Baustian's surgeon trained under
Rock County Hall of Fame's David Piepgras
By Lori Ehde
Sister Joan Baustian grew up on a farm near Luverne and graduated from Luverne High School in 1953.
She is the daughter of the late Walter and Frances Baustian, who were longtime farmers in the Luverne area.
She is the sister of Neva Clausen, Luverne, who spent time with her in Detroit after the surgery. Other siblings include Lester, Norbert and Walter Baustian Jr., all of Luverne; Virgil Baustian, Jasper, and Elaine Slaughter, Harlingen, Tex.
Another Luverne twist on the story is that Baustian's surgeon, Dr. Vittorio Morreale, trained under recent Rock County Hall of Fame inductee David Piepgras.
Dr. Piepgras, 1958 LHS graduate, is Chair of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Medical School. He said Morreale was a resident in the surgical training program in Rochester.
Piepgras said he has encouraged the implant surgery for qualified patients. "It's very useful for treatment of patients with disabling tremors," he told the Star Herald Friday.