Professor Andris Straumanis

Andris Straumanis, who is remembered by his family and friends as a dedicated mentor, talented photographer, and passionate historian for immigrant and diaspora press in North America, died Monday, Sept. 11, in Regions Hospital, St. Paul, MN. He was 66.

Straumanis, a resident of River Falls Township, was born March 08, 1957, in Long Island, NY. He was the only child of Alfreds and Biruta Straumanis.

He was a first-generation Latvian-American, his parents having relocated to New York in 1956 after immigrating to the United States the previous year. He received his BA from Southern Illinois University, an MA from the University of Minnesota, and a Graduate Certificate from George Mason University. In addition to his work toward a doctorate in mass communication at the University of Minnesota, he had ongoing projects on Latvian Baptists in America, early Latvian press in America, and Latvian anarchists.

To his loved ones and friends, his love for journalism needs no introduction. Having worked at various newspapers and media outlets over the years—as a photographer, writer, editor, and more—one of his recent joys was being a mentor and faculty advisor to the Student Voice , a student-run news organization at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. He loved working with his students, and took great pride in their accomplishments and work.

In the last decade, Straumanis split his time between the U.S. and Latvia, where he also taught courses at Riga Stradiņš University and Turība University. He was also starting to look forward to retirement, when he would keep traveling the world and enjoy more time with his loved ones. He had a brilliant sense of humor, a knack for culinary experimentation, and a love for all things French.

Straumanis is survived by his daughter, Kaija Straumanis (and husband Chad W. Post), editorial director of Open Letter Books and literary translator, and grandson Aleksandrs, all of New York. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfreds and Biruta Straumanis. A private memorial service was held Sept. 17 at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in River Falls.

Services are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of River Falls, www.oconnellfuneralservices.com , 715-425-5644