1940s
Vera Betker ’42
Aug. 4, 2016, Dearborn, Mich.
Imelda Merlin ’42
March 27, 2016, Alameda, Calif.
Walter Bauer ’49
Nov. 24, 2012, Richmond, Ind.
Elmer Biles ’49
June 19, 2016, Indian Head, Md.
Charles Coppola ’49
Aug. 20, 2016, Worthington, Ohio.
Elyse Reynolds ’49
July 25, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
1950s
Lucile Busse ’50
Feb. 10, 2016, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Charlene Erikson ’50
Aug. 12, 2016, Rockford, Ill.
Alice Harms ’50
April 27, 2016, Chesterfield, Va.
Edith Haver ’50
July 18, 2016, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Lucile M. Kraus ’50 Busse
Feb. 10, 2016, unknown.
Jean Oberdeck ’50
June 10, 2016, Savoy, Ill.
Reynale Wenig ’50
Aug. 15, 2016, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Don Wyneken ’50, ’52
April 5, 2016, Fort Wayne, Ind.
David Carlson ’51
April 19, 2016, Merrillville, Ind.
Mary Ann Gollin ’51
May 8, 2016, Honeoye Falls, N.Y.
Ruthann Hershman ’51, ’70
Aug. 27, 2016, Wheatfield, Ind.
Frederick Neuliep ’51
May 31, 2012, South Bend, Ind.
Robert Payt ’51
Jan. 29, 2016, Dublin, Ohio.
Joachim Staackmann ’51
July 31, 2016, Tinley Park, Ill.
Leroy Hochsprung ’52
Sept. 9, 2015, Aurora, Ill.
Charlotte Rousseau ’52
Aug. 25, 2015, Rockledge, Fla.
Philip Tuhy ’52
April 20, 2016, North Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Clarence Wollslager ’52
June 3, 2016, San Antonio.
Warren Zschoche ’52
July 27, 2016, Cleveland, Ohio.
Eleanor Christensen ’53
July 5, 2016, Knoxville, Tenn.
Kenneth Dobbins ’53
May 15, 2016, Bradenton, Fla.
Lois Ebel ’53
July 10, 2016, Longmont, Colo.
Kenneth Krabbenhoft ’53
Dec. 8, 2012, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Verda Schottman ’53
June 15, 2016, Dieterich, Ill.
George Marshall ’54
June 8, 2016, Ballwin, Mo.
Kenneth Sommerfeld ’54
June 30, 2016, Davidson, N.C.
Doris Kruse ’55
Feb. 10, 2016, Westlake, Ohio.
Lola Weicht ’55
May 18, 2016, Huntington, Ind.
Joseph Bigelow ’56
July 8, 2016, Anderson, Ind.
Dorothy Ebs ’56
Feb. 8, 2015, Stephenville, Texas.
Charles Robert Bretzke ’57
June 30, 2016, St. Louis, Mo.
Carla Ganswindt ’57
April 29, 2016, Brookfield, Wis.
Charles Voskamp ’57
May 20, 2016, Milwaukee.
Gerald Johanning ’58
March 15, 2015, Milwaukee.
David McCain ’58
April 19, 2016, La Porte, Ind.
Donald McGibbon ’58
April 14, 2016, Sarasota, Fla.
Janice Paxman ’58
May 30, 2016, Paso Robles, Calif.
John Schultz ’58
July 23, 2016, Albert Lea, Minn.
Thomas Deady ’59
Feb. 21, 2016, Pasadena, Md.
William Ernst ’59
April 3, 2012, Baton Rouge, La.
Gordon Herwig ’59
April 7, 2015, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Frederick Olson ’59
Aug. 18, 2006, La Mesa, Calif.
Robert Reineck ’59
Feb. 11, 2016, Mequon, Wis.
1960s
Ronald Astalos ’60
Aug. 17, 2016, Port Huron, Mich.
Richard Hall ’60
May 8, 2016, Phoenix.
Philip Saubert ’60
June 19, 2016, Vero Beach, Fla.
Bruce Smith ’60
April 24, 2016, Fishers, Ind.
