1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, Future Lutes, In Memorium

Class Representative positions available: 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1952, 1960, 1965, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999

 

1936

Class Representative - Volly (Norby) Grande

1937

Agnes (Mohn) Holman died July 22, 2001 after a long illness. Agnes taught in the Highline School District for 34 years. For the last 15 years of her career, she specialized in teaching visually handicapped children. Agnes is survived by her three sons, Virgil, Ralph, and Lloyd; eight grandchildren and sister Gladys M. Terry ’60 of Anchorage.

1938

Class Representative -Stan Willis

Paul Larson died July 24. Paul was born in Old Main (Harstad Hall) at PLU. He graduated from high school and earned a bachelor of arts and professional degree from PLC. He was also a member of the varsity basketball and baseball teams. Paul was a teacher and principal at the Parkland School. He was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where he served as president of the congregation. Paul volunteered in many ways including as a charter member and top recruiter for PLU’s Q Club, receiving the 2000 President’s Award. Paul is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nina (Anderson) ’41; sons Larry ’67 and Bruce ‘92; three grandchildren, Emily ’00, Jenny and Isaac; and brother Edgar Larson ’33.

1940

Class Representative - Luella Toso Johnson

Murray Taylor died Aug. 8. After PLC, Murray earned a master’s in education from the University of Puget Sound. He and his wife, Vera, married in 1941 and they moved to Allyn, Wash., where he began teaching. He flew B-29 airplanes during WWII. After the war, he returned to teach in Fife, (Wash.) schools, where he later served as a principal. He was also assistant superintendent in the Kennewick School District and superintendent of Burlington, Aberdeen and Federal Way schools, all in Washington. He is survived by his wife, four children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

1945

Class Representative - Annabelle Birkestol

1946

Class Representative - Isabel (Harstad) Watness

1947

Class Representative - Gerald Lider

Tom Hoskins had his lifetime second hole-in-one golf shot on Sept. 11 in Sun City West, Ariz. Tom and his wife, Nancy (Magnussen) ’59, live in this retirement community.

1948

Class Representative - Norene (Skilbred) Gulhaugen

1949

Class Representative - Luther Watness

1950

Class Representative - Edna (Haglund) Dorothy

1952

Milton Hanson and his wife, Helen, moved to Northfield, Minn., in April. They live at the Northfield Retirement Center, a Lutheran continuing care facility. They previously lived in Colorado. Their son, Robert, is an associate professor of chemistry at St. Olaf College.

1953

Class Representative - Helen-Joanne (Enger) Olsen

1954

Class Representative - Iver Haugen

Joan (Engstrom) Kennedy died July 18. After PLU, Joan married Stephen Kennedy ’52. She had a teaching career that included schools in Seattle, Japan and Port Angeles, where she retired after 25 years. In retirement, Joan served as a court appointed special advocate for underage wards of the court. Joan and Stephen journeyed to Tanzania nine times to work with the Lutheran Secondary School and the Lutheran Hospital in the Arusha area, where she specialized in the education of girls and development of library facilities. Joan is survived by her husband; sons Erik and Andrew; and daughter Kerry.

Terry McLean died July 28. Terry taught school in Tacoma for a few years then took a position as a school psychologist for the military in several foreign countries. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Terry Ann.

1955

Class Representative - Phyllis Grahn Carroll

Eldon Davis died July 14. After PLU, Eldon completed graduate studies in business management at UCLA. He had a 35-year career with the U.S. Postal Service in Albany and Salem, Ore. He retired in 1989 as assistant postmaster in Salem and field supervisor of all post offices across mid-Oregon. Eldon and his wife, Carole, moved to Sisters, Ore., where he was an active community volunteer. His service included serving on the board of the Sisters Rodeo Association, youth mentoring, and volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. Eldon is survived by his wife, sons, Keith ’77, Kevin ’79, Kerry, Kyle, and Kelly; daughter, Karna; stepsons, Dan, Rick, and Darrell; and 18 grandchildren.

1956

Norma Borgford is serving as interim pastor at Wilbur (Wash.) Lutheran Church. She is living in the parsonage.

Larry Eggan attended his 50th high school reunion in Spokane on Sept. 21. The next day he flew to Boston to hear his son defend his Ph.D. at MIT. His son has had breakthrough results in cloning mice and has two patents pending.

1957

Class Representative - Carol (Bottemiller) Geldaker and Helen (Jordanger) Nordquist

Merle Hanson was appointed foreman of the 2002/2003 Fresno (Calif.) County Grand Jury in April. He was a member of the Grand Jury in 2001/2002.

