{"id":8005,"date":"2024-11-19T16:41:17","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T16:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/?p=8005"},"modified":"2024-11-19T16:52:43","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T16:52:43","slug":"alumni-news-winter-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/2024\/11\/19\/alumni-news-winter-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni news"},"content":{"rendered":"

The listings in this publication include notifications received by August 6. Submit your own alumni news at luthersem.edu\/alumni<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1950s<\/h2>\n

Alton<\/strong> Hillesland<\/strong> \u201957<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on February 10. He served congregations in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Montana.<\/p>\n

Paul<\/strong> Ofstedal<\/strong> \u201958<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on October 13. He served Lutheran parishes in Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and Minnesota.<\/p>\n

1960s<\/h2>\n

Nels<\/strong> Lillejord<\/strong> \u201960<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on April 8. He served congregations in Minnesota and North Dakota.<\/p>\n

Vernon Bittner \u201961 Th.M. <\/strong>published \u201cAmazing Grace: A Journey of Self-Discovery\u201d with Wipf and Stock Publishers.<\/p>\n

Roger<\/strong> Schwarze<\/strong> \u201864<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on May 23. He served for over 60 years of ordained ministry and maintained close relationships with fellow ministers through a colleague group he started decades ago.<\/p>\n

Ronald<\/strong> Nielsen<\/strong> \u201967<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on April 21. He served as parish pastor, interim pastor, and Bible camp executive and, with his spouse, Kathie, served as a missionary in Madagascar for a year.<\/p>\n

William Walker \u201967 M.Div. <\/strong>died on May 2. After his studies at Luther Seminary, he earned a J.D. and spent most of his career as an attorney and judge.<\/p>\n

Allan Stoa \u201968 M.Div. <\/strong>died on February 22. He served congregations across northern Iowa and in various roles as a chaplain.<\/p>\n

1970s<\/h2>\n

Gregory<\/strong> Stofer<\/strong> \u201970<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on March 23. He served on the counseling staff at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, for over 35 years.<\/p>\n

Norman Belland \u201974 M.Div., \u201920 Th.M. <\/strong>died on July 19. He served parishes in St. Peter, Apple Valley, and Hinckley, Minnesota, and Prescott, Wisconsin. He served as pastor of the American Lutheran Congregation in Oslo, Norway, for three years and finished his ministerial career in 2021 as a hospice chaplain for Health East\/M Health Fairview.<\/p>\n

John<\/strong> Nilsen<\/strong> \u201975<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on July 11. He served as pastor of congregations in North Dakota and became well-known for his preaching, which served him well in retirement as he provided pulpit supply for area congregations.<\/p>\n

Michael Obinger \u201976 M.Div. <\/strong>died on July 8, 2023. He served churches in Wisconsin and at several Milwaukee- area nonprofits.<\/p>\n

Paul<\/strong> Overvold<\/strong> \u201978<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on January 31. He served parishes in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin and spent 22 years in the naval reserve, retiring as captain.<\/p>\n

1980s<\/h2>\n

Brian<\/strong> McCaffrey<\/strong> \u201981<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> died on May 3. He served a small congregation on Washington Island, Wisconsin, and as a chaplain in Minnesota and New York.<\/p>\n

Marcia Hall \u201982 M.Div. <\/strong>died on February 6. She served congregations in Iowa, Minnesota, and New York and as a chaplain at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, and Fairview Southdale Hospital in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

John Strommen \u201987 M.Div., \u201922 Th.M. <\/strong>is the author of the recently published book, \u201cGPS: Finding Direction on Your Faith and Life Journey\u2014How Luther\u2019s Theology Connects Faith to Life.\u201d Strommen wrote the book to bring the heart of Luther\u2019s theological witness directly into conversation with 21st-century Christians hungering to not only have faith, but to live their faith.<\/p>\n

1990s<\/h2>\n

Paul<\/strong> Tjostem<\/strong> \u201992<\/strong> M.A.<\/strong> married Anne (Sieber) Collingwood on July 27 in Decorah, Iowa, with Tom Pietz \u201995 M.Div. <\/strong>officiating. Paul and Anne currently reside in Redondo Beach, California.<\/p>\n

Marian Eisenmann \u201993 M.Div. <\/strong>has published a new spiritual memoir titled \u201cDiscovering the Call to Ministry in Daily Life: God\u2019s Story, Your Story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin<\/strong> Halom<\/strong> \u201999<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> was elected in June to serve as bishop of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin. He has served as pastor of St. John\u2019s Lutheran Church in Bloomer, Wisconsin, since 2012 and was previously associate campus pastor of University Lutheran Church in East Lansing, Michigan, and associate pastor of American Lutheran Church in Rantoul, Illinois.<\/p>\n

2000s<\/h2>\n

Kathleen<\/strong> Lowery<\/strong> \u201900<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> retired on February 1 after more than 20 years of ministry at Stordahl Lutheran Church in Zumbrota, Minnesota.<\/p>\n

Deborah Hutterer \u201904 M.Div. <\/strong>was reelected in June to serve as bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod. She was first elected bishop of the synod in 2018. Previously she served as chief development officer and director of congregational relations and volunteers with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest; executive director of Faith in the City in Minneapolis; and pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pontiac, Illinois.<\/p>\n

Kathleen Ann Junek \u201904 M.A. <\/strong>died on June 5. Prior to seminary studies, she had a long career in business. She earned a J.D. after attending seminary and retired as a public defender in Anoka County.<\/p>\n

2010s<\/h2>\n

Professor Mark Granquist<\/strong> and alumni Elise<\/strong> Pokel<\/strong> \u201817<\/strong> M.Div. <\/strong>and Dustin Haider \u201821 M.Div. <\/strong>were interviewed for a September 16 AP article about Minnesota\u2019s unusual approach to politics\u2014\u201cLutherans in Walz\u2019s Minnesota put potlucks before politics during divisive election season.\u201d<\/p>\n

2020s<\/h2>\n

Cory<\/strong> Driver<\/strong> \u201921<\/strong> M.Div.<\/strong> awaits the March 11, 2025 release of his book, \u201cGod, Gender, and Family Trauma: How Rereading Genesis Can Be a Revelation,\u201d with Fortress Press.<\/p>\n

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Read more from Winter 2024<\/h2>\n