Michael Roth ’62
May 17, 2016, Slippery Rock, Pa.
William Vinzant ’62
June 11, 2016, Schererville, Ind.
Richard Wilkie ’62
May 2, 2016, Aurora, Ind.
James Forrester ’63
May 30, 2016, Cedar Lake, Ind.
Hans Rosenhaupt ’63H
April 19, 1985, New Brunswick, N.J.
Fredrik Schiotz ’63H
Feb. 25, 1989, Minneapolis.
Dorothy Foster ’64
July 18, 2016, LaGrange Park, Ill.
Karen Landsberg ’64 Francis
July 23, 1997, Cape Cod, Mass.
Arlene Skinner ’64
July 11, 2016, Goose Creek, S.C.
Ronald Wackett ’64
June 11, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
Bea Bergstrom ’65
April 23, 2016, Escondido, Calif.
M. Alfred Bichsel ’65H
Feb. 15, 1992, Rochester, N.Y.
Marilyn Gardner ’65
April 22, 2016, Evanston, Ill.
Gerda Hook ’65
May 19, 2016, Tryon, N.C.
Malcolm Zuidema ’65
Aug. 2016, Alexandria, Va.
Patricia Gibson ’66
June 15, 2016, La Porte, Ind.
Thomas Kase ’66
May 2, 2016, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Milton Carpenter ’67H
Nov. 19, 1996, St. Louis, Mo.
Bernard Augenstein ’68
July 2, 2016, Greenwood, Ind.
Jane Claypool ’68
Aug. 5, 2015, Forest Park, Ill.
Jack Goff ’68
April 16, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
H. Edward Wesemann ’68
Aug. 1, 2016, Savannah, Ga.
Sylvia Wright ’68 M.Ed.
July 17, 2016, Hammond, Ind.
Gretchen Bergan ’69
May 23, 2016, Michigan City, Ind.
1970s
Barry Hollowell ’70
Aug. 17, 2016, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
David Keller ’70
Aug. 9, 2016, Greensboro, N.C.
Lisa Sergio ’70H
June 22, 1989, Washington, D.C.
Dennis West ’70
June 30, 2016, Raymond, Wis.
Steven Baute ’71
June 18, 2016, Leesburg, Fla.
Caryl Kirchens ’71
Dec. 12, 2009, Lake Villa, Ill.
Joann Myers ’71
Feb. 3, 2016, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Haven Kelley ’73
April 10, 2016, Camp Hill, Pa.
Chrys Moelter ’73
Jan. 15, 2016, Grand Haven, Mich.
Jacquelyn Raywood ’73
Feb. 17, 2012, Indianapolis, Ind.
Marilyn Angulo ’74
May 12, 2016, Schererville, Ind.
Carroll Behrhorst ’74H
May 7, 1990, Chimaltenango, Guatemala.
Thomas Nagel ’74
Sept. 1, 2015, McHenry, Ill.
Donna Cross ’75
July 15, 2016, Scotts Valley, Calif.
Linda Fry ’76
June 16, 2016, Portage, Ind.
Alfred Johnson ’76
Aug. 14, 2016, Gary, Ind.
Derek Miller ’77
Nov. 28, 2011, Calif.
Kay Mortimer ’77
May 16, 2016, Rochester, Minn.
Carnecia Clark ’78
April 13, 2016, Gary, Ind.
Lynda Galbiati ’79, ’88
April 9, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
1980s
Brenda Pearcy ’81
March 30, 2016, Plymouth, Minn.
Jeffrey Stonebraker ’82
April 7, 2016, Jeffersonville, Ind.
Carolyn Daugherty ’83
Oct. 3, 2015, Ashland, Ohio
Robert Kowalski ’84
July 18, 2016, Chicago.
Mary Nelson ’85H
Sept. 15, 2015, Crown Point, Ind.
Larry Thrall ’88
Aug. 25, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
1990s
Laura Long ’91
April 11, 2016, Remington, Ind.
Paul Manz ’92H
Oct. 28, 2009, St. Paul, Minn.
Ernest Knutzen ’93
July 7, 2013, Princeville, Hawaii.
