Class Letter

Dear Classmates,

Phyllis Carlton Humphrey, our class agent, asked me (Alfhild Peterson Maedl) to write our January letter. I’ll give it my best try.

The highlight of the year for my husband, Carl, and myself was a family reunion that we attended in mid-August at Pelican Lake, MN. The occasion was the celebration of our 60th wedding anniversary. A nephew from North Dakota offered his spacious cottage for the gathering. Thanks to the careful planning and preparations of our two daughters, Pat ’61 and Pam ’71, and to their families and to many others, some of whom flew in from distant areas, plus being blessed with perfect weather, we had a wonderful, memorable three days together. To top it off, a telephone call from our eldest grandson, Todd Krough ’85, from Plymouth, MN, informed us that the latest addition to our family circle, Lauren Elizabeth, was born August 17. This little lady doesn’t know it yet, but two of her great-great-grandfathers (Conrad Peterson and Lee Krough) were on the Gustavus faculty at one time.

?Before returning to Arkansas, we spent a morning on the Gustavus campus. The ground looked beautiful with trees having been planted and floral beds in a number of places. The Chapel steeple was not yet in place. We bought a video of the tornado at the bookstore and learned that the admission office was already expecting a record fall enrollment.

?The house just below the campus in which I grew up was gone. My father had built it the year I was born. An attractive house with shuttered windows stood in its place.

?There was a lot of damage throughout the town of St. Peter, including what had once been the Central School where Phyllis, Aina, and I attended 7th and 8th grade.

?After returning home, a newspaper item informed us that Kurt Elling ’89, a former Gustavian, a young jazz vocalist, internationally known since the release three years ago of his Grammy-nomination album, "Close Your Eyes," would be performing at the Walton Art Center. The article stated that Kurt had started listening to Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, and others while at college and soon began singing with the college jazz orchestra. He has since released two more albums and has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall. Might he have performed with the college jazz orchestra at an earlier class reunion? Editor’s Note: Kurt Elling was indeed on campus and performed during Reunion 1994 for Cec Eckhoff’s retirement celebration. Kurt will be returning again this spring during Reunion weekend.

Some news from campus:

Students and staff are in the midst of January Term and the campus landscape is covered with a beautiful blanket of snow. Once again, many students are taking advantage of J-Term opportunities with 127 on internships, 308 on study abroad programs, and 86 students studying at other domestic institutions. Despite the cold weather, progress is being made on construction of the new Campus Center due to be open in the fall of 1999. After a week and a half of classroom preparation covering the history and culture of South Africa, the Gustavus Choir will participate in a concert tour of the country January 14-February 2. The Gustavus Band will travel to South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Iowa for their concert tour during touring week, January 30-February 6. Athletic teams are in full swing with all teams looking to be competitive in MIAC play. Over Christmas break many teams traveled for non-conference games including men’s basketball winning a tournament in California, men’s hockey playing in Italy, and the swim teams competing in Bermuda.

Gustavus is once again in the news, making some national rankings. Gustavus ranked 12^th among the top 22 leading small colleges in the nation providing active Peace Corps volunteers. Gustavus is ranked 15^th in the listing of top 20 bachelor’s institutions that sent the most students overseas for international study during the 1996-97 academic year. Gustavus is ranked 18^th of national liberal arts colleges in the number of National Merits with 17 students. Mark Anderson ’66, Dean of Admission, reports that applications for admission for the fall of 1999 are running 20 percent ahead of last year. The Admission Office instituted several new campus visit days in the summer and fall to account for the fact that few students could visit last spring. Alumni are reminded of the Alumni Scholarship Program ($10,000 over four years for children and grandchildren of alumni) available to qualified applicants. Call the Admission Office at 1-800-GUSTAVU(S) for applications.

?Phyllis Carlton Humphrey writes that San Diego is still a great place to live even if the civic "wisemen" opted to build a new baseball stadium rather than a new library. Her whole family (two children, four grandchildren) lives in San Diego County. They were lucky to have been out of flood and earthquake areas all year. She went to an Elderhostel in May near Sequoia National Park to study ancient and modern Greece. In September she flew to Washington, DC, to spend one week with George and Martha (Carlton) and another week with Doris ’31, Ted, and (Lois Allan Knapp ’57). This included museums, golf, a concert, family dinners and lots of scrabble games. Her Mercury Sable was stolen in October, but it was recovered, repaired and repainted. Exasperating delays, but she recovered.

?At the annual conference of the LALM (Latin American Lutheran Mission), a commemorative plaque was presented to Norma Hobart in recognition of her fifty years of service to the School for the Blind in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Claire and Norma Hobart arrived in Mexico on October 4, 1948, and opened the School for the Blind. Claire died five years ago, but the school is still functioning thanks to people like Norma and others. Norma is teaching seven blind students this year.

