The Rev. Dr. Steven Ullestad, 73, of Cedar Falls, IA died peacefully on Sunday, July 12, 2026. He was born to the Rev. Norman and Marilyn (Silvius) Ullestad on February 26, 1953, in Minneapolis, MN.
Steve’s family moved often in his early years, including stops in Manly, IA, Bettendorf, IA, Salina, KS and Postville, IA, where he played on the state championship football team. In 1971 he enrolled at Wartburg College, where he met the love of his life, Ruth Schuldt, in the Wartburg Choir. After inauspicious beginnings, the two fell madly in love and were married on April 13, 1974, in Stockton, IL. The next day, they embarked on a five-week honeymoon, which also doubled as the choir’s international tour. Upon graduating from Wartburg College, Steve attended Wartburg Seminary and was ordained as a pastor in 1979.
His first—and only—congregational call was to St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Hudson, IA, where he served until 1988 when he was invited to join the staff as an Assistant to the Bishop of the newly formed Northeastern Iowa Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Four years later, he was elected as the Bishop of that synod, a role he held for 28 years until his retirement in 2020.
Throughout his career, Ullestad served on a variety of boards, including Lutheran Services in Iowa, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Wartburg College, Allen Hospital, and Allen College, where he served as president. Among the highlights of his professional life were dozens of ordinations, hundreds of pastoral installations, thousands of hours driving the back roads of NE Iowa, the launching of the Barnabas Uplift project, and the opportunities to meet Pope Benedict XVI and President & Mrs. Obama. Steve’s final two years were spent in the care of Cedar Valley Hospice and the Western Home Communities.
Ullestad was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Neal; and sister, Kristi. He is survived by his wife of 52 years: Ruth; their children: Erik (Allison) Ullestad, Krista (Adam) Kilgus, and Kara (Kyle) Ullestad Lechtenberg; grandchildren: Anna, Isaac, Evan, Martin, Sage, Arthur, and Oliver; and his sisters, Karen Ullestad and Mary (Dale) Ullestad-Heneke.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
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