June 2005
Dear Class of 1960:
Our 45th Concordia Homecoming Reunion 2005, September 30-October 2, is just weeks away and I wish to encourage each of you to make plans to attend. It is good to report that already a good number of rooms have been reserved at both the Days Inn @ (218) 287-7100 and at the Marriott @ (218) 284-1000.
Remember that tickets for the Friday evening Homecoming Banquet and the Saturday morning breakfast may be purchased by mail or on the alumni web site at www.ConcordiaCollege.edu/alumni. Festival Worship and the annual Homecoming Concert will be a wonderful finale for the weekend on Sunday, October 2. The college will have our class sitting together at the banquet, Friday evening. It would be wise to order your tickets for the banquet soon.
The Saturday morning breakfast will be a hot meal and will include greetings from former faculty members plus drawings for door prizes. A hand knit sofa throw and a sweater have been donated by Nancy Gullickson Olson while the college will provide other prizes. We welcome others to donate a prize for the occasion. Please notify me if you wish to bring a door prize. Jim Danielson plans to be our master of ceremonies for our special reunion breakfast.
Nancy Olson has also offered to create a class booklet of pictures and information sent to her by each of you. Here will be your chance to submit a picture of yourself with your spouse, grandchildren, pets, or a pose on top of a mountain or beside a restored old car, etc. Hopefully we will have enough copies made up so that each couple attending will have one. We wish to know what makes you happy and what you are doing at this time in your life. Don't be shy! This request is for everyone-those coming to the reunion and those who cannot come. Nancy asks that each one send the info and photos to her by August 15th.
If you are a non-grad, we are especially anxious to hear about you. All of us remember our "Freshman Clubs". Write a paragraph about yourself or your family and send pictures. It will be a great addition to our celebration. Send it to Nancy Olson at the address listed at the end of this letter as soon as possible. It will be fun to look at these booklets at the Saturday breakfast and at the gathering place -- Suite 205 at the Days Inn on Saturday evening before and after the Homecoming Show. There will be a special reserved area with tables on the balcony in front of Suite 205 at the Days Inn. We have permission to bring in food and beverages to that area. Our plan is to have a light meal around 5:30 and then have pizza ordered and delivered after the Saturday evening show. Hopefully, this plan will allow time for visiting with many of your classmates.
My husband and I often travel to Laramie, Wyoming from our Moorhead home. Driving the shortest route takes us along highway 18 and 20 between Orin and Lusk, Wyoming. There is found (in Niobrara county) a historical marker telling about a college named Jireh which means "The Lord will provide" (see Genesis, chapter 22). This Christian college was established for the advancement of education for eastern Wyoming. It was a preparatory school and a jr. college. Unfortunately, all that remains is the cornerstone and about 35-40 bricks. That college was established in 1908 and closed in 1920.
Concordia would never become just a marker because of the many people like you who continue to give your support. Concordia isn't perfect because it's made up of imperfect people... but it is a place like no other--a place where young people can become the kind of informed and compassionate citizens that our nation needs. We are thankful that God continues to bless our alma mater in great measure. Remember in your prayers the faculty and students at Concordia. Be active to recommend prospective students to the college.
Although many classmates contributed generously, our class didn't win an award this year in the annual/alumni fund challenge We did come in third in the percentage of participants with 42.6% participation with a total dollar amount of $19,072.60. This being our anniversary year, let us hope that our participation can and will improve. Remember that the amount you give is not as important as the fact that you give something. Large corporations such as the Bush Foundation and others look at alumni support in basing their matching grants. It would be very special if the class of 1960 could make a generous gift in honor of our 45th Homecoming. One suggestion would be to mark our gifts for the Scandinavian Studies Endowment Fund. All gifts will help with the Campaign for Concordia.
My wish is that each of you will have a safe and enjoyable summer and I look forward to seeing you in September.
Concordially yours,
Marjorie (Hovland) Gjevre
Box 112
Moorhead, MN 56561
(We live only six blocks from the campus)
phone: 218-236-8566
e mail: jogjevre@medicine.nodak.edu
Class News:
David Oas, Ashland, Ore., retired professor and clinical psychologist, is now a moviemaker; the film "Raspberry Heaven," a dark thriller he wrote, produced and directed, will premiere at the historic Fargo Theatre Sept. 11-16.
Carole (Olson) Hofstad completed her freshman year with the class of 1960 and then trained to be a parish secretary working first in her hometown of Warren and later at Trinity Church in Moorhead. It was there that she met her husband, Philip, who is a 1961 Concordia graduate. They live on a lake north of Bemidji. Two of their four children were Concordia graduates also. They have four grandchildren. Traveling is one of their favorite hobbies and a trip to Europe is on their fall schedule.
Helen (Schmid) Nordvall is still working as a counselor for adult education in Bridgeport, CT. which is the largest city in the state. She and her husband have two married sons and one grandchild. She is sorry that she will not be able to be at the 45th Homecoming.
P.S. Please send pictures and information for the booklet to Nancy Olson at nancyolson@aol.com or write to her at: 421 E. Live Oak St. #304, San Gabriel, CA 91776-1586.
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