Spring 2012

Dear Classmate,

I have to admit that I am not a history buff. In fact, in college I would say I ran the other way when faced with anything other than the required history classes. Whether it is this thing called aging that changes ones perspective and interests, I’m not sure, but now the background to anything from travel destinations to yes, even 35-year college reunions, draws my attention. This is especially true for the early origins of places and institutions.

While I have yet to complete it, I would highly recommend to anyone associated with Luther the recent book by Wilfred Bunge, Transformed by the Journey. It really gives insight into how our beloved Luther College developed. It especially shows the absolute resolve the early settlers demonstrated to even survive, much less to develop an institution of higher learning. I would wholeheartedly encourage investigating this book, as it will make a trip to Decorah and Luther that much more interesting. (Contact the Book Shop at www.luther.edu/bookshop, or call 888-511-5039 or email [email protected] to place your order. 

We finally returned to Luther ourselves this past December for Christmas at Luther and thoroughly enjoyed not only the performance, but getting reacquainted with Decorah. There have been many changes (an incredible bike/running trail to name one!) but many things remain the same, as we reminisced about our years there in the early 70s. We had the good fortune of bumping into Wendy Stevens ʾ69 while poking around the renovated Valders Hall of Science. She gave us an awesome behind-the-scenes tour of this wonderful facility. We even ran into Jim Haemker ʾ72, who retired in July after 39 years of service to Luther. Jim joined the Luther staff in 1972 as an admissions counselor in Chicago and eventually became director of the Luther Book Shop and Union services. He recruited both of us. Jim still remembered our parents, by name, and inquired about their well being. Now, that is up close and personal!   

That brings us around to the 35-year REUNION, which is to be this fall at homecoming (Oct. 5-7, 2012). Please plan to make the trip, but do plan for it as the local hotels fill up quickly. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you, as we are all a part of Luther’s history.

With kind regards,

Bill and Kris (Skeate) Osterbur
1977 Class Agents
[email protected]
[email protected]

Class Note
JAMES OPPERMANN is senior vice president for finance and management at Alverno College in Milwaukee. He was named Education CFO of the Year by The Business Journal in 2011.

Obituary
Ruth Jacobson of Duluth, Minn., died Feb. 17, 2010, in Las Vegas after a short battle with cancer at age 55. After Luther, she earned a master’s degree in music from the Julliard School of Music and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A finalist in the 1984 Young Artist Competition at the Chicago Lyric Opera, Ruth was a professional opera singer in New York for several years. She received numerous awards and honors, including the Arnow Award for Performance at Julliard, the Max M. and Sylvia Stettner Award, and the Liederkranz Prize (twice). Ruth built a multi-faceted, international career as a soprano, teacher, opera director, visual artist, and arts administrator. Professionally, she sang major roles such as Violetta, Susanna, Gretel, Gilda, Musetta, and Pamina as well as supporting roles in opera theatres such as the Opera de Monte Carlo, Santa Fe Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, Dayton Opera, Anchorage Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Augusta Opera, and the American Opera Center at Lincoln Center. Her performing career took her to stages such as Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall―where she performed in the world premiere of Larry Bell’s The Idea of Order at Key West under the baton of Jorge Mester―to an off-Broadway production of The Mother of Us All.  Ruth performed 20th-century music frequently and sang in many world and American premieres. The song cycle All My Pretty Ones by Stephen Paulus was written for her; its first recorded performance is heard on Songs by Stephen Paulus (Albany Records). At the time of her death, Ruth was teaching at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. In 2004 she founded the Lyric Opera of the North in Duluth; she also served as its general artistic director. Ruth taught voice at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and Bemidji State University over the past few years. She is survived by her daughter, Georgia Jacobson; her mother, Gertrude Jacobson; and her siblings, Susan Crawford, Ann Jenkins, Jean Jacobson ‘69, Thomas Jacobson, and Bryn Jacobson ‘82. Ruth was preceded in death by her father, Ferdinand Jacobson ’30, and a brother, Paul Jacobson.