Nancy (Halvorson) Doughty died July 26. Nancy married Judd Doughty ’55 in 1955. She worked in the Registrar’s Office at PLU for 17 years, retiring in 1997. Nancy was active in her church, Emmanuel Lutheran, where she served as congregational president; Sunday School, confirmation and Bethel teacher and Bible study leader. Her other activities included Jefferson House committee, PLU Yule Boutique and Scandinavian Days. Nancy is survived by her husband; daughters, Elizabeth and Carolyn; son, Patrick; and seven grandchildren.

1958

Class Representative - Don Cornell and David Knutson

1959

Class Representative - Alvin Dungan

1961

Class Representative - Ron Lerch

1962

Class Representative - Dixie (Likkel) Matthias

1963

Class Representative - Paula (Heyer) Billings and Judy Perry

1964

Class Representative - Kathy (Taylor) Edlund

1965

Class Representative - Kathy (Taylor) Edlund

Sandra Bowdish Kreis was installed as associate pastor at St. Christopher’s Community Church Aug. 4. Sandra, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will join with an Episcopal priest to serve this Episcopal Mission. She is the first pastor and St. Christopher’s is the first parish in Southwest Washington to honor the "Called to Common Mission" agreement adopted by the ELCA and Episcopal church bodies. She previously served in Washington churches in Concrete, Puyallup, and Everett. Sandra and her husband, Roger, live in Olympia. They have two grown children, Jacob Kreis and Joanna (Kreis) Jacobson ’97

1966

Class Representative - Jack Oliver

1967

Class Representative - Angie (Nicholson) Magruder

Paul Hartman began a new position as director of development at Trinity Lutheran College in Issaquah, Wash., in March.

1968

Class Representative - Michael Ford

Judy (Read) Jeffery retired from teaching secondary math in June. She plans to travel, quilt, and devote more time to choral and liturgical music. Judy and her husband, Argil, will split their time between Anchorage and Grangeville, Idaho.

1969

Class Representative - Rose (Lanes) Steiner

1970

Class Representative Lois (Wehmann) LaCuran

1971

Class Representative - Joseph Hustad Jr.

Steven Wall is the president of Pierce College Puyallup and the president of the Pierce College District. He was honored by his peers with the Earl Norman Leadership Award in July. This award honors an outstanding Washington community college administrator who, through visionary leadership and management skills, has made significant contributions to education and community. Steven has been at Pierce College since 1978.

1972

Class Representative - Pam (Weeks) Russell

1973

Class Representative - Nikki Martin

Doug Henning resigned after 11 years as associate dean of graduate studies at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kansas to accept a position as lecturer in psychology and counseling coordinator at European Nazarene College (EuNC) in Buesingen, Switzerland. He will also assist in establishing an assessment and training program for missionaries from Europe and Asia. Doug’s wife, Joyce, will be teaching English and ESL courses at EuNC.

Julia Jackson Burton returned to the Tacoma School District to substitute teach. She went to Africa a few years ago with a group of friends and has returned for more visits. Julia has also been a missionary to Jamaica for 20 years. She plans to return at Christmas to supervise women’s work.

1974

Class Representative - Dave Johnson

Rick and Valorie (Andersen) Wigen relocated to the Northwest from Boston.

Tammy Skubinna was promoted to professor at Oregon State University. She also continues as a 4-H extension agent and was the Oregon recipient of the Meritorious Service Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents.

1975

Class Representative - Ed Voie

Rebecca Larson, a pastor of the ELCA in Canada, was elected to a four-year appointment as executive director of the Division for Church in Society of the ELCA, effective Oct. 14. Since 1994 she has served the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) as secretary for research and development, Department for World Service in Geneva, Switzerland, and coordinated LWF’s involvement in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.

1976

Class Representative - Gary Powell

Kari (Odegard) Nordgren recently started By Arrangement, a redesign business. She is also a member of Interior Redesign Industry Specialists. www.weredesign.com

Leslie (Brownell) Malek works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She was recently promoted to work from Seattle for the headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Steve and Jill (Gjertson ’78) Brown celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June, traveling in Europe for three weeks. Steve is in his 27th year of teaching biology at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. Jill continues to enjoy teaching first grade at Chipeta Elementary School. Their daughter, Alayne, is a senior at PLU, and their son, Todd, is a freshman at Luther College.

1977

Class Representative - Leigh Erie and Joan (Nelson) Mattich

James Clymer moved back to the West Coast after living in South Dakota, where he worked for Wells Fargo Bank for the last 12 years. He accepted a new position as vice president and portfolio strategist for the home equity division of Wachavia National Bank in Sacramento, Calif.

1978

Jon Overvold was appointed the first director of pastoral care and education at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. In March, North Shore was featured on the cover of Modern Maturity magazine as the best metropolitan hospital in the U.S.

