Ralph Zobell

Profile Updated: August 29, 2023
Ralph Zobell
Residing In Orem, UT USA
Spouse/Partner Janet Zobell
Homepage View Website
Occupation Retired BYU Sports Publicist
Children We have four children, one daughter and three sons.
Yes! Attending Reunion
Comments

I wasn't the first Zobell to pass through Cheyenne. My roots go back 100 years before I attended high school with you. The attached picture above near Harriman on I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie is known as the "gangplank," a unique geologic granite formation which allowed the transcontinental railroad to be built on it in 1869. Because of this formation, I know that my great great grandfather Hans Zobell, who came to the U.S. from Denmark, rode the railroad through this passage en route to Utah, a couple months after the Golden Spike was driven there. Here is part of what Hans wrote in his journal of that railroad trip from Chicago to Utah:

"We traveled several hundred miles along the very interesting Platte River and getting further and further from all sights of civilization as we are nearing the Rocky Mountains. We now see several bands of Indians, a very strange sight to all of us, and knowing just who these red skinned men are we could not but have a great deal of respect and admiration for them. I believe these Indians were called Pawnees. Our mind goes back to the first pioneer band and how they had to fight these strange people. We also see great bands of herds of the mighty kind of the prairie, the American bison or buffalo, but they hardly give us a look as we glide along on the smooth track.

"We look for signs of the original pioneer and see plenty of them, markers of various kinds. We are now climbing up the eastern slope of the continental divide of the Rockies and soon reach an elevation of 8000 feet above the sea, the nearest to Heaven any of us had ever been before. Some of us got dizzy-headed at this unusual altitude. We can see snow on the tops of the everlasting hills, also a new sight for most of us (these are the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado that you can see on a clear day)."

I attended the University of Wyoming for two years where I learned about the “gangplank” pictured above, then served a mission in Indonesia for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I still keep up on the Indonesian language). Following that mission, I transferred to Brigham Young University where I earned a B.A. and M.A. in communications. I am now retired after working 41 years in sports publicity for the BYU athletic department where I helped Ty Detmer win the Heisman Trophy in 1991.

My wife Janet is a “bonus mom” to our four children and we have been married since 1992. We have 14 grandchildren. Since 1983 I have resided in Orem, Utah.

As you can see from my Twitter site @RalphZobell, I was fortunate to be selected as the Wilbur Snypp Award winner in 2016 http://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/awards/snypp/index.html and was honored to be inducted into the EHS Hall of Fame in 2004.

School Story

I was editor and sports editor for the EHS Thunderbolt and lettered in cross country, track and band, playing the saxophone. I did not take driver's ed as one of my regular classes at East, but enrolled in a special Christmas holiday course taught by Marv Strauch, who once played football for the Green Bay Packers.

There was only room for the driver and Marv in the front seat of the driver's ed car. He was great at teaching us how to parallel park, even on the left-hand side of one-way streets so that we could pass our driver's test. On one occasion, Marv instructed one of us to parallel park in front of the old Wyoming Eagle Tribune building on 17th Street near the Mayflower Bar. As the car was maneuvering into that parking spot, an older lady pedestrian pointed with a scowl to the sign on the parking meter which read, "compact cars only." Marv rolled down his window and yelled, "lady we can read."

Thanks to teachers like Mrs. Laughlin, Mr. Bondurant, Mr. Hesson, Mr. Stoen and Miss Mistead, we can all read. Thanks to a teacher like Mr. Strauch, I can parallel park and drive better. Miss Allen and Miss Coxbill gave me the opportunity to develop in journalism. Mr. Dennis and Mr. Sprague taught me the rigors of discipline in band and track and field, respectively.

How did you find the new web site

I saw the link posted by Pete Marion on the reunion Facebook page

Ralph's Latest Interactions

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Aug
29
Aug 29, 2023 at 5:37 PM

Mrs. Jo Zunker, who taught P.E. at East, recently passed away. I have posted her obituary under the EHS faculty pages and referenced her in the See Who Taught us section, too.

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Aug
01
Aug 01, 2023 at 10:45 AM

In case you haven't yet discovered this link under What's New, here is the link to the 55th commemorative issue of the East High School Thunderbolt: https://www.cheyennecentraleastandstmarys71.com/EHS-Thunderbolt-55th-Reunion.htm

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Jun
26
Jun 26, 2023 at 4:55 PM

Here is an updated post of the St. Mary’s graduating class for that link.
Send a message here https://www.cheyennecentraleastandstmarys71.com/class_contact.cfm here if you have any updates.

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Jan 04, 2023 at 9:01 AM

I have updated this recent obituary for the East High faculty: https://www.wrcfuneral.com/obituaries/James-Cotton-9/#!/Obituary

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Aug 15, 2022 at 6:42 AM

In honor of our one-year anniversary since our 50th reunion, I have posted a collection of Alan O'Hashi cartoons under the What's New tab for your enjoyment.

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Apr 22, 2022 at 5:20 PM

Funeral for another Central High math teacher this month: https://www.wrcfuneral.com/obituaries/Lyle-Shook/#!/Obituary

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Apr 19, 2022 at 6:50 PM

Earlier this month Central High math teacher Mr. Zimmerman passed away: https://www.wrcfuneral.com/obituaries/Paul-Zimmerman-11/#!/Obituary

Ralph Zobell updated his profile. View.
Apr 18, 2022 at 8:13 PM
Ralph Zobell added a photo to his profile gallery.
Apr 18, 2022 at 8:11 PM
Ralph Zobell has left an In Memory comment for Debra Hearn Scott.
Apr 12, 2022 at 5:46 PM

Thanks to Bill Bryan, we made the correction after we verified she married William Graham Scott  in 1972: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/125326704:62116?tid=&pid=&queryId=aa1753037cefd07d7ed62fc326811092&_phsrc=uvJ1&_phstart=successSource

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Mar 17, 2022 at 6:28 PM

Tooting horn for Alan O’Hashi who just published a new book: https://bouldercomedia.wpcomstaging.com/2022/03/17/beyond-heart-mountain-book-released/

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Mar 05, 2022 at 1:16 PM

I had a delightful conversation today with Ron Kuykendall, for those of you who remember him. He is doing well and served in the military. He doesn't own a computer or have an e-mail address, but did share his mailing address and phone number: 958 Elizabeth Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130 (830) 620-1473

Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Mar 01, 2022 at 2:53 PM

It's been a year since I joined this site, so in celebration, I posted this link: https://www.cheyennecentraleastandstmarys71.com/Memory-Lane.htm

I have enjoyed posting several items and hope you like this one.

Ralph Zobell added a comment on his Profile.
Nov 25, 2021 at 12:13 PM
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Sep 06, 2021 at 10:17 PM
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Aug 19, 2021 at 10:28 AM
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Aug 16, 2021 at 12:56 PM
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Aug 12, 2021 at 6:50 AM
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Aug 10, 2021 at 11:22 AM
Ralph Zobell posted a message.
Aug 05, 2021 at 10:25 AM

Check out this link on the 1971 History/Videos tab to the left to see what was willed to us: https://www.cheyennecentraleastandstmarys71.com/What-East-1970-Sr.s-Willed-to-Us.htm

Posted: Apr 18, 2022 at 8:12 PM
Posted: Mar 08, 2021 at 4:45 PM