Fall 2009
Greetings Class of 2001!
Hope you have all had a good year (and avoided the dreaded H1N1)! I think it’s going to be a crazy winter! Speaking of crazy, Brian and I continue to live in St. Louis. Brian survived the InBev takeover of Anheuser-Busch, and I have survived working part-time and having our little one, Alexis, at home full-time. We have had a crazy, but joyous, year.
Your co-agent Paul continues to live in Chicago, working for Financial Services. We also are so excited to add a new member to our team. Joy (Christian) Stevens has joined us as a class agent for our class, so please feel free to reach out to her with any updates you may have as well. She is currently a physician assistant living in Rushford, Minn.
Luther has had a crazy year as well. Luther welcomed 702 new students for the start of their 149th academic year. They continue to make building improvements on campus and expand the dorms, and for those that made it back for homecoming this year, I hope you got to see all the new roads and buildings. For those who haven’t, you might need a map next time you venture your way up there, as roads have been replaced by massive grassy areas! Luther has been busy making environmental changes as well by growing food to use in their kitchens and taking measures to reduce their carbon footprint on the environment. One of their biggest initiatives has been a plan to build a wind turbine to create their own energy source, which will produce enough energy to provide a third of Luther's current usage. Also, Luther was recently named as one of the top colleges and universities (in the top 26) in sustainability initiatives. They continue to do what they can not only for new students but also for the greater world.
We wanted to make you aware of an opportunity to help an incoming Luther student receive a scholarship. In the past, legacy scholarships have been awarded to new students whose parents went to Luther. Luther has expanded this scholarship. If you know of a promising junior or senior who would make a good addition to the Luther campus, you can nominate them for this scholarship by Feb 1, 2010. If they enroll at Luther, they will be awarded a one-time $1,000 scholarship toward their first-year tuition. So, keep your eyes open for promising high school students who you know would enjoy the Luther experience, and check out the online nomination form: https://www2.luther.edu/admissions/form/.
Finally, as always, we are asking that you give back financially to Luther. We know that it is a bad economy out there right now. However, let’s be honest, we are still buying our Starbucks coffees, Dave Matthews concert tickets, and iPhones. We need to continue to support Luther even during these hard economic times. Our class participation has dropped to just over 20 percent. Alumni-giving participation is so important in ranking Luther as a college (i.e., making your degree more recognizable) as well as receiving additional grant money, and I’m sure you join me in wanting to maintain Luther’s good reputation. In order to increase that participation amount, someone who has never given before needs to donate any amount, even $10. We also need to increase the amount that our class is giving, which means those who have given in the past need to consider increasing by $10. Every little bit can make a difference.
I’m asking our entire class to increase our past pledges by at least $10, so we can see a jump in what our class is giving back. Even in these times, I think we all can afford $10 to help keep Luther the special place that it is. Also, don’t forget that if your company provides matching funds, please submit your donation to Luther to them, so Luther receives double the benefit of your gift! For those that have been giving the last several years, thanks for your commitment to Luther and remember that you can give your gift online now at givenow.luther.edu.
Have a great holiday season, take care, and please keep us all updated with the changes life throws at you!
Best wishes,
Laura (Ahlstrand) Bunch
2001 Class Agent
[email protected]
Paul Hoyem
2001 Class Agent
[email protected]
Joy (Christian) Stevens
2001 Class Agent
[email protected]
Class Notes
GAIL (CARPENTER) BAGGETT is a physical therapy manager at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore.
SHANNON BENGFORD of Maryland Heights, Mo., is a musical director and keyboardist for the St. Louis-based Bohemian Rhapsody Orchestra.
ERIC BURFEIND is an environmental science teacher at Edina (Minn.) High School and a co-adviser of Project Earth, a student group consisting of seven seniors who helped build an outdoor classroom in the woods behind the school. The classroom consists of two rows of benches, retaining walls, and a railing in a cleared-out area at the intersection of two paths. It has capacity for thirty students.
