Mark Harstad

Mankato Mortuary 1001 N. Riverfront Drive Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 388-2202 Mark Oliver Harstad, age 66, of Mankato, died Saturday, January 17, 2015, at his home. Funeral Service will be 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Mankato, with Rev. John Petersen officiating. Interment will be in Pilgrims Rest Cemetery in Mankato. Visitation will be 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday at the church. Memorials may be directed to scholarship funds of Bethany Lutheran College. Mankato Mortuary handled the arrangements. Mark was born September 15, 1948, in Princeton. He was the youngest of ten children born to the Rev. Adolph M. & Martha K. (Tjernagel) Harstad. He received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at the hands of his father at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, rural Princeton. In 1953, the family relocated to Watertown, WI, where his father served as chaplain at Bethesda Lutheran Home, an institution for the mentally and physically disabled. Growing up next door to the residents of Bethesda Home was a very important aspect of his youth. The home environment cultivated by his parents led to the development of a lively interest in music, gardening, an appreciation of nature, and history. He attended Lutheran elementary school and received confirmation instruction in Watertown. He also graduated from Northwestern Preparatory School & Northwestern College there. He remained grateful throughout life for the patient and thorough instruction he received from many faithful educators throughout the elementary, secondary, and college years. Education in the classical tradition led to a life-long interest in the study of languages and History. Music and athletics were also important aspects of his school years. Mark attended Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary in Mankato from 1970-1973. He was privileged to study under faithful teachers of Confessional Lutheranism. He served his vicarage at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Madison, WI. In 1974, he graduated from Seminary, earned the MA degree in Hebrew & Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin, was ordained and installed as assistant pastor at Holy Cross, and married Peggy J. Sorenson, daughter of Harold and Thelma Sorenson of rural East Grand Forks. After two additional years of graduate study at the University of Wisconsin he accepted a call in 1976 to serve as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster (Cape Cod), MA, and served there until 1979. In 1980, he joined the faculty of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary and taught courses in Old Testament and Church History until 1986. Bethany Lutheran College then called him to teach Religion, History, and Hebrew at the college level, a position which he retained until Lymphblastic Leukemia forced his retirement in 2014. In addition to his academic duties at the college he served in various capacities in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, his home congregation, and community. He was privileged to make six trips to Latvia after the breakup of the Soviet Union to help bring the message of Confessional Lutheranism to an area of the world which had attempted to exclude Christianity for decades. In recent years the work of the ELS Historical Society occupied much of his time and attention. In the Mankato community he became active in the Mankato Suzuki School of Music, the Youth Baseball Association, and directed the Boys' Choir of Mt. Olive Lutheran School for many years. Mark is survived by his wife, Peggy of Mankato; four children, Sarah (Christopher) Dale, a Registered Nurse of Port St. Lucie, FL, Laura (Neal) Bland, a Physician's Assistant of Broomfield, CO, Nathan Harstad, employed with American Crystal Sugar Co. of Crookston, and Peter Harstad, employed with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad of Grand Forks, ND; three grandchildren (with another on the way), Alex and Grace Dale, and Olivia Bland; siblings, Margaret (Frederick) Matzke, Peter (Carolyn) Harstad, Grace Harstad, Elizabeth Schmidt, John Harstad, Herman (Cheryl) Harstad, and Adolph (Helen) Harstad; also many nieces, nephews, other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Mary Moldstad and Lydia Wiggs.