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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Kelsey Padderud Baker ’05
Kelsey Padderud Baker ’05, Waverly, is principal at River Hills School, Cedar Falls.
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Angela Neptun Hudelson ’03
Angela Neptun Hudelson ’03, Peoria, Ill., earned a degree in social work from the University of Illinois and is a mental health clinician at FamilyCore.
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Elaina Meier ’01
Elaina Meier ’01, Madison, Wis., earned a doctoral degree in counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Aaron Buzza ’01
Aaron Buzza ’01, Macon, Ga., was named one of the 200 Most Influential of Georgia’s Creative Industries by Georgia Entertainment’s Creative Economy Journal.
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Dan Lahey ’99
Dan Lahey ’99, Johnston, is executive vice president and chief financial and investment officer at LCS, Des Moines.
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Dr. Jamie Kling ’99
Dr. Jamie Kling ’99, Portage, Wis., received the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health’s Faculty Excellence Award. The award acknowledges initiative, enthusiasm, collaboration, and commitment.
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Dr. Richard Stapleton ’97
Dr. Richard Stapleton ’97, North Liberty, is an academic coordinator – counselor education and supervision field experience at Walden University, Minneapolis. He is chair of the National Board of Certified Counselors, serving through June 2025.
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Chad Gerbracht ’96
Chad Gerbracht ’96, Wellsburg, is an elementary school teacher in the Dike-New Hartford Schools.
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Mark Albertsen ’96
Mark Albertsen ’96, Dysart, is an elementary principal in the East Marshall Community School District.
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Tina Cox Vogelmann ’95
Tina Cox Vogelmann ’95, Lake Geneva, Wis., earned a master’s degree from Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Md., and is superintendent at Hartland Lakeside School District, Hartland.
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James Cassmann ’95
James Cassmann ’95, Mabel, Minn., is an administrative assistant at Mayo Clinic-Rochester for the General Internal Medicine International Clinic and faculty development.
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Alexis Oberdorfer ’94
Alexis Oberdorfer ’94, West Saint Paul, Minn., is senior vice president of services for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.
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Van Beach ’94
Van Beach ’94, Cumming, is global head of Life Actuarial Solutions with Aon.
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Jeff Martin ’92
Jeff Martin ’92, Kennesaw, Ga., a journalist for the Associated Press, produced Lethal Restraint. The project is a series of stories, photos, videos, and a PBS Frontline documentary examining the deaths of more than 1,000 people after encounters with police.
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David Gerleman ’91
David Gerleman ’91, Alexandria, Va., a history instructor at George Mason University, Fairfax, is a 2024-25 Fulbright Scholar Award recipient and is teaching two courses at the University of Debrecen, Hungary.
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Kathryn Buck Strong ’90
Kathryn Buck Strong ’90, Broomfield, Colo., retired from the city of Lakewood after 26 years as a teacher and education coordinator for Head Start. She now serves as an office administrator with Atonement Lutheran Church, Boulder.
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Kevin Kelling ’88
Kevin Kelling ’88, Grand Rapids, Mich., is a mortgage loan originator at Macatawa Bank.
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Stu Fritz ’88
Stu Fritz ’88, Holland, Mich., retired after 31 years as head baseball coach and associate professor of kinesiology at Hope College. He is serving part time as an athletics and philanthropy liaison.
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Jan Hazlewood Plane ’87
Jan Hazlewood Plane ’87, Brandon, Wis., earned the ACM-SIGCSE Broadening Participation in Computing Award. She was also awarded the May Bumby Severy Award for Teaching Excellence at Ripon College.
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Jamie Clemente De Geer ’84
Jamie Clemente De Geer ’84, Valley Park, Mo., celebrated 25 years as director of music ministry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Manchester. She serves in various roles from worship and youth leadership to choir director.
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Lynn Olson
Lynn Jay Olson was born on July 15, 1946 and smiles and kindness were added to the equation. Smiles started at an early age as he grew up with his parents, Leslie and Shirley, sister, Marcia, and cousin, Ellerd. One story passed down from his mother Shirley has Lynn, at age 6, dangling from his…
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Marilyn Azbell Reid ‘65
Marilyn Irene Reid, 81, of Waterloo formerly of Greene, died Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at Friendship Village in Waterloo. She was born October 9, 1943 in Kankakee, Ill., the daughter of William and Irene (Meyers) Azbell. She married John “Jack” Reid on December 10, 1983 at the United Methodist Church in Marble Rock. He preceded…
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Jack Mueller ‘73
Jack R. Mueller,77, passed away peacefully in his home on Tuesday morning, January 7, 2025, in Mason City, Iowa. Jack was born May 6, 1947, in New Hampton, Iowa, the only son of Willis and Doris (Liebenstein) Mueller. He grew up in Fredericksburg, attending Fredericksburg High School and graduating in 1965. He went on to…
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Judith Rieniets Schwake ‘58
Judith K. Schwake, 86, of Sumner, died Monday, January 6, 2025, at the Hillcrest Home in Sumner. Judith Kay (Rieniets) Schwake was born May 19, 1938, to Frederick and Kathryn (Gerdes) Rieniets in Monticello, Iowa. She was baptized into the Christian faith at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Monticello, where she received her Christian instruction and…
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Douglas Brown ‘83
