Without a doubt Major Bluumhagen was my favorite teacher at Baker during the 3 years I was there. What a wonderful man. I guess my favorite memory of him happened during my senior year. During the Christmas break of that year the girl that I had been going steady with had moved to Virginia and I was missing her very very much. Right before we came back to school I learned that my friend Sally Kiefer had been killed in a skydiving accident. Needless to say I was not in a mood to study when we came back. On that first day after the break Major Blumhagen assigned us a book report to be handed in in two weeks. Well, I did not read a book but I did turn in a report based on the liner notes located on the inside front flap and back inside flap of whatever book it was that I was supposed to have read. Thank goodness for me that I was not the only one who did a terrible job on their book report. To make a long story short, without mentioning my name he stated in front of the whole class that this was the sorriest bunch of book reports he had ever seen and that there was one student who was stupid enough to turn in a report based on the liner notes... Boy was I mad when he did that. But after a little while I realized that I got what I deserved. Besides who could stay mad at that dear sweet man. After class he stopped me on my way out, handed me my " book report " and said, " Read the book this week and have a book report ready for me next Monday". I don't think he did that for anybody else but I had always worked hard in his class and I was one of his better students so I guess that is why he gave me a break. He could have given me the F I deserved but he gave me a chance to correct my error.I know of several people that didn't like him but I sure did. He was a very fair and kind man. I had some great teachers at Baker but he was by far the best.
10/30/08 04:59 PM #2 Robert Earl Stith
I owe alot of my success in life to the guidance that I got from Mr. Blumhagen. When I ran for class president in 1974, he gave me alot of great coaching and support. I will always treasure my personal memories with Mr. Blumhagen. I feel that Baker High School was a better place because of what Mr. Blumhagen brought to the table.
Loyal Former Student Robert Earl Stith
12/01/08 08:46 AM #3 Debbie Spidle Maindonald
I don't remember a kinder, or more decent soul than Mr. Blumhagen at Baker..........
12/31/08 03:21 PM #4 Madeleine Bryan-Davis
Mr. Blumhagen, you were wonderful! My mother loved you! You were very supportive and interested in your student's overall well-being and you will be sorely missed. Teachers like you are needed today. You were not there for the money, but for your interest in furthering the human spirit.
02/22/09 08:27 PM #5 George W Terrell Jr
I FONDLY remember Mr Blumhagen from working on a special project with him thru the University when I taught at Baker from l974-l976....I pleasantly remember being a guest in his home--as a BRAND NEW teacher right out of graduate school, He was great to offer advice when I asked..... George W. Terrell Jr.
03/20/09 03:07 PM #6 Kitty Blumhagen Costa
The comments and memories that have been shared about "Major B" truly capture the person I had the honor of calling my father. He truly was a kind, gentle man who loved teaching and Baker High. When he spoke about his classes (even after retirement) he could remember (in detail) specific students and would do his best to keep up with them after graduation. One of the things he really enjoyed was "taking tickets" at the games and escorting me and my friends. He loved THE LION and after I was married he would support the fund raisers at BHS and he would mail tokens to me reminding me that BHS was still there. He loved the school and didn't really want to ever stop teaching. Thank you to those of you who also loved him. Thank you for remembering him and seeing in him what I had always seen from a daughter's perspective. I write this in his memory and because I will always love him. Kitty Blumhagen Costa
03/24/09 09:49 AM #7 Susan Tiedgen Perry
Mr. Blumhagen, was a great teacher and a close family friend. I learned alot from him while in school and in life. Many of you may not know that he worked hard for years getting my " partially disabled" sisters' classes all scheduled on the bottom floor. He succeeded. What a blessing he was to our family and to her. He was a great Christian man. Our family was blessed to know and love him and his family. Susan Tiedgen and family
I just love history........and Mr. Blumhagen knew his stuff. He was a soaring eagle when it came to talking about the wars, even threw in his "old war" stories a time or two. The man wanted us all to grasp the fact that history is made daily and it can repeat itself politically! He really was a BLUNT person, I guess this is why I appreciated him so much. He told you like it was.....no punches to pull! He really wanted us young people to do our best and learn something out of his class. He was a fair man, as Terri mentioned above, and you got the grades you deserved but he had a discerning Spirit and would bend over backwards to pull out of the students the desire to do better, if we would let him! I pray others besides myself can respect and appreciate good people such as these. If I could turn back the hands of time ...........I would have done more than I did just to get by and ran the course much stronger and better. Why do you think we got the name Baker BUMS...LOL....it came from the teachers....lol!! Hopefully alot of you woke up and smelled the coffee before graduation or shortly there after. God rest his soul! I will always appreciate his committment to teach and teach it well!! My thoughts and prayers are with his family members always.
