Conrad Braaten

Conrad Stenseth Braaten was born on September 25, 1922 in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar to missionary parents, Rev. K.F. and Anna Braaten. At the age of 15, he left Madagascar to continue his high school education at Augustana Academy in Canton, SD. While attending college at the U of A, he was in the ROTC Cavalry Unit one year before beginning his active service in 1942 in the U.S. Army serving during WWII in both North Africa and Europe. On January 1, 1945, he married Pearl A. Trygstad, the love of his life, in Minneapolis, MN. During his distinguished ten year career in the military, he served as a Special Agent in the Office of Strategic Services OSS and the Counter Intelligence Corps CIC in Germany at the onset of the Cold War. He received many commendations, citations and honors in both staff and command positions and was a D.A.V. with two purple hearts. Captain Braaten R.A.was honorably discharged in 1952 and immediately began studies at Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN, graduating from both there and the Univ. of Minnesota in May of 1955. He was ordained in May 1955 as a Lutheran minister, and has served the Lord as Senior Pastor in congregations in Longmont, CO, Santa Barbara, CA and Scottsdale, AZ, and as an Interim Pastor in his retirement. He has always faithfully, willingly and joyfully served the Lord he loved. Throughout his life, his ministry and evangelical service included many venues and areas of mission outreach beginning with two world tours he arranged for during the summers of 1955 and 1959. These tours were informative opportunities for pastors and lay people to visit various mission sites in the world. As a result of the needs he witnessed during these tours, he left parish ministry and founded the World Brotherhood Exchange, a global mission outreach which sent qualified volunteer professionals to places in the world in need of their expertise. While serving as the Executive Director of WBE he helped produce the film, "No Greater Love", an inspirational personal account of a WBE volunteer. He established WBE in 1961 and returned to the parish in AZ in 1966. While serving Ascension Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, AZ, he started Seminar on Sea, a two week continuing education program for pastors and lay people offering this in both 1973 and 1975. Other church related commitments included serving on the National Board of World Missions, as an official observer to the World Council of Churches in India, a Consultant to the Lutheran World Federation Assembly in Finland, a representative to the Lutheran World Federation Commission on World Missions in Norway and he spent three months touring and observing the mission fields in Africa and Asia for the World Mission Board. In 1980 he was a member of the ALC-LCA World Missions Study Commission to China. Known nationally and internationally, he was often called upon to speak at conferences and assemblies receiving numerous awards and recognitions through the years. In addition, he served on various boards of colleges and non profit organizations, serving most recently on the board for Music Serving the Word Ministries. His entire life was devoted to serving others- to speaking up, giving voice and sharing God's love in action. He was a compassionate champion for those who had no voice or were the forgotten or the disenfranchised. He was a humble servant who thoroughly believed in the power of prayer and that prayers are answered. In 2006, he published his memoir, Beyond Madagascar: Saga of a Missionary's Son. Pastor Braaten was a member of Rotary Club International for nearly 40 years and a Torske Klubben member for 14. He is survived by his precious wife of 64 years, Pearl Adella, his two sons and their wives, Conrad and Jennifer, David and Arlene; daughters and their spouses Karen and Larry Griffith, Pearl and Joel Schieck, Kirsten and Bruce Wilder; fourteen grandchildren Stacie Leland, John, Amy Mike, Brandon Shauna, Kirsten Tom, Conrad Suporn Tanner Jacquee, Tucker, Taylor, Jessica Chad, Emily Brian, Meredith, Melinda, Joshua; three great grandchildren. The visitation will be held 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 at Menke Funeral & Cremation Center, 12420 N. 103rd Ave., Sun City. The Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19, 2008 at American Lutheran Church, 17200 N. Del Webb Blvd. Sun City, AZ. The family requests no flowers, but if anyone would desire to make a memorial in Pastor Braaten's name, the family would request that you consider these ministries: Ascension Lutheran Church, Scottsdale, AZ, American Lutheran Church, Sun City, AZ, Music Serving the Word Ministries, PO Box 72408, Phoenix, AZ 85050 www.musicservingtheword.org or Hospice Family Care at 17220 N. Boswell Blvd., Suite 225E, Sun City, Arizona 85373.