
Their legacy lives on.
We remember all of the Knights who came before us and passed leaving a legacy and light for us all to follow. Below are obituaries of alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of the college shared with us. If you have an obituary of a fallen Knight please share it with us.
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In Memoriam
Reid Allen Koenig, 73, of Austin, Texas, and Waverly, Iowa, unexpectedly passed away on June 9, 2026, at UnityPoint-Allen Hospital. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, and he will be deeply missed. Reid was born on April 11, 1953, in Decorah, Iowa, to Orville and Irene (Bachelder) Koenig. He graduated from Postville High School in 1971 and from Wartburg College in 1975. He got an MBA from the University of Northern Iowa in 1987. On May 31, 1975, he was united in marriage to Marsha (Gunderson). Together they had 3 daughters, twins Anne and Laura…
Janet Gladys Oleson was born in rural Butler County, the second youngest of 11 children, to August and Lena (Huber) Oleson. Growing up Janet was a member of The Little Brown Church in Nashua and gave her heart to Jesus while at a special service. That spiritual heart transformation guided her daily life for all the days that she lived. She graduated from Nashua High School and continued her education through a 10-week course at Upper Iowa College. Upon completion she became certified to teach at country schools. A life-long learner, Janet continued pursuing her education by attending night classes…
Theodore Norman Dahl, affectionately known as Ted, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, at his home in Ellendale, Minnesota, surrounded by his loving family at the age of 63. Born on August 25, 1962, in Albert Lea, MN, at Naeve Hospital, to Clair and Marian (Schmidt) Dahl. Ted’s life was a testament to warmth, happiness and the joy of life. Ted’s education began in Cherokee, Iowa, where he started kindergarten. His family later moved to Ellendale in 1978 and he was later confirmed that year. Throughout his life, Ted’s faith was key to his identity and motivation. He was…
Martha Grace (Andrews) Deines, 92, of Greene, Iowa, went to meet her Heavenly Father on Friday, May 22, 2026. Funeral Services of Christian Burial will be held at St. Peter Lutheran Church at 324 E. Traer St, Greene, IA, on Saturday, May 30 at 11:00am with burial to follow at Rose Hill Cemetery in Greene. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 29 from 5 to 7pm at St. Peter Lutheran Church. Martha was born April 7, 1934, at the family home in Greene, IA. She was the firstborn to Dr. William “Doc” and Marjorie (Flitton) Andrews. She was followed…
Edith Bliese went to be with Jesus on May 20th, 2026, dying peacefully at home in Harrisburg, OR with her husband, after spending her last hours with beloved family. She was a special woman, with deep commitment and love for God and those God placed in her path. She was born on October 14, 1937, in Austin, Texas, to Dr. Carl Albers and Johnnita, born Niederauer. She was the third of four children, including her surviving sister Lois and brother Ken. She attended Texas Lutheran College, the University of Texas at Austin, and Wartburg College. She married Loren Bliese on…
Kent Kooi, 77, of Kearney, Missouri, passed away on May 19, 2026 at Oakridge of Plattsburg. His family will honor his wishes of having a private celebration of life at a later time. Kent was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa to Edward and Muriel Kooi. He was the oldest of three children. He graduated from Aplington Community School in 1967. After high school, Kent went on to Wartburg College. He then joined the U.S. Army Reserves, serving six years. Simultaneously, he also joined the Border Patrol, where he dedicated the first eighteen years of his career with the federal government to…
Deleva Stevenson, 95, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, formerly of Manchester, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids. She was born on March 15, 1931 in Strawberry Point, the daughter of Vernon and Hilda (Martens) Schuchmann. She graduated from Manchester High School and attended Wartburg College. On June 25, 1950, she was united in marriage to Gordon Grimm. After Gordon’s passing, she married Donald Stevenson. She lived and worked on a farm near Delhi for most of her life. Survivors include her four daughters, Candy (Richard) Altorfer of Cedar Rapids, Kay Phillips of Delhi,…
Carol J. Hoffman, 80, passed away on Sunday morning, May 10, 2026 at the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly. Carol was born March 12, 1946 in Hampton, Iowa the daughter of Walter and Mabel (Baker) Hoffman. In 1950, at a young age she moved with her family from Dinsdale to Humboldt where she attended school and graduated from Humboldt High School. Carol went on to attend Wartburg College and earned her Bachelors in Education. She taught second grade at Ackley-Geneva for thirty-eight years. Faith was an important part of Carol’s life. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran…
