In Memoriam - Fall 2007 Wartburg Magazine - Wartburg College

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In Memoriam

1936
The Rev. LEO G. MOENCH, Sioux Falls, S.D., died after a brief illness April 23, 2006, at the Avera Prince of Peace Nursing Home. After graduating from Wartburg Theological Seminary in 1939, he was a U.S. Army chaplain during World War II and went on to parish ministry. He was active in the U.S. Army Reserve and Wisconsin National Guard, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1970, he was awareded the George Washington Honor Medal. He retired in 1980.

EMMA L. CORNELIUS KRUGER, Waverly, Iowa, died Aug. 17 at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community. She, her husband and other family members formed Cornelius Hybrid Seed Corn Company. She worked as financial secretary at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for 23 years.

1937
The Rev. CARL R. SCHULZ, Spokane, Wash., died July 16, 2006. Schulz graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary and was ordained June 23, 1940. He served as a U.S. Navy chaplain for three years and went on to parish ministry. He retired at 65 and went on to serve 10 years as a visitation pastor.

The Rev. ERICH A. HOEFER, Tempe, Ariz., died July 23. He was founding pastor of several churches and founding chair of the Board of the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission. He also served numerous national church boards and was a member of the merger committee that formed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

1938
The Rev. KENNETH J. HODUM, Milbank, S.D., died May 11 at the Golden Living Center. He graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque and was ordained in 1941. He served churches in several states.

1939
FREDA A. PRULL SUCHSLAND, Waverly, Iowa, died March 9 at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community. Before retiring in 1985, she was a longtime employee of the City of Marion’s engineering office.

1941
The Rev. GILBERT J. MEYER, Wausau, Wis., died June 6 at home in the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services. After graduating from Hebron Junior College, Wartburg and Wartburg Theological Seminary, he served as an ordained pastor for 63 years, including 20 at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Wausau. He retired in 1979 and continued to help other churches until 1997. He served the former American Lutheran Church in many capacities.

1943
HELEN M. LOOTS STUBENVOLL, Green Lake, Wis., died April 6 at Kindred Hearts. After graduation and marriage in 1945, she taught grade school in Pepin and Ripon.

1944
DOROTHY PICHELMEYER FRATZKE TROXELL, Davenport, Iowa, died Dec. 11, 2005 at Good Samaritan Center. She was secretary to the plant manager at Ralston Purina for 29 years, retiring in 1985. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and the Chamber of Commerce.

SYDNEY H. BRASE, Lynnwood, Wash., died May 20 after a 2 1/2 year battle with lymphoma.

1945
LOIS E. PILGRIM FRAME, Coalinga, Calif., died of a stroke June 8, 2006. After attending Wartburg, she graduated in 1953 from Colorado Teachers College and moved to Coalinga, where she taught third grade.

1946
HELENE HAEFNER MEYER, Mendota, Ill., died May 29 at Mendota Lutheran Home. She earned a Master of Library Science degree from University of Minnesota. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

1947
MARGARET RICHMANN UNGER, West Alexandria, Ohio, died June 16 at Good Samaritan Hospital. She received her master’s degree in library science from Miami University in 1974 and retired after 30 years with the West Alexandia and Lanier School Districts. She was a 40-plus year choir member at her church and an active community volunteer.

1948
JOAN SANDROCK KOCH, Waverly, Iowa, died from complications of cancer Aug. 8 at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community. She taught English, speech and developmental reading. She was also active in her church choir and women’s group and served on the parish school board of education.

1949
The Rev. WALTER F. DANNEMAN, Coarsegold, Calif., died Feb. 11, 2005. He was associate pastor at Mariposa Lutheran Church. He was a a driver/narrator at the Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park for 15 years and was once a U.S. National Guard chaplain.

MAYNARD G. “M.G.” SAUTTER, New Brighton, Minn., died from a stroke May 20. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he graduated from Wartburg. He taught school, worked as an office and sales manager for Refrigeration Engineering and then as editor, consultant and vice president of Employers Association. He published seven books, one of which was awarded the Gold Dust Cover by the Chicago Public Library Association. He used to the proceeds to endow two Wartburg scholarships.

