Rev. David H. Andreae

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 7:57 pm

The Rev. David Harold Andreae, age 80, passed away Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at the Elkader Care Center.

Visitation is from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Elkader

Funeral services are at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at St. Sebald Lutheran Church, rural Strawberry Point, with Vicar Britney Barkus officiating. Inurnment at St. Sebald Cemetery will be held at a later date.

Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Elkader is assisting the family.

He was born March 18, 1943, in Oelwein to Herbert J. and Esther M. (Zwanziger) Andreae. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Sebald Lutheran Church, rural Strawberry Point. The family farmed in Clayton County between Strawberry Point and Volga in Sperry Township. He attended public school at Volga, was a member of the last class to graduate – Class of 1961 – before consolidation into Central Community Schools at Elkader and – he was the Valedictorian of the Class! David then attended Wartburg College in Waverly, graduating in 1965, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Greek, from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque in 1969, with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. David never married however – He always said – with all of the bachelor degrees and several older unmarried relatives in the family, he came by his bachelor marital status quite honestly!

During seminary years, David spent a summer and some time during the school year as a student pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, Clinton; his official year of internship was at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Walla Walla, Washington in 1967-1968.

Following ordination on June 8, 1969, he was installed in July, 1969, as pastor of Bethel, Elm Grove, and Elk Valley Lutheran Churches, near Larimore and McCanna, North Dakota. David spent 22 enjoyable years serving that three point rural parish. However, the “homing” instinct kicked in and he was installed on Aug. 4, 1991, as pastor of Big Canoe and Highland Lutheran Churches, rural Highlandville (he said Decorah is a southwestern suburb). This brought him closer to family again, and still allowed him to be the German Shepherd to a wonderful, rural Norwegian parish much like his North Dakota parish had been.  After 22 years of service to Big Canoe and Highland congregations, he retired and moved to Waukon.  It was a bit unusual that he served only two parishes in 44 years however, after retirement, he did Supply Preaching – leading worship for congregations whose pastors were away, or for those who did not currently have a pastor. David enjoyed this – he was responsible only for Sunday Worship and people appreciate having help for Sunday Service. The challenge was – no two congregations seemed to use the same Order of Service.

David’s hobbies were numerous – motorcycling, snowmobiling, toy (and real) tractors. His John Deere toy collection is now on display at the Froelich Tractor Museum in Froelich. He had a private pilot license and owned a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 182. He was a member of the Luren Singing Society, the oldest Norwegian American men’s’ chorus – Decorah. He was also a member of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Sons of Norway, the Torsk Klubbe, the North Dakota Heritage Foundation in Bismarck, N D, the Two-Cylinder Club (for old John Deere tractor addicts) headquartered in Grundy Center, the Iowa State Snowmobile Association and the Winn Trail Twisters Snowmobile Club.

Survivors include two younger sisters, Nancy A. (Gary) Klingman of rural Strawberry Point and Jane M. (Jerome) Godson of Volga; nephews Mace (Kristin) Klingman of rural Volga and Matt (Sabine) Klingman of Elkader; nieces, Heather (Ted) Schuler, Jody (Shawn) Harmsen, Jennifer (Dan) Zomchek; 10 great-nieces and nephews and many friends.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Esther.