Leadership

I am currently serving as the Director of Human Care Ministries, Parish Nurse/ Parish Health Ministry. When I began my service at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, about 20 years ago, I was the Director of Youth and Family Ministry. Prior to my ministry at St. Matthew I worked in the local hospital on a med-surgical floor and mental health unit. I left the hospital to be employed by a community mental health center, working with individuals and families with severe and persistent mental illness. God had prepared me and then called me to assume a position at St. Matthew Lutheran, where I have been greatly blessed!
I live on a farm outside Ocheyedan IA with my husband Greg and two of our sons. We have another son who lives in the Des Moines area. We also have four adult children, two grandsons, and two sons who are in heaven. As we have done foster care over the years, we have our foster daughter, her husband, and their four children (our grandchildren) in our lives too! I enjoy watching my kids participating in sports and music events and spending time with the grandkids. I also enjoy cooking, baking, gardening, putting puzzles together, and being outside on the farm with our livestock and chickens.
I have enjoyed the ministry at St. Matthew as I have gotten to know many families and their children, from when they were infants to graduating from H.S. to watching them walk down the aisle. Under the umbrella of the health ministry there are two bereavement support groups, one for individuals who have lost a child and the other for women who have lost their husband. Other areas of ministry I am involved in are serving on the Board of Education, helping with Sunday School, teaching Confirmation, wedding coordinator, and serving in the visitation ministry. Words cannot describe the blessing one gets from sitting and listening to men and women tell me of their life experiences and their walk with their Lord.

Working for my church was always something that I wanted to do, and it finally came to fruition in May of 2005. I absolutely enjoy what I do and learning new things along the way. In my spare time I love spending time with my best friend and husband, Bryon, and our two grown boys. We love vacationing together every summer "up north." Bryon and I also like to escape on our motorcycle to enjoy the countryside views. My absolute favorite past time is reading a good mystery or inspirational book and cuddling with our dog, Nellie. One of my favorite Bible verses is posted on my computer to remind me each day to "commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this" (Psalm 37:5).

Music and the church have been an important part of my life since I can remember. I grew up near a small town in central Iowa, and began taking piano lessons at the age of nine. With the encouragement of teachers and church staff, I began to consider music for a career. I graduated from Morningside College with a degree in Music Education, then spent the next 36 years as an elementary music teacher in Sibley, Iowa. Thanks to my hometown church organist and an encouraging Pastor’s wife, I began learning the basics of organ playing while I was in high school. I was able to take some organ lessons in college, though my main focus was on piano and education.
I began playing organ once a month at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in 2012. After my retirement from teaching in 2013, I joined the St. Matthew staff as Director of Traditional Music. It has truly been one of the greatest blessings of my life to have the privilege of planning music for our worship services. I live on a farm near Ocheyedan, Iowa with my husband, Russ. We have two grown sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and are immensely enjoying our two grandsons.