The Rev. Dr. ROBERT “BOB” GRONLUND, West Palm Beach, Fla., died Sept. 9 after a long illness. He graduated from Wartburg and Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque after serving with the 89th Infantry in Europe during World War II. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California School of Religion. He served in many positions at various universities. He formed the fundraising firm of Gronlund Sayther Brunkow in 1976 and retired in 2006.

1950
Dr. CARL R. MORGAN, Greenville, N.C., died Nov. 5, 2006. He was professor emeritus of anatomy at East Carolina University.

1951
ALFRED C. KOCH, Waverly, Iowa, died of complications of a blood clot March 3. Koch worked for 30 years at what is now CUNA Mutual Life Insurance. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mardella, a former Wartburg staff member, Feb. 19.

RUTH OTTERSBERG MINER, Madison, Wis., died May 31. She was the daughter Gerhard Ottersberg, who taught at Wartburg for 50 years. Before marrying, she taught first grade and kindergarten in Ackley and Charles City.

1952
GORDON F. PEHLKE, Tucson, Ariz., died July 2. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and went on to earn a master’s degree at University of Arizona. He worked as a paint salesman and teacher and was active in church work.

1953
WALTER J. SPURBECK Jr., Newell, Iowa, died Feb. 26 at Loring Hospital. He taught social studies, history and physical education for many years and was athletic director and assistant principal at the Newell Community School, retiring in 1994. In 1995 he was named to the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
1955

DELOYD HOCHSTETTER, Minneapolis, Minn., died June 13. He was a respected teacher in the Anoka school system for many years.

JAMES A. MATTKE, Nevada, Iowa, died of complications from knee replacement surgery Aug. 27. He retired after 35 years as business teacher, where he also served as coach for 10 years and athletic director for 21 years. He was a charter member of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, was elected in 1993 to the Iowa High School Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame and in 2002 to the Nevada High School Hall of Fame.

1956
NANCY RAE MEIER DIECK, Appleton, Wis., died June 20. She was a longtime elementary school teacher in Iowa and Wisconsin.

RUDOLPH “RUDY” INSELMANN, Costa Mesa, Calif., died July 6 from complications of surgery. He earned a master’s degree at Indiana University and a doctorate from the University of Southern California in organ and sacred music. He also studied at Capital Bible Seminary and was an ordained Lutheran pastor. He taught at colleges and private pupils.

1957
TERRY FRIDLEY, San Antonio, Texas, died Sept. 30, 1998.

ARLITA J. INGWESON ORTH, Jesup, Iowa, died Feb. 17 following a lengthy illness. She taught in Waterloo, Gilbertville and Jesup, retiring in 1998.

GILES S. CARD, Knoxville, Iowa, died March 17 at Knoxville Area Community Hospital. Following his graduation from Wartburg and University of Dubuque Seminary, he served as pastor in various Presbyterian churches. He also established and operated Card’s Carpet Cleaning Service, was a driver for Continental Trailways and wrote a book on computers.

GENEVIEVE HVITVED HANSON, Waverly, Iowa, died of cancer July 7 at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community. She graduated from Wartburg at age 43 and earned a master’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa. She did postgraduate work at University of Vienna in Austria. She taught high school English and German in Plainfield for 20 years. Following her retirement, she spent five years in the Philippines as a volunteer teacher in a Christian high school.

1960
MARY ANN GEYER ZABEL, Omaha, Neb., died July 4 after a 19-year battle with breast cancer. She retired after serving 25 years as payroll clerk at Kellogg’s.

BEVERLY A. IMM HEALY, Calimesa, Calif., died at her home Aug. 6 of cancer. She taught elementary school for 18 years and home-schooled her son.

1961
ELEANOR SCHIERMEYER, Minneapolis, Minn., died Feb. 5. She graduated in 1959 from the Mary Lanning School of Nursing. She taught at hospitals in Iowa and Minnesota, retiring in 2004. She enjoyed traveling, sewing and music and was an active member of her church.

1966
ROBERT J. HUMMEL, Allison, Iowa, died March 30 at Waverly Health Center. A lifelong farmer,
he was also devoted to musical ministry. He served as church choir director for 32 years and was a member of the River City Barbershop Chorus in Mason City.

