Dear Class of '50 Classmates,
In seven months we will join together to celebrate our sixtieth anniversary Luther reunion. We have made our hotel reservations and we hope you have too. Our Saturday, Oct. 9, luncheon will be held in the Nobel Room at the Union. We will have an interesting program, concluding with a visit with President Torgerson and his wife, Judy. We understand that at our age making reservations seven months ahead is difficult. As the saying goes, “I’m so old I don’t buy green bananas”; but as you know, housing accommodations are limited at Homecoming.
Oh, and by the way, did you hear that Ole died? Well, he went to heaven where he met St. Peter who said he could be admitted only if he answered three questions. “Ya sure you betcha, vat are they?” St. Peter asked the first question, “How many days of the week start with the letter ‘T’?” Ole answered, “Dats easy―TWO―today and tomorrow!” St. Peter said, “Well, okay, now how many seconds are there in a year?” Ole answered, “dat’s really easy, TWELVE!” St. Peter replied, “How many do you figure that?” Ole responded, “Der’s Yanuary second, February second―St. Peter thought for a while and finally asked, “Okay Ole, now answer this one. What’s God’s first name?” Ole smiled and said, “I know―it’s ANDY!” St. Peter was now really perplexed and asked, “Why in the world do you think it’s Andy?” Ole jumped up and down and responded, “I learned dat in Sunday School!―And-he walks with me And-he talks with me! And-he tells me I am his own!”
You’ll be interested to know that fifty of our living 150 members contributed $16,910.00 to Luther from June 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009, and $7,863.76 of the gifts were to the Annual Fund. Holger and I have decided to make a larger gift than usual in honor of our family members who also graduated from Luther: Rolf Roleffson Fjelstad (1880s), son Jay (1974), grandson Tyler (2000), granddaughter Carrie (2004), nephews Joe (Alex) Fjelstad (1973), Eric Grant (2003), and Peter Fjelstad (2005), and niece Allison Fjelstad (2008). Our hope is that you will find it in your heart to remember Luther on this anniversary year with substantial gifts. Besides Ole, we too will meet St. Peter at the Golden Gate in the near future, so don’t put off until tomorrow what you had intended to do today. Please consider making a gift by sending it in an envelope or visit givenow.luther.edu.
We are sorry to note that six more of our classmates have died―Roger Amundson, James Dahlen, Bob Eggelson, Galen Gilbertson, Carol Hanson, and Ernie Ranum. We pray for their families and thank them for their contributions to their communities.
Our final thoughts are to those of you who, because of illness, will not be able to attend our anniversary weekend. Luther is so grateful for all the contributions over the years. We will remember and pray for those of you who cannot be with us.
Love and peace,
Holger and Dagny (Fjelstad) Christiansen
1950 Class Agents
[email protected]
PS. Thanks to the generous support of many alumni donors, Luther has benefited from the member-matching program—GivingPlus—with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Unfortunately, GivingPlus was eliminated by Thrivent at the end of 2009. The "replacement" program—Thrivent Choice—will include a component called Choice Dollars, which some members will be eligible for. Members eligible for Thrivent Choice can still choose to direct their charitable support to Luther (which will be greatly appreciated, thank you!). More information about the program (which is scheduled to begin sometime in April) is available at https://www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice/news/index.html.
