VOL I: SAINTS

Catalog of Contents

Pastor’s Tributes - 65

Lorraine Lagergren—August 19, 2003 – 65
(Age eighty-five—she was a charter member of our Blue Springs, Missouri, mission church; this is my “first tribute” for a dear lady friend…written after we’d left that congregation and shared at her funeral”)

Leona A. Byrne—October 20, 2004 – 69
(Age ninety-one; Stroke and Alzheimer’s patient; in nursing home for seven years; nonresponsive)

Vernon Hamburg—November 5, 2004 – 70
(Age seventy-three; manual laborer; rough-and-tumble guy)

Charlotte Schroeder—August 1, 2005  – 71
(Age sixty-four; cancer; faithful member, organist, and first female president of the congregation)

Paul Stolte—September 29, 2005 – 73
(Age eighty-four; died unexpectedly of a heart attack in the ER)

Kevin Knuth—March 28, 2007 – 74
(Age forty-two; farmer, father; died in barnyard of a diabetic reaction / complication)

Ruben Albers—May 21, 2007 – 77
(Age seventy-eight; retired farmer and laborer; active church and choir member)

Ed Harms—July 18, 2007 – 79
(Age eighty-two; carpenter and construction foreman; rugged individual)

Marge Stevens—October 30, 2007 – 80
(Age ninety-one; church choir director; first of four generations of members. Family tribute: page 153)

Bridgette Roseann Granger—April 1, 2009 – 82
(Age two and a half years; severe birth defects; cared for at home; survived by five older siblings, nonmembers)

Robert Kehoe—July 29, 2009 – 83
(Age fifty-seven; non-member; stepfather of our member)

Emma Judd—October 12, 2009 – 85
(Age ninety-one; widowed at age thirty-four with twelve children; preceded in death by four children. Family tribute: page 138)

Gerald “Bud” Steinhorst—July 30, 2010 – 87
(Age eighty-five: lifetime member; banker; local golf club senior champion one year)

Lavera Grosskrueger—September 24, 2010 – 88(Age ninety-one; farmwife and mother; cooked for the Loganville school)

Gilbert Muchow—January 21, 2011 – 90
(Age ninety; farmer, faithful member; many extended family ties locally. Family tribute: page 151)

Leonard Koenig—May 28, 2011—at Zion LC, Rock Springs – 91
(Age eighty-six; faithful member of a neighboring Lutheran church, attended ours)

Steve Kaun—December 22, 2011 – 93
(Age fifty; divorced prior to my arrival; diabetes patient; remarried four months earlier by me in this church)

Eddie Krey—Saturday, April 13, 2013 – 95
(Age eighty-nine; farmer; lived on their farm eight more years after a devastating stroke)

Howard H. Berlin—September 12, 2013 – 96
(Age eighty-two; farmer; jobs included bar owner and cook; many medical issues)

Bob Acton—September 21, 2013 – 98
(Age ninety-one; husband and stepfather; World War II veteran—Pacific Theater)

Dave Burmester—November 30, 2013 – 99
(Age seventy-nine; local legend, veteran, historian, and store-keeper/owner)

Ewald Gluth—December 28, 2013 – 100
(Age ninety-eight; husband, father, farmer, and lifelong faithful church member)

Marcella Spohnholtz—January 17, 2014 – 102
(Age eighty-eight; devoted daughter, quilter / crafter; always lived in her parents’ home; died on her birthday).

My Tributes for Kin and Family Members – 105

For a Sister and Brother – 105

Vera Elfers—January 7, 2005 – 105
(Age ninety-six; dear lady, member; my tribute became a bulletin insert)

Alfred Gudenswager—February 22, 2006 – 107
(Age 106; Vera Elfers’ older brother; was alert to the end; member. Family tribute: page 141)

For Two Bachelor Farmer Brothers – 109

Norbert Schultz—January 15, 2005 –109
(Age seventy-eight; a bachelor farmer with his older bachelor brother, Wilbert)

Wilbert Schultz—March 1, 2008 – 110
(Age eighty-five; bachelor farmer with brother; driver for Amish; died at his farmhouse bringing in groceries—found in a snow bank the next day)

For Five Members of Two Families (One “Clan”) United by Marriage - 111

Ervin Stolte—November 20, 2006 – 111
(Age eighty; died while at hospital doing a sleep test; he grew up youngest with four older sisters).

