Submitted by June Torrison
Dr. David Preus, the former president/bishop of our church died in July at the age of 99. I want to reprint the (shortened) tribute to him that was in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on August 29. Dr. Preus served in World War I1. Luther College let the class of 1943 (men, no women then) graduate early to go to war. Others who left early included Donald Gjerdrum and Weston Noble. Both returned later to teach at Luther. As Mr. Noble’s secretary I remember typing letters to many of the classmates. Alvin Rogness was president of Luther Seminary when Reg attended, and his wife, Nora was David’s sister. We often saw Dr. Preus and Ann at church and seminary events in the Twin Cities. The last time I saw them was a few years ago at the Guthrie. They sat behind me and we had a nice visit at intermission.
CHURCH LEADER BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR COMMON GOOD
At the height of the Cold War David Preus led a Lutheran delegation into East Germany. The World War II veteran and longtime Twin Cities pastor was then the bishop of the American Lutheran Church. “We were followed the whole time, and knew everything was being recorded and bugged.” said Elizabeth Eaton, now presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who was there with him. “Our church hosts were nervous, to say the least”. The cultural minister of East Germany dismissively opened talks by saying “You trust in God, we trust in science. History will tell us who was correct.” Eaton said. “Bishop Preus just as calmly as can be said, ‘We’ll wait.’” Seven years later the wall came down.
Preus, who exuded a calm confidence and joyful faith in even the most complicated situations, died July 23 of heart failure at the age of 99. He was a churchman, in the best sense of the word, Eaton said. “He thought it was a matter of faith and his vocation as a Christian to be engaged in working for a better society for all people,” she said.
Preus was born in Madison, Wis., in 1922 and grew up in Decorah, Iowa, where his family moved when his father became president of Luther College. Preus attended Luther and starred on its basketball team. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame, and at one point considered becoming a coach. Then the war came. His entire class was graduated a year early, in 1943, to give the men a chance to enlist. He joined the army, serving in signal intelligence in the Pacific Theater until the end of the war. He attended law school for one year, then went to Luther Theological Seminary, being ordained in 1950. His first parish was in Brookings, S. D., where he knocked on the screen door of Ann Margaret Overgaard Madsen. The two were married for 70 years.
In the mid – 1950s Preus became a pastor in the Twin Cities. He became a tireless advocate for fair housing. He became chair of the Minneapolis school board. He served as presiding bishop of the American Lutheran Church for 15 years, leading the church into the merger that created the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was adept at reaching across aisles, faiths and backgrounds to get people together for the common good. “He just loved, loved people, and they loved him back”, Martha Preus, said. Preus is survived by his wife and five children, Martha, David, Stephen, Louis and Laura, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Services have been held.
Submitted by June Torrison I also visited East Germany (GDR) during the Cold War and we knew we were being followed.
Dr. Preus told me that he took Ann pheasant hunting on their first date!!!
Dr. David Preus, the former president/bishop of our church died in July at the age of 99. I want to reprint the (shortened) tribute to him that was in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on August 29. Dr. Preus served in World War I1. Luther College let the class of 1943 (men, no women then) graduate early to go to war. Others who left early included Donald Gjerdrum and Weston Noble. Both returned later to teach at Luther. As Mr. Noble’s secretary I remember typing letters to many of the classmates. Alvin Rogness was president of Luther Seminary when Reg attended, and his wife, Nora was David’s sister. We often saw Dr. Preus and Ann at church and seminary events in the Twin Cities. The last time I saw them was a few years ago at the Guthrie. They sat behind me and we had a nice visit at intermission.
CHURCH LEADER BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR COMMON GOOD
At the height of the Cold War David Preus led a Lutheran delegation into East Germany. The World War II veteran and longtime Twin Cities pastor was then the bishop of the American Lutheran Church. “We were followed the whole time, and knew everything was being recorded and bugged.” said Elizabeth Eaton, now presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who was there with him. “Our church hosts were nervous, to say the least”. The cultural minister of East Germany dismissively opened talks by saying “You trust in God, we trust in science. History will tell us who was correct.” Eaton said. “Bishop Preus just as calmly as can be said, ‘We’ll wait.’” Seven years later the wall came down.
Preus, who exuded a calm confidence and joyful faith in even the most complicated situations, died July 23 of heart failure at the age of 99. He was a churchman, in the best sense of the word, Eaton said. “He thought it was a matter of faith and his vocation as a Christian to be engaged in working for a better society for all people,” she said.
Preus was born in Madison, Wis., in 1922 and grew up in Decorah, Iowa, where his family moved when his father became president of Luther College. Preus attended Luther and starred on its basketball team. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame, and at one point considered becoming a coach. Then the war came. His entire class was graduated a year early, in 1943, to give the men a chance to enlist. He joined the army, serving in signal intelligence in the Pacific Theater until the end of the war. He attended law school for one year, then went to Luther Theological Seminary, being ordained in 1950. His first parish was in Brookings, S. D., where he knocked on the screen door of Ann Margaret Overgaard Madsen. The two were married for 70 years.
In the mid – 1950s Preus became a pastor in the Twin Cities. He became a tireless advocate for fair housing. He became chair of the Minneapolis school board. He served as presiding bishop of the American Lutheran Church for 15 years, leading the church into the merger that created the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was adept at reaching across aisles, faiths and backgrounds to get people together for the common good. “He just loved, loved people, and they loved him back”, Martha Preus, said. Preus is survived by his wife and five children, Martha, David, Stephen, Louis and Laura, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Services have been held.
Submitted by June Torrison I also visited East Germany (GDR) during the Cold War and we knew we were being followed.
Dr. Preus told me that he took Ann pheasant hunting on their first date!!!
