honors from Michigan State in 1960 and became a commercial airline pilot, retiring after a successful career. He went on to become a self-employed inventor.
