Parents and Family Council

Julie and Tim Halverson
Oak Creek, Wis.

Julie and Tim Halverson are the parents of Colin, a senior enrolled in the Nursing program at Luther. Colin is a diver for the Luther Swimming and Diving team and enjoys getting involved in several of the clubs and student organizations that Luther offers. Julie and Tim live in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, along with Colin’s younger brother, Kai, and their overly energetic orange tabby cat, Henry.

Julie works as an Immigration Paralegal for Michael Best & Friedrich LLP and has been working in the field of immigration for over 20 years. She enjoys cheering on her boys in all of their athletic and musical pursuits, working out, volunteering, and watching mindless reality shows. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (’97).

Tim works as a Senior Regional Director for Russell Investments and has been in the financial services industry for 25 years. He is a graduate of Coker University (’97) and currently serves on its Board of Trustees. Tim also loves watching his sons participate in their activities and is an avid golfer, reader, and a lifelong Milwaukee Bucks fan.

The Halversons’ first love is traveling as a family, and their favorite destinations include Mexican beaches and the southwestern U.S. They also enjoy hiking, attending local sporting events together, and participating in extremely competitive miniature golf and UNO games.

Julie and Tim are excited to be part of the Luther family and fell in love with the campus on their first visit. They look forward to participating in campus events, cheering on the Norse athletic teams, and exploring the natural beauty of Decorah as much as possible. As active parents in their local school district, Julie and Tim are happy to have this opportunity to continue to be involved at the collegiate level.

Betsy and Steve McElroy
Carmichael, Calif.

Betsy and Steve are the parents of Evan, a senior, and Kyle, a junior. Evan double majors in History and Anthropology. Evan ran on the Cross Country team during her Freshman and Sophomore years, plays trombone in Concert Band and Symphony, and studied in Nottingham, England last Spring.  Kyle’s major is International Studies focusing on Latin America with a minor in Spanish. He plays the double bass in the Symphony Orchestra, participates in Model UN, and is Vice President of the Student Activities Council (SAC). Kyle studied in Honduras last January and will study in Guatemala and Costa Rica this Spring. 

Betsy and Steve live in Sacramento, CA, after living in Iowa City, Iowa for ten years. Betsy is a priest in the Episcopal Church serving in Lodi, CA. Steve is the Chief of Neonatology at the University of California, Davis Children’s Hospital and runs a biomedical research laboratory studying injury and repair of the premature intestine. One of our greatest joys is watching our kids participate in their various athletic and musical activities. The McElroys love traveling together and finding new places to explore, especially outdoors while wearing hiking boots!

We were first introduced to Luther through the Dorian Summer Festivals. Kyle knew he would attend Luther after his first Dorian experience in 7th grade. Both Evan and Kyle were drawn to Luther through their emphasis on the student experience, community, and the opportunity to explore multiple interests. Despite living many miles away, we are confident that our kids have the support to thrive in college and are thrilled to be part of the Luther family.

Kristine Rellihan
Asbury, Iowa

Kristine’s son, Caleb Christiansen, is a senior majoring in Biology. Caleb is also a member of the percussion ensemble and orchestra at Luther. Caleb is looking forward to graduate school for Cytology post graduation this spring.

Kristine graduated from Winona State University (’99) and has been working in Marketing for over 20 years. She is currently AVP of Marketing Operations for Dupaco Community Credit Union. Caleb’s younger brother Garren is a freshman at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Kristine, lives in Dubuque, IA. Kristine, Caleb and Garren spend as much time outdoors as they can – hiking, kayaking, white water rafting and mountain biking. Vacations each year include all of the above at various National Parks in the U.S. Kristine enjoys volunteering for non-profits in the Dubuque area.

Kristine has always loved the Decorah area and is thrilled that Caleb chose Luther for his next big step in life. The staff and students made this an easy decision for them both.

Andrea and Jay Schwake
Solon, Iowa

Andrea and Jay are parents to Lauran, a Luther senior English/Secondary Education major. Having been very involved in vocal and instrumental music, along with drama at the high school level, Luther was appealing to Lauran because she could remain involved with music without being a music major. During her first year at Luther, Lauran sang in Aurora, played clarinet in the concert band and participated in a musical. Her favorite thing from first her first year was Christmas at Luther.

