2016 letter
TRANSCRIPT
Dear ’63 Classmates, I like this year’s Concordia Homecoming slogan, “IT’S A BIG DEAL”. To this Cobber, Homecoming is a BIG DEAL. Each year I want to be at the Homecoming Banquet to hear the AAA winners. They are representative of hundreds of Cobbers. I want to see the parade and football game. I want to hear great music on Saturday evening. I want to worship as part of the Concordia family. Yes – to this Cobber, Homecoming is a “BIG DEAL”. I hope you’re having a great summer. My wife, Betty and I went on a 17 day Alaskan cruise/trip in June which set me back on working on our class newsletter. CLASS updates LEROY LARSON – [email protected] Fifty years ago this year, I led my first of many student tours to Germany. For every student, all seniors from Brainerd High School, it was their first trip out of the area. They raised the entire cost themselves: $800 for 8 weeks! I moved to Rochester in 1967 and the German instructors started a tradition with the first student tour to Europe. As the interest grew, we developed a waiting list and up until my retirement in 1998, we had a full bus with approximately 50 students and chaperones. I was the Foreign Language Department Head at John Marshall High School for 24 years and in my last year we had 16 foreign language teachers in the building and offered 6 languages. I often think of the outstanding education I received at Concordia College and the fact that my parents scrimped and saved to provide that education for me. I didn't have a bill to pay after graduation. I earned a double major in English and German, but spent my entire career teaching German, from 6th graders through second year college. Greetings to all! BENNETT (BEN) LARSON – [email protected] Oak Ridge, TN: I retired as a UT-‐Battelle Corporate Fellow research scientist from the Materials Science and Technology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in April of 2015 after working at ORNL for 46 years. So far I am not fully succeeding at retirement though, as I am continuing to be scientifically active with Corporate Fellow, Emeritus status – still performing a few scientific measurements, finishing papers, and mentoring a post doctoral associate. My entire scientific career was as an experimental (x-‐ray diffraction) materials physicist at ORNL beginning in 1969 after a BA in physics at Concordia and Masters and PhD degrees in Physics at the University of North Dakota and the University of Missouri, respectively. Recognizing that the marriage vows of my wife Pat of 47 years were for “better or worse” and not for “breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all three,” I reassured her that she would not likely notice much difference in my work habits when I retired. Actually, making fewer scientific commitments has made it possible to enjoy more time visiting and organizing summer vacations (New Mexico and New Hampshire so far) with our two out of state
children and our three grand children (11, 8, and 5), so life is good at this point. I enjoyed seeing fellow class of ’63 graduates at the 45th and 50th reunions and hope to get to the 55th as well. ELAINE DUMMLER – [email protected] The newsletter brings more stories of how similar our classmate lives are as we mark our hallmark years. I marked the start of my next quarter century by taking a train tour across the western part of Canada with a friend from my first days after graduation in '63. That was my 75th birthday adventure. The photo was taken at a party in April. My son John and his wife provided a new granddaughter to bring the total to three! I'm nearing the end of 14 years of volunteering at the Palo Alto VA hospital, and this spring I added typing the pastor's transcripts from his Bible studies for the church website to my schedule. It's a good way to use my Concordia College English major skills and keep my fingers still ready to play the piano, so it's not totally altruistic. I'm guessing that the standard of excellence ingrained in us during our years at Concordia has provided community service wherever we have been since '63. My best goes out to all of our class who can gather at Homecoming. Sing out those CC songs and hymns for me too! Elaine TED KIRST – [email protected] Was nice to hear from a Cobber friend, thanks! My phone number was disconnected because we sold our home in Minnesota last May and now live in Connecticut permanently. After working and living in New England for 29 years, this became home for our two girls and now two grandchildren. I retired back to Minnesota in 2000 and enjoyed 16 wonderful years back "home", but the lobby to come back here kept getting stronger every year until we decided to come back for good. We purchased a nice townhome in a 55+ association where I no longer have to mow grass or shovel snow! More time to swim, bike, rollerblade, and golf with loved ones, and Grandma is very happy with it all! My cell # is 320-‐219-‐2346 (no hard wired phone now). And you see my current e-‐mail address, which I hung onto even though it's out of Brandon, MN. My address is 16 Mountain View Landing, Danielson, CT 06239. Best wishes to you and yours. DENNIS ORSEN -‐ [email protected] Linda and I went to Sarasota, Florida Christmas Day and came back New Year's Day. We stayed with Tom and Karen Hanson. We went primarily to take in concerts offered by the Perlman Music Program of which Daniel is a part.
Linda and I went to Chicago on the last weekend in January to take in a concert in Chicago Orchestra Hall provided by the Oberlin Orchestra to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Daniel also played in an Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble concert at Roosevelt University that weekend. Then two trips to Oberlin for Daniel's senior recital in March and graduation in May when he received his Bachelor of Music degree. In June, I went to Shelter Island, NY for a Friday and Saturday concert series provided by musicians in the Perlman Music Contemporary Music Worship of which Daniel was part. In summary, I heard a lot of good classical music by our next generation of classical musicians.
(Pictured left to right: Linda, Dennis, Tom and Karen) LOREN GUNDERSON – [email protected] I am trying to stay busy with several projects this year. Still working on the new house in Washington, but with any luck I could finish this year. I'm also working with my son Jason (class of '90) on an apartment project in the Twin Cities. This should finish toward the end of 2017. My daughter, Jorja, (class of '95) has rejoined me in the state of Washington. She has accepted a position in the Community College System in Seattle. It'll be fun having her out here again. SHARON (WISEMAN) GARDNER – [email protected] This last year has raced by as we enjoyed our first full year in our new home in Minnetonka, MN. With our three children and five of the eight grandchildren all living within 70 miles of us we have
been enjoying many activities with the families. It is our 55th wedding anniversary in August, but we celebrated in July when everyone was here for a bon voyage to our Air Force grandson, Trevor, who is leaving for a 3-‐year tour in Germany. The photo is from that gathering taken in downtown Minneapolis by the river at the Old Stone Bridge. February we went with our daughter and family to Lutsen for
Valentine’s weekend so the kids could ski. We relaxed, read, played cards and ate. We plan a spring trip to the waterfalls. We are loving it in MN, close the kids and a new area to explore. Oh – our son has written a novel! Cybercrime – “In Plain Sight” by Greg Gardner available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you like that genre it is very good. Surprised us with writing his first novel! Best regards. PAUL BUHR – [email protected] Thanks for calling our house regarding the newsletter. I'm not good when it comes to answering e-‐mail! I started with the class of 1962, but added a semester to switch from physics to biology. So I knew the class of 1962 more than 1963-‐-‐but they are all good people.
