TRINITYADVANCE
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ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1960s Dennis and Alice Andert (’67) are graduates of the Lutheran Bible Institute of California and worked in the mission field for many years, alongside several Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle graduates. They live in Chandler, Ariz. and are grateful for the invaluable deep grounding in God’s Word they received which has carried them through life.
1970s Art and Rachel (Selid) Gunderson (’74) live in Tumwater, Wash., and attend Grace Community Covenant Church in Olympia. Joanne (Jo) Axelsen Richnow (’74) lives in Minneapolis, Minn., and works as an Educational Office Professional for the AnokaHennepin School District. She has two daughters, Rochelle and Sonia, as well as two grandchildren, and attends First Baptist Church of Anoka. Tom and Mary (Gjerdrum) Holman (’79), after working over 30 years as linguists in Ghana, have relocated to Inver Grove Heights, Minn., in order to care for Tom’s mother while they continue to work remotely. They have translated the New Testament and portions of the Old Testament into the Anufo language.
1980s Carol Peitsch Kahn (’81) lives in Astoria, Ore., where she works as a bus driver for the school district, as well as owns a construction business with her father and brother. She is grateful for her two children, Patrick and Bridget. Patrick served in the Army for three years and is now pursuing his education, while Bridget is currently being trained as a black helicopter mechanic in the Army/ Air Force in South Korea. Faith Lefsrud Maier (’81) teaches Grade 6 at St. Mary’s School in Vancouver, B.C., and loves it! St. Bernadette Church is her home congregation and she is blessed by her three adult sons; Kristoff, Stefan and Lukas. Plentiful
opportunities for worship and a rich and full of faith community were especially impactful while at LBI. She’d like to give a big shoutout to the class of ’81 and would love to see everyone again. Jeff and Dianne Johnson (’82) live in Renton, Wash., and have two daughters, Erin and Megan. Jeff has worked for over 25 years with Boeing and Dianne is an Associate in Ministry at Lord of Life Lutheran Church. Dianne is passionate about the world-wide fight to end malaria and contributes to that work in many ways through various Lutheran church initiatives. Angie Dahl (’82) lives in Minneapolis, Minn., and is excited about her work as a fundraiser for a non-profit organization that finds unrelated donors for people who need bone marrow transplants. John Floberg (’84) has served as an Episcopal priest on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in North Dakota since 1991. He recalls Dr. Tom Christianson and his studies in Contextual Theology as being especially influential while a student. He and his wife, Sloane, have four children; Allison, Isaiah, Joshua and John-Michael. Chuck (’84) and Cheryl (Hougen) Liesch (’86) have worked for 23 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators and recently re-located from Texas to Frederic, Wis. Chuck works with computer support and Cheryl does bookkeeping. They have three young adult children; Becky, Peter and Elizabeth. LBI highlights for them include Pastor Stime’s Pentateuch class, Pastor Rismiller with Romans, Pat Lelvis’ missions courses and the annual Missions Emphasis Week. Shelly (Dahl) Roland (‘88) and her husband, Dean, live in Siren, Wis., where she works for the Grantsburg School District.
1990s Nate Scholz (’93) and his wife, Kimarie, live in Stanwood, Wash., and have four children; Naomi, Gideon, Elijah and Zadek. Nate recently published a book on his family’s experience while they lived in Lebanon entitled, Coffee & Orange Blossoms: 7 years & 15
days in Tyre, Lebanon. He is also involved with a community based ministry with Muslim people. His “trifecta” of professors Mark Gravrock, Bruce Grigsby and Pat Lelvis has had an influential role in his life and ministry. Caryn (Skarsten) Ginter (’94) and her husband David live in Pickerington, Ohio. She has worked in sales at Stanton’s Sheet Music, which distributes music around the world, for 15 years. Along with a colleague, she leads an annual clinic for church accompanists. She is also the pianist at Columbia Heights United Methodist Church in Galloway. John Grebe (’98) and his wife, Lydia, live in Glastonbury, Conn., and attend Lutheran Church St. Mark where Lydia also works. John completed his master of education in 2012 and is currently a doctoral candidate at Concordia University Portland. Scott (’99) and Heather (Hyder) Wilson (’98) live in Renton, Wash., with their children Caden, Amanda and Maxwell. Heather works for Alaska Airlines and writes for an environmental publication. After initially being a youth leader at Highlands Community Church and then going to Denver Seminary, Scott was called back to Highlands to pastor a new campus. He is also an Air Force chaplain for the Washington
Air National Guard. Together, Scott and Heather lead military retreats. Troy Troftgruben (’99), after serving as a pastor at Calvary Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, N.D., for five years, became an Assistant Professor of New Testament at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa in July. He is enthusiastic about this opportunity to unite his pastoral identity with his academic pursuits.
2000s Ethyl Mae Nelson (’01) was ordained on October 13 to be the pastor of Noonan Lutheran Parish in Noonan, N.D. Pastor Janet Gwin (’00) joined the celebration. Laura Lynn (’03) accepted a call to pastor a two-point parish in the Blackfoot/Firth area of Idaho in April after two years leave to care for her health. She looks forward with great anticipation to what God has in store and would appreciate prayers as she and her congregations begin ministry together. Bonio Bokun (‘03) has returned to the U.S. from his home in Papua New Guinea to complete an M.A. in Children, Youth & Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He’s taking a leave from his ministry and teaching at
Off to Broadway! Aaron and Abby Finley, ‘07, have moved to New York with their children, Mackenzi (6) and Ty (3). Aaron currently stars in the lead role of Drew in Broadway’s Rock of Ages. Aaron shares: I grew up singing. Theatre was never on my radar. The first show I ever did was Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat at Trinity with Dr. Rachel Root and Judy Dees. I realized then what fun theatre was, auditioned at the local theatre, and started growing and learning. Continued mentoring from Dr. Root and talks with Abby led to our decision to transfer to PLU’s amazing theatre program where I completed my degree. After four years living and working in Seattle, we suddenly felt God whispering that we should move to New York City. God has been so faithful to us. For four months He gave us just enough to get by—just enough hope this dream would work, and just enough finances to be able to live. Month five, God blew us away. I went in to an audition, and the next day I was told I was going to be the lead in a Broadway show. God’s hand has been guiding us step by step, and that is the only place we want to be...on His path. So God is good. Trinity started it all. And New York is an adventure every day.