Audra Lehmann 1927-2013

Here is the official obituary for Audra Lehmann. It will be published a few places, but now it is here as well. You can go to the Iowa Cremation website as well to share a memory, leave other tributes, audio or a photo. You can also leave a comment here or in my first post from Friday. I will make sure Bob sees them all. Thank you all for the wonderful memories to date. I am learning so much from your stories and I’m sure others are as well.

Audra Rose Peters Jakober Lehmann, 85, of Dubuque, died on January 18, 2013, of complications following cancer-related surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City.

Services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 26, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1755 Delhi Street, Dubuque. Friends may call at the church on Friday, January 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and preceding the service on Saturday from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Tama, Iowa, at 4:00 p.m. on January 26.

Audra was born to John and Esther Peters in George, Iowa, on June 15, 1927. The family moved to Tama, Iowa, and Audra graduated from Tama High School in 1945. She attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where she met her first husband, Roland (Jake) Jakober. They married in 1947, and after he was ordained, the couple served churches and schools in North Dakota and Minnesota. Three children were born: Peter (1950-2012), Jeffrey (b. 1953), and Pamela (1955-1959). In 1959, Audra was severely injured in a car accident which killed her husband and daughter. After her recovery, she completed the teacher education program at Wartburg College and moved with her sons to Waverly. She served as an elementary teacher in the Waverly-Shell Rock schools for thirteen years in first and fifth grades.

Audra married Pastor Robert (Bob) Lehmann in 1975, adding his six adult children to her family. The couple met at a Wartburg College Homecoming event, and their devotion to their alma mater was a treasured part of their 37 years of marriage. They moved to Des Moines where Bob served as a hospital chaplain, and then to subsequent parish placements at St. Paul Lutheran Church (Ottumwa) and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Dubuque).
In addition to teaching, Audra also worked as a hospital clerk, church organist, and coordinator for Hospice of Wapello Country, Ottumwa. She was a tireless volunteer in community and church activities, including conference and district boards for Iowa WELCA, Stephen Ministry, Hospice of Dubuque, Finley Hospital, and Lutheran World Relief quilting. She loved to sing, and was an alumnus of the Wartburg College Choir, in addition to participating in other musical and theatrical activities. She was in Red Hat Club, book clubs, Dorcas Circle, and she and Bob loved to travel and enjoyed visiting family and friends all over this country and in Europe.

Surviving are her husband Bob, of Dubuque; son, Jeffrey (Terry) Jakober of Tulsa, OK; and grandsons Andrew Jakober of Tulsa, and Thomas Jakober of Orange, TX. She is also survived by step-children Kent (Joellen) Yeager, Jesup, IA; Lynda Holtz, Jefferson, IA; Barbara Nash, Jefferson, IA; Mark (Karen) Lehmann, Waverly, IA; Brian (Mary Maher) Lehmann, Houston, MN; and Grant (Laurie) Lehmann, Bangor, MI; 16 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; sister Ann Peters, Janesville, WI; brother David (Judy) Peters, Ocala, FL; and 7 nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, first husband, daughter Pamela, son Peter, and sister Mae Pearson.

Audra will be especially remembered for her determination, loyalty, hearty laugh, love of the color purple, and her prodigious correspondence, as she faithfully wrote at least one letter to family and friends every day. Memorials may be directed to the family or to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Dubuque.

Audra in Photos

Bob and Audra Lehmann, Paul and Amy Yeager, Wartburg College homecoming, 2004.

Thank you for the many kind words about my grandmother and godmother, Audra Lehmann.

I’ve dug though the photo archives to find other pictures of Audra to supplement what we had in the first post.

If you have a memory of Audra you’d like to share, please do so in the comment section below. Many of the family members are reading them and getting to know even more about the life she led.

Here now, a few pictures that I’ve been able to find of Grandma A and Grandpa B.

Grandma A and Grandpa B on duty with smiles. 2004.

Brothers and sisters gather with Bob and Audra. (L-R) Barb Nash, Bob Lehmann, Audra Lehmann, Grant Lehmann, Brian Lehmann, Mark Lehmann, Lynda Holtz, Kent Yeager.

Bob and Audra Lehmann meet little Levi. 11.27.09.

What a good looking group. Wish I remember it. I mean, come on, that blue suit I’m wearing is awesome.

Remembering Audra Lehmann

Audra at her grandson Erik’s wedding. Photo from Mike Dunn Photography.

She was a daughter, wife, mother, crash survivor, widow, pastor’s wife, and Wartburg alum to name just a few things.

To me, she was a godmother and grandmother.

Audra Lehmann left this earth early Friday morning, January 18th, 2013 to be with the lord. Her time on this earth is done. Her fight complete. Time for eternal salvation and rest.