?Bertha (Anderson) and Rollie Ledin, as has been their custom in recent years, flew to Albuquerque, NM, to spend the holidays with Bertha’s daughter, Mary Tauer ‘65, and her husband, Jim. Bertha’s other daughter, Jean, joined them as well. Rollie celebrated his 85th birthday in October. They drove to North St. Paul to spend Father’s Day (and again at Thanksgiving) with Rollie’s son, Dennis, and family. Bertha enjoys her extended family very much. Both she and Rollie enjoy reading and make use of the public library. Rollie found the new book, "Lindbergh," a gift, to be particularly intriguing.

?Burdette Nelson wrote that he did get to the Gustavus Christmas program on December 6. He was the guest of his nephew, Craig Nelson ’70, also a Gustavian. Burdette wrote, "I continue to miss Evelyn so much even after almost two years, but I have so many wonderful blessed memories that make it easier. We had two great sons and then two special daughters-in-law, and then five very special granddaughters. Now there is one great-granddaughter who is a two-year-old charmer, and it appears she will have a baby sister before the year’s end."

?Alfhild had a cheery call from Vernon Swanson in St. Paul. "Swannie" keeps in touch with a number of classmates, including Arv Thorne, Charles Warrant, and Annette (Carlson) Teige. He told me that Betty Davis Weller’s husband, Victor, died in November. Betty has moved into a home in Chaska. Vernon is comfortably situated in his home and is in reasonably good health, although if he hadn’t had open heart surgery five years ago, he most likely would not be around today. He visits his retarded son, who has been in a nursing home now for thirty years, on a regular basis.

?Ruth Knock Peterson from Fresno, CA, writes that because of a bronchial infection she had some time ago, she no longer sings very much, and, because of arthritis, she doesn’t play the piano as much. Although she still plays the hymns for the Golden League, and she played for the yearly smorgasbord at church. She really enjoys sitting back and listening to others perform. In September she attended a three-day WLECA retreat in the Sequoias. The retreat was held in a Catholic-run setting that was very conducive to quiet and relaxation. She still enjoys going to Fresno Symphony concerts.

?Annette Carlson Teige writes that on September 30 they had a great Gustavus get together, 40 people in all, in the Augustana Sky Room. Evelyn Sponberg Young ’33 and Barb Larson Taylor ’93 came from Gustavus bringing lots of wonderful sweets, egg coffee, and a loaf of "Sponny’s" rye bread. They watched the video of the terrible tornado with its devastation and also how the campus looks now in wonderful repair. President Steuer was also there and, as always, was very upbeat in his outlook. They ended with singing the "Alma Mater."

A communication from Clifford and Teddy Kurseth stated that the St. Peter Evangelical Church was destroyed by the March storm. Their home, also, took quite a bit of damage, but they did have a home to return to. When they returned from their winter in Arizona, they were appalled by what they found and how it had changed the town forever, but were heartened when the cross was raised again over Christ Chapel.

?Aina Abrahamson of Thousand Oaks, CA, between travels and attendance at conferences, etc. leads a very active life. She traveled by car to San Jose, CA, for another Global Mission event, flew to Chicago for an ELCA Global Mission seminar, plus a few days in Rockford, IL, with sister Dagmar Breck and family. Then she flew to Minnesota for a high school reunion in Isle (where she began teaching in 1936), and then flew to Chautauqua, NY, to attend the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Augustana Lutheran Church. Two years ago, the seeds of an idea to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the beginning of the Augustana Lutheran Church took root in James town, NY. The result: The Augustana Heritage Sesquicentennial Gathering, September 18-21, 1998, at the Chautauqua Institute. Over 700 from all over the USA gathered to remember the legacy and heritage of Augustana and center on its continued contribution. Emphasized were these special gifts of Augustana: evangelism, piety, world mission, participation of women, and ecumenism.

?Arver and Eleanor Thorne wrote that they recently had invitations to two functions on campus, the Heritage Partnership and Christmas in Christ Chapel. At the former they showed a video of the storm damage on campus, and then asked that they see the progress made toward a "Greater Gustavus," thanks to the many pledges. (We have seven classmates in the 500 plus membership.)

?The theme of the Christmas program this year, given by the Music and Theater Departments was "The Holy Family." It was all very excellent and made them proud of all that participated.

?In a response to a contribution they made to the arboretum, a reply was received from the new Director, Jim Gilbert ’62. He said, "The storm raised havoc across the campus, but an even more beautiful campus is emerging." Jim Gilbert is a Gustavian. He retired this last June after thirty years with the Hopkins school district where he served as school district naturalist and outdoor education teacher. He also has a Saturday morning program on WCCO radio, where he talkes of seasonal nature subjects.

?Arver was concerned that our class did not maintain our 100% participation in the Gustavus fund, but was down 25%. He said, “The more I see of the campus and the people, it answers a basic question, ‘What did we do to make it a better place than when we found it―and what can we still do?’”