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Recent Obituaries

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  • Kaitlyn McColley ‘23

    Kaitlyn Christine McColley, 22 of Albert Lea, MN passed away on March 18, 2023 at her home. Kaitlyn was born on June 5, 2000 in Faribault, MN to Randy and Carmen (Kelly) McColley.   She attended school in Onamia, MN through second grade and graduated from Greene County High School in Jefferson, Iowa in 2018.  Following her high school graduation she attended Central College in Pella, IA for a short time before returning home in Albert Lea.  In 2021 she decided to return to college, attending Wartburg college with her younger sister, Emma; she was most recently enrolled at Riverland College…


  • Richard Brandt ‘58

    Brandt,  Richard D. died March 9, 2023 in Lincoln, NE. Dick was born in State Center, Iowa December 3, 1936.  He attended State Center high school where he played basketball and graduated in 1954.  He attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and was a member of the Wartburg Choir graduating in 1959.  He began his 38 year life insurance career in Waverly at Lutheran Mutual (now Cuna).  He moved to Lincoln, NE where he worked for Lincoln Liberty Life Insurance Company as a life underwriter.  From there he worked for companies in Texas and Wisconsin and then changed to selling life insurance.   Dick was a member of…


  • Nadine Osincup Collins ‘48

    Nadine Collins passed away on Saturday February 25, 2023 at the young age of 96. She was born on September 21, 1926 to Willard and Violet (Rohlf) Osincup in Waverly, IA. Loving wife of 63 years to the late Frederick D. Collins. Loving and devoted mother to David (Laura) Collins, Lauren (Dave) Bohanan, and Carolyn (Tom) Larsen. Devoted Grandmother to Jeff (Holly) Collins, Brian (Shelly) Collins, Steve (Alyse) Collins, Joel (Stacey) Taylor, Ahren Bohanan, Kristin Larsen and Alex (Marilyn) Larsen. Loving Great Grandmother to Jon and Sam Collins and Colton and Addyson Taylor. She was preceded in death by her…


  • Kay DeGarmo ‘74

    Kay Lynn DeGarmo, 71 of Coralville, Iowa passed away Saturday, January 7, 2023 at University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. She was born May 18, 1951, the loving daughter of the late Clifford Wesley DeGarmo who died in 1968 and Maxine Virginia (Steward) DeGarmo who died in 2004. Dear sister of the late Thomas Charles DeGarmo who died in 2010. Kay was born and raised in Postville, Iowa. Kay graduated from Wartburg College in 1974. She was a longtime resident of the Iowa City, Iowa area, where she worked as a Program Manager for the Center for Disabilities…


  • Rev. Charles Farnham ’55

    Charles Norman Farnham was born on January 11, 1935, to Malinda Eichmeyer and Henry A. Farnham, in Hampton, Iowa and passed away on October 28, 2022, in Vancouver WA.Charles lived most of his life in Salem Oregon. He moved to Vancouver in 2018.After graduating from seminary, Chuck started his career as a Lutheran minister in a small town in Iowa. He felt a calling to Oregon in 1961 where he accepted a chaplain position with Fairview Training Center. He went on to dedicate the rest of his working life to the residents and fellow employees of Fairview while advancing through…


  • Marcea Moeller Clary ‘53

    Marcea C. Clary, 90 of Sioux City, formerly of Sloan, passed away Friday, September 16, 2022. A visitation will be held from 5-7 pm on Thursday, September 22nd at Skien Lutheran Church in rural Sloan; with a Prayer Service at 7 pm. Funeral and Burial will held at a later date. Arrangements are with Waterbury Funeral Service in Sergeant Bluff. Marcea Catherine Clary was born June 16, 1932, on a farm in Sioux County Iowa, the daughter of Hans and Catherine (Tank) Moeller.  She graduated from Rock Valley High School then received her teaching degree from Wartburg College.  She taught for…


  • Alta Sanders Morris ’54

    Alta Mae Morris, 88, of Liberty, Missouri, passed away March 19, 2022. Alta was born May 21, 1933 in Bellevue, Iowa to Lawrence and Alma Sanders. She played basketball, was Homecoming Queen and Valedictorian of her 1950 Graduating class at Maquoketa High School. Alta also attended Wartburg College. For the year after college, she worked for the FBI before leaving to care for her ill father. She married Charles Morris on November 29, 1958 and they raised four children. They moved to Liberty in 1974. Alta was an active member of St. Steven’s Lutheran Church since 1976, often helping with…


