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
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Charles Fischer ‘73
Charlie left us suddenly on Monday, February 19, 2024. We will miss his sense of humor and his positive unique spin on life. Charles John Fischer was born February 13, 1948, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and was raised in Latimer, Iowa. He graduated from CAL Community in 1966, and then went on to graduate from Wartburg College. Charlie met Karma, the love of his life. They married on May 16, 1976, and enjoyed 47 wonderful years together. They resided in Waterloo where they raised their son Nicholas (Nick). He worked for Iowa mutual for 30+ years as an insurance adjuster.…
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Jane Marten Claussen ’60
Jane Rosemary Claussen, 85, of Defiance, Ohio passed away on February 18, 2024. She was born in Muscatine, Iowa on December 23, 1938, to the late Henry and Anna (Rueckert) Marten. On June 25, 1961, she married the Rev. Ronald Claussen at Zion Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa and they shared almost 50 years together. Jane was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Defiance. She taught for many years at Tinora High School. Jane was a master gardener who liked quilting and traveling. She was an avid walker, often over two miles a day. In her spare time, she loved…
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Robert Thran ‘59
Robert Richard Thran, age 94 of Nashua, IA, died Thursday, February 15, 2024, at Waverly Health Center in Waverly. Bob was born in Readlyn, Iowa, September 20, 1929, the son of Oscar and Loueen Diekmann Thran. He attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Parochial School and graduated from Readlyn High School in 1947. He attended Iowa State Teachers College 1947–1948, and The University Of Iowa 1948–1951.Bob was drafted into the United States Army September 10, 1951, and served with the Forty-Fifth Infantry Division in Korea during the Korean War. He was discharged in May of 1953. Bob married Gerda Franken of Allison on…
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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 of 3, her family moved to Moline, Illinois, and she returned to Waterloo, Iowa to begin her career as a social worker in 1969. Karen graduated from Moline High School in 1965. She attended Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois for two years. Then she…
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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 Catholic School in Decorah, IA through 8th grade, completed secondary school within the Decorah Community School District, graduating in 1994. During high school, Kelley was involved in a variety of activities including track, cheerleading and band. Kelley was selected as the homecoming queen for her…
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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 Science Degree from Wartburg College in 1989 graduating with honors. Paul continued on his journey of becoming a physician and graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in May of 1993 and completed the psychiatry residency program in 1997. On August 6, 1988,…
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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 grandfather started the Agriculture program in the schools and later Black Hawk Seeds became the family business. John was baptized at St. Paul United Methodist Church. He graduated from LaPorte City High School with the class of 1967. He enjoyed participating in football, wrestling, track,…
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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 Nellie (Walsh) Stortz. She was the middle child, with an older brother, Charles (Chuck) and a younger brother, Jerry. She grew up in Canoe Township in Northeast Iowa and lived on the family farm.Marilyn graduated from Decorah High School on June 1, 1950. She received…
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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 (Carolyn and Luther Lyndrup) he became a teacher, beginning his career at McHenry High School outside of Chicago. While completing a Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Georgia, he met the love of his life and his adored wife of fifty-two years Anne…
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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 into Christ’s family and confirmed her faith at Saint John Lutheran church in Waseca. She attended Southside Elementary and graduated from Waseca Central High school in 1967. Her summers were consumed by backyard ballgames barefoot with the neighborhood kids or with all of her cousins…
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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 congregations and communities in Iowa served by his father: Grinnell/Malcom, Castle Grove/Monticello, Lizard Township/Palmer and Des Moines. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. He grew up mostly in the country, enjoying the freedom, tasting some of farm life, and participating in Luther…
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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 June 1964, later divorcing. On July 20, 1974, he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Miriam Platz, in Waterloo. He was employed as a National Bank Examiner with the US Comptroller of the Currency from 1963 to 1982. He then became…
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Rev. O. Paul Hougen
Rev. Paul Hougen, 93, of Denver, Iowa, and formerly of Decorah, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly, Iowa. O. Paul Hougen was born to Virgil and Leona Hougen September 9, 1932 in Minneapolis, MN and baptized October 4. From 1934-1940 he lived in New Effington, SD. From 1940-1946 his home was in the country out from Irene, SD. His freshman year of high school was at Augustana Academy, in Canton, SD. He was confirmed July 21, 1946 at Elim Lutheran Congregation by his father, Virgil Hougen. Kenyon, MN was his home…
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Barbara Dobron Harken ’67
Barbara Jean Harken (Red Barb), 81 of Waverly, Iowa, passed away early Tuesday morning, August 11, 2026, at the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly. Barb was born on July 14, 1945, in St. Luke’s Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Zenon and Evelyn Marie (Counihan) Dobron. In 1948, the family moved to a suburb of Chicago, Oak Lawn where she was baptized and confirmed. In 1960 they moved to Marshalltown, Iowa. Barb graduated in 1963 from Marshalltown High School and then attended Wartburg College in Waverly, graduating in 1967 with a BA in Education. On July 29,…
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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…
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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…
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Dr. Richard Stedtfeld
Richard Warren “Dick” Stedtfeld, 97, of Glasgow, Montana, loved to sing and often burst forth into song throughout his long life. His eldest daughter, Laura, sang hymns to him in some of the last hours of his life and he passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026. Born in Glasgow, Montana in September 1928, Dick met the love of his life, Ruth Elaine Lund, at a Bible Camp in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana in 1944. They married in 1952 and shared 70 beautiful years together until Ruth’s passing in 2021. Dick often recalled, “A long time ago, Ruthie…
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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,…
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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…
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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 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…
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Lavern Busse
Lavern Theodore Busse, 85, passed away on September 27, 2026, at HallMar Village, Marion, Iowa. Lavern was born at his parents’ home on December 23, 1940, and grew up on their farm northeast of Waverly, Iowa. He was raised on hard work. Prior to his senior year of high school, his father was killed in a car accident. Lavern became a farmer overnight, spending his senior year both completing high school and farming. In 1960, Lavern married Audrey Kappmeyer of rural Tripoli, Iowa. Together, they continued farming and had three children: LoriAnn, Jeffrey, and Lisa. In 1965, he added John…
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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’…
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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…