iA


Remembering Lydia Hamburgen

by riamn. Average Reading Time: about a minute.

Lydia Riis Hamburgen, a longtime member and dedicated volunteer in the Rochester International Association died on August 10, 2005 in a helicopter crash into the Baltic Sea as she and her daughter Mary Elizabeth left Tallinn, Estonia for Helsinki, Finland for their flight home to Rochester. They had traveled to Estonia (Lydia’s native country) to attend the wedding of a friend Lydia met recently in Rochester. Lydia has worked at Mayo as an interpreter and volunteer for many years and made the acquaintance of many international people who came to the Clinic. She and her husband Arthur have attended and managed for many years the monthly International Speakers luncheons held at the Rochester Family Y. She was also a member of the AAUW Foreign Policy study group for more than 40 years and was given in 1989, the AAUW Minnesota International Relations Award. A memorial service for Lydia will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Tuesday, August 30 at 11 AM with a light lunch to follow prepared by Fred Regal.

The first Y luncheon program on Wednesday, September 14, 11:45 AM will be a memorial for Lydia. If anyone has pictures or memories to share about Lydia, please call or e-mail Phyllis at 288-1197 or e-mail pdodgel@AOL.com and bring them to the Y to share.