Many of my historical passions and pursuits, were a result of the way this man taught. His passion for teaching, inspite of how unruly our classes could get at times, managed to convey an inspiring thirst to learn what many would consider boring or irrelevent. His wit, humor, and most of all, tolerance for us as a whole, was legendary. Admittedly, his classes were usually fun. As I continue to read and study historical novels each week, I think of those who planted that desire within me. Maj. Blumhagen was at the top of that list.
I knew when I got this class I was going to definitely flunk it. I had a low attention span and History was not my thing. This teacher made it so easy for me. He had all my attention throughout the hour. I hardly took any notes and I passed my tests with As. He knew his History and explained it in a way that captured me. Ever since history has been my favorite and I am to this date still learning. Thank you sir.
Tez Nunnally (Gutman) (1973)
08/26/08 04:21 PM #1 John CrimmelWithout a doubt Major Bluumhagen was my favorite teacher at Baker during the 3 years I was there. What a wonderful man. I guess my favorite memory of him happened during my senior year. During the Christmas break of that year the girl that I had been going steady with had moved to Virginia and I was missing her very very much. Right before we came back to school I learned that my friend Sally Kiefer had been killed in a skydiving accident. Needless to say I was not in a mood to study when we came back. On that first day after the break Major Blumhagen assigned us a book report to be handed in in two weeks. Well, I did not read a book but I did turn in a report based on the liner notes located on the inside front flap and back inside flap of whatever book it was that I was supposed to have read. Thank goodness for me that I was not the only one who did a terrible job on their book report. To make a long story short, without mentioning my name he stated in front of the whole class that this was the sorriest bunch of book reports he had ever seen and that there was one student who was stupid enough to turn in a report based on the liner notes... Boy was I mad when he did that. But after a little while I realized that I got what I deserved. Besides who could stay mad at that dear sweet man. After class he stopped me on my way out, handed me my " book report " and said, " Read the book this week and have a book report ready for me next Monday". I don't think he did that for anybody else but I had always worked hard in his class and I was one of his better students so I guess that is why he gave me a break. He could have given me the F I deserved but he gave me a chance to correct my error.I know of several people that didn't like him but I sure did. He was a very fair and kind man. I had some great teachers at Baker but he was by far the best.
10/30/08 04:59 PM #2 Robert Earl Stith
I owe alot of my success in life to the guidance that I got from Mr. Blumhagen. When I ran for class president in 1974, he gave me alot of great coaching and support. I will always treasure my personal memories with Mr. Blumhagen. I feel that Baker High School was a better place because of what Mr. Blumhagen brought to the table.
Loyal Former Student
Robert Earl Stith
12/01/08 08:46 AM #3 Debbie Spidle Maindonald
I don't remember a kinder, or more decent soul than Mr.
Blumhagen at Baker..........
12/31/08 03:21 PM #4 Madeleine Bryan-Davis
Mr. Blumhagen, you were wonderful! My mother loved you! You were very supportive and interested in your student's overall well-being and you will be sorely missed. Teachers like you are needed today. You were not there for the money, but for your interest in furthering the human spirit.