Randall Mark Wright, age 78 of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and formerly of Oskaloosa, Iowa, passed away on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids. He was born on December 20, 1947, in Davenport, Iowa, the son of Ronald M. and Mary L. (Gould) Wright. Randy grew up in Villa Park, Illinois, and attended Willowbrook High School, graduating with the Class of 1966. He then furthered his education at Wartburg College earning is B.A. in Communication, until lastly attending the University of Norther Iowa where he earned his Masters in Communication. On November 27, 1971, he was…
Marjorie Lee Miller June 24, 1940 — May 4, 2026 Marjorie Lee was born in Eldora, Iowa to Velma Tideback Miller and Lloyd Milller. Marge went to Eldora High School and graduated in 1958. She attended Wartburg College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 1963 and then returned to earn a Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist from the University of Northern Iowa in 1995. Her teaching career spanned 42 years, and she taught in the greater Los Angeles, California area, Minnesota, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Marge was first a classroom teacher and then became a…
Dorothy “Dottie” Kim Rathjen, 66, passed away on May 2, 2026. Born on July 3, 1959, Dottie lived a life rooted in faith, compassion, service, and creativity, leaving a lasting impression on all who knew her. Dottie was a lifelong learner who pursued her education with dedication and purpose. She graduated from Northcentral Technical College in 1979 with an Associate of Arts degree in Secretarial Science with an emphasis in Medicine. In 1984, she achieved her Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) designation, reflecting her professionalism and commitment to excellence. Continuing her education, Dottie graduated from Wartburg College in 1987 with a…
Ann Margaret Bahlmann, 90, of Waverly, Iowa, passed away on Monday evening, April 27, 2026 at UnityPoint Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Ann was born on March 22, 1936, in Jefferson Township, Iowa, the daughter of Gladys E. (Pape) and Leslie W. Huck. She was baptized at St. John Lutheran Church in Waverly on March 29, 1936 and confirmed in 1950 at St. John Spring Fountain Church. Ann graduated from Sumner High School, attended Wartburg College and proudly earned her teaching certificate. On June 29, 1958, Ann was united in marriage to Duane Clarence Bahlmann at Spring Fountain Church in Sumner,…
Arthur C. Frick II, 101, of Waverly died on March 10, 2025, at the Waverly Health Center in Waverly. Arthur Charles Frick was born on October 15,1923, the son of Arthur Clement and Nola Ann (Mangum) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was baptized in 1923 and confirmed in 1935, both at the 1st Methodist Episcopal Church in Milwaukee. Arthur graduated from. He served with the US Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater from October 22,1942 until his discharge in January 27,1946. He furthered his studies at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee until 1948 , University of Wisconsin, Madison in…
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 pant leg from the rafters in the barn. We can imagine him beaming with energy, much like his grandson Roy. At age 18, Lynn graduated from high school and left Hoffman, MN, saying goodbye to his home on the farm, and greeting the world with…
James Bentley Waterbury died March 2, 2026, at Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls, after a short battle with metastatic melanoma. He was 78. Jim was born August 2, 1947, the third of four children born to Charles Arthur and Mary Elizabeth Stoddard Waterbury. His mother once told him he was her favorite because her labor with him was so short. However, he may have made that up. We all make up the stories we need. Jim graduated from Waterloo West High in 1965, and Princeton University in 1969. How he made it through is a testament to his professors’…
Esteemed Professor, bridge engineer, and author Dr. Charles Birnstiel passed away on March 11th at the age of 94. Charles was born on December 6, 1929, in Manhattan, NY, to German immigrants Karl and Margarete Birnstiel. After attending public grade schools in East Harlem, Charles studied at Brooklyn Technical High School, and then at New York University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, A Master of Science in Civil Engineering, and a Doctorate Degree in Structural Engineering. Following his graduation, Charles devoted himself to teaching and structural mechanics research as a professor at both New York University…