I graduated from Concordia, Jan ‘63. I taught math and science in St. Paul. Carole Berge and I were married in Dec ‘63. I started with the U of M Medical School in 1966. In 1972 we went to Madagascar and worked in Lutheran Mission Hospitals for about six years. Then we came to Olivia, MN and worked in clinics, nursing homes, and the county hospital for about 40 years and we recently retired. We are still busy, with grandchildren, our farm, and singing with Woodbury Chorus and Orchestra raising money for food shelves. Life Is Good. DIANNE BROSSEAU LERUD-‐CHUGG – [email protected] I attended Concordia College 1959-‐1961. I continued my studies and graduated in 1964 from Valley City State College. I then taught two years in Nebraska. In 1967, I Earned my MAE from Wayne State College, Nebraska. I taught high school English in Mediapolis, Iowa, from 1967-‐2000, retired and worked as adjunct college instructor from 2003-‐2015. I was a licensed realtor from 2000-‐2011. I’m happily married with two children and five grandchildren. I’m involved in politics, activities, organizations, and church. I serve in local, state and national leadership roles. (319) 759-‐3896 RAY ANDERSON – [email protected] Connie (Class of ‘67) and I live in Apple Valley. After retiring from UPS, I went on to retire from the hotel business and then went on to retire from rehabbing homes. We have been greatly blessed in every way for which we give God the praise. We would like very much to hear from any classmates. DALE HEDLUND – [email protected] Greetings classmates! Marilyn and I are still living in St. James, MN. We really enjoyed meeting new people and renewing old friendships at our "Stray Cat Coffeehouse" for 13 years. It was very rewarding to actively take part in serving our community in that way. It became a pleasant gathering place for church groups, book clubs, and various professional organizations not to mention a place where local artists could show their work or perform their talents. We sold the "Stray Cat" in 2012 and can honestly say that we do miss the place. We spend much more time at our cabin at Green Lake and that's a good thing too. I continue to substitute teach in Mankato, St. James and Butterfield, which is still keeping me in touch with the younger generation. Our five kids are doing well and are located in Rochester, Mankato, St. Paul, Fayetteville (NC), and Sarnia, Ontario. We have two granddaughters, both 15. We are in our 27th year (and 2nd location) at the St. James Model Railroad Club (Roundhouse, Inc.) where I spend some of my time helping other members recreate the fascinating history of railroading in St. James and in Minnesota. Our progress can be seen on Facebook or on our Website under either of the above names. Take care, classmates! I hope this season's newsletter finds you happy and in good health!
ELAINE (BADER) HANSON – [email protected] This is the year most of us are joining the '75-‐year club'! It doesn't seem possible because we all look so much younger! In just two more years we'll be celebrating our 55th back on campus. Time marches on -‐-‐ recently I've been often sharing this quote (with friends) by Reuben Youngdahl, former pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. "Yesterday is gone, tomorrow does not yet belong to us, so live for today!" Since the loss of our daughter, Lani, just over a year ago, making the most of every day has come to mean more to me (and our family). The important family change for us this year will be the marriage of our granddaughter, Elise Hanson, who will marry Nick Kelly on October 1st! Both granddaughters (Elise and Nick, Adell and her husband Corey), and our son, Scot, live here in the Twin Cities, which is wonderful for Harry and me. Our daughter, Jill, lives in Pacific Grove, CA (Monterey area). Life is busy for me and I wouldn't want it any other way. I enjoy socializing with my Mounds View former colleagues, volunteering with organizations at Mount Olivet (continuing to make new friends there), staying in touch with extended family and of course family friends , AND (since our 50th reunion) reconnecting with former classmates at Concordia. It's all good! See you at our 55th! CAMPUS UPDATE New Science Facilities Renovation of the Jones and Ivers science buildings continues. This year, facilities staff and contractors began the process of cleaning out and stripping the interior of the buildings while our science students spread out all over campus for their labs and classes. On April 22nd, a ceremonial demolition was held to mark the beginning of the construction phase of the project. Follow the progress at Cord.edu/science.
§ The total project cost is $45 million with a scheduled finish date of July 2017.
§ The project includes totally gutting Ivers and extensively remodeling Jones.
§ Features include updated mechanical systems, flexible classrooms and t-‐search labs.
(teaching/research labs), larger faculty offices, and social and informal learning spaces.
§ These buildings will have lots of light and open space like the Offutt School of Business.
New Hires § Dr. K. Brewer Doran has been named the new Dean of the Offutt School of Business. Doran
comes to Concordia from Salem State University in Massachusetts, where she was dean of the Bertolon School of Business. She has served in that role since 2005. During her time at the Bertolon School, Doran improved student outcomes, built relationships with the business community and raised funds for the school of business. Doran earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and anthropology from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. from McGill University in Montréal. Her doctoral work focused on cross-‐cultural marketing, including a study of Chinese and North American consumers. In addition to her work in higher education, she has
business experience working for International Paper Corp. and also has owned her own aviation and consulting businesses.
§ Joe Christianson has been named the new men’s and women’s golf coach replacing Duane Siverson who retired this spring. Christianson, who grew up in Halstad, Minn. served as the head coach for American International College in Springfield, Mass. for the 2015-‐16 season. Before becoming the head coach at American International, Christianson was the assistant coach for the men's and women's programs at St. John's University in New York where he helped lead the women's team to a fourth-‐place finish in the Big East in 2015. Christianson's golf background was formed in Halstad where he started playing the game. He attended Norman County West High School and won the Minnesota State Class A individual championship in 1998.
Music § The Concordia Choir will travel to the Southwest for its spring tour from Feb. 25 – March
12, 2017. Concordia College has commissioned Dr. René Clausen to compose a major choral orchestral work in observation of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. All choirs and The Concordia Orchestra will perform the world premier of “The Passion of Jesus Christ” in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis and Memorial Auditorium, Moorhead on April 8 and 9th, 2017. The choir will also tour Germany from May 8-‐22, 2017.
§ The Concordia Orchestra is headed to Minot and Devil’s Lake, ND, as well as various MN locations for their fall tour October 29 -‐ November 6, 2016. Check online at Cord.edu/music for the final locations later in the summer.
§ The Concordia band will tour from February 5 –12, 2017 at locations yet to be determined. Check online for the final locations later in the summer.
Athletics § The NFL has come calling for recent Cobber football players Griffin Neal ’15 and Brandon
Zylstra ’16. Neal, a record setting quarterback who played last year in Europe, was signed to a contract by the New Orleans Saints, while Zylstra, also a record setter as receiver, was invited to the Minnesota Vikings mini-‐camp after this spring’s draft.
§ Jordan Bolger ’16 capped a fantastic Concordia career with an amazing senior season in
basketball. Bolger finished with 1,268 points and 679 rebounds, ranking fifth on the school's all-‐time scoring list and second in program history, respectively. In his final season, Bolger averaged 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and was named the MIAC most valuable player. In addition, Bolger was the first in school history to be NABC West All-‐District player of the year and the first in program history to be added to the D3hoops.com All-‐West Region first team. He was invited to play in the DIII All Star game in March and awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, the 10th Cobber to receive this prestigious scholarship.