With her husband, Bob, at her side, she breathed her last.

Audra was known by many, so many in fact, I don’t think it is possible to begin to know the exact number. She had more ‘friends’ than Facebook would allow. She influenced students as a teacher and walked with others as the wife a Lutheran minister.

She married Robert Lehmann shortly before my birth. Bob had married my paternal grandmother, Dorothy. After she succumbed to cancer, Bob later met Audra and they were married. So, technically a ‘step’ grandmother, but I knew no other. She was there at my baptism and stood by me so many other times in my life.

Audra was a young Levi.

One of the greatest gifts I had with her was my time at Wartburg College as she and Bob were both alumni. They were always there at Homecoming, Christmas with Wartburg concerts and other ‘Be Orange’ events. I got to see her often and feel a big hug when they came to campus. Even during my Castle Singers years, we did a concert at their church in Dubuque, which was special for me. She had two colors in her closest, orange and purple.

She recently said “why do we fight so hard to cling to this life?” She had been in the hospital for almost a month recovering from cancer surgery and most recently a heart attack, so she’d had time to reflect on the physical life. Audra also survived a crash decades ago that killed her first husband and daughter. She would spend months in the hospital recovering. She knew the fight to cling to life.

Now, she’s free from fighting and is reunited with her family as she waits for the rest of us to follow.

God bless her and peace to those who knew her.

What is your Audra story? I want to know more about how you knew her and the life she led.

I’ve been able to connect with one former parishioner from Ottumwa who now is in Ankeny. We’ve been able to share stories from that chapter of her life.  What is yours?

Please leave a comment below.

I’m fine, but a little help please

My walk down memory lane of the beginnings of my final semester at Wartburg prompted a couple of “you OK?” inquiries.

I’m fine. At least that I know of today as I type this update.

However….

This week, I’ll be driving my dad to the hospital for hip replacement surgery. He’ll be hopefully be getting on the road to recovery from what has been a miserable last 5 months of pain. Whatever it takes to get him back in the boat, right? Kent has been a little more cantankerous that normal and this will be the next effort to get him back to good health.

My grandmother Audra Lehmann is approaching a milestone of hospital care and could use a little support in prayer.

My cousin’s husband Bob Ballard is going through some CT scans and other tests to see how his cancer treatment is progressing.

I know it is no different than any of you, but a little prayer for those needing some uplifting could go a long way. I’d like to think I’m using the power of media to help gain some help in the good fight.

A Good Time of My Life

If you remember Bill Clinton as president of the United States in the days before the name Monica meant anything, Terry Branstad as governor of Iowa the first time, John Elway without a Super Bowl ring, then I’m about to hit a few things tucked way in the corner of your mind and heart. You may have to change names but the descriptions will fit.

Robert Vogel, former president of Wartburg College. (Photo via wartburg.edu)

Seinfeld was entering its final season on TV as Titanic was exploding on the big screen and Bob Vogel was entering his last days as president of Wartburg.

I, too, was coming down the homestretch at the college of our brightest days.

Wartburg College started their winter term shortly after New Year’s Day. I know Michael Graham, David Schwake and I did our best to send 1997 0ut with a bang.  Some memories are fuzzier than others.

A lot was happening in my life at that time.

Green Day was saying it was the “Time of Your Life,” and we were about to say “Good Riddance,” the real title of the song, to Buhr Lounge, Engelbrecht Library and dinners in the Den.

The Wartburg Boy Band, Serenade was touring on weekends, contemplating the future while having fun in the present.

The Knights chapter of the Society for Collegiate Journalists was planning their national convention which was going to be held in Waverly in April. Carrie Lawton and I were busy leading the charge on that event.

Carrie and I were also practicing with intensity with the Castle Singers as we were just a semester away from going down under to Australia on our May Term tour.

Brian Vandeberg and I spent many nights in Knights Gymnasium calling men’s and women’s basketball games for KWAR. We were the home and away voice of the Knights, so that meant many evenings in the crow’s nest and on Wartburg bus. Rich Kloster would score 1,000 career points in a game against Luther and I got to call the play for Wartburg TV. I think I had to stand on a box for the opening shot alongside Michael Van Gorkom.

I had an Apple Powerbook 520 to do email with Eudora Light on my yeagerp account. I’m sure I could scroll back in my Twitter or Facebook profile to see what else happened that year. Oh wait, those things were still several years away.

We didn’t have YouTube, but we had the beginnings of the internet. I opened a Hotmail account and searched for stuff on Dogpile and Alta Vista. We used Netscape to get on the information superhighway.

We had 2fer Bullfrogs at Joe’s Knighthawk and pitchers of beer with our free popcorn at the OP.

