Established on 03.24.2022 by Herbert '61 and Virginia '63 Morgenthaler †
The Morgenthaler Rafshol family’s relationship with Concordia College begins in 1898 when Pastor Kristoffer Olai Rafshol arrived from North fjord Norway and married Anna Thorson. They had seven children, five of which graduated from Concordia College. Rev. Rafshol was a member of the Concordia College Board of Regents for 18 years. Virginia’s dad Julius, the oldest child, was a member of the class of 1922. He played basketball and football, was a member of Alpha Epsilon Sigma, the Lettermen’s club, played in the band, and was a member of the choir. He majored in biology and economics. He also served as president of the Concordia Alumni Association from 1929-1930.
The next generation returned to Concordia when Virginia Karen, Julius’s youngest daughter, attended. She graduated from Robbinsdale High School and started her first year at Concordia in 1959. She came to Concordia to become a teacher and majored in biology and education.
As we all know the three secrets of success are fate, luck, and magic. Magic occurred for Virginia during her first year when she met a boy from Long Island, New York, named Herb. Herb was a junior who came to Concordia from Sewanhaka High School, an exceptionally large school of over three thousand students with more than eleven hundred in his class. He wanted a smaller school and found Concordia from his attendance at Camp Norge where the counselors came from the Norwegian Lutheran colleges. During his Concordia time, he majored in history and political science.
Herb graduated from Concordia and began his work career at Dayton’s, a large Minneapolis department store. After graduation, Virginia began teaching third grade in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb. They were married in 1964 and are still lovesick almost 60 years later. Herb has been involved with Concordia for many years. He served four years as the Alumni Association chairperson and as a member of the Concordia College Board of Regents. He was also chair of the Twin Cites Cord Committee and was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award in 1987.
Concordia has touched the lives of this family in many ways. The Morgenthalers have three children who are all Cobber graduates. Kari majored in business administration and English, with a minor in German. Krysta majored in biology and minored in chemistry and was a pre-med student. Kiaja majored in business and German and minored in communications and Norwegian. Kari was chair of the 1991 Concordia Centennial Homecoming celebration. Krysta received the Howard Hughes award for research in biology and was chosen as a 1994 all-conference soccer player. Kiaja followed her sister by chairing the 2001 Homecoming celebration.
The next generation has arrived. Kari has three boys, Bjorn, Johannes, and Torsten. Kari is the Director of National Accounts for Indizen Optical Technologies. Krysta has two boys, Theo and Hollis, and is the Chief Development and Communications Officer for Habitat for Humanity in Oakland, California. Kiaja has a daughter, Lily, and a son, Marlin. Kiaja is the Director of Distribution Partners for Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
With over one hundred years of association with Concordia, this family appreciates the rich past and dynamic future ahead for this exceptional college. Taking pride in its achievements and wanting to help ensure growth and success in an ever-changing world, the Morgenthalers recognize the need to strengthen the college’s ability to enroll a more diverse student body and to encourage Concordia’s students to BREW, “Become Responsibly Engaged in the World.” The family hopes their endowed scholarship will be an important step towards a more diverse and engaging student population and campus community.
The purpose of this endowed scholarship fund is to provide encouragement to students who bring diversity to the student body, as defined by the College’s statement on diversity and inclusion which is periodically reviewed by the President’s Cabinet. The Herbert ’61 and Virginia ’63 Morgenthaler Endowed Scholarship is awarded by the Office of Financial Aid to students from underrepresented populations.