Obituaries
ROGER AMUNDSON of St. Paul, Minn., died Sept. 25, 2009, at age 85. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943-46. After graduation from Luther, Roger earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Colorado in 1955. He devoted his life to education, first as a teacher and then as a school administrator, serving the Chaska (Minn.) School District as superintendent from 1964-84. In 1975 Roger was named the Outstanding General Educator of the Year by the Minnesota Association for Children with Learning Disabilities. He possessed a loving and generous spirit, a quick wit, and a sterling sense of humor. Roger’s first wife, Wilma, preceded him in death in 1996. He is survived by his second wife, Nancy; three daughters; five step-children; six grandchildren; 14 step-grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
JAMES DAHLEN of Shoreline, Wash., died Aug. 17, 2009, at age 81. At Luther, he played clarinet in the band and sang in the choir. After graduation, James earned a master’s degree in game management from Auburn University in 1952. He spent two years on active duty in the U.S. Army and later served in the U.S. Army Reserve, resigning his commission as captain in the Medical Corps in 1964. James worked briefly as a wildlife biologist with the Wisconsin Conservation Department and as a fishery biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Florida and Alabama before returning to school. He earned an M.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1961 and did his internship and residency at Doctors Hospital in Seattle. During an era when fathers rarely appeared at teachers' conferences, James never missed one. He made house calls and trusted people, and they trusted him. James was a devoted Huskies, Mariners, and Seahawks fan. In later years, as he struggled with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), he could challenge the best of crossword puzzle enthusiasts, doing the New York Times daily grid. James is survived by his wife, Nola; three children; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, HAROLD DAHLEN ‘37
BOB EGGLESON died peacefully on February 28, 2010, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., after a long illness. After graduation from Luther, Bob served in the armed forces and was a reporter for the Winona Daily News. He transitioned into a career in public relations and worked for a variety of corporations and organizations, including Northwestern University, 3M, Champion Paper, Welch's, International Harvester, and Black Hawk College. Bob was active in many charitable and civic organizations, and an active and proud member of the Luther Alumni Association. Bob was a member of Luther’s Heritage Club and also served as class agent from 1985 to 1990. He and his wife of 49 years, Barbara, moved to Port St. Lucie in 1992. In addition to Barbara, Bob is survived by a daughter and granddaughter. Memorials may be made to Luther College or a charity of your choice.
GAYLEN GILBERTSON of Mundelein, Ill., died June 15, 2009, at age 84. At age 17 he joined the U.S. Navy, serving in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Gaylen was a crewman on an Avenger torpedo bomber, based on the escort carrier U.S.S. Bismarck Sea; he completed 19 combat missions and survived the sinking of his ship during the battle for Iwo Jima. Following the war, Gaylen graduated from Luther and from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. In 1953 he accepted a call to missionary service with the Lutheran Church in Japan, serving several churches before focusing his efforts on the Japan Lutheran Hour radio and television ministry. In 1974 he was called to serve in Papua, New Guinea, as executive director of the interdenominational Churches Council for Media Coordination. In 1977 Gaylen returned to the U.S. and worked for the American Lutheran Church Division of Global Mission before being called as senior pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, Ill. In 1996 Gaylen began a rich and satisfying retirement in Mundelein, Ill., worshipping at St. Andrew Lutheran Church and enjoying the company of his family. He was a man of strong intellect, steady temperament, and great compassion, who tried to unite those with differing points of view to reach a common goal. Gaylen is survived by his wife, STELLA (CLEVELAND) GABRIELSON ‘47; four children, including DAVID GILBERTSON ’71, MARY (GILBERTSON) SELBO ’78, and SUZANNE (GILBERTSON) OHASHI ‘80; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a sister, EMILY GILBERTSON ’52.
CAROL HANSON of Waukon, Iowa, died May 18, 2009, at age 87. After graduating from high school with a normal training certificate, she attended Luther. Carol taught elementary school in Allamakee County schools for 42 years, retiring in 1983. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and active in WELCA. Carol was also a member of the Women’s Civic Club and the local retired teachers group. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
ERNEST “ERNIE” RANUM of Santa Barbara, Calif., died Sept. 3, 2009, at age 83 after a 10-year battle with multiple myeloma. After high school he enlisted in the Marine Corps during World War II. While leading a squad in the battle for Iwo Jima, Ernie was wounded by a Japanese hand grenade and recuperated at a hospital in Hawaii. The war ended during his hospital stay, but he served seven months in the postwar occupation of Japan and was awarded a Purple Heart. After his discharge, Ernie enrolled at Luther. He had fond memories of participating with the gymnastics team and performing on the trampoline during half time at basketball games. Ernie worked a variety of jobs, retiring from the U.S. Postal Service in 1991 to enjoy golfing, square dancing, and lawn bowling. He had a great sense of humor and his unique view of the world was often expressed through his photography. He is survived by three children; one grandchild; three brothers, including PAUL RANUM ’52 and JOHN RANUM ’58; and two sisters, JULIE MASON-RANUM ’45 and ALICE (RANUM) DRAKE ’49. Ernie was preceded in death by two brothers, including DAVID RANUM ’56. His wife, Betty, died on Oct. 2, 2009.