1967
DAVID ZIMMERMAN, Hancock, Mich., died unexpectedly May 26 at home. He served as the branch office director of Catholic Charities from 1977 until his recent retirement.

1968
RACHEL J. MUELLER MOEWS, Ackley, Iowa, died July 31 after a six-year battle with cancer. She received her B.A. from UNI and M.A. from Drake in 2000. She taught at AGWSR for 21 years and served as principal at West Bend-Mallard for four, retiring in 2004. In 2007 she volunteered to fill a vacant seat on the AGWSR School Board and served until health problems caused her to resign.

1969
DONALD F. GIPPLE, Windsor, Colo., died May 24 at Medical Center of the Rockies. He received his master’s degree in chemistry at Central Michigan University. He served in the U.S. Army for four years, including 18 months in Vietnam, where he was awarded a Bronze Star. He worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, Weston Laboratories and was owner of Gulf Coast Laboratories and Paragon Laboratory. He also invented the “Hit-n-Stik,” distributed under Donik Sports.

1970
MYRTLE HEUSMAN SYLVESTER, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., died June 10 at St. John’s Hospital in Detroit. She taught in northeast Iowa for 30 years, beginning after high school when she became a teacher in rural schools. She earned a degree from Wartburg after putting her two children through college. She taught sixth grade for 22 years. After retiring in 1985, she remained active as a church parish education associate until the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

1971
Dr. GLEN MIELING, West Chester, Ohio, died Feb. 23, 2002. He was a staff chemist with Procter & Gamble.

1980
RICHARD “RICK” VOGEL, Marshalltown, Iowa, died March 21. He graduated from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science. He has worked in, owned and/or operated funeral homes in Iowa and Indiana. He was also active in his church, Marshalltown Rotary Club, Ducks Unlimited, Marshall County I-Club and Elks, Moose and Masonic lodges.

1982
PATRICIA LYNN YOUNT, Nora Springs, Iowa, died Aug. 24 at Osage Rehabilitation and Health Care Center of complications following a lengthly illness. She was a teacher in various Iowa schools. At her death she was a part-time bookkeeper and substitute teacher.

1986
MICHAEL D. BLAIR, Chicago, Ill., died June 9 at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital after a sudden illness. Affectionately known as “Bulldog” to his friends, worked at Morton’s Steak House in Rosemont, Ill., for the past 10 years.

1987
JOHN S. GARTLEY, Waunakee, Wis, died Jan. 14, 2006. He received an A.A. in 1985 from Hawkeye Institute of Technology and worked for TCI Cable, Iowa Laser Technology and L.A. Darling in Sun Prairie, Wis.

1989
KURT D. CHRISTENSEN, West Fargo, N.D., died July 14. Prior to his illness, he was employed at Case New Holland in Fargo and a member of Union LL2525 IAM & AW.

1992
LORI A. STUBENVOLL, Marinette, Wis., died May 15, 2005.

2005
MARK KNOWLER, Delta, Iowa, died March 24 in a car accident. He farmed with his father.

FACULTY/STAFF
ROMILDA CLEFISCH, Moorhead, Minn., died Dec. 16, 2006 at Eventide Lutheran Home. She worked in maintenance at Wartburg.

GLEN E. SWANSON, Waverly, Iowa, died Aug. 17 from complications of lung cancer. After receiving his master’s degree from State College of Iowa (UNI), he taught art in the Waverly-Shell Rock schools for 21 years. He taught summer school at Wartburg in 1973 and 1974.

Associate Alumni Association Members

KEITH S. NOAH, Charles City, Iowa, died Aug. 31 at Mercy Medical Center, Mason City. He served the Wartburg Board of Regents from 1976-1992. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps cryptographer during World War II. He earned a J.D. at University of Iowa and practiced law from 1948 until shortly before his death. He was a past member of the Iowa Bar Association Board of Governors and served as a director of First Security Bank and Trust Company and Cedar Valley Bankshares, Ltd. In 1969 he was appointed by Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray as the first chair of the Higher Education Facilities Commission. Among survivors are son Steven ‘71 (Jane ‘72) Noah, and granddaughter Mariah ‘02 (Aaron ‘01) Collmann.