§ NCAA All-‐American Cherae Reeves won the Division III Indoor and Outdoor shot put
championship. In addition to two national championships, Reeves is a five-‐time All-‐American.
CLASS updates continued JOHN AHLQUIST – [email protected] Last fall, my wife Barbara and I had the privilege of having dinner with two interesting Cobbers who live in the San Francisco Bay area. Clint Hill ’54 is a retired secret service agent who protected presidents. He is best known for being the agent who leapt onto the limo after President Kennedy was shot in Dallas and pushed Mrs. Kennedy into the car seat and shielded the rest of the occupants with his body. He has a great memory and penchant for details that have been documented in three best-‐selling books, Mrs. Kennedy and Me, Five Days in November, and Five Presidents. He was a direct witness and participant in some of the most notable events of our era. George Halvorson ’68 is retired CEO of the large health care organization Kaiser Permenente. In retirement he is chair of California’s First Five Years, which is an organization to improve learning in the critical early years when so many neurological processes are developing in small children. He has also started an Institute for InterGroup Understanding to help reduce intergroup conflict and stress in America. We have recently become volunteers at White Pony Express [whiteponyexpress.org] a barely three year old organization that matches abundance with need. Grocery stores and farmers markets have left over food that is nearing the end of its shelf life but is still good [abundance]. Homeless shelters, soup kitchens, shelters for abused women, after school programs for at-‐risk youth always could use more food [need]. Practice has been for the abundance to be tossed in the trash and the need to go wanting. WPE provides the bridge between the two. Stores now get credit [tax write off] for donating their abundance [rather than paying someone to haul it away as waste] and needs are met. Currently WPE is moving about 5000 pounds of food a day. Abundance is brought to a central location, sorted, matched to the recipients shopping lists and then delivered in refrigerated vans to the recipients. The goal for the time from pickup to delivery is around two hours. Excess [new] and gently used clothing and toys are collected, sorted, and then taken to periodic mobile boutiques in the neighborhoods where the poor reside and they can go shopping without having to pay. Recently I saw five pallets stacked high with boxes of new clothing from The Gap. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. [[email protected]] We also continue traveling mostly to see children and grandchildren in Houston and San Diego. I did get to Scotland to attend the British Open at St. Andrews in 2015 with my son and his friend. In January we went with a U of California group [we are UC retirees] to Costa Rica. RICHARD FLOM – [email protected] My wife and I just returned from a 12-‐day tour of Norway. We took our second grandson, age 11, with us on the tour. Two years ago we took our first grandson to Norway and next year we will take our third grandson to Norway, both in their 11th year of age. I continue serving as an Orthodox Christian priest at St. Mary's Cathedral in Minneapolis and All Saints of North America mission in Bemidji. RICHARD BRAUN – [email protected] I graduated with an education degree and a minor in Physical Education. I began teaching in Fertile, Minn in the fall of 1963. Taught for 35 years and retired under the rule of 90 in 1998. Coached football for 50 years in some capacity, also coached girls basketball for twenty years. Met and
married Kelsey in 1965, we were blessed with four children, three boys and a girl. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in 2015. We have 12 grand children and seven great grand children. KEN DEBOER – [email protected] We just spent a week in Montana with former classmates of ours, John and Carol Brenden. We were in Scobey as well as Kalispell, Montana. As you know, John and I roomed together for 4 years. We had a really good time with them. Carol is an excellent cook so we had lots to eat and we had a lot of remembering to do, talking about our time at Concordia as well as what is happening now. As I have stated earlier, I am retired from education after 34 years, 32 years as a high school principal. Since I retired in 1998, my 2nd career is as a motor coach driver. I am still driving some short trips. I don’t do the long trips any more as the older I get, the more tired I get on those trips. I prefer the one-‐day trips. I still have to have something to do and I like to drive and I like the people part of the job. I drive 2-‐3 days per week. We are still living in Pine Island and have no plans to move. I am feeling good and am fairly healthy so life is good. We are still very proud of the fact that all four of our daughters graduated from Concordia. Concordia was a great place for me as well as for our family. Great memories! RICHARD BRECTO – [email protected] 13372 E. Big Cormorant Rd., Audubon, MN 56511 (Phone 218-‐439-‐6854) I really belonged with the Class of 1964 having begun my college years in 1960; however, because I carried 21 credits a semester and also attended summer sessions, I was able to complete my BA in three years, graduating in the summer of 1963 and becoming a member of the "Famous Class of 1963." After graduation in 1963, I taught Business Education and Spanish for two years in Atwater, Minnesota; then I moved to Sisseton, South Dakota, and taught Business Education courses for two years. Then in the fall of 1967 I took a job with the Northern Pacific Railway, which later merged with the Great Northern Railway to become Burlington Northern Railroad, where I worked as an administrative supervisor for 25 years. During my 25 years, I worked in Fargo, Minneapolis and Superior, Wisconsin. In 1993, I took advantage of early retirements which were being offered to supervisors who were 55 years of age or older and had at least 25 years of service, and I retired to a lake home on Big Cormorant Lake near Audubon, Minnesota. During my retirement, I have enjoyed traveling to various states (mainly Arizona and Oregon) visiting my many relatives (I had ten siblings, six of us are remaining), 26 nieces/nephews, around 80 grandnieces/nephews, and about 15 great-‐grandnieces/nephews (I am losing count!). Lots of graduations and weddings to attend. I have been serving on the school board at Faith Christian School, a Christian Elementary School associated with Faith Lutheran Church of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota where I am a member, for several years, and also am a volunteer at the school, administering the weekly spelling tests. I was also a
Sunday school teacher for several years at St. Peter's Lutheran, rural Audubon, Minnesota, before I transferred my membership to Faith Lutheran Church. JAMES GESSELE – [email protected] What a surprise! A Concordia voice of the past! Upon retirement, I took up doing translation work for Professor Michael Miller at NDSU in Fargo. He heads up the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection and is in charge of a rather extensive library. Four of my efforts have gone to publication. I will be headed to Germany the summer of 2017 doing research and interviewing potential authors. DINA BRADY – [email protected] The update for Dina and Bill Brady has very few changes. We are both in good health and keep active in Fargo and in Mesa, Arizona. Since I last wrote for the class newsletter, our "Brady Bunch" has expanded. Our son, Reid and wife, (Sarah) have added twins and a toddler to make their household a family with 4 children all aged 5 yrs. and under! We are lucky to see them often as they live in Fargo. Our daughters, Robyn and Erin, with their families help make us grandparents of 8. The "old" grandparents are now participants of the game of Pickleball. If you don't know what that is, travel to Arizona or Florida where it is all the rage. CATHY CARLSON – [email protected] I am still enjoying good health and a good retirement. Hobbies of painting and needle felting take some time and we take part in some local art shows. My husband Jim works on his lapidary hobby, making pendants and stone items. We also attend some reunions during the summer and do some volunteering locally. We hope to go to Arizona this winter. CAMPUS UPDATE CON’T Academics
§ Concordia's data analytics team placed first among 24 teams from 17 schools around the Midwest. Students Tom Dukatz '16, Zach Lipp '16, Philip Manley '17, and Rachel Swedin '16 represented Concordia along with their faculty advisor Dr. John Reber, associate professor of mathematics, in the annual Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC). This is the third year Cobbers have won and the fourth year that they placed in the top three. Teams had 24 hours to analyze data from Mayo Medical Laboratories and make business recommendations to Mayo Clinic representatives.