Bruce Neswick, was recently appointed Canon for Music at St. Philip’s Episcopal Cathedral in Atlanta, Ga. In the past few months, he has played an organ recital in Santa Fe and taught on the faculty of week-long workshops at St. Olaf College, the American Guild of Organists’ national convention in Philadelphia and at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. He also conducted the Wilkes-Barre Course for 170 girl, boy and adult choristers, sponsored by the Royal School of Church Music. In Atlanta, his choristers performed Benjamin Britten’s opera, "Noye’s Fludde," in the fall.

James Collins is a major general in the U.S. Army. He is taking a three-year leave of absence from his job at Weyerhaeuser to assume the position of deputy commanding general and chief of staff of I Corps and Fort Lewis in Tacoma. His previous assignments include the commander of the 70th Regional Support Command and chief of staff of operations for the 124th Army Reserve Command. Before PLU, James received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Arkansas. He is also a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

1979

Class Representative - David and Teresa (Hausken) Sharkey

1980

Class Representative - Phil Waldner

Russell Rowland’s first novel, "In Open Spaces," was recently published by Harper/Collins. In June, it appeared on the San Francisco Chronicle’s bestseller list for the Bay Area. A review by Amy Benfer calling it, "a family epic that has a muted elegance," appeared in the New York Times on Sept. 29. The book follows a Montana ranching family from 1916 through the Great Depression, and closes in 1946.

1981

Teresa (Smith) Akridge, her husband, Rick, and their four children, Adam, 12, Diana, 10, Marie, 8, and William, 4, moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, where Rick is the Army attaché. They were previously in Moscow, Russia, where Rick served at the embassy. Teresa is a homemaker.

Robert Gohl is the new pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Cashmere, Wash. He was previously at Shepherd of the Valley in Townsend, Mont., for 15 years.

1982

Class Representative - Paul Collard

Paul Stumme-Diers was elected bishop of the Greater Milwaukee (Wis.) Synod. He began his term on Aug. 21 and was installed Nov. 2.

1983

Class Representative - David Olson

1984

Class Representative - Mark Christofferson

Andrew Kyllo is a math and science teacher at Sumner (Wash.) High School. Last summer, he participated in the 2002 Teachers on Summer Assignment program giving teachers hands-on research and field study experience with forest products companies. Andrew’s six-week job assignment with Weyerhaeuser allowed him to conduct research on various alternatives for replacing, reusing or recycling wax corrugated cardboard. He plans to take his experience back to the classroom. Andrew lives in Sumner with his wife and four children.

Tom Layson is the primary news anchor at News 12 New Jersey, a statewide 24-hour cable news network. He lives in Township, New Jersey with his wife of 19 years, Shari, and two sons, J.T., 11, and Brus, 10.

1985

Class Representative - Janet (Olden) Regge

Patricia Heath was ordained Jan. 13, 2002, in Denver. She serves two churches in Illinois: St. John’s Lutheran in Dorchester and Zion Lutheran in Shipman.

Christopher Bivins, illustrator, and Joni Sensel, author, received the Henry Bergh Children’s Book Honor from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for their book, "Bears Barge In," published in 2001. ASPCA director of humane education, Dr. Sheryl Dickstein Pipe, Ph.D., noted, "Not only are these books great fun, but they promote a humane ethic of consideration for all living things." Christopher’s other books include, "The Perfect Tree" and "The Garbage Monster."

Linette Zimmerman is governor-elect of the Northwestern region of Soroptimist International of the Americas. She will serve a two-year term before becoming governor for the 2004-2006 biennium. Linette will provide leadership and training to about 4,500 members in 115 clubs in a five-state area. Soroptimist is a worldwide organization for women in management working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women.

Robert Ferguson was promoted to senior regional account manager at Kraft Food Ingredients and has relocated to DeKalb, Ill., with his wife, Beth.

1986

Donna (Harpel) Copeland died June 17. Donna began her career as a therapist to "at risk" children at Good Samaritan Mental Health in Puyallup and continued as a program manager at Behavioral Health Resources of Olympia. She was married to Michael Copeland on Aug. 8, 1987. They recently adopted their daughter, Sabryee, 7. Donna is survived by her husband and daughter; parents, Jackie and Fritz Harpel; sister Diane; brothers Ron and Russell; and many nieces and nephews.

Richard Bauer is serving as the deputy officer-in-charge and the director of acquisition for the U.S. Navy’s regional contracting center in Manama, Bahrain. The office supports the operational needs of the U.S. 5th Fleet in the Arabian Gulf.

Mark Haskins is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He is commanding a forward operating location detachment on the island of Curacao, Netherlands, Antilles.

