January 24, 2006

Dear 1966 Classmate,

What an awesome task it is to serve as your reunion gift co-chairs as we prepare to celebrate together our 40th Concordia class reunion, October 13-15, 2006. For what a depth and expanse of life has our class of 1966, taken together, lived out--in pursuing careers and work activities, in caring for families, in developing friendships and Reunion Gift Committee Class of 1966 contributing to communities! And we have done this work of holding together and Co-chairs: giving of ourselves in difficult times as well as times of reward, in periods of Dave Heide celebration and those of loss and mourning. Dr. Barbara (Peterson) Olive And what changes in the world about us have we experienced during these forty years! Committee Members: Aimee (Agre) Anderson We found ourselves catapulted into the social revolution of the late 60s, then Rev. Norman Anderson confronted by soaring demands of an information-driven society (all in electronic Rolf Anderson form!), and, more recently, challenged by complexities of a world become one. Much Mary Alice (Berg) Bergan Shelah (Fuglestad) and of what we assumed in 1966 has been revised for many of us already a number of Gordon Blixt times. Dr. Robert Brunsvold Mary (Penrose) Glaeseman Donald Gerhardt Behind our life experiences lies this place that we hold in common, Concordia College, Lee Hanson which shaped us and contributed to our learning and growing during formative years of Anita (Svard) Hellie Roene (Lein) Hulsing our life. What we recall from our Concordia experiences may differ among us, but Aurelia (Casterline) Hunt each of us likely remembers some way in which we revised our thinking--about an area Lorraine (Leland) Johnson of study or concept of a career, about community or some of the many “others” in the Morrie Lanning Rev. Dean Nelson world, about our own lives. Some of us may recall a professor--perhaps Dr. Al John Quello Anderson, Dr. Harding Noblitt, Dr. Carl Bailey, Dr. Martin Lutter, Dr. Paul J. Kathryn (Everts) Rickers, Christiansen, Dr. Ed Fuglestad, Dr. Olaf or Elinor Torstveit, Dr. Ralph Hoppe, Dr. Class Agent Rev. Timothy and Kathleen Walther Prausnitz, or another. Others may recall Pastor Carl Lee, who devoted so (Bailey) Solberg many hours attending to our spiritual and emotional well-being. And, of course, we Philip Stedje likely recall the commanding presence of President Joseph Knutson, who attempted Alvern (Anderson) Wentzel Carol (Hefty) Wright always to deliver a sound education along with a right sense of ourselves as humans!

To celebrate our years at Concordia, we will plan to gather next fall for our special reunion event--you will receive a letter in February from our class agent, Kathryn (Everts) Rickers, with details. In addition, as a way of showing our gratitude to the college, each person in our class is invited to contribute a special gift during the fiscal year leading to the reunion (May 1, 2005 - April 30, 2006). Our class has already demonstrated strong giving to the college: 80% of us have given a gift to Concordia Page 2: at some point(s) since 1966! Wouldn’t it be great if, as a class, 90% of us would give a gift to the college in honor of our reunion--and 70% of us would become annual givers thereafter? This assumes, of course, that the amount of our special gift and/or annual giving fits our particular circumstances; in this way, each of us can give joyously--and know that we are helping yet another generation of students make Concordia a reality in their lives.

A member of the Giving Committee will call you in February about participating in this class effort. In order to facilitate your giving, a giving card is enclosed. If you would prefer, online giving is available at www.ConcordiaCollege.edu/giving.

We hope that each of us can use the occasion of this special reunion year to celebrate our lives and all that we have already contributed to our work places, families, communities and world, not as a way to feel self satisfied but as a way to encourage one another to continue living lives that serve others. With the help of all of us, our class will also be able to celebrate reaching our participation goals as an expression of support for Concordia’s mission, the mission that launched us into the world and continues to take in young people who are open to learning and finding paths to lives of service.

Your classmates,

Barbara (Peterson) Olive Dave Heide Reunion Giving Co-chair Reunion Giving Co-chair