Jay is a Construction Inspector for the State of Iowa Department of Transportation, where he has worked for 16 years. In his spare time, he enjoys hobby farming, woodworking and projects around the house.

Andrea is a RN at UnityPoint Health St. Lukes Hospital and splits her time between the Outpatient Infusion Center and Inpatient Dialysis Unit. Her hobbies include photography and digital scrapbooking, needlecrafts and reading.

Their family is rounded out by their son, Austin, who graduated from Kirkwood Community College in May, 2023 in Advanced Manufacturing. They also have a miniature poodle, Rosie, who runs the whole show.

Dustin ’98 and Sarah ’98 Smith
Grinnell, Iowa

Shannon and Ryan Anderson
Oregon, Wis.

Ryan and Shannon Anderson are proud parents of Luther alum Blake (Class of 2024) and current student Rose (Class of 2027). Blake majored in biology with a minor in chemistry. He was a member of the men’s swim and dive team, studied abroad in Tanzania, and completed an internship at West Side Dental in Decorah. Rose is pursuing a biology major with a Spanish minor. She is a member of the women’s soccer team and is looking forward to spending the next few years growing at Luther.

Ryan is the Senior Director of Instructional Design for the University of Wisconsin System’s Extended Campus. His team works with faculty across the state to create online degree completion programs. Prior to joining UWEX, Ryan led the e-learning design team for Epic. Ryan and Shannon met early in their careers as K-12 educators. Ryan earned a bachelor’s in Secondary English Education and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ryan is active in his home church through singing, serving on the church council, and he is co-organizer of the lefse making team.

A career K-12 educator, Shannon is currently the Director of Student Services for the Oregon School District.  She has previously served as a high school teacher, associate principal, and principal. She also is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Edgewood College. She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and her master’s and doctorate degrees in Educational Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ryan and Shannon strongly believe a liberal arts education provides young adults with the best opportunity to successfully navigate our complex, diverse, and changing society. They also thoroughly enjoy the Decorah community–the restaurants, the Vesterheim, the shops, the trails, Nordic Fest, and they are also always up for a visit to the Whippy Dip or the Sugar Bowl! As a family, they have visited many of the national parks. They recently located Ryan’s family farms in Norway.

Their children selected Luther because of the strong sense of community provided on campus, the outstanding learning opportunities, and the dedicated and supportive faculty, coaches, and staff. Go Norse!

Shelley ’99 and Adam ’00 Bumpus
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Shelley ’99 and Adam ’00 are parents of Megan, a junior student majoring in elementary education and minoring in music. She is a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. They also have a younger child, Ivy, who is a sophomore at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids.

Shelley studied elementary education at Luther and is now a preschool teacher in the three year old classroom at Trinity Lane Preschool in Cedar Rapids.

Adam studied Physics at Luther and later earned an MBA from University of Iowa. Adam is an engineering manager for an aviation software team. He is also involved in Scouts BSA as a scoutmaster.

Andrew and Dannelle Gay
Sun Prairie, Wis.

Keith ’91 and Zay Lenaburg
Appleton, Wis.

Keith and Zay Lenaburg are parents to Henry, majoring in global health. He is on the student senate, enjoys being secretary of Tri-Omega fraternity and works for recreation services.

Keith graduated from Luther (1991) and earned his M.B.A. from Carlson School of Management in 1999. Currently, Keith works for The Heritage Senior Living as a driver and activities assistant. This fun job comes after retirement from 33 years in the IT department at Thrivent. Keith volunteers at First English Lutheran Church on the Finance Committee and runs the soundboard for church services. He likes to spend time outdoors, whether it be riding his bike, walking, or doing yard work. While at Luther, Keith played bass clarinet in the concert band and likes to play in ensembles when he has the opportunity. He is originally from Cedar Rapids, IA, and then lived and worked in Minneapolis after graduation before moving to Appleton with Zay in 2009.

Zay is an elementary and middle school teacher with an English degree from St Olaf College and a Masters from the University of St Thomas. She works in the Appleton Area School District. Like Keith, she also volunteers at First English Lutheran Church. They have two daughters, Mimi and Marta, who are first year students at other ELCA colleges. 

Keith and Zay feel blessed to have their son embracing the Luther experience and feel confident that a Luther liberal arts education will provide him a strong foundation for life.

Betsy and Steve McElroy
Carmichael, Calif.

