Spring 2013
Dear Classmates:
As I write this letter, we are at our home in Green Valley, Ariz. It is beginning to feel like Minnesota. The weather overall has been on the cool side and we’ve had two snowfalls in February. Outside of the beauty when the desert, cacti, palms, and other vegetation are covered with snow, it is a bit perplexing. We plan to cut all the fronds off the palm trees, since they were destroyed by the freezing and snow.
John Barstad and wife Cheryl report that they spent some quality time with their family and friends on a 2,500-mile trip through seven states. Along with the time together, their experience of eating at non-national chain restaurants was a plus on the trip. (We do the same when possible, and find some great food. One of the most interesting is pickled chicken gizzards at a place Up North.) John noted, also, that the recently elected president of the International Sons of Norway, Marit Kristiansen, and her husband live in their neighborhood.
Terry Fretheim, professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, gave four presentations on “Preaching and the God of the Old Testament” at the Byberg Homiletic Workshop in Cannon Beach, Ore., in January. In March he will be the speaker at Lutherhostel 2013, at Spirit in the Deseart Retreat Center in Carefree, Ariz.
A word of thanks to Rhys Hanson for all the e-mails he sends with news of the world, politics, humor, and the like. I trust that some of you are receiving these. It is amazing how quickly one can communicate these days.
Our classmates Elaine (Forde) Larson and Kristi (Hendrickson) Thompson have homes here in Green Valley, too. Summers are spent back in Minnesota. Elaine continues to sing in choral groups at Desert Hills Lutheran Church. They are fine and enjoying life to the fullest.
Juanita Loven and husband Russell continue to enjoy life in Guttenberg, Iowa. In a Christmas e-mail they reported that Russ still serves as mayor, and they are active in the community. Mayo Clinic told Russ that the 2011 surgery for lung cancer has been effective, a relief to hear. They did take a trip to Colorado and Arizona with their daughter and her husband last summer. And in the fall they traveled east through Michigan, New York, and Maine. In a postscript to the letter they recommended reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and The Debt Bomb by Senator Tom Coburn. Thanks for the tip.
James Limburg, professor emeritus of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, has published Hymns for Ensembles (AugsburgFortress), together with composer-arranger James Engebretson. He also reprised his position as guest pastor at Living Waters Lutheran Church in North Port, Fla. He also taught a series on biblical creation stories at Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minn. It’s good to keep active.
I have received some extremely interesting e-mails from Solveig Otte. Her new address is 15 Luther Gardens, 3 Bester Road, Hayfields 3201, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. After retiring, she recently spent four months traveling in Holland and the United States, which was noted in the last class letter. In December she took a nasty fall and sustained a back fracture. Still, she is back volunteering in her career field, supporting AIDS victims in that country. We are proud of you, Solveig, for your life of service in that land, and we hope you are having a good new year.
Henry Tressel wrote that this year he made a number of contributions on “Give to the Max Day,” including to LUTHER. You may have heard of this special time in the fall when not-for-profits seek end-of-year gifts. It is an interesting concept. Hank encouraged classmates to think about it this year. For more information you can go to the search mode on your home page, or Google and enter give to the max 2013. Thank you, Henry.
I am sorry to have to note that David Thronson passed away November 12, 2013. The son of Reverend Carmen P. ’27 and Borghild (Ottoson) Thronson, after graduation he did graduate studies at Northern Iowa University, University of Kansas, and North Texas State University. David served in the Army as a statistician before several years teaching, serving as principal, and coaching football in Monona, Iowa. He also taught at Iowa Central Community College and served as a mathematics consultant for the State of Iowa. Seven summers were spent at Boston College teaching discrete mathematics to secondary school educators. His career concluded with teaching at Westside Community College in Omaha, Neb. He and wife Betty had one son and two daughters. One daughter and her husband graduated from the college, Rebecca ’88 and Scot Istrom ’86, as well as an older brother, Carmen ’53.
As for Carlyle and me, we will soon complete the first year of retirement, our third attempt but a permanent condition this time. We have finally found the time to deal with the many projects and tasks set aside during working years. One of them is to sort through decades of slides and photos and prepare to transfer them to computer files. We do keep active in other ways as well. Depending on the season and location, we swim, bike, walk, do water aerobics, use the weight rooms, and cross-country ski. One big difference is that we don’t dress up as much as before. Carlyle says he has almost forgotten what a tie is.