Bill Schuette Sr.—December 5, 2006 – 113
(Age ninety-three; Ervin’s brother-in-law; went to hospital in ambulance in the morning and died of natural causes that evening)

Jerry Schuette—March 18, 2012 – 114
(Age sixty-six; Bill’s son; a farmer, farmhand, husband, and father; cancer victim)

Lyda Schuette—April 18, 2013 – 115
(Age ninety-five; Bill’s wife, Jerry’s mother, and Ervin’s sister; farmwife; faithful member. Family Tribute: page 155)

Sylvia Stolte—November 20, 2013 – 117
(Age eighty-two; Ervin’s wife; Lyda & Bill’s sister-in-law; diabetes-related health problems)

For Married Couple—Norman and Kathryn - 118

Norman Ahlstrom—May 2, 2013 – 118
(Age ninety-one; husband, father; various jobs, including farmer; World War II veteran)

Kathryn L. Ahlstrom—September 17, 2013 – 119
(Age eighty-eight; Norman’s wife; director of nursing at County Care Center many years)

For a Daughter and Father—Alicia and Bob - 121

Alicia Yanke—August 16, 2007 – 121
(Age eighteen; good daughter / sister; fine student / athlete; died in a single-car crash two weeks before beginning college for a nursing degree. Pastor’s sermon: page 235)

Robert Yanke—June 14, 2010 – 124
(Age fifty; farmer; Alicia’s father; had recent knee surgery; partner-brother diagnosed with cancer; took his life on HD motorcycle. Pastor’s sermon: pg 215)

For Three Siblings—Harold, Augie, and Frieda - 127

Harold Schlieckau—July 24, 2007 – 127
(Age seventy-two; husband, father, and farmer; first of ten siblings to pass; first of three sibling funerals I presided at. Family tribute: page 144)

Augie Schlieckau—December 4, 2010 – 129
(Age sixty-seven; youngest of ten siblings; had Down Syndrome; worked in a “sheltered workshop”, died seven weeks after his brother-in-law Ed passed away)

Frieda Craker—August 26, 2012 – 132
(Age eighty-nine; oldest sibling of ten; wife and mother; sister of Harold and Augie).

Family Tribute Samples - 135

Family Tribute: Elizabeth Ann “Pat” Bergum—March 18, 2011 – 135
(Written by my wife, Donna, for her mother’s funeral; she was seventy-six years old)

Family Tribute: Emma Judd – 138
(Written by granddaughter Pam Maxwell. Pastor’s tribute: page 85)

Family Tribute: Alfred Gudenswagger – 141
(Written and delivered by Dale Meyer. Pastor’s tribute: p. 107)

Family Tribute: Margaret L. Hahn – 142
(Written by niece Karen Schuette and delivered by Karen’s daughter-in-law Amy)

Family Tribute: Rosie Lichte – 143
(Written by daughter-in-law Donna)

Family Tribute: Harold Schlieckau – 144
(Written by daughter-in-law Judi Schlieckau. Pastor’s tribute: page 127)

Family Tribute: Aunt Dorothy Thies – 147
(Written by niece Carol Myers)

Family Tribute: Esther Holly – 150
(Written by daughter Marilyn Sprecher and read by grandson Michael)

Family Tribute: Gilbert (Gilly) Muchow – 151
(Written and delivered by son Chuck Muchow. Pastor’s tribute: page 90)

Family Tribute: Marge Stevens – 153
(Written by granddaughters Kim Heron and Becky Riberich. Pastor’s tribute: page 80)

Family Tribute: Lyda Schuette – 155
(Written and read by Nancy Schuette, daughter of Lyda. Pastor’s tribute: page 115)

Sermon: Angel Kimberly Gratz—November 4, 1997 – 165
(Age twenty-one. Angel was driving home late Friday night after being with friends. Halfway home she crossed the center line and was involved in a head-on crash—dying instantly. Her older brother, an on-duty Iowa County sheriff deputy, was the first person to her vehicle.)

