The Theodore and Tavia Maakestad Endowed Scholarship Fund

Martha Bailey and Margit J. Coltvet established the Theodore and Tavia Maakestad Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor their parents who spent their lives in service of the Gospel in prayer, preaching and teaching. Pastor Theodore Maakestad was born on a farm in Radcliffe, Iowa into a Christian family of 14 children. After surviving tetanus at the age of 11, he felt the call to ministry but wondered how he would ever be able to afford going to college and seminary. Through prayer, hard work and the generosity of his family and the Church, he was able to graduate from St. Olaf College in 1936 and Luther Seminary in 1940. Pastor Maakestad served as an ELCA pastor for 73 years until his death at the age of 102 in 2013. His partner in ministry was his wife, Tavia, a childhood friend from Radcliffe, who became a well-respected registered nurse specializing in obstetrics. With her gifts of hospitality and her life of prayer, she opened their home to many, serving delicious meals and surrounding them with love and acceptance. Pastor Maakestad served in seven different parish settings, both urban and rural, in the United States and Canada, and accepted positions in specialized ministries of evangelism and Bible study. Throughout his life he spoke highly of the preparation he received at Luther Seminary for his ministry, he referred and prayed for many future pastors who subsequently attended Luther. This scholarship was established to honor the ministry of Pastor Theodore and Mrs. Tavia Maakestad and will provide important support for M.Div students preparing for ordained ministry.