LAWRENCE F. WAHLSTROM, 84, of 110 Skyline Drive, Eau Claire, died Tuesday, August 24, 1999 at Luther Hospital. He was born February 4, 1915 to Gustav Hjalmer and Anna Sofia (Olsson) Wahlstrom in the town of Aurora, Florence County, WI, the youngest of eight children. Lawrence graduated from high school in Iron Mountain, MI, and earned a B.A degree from Lawrence College, Appleton in 1936. In 1937, he received his M.A. and in 1950, his Ph.D., both from UW-Madison.\r\nLawrence married Dorothy A. Stegman on July 13, 1938, in Rockford, IL. He taught mathematics in Illinois from 1937 to 1948, and was Graduate Assistant in Math at UW-Madison 1947-48, prior to coming to Eau Claire. At this time he was very interested in learning all he could about his Swedish heritage. In 1957 - 58, he received a grant to study the teaching of mathematics in Norway and Sweden. Before and after this stay, he taught the Swedish language at UW-Eau Claire, as well as being Chairman of the Mathematics Department, a position he held from 1948-1980. He continued to teach Mathematics at the University until retirement in 1986.\r\nDr. Wahlstrom organized a group called Svenska Kulturforeningen in 1950, as an adult study group to learn more about the Swedish culture. They raised money for the Midwest Institute of Scandinavian Culture, and established a Scandinavian Shop in Downtown Eau Claire. He was awarded the "Order of the North Star" by the Swedish General Consul in Minneapolis on behalf of the King of Sweden in December, 1970.\r\nSurvivors include his wife, Dorothy; a daughter, Linda Wahlstrom of Eau Claire; a son, Jon Wahlstrom of St. Petersburg, FL.; a sister, Violet Krans of Niagara, WI; many nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog, "Rufus".\r\nA memorial gathering will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 4th at the Ecumenical Religious Center on the campus of UW-EC. Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home is serving the family.\r\nHis family requests memorials be directed to the UW-EC Foundation for the Lawrence and Dorothy Wahlstrom Mathematics Fund or Midwest Institute of Scandinavian Culture.\r\n

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