02/22/09 08:27 PM #5 George W Terrell Jr
I FONDLY remember Mr Blumhagen from working on a special project with him thru the University when I taught at Baker from l974-l976....I pleasantly remember being a guest in his home--as a BRAND NEW teacher right out of graduate school, He was great to offer advice when I asked.....
George W. Terrell Jr.
03/20/09 03:07 PM #6 Kitty Blumhagen Costa
The comments and memories that have been shared about "Major B" truly capture the person I had the honor of calling my father. He truly was a kind, gentle man who loved teaching and Baker High. When he spoke about his classes (even after retirement) he could remember (in detail) specific students and would do his best to keep up with them after graduation. One of the things he really enjoyed was "taking tickets" at the games and escorting me and my friends. He loved THE LION and after I was married he would support the fund raisers at BHS and he would mail tokens to me reminding me that BHS was still there. He loved the school and didn't really want to ever stop teaching.
Thank you to those of you who also loved him. Thank you for remembering him and seeing in him what I had always seen from a daughter's perspective.
I write this in his memory and because I will always love him.
Kitty Blumhagen Costa
03/24/09 09:49 AM #7 Susan Tiedgen Perry
Mr. Blumhagen, was a great teacher and a close family friend. I learned alot from him while in school and in life.
Many of you may not know that he worked hard for years getting my " partially disabled" sisters' classes all scheduled on the bottom floor. He succeeded. What a blessing he was to our family and to her.
He was a great Christian man. Our family was blessed to know and love him and his family.
Susan Tiedgen
and family
Gwen Fowler (Setayesh) (1975)
I just love history........and Mr. Blumhagen knew his stuff. He was a soaring eagle when it came to talking about the wars, even threw in his "old war" stories a time or two. The man wanted us all to grasp the fact that history is made daily and it can repeat itself politically! He really was a BLUNT person, I guess this is why I appreciated him so much. He told you like it was.....no punches to pull! He really wanted us young people to do our best and learn something out of his class. He was a fair man, as Terri mentioned above, and you got the grades you deserved but he had a discerning Spirit and would bend over backwards to pull out of the students the desire to do better, if we would let him! I pray others besides myself can respect and appreciate good people such as these. If I could turn back the hands of time ...........I would have done more than I did just to get by and ran the course much stronger and better. Why do you think we got the name Baker BUMS...LOL....it came from the teachers....lol!! Hopefully alot of you woke up and smelled the coffee before graduation or shortly there after. God rest his soul! I will always appreciate his committment to teach and teach it well!! My thoughts and prayers are with his family members always.Vince Pfeiffer (1973)
Many of my historical passions and pursuits, were a result of the way this man taught. His passion for teaching, inspite of how unruly our classes could get at times, managed to convey an inspiring thirst to learn what many would consider boring or irrelevent. His wit, humor, and most of all, tolerance for us as a whole, was legendary. Admittedly, his classes were usually fun. As I continue to read and study historical novels each week, I think of those who planted that desire within me. Maj. Blumhagen was at the top of that list.
Our family and I thought the world of him.
Vince Pfeiffer
Danny Williams (1975)
You were cool to be with ,rip sir may god be with you.
Rochester Dumas Hutchins III (1972)
This was the best teacher in the world his son and i was very good friend Robby he past years ago
mr Blumhagen will be mis
Rochester Dumas Hutchins
Robert "Bobby" Whorton (1986)
Well, I had a few classes that the Major taught, I did enjoy hearing him speak about the past. Take Sir.
Aura Escribano (1975)
I knew when I got this class I was going to definitely flunk it. I had a low attention span and History was not my thing. This teacher made it so easy for me. He had all my attention throughout the hour. I hardly took any notes and I passed my tests with As. He knew his History and explained it in a way that captured me. Ever since history has been my favorite and I am to this date still learning. Thank you sir.