Melinda Stratton ’93
Aug. 18, 2016, Greenville, N.Y.
Paul W. F. Harms ’95H
August 15, 2015, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Jean Elshtain ’96H
Aug. 11, 2013, Nashville, Tenn.
Victor Freudenburg ’96H
May 10, 2016, Oviedo, Fla.
Jaroslav Vajda ’97H
May 10, 2008, Webster Grove, Mo.
2000s
Sage Streck ’04
Aug. 24, 2016, Windsor, Wis.
Carlton Holmes ’08
April 12, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
Emeritus Valpo Employees
Ruth Brown
May 15, 2016, New Port Richey, Fla.
Beverly Burmeister
May 1, 2016, La Porte, Ind.
Former Valpo Employees
Karter Blaney
July 27, 2016, Hobart, Ind.
Vernon Jones
April 13, 2016, Portage, Ind.
Max George Nagel
Sept. 4, 2016, Valparaiso, Ind.
Valpo Remembers
In 1992, he began his career at Valpo, serving as the University’s first provost and vice president of Academic Affairs until 2009. Professor Austensen also served as acting chief financial officer from 1994–1996, acting president during the summer of 2002, and acting dean of the College of Business from 2011–2012. He held the position of professor of history until he retired in May 2014 and was named senior research professor of history. In 2014, Professor Austensen received the Lumen Christi Medal, Valparaiso University’s highest award, to recognize his efforts to strengthen Valpo’s academic programs. He also received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award in 2009.
While at Valpo, Professor Austensen strengthened the quality of the teaching faculty, guided formation of signature academic programs, led the University through two highly successful accreditation reviews, led formation of a summer orientation program, and directed expansion of international programs. In addition to being the chief academic officer, he oversaw student affairs, business and financial affairs, admission and financial aid, and electronic information services.
Professor Austensen advocated for global education and international studies and was a champion for Christian higher education. He was a driving force behind efforts that led to Valparaiso University being awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society.
A lifelong Lutheran, Professor Austensen embodied Valparaiso University’s unique mission, identity, and ethos. He was an internationally recognized scholar with research interests in Austrian history and culture, German unification in the 19th and 20th centuries, and European diplomacy.
Professor Austensen was active in the greater Valparaiso community, serving as a member of the Valparaiso Rotary Club since 1997 and in various leadership roles within the Valparaiso United Way from 1998–2013. He enjoyed German music, German-made cars, swimming, riding his bicycle, writing, and photography.
Professor Austensen is survived by his wife of 50 years, Anne-Marie Austensen, and three children.
Professor Hannewald received his master’s degree in music education from Indiana University and that same year joined the faculty of the Valparaiso University music department. He served as director of bands at Valpo until the late 1970s, taking a leave of absence to obtain his Ed.D. from Indiana University in 1974. Professor Hannewald remained at Valpo until his retirement in 1983 as head of the music education program.
Among Professor Hannewald’s most appreciated services was his work as coordinator of student teaching, where he acted as a liaison with principals and school teachers, enhancing the effectiveness of the program. He also served for a time as dean of men at the University.
Professor Hannewald was a member of the Music Educators National Conference and was active in directing various music organizations, including the Gary Music Theatre, the Gary Symphony Orchestra, and the Immanuel Lutheran Church Choir.
Professor Leonard Alan Kraft, 69, died Aug. 4, 2016, in Valparaiso, Ind. He was born July 2, 1947, in Gary, Ind., to Thelma Sharpe and Leonard E. Kraft.
Professor Kraft earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University. After graduating from Purdue University, he began his teaching career at Valparaiso University. Professor Kraft taught at Valpo until his death — a teaching career which spanned 31 years. While at Valpo, he was a professor of electrical and computer engineering and also served as the ROTC coordinator.
During his tenure at Valpo, he taught several courses, including computer networking, linear circuit analysis, and engineering economics. Among his research interests were power system protection, network administration, and electro-mechanical devices.
In his personal life, he enjoyed applying his technical knowledge to various hobbies such as ham radio. He was a member of the John Purdue Club and Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Portage, Ind.
Professor Kraft is survived by his wife, Renee Turek, and his daughter.