§ Our annual Celebration of Student Scholarship took place on Apr. 13. This daylong event highlights student research, scholarship and creative experiences. Events included paper and poster presentations, music and theatre performances, an alumni panel and an awards reception.
Concordia Language Villages ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org This year marks the 50th anniversary of the purchase of the Turtle River Lake property, home to seven permanent culturally-‐authentic villages. It is also the 40th anniversary of Lac du Bois Hackensack, CLV’s longest-‐running French program. This year’s International Days are July 8th and August 12th at the German village in Bemidji and, as always, the public is welcome. Alumni Awards The National Alumni Board met in January and again in May to vote on the 2016 Alumni Achievement, Sent Forth and Called to Serve Awards. To find more information about each award, please head to the award portion of the website at Cord.edu/alumniawards. 2016 Alumni Achievement Award Recipients Dr. James Buhr ‘67 Jean Bye ‘79 David Horazdovsky ‘78 Dr. Karen Feste ‘66 2015 Sent Forth Recipients Amy Kircher ‘97 Miquette Denie McMahon ‘11 2016 Called to Serve Recipients Barbara Prather ‘87 Jean Johnson ‘76 CLASS UPDATES CON’T PAUL BRUNSBERG – [email protected] I have a new ministry called Recovery Worship America. Before retiring I created a church for people who didn’t like going to church. People in 12 step recovery (alcoholics, etc.) are told in their literature that they need spirituality to recovery. But, they tend to be down on religion and traditional churches. So, I created a church for people who don’t like to go to church. I took the religion out of Christian worship and they loved the format. The ministry I created is now a functioning congregation in Fargo, ND. I am trying to establish this ministry all over America. I have written and published a worship manual for this ministry. I have written two books, which are in manuscript form, ready for publication. They are, “Introducing Christian Spirituality to the Friends of Bill W.” (The founder of AA) “A Christian Devotional for Friends of Bill W.” DAVID BIRKLID – [email protected] Has it been that long? Things for me are going well. I still hunt and fish a lot and with eight grandkids in the area I go to a lot of games and concerts. I still coach track at the high school level and see my former teammate, Jeff Boss, at the state track meet which is our annual reunion! I go to see as many Concordia games and concerts as I can, especially the football games and the conference track meet. I still play my banjo and guitar and think how much fun it would be to play another song again with the world famous "Pyramids". I would like to go to Norway again, but they come here so often I
might not make it. Excuse this rambling, but the days of organized essays are over. I think of many of you often-‐-‐take care!! BONNY (LUNDER) CHRISOPE – [email protected]
My husband, Ron, and I live in Rochester, Minnesota. After a career for him at IBM and for me teaching mostly kindergarten, I cared for 3 pre-‐school granddaughters who live 10 minutes from us, 8 if necessary. I enthusiastically attend their school events and basketball and volleyball games. I volunteer in my daughter’s classroom and Ron creates programs for and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House. We visit my 4-‐year-‐old Plano, Texas
granddaughter and family as often as possible. PAT (JOHNSON) CAROW – [email protected] A huge storm went through eastern Duluth July 21st. We were without power for five days and lost several large trees, including one that ended up on our roof! Fortunately the tree only damaged a few shingles. Lots of clean-‐up is in progress. On a more positive note, John and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on July 2nd and went on an Alaskan cruise with our whole family. We had great weather and enjoyed beautiful scenery. If you haven't been to Alaska, we recommend it. ROD THORSELL – [email protected] A mention of classmate R. Lynn Nelson's loss of his wife Kathleen last summer. Hello 63'ers. Well Concordia is 125 years old this fall and plans are in process to celebrate the big event. The 61’ers happen to be scheduled for their 55th at the same time so they will represent us well I am sure. We continue to split our year into six months in Woodbury, Minnesota and the remainder in Mesa, Arizona. We had a Concordia snowbird luncheon that was especially enjoyable. We focus on the early 60's and that seems to work better than bigger is better. Our regulars the Greenagels, Morstads, Geskes, Thorsells, Christianson's, and Carmen Rogness were all there along with the Roger Hill’s, Wendy Oletsky and husband Al, Earl Hauge's, Clarence Stennis' and new permanent resident in Mesa, Ron Hendrickson. LYNN ERBE– [email protected] We spent several months visiting Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou China and will return again in 2017 to work with colleagues in The School of Mathematics and Computational Science. We have a daughter and grandchildren who live in Frankfurt, Germany, so we visit them and other friends in Germany on a fairly regular basis.
WAYNE SATHER – [email protected] Hi to the class of 63, I had a wonderful and interesting trip to Cuba this past February; loved all the old cars from our youthful days that are still driving around Cuba. It was a trip back to the fifties.
The trip also made one very thankful to live in the USA. Despite some of our countries flaws, it is still a great country. Look forward to our 55th reunion. CLARK CARY – [email protected] We have lived for a little over 13 years in Northfield where we moved so that I could begin Interim Ministry in S.E.MN Synod. After 22 years as a Co-‐Pastor at Trinity in Blue Earth I wanted to do Intentional Interims within our Synod. There were 5 Interims of varying lengths from 10 months to 18 months. Each was different and each was enjoyable to do and the people were great. Zumbota, Albert Lea, Red Wing, Wanamingo, and a second interim in Red Wing were the communities where I served all the while living in Northfield and having our membership at Bethel Lutheran in Northfield. Lois and I still have part-‐time work with both of us serving at Three Links Care Center here in Northfield. It's one of two large Long Term Care Campus' here in Northfield. Next year I will celebrate 50 years of ministry in the ALC/ELCA Lutheran Church. Presently, Lois is teaching the Nursing Assistant Class this year and I serve the Three Links Campus as the Chaplain, a part-‐time assignment. Northfield is a great community with both St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges providing unlimited opportunities to enjoy athletics, arts, and academic options. Usually Jeff Boss (Owatonna) and I get together for St. Olaf or Carleton sporting events when the Cobbers come to town. We're fortunate that both of our daughters and their families also now live in Northfield and our son and his family are not far away in northeast Mpls (St. Anthony Village). How great it is to have five grandkids within range to visit and follow their school careers. We are in good health, active in music, our church, and other community organizations. I still sing with a mixed choral-‐-‐I Cantanti here in Northfield as well as a quartet at church. That interest really took off from the years singing with Al Zinter, Wally Torgerson, and Dave Lygre in the Chi Delt Quartet. One of my many interests and commitments over the past 30 years relates to issues of domestic and global hunger-‐-‐CROP WALKS, ELCA WORLD HUNGER, and Bread For the World. We travel a bit around the country and really have no dull moments. I'll let you know if I have one of those. Greetings to all the members of the wonderful Class of 1963. MARGE CARTER – [email protected] I'm Marge Carter, married, have two boys and three grandchildren. We celebrated our 50th Anniversary in 2016.
