Class Notes
Giving List

Spring 2013

Dear Class of '68:

Hey everybody!  Spring is just around the corner, Cactus League baseball has already started, the Midwest is getting pounded by one snow storm after another, Arizona weather has been more than crazy, and taxes are due any day now.  Actually, our third winter is Arizona has seen record-breaking warm weather, cold weather, rain fall, and snow in the Valley of the Sun, as well as in the northern mountains.  Being tough Iowans has given us an advantage over the native Arizonians, though, and they can't understand how we can wear shorts and play golf when it is only 60 degrees outside.  If you haven't survived a bunch of winters in Decorah, you can't appreciate real winter.  

Anyway, enough of that!  I am honored to communicate with all of you once again and, as always, enjoy being able to share some thoughts with you.  It has been a challenge and a privilege to be your class agent, and I am humbled to be trusted with this responsibility.  However, I am always ready to pass along this post with anyone else who may have decided they would like to take over.   

I have always been amazed at how our class has maintained its giving to Luther.  You guys are awesome!  The latest report shows that our class is #2 in the number of donors over all active classes, with 141 of 393 classmates giving to Luther.  One or two more new donors would give us a shot at #1.  It's not just the Annual Fund, there are scholarship gifts, special gifts, and in-kind opportunities that are all possibilities.  Great job, '68.  Let's keep up the good work.

Have I mentioned that this year is a REUNION YEAR for us?  It is, it is our 45-year anniversary this year and that calls for a major celebration, 1968-style.  I hope everyone enjoyed our 40th as much as I did; I thought it was huge fun to get back to Decorah and see all of you again.  I am excited about our 45^th, and I think we are going to have another great reunion.  I will try to get us into Mabe's again for a Friday night “meet and greet,” and our Saturday night reception and dinner will be at the Hotel Winneshiek.  If you haven't made housing reservations yet, it's time to get that taken care of too.  All of the Homecoming information is on the Luther.edu website and you should definitely check it out.  More information will be coming out, but don't wait too long to make your plans.  Oh, by the way, Homecoming weekend is Friday, October 4 - Sunday, October 6.

That's really all for now, except to add that Joan and I want to wish you all a great spring and summer this year.  Be safe, have lots of fun, make friends every time you get a chance, and never take our blessings for granted.  We are looking forward to seeing you all in October and will be counting the days until we meet for pizza and beer and a great 1968-style party.     

Len Bruce
len.bruce@mchsi.com or friend me on Facebook!

Class Note
MARK WARDELL is the dean of Toulouse Graduate School at the University of North Texas in Denton.

Obituaries
Rosalee “ROSE” (NORTMAN) Mahlum of Apple Valley, Minn., died June 13, 2012, at age 65, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born and raised in Black River Falls, Wis., she graduated from Luther in 1968, with a major in economics. Later that year, Rose married Walton Mahlum and began her 21-year career as an Air Force spouse, skillfully managing moves to many locations in the U.S. and a three-year tour in the United Kingdom. Along with raising three daughters, she also earned a bachelor of science in nursing degree from Moorhead State University and began a successful career as a registered nurse during this time. When Walton retired from the Air Force, they moved to Apple Valley, and Rose began a 16-year career at the Minneapolis VA Hospital, working in the post-op intensive care unit, and as part of a large shingles prevention study, which resulted in the development of a successful vaccine. After retiring from the VA, she served as a volunteer parish nurse in her Lutheran congregation and board member of the Faith Community Nurse Network. Rose traveled extensively, including to Tanzania, Africa, as part of a church volunteer group. She is survived by her husband; daughters, Carrie (MAHLUM) Wees ’93, Erica, and Emilie Breit; four granddaughters; a sister, Jill Melbye; a brother, Jon Nortman; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

MaryLou (Mary Louise Schmitt) Sollien of Minneapolis (formerly of Decorah and Bonita Bay, Fla.) died from complications of Alzheimer's disease July 26, 2012, at age 80. She graduated from Ridgeway (Iowa) High School in 1950; in 1955 MaryLou married Floyd Sollien, whom she met while they both worked at Decorah Newspapers. Together they raised three children: Judith, David, and Steven. She continued to do freelance work for the paper for many years and was also an active supporter and volunteer for the Vesterhiem and Porter House museums, Luther College, and Nordic Fest. MaryLou and Floyd traveled extensively, to Egypt, Turkey, China, and much of Europe and the Americas. While in Decorah, she shared Floyd's passion for conservation and woodland preservation. They were recognized among America's top tree farmers in 1994. In 1995 Floyd and Mary Lou received Luther’s Distinguished Service Award. They were members of Luther’s Heritage Club and also life members of President’s Council. In 1996 the Floyd and MaryLou Sollien Natural History Scholarship was established at Luther. Floyd and MaryLou became Florida residents in 1994 and returned to Decorah in 2007, moving to Wellington Place. After Floyd's death in 2007, she relocated to the Jones-Harrison Residence in Minneapolis to be near her children.  MaryLou will be remembered for the grace with which she lived her final years, her kindness to all she encountered, and her heartfelt appreciation for friends, family, and caregivers. Her family thanks the numerous friends who continued to include her in their lives and thoughts, even as she became unable to fully participate, and to her exceptional caregivers at Wellington Place, Jones-Harrison, and Methodist Hospice Care. MaryLou is survived by siblings Willmar Smith and Ginger (Jean) Fishback; three children, Judith Rubin, David Sollien, and Steven Sollien; and two grandchildren. Memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011, or the Floyd and MaryLou Sollien Natural History Scholarship, c/o Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, IA 52101.

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: