Girl with the Arrow

Jil (Lofstrom) Brown (September 2011)
Kianu Alumna- Class of 1952

 

Russ and Jil Brown in front of the Sphinx House

In 1948, when Muskingum freshman Joan L. Lofstrom arrived on campus, she lived in Patton Hall. There were so many similarly named women (Jo, Joan, Joanne) living in the dorm that their friends had to figure out a way to differentiate between them. Joan’s friends suggested she change her middle initial to ‘I’ so that they could call her Jil (Joan I. Lofstrom), and she’s been Jil ever since.

Muskingum College has been formative in Jil and her family members’ lives. She met her husband, Russ Brown, as a sophomore while living in the Kianu House. Her younger brother, Jack Lofstrom ’58, was a Muskie football player. Continuing the long magenta line is Jil’s granddaughter Meghan, who is a first year student just beginning her Muskingum journey. Jil and Russ Brown have been attending reunions for years, but now look forward to visiting campus to attend plays with Meghan.

 

In addition to attending campus events, Jil remains connected to Muskingum and Kianu through an annual gathering of XANs in Granville. The gatherings began in the mid-1980s with four women.

1987 reunion: Russ and Jil on the Spoonholder

Jil recalls, “Shirley Biegler '49 invited local Kianus and their husbands to her home 24 or 25 years ago. The first four were Peg Baatz, Ann Colvin, and Mickey McBride. The husbands stopped coming and more alums came. They met in different restaurants with Shirley, Ann, and Sally Heuple making the plans.” Then Jil took over the planning for a number of years and now has passed the torch onto Jane Morton '56. Last year 16 women attended the reunion and had a wonderful time together.

Jil considers herself a proud Muskingum and Kianu alumna. Some aspects of the Muskingum experience haven’t changed in the 60 plus years since Jil enrolled. “The tradition of saying, ‘Hi’ to everyone you met sold my mother on MC for me.” She feels that Muskingum has always been beautiful, but is even more so now.

1999 Granville Reunion

Last Update: September 2011