Omar Otterness,  98, of Northfield, Minn., professor emeritus of religion at St. Olaf College, died Tuesday, April 11, 2017. 

Memorial services are at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 500 W. Third St., Northfield, Minn. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service in the church.  A reception will follow. Memorials preferred to Omar and Margery Otterness Endowed Scholarship at St. Olaf College, TRUST/CoAM, St. John’s Church.  Arrangements are being handled by Benson & Langehough Funeral Home.  

In retirement, Dr. Otterness helped found the Cooperative Older Adult Ministry (CoAM) in south Minneapolis. He was born in Brookings on Dec. 21, 1918, to Lars and Alma Otterness and attended public schools in Brookings. 

He is survived by sister, Alice Hoaglund of Modesto, Calif.; children, Rolf of McMurray, Pa., Joann Espinosa of Omaha, Mark (Kathryn) of Roseville, Minn., David of Northfield, Minn., and Carol Spencer (Jerry) of St. George, Utah; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; in-laws Adeline Otterness of Verona, Wis., and Barbara and Richard Reyer of Willmar, Minn., and by many nieces and nephews and their children. 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margery; daughter Karen; sister, Ruth Dietz, and his brothers, Lyle, Harlan, Ronald, and James. 

For online condolences, visitwww.northfieldfuneral.com.