The news from the college is that the search for the next president to succeed Rick Torgerson is in the final stages. Rick and Judy will be ending their service this summer after 14 years. They have had an exemplary career there with great emphasis in recent years on stewardship of the environment and energy efficiency. They will be missed, surely. This spring they are attending many campaign events around the country. I hope that you have had, or will have, the opportunity to attend one and thank them for their service. We look forward to attending one in Tucson the end of March. These events are always well planned by the college staff.
Recently, the college made available the giving report for 2012 for all classes. I am very happy to note that our class continues to improve in the percent of classmates making a gift. In 2012, 42 percent of the class contributed to the Annual Fund, and 43 percent contributed to that and/or another fund. This moves our class up in the overall ranking and is a testimony to the generosity of ’56. Thank you for your fine response to the need to help out current students who face a very different working world than we did upon graduation.
Finally, here’s hoping that this finds you and your loved ones safe, warm, and well as we come to winter’s end. Please keep sending information on what is happening in your lives. It is such a pleasure to keep in touch. And a blessed Easter to you.
As Always,
Mary (Kittelsland) Haaland
maryhaaland@yahoo.com
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:
Class of 1955 total giving in 2012: $20,557 from 42% of the class
Class of 1956 total giving in 2012: $20,253 from 43% of the class
Class of 1957 total giving in 2012: $93,061 from 51% of the class
Your gift can boost the impact your class has on current students! Please use the enclosed envelope or visit www.givenow.luther.edu to show your support. Thank you!
WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE:
This list includes all gifts received January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012. Making a gift each and every year is an investment in the lives of Luther students and a show of support for the Luther College community. Thank you for your support of Luther College through your giving.
Glynn Aasland
Gerald Anderson
Marian (Carlson) Balch
Glynn Aasland
Gerald Anderson
Marian (Carlson) Balch
Harlan Bang
John Barstad*
Donald Berg*
Marilyn Bohl
Ronald Brandt
Thomas Brendsel
Carolyn (Tenold) Broman*
Roger Dahlen*
Eldon Ellefson
Audrey (Burch) Engebretson
James Engebretson
Ahna (Paulsrud) Ericksen
Arnold Fredriksen
Gracia (Nilssen) Fredriksen
Faith (Luzum) Fretheim*
Terence Fretheim*
Donald Gandrud
Colleen (Smedstad) Gandrud
Betty (Nyhus) Gollnik
Donna (Kumm) Green*
Mary (Kittelsland) Haaland*
Sara Hansen-Walter
Berneil (Rust) Hanson*
Rhys Hanson*
Judith (Sauall) Hoffman
Donovan Hommen*
Harris Hostager
Luetta (Ellefson) Hostager
Clayton Hovda*
Charles Hulsether
Richard Jacobson*
Robert Johnson
Sheridan Johnson*
Annette (Hardie) Jungck
Stanley Jungck
Beth (Evanson) Kabat*
Helen (Erickson) Kissel*
Charles Kloster
Helen Knutson
Marlys (Nordgaard) Koursh*
A. Thomas Kraabel*
Harold Kurth
David Landswerk
Jeanine (Johansen) Landswerk
Elaine (Forde) Larson
Irene (Runningen) Lehrke*
Truman Lewis*
Verna (McCaustland) Lewison
Nels Lillejord
James Limburg
Martha (Ylvisaker) Limburg
Norma (Wahlstrom) Lionberger*
William Losen*
Juanita (Zeman) Loven*
Mary (Stoen) Marquard
Harvard McLean*
Priscilla (Mikkelson) Moore*
Arlene (Olsen) Nelson*
Joseph Nesheim*
Klareen Nottestad*
Donna Olson*
Nancy (Beggs) Oren*
Donna (Weiser) Owen*
Dean Ramsay
Thomas Robinson*
Conrad Rolland*
Mary (Kraabel) Rolland*
Richard Rundle
Barbara (Nasett) Spilde*
Roger Spilde*
Harold Thompson*
David Torrison*
June (Tesch) Torrison*
Henry Tressel*
Malcolm Tuve*
Patricia (Haraldson) Urberg*
Harold Verhulst*
Arline (Bohl) Walter
Genevieve (Fosdahl) Wilberg
Vincel Williams*
Lois (Beaver) Wintersteen*
* made a gift in each of the last five consecutive years.
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If an error has been made, please accept our apology and contact the Luther Development Office at 800-225-8664, or e-mail giving@luther.edu.