AMY (LARSON) and PETER CALHOUN ’03 live in Iowa City, Iowa. Amy is chief resident in pediatrics at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.
JULIE (LARSON) and RAUL CAROLUS live in Mason City, Iowa. Julie is a nurse assistant at Mercy Medical Center–North Iowa and Raul is a senior programmer at Dealerbuilt.
JACOB DeBOER earned a master’s degree in divinity from Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and is a pastor at Dawson (N.D.) Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Steele.
JOE ECKBERG is a programmer analyst at MedNet Solutions Inc. in Minnetonka, Minn.
LAURA (CAULUM) GRATTON earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Des Moines University and is a family practice medicine resident at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
NATALEE HATTIG is an electronic resources librarian for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
NATALIE (VAN VUREN) JACKSON is a paraeducator for the Clinton (Iowa) Community Schools.
JODI JOHNSON is an occupational therapist at a chronic pain and brain injury clinic in Portland, Ore.
CARA (ASPLUND) JUNG earned an MFA degree from Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pa.
JENNIFER KNAPP is an attorney and owner of Libera Knapp P.A. in Winona, Minn.
KATIE (BOUSLOG) LUEHRSMANN earned CIC designation and is an insurance agent with Bouslog Insurance Corporation in Marion, Iowa.
SHAUN MEINECKE is the assistant women’s cross country and track and field coach at Miami University. One of her student-athletes achieved All-American status and competed in the Division I National Track and Field meet held at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
JAMES NEAL was chair of the 2008 Minnesota Perfusion Society Perfusion and Cardiovascular Surgery Practice meeting in Rochester, Minn. He gave three presentations at the meeting: “Low dose inhaled CO reduces inflammatory response in rats,” “Multiple techniques for dealing with residual pump blood,” and “Cases less seen: Axillary cannulation, circulatory arrest, and PTE.”
LAURA (NASLUND) and BEN READY live in Sioux Falls, S.D. Laura obtained certification in inpatient obstetrics nursing and is a maternal flight nurse at Sanford/USD Medical Center. Ben is an economic development advisor for U.S. Senator John Thune.
MARK ROBINSON earned an MFA degree in acting from the University of Alabama; he teaches acting at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep High School in San Francisco.
ANNA ROEDER is an adjunct faculty for Brown Mackie College-Moline in Moline, Ill.
BRIGIT (BROGHAMER) STORHOFF earned National Board Certification according to the National Board for Professional Training Standards. She is a fifth-grade teacher at Decorah Middle School.
STACY SUNDET is a risk analyst for U.S. Bank in St. Paul, Minn.
ABBEY WEIS and BARRY NELSON live in Minneapolis. Abbey earned a master’s degree in education and English from the University of Minnesota. Barry is vice president of agency/MI relations at Wells Fargo.
AMANDA (BENEDICT) ’03 and JUSTIN OBENAUER live in Lakeville, Minn. Justin is a mortgage auditor for the State of Minnesota.
ERIN PEDERSON is a licensed psychologist in the student counseling service at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
MARK POTVIN of Princeton, Minn., received the 2008 Young Choral Directors Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Mark is artistic director of the East Central Minnesota Chorale, based in Cambridge.
SARAH RILEY is café manager at Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Minneapolis.
GENE TESDAHL was named a Gilder Lehrman Doctoral Fellow for 2009-10 by the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition. Part of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University, the center is dedicated to the investigation and dissemination of knowledge concerning all aspects of chattel slavery and its destruction.
CORRENE WALDORF LARSEN earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology/counselor education from the University of Colorado-Denver and is a school counselor at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colo.
Births
AMANDA LINDBERG-AGANGA '03 and OLA AGANGA welcomed a son, Liam, in April 2009. Liam joins brother Kieran (1).
LIZA HICKEN '02 and DAN BELLRICHARD welcomed a daughter, Lulu, in Nov. 2008.