  • Norman Holzrichter ‘70

    Norman Holzrichter February 26, 1946 — March 7, 2022. Norman Holzrichter, 76, of Grayslake, IL, died peacefully at his home surrounded with love by his family. He was born on February 26, 1946, in Chicago, IL, to Hugo and Elsie (Bonk) Holzrichter. He met Susan Brown at Wartburg College and on December 30, 1967, Norman married the love of his life, and they spent the next 54 years together. Norman is survived by his wife, Susan Holzrichter; children, Jill (John) Goldstein, Robb (Ken) Holzrichter, Laura (Nick) Novak; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Daniel, Allison, Dale, Lillian, Cecelia, and Morgan; and his siblings, Fred…


  • James Mann ’71

    James George Mann, resident of Homer Glen, IL, died suddenly and unexpectedly on February 21, 2022 at the age of 73. James is survived by his mother Arlene Mann, his wife Delores Onate, his sons Paul (Meriel), and David (Sherry), the mother of his children Elizabeth Mann, stepson, David Karaffa and four grandchildren, Evan, Sean, Olin, and Jin, his brother Douglas (Sandra) and sister Christine. James was born in Dubuque, Iowa on January 20, 1949 to Floyd and Arlene Mann. He spent most of his young life in Boscobel, WI. He later attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA graduating with…


  • Rev. Howard Buenting ’55

    Howard Buenting will be remembered most for his wry sense of humor that not only delighted people but often left people wondering. He was born in Green Bay, WI and was known for his pranks and playfulness. He had a kind and tender soul, and was loved wherever he went because of his ability to truly be present with people and accept them with grace and kindness. He worked as a Lutheran Pastor and as an Addiction Counselor throughout most of his life and gave hope and inspiration to others. He married Roberta Pageler in 1958 in Manson, IA and…


  • Betty Bakken Meyer Bodine ‘59

    Betty Ann Bakken was born on September 7, 1937, to Walter and Rosella (Rude) Bakken in Decorah, IA. At the age of three, Betty was placed at The Children’s Home in Waverly, Iowa, along with her five siblings, due to her mom’s tuberculosis. At the age of five, she was adopted by Rev. Fredrick A. J. and Twilma Meyer. Betty was raised in a loving household in Scranton, ND with three adopted siblings. She loved growing up in a small town and was active in cheerleading, basketball, softball, and Peace Lutheran Church, where her dad served as the pastor and…


  • Merlin Nomann ‘51

    Merlin (Mel) NomannJune 9, 1928 – October 21, 2021Modesto, California – Merlin (Mel) John Nomann died at home on October 21, 2021, at the age of 93.Mel was born on June 9, 1928, in Palmer Iowa. Mel grew up in Pocahontas Iowa after completing high school in 1947.After high school he obtain a variety of certifications in radiology. While working in Tillamook Oregon, he met his wife.In 1950, at the start of the Korean war, Mel chose to enlist in the Navy. He was briefly stationed at the Mare Island Naval base. Shortly after his eldest son was born, he…


  • Rev. Dr. Robert Vogel ’56

    The Rev. Dr. Robert L. Vogel ’56 — fondly remembered by many students as “Daddy Vogs” — was Wartburg College’s 15th president, serving from 1980-1998. He died Friday, July 24, 2026, surrounded by his family, including his wife, Sally ’57, and their children, Kirk ’83 and Susan. Vogel was a Lutheran pastor and church executive — and great-grandson of Otto Kraushaar, one of the presidents at Wartburg’s former Clinton campus. His tenure is remembered for his contagious excitement, animated by his vision for what Wartburg College could be, and his passion for our students. Many still recall one of his favorite…


  • Dr. Glenn Fenneman ’62

    Glenn Fenneman, age 86, of Waverly, Iowa, died Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Unity Point Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. Glenn was born June 25, 1940, in Charles City, Iowa, the son of Clarence and Edna (Kohlman) Fenneman. He was baptized and confirmed at First United Church of Christ, Pleasant Valley, rural Plainfield. Glenn attended Dayton #7 (Shady Dell) country school until the 8th grade and then Clarksville High school graduating in 1958. Glenn then attended Iowa State University in 1958 and then Wartburg College in Waverly graduating in 1962 with his Bachelor of Arts Degree. He received master’s…


  • Rev. Dr. Herman Diers ’49

    Herman Diers, a wise and compassionate man of exceptional grace and generosity, a community builder committed to peace and an end to hunger, died March 7, 2026. He was 97. Born in Hampton and raised in Lutheran parsonages across eastern Iowa, Herman earned degrees from Wartburg College (BA), Wartburg Seminary (MDiv), Northwestern (MA), and Berkeley (PhD), and honorary degrees from Dana and Wartburg Colleges. On Dec. 28, 1950, he married Dorothy Lange. They first lived in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, to found Grace Lutheran Church. In 1959, they moved to Waverly, where they both worked at Wartburg College until 1993,…


  • Arthur Frick

    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 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 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 Waterbury

    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’…


  • Charles Birnstiel

    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…