They met as freshmen and formed a bond that has lasted for more than 50 years.
“We were really connected in two ways,” Jeff Olson said. “A lot of us were on the football team together, and there were connections via the dorms we lived in — East Complex and Livedalen.”
“There were some academics that we shared and things like that, but it was really through the athletic side of it and the dorms,” Terry Quist added.
Olson and Quist roomed together during their freshman and sophomore years. One of their roommates got engaged, so they decided to host a gathering for him prior to his wedding at Quist’s parents’ place on a lake near Alexandria, Minn. That was 1973 and the start of an annual tradition.
The core group of about 20 meets the first weekend of every August to play golf, relive old times, and enjoy each other’s company. They meet on this same lake where it began but now at Quist’s and another Cobber’s homes.
“You just fall right back into your conversations and friendships,” Olson said.
It’s become a tradition, like a holiday. Everyone knows it’s coming and can plan for it. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only time they get together. Quist said especially now that they’re all retired, they see each other a lot during the course of a year gathering for different activities or just getting together — sometimes including spouses. “So it's been a tremendous base of friendship,” he said.
Olson said most of the group still live in Minnesota or North Dakota, but a few now travel from Florida or Arizona.
“There have been a few times where people have missed because their kids have gotten married or something like that, although not very often,” Olson added. “It’s been a pretty loyal group over the years. It’s pretty awesome to make that kind of connection over a four-year time span at Concordia, and those deep friendships last forever.”
Two of the group have passed away,” Olson said. “Those are hard, hard times. But we stay supportive of one another through it all — illness, injury, family issues, and all those kinds of things. We feel very fortunate.”
They’ve never missed a year. Even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, they met for a one-day golf outing where they remained outside the entire time.
“I think it speaks to Concordia too, bringing together like-minded people and creating an atmosphere and environment where these kinds of friendships can develop,” Quist said.
“It’s a pretty unique thing,” Olson said. “We have friends from other walks of life and folks that we’ve known over the years professionally and personally, and they’re always sort of amazed that this group stays together like it does. Sometimes they’re even a little bit envious of us — ‘wow,’ they say, ‘I just can’t believe you guys still hang in there like that.’”
And there’s no talk of sunsetting the August reunion.
“We intend to keep going,” Olson said.