Rev. Alfred Koschade, 84

Rev. Alfred Koschade, 84, of Davenport, IA, former pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery, died Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, at his home.

Alfred was born December 22, 1928, in Finschhaffen, Papua, New Guinea, a son of missionary parents Victor and Ida (Voss) Koschade. He graduated from Immanuel Theological Seminary, Adelaide, South Australia, and was ordained into the ministerium of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia on March 19, 1950. He served as a missionary in Papua, New Guinea, from 1950 until December of 1956. He married Beatrice “Bea” Weiland on December 5, 1951, in Lae, Papua, New Guinea. The family came to America in 1957, where he served congregations in Elma and Elvira, IA, before accepting a call to St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery on January 1, 1962. He earned additional degrees of Master of Theology in Systematics from Luther Seminary in St. Paul in 1964. His dissertation from those studies was published by Augsburg Press titled, “New Branches on the Vine.” He studied at Maywood Seminary in Chicago, IL, and Northwestern Theological Seminary in St. Paul, receiving his Masters in Sacred Theology in 1973. Another book “The Cost of Bread and Wine” was published in 1974. After retiring from full time ministry on December 31, 1993, he continued to serve as interim pastor at several congregations in Minnesota. A move to Eldridge, IA in 1995 allowed Pastor Koschade the opportunity to serve several congregations as interim pastor in Iowa and Illinois. He last served as visitation pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Davenport. In 2011, Alfred and Bea moved to Longmont, CO, to live near son Mark, and were in the process of moving back to Davenport when he died.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years; children Miriam LeMaitre of KY, Rev. Dr. Marcia (Rev. Steven) Solberg of MI, Mark (Kelley) Koschade, Longmont, CO, and Ernest Koschade, Montgomery; grandchildren Megan, Kristin, Jesse, Erin, Laura, Joseph, Anna, Kachine, Meghan, Sara, Abigail and Matthew; greatgrandchildren Jasmine, Jonathan, Naomi, Kayden, and Everett.

He was preceded in death by a daughter Esther Koschade in 1993; and a sister Gladys Knie.

A memorial service in celebration of his life was held at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 11, at Zion Lutheran Church in Davenport, with the Rev. Ron Huber officiating.

A memorial service was also held at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 11 a.m. Burial will be at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Montgomery.

Memorials are preferred to the ELCA World Hunger Fund, the American Cancer Society, or to the Esther Koschade Endowment Fund.