Tom Vanlerberghe and his wife Judy migrated back to First Lutheran Church in Gladstone after living and worshipping in Escanaba for some time. Tom graduated from Gladstone High School and enlisted in the Army upon graduation. He served in Vietnam and came home for planned R&R and to enjoy unemployment. Instead, he almost instantly fell into a job at the Forest Service and stayed for his entire career!
For the Vanlerberghes, connection became important. Their two living children reside downstate and in Wisconsin. Their nine grandchildren are almost all grown and scattered around the United States. Seeing family, especially with the unpredictability of U.P. winters, is more challenging than it used to be. The Vanlerberghes discovered that finding a faith community that felt like family was essential.
Tom and Judy checked out First at the encouragement of Tom’s sister, Mary Bjorkquist, a longtime member. What they found was a friendly place full of familiar faces. Tom’s long-time friend and hunting buddy Raino Maki is one of our main ushers at 8:00 am worship. Several old classmates and acquaintances made the Vanlerberghes feel like First was already home.
Thankfully, most Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, you will find Tom and Judy in the front center pew organ side. Tom’s faith doesn’t need to be in church. In his prayer life, any piece of ground would work. Tom believes in our higher power. As a veteran who has seen a lot of the world, he would have plenty of reasons to question all of it, yet he keeps showing up with us and for worship. We are blessed to have Tom and Judy as a part of our faith family.
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