Class Notes
Giving List

Spring 2013

Dear Luther Class of 2007,

It’s spring!  In our house, spring means the start of baseball season, the closing of another school year, clothes hanging outside to dry, and the beginning of grilling 99 percent of our dinners.  Thinking back to Luther, spring meant studying and playing Frisbee on the library lawn, walking over to the Whippy Dip for a sundae, and getting ready for final exams. 

This year spring also means wishing President and Mrs. Torgerson well as they leave Luther and head out on new adventures.  I have such mixed feelings concerning the Torgersons’ departure from Luther.  I am so excited for them and extremely grateful for all they have done.  The class of 2007 benefited from their dedication to Luther in so many ways, including the renovation of Brandt and the Union.  We also had some of the most dedicated professors, who were led by the vision of President Torgerson. 

But, I’m also selfish.  I am going to miss seeing the Torgersons when I visit campus.  Sometimes it’s hard for me to change, and the Torgersons have done so much good that it’s hard to say goodbye. 

One way that we can honor the Torgersons is to donate to Luther College in their honor.  Our class excels in its giving to Luther.  In 2012, 30 percent of our class donated to our college.  This percentage is more than any other class between 1975 and 2012!  Way to go, us!  Please consider giving once again to Luther in 2013.  Luther has done so much good for us, and by giving back to Luther, we can help current and future students have the same experiences we had.

I challenge everybody in the class of 2007 to donate—be it for the first time, or for the 10^th time.  Please find a way to give to Luther.  Remember, every gift helps.  Gifts can be any size you would like.  Any and all gifts benefit Luther, current students, and our legacy.

I wish you all a happy spring and many happy memories of our time together at Luther.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Dan Schmidt
daniel.m.schmidt@yahoo.com

Sarah (Quick) Olejniczak
sarah.olejniczak@yahoo.com

Megan (St. Clair) Nelson
megannsnelson@aol.com

Class Notes
PAIGE (BRANT) and PATRICK BURZLAFF ’08 met with Luther music professors Eric Kutz and Miko Kominami at the Malibu Coast Music Festival, where Kutz and Kominami performed works by Brahms and Ginastera.  Paige is youth pastor at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Bakersfield, Calif.

SARAH (TWEDT) ‘06 and JONATHAN CARLSON live in Decorah. Jonathan teaches junior high physical education and is the varsity boys basketball coach for Decorah High School.

MEGAN (MANTHEY) and ERIC ELLINGSON ‘06 live in St. Paul, Minn. Megan earned a master’s degree in nursing and is a nurse practitioner at United Hospital.

ADRIENE ESSEX WILLIAMS of Tupelo, Miss., earned a master’s degree in sport administration from Mississippi State University.

ELENA GEIGER-SIMPSON is the director of nursing and residential treatment program at Touchstone Mental Health in Minneapolis.

COREY HLAVACEK is an auditor for the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) in Chicago.

JEFF HODEN is a quality engineer for John Deere and Company in Dubuque, Iowa.

KIMBERLY (REICHERT) and MATTHEW HOEGH live in Denver. Kimberly works as a registered nurse at Barnes Jewish Hospital, and Matthew earned a medical doctorate from St. Louis School of Medicine. He graduated with honors, including Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu National Jesuit Honor Society, ACP Coy D. Fitch Book Award, and Graduation Distinction in Research and Community Service. Matthew is an internal medicine resident at the University of Colorado Hospitals.

JAMIE HOLMBERG and STEVEN KAIN live in Richfield, Minn. Jamie is a clinical laboratory technologist at Mayo Clinic. Steven is the senior R&D finance analyst at Medtronic.

ANDY LANTZ earned a master’s degree in Spanish from Texas A&M and is a graduate assistant Spanish instructor at the university.

RENEE (SKOW) and DARIN PERSON live in North Liberty, Iowa. Renee teaches first grade for the Iowa City Community School District. Darin is a social worker and suicide prevention case manager for the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

KATIE (KRUSE) RATHER earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is campaign manager for the Wisconsin School of Business with the University of Wisconsin Foundation in Madison.

JOANNA SIMPSON is a healthcare information technology consultant at Oxford Global Resources in Madison, Wis.

ERIN SMOCK teaches English as a second language for Van Buren Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

RYAN SNELL earned a doctorate in chemical engineering from Iowa State University. He is a research chemist for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company in Kingwood, Texas.

JENNIE TENOLD is a physical therapist at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in Maple Grove, Minn.

Marriages
JOANNA BEHM and Keith Glaser, Sept. 15, 2012
CHEYANNE BODDICKER and Karl Kofmehl, May 5, 2012
ADRIENE ESSEX and Martin Williams, May 26, 2012
AMY HARRISON and Aaron Kline, May 26, 2012
JAMIE HOLMBERG and STEVEN KAIN, Jan. 7, 2012
LAURA JOHNSON and Lee Young, July 30, 2011
SAMANTHA KEMP and PAUL CARLIN '11, Aug. 10, 2012
KATIE KRUSE and John Rather, Aug. 18, 2012
MIKE LUDEKING and CAROL REECE '08, Aug. 11, 2012
ERICA OLSON and Philip George, June 29, 2012
MOLLY POGRANT and Travis Brown, June 22, 2012
PAUL STELLMACHER and Heather Underkofler, June 9, 2012
MEGAN SHEPPARD and Zach Volk, May 28, 2011
JORDAN WIKLUND and Rachel Leake, Oct. 27, 2012

Births
MARCOS GRAND DE ORO and JILL (ROLLINS) ’09 welcomed a son, Henric, in November 2011.

AMY (KRISTAPOVICH) and Joel Logan welcomed a son, George, in April 2012.         

RENEE (SKOW) and DARIN PERSON welcomed twin daughters, Grace, and Norah, in September 2012.  Grace and Norah join brother Oliver

ELISABETH PETERSEN and BEN PETERSEN welcomed a son, August, in August 2012.       

SARAH GOPLEN and RYAN SNELL welcomed a son, Soren, in February 2012.          

ERICA (SVIEN) and MIKE SWENSON '06 welcomed a son, Henrik, in June 2012.

Don't forget your Annual Fund giving!