Diana Archibald’s new book, "Domesticity, Imperialism, and Emigration in the Victorian Novel," was published by the University of Missouri Press. During the 19th century, as millions of British citizens left for the New World, hearth and home were physically moved from the heart of the empire to its very outskirts. The book explores how such demographic shifts affected the ways in which Victorians both promoted and undermined the ideal of the domestic woman. Diana is an assistant professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

1987

Class Representative - Darren Hamby

Steve Marose and his partner, Todd, celebrated 10 years together in May. After eight years with Aetna, most recently as a physician recruiter, Steve left to pursue his love of horticulture. He now manages Minter’s Earlington Greenhouse.

Darin Ringenbach and Jennifer Rennie were married on June 29 in Tacoma. John Wolfe ’88 and Dave Parkhill ’88 were in the wedding party. Darin is a teacher and coach at Curtis High School and Jennifer is a teacher at Curtis Junior High School, both in University Place, Wash.

1988

Todd Nelson died of leukemia June 6. After PLU, Todd attended the University of London for six months. In 1991, he earned a law degree from the University of Arizona. After law school, he moved to the Las Vegas area where he was a corporate lawyer until he started his own firm. Todd was a member of the Nevada Bar Association and Oregon Bar Association. He is survived by his wife of 11 years, Deborah (Maggie), his son Benjamin and daughter Shelby.

Tanya Ross started an export/import company four years ago. She designs Norwegian flag pins. Tanya67@online.no

Mary Eun and her husband, John, moved to the Chicago area for Mary’s job as a supply chain manager for Weyerhaeuser.

Fred Wier and Becky Roose ’89 were married Sept. 14 in Seattle. Julie (Allen) Fenedick ’88, Katherine Hedland ’88 and Everett Lee ’87 were in the wedding party. Fred and Becky met in 1985 when they both lived in Ivy Hall, but didn’t start dating until 15 years later after becoming reacquainted at a Christmas party. They honeymooned in the Hamptons and New Orleans. They live in Tacoma.

1989

Class Representative - Lisa (Hussey) Ferraro

Robert Ristow is a senior geologist with URS Diamond. He was recently transferred from Wilmington, Del., to Dublin, Ohio, to work on Ashland Specialty Chemical remediation projects.

Jerry Bull is involved in the theater scene in Salem, Ore. He has performed on stage or on the piano for the "Music Man," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Brigadoon," and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Jerry also plays piano for the First Presbyterian Church Youth Chorale, recently co-wrote a chancel cantata for Holy Week based on the hymn, "Were You There," and performed with the choir on its recent tour of the Oregon Coast.

Del Shannon received his professional engineer license from the State of Colorado in July. Del works in Denver as a civil engineer specializing in geotechnical engineering, the use of soil and rock as a building material. He has designed earthen dams, bridge and building foundations, retaining walls, and stabilization measures for landslides for projects throughout the Western U.S. After earning his bachelor of arts degree in communications from PLU, Del attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he received a master of science degree in civil engineering.

Erik Johnson and Miki Williamson were married June 22 in Portland, Ore. Erik is a teacher at David Douglas High School and Miki is also a teacher.

1990

Class Representative - Sean Neely and Angel Vahsholtz-Anderson

Krista (Aronson) Bates has accepted a position as assistant principal at Ferrucci Junior High School in the Puyallup (Wash.) School District. She previously spent one year as assistant principal at Eatonville (Wash.) Middle School. Her husband, Jay ’89, is a teacher and writer. They live in Puyallup with their two children, Connor, 5 and Emma, 2.

Alison (Whitney) Shane and her husband, Kent, are both pastors and are sharing a call as associate pastors at First Lutheran Church in Poulsbo, Wash. They moved from Iowa to Bremerton, Wash.

Daren Skonord is a financial associate at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Spokane. He recently earned membership in the Million Dollar Round Table. Members demonstrate exceptional product knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding service to qualify. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans was formed from the January 2002 merger of Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood.

Dan Wiersma is a financial associate at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Gig Harbor, Wash. He recently earned membership in the Million Dollar Round Table. Members demonstrate exceptional product knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding service to qualify. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans was formed from the January 2002 merger of Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood.

1991

Youlander Hilton is the physical education resource teacher at Watkins Elementary School in Newport News, Va. Last spring, she organized and coordinated a visit from 1960 Olympic gold medalist Lucinda Williams Adams to four schools in the Newport News area.

James Burgess and his wife, Sandra, traveled to Europe in the fall. With Sandra in stage four lymphoma, James retired early so they could travel.

Del Lofton is a financial associate at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Tacoma. He recently earned membership in the Million Dollar Round Table. Members demonstrate exceptional product knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding service to qualify. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans was formed from the January 2002 merger of Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood.

Heidi Berger accepted a new position as international news producer at CNN in Atlanta. She writes and produces newscasts.

Joe Hall is the new owner of Mill Creek (Wash.) Foot & Ankle Clinic. He was previously at Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic. Joe attended podiatry school in the San Francisco area for four years and stayed in the Bay area until he finished his three-year surgical residency in 1998.