Jessie and TIMOTHY BROVOLD welcomed a daughter, Isabella, in June 2008.
AMY (LARSON) and PETER CALHOUN '03 welcomed a daughter, Rachel, in Aug. 2008.
SARAH (BRUEGGER) and Adam Cox welcomed a son, Carter, in Oct. 2008.
MEGAN (MATTINGLY) and JIM COX '00 welcomed twin daughters, Kadence and Sabrina, in Feb. 2009. Kadence and Sabrina join sisters Ashlyn (5) and Aubrie (2).
Edidiong and EKERETE EKPO welcomed a son, Ekomobong, in March 2008. Ekomobong joins brother Edikan (4).
LANE (STAEHLE) and ADAM GODDARD '02 welcomed a daughter, Aida, in April 2009. Aida joins brother Evan (2).
SUZANNE (CIPRA) and Todd Haag welcomed a daughter, Reese, in Feb. 2009.
KELLY (HOCKERT) and MITCH HANSEN '99 welcomed triplets—daughters Cadence and Noele, and son Sawyer—in Feb. 2009.
LINDSAY (WEIER) and LES HOLLINGSWORTH welcomed a son, William, in Jan. 2009. William joins sister Eva (3).
LIZ (PLAGENS) and Scott Joing welcomed a son, Micah, in Feb. 2009.
SIRI THOMPSON and ERIC KLIMPKE '99 welcomed a daughter, Addison, in Jan. 2008.
SARAH WENTE and Jeremy Kuker welcomed a daughter, Emma, in March 2008.
CORRENE WALDORF LARSEN and Todd Larsen welcomed a son, Henry, in Dec. 2008.
KATIE (BOUSLOG) and Ryan Luehrsmann welcomed a son, Cael, in Nov. 2008. Cael, joins brother Brady (3).
JENIE (FULLER) and JOHN OLSON welcomed a daughter, Allison, in Feb. 2008.
AMRITA (DANIEL) and ZACH PEDERSON welcomed a son, Armaan, in Oct. 2008.
SUSAN (STOCKSETH) '02 and MARK POTVIN welcomed a son, Noah, in March 2009.
LAURA (NASLUND) and BEN READY welcomed a daughter, Ingrid, in Sept. 2008. Ingrid joins sister Ella (4).
ANGIE (JOHNSON) and ADAM RICHARDS '00 welcomed a son, Parker, in June 16, 2008. Parker joins sister Calleigh (3).
Tatiana Powless Sampson and BRIAN SAMPSON welcomed a daughter, Harper, in May 2009.
KRISTINA (JONES) and Robert Slaney welcomed a son, Conlan, in March 2009.
RANDI (TIMMER) and KRIS SNYDER '98 welcomed a daughter, Ambjor Belle, on Dec. 18, 2008. Ambjor joins sister Kjersti (4).
JAIME (ROWE) '00 and MATT TITUS welcomed a daughter, Olivia, in Sept. 2008.
BETH (BEHENSKY) and Mike Weipert welcomed a son, Aidan, in Nov. 2007. Aidan joins brother Collin (4).
Marriages
GAIL CARPENTER and Benjamin Baggett, Sept. 29, 2007
DAN BELLRICHARD and LIZA HICKEN '02, July 27, 2008
SHAWN BELVERUD and Kimberly Hayes, May 16, 2009
TIMOTHY BROVOLD and Jessie Clemens, Sept. 1, 2007
KEN MATTICE and Rochelle Bard, June 16, 2007
MATT MILLS and Emily Franzen, May 16, 2009
KARI HAMER and Jason Read, Aug. 8, 2008
BETH JONES and Tony Runkle, Oct. 20, 2007
BRIAN SAMPSON and Tatiana Powless, June 14, 2008
BEN SCHOENING and Melissa Piippo, Nov. 28, 2008
STACY SUNDET and Amy Svendsen, March 28, 2009
JENNY WELP and Christopher Thomas, Oct. 18, 2008