Helping people of all ages create a healthy life style though supplementation (not vitamins). Also rid their homes of toxic cleaners to Always Safe, Always Green and Always Work = cleaning products. http://www.margecarter.com PHIL MAAKESTAD – [email protected] After graduating from Concordia in 1963, I enrolled at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. Upon graduation from Luther in 1967, I was called to serve Faith Lutheran Church in North Bend, OR. After six years there I was called to Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Cheney, WA. I served there until 1989, when I accepted a call to Cross and Crown Lutheran Church in Renton, WA. On Reformation Day 1999, I retired and began volunteering with Seattle Habitat for Humanity. This volunteer work has been so rewarding and satisfying. On April 11, 2016, I received one of 27 Governor's Volunteer Service awards. My wife, Judie, and I travelled to Olympia for the awards ceremony at the Governor's Mansion.
Habitat for Humanity Seattle – King County Category: Nonprofit Organizations Phil Maakestad is a long-‐time volunteer and a dedicated member of the Habitat for Humanity Seattle-‐King County family. He originally got involved with Habitat for Humanity in the 90’s as a pastor, in Renton, coordinating the youth group’s volunteer program. When Phil retired a few years later, he began volunteering at a Habitat house in the Central District of Seattle. He has been building homes and communities ever since. Over the last 17 years, Phil has become an ever-‐dependable presence on site, in the Habitat Stores, and in the community. He is well-‐respected among volunteers and staff for his versatility with tools as well as his compassionate, service-‐minded demeanor. “I guess I grew up in it,”’ says Phil. “We didn’t call it community service. You just saw things that needed to be done in the community, and you did them. I actually feel like I’m having more of my needs met in being involved with Habitat, I feel almost selfish.” When Phil comes to volunteer, he brings much more than the ability to swing a hammer. He’ll offer homemade cookies and go install handrails all day. He is known to quietly take tools home from the construction site to fix them and bring them back. If he can’t fix them, he’ll buy new ones to donate, without mentioning it. Every year Habitat organizes a Thanksgiving feast for volunteers and staff, and Phil provides the big turkey. Phil also regularly drops off coffee and snacks for the other volunteers and team of AmeriCorps members. He truly is the image of an exceptional volunteer, one who takes ownership of the work as well as the group morale. Phil has helped build something invaluable at Habitat; a community of volunteers. He is the glue that holds many of the regular volunteers together, a great mentor and role model to all. Phil’s overall commitment and impact on communities is astounding. In his years of service to Habitat, he has volunteered 5,789 hours, over the course of 833 volunteer days. That is the equivalent of three years of full-‐time employment, valued at $154,913. He has been involved in ten different projects, including the completion of nine housing develops all over King County and the opening of the newest Habitat Store. These houses changed the lives o over a hundred Habitat families who now have a decent place to live. He is a shining example of what one individual can do to help find solutions for affordable housing in communities.
MAVIS (JOHNSON) BJURLIN – [email protected] Hello classmates from 1963. Mavis Johnson Bjurlin (Morris) and their three sons and their families recently returned from a trip to Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands. While in Sweden, we connected with our Swedish relatives at ancestral homes and farms...a wonderful trip! We keep busy volunteering weekly at the local food shelf. We are happy and healthy here in Hutchinson, MN. CURTIS HIEGGELKE – [email protected] I am now fully retired from teaching physics after 30+ years at Joliet Junior College and a couple of universities. We live on the 11th floor of a condo in downtown Chicago where there is always something going on. Our oldest son and his family live two blocks away so we see them when they are available (not very often since they are in the media business and are filming their first feature length film). My wife, Estelle, and I have been blessed with four wonderful sons, three daughters-‐in-‐ law, many grandchildren and plus one great grandson. We normally see them at Christmas time in Chicagoland and in the summer at our lake cabin near Detroit Lakes which is very small for all of us. Each year I reconnect with Concordia College by meeting up with Robert Brummond, retired Concordia College physics professor, for lunch and a long visit. He taught my first physics class at Concordia in the fall of 1959. We exchange notes about classmates and developments at Concordia and in physics. SHARON (HOPWOOD) LASSITER – [email protected]
Life at 75 is wonderful. Visiting MN once a year and other adventures to Boston, Gettysburg, Maine, Cape Cod and more keep life interesting. Grateful for good health, neighbors, friends and family. Sharon – Arrington, TN Photo: Friends from the class of 1963 at Battle lake, MN watching the Olympics. CC Park Region Hall -‐ friends for life at Darlene Janz Nelson’s home in Battle Lake, MN
Front to back: Darlene Janz Nelson, Ilane Shefveland Rue, Beva Mae Burkholder Hansen, Dina Eid Brady, Sharon Hopwood Lassiter. DEAN KNUDSON – [email protected] Things are going great. Mary Ann and I have now been in Fargo for 17 years, the longest we have lived anywhere in our 48 years together. We have three grandkids that we really enjoy. I have been teaching in the computer science department at NDSU since retiring from Microsoft. I teach the senior capstone projects class. This last year I had 73
students, 18 projects for 18 different companies including projects in Germany, Australia and Sweden. My goal before totally retiring is to set up an International Capstone Exchange where any university wanting to do an international capstone exchange could log onto our website and apply to be paired with another university in a different country (no travel is involved, projects are done remotely). Each university then would find a project for the paired university’s student team. I have had the opportunity to spend four weeks in Australia two years ago and two weeks in Europe this spring on fellowships/grants visiting universities and doing these pairings. As part of my last trip I was able to add a few days in Germany and Sweden when I was joined by my twin brother Dale. This was the first time we had a chance to vacation with just the two of us for over 40 years so it was really a lot of fun. (Dale is on the left, Dean on the right.) DALE KNUDSON – [email protected] Thanks for collecting the class info. It has been fun to see what old classmates have been doing.
The following is a short update on my status. I have also included a current picture. My wife, Gail, and I have been married for 42 years and live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. We have two children, Anne and Matthew. Anne and her husband Andrew McPeak are teachers and have two daughters, Ella 4 years old and Eiley 6 weeks. Matthew, who is not yet married, received his MBA degree with honors in finance this spring.