1992

Lance Koudele and his wife, Heidi, are ski and surf bums. They live in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Kristina Price and Michael Navarro were married June 21, on the beach in Barbados. Kristina is a speech language pathologist in the San Antonio (Texas) Independent School District and Michael is in sales.

1993

Jeff Miller and Stephanie Lund ’96 were married Feb. 9 in Salem, Ore. Steve Owens ’94, Sean Ward ’95, Kate Moehring ’98, April Reynolds ’95 and Jordan Iverson were in the wedding party. Jordan is the son of Ken ’92 and Jennifer (Jackson ’92) Iverson. Stephanie is an environmental consultant and Jeff is the vice-principal of Fern Hill Elementary School. They live in Puyallup, Wash.

Ann (Sperling) Neal is a registered nurse in the U.S. Air Force. She is pursuing a master’s degree in ER/critical care at the University of Maryland.

Marla Hardman is in her sixth year of teaching at Umatilla (Ore.) High School. She is a P.E. teacher and coach.

Melanie Kasting is in her fifth year of teaching math at Faith Lutheran Junior/Senior High School in Las Vegas. She has plans to adopt a retired racing greyhound.

Samuel Capps is a financial associate at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Seattle. He recently earned membership in the Million Dollar Round Table. Members demonstrate exceptional product knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding service to qualify. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans was formed from the January 2002 merger of Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood.

Kevin Pieper has joined Women’s Health Care clinic at the Willamette Valley (Ore.) Medical Center. Kevin specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. He earned his medical degree and completed a four-year residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

1994

Class Representative - Dan Lysne and Catherine Overland

Deborah Rakos and Eric Eriksen were married July 21, 2001. Deborah is a sixth-grade teacher in the Juneau (Alaska) School District and Eric is an electrical engineer.

David Benson completed his residency in family practice in Olympia and moved to Okinawa, Japan, with his wife, Jenny, to practice medicine in the U.S. Navy. Jenny is also a family practice physician. David also completed the Officer Indoctrination Course at Officer Indoctrination School, Naval Education and Training Center, Newport, R.I. This course prepares students for duty in the naval staff field corresponding to their civilian profession.

Robyn Prueitt received a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in September 2001. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md.

1995

Angela Grimes and Mark Henry were married March 17, 2001, in Portland, Ore. Angela is a marriage and family therapist in private practice and Mark is boatman on the Houston (Texas) ship channel.

Kristin Bergh is a teacher at Gig Harbor (Wash.) High School. She was one of 18 educators who participated in the Leadership Institute in Human and Molecular Genetics, an intensive three-week workshop funded by the Pfizer Foundation and conducted at the Dolan DNA Learning Center of the world renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). The institute encompassed 100 hours of advanced laboratory experimentation, scientist seminars, computer exploration, leadership training, and independent projects. A highlight was an informal question and answer period with CSHL president and Nobel Prize recipient James D. Watson.

Eva Frey and Kevin Johnson were married on June 7 at St. Mark’s by the Narrows Lutheran Church in Tacoma. Dr. Erv Severtson ’55 officiated. Becky Thompson ’95 was the maid of honor and Nick Fritz was the best man. Ben Dobyns ’01 provided the music. The reception was at the Japanese Pagoda at Pt. Defiance Park. Many PLU alums and staff attended the joyous occasion.

Peter Prest and Anne Maarit Kanala were married on Aug. 17 in Karleby, Finland.
Paul and Deanna (Dahlke) Ojennus received their doctorates at the University of Colorado in 2001. They spent a year at Purdue University teaching and doing research. They are now living in Omaha, Neb., where Paul is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Classical and Near-Eastern Studies at Creighton University.

1996

Class Representative - Steve and Kim (Nadon) Leifsen

Owen Keefer accepted a position as assistant professor of computer science at Bridgewater (Va.) College. He earned a bachelor of science degree from James Madison University, a master of arts degree from PLU and a Ph.D. from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. He was previously a computer consultant and technician.

Matthew and Rebecca (Snowdon ’97) Chase live in Portland, Ore. Matthew is a dentist in Silverton, and Rebecca is a special education teacher.

1997

Class Representative - Andrew and Stephanie (Merle) Tomlinson

Christopher Shepard and Mari Rege were married June 23, 2001, in Stavanger, Norway. Christopher and Mari met while Mari attended PLU as a Norwegian transfer student during the 1993-94 school year. Christopher is in his third year of medical school and Mari is a professor of economics, both at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Andrew Wilson received a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., on May 26. He served as an intern at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapid City, S.D. Andrew is planning to attend graduate school.

