Spring 2016
Dear Members of the Class of 1980,
Greetings from Luther College! Spring semester is well underway, putting us more than halfway through the 2015-16 academic year, and, as usual, there’s a lot going on at our Alma Mater.
We think you’ll enjoy reading about students’ January experiences. You can find J-term course blogs at https://www.luther.edu/jtermblogs2016/ and regular Luther student blogs at https://www.luther.edu/admissions/student-blogs/. You may have noticed already that Luther’s homepage on the web has a new look—it’s been redesigned to interest and inform prospective students, and those who advise them. But you can still easily find web content that interests you by clicking the search button next to the “info for” drop-down box at the top right of the page. Type in the word “news,” click on the search button, and you’ll get all of the Luther news, for your reading pleasure.
President Carlson recently began a new tradition with faculty and staff, providing a mid-year in-person report. At this year’s gathering, she outlined a new strategic planning process focused on greater integration in students’ educational experience, curriculum innovation, staffing and budget priorities, and physical plant renovation. She also reported that the search for a new vice president for development is well along toward completion. So things are moving ahead at the college on multiple fronts.
And more good news: at the spring semester opening convocation, professor emeritus of music David Judisch was awarded the St. Olav’s Medal by the government of Norway for his distinguished work in strengthening ties between Norway and Norwegian Americans, as the long-time director of the Luren Singers, Decorah’s men’s chorus.
Be sure to keep in touch and let us know what you’re up to. Thank you to all who made gifts to Luther in 2015; we are grateful for this support. Best wishes for a great spring season!
Barbara (Forde) Linnell
1980 Class Agent
116 Fillmore Street SE
Chatfield, MN 55923
507-867-4119
[email protected]
Kris (Skoglund) Tjornehoj
1980 Class Agent
104 13th Street
Hudson, WI 54016
715-386-7067
[email protected]
Your gift. Every year. Put to work, right away, where it is needed most.
Each year over 9,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $75,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us reach our goal of 27% alumni giving. Here’s how your class—and surrounding classes—did in 2015:
Class of 1979 total giving in 2015: $56,955 from 28.96% of the class
Class of 1980 total giving in 2015: $351,692 from 27.10% of the class
Class of 1981 total giving in 2015: $88,119 from 24.83% of the class
Your gift can boost the impact your class has on current students! Please use the enclosed envelope or visit givenow.luther.edu to show your support. Thank you!
WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE:
This list includes all gifts received January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015. Making a gift each and every year is an investment in the lives of Luther students and a show of support for the Luther College community. Thank you for your support of Luther College through your giving.
Priscilla (Monson) Abraham
Linn Adams
Thomas Adams
Janelle (Jahn) Albee
Valerie Anderson-Jones
Karen Angell
Charles Beile
Kurt Belgum
Cynthia (Taylor) Benson
Christopher Berg
Carol (Clauson) Bergan
Beth (Eide) Bird
Connie Biwer Yaqub
Diane (Wiese) Bjornstal
Jeffrey Boeke
Fay (Rasmussen) Bohn
Daniel Boos
David Brandt
Keith Bruening
Brian Bumpus
Judith (Farwell) Bumpus
Timothy Bungum
Dennis Bushkofsky
Keith Christensen
David Coe
Wendy (Hillesland) Coe
Yvonne Collie Pendleton
Sara (Reek) DiCecco
Rodney Dir
Loretta Dooley Wetzel
Jeffrey Dotseth
Jaimie (Basler) Fall
Jean (Holdefer) Forti
Erick Gandrud
Margaret (McCormick) Gardon
Sonya (Offerdahl) Gindorff
Laura Hampton
Sandra (Chapman) Hanley
Mary (Christianson) Hansen
Ellen (Wait) Hansing
Scott Hanson
Raymond Harney
Alan Hecht
Joan (Diekrager) Hennigan
Charis (Johnson) Hovden
Terry Hovden
James Jackson
Daniel Johnson
Lisa (Saboe) Johnson
Scott Johnson
Brian Jorgensen
Dan Kilen
David Kittleson
Della Krug
David Kust
James LaBelle
Mark Lamb
Christine (Lee) Levesque
James Lillibridge
Barbara (Forde) Linnell
Lorri Lobeck
Ruth (Vaaler) Logar
Janis (Miller) Lovell
Barbara (Perry) Lutz
Maureen (St. Martin) McElroy
Mary (Feany) Mendez
Esther Menn
Barbara (Hodge) Miller
Barbara (Cook) Mingo
Anne (Koch) Minske
Wayne Minske
Douglas Moard
Sherrill (Pretz) Moard
Diane (Wood) Morris
Russell Morris
Catherine (Barton) Mullen
William Musser
Susan (Schroeder) Nesheim
Janet (Lovell) Nord
Shauna (Anderson) Novak
Christi (Munson) Nowland
Naomi Nowland
Lisa (Engelhart) O'Brien
Nancy (Gustafson) Ollinger
Laura Olson
Elizabeth Opat-Wiger
Gregory Orwoll
Timothy Overlund
Chip Peterson
Kurt Peterson
Stephen Preus
Jeffrey Ripperton
David Ritland
Barbara (Bruemmer) Saiz
Kirsten Scarseth
Darrell Schmidt
Mark Schroeder
Timothy Schweizer
Julie Serra Lund
Arne Sorenson
William St. Angelo
Karen (Rosendahl) Stamper
Lori (Van Gerpen) Stanley
Kristin Swanson
Myron Thiese
Kristin (Skoglund) Tjornehoj
Peter Traeger
Rebecca Ulstad Brahs
Bethany Vriesman
Timothy Welch
Joseph Whitters
David Wilke
James Wold
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If an error has been made, please accept our apology and contact the Luther Development Office at 800-225-8664, or email [email protected].
Class Notes
GREG ANDREWS is an attorney and shareholder for Jackson Lewis, P.C., in Chicago.
KEITH CHRISTENSEN is a principal gifts officer for the Department of Development at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
KRIS (SKOGLUND) and DAN TJORNEHOJ ’79 live in Hudson, Wis. Kris is the department chair of music at University of Wisconsin in River Falls (UWRF), the conductor the UWRF Symphony Band and the St. Croix Valley Symphony Orchestra, and she serves on the faculty for the Internal Traveling Classroom in Edinburgh, London, and Paris. Kris was the conductor for the 2015 American Spring Festival in Prague as well as the guest conductor for the 2015 Indiana All-State Honors Band, and she won the 2015-2016 Professional Service Award at UWRF.