Lynn Renee Ronsberg

**You may view the funeral for Pastor Lynn by using this link: https://youtu.be/HRWlF7rGA2A

***You may view the memorial service at the Alerus Center by using this link: https://youtu.be/xjSl1Fx_jOI

The Reverend Doctor Lynn Ronsberg
October 23rd, 1953 - April 19th, 2021

She is not gone, She has Arrived

It is with deep sorrow yet great celebration that we announce the arrival of Rev. Lynn Renee Ronsberg to her eternal home in heaven. Lynn completed her calling to serve her Lord Jesus Christ on this earth on April 19th, 2021 at the age of 67.

Lynn is preceded in death by her father, Vernon Ronsberg and her brother Jerry. She is survived by, and a beloved daughter of, Dorothy Reisinger; much loved sister of Doug (Kathy), Oakdale; Betty (Marty) Kiehm, Farmington; Ken (Carole) White Bear Lake; and Stu (Kari) Lake Elmo. She is also survived by eight greatly loved nieces and nephews, Douglas Vernon Ronsberg, Samantha (Ted) Peltier; Katie (Blake) Millington; Seth (Courtney) Ronsberg; Sidnee Ronsberg; Tyler Ronsberg; Kyle (Erica) Ronsberg; and Emily Ronsberg.

Born in Fargo ND, she was baptized on her family farm in Barnesville MN by her great uncle Pastor John Ronsberg. Moving from the farm to Moorhead MN and then to Maplewood MN, she graduated from North Saint Paul High School in 1971. She attended Concordia College in Moorhead, graduating in 1975 with a B.A. in Social Work and Psychology.

With some reluctance of becoming a pastor, when she began attending Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, all reservations vanished. In her words, "The call captured me and there was no turning back." She never again thought twice as ministry became her passion and life's work. She graduated from Luther with a Masters of Divinity in 1979. Again in her words, "Ministry has fulfilled my life, enriched my faith in amazing ways, and I have been richly blessed by being a pastor. I can't think of anything I would rather do."

Serving manifested in a variety of forms for Lynn. After being ordained at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in St Paul MN on July 15, 1979, she served as the pastor for several churches in MN, WI and ND. She also served in nursing homes and as a campus pastor.

With her love of northern Minnesota and the Duluth area, she accepted her first call as an Associate Pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Cloquet MN from 1979-1982. She then moved "home" once again as she accepted a position as a Campus Ministry Pastor at Concordia College, Moorhead, MN and at Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo ND from 1982-1986. A big part of her heart remains at, and belongs to, Concordia College. With her love of the Lake Superior area calling once again, she accepted a pastoral position at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Superior WI from 1986-1988. From 1988 -1992 she joined Pastor Dave Holte in Brainerd, MN at Trinity Lutheran Church. Back "home" she went once again as she served as an Interim Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, MN from 1992-1993. She next headed south to Rochester MN where she served as the pastor of Mt. Olive Church from 1994-1998. In 1998-2012 she again headed north to Grand Rapids MN where she was the Senior Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church from 1998-2012. Her most recent and last call was serving as the Administrative Pastor at Sharon Lutheran in Grand Forks, ND. Lynn loved all of her congregations and felt blessed for the many opportunities.

She continued her education with a desire to better serve those she encountered by achieving an M.S.E. in Community Counseling in 1988 from the University of Wisconsin, Superior. In 1994 she became Doctor Reverend Lynn Ronsberg as she earned her Ph.D. in Pastoral Care and Holistic Health from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.

She was involved in and created church organizations in several areas in which she served. G.R.A.C.E. House Homeless Shelter in Grand Rapids was a burning passion within her heart which she shepherded into reality. She was involved in many other organizations well beyond the doors of her own church. A partial list of these organizations is listed below.

Synod Council, NE MN
Lutheran Social Services ND Board
Concordia College Board of Regents
Hunger and Justice Committee, East ND Synod Chair,
Outreach Board, NE MN
Creating and leading Meet Your Muslim Neighbor events
Creating and establishing G.R.A.C.E. House Homeless Shelter in Grand Rapids, MN
Establishing weekly Wednesday night meals for the community in Grand Rapids, MN CROP Walk chair
Participant of the Hospital Ethics Board

If you know Lynn, you know she is a huge baseball fan and is especially a fan of the Minnesota Twins. She spent hundreds of afternoons and evenings at Met Stadium in Bloomington MN with her sister and friends in "The Right Field Gang." Even after she moved away from the cities, she would return to visit her family and would take in games at the Metrodome and most recently Target field. As a young girl when she would go shopping with her mother and sister, they would occasionally lose sight of Lynn. They could find her quite easily by locating the nearest metal support beam of the store. There they would find Lynn with her transistor radio pressed to her ear, leaning up against a steel beam in an effort to get better reception for the Twins broadcast.

Over the years of attending Twin's baseball games Lynn got to know several of the Minnesota Twins players quite well. She had a lifelong friendship with Frank Quilici, corresponding with him with some frequency. Frank called her "the preacher" with a twinkle in his eyes. She also was friends with Billy Martin. When Billy was the manager of the New York Yankees, Lynn would wait after the games to talk to him. On a few occasions Billy asked to talk to Lynn privately and confidentially so they moved away from the crowd and sometimes talked privately for over an hour.

At "The Met" Lynn knew the parking attendants, the ticket sellers, the ushers, the vendors, the Twins players, and even the broadcasters. She spent time talking with every one of them at every game so it took quite some time for her to make it to her "regular" position in the right field bleachers. Lynn has more inside baseball stories than you can imagine.

Lynn and her mother loved traveling together. A major league stadium was the destination of many of their trips. She was able to visit every major league stadium in the US and Canada, revisiting cities whenever a new stadium was erected. She also enjoyed visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame and even played a few innings on the ball field as well as walking through the corn with her mother and sister at the Field of Dreams ballpark in Iowa.

Lynn loved her family even more than she loved the Twins. She was affectionately known as “Uncle Lynny” and relished that role. She doted on her nephews and nieces, and loved telling stories and sharing memories of all of them. Each one of her nephews and nieces was "her kid" and held a special place in her heart. She would spend the entire year shopping for the perfect Christmas gift for each of them. It was not at all unusual that in the middle of summer or fall she would return the Christmas gifts she had already selected and purchased for her "kids" to purchase a treasure she hoped they would like even better. Although in later years our family did not have a gift exchange, each Christmas, Lynn would drive five hours to join us for Christmas. She would enter the house in true fashion with several large black garbage bags filled with gifts for her "kids."

Lynn was also the best sister anyone could hope for and was always there for every family event including officiating at countless family weddings and funerals. She was deeply loved and will be truly missed by every member of our family. In the words from a devotion she recorded for March 16th, 2021 where she speaks about death and funerals, she tells us, "Do not mourn as those without hope." Let that thought rest on your mind and bring peace to your heart. As believers, we will see her again.
"I have faith that God is leading and directing me, and that my call, wherever it is, is to step out at times into the unknown, carried by my faith that God works through me. Though sometimes that is frightening and at times more than I think I can do, I trust that the God who has called me will provide what I need and will work through my efforts." Pastor Lynn Ronsberg