My Tribute For My Cousin: Mary Lee Benson – Died June 9, 2015 – 183
(Age seventy-five; my cousin; died of cancer, funeral on Washington Island, Wisconsin)

Family Tribute: For Mary Lee Benson ~ June 13, 2015 – 187
(written and delivered by her son, Adam)

My Funeral Sermons: Infants, Suicides, Accidents, and Difficult or Unique Funerals

Infants - 201

Jennifer Sue ___—Eighteen Weeks Old—September 13, 1978 – 201
(Conceived out of wedlock, left unattended in a parent’s car on a hot September day, resulting in her death.)

Jonathan Lee Estreen—Stillborn (a Twin)—August 29, 1983 – 203
(Graveside service with small group of family standing over a very small casket)

Autumn Jo Stienmetz—Infant (Eight Days Old)—April 6, 2012 – 204
(died in neo-natal unit at hospital of birth defects)

Suicides - 209

“Malinda” ____ —Age Thirty-Two—January 7, 1983 – 209

(Suicide—jumped out of a moving semi; Native American, struggled with “demons”)

Brian Edward Enos—Age Thirty-Four—June 20, 1997 – 211
(Brian was a non-member, un-churched; his neighbor family requested I do this service at the funeral home for Brian’s family and friends.)

Richard “Dick” Colburn—Age Fifty-Three—April 24, 2004 – 212
(Non-member; contacted by the funeral home to do service)

Robert Yanke—Age Fifty—June 14, 2010 – 215
(died in motorcycle crash after several set-backs on the farm and his health) (sermon cited: Easter—April 4, 2010. Pastor’s tribute: page 124)

Accidental Deaths—Young People and Older Adults - 221

Harlow Wright—Age Fifty-Four—February 16, 1981 – 221
(Crushed to death at the Feed Mill garage by a truck unloading grain; his wife was our country-church custodian and a faithful church member with her three children.)

Loren F. Wright—Age Twenty—March 16, 1981 – 223
(Loren was Harlow and Fran’s oldest son; Loren died in a head-on collision  near Buffalo, Wyoming—with two friends who were both seriously injured;  he died at the scene one month after his father was crushed to death in accident at the Feed Mill.)

Richard Allen Stenseth—Age Twenty-Five—August 29, 1981 – 226
(killed as pedestrian in early hours after his bachelor party on the morning of his wedding day)

Robert Allen Soldner—Age Twenty—September 7, 1982 – 231
(Age twenty; killed in a fiery car crash with a passenger friend. Bob was a stock-car driver; his parents were active rural church members)

Alicia Mae Yanke—Age Eighteen—August 16, 2007 (Long Draft) – 235
(killed in single car crash just before her 19th birthday and starting college. Pastor’s tribute: page 121)

Unique or Unusual Circumstances - 241

Bill Doescher—Age Fifty—December 7, 2002 – 241
(Died of heart attack in his parked pickup truck while deer hunting)

Dave Godfrey—Age Sixty-Eight—October 28, 1998 – 245
(Heart / Lung-transplant recipient / survivor / advocate)

“Ralph Swanson”—Age Fifty-Three—December 1, 1981 – 248
(“Ralph” died drinking alcohol while in a hot tub shortly after his father and daughter had passed away.)

Bonnie Jean Cook—Age thirty-something—September 26, 1982 – 251
(Invalid entire life, lived in care centers; her crippled body was in fetal-like posture in casket—as in entire life.)

Robert RC “Bob” Gordon—Age Seventy-One— September 10, 1999 (at Funeral Home) – 253

(Bob was surly and abrasive, but most importantly repentant; his life was complicated and conflicted in nearly all his relationships, this troubled him to the end.)

Jim Dietrich—Age Sixty-Eight—February 21, 2015 – 257
(Died unexpectedly while parked in his semitrailer unloading milk; used Luke 13:1–5 as sermon text)

“Pete” Rettgen—Age Eighty-Five—January 26, 2005 – 261
(Pete collapsed and died alone in his bedroom one night. One of my favorite funeral sermons—because it celebrates a life well lived and Pete was a good amateur baseball player; I loved baseball so much I was an umpire for twenty years.)