Andrew Cochran was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2001. He completed his master’s degree in business administration at the University of Saskatchewan in 1999. Andrew and his wife, Adrienne, live in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Erika (Olson) Mariani, is completing her master of arts degree in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. Her husband, Mark Mariani ’98, graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in June. He began his family practice residency at Pomona (Calif.) Valley Community Hospital. They live on campus at Fuller.

Jennifer Hamlow recently completed a master’s degree in multicultural communication at DePaul University in Chicago. She is now the assistant program dean for the Institute for the International Education of Students, the study abroad program at DePaul.

Chris Coovert and Kristin Faubion ’01 were married Nov. 17, 2001 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Tacoma. Craig Coovert ’00 and Katrina (Johnson) Coovert ’99 were in the wedding. Chris is in his third year of teaching social studies, English and debate at Gig Harbor High School and Kristin is a math and science teacher at Ford Middle School in Tacoma.

1998

Class Representative - Shannon Herlocker and Nate Sears

Shannon Finsand is the general ledger accountant at Oregon Steel Mills in Portland.

Ryan Alexander and Jennifer Licht ’00 were married July 22 in Yakima, Wash. Ryan received a master of divinity degree with an emphasis in youth and family ministry from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., on May 26. He also concluded four years as high school youth director at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minn. Ryan will be ordained this fall and he and Jenny will accept a call in Southern California. Jenny is a worship director.

Mike Safford is the assistant athletic director and sports information director at Albertson College in Caldwell, Idaho. The Coyote men’s and women’s basketball media guide along with the cover for the baseball media guide recently earned first-place honors in a publications contest sponsored by the NAIA-Sports Information Directors Association. The basketball guide earned the top prize in the Combined Basketball Brochure category. It also placed fifth in the College Sports Information Directors Association publications contest, which included NCAA II, NCAA III, and NAIA schools. Mike was previously the sports information director at The Evergreen State College in Olympia.

Hanne Engelstad is the project coordinator for Campus for Peace (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) in Barcelona, Spain.

Bethany Daugherty received a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington in June. She lives is Germany.

Kirsten (Lindquist) Lagomarsino is pursuing an MBA through Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

Brandon VanDyke accepted a position as director of instrumental music at Tualatin High School in the Tigard-Tualatin (Ore.) School District. He previously served as the director of bands at Surprise Lake Middle School in Milton, Wash.

Matt Hoffman and Anne Ulbright were married April 20 on the Washington University campus in St. Louis, Mo. Matt is in his last year in the master of divinity program at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and Anne is a linguistics student. Matt was promoted to lieutenant junior grade in the Naval Reserves.

Emily Davidson completed her master’s degree in Spanish through Middlebury College in Spain in 2000. She lives in Madrid where she is a production coordinator for Walt Disney Records Europe, Middle East.

Matt Torfin received the Alaska Airlines Above and Beyond Award for performing the Heimlich maneuver on an employee. He is a station supervisor for Alaska Airlines at the San Diego International Airport.

Michael James is working on a master of arts degree in conducting at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo.

Kaia Benson moved to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in June. She is the program manager for the FSA undergraduate program at IREX. Her responsibilities include recruiting and preparing undergraduate students to study for one year at American universities.

Heidi Stout bought her first home in March. It is in Portland’s (Ore.) Overlook neighborhood. She writes about economic development and real estate for The Business Journal.

1999

Nikki (Schneider) Fisher finished number one in a class of 302 students after her first year of law school at New England School of Law in Boston. She made the dean’s list, is a New England Scholar and was invited to join the law review. She is also an intern at an Air Force JAG office.

Sara (Reibel) Locke received a master’s degree in education from PLU in August. She is a special education teacher in the Puyallup School District.

Kara Strasser and Sean Scanlan were married on July 13 at Thornewood Castle in Lakewood, Wash. Kara is an analytical chemist at Frontier Geosciences and Sean is a mechanic/welder at the Western Washington Fair.

Keith Pulley and Renee Rutledge were married Aug. 10 in Portland, Ore.

Jamie Gabriel, ’99, ’00, moved back to Washington State after backpacking through Europe with Aimee Sieverkropp ’01 in the summer of 2001. She is a seventh-grade teacher at at Heatherwood Middle School in Mill Creek, Wash.

Ron Podmore is a teacher in the Federal Way (Wash.) School District. He recently published his second book, a novel titled, "A Sign To Remember." The story is about a young man growing up in the Puyallup Valley who comes to realize that he possesses the genes that will cause him to completely lose his vision. Ron’s first book chronicled the lives of famous deaf Americans, including a biography on Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award winning actress. As a teacher, Ron was recognized by the Washington State School Directors Association and he received the 1999 PBS/KCTS Golden Apple Award.

