Lauritzen wins senior spelling bee

Richard Lauritzen (left) and Marge Stone win the top two spots at Friday's senior citizen spelling bee, sponsored by the Bureau County Senior Center in Princeton. Laurizen beat out Stone for the championship by correctly spelling "rhetorical" and "potpourri." (BCR photo/Donna Barker)

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PRINCETON — In a clear, strong voice, Richard Lauritzen of Princeton correctly spelled the final words “rhetorical” and “potpourri” and was declared winner of the 2009 Bureau County Senior Spelling Bee.

Lauritzen competed Friday morning against four other senior citizens, Gertrude Eldridge, Marge Stone, Helen Rich and Debbie Lindberg. Friday’s spelling bee, which was sponsored by the Bureau County Senior Center in Princeton, was completed in seven rounds and about 12 minutes. The final two contestants vying for the championship were Lauritzen and Stone.

The senior citizens went through 15 spelling words in Friday’s bee, including words like enthusiasm, nightingale, salvageable, clientele, acquisition, nonchalant, boutique and miscellaneous.

After receiving his blue ribbon and certificate, Lauritzen said he didn’t really do anything special to prepare for Friday’s spelling bee. In fact, he wasn’t even planning on entering it until moments before. None of Friday’s words were too hard, he said.

“I just do a lot of reading, and I think that helps you learn to spell words right,” the 72-year-old Lauritzen said. “This is my first spelling bee I’ve ever been in, and it was fun. I’m surprised I won it though.”

First runner-up Stone, who is 92, said she also likes to read, and she thought she had correctly spelled her final word “rhetorical” for the judges. She knows how to spell the word, she said, spelling it correctly again. But the final word of the judges stands, the Princeton woman said.

As winner of the county spelling bee, Lauritzen will advance to the regional spelling bee in Rock Island. The two top spellers from that competition will advance to the Illinois State Senior Spelling Bee, which was won last year by Princeton woman Irene Clayton.

Lauritzen said he will do some studying for the regional spelling bee. There are spelling lists available for the competition, he thought. Otherwise, he’d just study the dictionary, he said.

Lauritzen, originally from Walnut, lived for many years in Chicago and worked as a night auditor for the Hilton Hotels, before retiring and moving back to Bureau County.

Judges for Friday’s spelling bee were Jane Lampkin and Judd Lusher. Moderator was Jean Gewin. Organizing Friday’s spelling bee was Heather Whittington, activities director for the Bureau County Senior Center.

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