Robert Nervig's career as a Lutheran pastor reflected a lifetime of tirelessly mentoring hundreds of troubled teens.
Among them was Wolfgang Laudert, a self-described struggling "street kid" who fell into the wrong crowd at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis. Until he reconnected with his childhood pastor.
"He really took me under his wing," Laudert said of Nervig. "He saw potential in people when we couldn't see it ourselves."
Nervig, 80, died Sunday after a short battle with cancer.
A few years ago, he helped Laudert apply to Augsburg College. The 25-year-old now attends Luther Seminary in St. Paul and plans to be a pastor after his graduation in May.
Without Nervig, "I wouldn't be where I am," Laudert said. "He was my biggest supporter, and he changed my life."
The unmarried pastor had no children but was a father figure for many teens.
"It was by deed, not just word, that he made a difference in people's life," longtime friend Bruce Westphal said. "I've heard more people say, 'Bob changed my life.'"
The Canton, S.D., native graduated from Augustana College and attended Luther Seminary, where he discovered a passion for inspiring struggling youth.
"He invested himself in hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kids," said Lowell Noteboom of Minnetonka, whose wife is Nervig's niece. "He knew early on in his life that people needed to be given a chance, a second chance and a third chance when they're down."
Nervig and other seminary students helped found Plymouth Christian Youth Center in north Minneapolis and started a faith-based program for mentoring at-risk children that later morphed into Kinship of Greater Minneapolis. The nonprofit, 56 years later, now mentors 300 Minneapolis children.
After finishing school, Nervig moved to New York, worked for 20 years in two churches and directed a wilderness camp called Koinonia.
He retired and returned 12 years ago to Minneapolis, where he continued to help troubled teens, bailing them out of jail or helping if they slipped into drug abuse. He assisted others with college entrance applications. And he listened, being a father figure to kids who needed it most.
He rejoined Kinship, serving on the board of directors until he recently announced that he had cancer. His diagnosis came six weeks ago.
Brad Davis, who was a struggling teen at the New York camp in 1981, stayed in touch with Nervig the past 30 years and was by his side this week when he died.
"As a young person not doing so well in life, you look at a person like him and try to pick up as much as you can," said Davis, 43, who now lives in Mississippi. "He led by example. He was very forgiving and willing to give you a chance."
Survivors include sister Dorothy Nelson of Brookings, S.D., and brothers George Nervig of Sun City, Ariz., and Nordhal Nervig of Millville, Utah.
Services were held Thursday at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park.
Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141