I did have a cell phone. Justin MT Devore carried a pager. And Jay Boeding and I shared a room at Grossmann Hall.

My radio partner was John Bloomberg on La Manana.

The year was filled with promise. Graduation was roughly five months away.

I had no job lined up. No exact idea of what I was looking for in a job or even where that would take me. At the time I was still thinking sports journalism, play-by-play or TV.

I had just completed a stint at KWWL working on Friday Night Heroes covering high school football.

There was media criticism class, my major’s capstone, being taught by my academic advisor Liz Mathis.

We were young. We were excited. And most of all, scared as hell about what came next.

Then there was this girl. Ok, there had a been a few other before her, but there was something different about Ms. Amy Freeseman from Britt, Iowa. We know how the story ends, but the official beginning was just days away. We’d have a week of classes and then the first official date to see Good Will Hunting on January 18th. (maybe coming soon: me telling that story if I were Ted in How I Met Your Mother.)

Now I document events on my phone with Instagram, Facebook and this blog.

These memories are locked in the brain. Photos are harder to retrieve, but maybe I’ll get brave enough to post them.

I had lots of great memories and friends during my days at Wartburg. These just happen to be the ones that came to head 15 years ago this week.

After awhile, the facts may soften, the passions stronger and the plaid shirts louder than we want to recall. So make the best of this test and don’t ask why. It’s not a question but a lesson learned in time.

I know I had the time of my life.

He Gone. Hassel Beaming Off To the Mothership

Farewell, Chris Hassel. (photo from @poundHassel )

Say goodbye to Cooter Ray. And Gary Dolphin. And Mad Fran. Plus the guy from HR and whatever other character Chris Hassel dreamed up in his 5.5 years at WHO-HD.

He’s now on his way to “The Show.” The pride of Muscatine is headed to Bristol, CT and ESPN News’ “Highlight Express.”

I’ve known Chris since his days at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. He was a student who also anchored the Sunday night sports on the Fox 18 KLJB broadcasts. He was still in college and was anchoring on professional station. During his senior year as a Bee, he cleaned up at the Iowa Broadcast News Association awards banquet in Clear Lake.

Chris won almost every category in student TV and radio plus professional TV and radio. He was also calling games for WOC-AM in Davenport in addition to working in the news and sports departments.

Then-News Director Mark Minnick told the crowd, news directors specifically, to hire this guy.

Mark was right.

Chris landed at 1801 Grand and made an impression immediately. His humor was boundary pushing. His editing, precise. But it may be some of the  segments on SoundOff that will be his legacy.

This is still one of my favorites. Chris and Andy pair up for pure genius in this Stivers Ford behind the scenes segment. http://youtu.be/Nt6NSBml-wo

He even took a shot at Marty Tirrell, the Mouth of the Midwest.

Chris Hassel tees off at the Legacy Golf Course. (DM Register photo).

But it was the “Little Lick, Lotta Bite” that may have put him in the most hot water.

His Hazzle Dazzle production on Todd Lickliter’s ruffled a few feathers. Lickliter was the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Iowa.

Chris will tell you most of the things he’s done are from the brain of Keith Murphy, sports director at WHO-HD.

Before Chris, it was Andy Fales who turned Murph’s ideas into reality. The trio was incredibly talented in so many areas. Sports almost seemed their secondary specialty.

Here is the Little Lick clip.

Chris is a known night owl and those odd ESPN hours will likely suit him just fine.

One former professor told me recently no student came more prepared for their assignment than Mr. Hassel. I think that’s holding true again as he makes this move.

And now he’s just been named 2012 Iowa Sportscaster of the Year. That’s a nice parting gift.

What Is Old Is New Again

The Pin Doctors: Next Generation http://instagr.am/p/T6zSuGCKz2/

After my wife and parents, I’ve spent the most New Year’s Evenings with my sister, Kris. So why not say goodbye to 2012 with her and Maddox and my family?

Kris and I would be taken various places to celebrate, more often than not, to the Bergman’s.

We started with a trip to the bowling alley. This is where the Pin Doctors: Next Generation, formed. The original Pin Doctors may still be at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo for all we know.

Then it was back to Kris’ to take up an old tradition. Making homemade confetti.

No violation of child labor laws here.

This was something Kris and I would do on the farm. As Amy said to the boys yesterday, “this is what kids did before there were things called a DS.”

Kris and I, if memory serves, did the same thing with the Bergman clan. That is how we passed the time until midnight.

I brought the newspaper, Kris provided the scissors and we instructed our helpers on how to create their own mess in a pan.

We set up our own “midnight” and counted down to the new year. Here is what we created.

Who needs Times Square when you have fun like this in your own living room?