Betsy and Steve are the parents of Evan, a senior, and Kyle, a junior. Evan double majors in History and Anthropology. Evan ran on the Cross Country team during her Freshman and Sophomore years, plays trombone in Concert Band and Symphony, and studied in Nottingham, England last Spring.  Kyle’s major is International Studies focusing on Latin America with a minor in Spanish. He plays the double bass in the Symphony Orchestra, participates in Model UN, and is Vice President of the Student Activities Council (SAC). Kyle studied in Honduras last January and will study in Guatemala and Costa Rica this Spring. 

Betsy and Steve live in Sacramento, CA, after living in Iowa City, Iowa for ten years. Betsy is a priest in the Episcopal Church serving in Lodi, CA. Steve is the Chief of Neonatology at the University of California, Davis Children’s Hospital and runs a biomedical research laboratory studying injury and repair of the premature intestine. One of our greatest joys is watching our kids participate in their various athletic and musical activities. The McElroys love traveling together and finding new places to explore, especially outdoors while wearing hiking boots!

We were first introduced to Luther through the Dorian Summer Festivals. Kyle knew he would attend Luther after his first Dorian experience in 7th grade. Both Evan and Kyle were drawn to Luther through their emphasis on the student experience, community, and the opportunity to explore multiple interests. Despite living many miles away, we are confident that our kids have the support to thrive in college and are thrilled to be part of the Luther family.

Kari ’93 and Troy ’91 Nelson
Farmington, Mich.

Sara ’94 and Chris ’94 Shockey
Freeport, Ill.

Sara and Chris are parents to Maddux Shockey (Class of 2027) who is majoring in Environmental Policy and Political Science and is a member of the Luther Baseball team.

Sara and Chris are both Luther grads (Class of 1994). Sara majored in elementary education and was a member of the Tau Delta Gamma sorority. Chris majored in Health / Physical Education and was a 4-year member of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams.

Sara is in her 32nd year as an educator in the Freeport School District (Home of the Pretzels). During this time, she has been a teacher, coach, and is in her 17th year as a school counselor.

Chris currently serves as the Assistant Regional Superintendent at the Regional Office of Education #8. Prior to his role at the Regional Office of Education, Chris was a middle school teacher and coach for five years and then a building principal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and a regional administrator for 25 years.

In addition to Maddux, Sara and Chris have two sons; Payton (Luther Class of 2023) who was a four-year member of Luther’s Men’s Soccer Team and currently works in St. Paul, MN at Securian Financial as an actuary. Carter graduated from the University of Iowa (2024) majoring in Sport & Recreation Management, was a four-year member of the Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band, and currently works in Iowa City, IA for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement.

Lisa Aldrich ’91 (student Megan), Lakeville, MN

Cristina ’97 and J.R.’99 Deeds
West Des Moines, IA

Cristina and J.R. are the parents of Jamie, a music performance major who plays trombone in Concert Band, Jazz Orchestra, Driftless Jazz Collective and several small groups. Cristina and J.R. met at Luther as members of the Concert Band and fell in love during the band’s 1997 Japan tour. The Deeds also have an older daughter, Abby, who is a senior industrial design major and plays piccolo in the marching band at Iowa State University.

Cristina studied music education at Luther and taught elementary and middle school band for many years. A French hornist, she maintains a private lesson studio, is a regular member of several concert bands and brass quintets, and frequently called for freelance engagements.

J.R. spent two years at Luther before transferring to Iowa State to earn a degree in electrical engineering. He is a partner at Resource Consulting Engineers, a firm specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering for institutional buildings. 

Cristina and J.R. look back fondly on their Luther liberal arts education and are thrilled to see Jamie thrive at Luther.

Jennifer and Sid Bohls (student Alexander), Mason City, IA

Kari Colchin (student Olivia), St. Paul, MN

Coreen Frank ’97 (student Tyler), Coralville, IA

Daneal and Matt Johnson
Des Moines, IA

Joy Paffenroth ’97 (student Molly) Sherwood, WI

Michael and Ellen Rock
Minneapolis, MN

Michael and Ellen are the proud parents of Percy Rock (’29), who intends to
major in Computer Science and is a member of the Luther Bowling team. Outside
of his academic and athletic commitments, Percy likes listening to music, has
dabbled in theater both behind the scenes and on stage, and is known for assisting friends and family with their technology needs. When not at Luther, Percy spends time working at several bowling alleys in Minneapolis. Percy is the youngest of three. His older sister, Emma, currently resides and works in Washington, DC, while his older brother, Cap, is a junior at Grinnell College.