Gail retired from teaching and has owned and operated a small preschool for the past 15 years. I retired from Alcatel-‐Lucent 8 years ago and since then have been teaching math part time at our local community college. In whatever spare time we have we enjoy traveling, especially trips with the family. 315 Fairview Ave, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 630-‐858-‐3253 JERRY LEROM – [email protected] OR [email protected] The Lerom’s (Jerry and Ruth “Knutson” ’64) look back on my 50th in ’13 with fond memories. So many classmates who were special to me during the CC days were there. We attended Ruth’s 50th in ’14, with the same great experience. That same summer Ruth and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with most of our family in New York City for five days and this summer we actually had our entire family together for a few days. We have been on an incredible role of reuniting with college-‐days friends and family. We continue to be in pretty darn good health, enjoy six months on Long Lake (Longville, Mn.) and six months near Winter Haven, Fl. each year. So blessed. TOM HANSON – [email protected] Greetings fellow classmates of the class of 1963 I’ve only kept in touch with a handful or two of you since graduating from Concordia, so I’m always interested to read what you have been up to when the next class letter is released. I’m always amazed to read all the different directions our lives have taken AFTER retirement. I believe that is dependent partly on health considerations of each of us (or our spouses) as we’ve gotten older, as well as “different fires” that drive us to choose our pathways.
However, many have kept in touch at various activities at Concordia which call us back for visits from time to time and of course the class letters that we exchange under the direction of Gary Zinter whom I believe does a fabulous job of helping us keep in touch. Our lives these days likely revolve around children (we had one boy a Cobber, and one girl who attended Bradley Univ., and grandchildren, we have one grandson, age four and one granddaughter, age one). What can I say, we were slow to have children, but we are sooo very happy on how they’re all turning
out. Our son got a computer degree at Concordia and he now enjoys writing computer programs for a health company at his computer at home for a living. Our daughter got a degree in industrial engineering/logistics and is quite happy working for Caterpillar. My wife, Karen and I will be celebrating our 49th wedding anniversary in less than one month, and we have been blessed to be able to be up and around at our ages. We still get back to Concordia from time and are always amazed at how it keeps growing and looking fine-‐-‐ just wish it wasn’t so expensive! I visited the Concordia bookstore this summer and picked up three religion books that they have been using at the college (haven’t had a chance to read any of them yet though). I got a chance to visit with fellow classmates Dennis Orson and Fred and Karen Lundstrom last winter as they visited the Tampa, Fl. area where we live year round. Even with the “hot summers” in Tampa, neither my wife or I have any desire to live up north, although that might change as we get older and more feeble and get more involved with our kids and grandkids. I look forward to seeing you at some future Concordia College activity that we might be attending or if there is a scheduled class reunion. JAMES BELGUM – [email protected] We’ve pretty much stayed here on the farm keeping busy with family and community activities and lots of yard and garden work, including constant lawn mowing with all the rain. It’s great to see everything so lush and green in August. We did go on a very interesting bus trip to Texas in February, which was a nice break from Minnesota. I don’t remember when the last newsletter was, so this may be old news, but we are great grandparents as of Oct. 14, 2015, when our granddaughter Britta Belgum (CC class of 2012) and her husband Jake Allen became parents of Gus Everett Allen. They live in Morris where Britta teaches 6th grade, and Jake teaches 2nd grade in Kensington. Thanks for all your work, Marlene and Jim Belgum RICHARD (DICK) HOFF – [email protected] Greetings from us here in Osakis, Minnesota, to all members of the class of 1963 and spouses! Nancy and I enjoyed visiting with many of you at our 50th, and, now, almost three years later, we are beginning to look forward to our 55th. Since that last reunion our son, Steven, and his wife, Brandi, have blessed us with another granddaughter, Jordyn, who is now the pride of our lives along with our other two grandchildren, Hannah and Kaden. Now, at the age of 9 months Jordyn is just beginning to take her wobbly first
steps. Both of our sons, Jason and Steven, and their families live some distance from us; thanks to science for technology, such as FaceTime, we keep in touch. Additionally, visits to our families in Iowa and Idaho provide Nancy and me with sources of joy and anticipation. One of the blessings of retirement and relatively good health is the ability to travel as we choose. We are looking forward to an Alaskan cruise and Denali area vacation in September which will be interspersed with several excursions including halibut fishing and a helicopter ride involving glacial viewing and hiking. Again, thank science for modern technology—in this case two successful knee replacements. At home Nancy and I still maintain our backyard pond, greenhouse, and vegetable and flower gardens. These all manage to provide us both with a mixture of hard work and relaxation plus frustration, at times, and satisfaction. I still putter around with vintage automobiles, and I can say the same for them. Here’s to good health; we hope to see you soon. VERN AND VICKI HAGEN -‐ [email protected] One of our current "projects" in retirement is we co-‐chair a team working for a Public Bank for Central New Mexico. Such a bank would hold public deposits only, not individual and business deposits. There are folks all over the country working on a similar goal as a public bank will bring in considerable non-‐tax revenue to the community, providing support to local businesses and more prosperity to the local community. Interestingly, there is currently only one public bank in existence in our country, and it is the Bank of North Dakota. For your information, in 2015 this bank earned a profit of $130 million-‐-‐not bad for a small state-‐-‐and this non-‐tax revenue went right into the state coffers or was retained to grow the bank to help to fund the state government, work with local banks to help fund economic development, student loans, housing, and agriculture. Its annual reports are published and make for informative reading. Other interests of ours at present are attending and giving presentations to a "progressive" adult-‐study church group, participating in book clubs, and, of course, exercising regularly. Vern sometimes walks as far as 15 miles in one day. CAROL (ANSTROM) LUND 50 years…a milestone to celebrate for sure! Wish we could attend but we will be in Scotland just then celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. Lots of 50’s going around. A month after graduation I married Dennis Lund (Moorhead ’65) and moved to Minneapolis to begin both work and married life. Since that long time ago, I’ve worked almost exclusively in publishing and editing, while Dennis pursued his career in Government audit. That career brought us to Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C., where we’ve lived for more than 40 years, raising two children
(David and Megan), and enjoying our three grandchildren. We couldn’t have landed in a better place. I thought we had retired in 2000, but although we are able to travel about 12 weeks a year, my husband started his second career in tax preparation and financial planning and I found myself recruited into his office administration. Now we are beginning to think of retirement again. Maybe spending part of the year in our favorite area, the Smoky Mountains. Concordia opened a door for me, gave me the opportunity to find a direction for myself. I cannot thank it enough for that. I cherish those years. Blessings to all! MERV THOMPSON – [email protected]
