We love hearing from our alumni!
Whether you’ve reached a career milestone, started a new venture, made an impact in your community, or celebrated a personal achievement, your story inspires current and future Knights. Share your accomplishments with us so we can celebrate your success and highlight the many ways Wartburg alumni make a difference in the world.
Search Class Notes:
All Class Years
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Cynthia Yess ‘71
CYNTHIA “CY” SUE YESS, died on the morning of Thursday, February 1, 2024 at Lakeshore Inn in Waseca. Cy was born to Marvin and Milly (Holtz) Yess on July 26, 1949. She was their second child and was an amazing sister to her big sister Carolyn and her baby brother Curt. Cy was baptized…
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Rev. William Thalacker ‘57
The Rev. Dr. William (“Bill”) Paul Thalacker, 89, passed away peacefully at home while surrounded by family in Waverly, Iowa, on January 31, 2024, due to the effects of congestive heart failure. Bill was born in Grinnell, Iowa, on November 14, 1934, to Rev. Arnold and Erna (Klein)Thalacker. He moved with his family to Lutheran…
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Ronald Neessen ‘61
Ronald J. Neessen, 85, died on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at his home. He was born on January 16, 1939, in Iowa, the son of Thomas and Wilma (Henning) Neessen. He graduated from DeWitt Community Schools in 1957, Wartburg College in 1961 and the Madison School of Banking in 1963. He married Sheran Matson in…
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Madeleine Baudot Niemuth ‘56
Madeleine “Lynn” Niemuth, 89, of Urbandale, Iowa, passed away Monday, January 29, 2024. Madeleine “Lynn” Niemuth was born in Horton, KS on January 4, 1935, to Paul and Lucina (Hanoulle) Baudot. Her parents and sister Lucienne had emigrated from Belgium to the U.S. (Kansas) in 1928 to seek a better life after the ravages of…
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Gretchen Watson ‘01
Gretchen Michelle Watson, 45, passed away January 23, 2024. Gretchen was born August 25, 1978, in Waterloo, IA, to Rand Eugene and Brenda Mae (Rockwood) Watson. She graduated from Janesville Consolidated School in 1996 in Janesville, IA. Gretchen received her BA in Business Administration from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA in 2000. Gretchen was self-employed,…
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Michael Nedoba ‘92
Michael James Nedoba, 53, of Holmen, Wisconsin passed away early Tuesday morning at 4:19, January 23rd, 2024 at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Mike was born in 1970, the youngest son to Curt and Carol (nee Fehr) Nedoba in Waterloo, Iowa. He attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and then the…
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Claire Merfeld ‘48
Claire “Skip” James Merfeld, 95, Cedar Falls, died Sunday, January 21, 2024 at the Western Home, Cedar Falls. Skip was born June 18, 1928 in Bristow, Iowa to the late Roy and Carrie (Stewart) Merfeld. He married Alice Folkert and the couple celebrated 64 loving years together before her death in 2012. Skip is survived…
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Rev. David Andreae ‘65
Rev. David Harold Andreae, age 80, passed away Saturday, January 20, 2024, at the Elkader Care Center. He was born March 18, 1943, inOelwein to Herbert J. and Esther M. (Zwanziger) Andreae. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Sebald Lutheran Church, rural Strawberry Point. The family farmed in Clayton County between Strawberry Point and…
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Dr. Ryan Winters ‘03
Ryan Randall Winters, 43, of Denver, Colorado, formally of Iowa Falls, passed away Tuesday January 16, 2024. Ryan was born on September 5, 1980 in Iowa Falls, Iowa to Randy and Dianna (Bahr) Winters. He graduated from Iowa Falls High School in the class of 1999. His academic and athletic accomplishments were vast in school,…
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Gary Platt ‘71
Gary S. Platt, age 74, of Wisconsin Rapids, WI passed away on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids after a 16 year battle with cancer. Gary was born on September 19, 1949 to the late Arthur and Doris (Ollerman) Platt. Professionally, he was a general manager in the food service…
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Hillary Gerber ‘92
Hillary M. Gerber, 54, a lifelong rural Stewartville, MN farmer died unexpectedly of a cardiac arrest on Monday (January 8, 2024) at the family farm. Hillary Marshall Gerber was born on September 17, 1969, in Rochester, MN to Paul and Ruth (Kaldenberg) Gerber. He grew up on the Gerber Family farm in Pleasant Grove Twp.,…
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Marianna Dirks Wolters ‘61
Marianna (Dirks) Wolters December 29, 1940 — January 5, 2024 Beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Marianna Wolters, of Rantoul passed away peacefully in her loving home on Friday, January 5th. Marianna recently celebrated her 83rd birthday, and was blessed to live a life of faith, service, and love. She was born December 29th, 1940, in…
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Oswald Goettler ‘53
Obituary of Oswald William Goettler, as written by Ozzie. Oswald William Goettler (Ozzie) was born November 29, 1927 at Andrew, Iowa to Henry and Magdalena Goettler, very poor, but very religious parents, for this he was thankful for. He became a Christian at a very young age and being poor, it taught him to get…
