Dear Classmates of 1977,
We hope you enjoyed the autumn weather as we did. Here in western Ohio, it was an unusually dry, but otherwise beautiful, fall, at least weather-wise. Midwest autumns bring to mind memories of strolling about at Luther, hiking the local hills and springs, and football games both at Carlson Stadium and on the intramural field. Throw in a sorority/fraternity kegger or a hoghouse event, some tunes, and you just couldn't beat those for good times.
Even though the years have rolled by, many of the traditions and events that made for the vivid memories at Luther and Decorah still go on. Changes are inevitable, though, and Luther is changing, too. A tour around campus will reveal a number of visible ones, with the most recent including the new Bentdahl Commons located in the central portion of campus. A new entrance meets one at the football stadium. The science building is now fully functional after its expansion, and the cafeteria has undergone a face-lift (does this mean no more food fights?). Continuing improvements to the residence halls can be seen, too.
It seems to us, traditions are usually signs of strong relationships. It was neat to see the tradition carried on by the group of guys in our class (Meyer, Jenson, Oppermann, Schroeder, Bernatz, Ness, Anderson, Stahle, Thomas, and Emerson) since our college years. Some of the rest of you may have similar groups which have maintained traditions or relationships through the years at Luther and beyond. If you do, let us know about them.
We wanted to relate a personal story involving tradition that occurred this fall. Kris and her three sisters and mother have been meeting yearly with each of them taking their turn "hosting.” This year's event was in Door County, Wisconsin, and included the usual sightseeing, shopping, eating, shopping, eating some more, etc. All was going well until at one of the local restaurants, Kris's pocketsize camera was suddenly missing. A thorough search of the premises by all (including a restaurant staff member going beyond the call of duty) did not reveal the missing item. Admittedly, Kris was rather distraught, as she was planning to eventually create a memory book of the weekend for the others, including pictures on the camera now seemingly lost. After all efforts to find the camera were to no avail, the weekend was concluded and all returned home.
About two days later, Kris received a phone call from the restaurant, where they had developed plumbing issues in one of their toilets. Tearing into it, they found the elusive camera stuck in the pipe leading from the toilet. The camera itself was toast, but they retrieved it and sent it back to us (gunk and all). Kris, always the determined one, dried out the memory card (as suggested by an Internet site) and lo and behold, the sisters’ weekend pictures were just as vivid as they had been before their trip down the foul stream.
What does all this mean? We would suggest this...even if your dreams seem to be going down the proverbial toilet, never ever give up on retrieving them (or a memory card for that matter).
Keep those traditions and memories alive with friends and families...they are worth it.
Have a great fall and winter,
Your class agents,
Bill and Kris (Skeate) Osterbur
1977 Class Agents
[email protected]
[email protected]
Don't forget your Annual Fund giving!
Each year nearly 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $3 to $25,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure significant funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us reach our goal of 30% alumni giving to the Annual Fund. Here’s how our class—and surrounding classes—did in 2009:
Class of 1976 Total giving in 2009: $57,118 from 22% of the class
CLASS OF 1977 TOTAL GIVING IN 2009: $32,314 FROM 26% OF THE CLASS
Class of 1978 Total giving in 2009: $53,832 from 25% of the class
Your gift can boost our class impact on current students! Visit givenow.luther.edu to show your support. Thank you!
Class Notes
MICK ANDERSON, RICHARD BERNATZ, STEVE EMERSON, PAUL JENSEN, MIKE MEYER, DAVE NESS, JIM OPPERMANN, SCOTT SCHROEDER, DOUG STAHLE, and SCOTT THOMAS have remained friends for over 35 years and reunite in Decorah, along with their families, every St. Patrick’s Day weekend to eat Mabe’s Pizza, make the rounds of old and new hang-outs, and lift a toast to former classmate CAL CARSON.
MICHAEL BEATTY, former publisher of the Baltimore Examiner, has been named publisher of the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.
GREG FIELDS is vice president of administration at the Center for Economic Progress in Chicago and a member of the Luther Board of Regents.
CHRISTI KORN-FINHOLT and JAMES FINHOLT ‘78 live in Salem, Ore. Christi teaches music and computer science at Chemeketa Community College and with the College Inside Program at the Oregon State Penitentiary. She and James also own the Blue Pepper Gallery & Internet Café in downtown Salem.
TERRY McNEIL of Dodgeville, Wis., had his photographs featured in a calendar published by Midwest Living magazine and received the grand prize for his photo “Young Explorers.”
DEBBIE RINGDAHL and ROGER MAYLAND ’75 live in Minneapolis. Debbie earned a doctorate in clinical nursing from the University of Minnesota and teaches Reiki at the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota. She has authored various articles on alternative health care modalities and a chapter on midwifery in the textbook The Doctor of Nursing Practices Essentials, to be published in 2011.
MIKE SMOCK of Decorah has been awarded membership in the Chairman’s Council of Federated Insurance.
SCOTT THOMAS is the teaching pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle, Ill. Scott lives in Bolingbrook, Ill., with his wife, Diane, and daughters, Becky and Michelle.
ENID GJELTEN WEICHSELBAUM is a quilt artist in Rochester, Minn.
Comments
Nice to see what classmates are up to; finally finished my doctorate in organizational leadership this year. Currently the health care administrator for Pinellas County, teaching graduate courses for fun on the side. See that the gathering next July is having all former band members join for practice and a concert - would be fun!
Still living the dream in Sheboygan Wis. Lead nurse at St. Nicholas Hospital emergency department. Involved in local EMS and teaching lab clinical skills in nursing at Lakeshore Technical College.
Beth Erickson is teaching in the Milwaukee (Wis.) Public Schools.
Lynn--show up for the band reunion! I'll be there, after the Weston Noble Alumni Choir week! Iowa-bound this afternoon. Happy Holidays, all!
Daughter Jamie starting Luther in the fall. Time to relive the experience. Still living in Ames, in dental practice with my husband.