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Old Log Theater July 7, 2016 A review by Merv Thompson My wife Jackie and I attended the Million Dollar Quartet matinee performance on Wednesday, July 7th, at the Old Log Theater in Excelsior, MN. The tickets were a 75th birthday gift to both of us from our children. We were almost late because most of the stoplights had lost power from the straight-‐line winds the night before. Most of the audience looked like people who grew up in the 1950’s, who actually lived through the shocking musical revolution which happened almost overnight. I suspect that many of the spectators could have sung the words for many of the songs, and, indeed, remember where they were when Elvis Presley first came to public prominence. Most of us remembered the fall of 1955. Prior to this time, almost all of the music on the radio was pop music, in fact, for teens; bland, boring white pop music. Most of the popular artists were a generation older than we were, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Patti Page, Dinah Shore, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day. Most of us did not own a radio, and had no desire to do so, the only radio in the house was the large console in the living room. But one day in late 1955 we suddenly heard these sounds coming over the airwaves, and then again at the nearest theater as the credits from “Blackboard Jungle” flashed across the screen, “One, two, three-‐o’clock, four o’clock rock, five, six, seven o’clock, eight ‘o’clock rock…Most teens shouted “WOW! What was that? Most parents and teachers and pastors pushed back, “Turn that junk off!” The miracle was that African American music broke through the oppressive forces of segregation, just a few years removed from derogatorily being called “race music.” Fats Domino broke the ice, followed by Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Clyde McPhatter, Little Richard, Frankie Lyman, and Sam Cooke. Elvis once said, correctly, that he was singing black music. Of course it was no accident that his breakthrough record was from an old black blues singer named Arthur Crudup, the song was “That’s
Alright Mama.” After Elvis set the course, other rockabilly singers followed suit, Carl Perkins, Pat Boone, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, and Tommy Sands. By December of 1956, Elvis had six number one songs, his two-‐sided record with “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel” became the best selling record in history. When he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show earlier in the fall, 84% of the TV sets in America were tuned in, a response only matched when the Beatles appeared on the same show in 1964. All of this led up this one magical evening in early December 1956. Carl Perkins was back at Sun Records, trying to recreate lightning in a bottle as he had with the smash hit “Blue Suede Shoes.” Jerry Lee Lewis, a complete unknown, was the accompanist. Elvis Presley phoned Sam Phillips and said he was stopping by the studio, and Phillips then invited Johnny Cash to show up as well. The CD that emerged some thirty years later from that evening is both historically fascinating and musically entertaining. I have listened to the original scores of times and always enjoy the interplay of the artists, both conversationally and musically. This leads to my first disappointment with the Million Dollar Quartet production. Read More CAMPUS UPDATE CON’T Loyal Cobber, a program of the National Alumni Board ConcordiaCollege.edu/loyalcobber What does a lifelong Cobber look like? Being a part of the Cobber Alumni Network is about staying involved and giving back to future students, feeling connected and proudly sharing it with those around you. When you do something in all four of these categories, let us know and we’ll send you an exclusive Loyal Cobber gift! CONNECT: Stay Informed (Cord.edu/classnotes or 218.299.3743) Update your information online or by phone to know what’s happening among alumni and with the college. ENGAGE: Get Involved (Cord.edu/engage) Provide meaningful experiences for students and participate in alumni events, programs and teams. SUPPORT: Make an Impact (Cord.edu/classgift or Cobbersgive.org) Give to student scholarships and campus projects to ensure educational enrichment for current and future Cobbers. SHARE: Show Your Cobber Pride (Cord.edu/social and Cord.edu/refer) Interact on social media using #cordmn, show off your alma mater swag and tell future Cobbers about your Concordia experience.
Cobbers for Cobbers: Your Gifts at Work The Concordia Annual Fund allows the college to meet emerging needs, explore new opportunities and respond to unexpected challenges. The gift you give today supports work of the college immediately, funding areas of scholarships and financial aid, academic programs, institutional operations and student services. (Cord.edu/classgift)
This past year, our class had 36.34% participation and gave $121,491.17. Since graduation, our class has given $7,148,751.81 in outright gifts. THANK YOU!
I received information on members of our class’ giving history for the past six years: 89 people have made a gift to Concordia for the past six years and another 24 made gifts five out of the last 6 years. STARTING THIS COMING YEAR, WE WILL RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO GAVE TO CONCORDIA IN OUR CLASS LETTER. You can set up an automatic contribution from your credit card online at cord.edu/give. Concordia Students need your help. When we went to Concordia, a student could earn 40 to 100% of the total cost our freshman year working 12 weeks in the summer. Today’s students are lucky if they can earn 10 to 20% of the total cost working 12 weeks in the summer. I signed up for Simply Giving with $25 just to be sure I get credited for a gift every year. A much larger gift comes directly from my IRA through a Qualified Charitable Distribution. Example: To give $1,000 from your checking account, it requires you to take out $1,500 from an IRA (when you withhold Federal tax 25% and MN State tax 8%) to net a $1,000 gift. When I instruct my IRA custodian to make the gift directly to Concordia, it only requires $1,000 to be taken out of the IRA – it is not included in my taxable income, and it counts toward meeting my required minimum distribution. I would encourage each of you to sign up for Simply Giving, or a credit card deduction. This will help increase our participation level. Secondly – consider donating directly from your IRA. Remember, Alumni and friends of Concorida helped reduce our college education costs and now it is our turn to do the same for this generation of students. Soli Deo Gloria I want to congratulate Ron and Dawn Struxness for receiving the “Soli Deo Gloria Award” at this year’s Founder’s Day Program. Past recipients receiving this award from our class include: 1981 Mary Birkeland 2008 Gerald & Brenda Eid 2013 Gary & Mary Lunstad 2014 Gary & Betty Zinter
There may be others whom I am not aware of or have made requests not to be publicized. Some have gone on to receive higher giving levels of recognition.
The following is a bio from the Founder’s Day program: For Ronald and Dawn Struxness, their years as students at Concordia contributed greatly to a successful and rewarding life.
Both Ron and Dawn grew up in small communities – Ron in Belgrade, Minnesota, and Dawn in Fingal, North Dakota – where the concept of families helping families was a way of life. Those early experiences laid a solid foundation for the couple. As Dawn says, “Helping people when we can is a part of the background we share; it’s what we deem important.”
The couple met at Concordia. Ron, a graduate of the class of 1963, proposed to Dawn, a 1965 graduate, during Homecoming her senior year. Dawn was chair of the Homecoming committee and Ron proposed during the Coronation procession.
After Concordia, Ron earned his master’s degree in hospital administration from the University of Minnesota. He spent 45 years in senior management at hospitals and systems across the Midwest. The last 23 years of his career were spent with the two largest healthcare systems in Chicago. He was responsible for 14 hospitals in diverse areas of the city. Two of the hospitals were the largest non academic medical centers in the metro Chicago area. In addition to hospital management, Ron was responsible for a significant number of system functions within the corporations.