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Wayne Imm ‘51
Wayne L. Imm, 94, of Toluca, passed away Tuesday, December 26, 2023, 5:10 am at his home in Toluca. Wayne was born February 20, 1929, in Streator, IL to Lester and Ella (Nenne) Imm. He married Dolores Ponsetto on November 28, 1953. Wayne attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. In 1951 he went into the…
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Brent Harstad ‘66
Brent Harstad November 5, 1943 ~ December 25, 2023 Brent Gordon Harstad left a footprint on our community. He was a father and a husband, a judge and a businessman, and most of all, a good friend. He always gave of himself and worked to make the world a better place. He would meet you…
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Sandra Oltrogge Wiegert ‘67
Sandra K. Wiegert, 78, resident of Loveland, ColoradoSandra (nee Oltrogge) Wiegert died suddenly Monday, November 27, 2023. Sandy was born at her family’s home near rural Sumner, Iowa. Sandy grew up in Waterloo Iowa, graduated from East High School and Wartburg College, Waverly. She taught at Pierce Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In Cedar Rapids, she…
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Anne Leo Ellis ‘52
ELLIS–Anne Leo. (May 9, 1931 – October 30, 2023) was born in Osnabruck, Germany. She came to the U.S. at age eight, after her rescue from Nazi Germany through the Kindertransport program. She went to high school in Fredericksburg, TX, where her father was a pastor for a German-speaking Lutheran community. Anne earned degrees from…
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Helen Hiittenmeyer Meade ‘50
Helen Marie Meade, 92, of Jefferson City, passed away Saturday, October 28, 2023, at Jefferson City Manor. She was born Tuesday, March 17, 1931, in Russellville, Missouri, a daughter of the late Otto and Minnie (Rosbach) Hiittenmeyer. She was united in marriage to Thomas Parker Meade, who preceded her in death. Helen worked as secretary…
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Wenhsiu “Yeehan” Wu ‘03
Wenhsiu “Yeehan” Wu, of Carlisle, accomplished pianist and piano instructor, passed away at her residence on October 21, 2023 following a five-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 45. Yeehan was born in Taiwan on October 25, 1977. She began to learn the piano at the age of 4, and passed certificate level 10 at…
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Marcella Petersen Erickson ‘54
In Loving Memory of Marcella I. Erickson December 21, 1931- September 25, 2023 It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Marcella Erickson. She was 91 years old. Marcella, better known as ‘Marcie’, ‘Momsy’, ‘Grandma Marcie’, or ‘Aunt Marce’, by those who loved her, was born…
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Paul Beckman ‘54
Paul Lester Beckman, 92, of West Burlington, died Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at his home. Born June 14, 1932, in Prairie Grove, he was the son of Lester and Esther (Flachman) Beckman. He attended Flint River School and was a 1950 graduate of Danville High School and a graduate of Wartburg College. He served as…
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Kathryn Fritschel Gerard ‘58
Kathryn Annette Fritschel Gerard August 3, 1936 – August 15, 2024 Kathryn (Kay) Annette Gerard, née Fritschel, 88 of Sugar Land, Texas, died peacefully at home on Thursday, August 15th surrounded by her family. Kay was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, the second child of Reverend Walter and Nina Fritschel, and grew up in Charles…
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Loretta Schmitt Blain ’56
Loretta “Lorrie” Irene Blain, age 88, passed away in her home in Costa Mesa, CA on August 14, 2024. Born on June 29, 1936, in Bismarck, North Dakota to Bertha and Jacob Schmitt, Lorrie lived a life full of love, devotion, and service. Growing up on a farm in Wishek, ND, Lorrie moved to Waverly, Iowa to…
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Roger Swanson ’52
Roger D. Swanson was born February 6, 1931, in Manchester, Iowa, to Anton V. and Elsie (Reck) Swanson. He died on August 13, 2024, at the Great River Care Center in McGregor, Iowa. Roger attended grade school at Rural Hazel Green Township in Delaware County, Iowa and graduated from Buck Creek Consolidated High School in…
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Dr. Emilie Noel Zehr ‘73
Emilie S. Zehr, 73 a resident of Bondurant, Iowa, died peacefully on Thursday August 1, 2024 at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. She was surrounded by her loving family at the time of her passing, following a courageous battle with cancer. Emilie Susanna Noel was born January 22, 1951 in Clinton, IA; the eldest of…
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Harold Heeren ‘64
Harold Henry Heeren, 82, of Caledonia, died peacefully Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in his home surrounded by his loving family after a long battle with cancer. He was born June 27, 1942, in Milford, IL. He was the son of Elmer and Marie (Kietzman) Heeren. Harold attended Wartburg College and graduated from the University of…
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Harold Rindels ‘71
