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.
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All Class Years
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Olinda Deines Patzer ’58
Olinda Louise Patzer (Deines) July 12, 1936 — October 24, 2025 Our beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Olinda Louise Patzer (Deines), passed away peacefully at home in Cedaredge, Colorado on October 24, 2025. She was 89 years old. Olinda was the heart of our home and family. She was married for 57 years to her…
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Norma Boyd Alfrejd ’62
Norma Jean Alfrejd (nee Boyd), 84, passed away peacefully on October 22, 2025 with family at her side. Norma was born in Nevada, Missouri to Maybelle Boyd Rabon (nee Warner) and William Emmett Boyd. Her father passed when she was very young. Her mother would re-marry, Estel Rabon. She was the eldest of three…
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Zoe Worple ’25
Zoe Worple ’25, New Hampton, is a brain injury specialist at Community NeuroRehab, Des Moines.
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Dr. Robert Farner ’52
Robert L. “Doc” Farner, MD passed away on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at Luther Oaks in Bloomington, IL. He was 95. Robert Lewis Farner was born to Fred (Fritz) and Marie Vallazza Farner on February 4, 1930. He grew up on a farm near Toluca, IL. He started his educational journey by attending Center School,…
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Herbert Hildebrandt ’52
Obituary for Herbert William Hildebrandt As usual…I arrived as a baby, a boy in January 1931, and ultimately the door closed in October 2025. I deeply tasted the world, anchored my life on a sea of love with Dee (nee Delores Bartels of Waseca, Minnesota), my wife of 65+ years who died in August 2018.…
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Sara Webb ’24
Sara Webb ’24, Tipton, is a graduate student in veterinary medicine at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames.
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Jordan Swiatkowski ’24
Jordan Swiatkowski ’24, Stewartville, Minn., is a mental health practitioner at Fernbrook Family Center, Rochester
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Anna Ohman ’24
Anna Ohman ’24, Winterset, is a graduate student in applied economics and economic systems at the University of Belgrade/Freie Universität Berlin.
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Robert Khoury ’24
Robert Khoury ’24, Waverly, is a researcher at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
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Quentin Kelso ’24
Quentin Kelso ’24, Keokuk, is an electrical engineer at Vermeer, Pella.
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Laura Hovenga ’24
Laura Hovenga ’24, Grinnell, is a graduate student in microbiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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Lauryn Henderson ’24
Lauryn Henderson ’24, Independence, is a graduate student in communication and media at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, and a bookkeeping and marketing specialist at Roberts & Eddy P.C.
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Kaitlyn Hall ’24
Kaitlyn Hall ’24, Kenosha, Wis., is an autism therapy behavior technician at Sonnenberg Consultants.
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Olivia Donlea ’24
Olivia Donlea ’24, Winthrop, is a graduate student in occupational therapy at the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minn.
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James Devine ’24
James Devine ’24, Council Bluffs, is a graduate student in business at Oglethorpe University, Brookhaven, Ga.
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Marlee Boyle ’24
Marlee Boyle ’24, Janesville, is a kindergarten teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Waverly.
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Grace Benson ’24
Grace Benson ’24, Mason City, is a graduate student in nutrition and dietetics at Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, Mo.
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Olivia Walsh ’23
Olivia Walsh ’23, Hugo, Minn., is a housing case manager at RS EDEN, St. Paul, Minn.
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Malena Rumelhart ’23
Malena Rumelhart ’23, Fairbank, is a PK-6 grade general music instructor in the Wapsie Valley Community Schools.
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Savanna Richardson ’23
Savanna Richardson ’23, Des Moines, is a technician II at Eurofins – Nutrition Analysis Center, Des Moines.
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Karen Jones ‘69
Karen Marie Jones, 76, of Waterloo, Iowa passed away Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at North Crest Specialty Care, following a brief stay. She was cared for by friends in her home prior to that stay. She was born November 22, 1947, in Waterloo, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Nell (Wright) Jones. At the age…
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Kelley Burg Mikesh ‘98
Kelley Kathleen (Burg) Mikesh, age 47, passed away peacefully at Cherry Meadows Hospice in Appleton, Wisconsin on Monday, February 12, 2024. Kelley Kathleen Burg, age 47, was born to Barbara and Philip Burg on February 22, 1976 in Waukon, IA. Kelley was baptized at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, Iowa. Kelley attended St. Benedict…
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Dr. Paul Samo ‘89
Paul John Samo, age 57, of Grundy Center, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, February 11, 2024, in Legacy Cottage at Creekside in Grundy Center, Iowa. Paul was born on August 8, 1966, to Jack and Jackie (Walbaum) Samo in Grundy Center. He attended Grundy Center High School, graduating in 1985. He received his Bachelor of…
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John Pearson ‘71
John W. Pearson, 75, of Rockford, Iowa, died Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the Floyd County Memorial Center.John William Pearson was born on December 19, 1948, in Waterloo, Iowa, to William Boyd and Maxine Jane (Trunkey) Pearson. He was the older of two sons. He was a resident of LaPorte City, Iowa, until adulthood. His…
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Marilyn Stortz Reicks-Botterbrodt ’69
Marilyn Louise Reicks-Botterbrodt, 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at her home in Hartman, Arkansas in front of her large picture window overlooking the lake, her “happy place”. She was lovingly surrounded by her husband and family.Marilyn Louise Stortz was born on June 11, 1932 in Decorah, IA to parents, Alfred and…
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Allen Lyndrup ‘67
Allen Wayne Lyndrup, 79, our great Viking warrior, teacher, and lover of life passed away on February 4, 2024. Allen was born in Oak Park, IL on January 29, 1945. After finding a passion for being involved in a show at Central High School in Clifton, IL, Allen studied theater at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. Like his parents…
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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…