The family’s moves taught Dawn the value of her liberal arts education. She earned her master’s degree in English from the University of Colorado and explored a new vocation each time they moved. In her career, she was a high school teacher, a college administrator, a print salesperson and travel consultant. She now volunteers and serves on boards with the Art Institute of Chicago and with Loaves and Fishes, a community-‐based food pantry and service organization.
The couple has two children – Michael (wife Tonia) and Meghan (husband Tom). They have one granddaughter Sydney who asked her grandmother to volunteer in her school as the lunchroom lady (Dawn agreed).
As a pilot, Ron has both owned and flown a variety of planes. He currently serves on Concordia’s National Alumni Board. Reading is his treasured pastime. Together, they enjoy collecting original art. Their extensive collection includes numerous Russian Impressionist pieces. They also enjoy gardening, traveling, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. Every five years, on major birthdays, Dawn reconnects with a group of 14 women – lifelong friends she met at Concordia. And let’s not forget that she also chaired her 50th reunion committee!
For their continued involvement and support of future Concordia students, Concordia is pleased to present the Soli Deo Gloria Award to Ronald and Dawn Struxness.
Scholarship Information In 2016, I emailed the Chemistry majors and minors asking if they would put a minimum of $3,000 into an endowment scholarship fund in honor of our favorite Chemistry teacher, Dr. Gus Dinga. Three other chemistry students; Delores Halvorson Forkey, Tom Hanson, James Westgard and myself have added $70,000 to an existing endowment fund set up by Dr. Dinga in 1985. This scholarship fund should total about $95,000 by the end of this year. The scholarship is awarded to a chemistry student for his/her junior year.
Yield Enhancement Strategy Our alumni are our best recruiters! Help us tell the compelling story of Concordia College and refer a future Cobber at ConcordiaCollege.edu/refer. Tell young adults in your life about Concordia’s academic departments and preprofessional programs. The six pillars below also provide an accurate picture of what Concordia College offers.
• Affordability and Value o Students are nearly twice as likely to graduate in four years compared to regional
public schools. o Concordia has the 4th lowest tuition/fees ($43,064) of the 17 MN private colleges. o More than 99% of Concordia students are awarded financial aid, with an average of
$25,000 assistance. • BREW (Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World)
o 45% of Concordia students participate in at least one study abroad experience. o Campus Service Commission, Habitat for Humanity, and Hands for Change get students
deeply involved in the Fargo-‐Moorhead community and beyond. • College-‐to-‐Career Preparation
o 89% of students are accepted into law school and 88% into med school; 93% of graduates are employed or in grad school within nine months of graduation.
o The Career Center offers internship/job fairs, networking events, off-‐campus interviews, assistance with resumes/cover letters, and access to jobs and internships with Handshake, an online tool and mobile app.
• Fargo-‐Moorhead o The F/M metro area has a booming economy with an unemployment rate of just 2.4%,
compared to the national rate of 4.9%. o The Tri-‐College partnership allows for courses at area educational institutions.
• Liberal Arts Foundation o Concordia students become lifelong learners with the intellectual depth and agility
they need to thrive in any circumstance. o Cobbers are involved in more than 19 performance ensembles, 22 athletic teams and
more than 100 students organizations. • Lutheran Heritage
o A college of the ELCA, Concordia is strongly rooted in the Lutheran tradition of free inquiry and dialogue.
o Students from a variety of faith and nonfaith backgrounds make up the Concordia community; and the Fargo-‐Moorhead area is home to many centers of faith, whether you worship at a synagogue, mosque or church.
Bonus Kernels
• This fall (October 31st), we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of Concordia College! • In 2017, we will celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. • Reconnect with classmates at Homecoming Oct .7-‐9, 2016
(ConcordiaCollege.edu/homecoming). Facebook
Someone asked if our class had a Facebook page. Yes, we do have a Facebook page. Visit Facebook.com and in the search bar type in: Concordia College Moorhead Class of 1963 –and you will see the posts. You can “join” the group. There hasn’t been anything posted since 2014 -‐ if you want to see some new information – get out there and post some new pictures for the group to see. Change of Address / Change of Email Updates: Please notify the college if you change your address, phone number and/or email address by calling (218) 299-‐3743, emailing [email protected], filling out the online form at Cord.edu/classnotes, or mailing to Concordia College Alumni Relations, 901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562. Last year I called the second half of the alphabet and this year I started with the first half A-‐K. My results: Classmates (1st half) 243 Talked to 73 Left messages 84 No answer or recording 12 No phone number 22 No phone or email address 52 If I did not talk with you or your spouse or leave a message, please give the college your phone number and current email address. And ask your Cobber friends if they received our class letter. If not, we need their email addresses. Email is the only way to receive the class newsletter.
55th Reunion In 2018, we will be celebrating our 55th Concordia College anniversary reunion. I am
looking for volunteers to serve on the reunion committee. Please email me at [email protected] if interested.
Class Letter
Currently, my secretary compiles our newsletter to forward to the college for distribution. She will be retiring at the end of next year (2017). I would still like to call
everyone for updates, if someone will volunteer to compile the newsletter. REMEMBERING OUR DECEASED CLASSMATES Karen Amondson Heppner KALISPELL – Karen R. Heppner, 74, passed away Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, at the Heritage Place in Kalispell. She is survived by her husband Ron, and children Lisa, Gregg and Todd.
Jon Lee Willand
Jon Lee Willand, age 75, died June 28, 2016 at his home in Minneapolis after a long illness. He was born July 4, 1940 in Madison, (Lac qui Parle County) Minnesota to Clarence Willand and Otevia Boraas Willand. He was preceded in death by his parents and infant son Mark Anund Willand. Survived by his wife of 48 years, Lois Carlson Willand, daughters Tona L. Willand and Martha C. Willand and fiancé Adam Entringer, sister Janet Willand and Linda Brummer. Jon graduated from Madison High School, from Concordia College in Moorhead,
Minnesota, the University of South Dakota, Vermillion and pursued post-‐graduate work at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. As an historian he taught at North Hennepin Community College from its inception in 1966 through 2003. A lifelong researcher and writer, he wrote "Lac qui Parle and the Dakota Mission", local histories of Lac qui Parle County and some of its towns, and was writing a family history of the extended Boraas family in Norway and the U.S. He was a man of many interests and wrote extensively in support of his causes. Services will be July 5 at the Washburn-‐McReavy Glen Haven Chapel, 5125 West Broadway, in the Minneapolis suburb of Crystal. Visitation at 1 p.m., funeral 2 p.m. lunch following, and a second service in Madison, Minnesota on July 7 at Faith Lutheran Church; visitation at 10 a.m., service 11 a.m., and burial in Hegre Cemetery in rural Lac qui Parle County, followed by lunch. Thanks to the staff of Health Partners, Regions Hospital, Presbyterian Homes, Capitol View, and Gentiva Home Care for many years of patient and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, family requests donations to the Salvation Army, Lutheran Social Service, or to the donor's choice.