Spring 2017
Dear Classmates:
Happy spring! I write this letter “from the road” as my family and I spend time in the Carolinas over spring break. For me, this brings back memories of my 1992 spring break, which included a trip to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to experience the conclusion of an amazing season by the Luther women’s basketball team. Great memories!
Sadly, the most significant news from campus over the winter months was due to the passing of Weston Noble ’43, who died Dec. 21, 2016. Like many of you, my Luther experience was made in part by the presence of this amazing musician and gentleman. The semester that he directed the Concert Band while Professor Nyline was on sabbatical and Handel’s Messiah mass choirs are among my most memorable Luther experiences. Early in my time as a faculty member, I sang in another Messiah chorus led by Mr. Noble, and I can assure you that he continued to have an incredible impact on Luther students throughout his career. Even after retiring from the podium, he remained a regular fixture on campus and continued to be involved in recruiting the next generation of Luther student musicians. A celebration of Weston’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in the CFL Main Hall. More details about Weston’s life can be found in the Winter 2017 issue of the Luther Alumni Magazine and on Luther’s website.
While on the topic of music at Luther, I’ll note that Andrew Last ’97, assistant professor of music and conductor of Collegiate Chorale and Norsemen, was recently announced as the new Nordic Choir conductor and director of choral activities at Luther. He will begin his new duties at the beginning of the 2017 fall semester.
Attached to this letter is the list of all who made gifts to Luther in calendar year 2016. Thank you for your generosity! On March 9, the Luther development team conducted the second annual Luther giving day event, #luthergives17, which raised more than $500,000 in Annual Fund support from 1,600+ donors in just 15 hours. Many thanks to those of you who contributed!
Plans for our 25-year reunion celebration, which will be held the weekend of October 6-8, are well under way. My many, many thanks go out to those classmates serving on the reunion planning committee. This small group did an incredible job last fall in reaching out to every classmate to extend a personal invitation to this special reunion celebration. Committee members will be reaching out to you again in coming weeks to provide additional reunion details and to share information about the reunion giving campaign. I hope to see you all in October!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Craig Rabe
[email protected]
CLASS NOTES
Cindy Marlow McClenagan is vice president for academic affairs at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.
Shari (Julson) Seidl is senior global client liaison at the Nelson Company in Green Bay, Wis.
Ann Sorenson is professor of communication at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.).
The Annual Fund – make your gift today:
Your gift. Put to work, right away, where it is needed most.
Last year more than 10,000 alumni, family, and friends supported Luther’s Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $100,000. Your gift makes a difference for each and every student at Luther, and we are grateful for your support.
givenow.luther.edu
WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE:
This list includes all gifts received January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016. 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.
Kathi (Klink) Anderson
Lars Anderson
Michael Anderson
David Bartelt
Matthew Beatty
Eric Benson
Bridget (Benson) Berry
Elizabeth (Bracken) Betzer
Sarah (Neumann) Biscoglia
Amy (Brumm) Bjorklund
Kristofer Bjorklund
Lisa Blumhagen
David Boese
Dawn Bondhus Mueller
Amy (Carlson) Bruening
William Buenger
Debra Bullock
Lora (Maiers) Castleman
Kyle Christiason
Michele Cooley
Wendy (Jaycox) Davidson
Douglas Delahanty
Dana (Rehse) Dinndorf
Daniel Disch
Marnie (Anderson) Disch
Anne Discher
Todd Fisher
Jonathan Frese
Daniel Fuhrman
G. Richard Geier
Laura (Smith) Gentry
Michael George
Michael Gesme
Amy Gilbertson
Erica Gilbertson
Andrew Gray
Suzanne Greene
Kristi Groth
Spring Halland
Paul Halverson
Tami (Daiker) Halverson
Valerie Hansen
David Hanson
Susan (Linnerooth) Hareland
Nancy Hatle
Kristen (Anderson) Heffern
Scot Heggen
Kirsten Roverud Heine
Laura (Olson) Heuer
Peter Johnson
Tracy Johnson
David Jorde
Christopher Kessler
David Klee
Kristin (Hohnbaum) Klein
Ellen (Krahn) Knautz
Keith Knautz
Julie (Mathews) Knudson
Heidi (Beane) Koopman
Steven Kruse
Sujay Lama
Peggy (Shindelar) Lensing
Cindy Marlow McClenagan
Jill McKinley
Janet (Gohrke) McWilliams
Christopher Meinen
Emily (Lawrence) Meyer
Heather (Hirt) Miller
Kimberly (Gass) Mueller
Amy (Graham) Newell
Rachel (Krieger) Nunez
Amie (Barsch) Odahl
Chanda (Asproth) Olson
Lars Olson
Beth (Adams) Ostrem
Jodi (Schulze) Petersen
Marc Peterson
Kimberly (Lester) Podhajsky
Joelle Pretty
Craig Rabe
Karin (Hagen) Richards
Jill Rocheleau
Nanette Rollene
Ruth Ann (Lidtke) Sacquitne
Shelly Schaeufele
Kari (Amundson) Schmidt
David Schneider
Angela Schupbach
Sara (Tandy) Schurr
Stephanie Shipman-Clemenson
Staci Sievert
Paige (Falink) Silver
Sara Skovholt
Deborah (Hess) Smith
Joel Spoonheim
Laura (Anderson) Stevens
Jennifer (Lutz) Suhr
Deborah Svec-Carstens
Elizabeth (Papa) Taylor
Chad Thomley
Karen (Titus) Trewin
Patrick Trewin
Kristin (Finholt) Vande Krol
Janine (Svoboda) Wallgren
Anne (Potter) Walters
Staci (Danielsen) Waltman
Jennifer Weuve
J. Troy Whitehill
Kyle Wiese
Cynthia (Mausser) Williams
Amy (Fisher) Wold
Andrew Wold
Andrea (Wilt) Wood
Chaney (Carr) Yeast
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].