2000

Class Representative - Ashley Orr

Nicole Cunningham is taking prerequisites to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Brian O’Hanlon and Jill Schnaser were married July 27 at Mason United Methodist Church in Tacoma. Matthew Phillips ’01, Megan O’Hanlon ’01, Kate Hardin ’00, Christopher Tavern ’02, Aaron Jacobs ’00, Margaret Holt ’01, Louis Hobson ’00 and Noreen (McEntee) Hobson ’99 participated in the wedding ceremony.

Wendy Garrigues was called to New Orleans in January 2002 to start a youth ministry at an Episcopal church. www.experiencejesus.org

Suzanne Sampson received her commission as a naval officer after completing Officer Candidate School at Naval Aviation Schools Command, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla. Her training included special instruction in navigation, ship handling, engineering, naval warfare and management. Suzanne also completed a demanding physical fitness program.

Kurt Eilmes has a new position as sports editor at the LaJuntaTribune-Democrat daily newspaper in La Junta, Colo. Erin (Tilney ’00) Eilmes is executive director of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation

Jessica (Chairez) and Stephen ’98 Young bought their first home in Orting, Wash.

2001

Class Representative - Linda (Hutson) Pyle and Keith Pranghofer

Anna Hall is the director of junior high ministry at Sammamish Presbyterian Church in Redmond, Wash.

Jackie Walton moved to Romania. She will begin mission’s work in local orphanages after language training.

Cynthia Skibsrud and Ron Pai were married Aug. 31, 2001. Kathy Smith ’01 was the maid of honor. Erin Connell ’01 and PLU student Erin Burraston were bridesmaids.

Jennifer Hiatt and Aaron Jackson were married Aug. 9, in Covington, Wash. They are living in Cleveland while Jen finishes her master’s degree at Case Western Reserve University.

Emily (Lawrence) Cook has a new position as director of marketing and sales at King Oscar Convention Center. Her husband, Brandon, is an estimator for fire sprinkler systems.

Crystal Stoehr and Ben Cochran ’02 were married June 7. Crystal is a teacher and counselor for Upward Bound and Ben is a teacher at Ford Middle School, both in Tacoma.

Jason Hulen and Michelle Libby ’03 were married Aug. 17. Jason works at O’Fahey SDS Motor Freight and Michelle will graduate from PLU in May.

Rebekah Johnson and Timothy Hunt ’00 were married in August 2001. Rebekah is a registered nurse at Madigan Army Medical Center and Timothy is a teacher in the Federal Way School District. They live in Tacoma.

2002

Class Representatives - Nicholas Gorne and Brian Riehs

Kristin Shay was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army from the ROTC program at PLU. She completed her advanced camp at Fort Lewis, Wash., and her officer basic training course at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Paula Kirby is the special events manager at The Baltimore (Md.) Zoo. She is in charge of all large-scale marketing events and also works with other departments on smaller scale facility rentals and events.

Rebecca Summerer worked at Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park for the summer, earning money for a trip to Europe. She is also studying for the GRE and MCAT exams.

Rebecca Ehli and Rob Miller were married Aug. 10. Alayna Post ’02, Anna Edgar ’02, Sarah Kohn ’02, Chantel Welch ’02, Megan O’Brien ’02, Kristal Graham ’02 and Lisa Lindsay ’01 were in the wedding party.

Jamelyn Keatts is a Young Life intern in San Jose, Calif.

Jordan Hartman and Crystal Pollock were married June 22.

Nicholas Lockey is attending the University of Victoria to pursue a master of arts degree.
Megan Salter-Sherrill is an assistant teacher of English for the Board of Education in Yao, Japan.

Future Lutes

1981
Jan Ellertson and Diane Lewin announce the birth of their son, Caden Louis, on April 6. He joins Kendra Bessmarie, 3. Jan delivered Caden on the side of the freeway on the way to the hospital. Jan is a police officer for the City of Portland, Ore. She is currently the training academy coordinator for the Oregon Police Corps.

1984
Brian Laubach and his wife, Melissa, announce the birth of Grace Isabelle on Sept. 20. She joins Helena Ann and Caroline Elizabeth. The proud grandparents are Robert and Sylvia (Stakkestad ’60) Mittelstaedt and Chuck ’60 and Ann (Thingvall ’56) Laubach.

1986
David and Julie (Rains) Kangas announce the birth of Ella Victoria on May 11. She joins Brianna, 4. Julie is a teacher at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma.

1988
Greg Schieferstein and his wife, Adriane, announce the birth of Gunther Carl on June 28. He joins Hannah, 4, and August, 3. Greg is the news director at KPAX-TV (CBS) in Missoula, Mont. Adriane is a stay-at-home mom.

Julianne (Larson) Fagerstrom and her husband, Tom, announce the birth of their daughter, Britt Kjersten, on June 12. She joins Erik Thomas, 2.