Ellen practiced adolescent medicine and then became an at-home parent. She attended Carleton College and Mayo Medical School. In her free time, Ellen enjoys reading, scuba diving, cooking, traveling, and maintaining connections with friends.

Michael practices emergency medicine and has held a variety of physician leadership roles. He attended St. Lawrence University and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Michael’s hobbies include alpine skiing, scuba diving, cooking, traveling, and spending time with their cats, Perry and Pepper.

Michael and Ellen are excited to join the Luther College community, noting that they have found everyone to be extremely welcoming. Although new to Luther, they hope their collective experience navigating higher education—both personally and with their three children—will be valuable to current and future parents within the Luther family.

Michelle LeGros and Jay Stracke
Minneapolis, MN

Michelle and Jay are parents of Cato Stracke (’29). Cato is interested in Biology and Environmental Science as possible majors. She plays clarinet in the Symphonic Band and is enjoying getting involved in the Luther and Decorah communities. In her free time,
she enjoys crafting (knitting, cross-stitch, painting, carving, …) and spending time in nature. Cato chose Luther because of the commitment to liberal arts, the welcoming community and opportunities to participate in study away programs.

Michelle and Jay live in Minneapolis and are thrilled to be new members of the Luther
community. Their family includes a sports loving high school junior (Henry) and two
pups (Odin and Luna). Michelle is a St Olaf graduate and has an MBA from the University of MN. She is ‘retired’ from her corporate marketing career and currently runs a consulting practice. Jay graduated from the University of Oklahoma and has an MBA from George Mason University. After a career focused on medical technology and
healthcare economics, Jay is recently retired and pursuing interests in landscape design and Japanese gardening.

The LeGros-Stracke family loves exploring Decorah and being on campus for band
concerts and family events. Since they love to travel (6 continents down – 1 to go!),
they look forward to visiting Cato wherever her Luther studies bring her.

Alicia Anderson ’86 and Bob Skelly

Alicia and Bob are parents of Mara Anderson-Skelly who graduated with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Identity Studies. Mara enjoyed her classes at Luther and found her professors engaged with students and excellent educators. In fall 2021 and fall 2022, Mara worked as an Intern with the Raptor Resource Project, catching and tagging birds of prey as they migrate through the area. Mara worked as a Sustainability Intern, helping educate the campus community through a variety of projects like First Year Experience, Recycling, and a community conservation project. She also sang and took piano lessons. Mara found Luther to be just the right place for her on every level.

Alicia graduated from Luther (1986) and serves as campus minister at Penn State with an ELCA campus ministry. Originally from the Chicago area, she has lived in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years now. In her free time, she likes to bike, walk and train her dogs (Aspen and Lola), listen to podcasts, read biographies, and watch PBS documentaries. She enjoys knitting simple socks and hats, and baking bread.

Bob is from rural Pennsylvania and recently retired from his career as a clinical psychologist. He enjoys spending time outdoors hobby farming and volunteering with Meals on Wheels. He reads non-fiction, history and current events, enjoys biking and projects around the house.

Luther has been part of family life for many years. They regularly spend time in Decorah in the summer, biking the Trout Run Trail, enjoying pizza and ice cream, and getting together with friends. Their older daughter Jessa Anderson-Reitz and lives in St Paul. Jessa and her husband, Luke Hanson, are Luther graduates (2014) and help transport or host Mara for school breaks or trips to the airport.

Ami Berger and Brian Lindeman
St. Paul, Minn.

Ami Berger and Brian Lindeman are the parents of graduate Noah Lindeman, who had interests in exercise science, data science, economics, intramural basketball, and hanging out with his friends. Ami and Brian live in St. Paul, Minnesota, and they are thrilled to be part of the Luther family, as they have many family members and friends who are Luther alums. Their family also includes Noah’s younger brother Aaron, and Macy, a somewhat overweight Wheaten Terrier.

