Harvey Stegemoeller

Harvey lived a full life and considered himself richly blessed with loving family,
devoted friends, and rewarding work. His vocation as a Lutheran minister and
educator found expression in a life of service in Lutheran higher education and
a commitment to social justice.

Harvey was born in Sagerton, Texas, February 23, 1929, son of Fritz and
Henrietta Stegemoeller and older brother to Kenneth. He graduated from St.
John's College in Winfield, Kansas in 1948 and received his master of divinity
degree from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 1953, followed by another
master's degree in history from the University of Toledo. He received an
honorary doctorate degree from Concordia Seminary in 1971.

His first position after being ordained was on the faculty at his alma mater, St.
John's College, where he met and was smitten by another young faculty
member, Marian Charlotte Bangert. Following much effort on Harvey's part,
they fell into a deep and lasting love. Marian and Harvey were married from
1953 until Marian's death in 2005, and are survived by their six children, Mark,
Philip, Anna, Andrew, Kate and Martin, born from 1954-1967.

Harvey and Marian moved their young family from Kansas to Elmore, Ohio, in
1956, where Harvey served as the minister of Trinity Lutheran Church. In
1958, Harvey began his long career as an educator when he accepted a call
to teach at Concordia Senior College, a school for pre-seminary students in
Fort Wayne, Indiana. There, Harvey, Marian and their children enjoyed 12
great years living on campus with a spirited and dedicated community of
scholars and ministers. During that period, Harvey and his family also spent a
memorable sabbatical year in Washington, D.C. where he served as a special
assistant to Senator Vance Hartke and studied political science and Chinese
history at Georgetown University.

In 1971, the Stegemoellers moved to Minnesota when Harvey accepted the
presidency of Concordia College in St. Paul. In 1975, he was named
president of the Minnesota Private College Council, a coordinating body for all
private colleges in the state. In 1979, Harvey accepted the presidency of
Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where he served until 1987, when he
was appointed the first executive director of the Foundation of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, based in Chicago, where he raised millions of
dollars for Lutheran charities all over the world. Harvey and Marian lived in the
Chicago area until their retirement to Arizona.

Harvey took great delight in the people he worked with, lived among, and
taught throughout his long career. His numerous and diverse friendships
remained a steadfast part of his life and an enduring joy until the day he died.
Even in his declining health he valued the depth of discovery in new
friendships, and would strike up a conversation with just about anyone,
anywhere, at any time.

Although Harvey trained the West Texas twang out of his accent, he never left
behind the gifts of simplicity and caring that he learned in his childhood. He
touched thousands of lives with his warm and genuine interest in the
well-being of all around him, particularly those in need. While living simply,
Harvey and Marian were generous donors to charity, in keeping with their
dedication to the Christian mission of serving the least advantaged. Harvey
was always content with a cup of warmed-over coffee, to go with his
newspapers and cigars.

In addition to his six children, Harvey is survived by seven grandchildren,
Rachel, Kristen, Leila, Ingrid, Hans, Patrick, and Brigid. Harvey's remains will
be interred alongside those of his beloved Marian at Lord of Life Lutheran
Church in Sun City West, Arizona. A memorial service will be held at Lord of
Life on October 30, 1:00 p.m.

Those wishing to honor Harvey's life by making a donation are encouraged to
send a gift to Lutheran World Relief, 700 Light St. Baltimore, MD 21230
www.lwr.org/giving for the Marian and Harvey Stegemoeller Scholarship Fund.