1989
Todd and Valerie (Backlund ’90) Ellis announce the birth of Cade Backlund on June 19, 2001. He joins Preston, 3.

John and Katie (Schmidt) Hurley announce the birth of Caroline on Aug. 7. John is the manager of technical sales for Specified Technologies, Inc., and Katie is a stay-at-home mom.

1991
Ryan Hamlin and Julie Henning ’92 announce the birth of Tyler Ryan on July 17. He joins Caleb, 6; Braden, 4; and Noah, 2.

Beth (Newbill) Percival and her husband, Robert, announce the birth of their son, Roderick, on June 25.

1992
Kristin (Aasdal) Timenes and her husband, Adne, announce the birth of their son, Andreas, on March 21, 2001. He joins Johannes, 5, and Daniel, 3. Kristin is the public relations coordinator at Aker Kvaerner in Kristiansand, Norway.

1993

Heidi Worthen Gamble and her husband, Jason, announce the birth of their first child, Hannah Elizabeth, on Oct. 21, 2001. Heidi and Jason are ordained clergy in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Jason is the pastor of Culver City (Calif.) Presbyterian Church and Heidi is a stay-at-home mom.

Karyn (Swiackey) Gould and her husband, Jeff, announce the birth of their son, Bridger Ryan, on March 27. He joins Alexandria, 3. Karyn is a stay-at-home mom.

1996
Kelly (Cysouw) Hargrave and her husband, Russell, announce the birth of Michaella on April 7. Kelly is a registered nurse at Providence St. Peter’s Hospital in Olympia.

Andrea (Campbell) and Aaron ’97 McCarty announce the birth of Ellie Grace on June 16. Andrea is a first-grade teacher in the Camas (Wash.) School District and Aaron is a product manager.

Kirk and Kristin (Belknap ’94) Estes announce the birth of Heidi Jeanne on
Sept. 25.

Gus Gustafson and his wife, Cathy, announce the birth of Hunter Pierce on June 7.

1998
Valerie (Mallabon) Hopper and her husband, Devon, announce the birth of Sara Pauline on March 22.

Joe and Allison (Roth) Patterson announce the birth of their daughter Grace on July 11..

1995
Ted and Jennifer (Iverson) Riddal announce the birth of Titus on Dec. 31. He joins Vanessa 14, Christian, 5, Hallie, 4, and Rykker, 2. Ted is a special education teacher in the Kenai Peninsula (Alaska) School District, and Jennifer is a homemaker.

1996
Jared Miller and his wife, Kacey, announce the birth of their daughter, Maggie Mae, on May 5. Jared and Kacey were married on Nov. 23, 2001. They are both teachers in the Nome (Alaska) School District.

Tony Aho and his wife, Jolaine, announce the birth of their son, Reagen James, on April 15. Tony is an administrative manager in the School of Education at PLU.

2001
Heidi (Keller) Massie and her husband, Levi, announce the birth of Emma on Aug. 3.

In Memorium

1932
John Hopp died on March 11.

1937
Agnes (Mohn) Holman died on July 22, 2001.

1938
Paul Larson died on July 24.

1939
Donald Monson died on June 3.

1940
Murray Taylor died on Aug. 8.

1951
Wesley Nyland died on Feb. 26.

1954
Joan (Engstrom) Kennedy died on July 18.

Terry McLean died on July 28.

1955
Eldon Davis died on July 14.

1957
Nancy (Halvorson) Doughty died on July 26.

1986
Donna Copeland died on June 17.

1988
Todd Nelson died on June 6.

1990
Glenn Whitham died on Sept. 22.

 

Faculty and Friends

George Arbaugh, who held the longest tenure of faculty service in the history of PLU, died Oct. 6. He came to PLU in 1959 and was in his 44th year of teaching with distinction. He contributed greatly to the advancement of scholarship at the university and received several Outstanding Teacher awards. He is survived by his wife, Donna, three sons and eight grandchildren.

Olga Grahn died July 10. Olga was an active member of her church. In her retirement years she volunteered for the Red Cross at Madigan (Tacoma) Hospital, as church secretary at Christ Lutheran Church in Lakewood, served on the Group Health regional council, and with her husband, Clarence, was a youth adviser. Olga was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her daughters, Phyllis Carlson-Carroll ’55 and Virginia Haugen ’56; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Richard Kibbey, retired PLU business professor, died Sept. 9 when his plane went down during a flight he was piloting. Richard held three master’s degrees in economics and art history, a Ph.D. in art history and a Ph.D. in systems theory. Before he came to PLU, Richard was chairman of an organization in Maryland that took art to the people, curator of the Baltimore Museum of Art, curator for the Arts Council of Utah and cattle rancher in Costa Rica. Richard is survived by his wife, Patricia Kay; five children, Marc, Shand, Melissa, Rindi, and Anton; and five grandchildren.

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