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Harold Rindels on July 31st, 2024 in Solon, Ohio. Harold (Hal/Butch) was born February 20th, 1949 in Grundy Center, Iowa. Hal taught Math upon graduation from Wartburg College prior to a long and successful career in the insurance industry. He enjoyed the music of…
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Racheal Gangestad Davis ‘59
L. Racheal Gangestad Amelung Davis, 87, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House in Hiawatha, Iowa. Racheal was born August 24, 1936, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the daughter of Leon and Ruth (Dawes) Gangestad. She was baptized, confirmed, and married in St. Olaf…
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Gary “Gari” Green ‘71
Gary “Gari” Green of Kenosha, Wisconsin, passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at the age of 74. Gari was born on October 1, 1949, in Pontiac, IL, the eldest child of Harry and Louise (Reese) Green. After graduating from Minonk-Dana-Rutland High School in 1967, Gari attended Wartburg College and went on to work at…
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Robert Cummings ‘75
On July 16, 2024, Robert “Bob” Glen Cummings, 71, passed away suddenly at his home in North Pole. Born on July 31, 1952, in East Chicago, Indiana, Bob lived a long and fulfilling life surrounded by family, friends and meaningful work. With family roots in Kentucky, Robert’s parents Joe and Emma chose to raise him…
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Ruth Wetherell Swanson ‘52
Ruth Ellen Swanson was born February 26, 1930, in Shumway, Illinois and died on July 12, 2024, in Monona, Iowa. She was born to Seth and Alma (Laue) Wetherell and baptized at Trinity Lutheran. Ruth attended school in Shumway, Illinois and graduated from Beecher City High School in Beecher City, Illinois. She graduated from Wartburg…
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Dorlin Moeller ‘58
Dorlin James “DJ” Moeller age 87 of Fairbank passed away Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at Unity Point Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo. Dorlin was born January 14, 1937 in rural Bremer county the son of Herman and Lydia (Matthias) Moeller. He grew up on the family farm in rural Fairbank, he attended and graduated from…
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Cheryl Sorensen Matthias ‘65
Cheryl Anne Matthias, age 81, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on July 10, 2024. Born on June 23, 1943, in Oelwein, Iowa, to Soren and Vermilia Sorensen, Cheryl lived a life dedicated to education, counseling, and her family. Cheryl is survived by her loving husband, Robert Matthias; her children, Tanya (Ed Kennedy) Matthias and…
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Susan SmolikHagen ‘93
Susan “Suz” Mae SmolikHagen October 19, 1970 – July 8, 2024 Susan Mae Smolik was born in Osage, Iowa in October of 1970. Her dad was working in the field when her mom went into labor, so her mom had to fetch him. He rushed her to the hospital and then went down the street to his…
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Rev. Charles Layton ‘81
Charles Vern Layton September 30, 1958 — July 7, 2024 Rev. Charles Vern Layton (65) of Cedar Rapids. Christ called on St. Peter three times to feed his sheep before Peter got the message. With a BA from Wartburg College, Chuck Layton first planned to teach singing with his clear, strong voice. He loved singing…
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Dr. Merwin Dieckmann ’50
Merwin Richard Dieckmann, MD, 95, of Macon, formerly of Waterloo, Iowa, passed away peacefully on July 6, 2024. Merwin was born November 30, 1928 in Clarksville, Iowa to the late Louis F. and Esther Clara Nordmeyer Dieckmann. The family later moved to Waterloo in 1941. Merwin graduated from West Waterloo High School in 1946. At…
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Jennifer Greenley Downing ‘74
Jennifer A. Downing (nee Greenley), 72, of Mount Laurel, NJ, passed away on July 2, 2024 surrounded by her family at Virtua Hospital in Marlton, NJ.Jen was born on April 13, 1952 in Des Moines, Iowa to parents Jack & Ethelmae (nee Johnson) Greenley. After Jen graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1970, she continued…
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Barbara Gollnick Henkel ‘59
Barbara M. Henkel, age 86, of Hawthorn Woods, IL, passed away on June 29, 2024. Barbara was born on Sept 3, 1937 to Howard and Mabel Gollnick in Cedarburg, WI. In 1955 Barbara graduated from Cedarburg High School and went on to study Art and Music Education at Wartburg College. She graduated from the University of…
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Ruth Clark Schaff ‘56
Ruth Schaff September 27, 1934 – June 25, 2024 Ruth Schaff (nee Clark), beloved woman of faith, age 89 of Omaha, Nebraska, went home to be with the Lord, on June 25, 2024. Born in Peoria, IL in 1934, Ruth was a graduate of Wartburg College in Waverly, IA, where she earned a degree in…
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Glenyce Schneider Scherer ‘56
Glenyce M. Scherer (nee Schneider) died June 24, 2024, in Chanhassen, MN. Glenyce was born January 7, 1936, to Paul and Lydia Schneider of Waterloo, IA. She attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA, after which her adventurous spirit drew her to California to teach. On January 1, 1959, she married David Scherer and together they…