Fall 2016
Hello Classmate,
Halfway home from my second-year class agent meeting at Luther, I had to stop and write down some of my thoughts. Are these meetings stuffy? Not today!
The most interesting piece of information I gained from the formal luncheon business meeting was that back in 1861, when Luther College was founded, there were 100 students in that first class. Between six and ten thousand people showed up for the dedication ceremony and celebration for the new Main Building, and 2,000 stayed afterwards for a picnic…perhaps the beginnings of the “Lutheran Church Basement Women.” (Yes, Jell-o was invented in 1845...I checked!)
I want to keep you interested in reading this letter, so I am going to tell you one of the things that got our roundtable discussion going after the luncheon. When we introduced ourselves and told about one of our memories at Luther, many of the people talked about how Luther “became their family” in those four years. We talked about ways we could somehow get alumni involved in sharing their memories with other alumni, so I am encouraging each of you to pick up pen and paper, write and send your memories to us so we can share…the whole point is to get others excited about going to Luther.
I am sure every one of you, when you return to Decorah, experiences something that screams Luther…Whippy Dip?? Mabe's Pizza?? Let’s tell everyone we know about the great things Luther has to offer.
Various marketing strategies were suggested, and the simplest slogan we came up with was “Visit Luther…you’ll love it.” Many people at our roundtable felt that their campus visit was the pivotal point in making their decision to attend Luther; I know mine was. I think we can all agree that Luther's campus is gorgeous!
I’m glad you are still with me. It was on my way home from Luther today, as I pulled off to the side of the road for an ambulance to pass, that I was reminded of one of my memories from my Luther days. While using my God-given talents of sewing and learning the upholstery business, until I figured out where my major in social work was going to take me, one night after work my whole life changed. The brakes on the '64 Oldsmobile my grandfather had given me, as a graduation present, went out when I approached a stop sign. As I looked up the hill toward the Cliff House (which is no longer there, by the way), I saw a semi-truck coming down the hill. To my amazement I woke up on the floor of my car telling the EMTs that I had a broken leg. Long story short, the rod that was placed in my femur that night caused me such achy pains in the Midwest weather that I moved to Arizona. The rest is history.
My point of that story is that life changes. That's why I was so excited at the meeting to hear about Luther’s sophomore reflection initiative that hones in on helping students discern their interests and move forward finding the career that matches their passions. As someone once said, if you find your life's passion for a career, you will never work a day in your life.
So, it is with a close that I ask each of you to find what it is that you can do to help continue to make Luther a college that will stand the test of time so that in 2216, 200 years from now, Luther will still be the liberal arts college that our forefathers imagined it to be.
Until we meet again...
Barbara (Forde) Linnell
1980 Class Agent
[email protected]
Kris (Skoglund) Tjornehoj
1980 Class Agent
[email protected]
Your gift. Every year. Put to work, right away, where it is needed most.
Each year more than 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $100,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us to reach our goal of 27% alumni giving. Here’s how your class is doing so far this year:
CLASS OF 1980 TOTAL GIVING: $229,899.41 FROM 18.80% OF THE CLASS*
Have you made your 2016 gift to Luther? Only 34 more gifts are needed to reach 27% for your class. Please visit givenow.luther.edu to make your gift today. Thank you!
Please note: Your Spring 2017 class agent letter will include a listing of your classmates who gave to Luther during 2016. Be sure to make your gift before December 31 to be included.
*as of October 19, 2016
Class Notes
Greg Braatz retired from a 30-year marketing career at Kimberly-Clark and now serves as associate pastor at the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Appleton, Wis.
Rod Dir is president and CEO at nTelos Wireless in Waynesboro, Va.
Barb (Perry) Lutz of Waverly, Iowa, was inducted into the Association of Home Office Underwriters Hall of Fame last spring. She is assistant vice president and chief underwriter for Fidelity & Guaranty Life.
Tom Maakestad is owner and artist of Maakestad Studio in Marine on Saint Croix, Minn. He was invited to be artist in residence for the city of Salzburg, Austria, last summer through an exchange program organized by the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minn. He stayed in the city center at the historic Künstlerhaus, headquarters of the art organization Salzburger Künstverein, which was founded in 1844, and is the leading organization in Central Europe for producing and exhibiting international and Austrian contemporary art. His St. Croix River paintings were on display at the Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis last fall.
Bill Musser of Decorah delivered the 6th Annual Knut Gjerset Lecture, “Life in the Freezer: From Seed Savers to Svalbard,” at Luther. He is the librarian at Seed Savers Exchange. Bill is also the treasurer of the Board of the National Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL). CBHL is the leading professional organization in the field of botanical and horticultural information services.
Gladys Noll Alvarez is the trauma informed care project coordinator at Orchard Place Child Guidance Center in Des Moines, Iowa. She received her master of social work degree from the University of Iowa, is an Iowa-licensed independent social worker, and is involved in two year-long learning collaboratives through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Gladys is a member of the CAN Prevention Council, Professional Consultation Team, Steering Committee for the Regional Child Protection Center, Model Court Team in Polk County, Zero to Three Safe Babies Court Team in Polk County, and is an active member of United Methodist Women and her church, focusing on children’s issues. She won the Al Schulte Award in 2000, the Voice for Children award in 2008, and the Michele A. Moore Award of Distinction in 2011. In 2015 Gladys published “Grandma Mary Says Things Happen,” a guide to help children who experienced trauma, published by Xulon Press. She is also organizing the 6th Annual Psychological Trauma and Juvenile Justice Conference for Orchard Place and manages the Trauma Informed Care project website.
Bill St. Angelo of Flower Mound, Texas, produced the documentary Back in Brooklyn with August Sky Films.
Joe Whitters is executive partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners in Menlo Park, Calif.
Darrel Posegate earned a master’s degree in banking and financial services management from Boston University and is chief operation officer and chief financial officer of Heritage Bank in Sioux Falls, S.D.
