Class Notes
Giving List

Spring 2013

Dear Luther College Classmates of 1953,

I have delayed this letter until very close to the March 1 deadline, hoping that I could announce what you would already have heard:  praesidem habemus, we have a president.  Couldn’t resist playing off the coincidence that the decision of the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church was to come on the heels of our choice, heralded with a wisp of smoke from the Sistine Chapel and the public announcement: habemus papam, we have a pope.  As it turns out, the Catholic Cardinals are going to reach their goal before we do, and I am left with the lame report: habemus non praesidem, we do not have a president, a new one that is.  However, despair not.  Rather take comfort in the confidence that our “College” of Regents is taking the responsibilities of their choice with due diligence and will announce praesidem habemus before long.

It is not easy to date this letter “Spring 2013,” when surrounded by snow-blanketed vistas and predictions of more to come.  Has anyone else noticed that winter becomes increasingly challenging as we “get on in years”?  Oh well, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind.”  Google that line sometime.  It comes from Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind, from the early 19^th century.  I googled it just now and clicked on a link to Shelley’s BIO.  Wow!  He drowned at a young age, but, had he not, he might have perished from spontaneous combustion.  Those Romantic poets lived intensely.  I felt singed simply reading about it.  Perhaps the Victorian Age was a response to their excesses.

What has really warmed our winter days these past few weeks has been a series of adult forums at First Lutheran church featuring several Luther students.  Our own Gene Hermeier planned this series.  It has provided us a glimpse of the promise of idealistic youth.  I will share brief profiles of three of them.

Chris Norton, from Altoona, Iowa, experienced a severe spinal injury playing football for Luther in October 2010.  His doctors at Mayo Clinic in Rochester held out little promise that he would regain any significant level of mobility.  However, with access to the most sophisticated therapy equipment available—thanks  to full insurance coverage as a participant in collegiate athletic competition—Chris soldiered on with single-minded determination and astounded his caregivers with his progress toward recovery.  He has returned to classes at Luther, with a lot of support from family and friends and a continuing rigorous routine of physical therapy.  Challenges remain, but Chris is one determined individual.  In addition to his studies and ongoing therapy, he has established a foundation to raise money to provide equipment that has helped him for others with physical challenges similar to his.  He wants to make this foundation his life’s work; he has already raised funding for significant equipment purchases for the Decorah hospital.

Annie Whiteley, a senior chemistry major from Wayzata, Minn., was named a Rhodes Scholar in November.  She will spend the next two years at Oxford, hoping to focus on medical anthropology, and then attend medical school.  As a sophomore Annie spent a January Term in Tanzania, studying the Maasai people.  She returned there the following summer and participated in a chemistry project that documented traditional plant knowledge and experimented with practical applications of their use.  Annie envisions a future of attention to global health issues. 

Environmental concerns have attracted the interest of Jamie Stallman, a religion major from Fargo, N. D.  Jamie is just back from Europe and participation in a January Term course titled “Green Germany and Norway,” an experience that strengthened his resolve to continue the study of theology following graduation from Luther.  He hopes to shape a ministry that focuses God’s people on care of the earth.

Cheered by such vision and hope, I’m ready to declare that Spring is just around the bend.  There is good news from those on the cusp of taking charge of our world.  It’s a joy to bask in their idealism and cheer them on.

We were once also young, with plans for good.  It falls to us more and more to look back on how it all turned out, as well as forward to how it promises to be—good accomplished and good unfolding.  Three of our number have died since I last wrote:  Dale Skatrud on October 9, 2012; Edward Ulseth on December 15, 2012; and Ila Mae Hjelle Schumacher on February 6, 2013.  Dale and Ed served many years as Lutheran pastors.  Ila Mae was a teacher for a while and above all a mother.  Blessed be their memories!

You will be hearing from me again in a few months, with announcements concerning our 60th class reunion at Homecoming in the fall, October 4-6.  We’ll make it a return to Spring.

Cheers!

Wilfred F. Bunge
bungewil@luther.edu

Class Note
CLARIE RENSLO STRENG BROSTE ’55 (of Buda, Texas), SOLVEIG OTTE ’56 (of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa), and KRISTI (HENDRICKSON) ’56 and PAUL THOMPSON (of Mankato, Minn.) gathered at the Thompson home in July and enjoyed reminiscing about their Luther College memories.

Obituaries
Edward Ulseth’s and Ila Mae Hjelle Schumacher’s obituaries will appear in the next class agent letter

Dale Skatrud, age 82, of Edina, Minn., died October 9, 2012, after a long and valiant struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Born in Manitowoc, Wis., he graduated from Valders High School before enrolling at Luther. Dale went on to earn a master’s degree in divinity from Luther Seminary. He served as an ALC and ELCA parish pastor in Harlowton and Libby, Mont., and Casper, Wyo. While serving as parish pastor, Dale was elected to the governing board of the Division for Service and Mission in America, the American missions board of the ALC. He also served on the board of regents of Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. Later, until retirement, Dale served on the regional staff for the ELCA in its programs within the United States for starting new congregations and other ministries, including with Native American communities and prison congregations. During many years of his retirement, he enjoyed spending winter in Jackson, Wyo., skiing with his wife, Elaine, and entertaining family and friends from around the country. Preceded in death by his brother, Ralph Skatrud ‘51, Dale is survived by his wife, Elaine; brothers: Roger Skatrud ‘57, Keith Skatrud ‘66, and Paul Skatrud ‘74; children: David, Mary, Kari, and John; and six grandchildren.

Don't forget your Annual Fund giving! 
Each year nearly 9,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $50,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us reach our goal of 27% alumni giving.  Here’s how your class—and surrounding classes—did in 2012: 

Donald Ambroson
Roger Amundson
Donna (Haugen) Bahr*
Emma (Brandt) Benedict
John Bruemmer*
Wilfred Bunge*
Donald Bungum*
Suzanne (Preus) Dahl*
Milan Davig
Duane Erickson*
Joyce (Dahl) Fadness
Knute Gilbertson
Ann (Stokke) Glesne
Keith Gordon
Richard Simon Hanson*
Irene (Schulz) Hausken*
Patricia (Nielsen) Haven*
Christine (Rotto) Hefte
Richard Hefte
Gene Hermeier*
Ruby (Totman) Hermeier*
Helen (Rod) Heusinkveld*
Omar Hougen
Carroll Hultgren
Virginia (Joiner) Hundertmark
Alphea (Rikansrud) Iverson*
Manuel Johnson*
Ramona (Wheaton) Johnson*
Joanne (Gray) Kolstad*
Eyvonne (Hoff) Langehough*
Curtis Larson
Joan (Fjeldstad) Losen*
Harlan Marchant
Henry Mathre
Marilyn (Stolle) Miller
Robert Mix
Laurance Moe*
Robert Nelson*
Dale Noble*
O. Rolf Olson*
Mildred (Benson) Peterson*
Hilbert Reese*
Janet (Bailie) Remstad
Wayne Rohne*
Clyde Sagvold*
Enid (Erickson) Sagvold*
Avis (Nelson) Savre*
Robert Savre*
Sonja (Strom) Scarseth*
Larry Seim
Elaine (Wessels) Skaar*
†Dale Skatrud*
John Stueber*
Herman Talle
Lois (Rossbach) Thedens
Ellen (Rotvold) Ward*
Bonnie (Braa) Warrington
Roger Weberg*