Douglas Dean Brown September 3, 1960 – January 5, 2025 Douglas Dean Brown, 64, of North Liberty, passed away at his home surrounded by family. Doug was born on September 3, 1960 in Waterloo, Iowa, the son of Kenneth and Minerva (Nuss) Brown. He was raised in Dysart, Iowa, graduating in 1979 from Dysart-Geneseo High School. His…
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Marilyn Rosdail-Moller ‘75
Marilyn Carol Rosdail-Moller, 72, passed away on December 31, 2024. She was born on April 19, 1952, to Milton and Marvel (Barr) Rosdail in Storm Lake, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Storm Lake. Marilyn was the eldest child and helped her mother care for 7 lively brothers &…
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Paul Anderson ‘66
Paul Gene AndersonAugust 12, 1943 – December 28, 2024It is with profound sadness that the family of Paul Gene Anderson announces his passing after a prolonged illness, on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at his home in Houston, Texas. He was 81 years old.Early Life and EducationPaul was born on August 12, 1943, in Ironwood, Michigan, the…
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Jeff Sandlin ‘06
Jeffrey Nels Sandlin passed away on December 26, 2024. His heart could not overcome a recent illness after enduring many years of medical challenges. Jeff was born December 30, 1983, in Belleville, Illinois, the only son of Rev. Kenneth and Marcia (Haupt) Sandlin. He spent his early childhood in Cahokia, where he loved to watch…
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Lois Rueber Cordes ‘58
Lois Elaine (Rueber) Cordes May 16, 1939 ~ December 25, 2024 (age 85) Lois Elaine Cordes, 85, of Strawberry Point, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, at MercyOne Medical Center in Waterloo. She was born on May 16, 1939, on her grandparents’ farm near Oelwein, the daughter of Arnold and Wilma (Brickman) Rueber. Lois attended Putnam…
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John Goeman ‘61
John Goeman, age 86, of Madison, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 25, 2024 at Bethel Lutheran Home. John A. Goeman was born September 8, 1938 northeast of Madison to John “Jack” and Adelia (Fischer) Goeman. He grew up on the family farm and attended grade school and high school at General Beadle School and…
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Rev. Frederick Henkelmann ‘70
Reverend Frederick W. Henkelmann, 76, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, formerly of Pigeon, died on December 25, 2024. Fred was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on June 25, 1948, to Reverend Ernst and Evelyn (Westphal) Henkelmann. At age 2, his family moved to Pigeon, Michigan where he attended Cross Lutheran School and Laker High School, graduating…
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Frieda Schmitz ‘64
Frieda Fay Schmitz, 82, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away on Christmas Eve Day, Tuesday, December 24, 2024, at Meth-Wick Woodlands in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was born on January 17, 1942, in Manchester, the daughter of Dr. Orville and Harriet (Holverson) Schmitz. Frieda lived in Manchester with her parents and two sisters, Sharell Ann and…
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Beverly Shreve Menk ‘56
Beverly “Bev” Ann Menk (née Shreve), age 88, of New Brighton, Minnesota, passed away surrounded by family on December 20, 2024. Bev was preceded in death by her father, Kenneth Shreve; mother, Velma (Smith) Shreve; and grandson, Colton Menk. She is survived by her loving husband, Thomas Menk; her children, Jill (Barry) Froehlich, Roger Menk…
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Rev. Dean Brockmeier ‘62
Rev. Dean was born on October 11th, 1940 and passed away on December 15th, 2024 at the age of 84. On December 15th, after a life of ministering to others, the Rev. Dean C. Brockmeier passed on to his heavenly reward surrounded by his family. Born October 11th, 1940, in Holdredge NE, Dean grew up…
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Jan Schmidt ‘65
Jan A. Schmidt passed away on Saturday, December 14, 2024, in Manchester, Iowa. Jan was born on February 25, 1943, in Strawberry Point, Iowa, the son of Alex and Helen (Hock) Schmidt. He was confirmed at St. Sebald Church, graduated from Strawberry Point High School in 1961 and went on the receive his BS from…
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Paul Sly ‘62
Paul Eldon Sly passed away on December 12, 2024, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois. Paul was born on September 2,1940, in Ft. Madison, Iowa, to Arthur and Lois Sly. He grew up in Nauvoo, Illinois, alongside his brother, Dennis. In 1958, he graduated Valedictorian of his class from Nauvoo High School and continued his…
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Harold Schlesinger ‘59
Harold “Hal” L. Schlesinger Obituary It is with a deep sense of sorrow that we announce the passing of Harold LeRoy Schlesinger, 87, who left us on December 10, 2024, in Franklin Grove, Illinois. Hal was born July 2, 1937, in Mendota to Homer and Edith (Martin) Schmidt. Edith passed away shortly after his birth,…
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Roger Palmer ’64
Roger Palmer September 4, 1942 — December 10, 2024 Roger Sherman Palmer was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on September 4, 1942, to Charles Aaron and Cora Viola (Henderson) Palmer. Nearing the age of 44, Cora followed her doctor’s orders and went to the hospital in La Crosse even though the family resided in nearby…
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Leroy Buchholz ‘59
Leroy “Lee” Buchholz, age 87, of Washington, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at the United Presbyterian Home in Washington. Lee was born February 3, 1937, at his family’s home in Table Rock, Nebraska, the son of Otto and Anna (Geyer) Buchholz. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Lee attended a…
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Leonard Schmidt ‘63
It Is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our much-loved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, Leonard Richard Schmidt. He died Sunday evening December 1, 2024, at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. He was 83 years old. Leonard (Len) was born in Savanna, Il to parents Richard Schmidt and Geneva (Brandenburg) Schmidt on…