Fall 2019
Dear 1955 Classmates:
As I write this letter in Northern Minnesota in late August, fall is approaching. No fall colors yet but mornings are much cooler. By the time you receive this letter fall will have fully arrived up here. Wherever the fall season finds you, may you have a pleasant and active one.
By now, I am sure, you have heard that Dr. Jennifer K. Ward has been elected the 11th President of Luther. She began duties on July 1 and was formally inaugurated November 1-3. Dr. Ward previously served as a faculty member at Gustavus Adolphus College, held academic leadership positions at Cornish College of Arts in Seattle, and most recently served as Provost and Dean at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Dr. Ward says, “Our work together must be strategic, collaborative, creative, and – most importantly – must articulate what it means to be both grounded in Decorah, Iowa with a face to the world, and set goals for how we can adapt Luther’s past and present for a sustainable future.”
All of us wish Dr. Ward well at Luther as she faces a challenging time effecting many small colleges in the U.S. You can follow her and access other Luther information by going to luther.edu or:
❏ Follow Luther College on Twitter: @LutherCollege
❏ Follow Luther College on Instagram: @LutherCollege
❏ Follow the Luther College Alumni Facebook page: @facebook.com/luthercollegealumni
One way we can assist Luther is to support the Alumni Ambassador program. Any student referred by an alum and who enrolls will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship per year for four years. You can obtain more information by emailing [email protected] or calling 563-387-1438. Think about grandchildren, yours or your friends.
Christmas at Luther performances are set for December 5-8. Perhaps we will meet there.
I have not received much personal news from classmates. It would be nice to hear from others. Classmates do note that it is one way of keeping informed about classmates and friends. Ted Tweed emailed to say that his wife, Jan (Campbell), still conducts the Waunakee Community Band which she founded 34 years ago. Rather a family event, Ted and a granddaughter play trombone, a son plays tuba, and a daughter-in-law does vocals. Nice! Clarie (Renslo) Streng-Broste and husband, Dennis, keep working on their travel bucket list. They have two Norwegian Viking cruises this fall. In September, they travel to Croatia; in November, they cross the South Atlantic from Spain to Argentina.
As for Mary and me, we still split time between Minnesota and Arizona, and hope to be able to continue for a few more years. It is nice to get away from snow and cold for a time. In July we co-hosted again the 7th annual Luther Comes to the Heartland gathering in Park Rapids, MN. We were pleased that a 2016 alum who teaches Intermediate School music in Park Rapids attended. Also attending was a Park Rapids High School graduate who just finished his second year at Luther. People come from as far as Fargo and Moorhead. If you are in the area the 3rd Sunday next July, please come. It runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Luther provides the brats. Others bring something to share.
As always, as we approach the end of 2019, I encourage you to continue your support to Luther. Our class has always ranked high in the percentage of classmates making gift annually. Luther did much for us. An annual gift is a sign of gratitude. Please give generously.
Finally, my wish for you is that your holidays will be happy and blessed, and 2020 will provide many opportunities for engagement and satisfaction. And may it also be a year when civility returns to this land.
All the best,
Carlyle Haaland
1955 Class Agent
12118 County 80,
Nevis, MN 56467
218-652-2085
[email protected]
(February-April):
1105 S. Alpine Circle
Green Valley, AZ 85614
520-399-1801
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OBITUARIES Nancee Joy (Larson) Andresen of Albert Lea, Minn., died Jan. 12, 2019, age 82. Howard LeRoy Stewart of Detroit Lakes, Minn., died April 28, 2019, age 88. The full obituaries of the classmates listed above can be found on the Luther College website at: luther.edu/in-memoriam If you would like a printout of the obituaries listed above in their entirety mailed to you, please contact us at: [email protected], or 563-387-150 |