Ami is the Director of Communications at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, a private K-12 school in St. Paul, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Jewish Community Center as the Vice President for Communications. She is a graduate of Bates College (BA ’92) and the University of Virginia (MA ’95). Brian is the Associate Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid at Macalester College, which is also his alma mater (BA ’89). Before returning to Macalester, Brian served in financial aid and admissions roles at Buena Vista College, Smith College, and Oberlin College.

Jenny Kunka
Great Falls, Mont.

Jenny is the mom of Ethan, a recent Luther College graduate. She lives in Great Falls, Montana with her husband, Mike, where they are trying to get used to an empty nest and having both their sons far away in the Midwest.

For work, Jenny serves as the Director of the Northern Rockies Institute of Theology, a continuing education arm of the Lutheran Church, ELCA in Montana. She is also a freelance writer for various publications in the state. For fun, Jenny loves to spend time outside, walking and hiking, as well as time inside, reading and writing.

Through her experience as a parent of a Norse, Jenny has become a big fan of Luther College.

Christin and Cory Stoutner
Whitehall, Wis.

Hello we are the “Stoutners.” Cory, Christin, Carli, and Hannah, a recent Luther graduate. We live in the small city of Whitehall, Wis. Cory teaches Special Education at the local high school and Christin manages a local insurance agency. Carli graduated from UW-Stout. She currently lives and works in Burnsville, Minn. Hannah was a communications major with a minor in leadership.

We have thoroughly been impressed with the campus and community  at Luther College. Hannah enjoyed her home at Luther. Although she wasn’t a music major, Hannah was a member of the Concert Band, and Symphony Orchestra. She traveled abroad with the orchestra to Austria. As a family, we enjoy musical theater, singing in the car, eating fabulous food but most importantly spending time together.

Cory enjoys golfing, reading a good book, and recently started a hobby in audiobook recording. Christin enjoys attending Broadway productions, volunteering in multiple organizations, and cooking. We were always present in our girls’ high school careers and with Hannah’s permission we were happy to serve with the Parents and Family Council at Luther College.

Chad ’92 and Melissa (Bonikowske) ’93 Thomley
Verona, Wis.

Chad and Melissa (Bonikowske) Thomley are the proud parents to Luther graduate, Anna Thomley (Class of 2023) and Allison Thomley (Class of 2025).  Allison is majored in Visual Communications and minored in Art. She was a member of the Luther College Track and Field Team.

Chad is a Wealth Advisor for Thrivent Financial. He graduated with a B.A. from Luther College (’92) double majoring in Mathematics and Management. He has his Master of Science in Financial Services degree from The American College. Chad is an avid Packers, Brewers, Bucks, and Badger fan. He also sings and plays piano in a praise band at our church, Good Shepherd Lutheran in Madison, Wis.

Melissa was a high school math teacher and instructional math coach. She graduated with a B.A. from Luther College (’93) majoring in Mathematics with minors in Computer Science and German. She has a M.A. in Educational Technology from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. Melissa enjoys crafting, cooking and walking outside.

Both originally from Wisconsin, after graduation from Luther, Chad and Melissa moved to Southern California. They moved back to Madison in 2003 to raise their daughters. In their spare time they enjoy traveling and attending their daughters’ activities. They have had the opportunity to connect with parent alumni of students and form new friendships with other parents of athletes on the swim and track teams. Although they visited Luther while living in Southern California, they appreciate the closer proximity to Decorah allowing them frequent visits for family weekend, homecoming, Christmas at Luther and band concerts.

Karin Trail-Johnson
St. Paul, Minn.

Karin Trail-Johnson is a parent to Elise, a recent Luther graduate. On a visit to campus it was exciting to see how Elise had fully immersed herself in the small liberal arts college experience and also connected with the dynamic town of Decorah. She found faculty eager to engage with students, made friends from places near and far, enjoyed her student employment job and choir as well as other co-curriculars. Decorah became a second home with a welcoming downtown, events and places to experience the beauty of the natural world.

Karin has worked as a higher education administrator for over 30 years and has a deep commitment to the transformative influence small liberal arts colleges can have on students and communities. Thankfully, Luther is a place that nurtures a holistic, student-centered approach to learning.

Karin would love to talk with others interested in supporting students in thriving and building a sense of belonging to the Luther community for students and parents. Besides working in higher education, personally, Elise was her third child to attend college so the transitions towards empty nesting is also a welcome conversation! Karin and her husband, Doug, live in St. Paul Minnesota