Three Strikes isn't an Out!

Mary Bjorkquist was finishing up with the crew, who stuffed and labeled the newsletters for the month when Pastor trounced and asked for a First’s Look interview. Mary, of course, said yes. Mary is a Gladstone native. Except for one year working at Mackinac College on Mackinac Island, Mary spent her 33-year career working at what would become the ISD. Mary and her husband Gary also raised their two boys, Eric and Dan, in Gladstone. Mary and Gary enjoy their grand puppies, and Mary is an avid bowler. She encourages anyone wanting to join the mixed seniors bowling league to get in touch!

Back in the 1970s, when Eric was little, and Dan was still on the way, Gary and Mary began seeking a warm and welcoming church community for their growing family. They needed more family connections and a place of faith that wasn’t rigid but comfortable. Their mothers instilled a strong faith in the couple, so they committed to trying a new church and had a few friends who attended First Lutheran Church. They visited and then never looked back. 

First Lutheran Church became that place of welcome, and Gary and Mary have been here ever since. They are almost always found at 10:30 services in the front pew organ side. Mary has been on the offering counting team for 6-7 years and has served on the nominating and audit committees. 

Mary's journey in the church has been a testament to its growth and change. The children who once attended Sunday School and Confirmation with Eric and Dan are now parents and grandparents themselves. The church family has expanded, and while the friends who initially led the Bjorkquists to First now worship elsewhere, Mary's faith remains steadfast. As life evolves, God’s presence in the church remains constant. 

One of Mary’s cherished hymns, “Precious Lord Take My Hand,” reflects her deep connection to the church. The lyrics, 'Through the Storm, through the Night, lead me on to the Light,' resonate with her. First Lutheran Church has been a grounding force in Mary's faith journey. She finds solace and believes that our Precious Lord guides us, and the church's role in fostering these connections fills her with gratitude. We are blessed to have Mary Bjorkquist as part of our church community.  

Our Newest Old Friend

Bill Obenauf is the newest member of First Lutheran Church. He grew up in Chatham on a dairy farm. Careerwise, he ran heavy equipment, was an over-the-road truck driver, and worked in soil blending for years before finally retiring from working in water treatment in Wisconsin. Bill is a bachelor who moved back to Gladstone to care for his aging parents, who have both since passed. He currently has four feline roommates. Three are absolute troublemakers, and one is an elderly cat companion. Bill enjoys chopping and turning wood. He is an outdoorsman and likes books and computer time, too.

Bill's path to First Lutheran Church has been a journey of faith and family. He first joined his mother, Irene, in worship here during his visits home from work all over the country. After moving back to the Upper Peninsula to provide full-time caregiving for his parents and the eventual loss of his father in 2015 and his mother in 2021, Bill felt a deep longing for a faith family connection, which he found in our church. 

At First Lutheran Church, he finds family in the men's group, at Tried N True, and when he has the opportunity to join the FLC crew at the Dew Drop for breakfast after 8:00 a.m. church. Bill has not hesitated to get involved with church activities. He has also ushered and participated in church clean-up days. Bill already has his usual spot in the back piano side pews. It feels as though he has always been there, and for a long time, in and out, he has. 

We are overjoyed to welcome Bill officially into our church family. His kind nature, sense of humor, and easy-going personality make him a perfect fit for First Lutheran Church. We are grateful to God for bringing him into our fold and look forward to the many blessings his membership will bring.

Children Will Lead Them

Children Will Lead Them

Rhonda (Flinn) Husbye was born and raised in Escanaba, MI. Her family was active at Bethany Lutheran Church there. Pastor Dean Peterson was a faithful mentor and champion for Rhonda as a young woman. As an adult, Rhonda spent 28+ years working for her family's flower and garden business before moving on to Lakestate Industries and working for us here at First Lutheran Church! Rhonda and her husband Eric have four children: two by birth, one by adoption, and one they took in. The Husbyes have eight living grandchildren, two in heaven and one on the way.

While Rhonda’s faith journey began at Bethany, the curiosity and enthusiasm of their two boys led Rhonda and Eric to explore First Lutheran Church. The boys found a welcoming home in our Sunday School program, and this natural fit drew their parents closer to our faith community. The warm reception from Anita, Nora, Connie, and Andy further solidified their connection. Rhonda’s involvement deepened through chaperoning, organizing, and fundraising for National Youth Gathering Trips, as well as her volunteer work coordinating Hope at the Inn.

Rhonda is a lifelong Lutheran, and her faith is strong. She has felt God’s presence and support most profoundly in some of the difficult moments in her life. Now, Rhonda serves the church every day as an administrator. She does her work thoughtfully and prayerfully. Her care for the work affirms her calling to this vocation.

We are blessed to have Rhonda at First Lutheran Church. Not all people would see reconciling books, organizing newsletters, and making PowerPoint presentations (to name a few of her many tasks) as faithful work. Still, Rhonda does, and for that commitment and spirit, we thank God for Rhonda.

"I Like Being Kind!"

 

Kristianna D-W, a well-known church community member, goes by Kristi at school. At nine years old, her drive to “be kind and help others” is evident at our 10:30 a.m. worship service. She is often found helping the ushers welcome folks and pass out bulletins. Kristi will even step in to pass the plate, and last summer, she took on some light acolyting duties. Music class and recess are two of her favorite activities in school, and she has gymnastics as an extracurricular pastime.

Covid was a hard time for community connections, and Kristi remembers telling her Grandma Pam that she wished they could go to church again. When they did, Kristi was happy to see her godparents, Tom and Judy Vanlerberghe, in the front pew (Tom was last month’s First’s Look). She jumped back into Sunday School and serving God at First Lutheran with enthusiasm and some of the best hugs!

When Kristi and Pastor met after school one day to discuss this piece, Pastor thanked Kristi for coming to church outside of regular hours. She responded, “I wish we could go to church every day!” When asked about this answer, she said, “Because I want to know a lot of things about God.” Kristi is very articulate. She can easily explain the ways she sees God “bless us every day.” Her answers came not just efficiently but with joy.

It has been a blessing to watch Kristi grow and blossom at church. What a great testimony to those who worship at church to see a young person with such a vibrant faith. One final word of wisdom that Kristi ended with is, “Not everybody is perfect, but everyone is perfect the way they are.” She has clearly taken some powerful lessons to heart. What a privilege we have to worship with this dear heart of a kid!

First Will Do

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.

This is it.

 

Lisa Thomas is a somewhat newly retired member of First Lutheran Church. She is a two-career person with 10 years in the medical technology industry, and then, in what can only be described as a calling with divine intervention, Lisa went on to teach high school for 20 or so years in Gladstone. Lisa and her husband, John, raised their two children in Gladstone and love being grandparents to their grandchildren.

Lisa was raised in Escanaba and attended Bethany Lutheran Church there. Lisa and John had a summer romance that never ended, and after 7 years together, they married at Bethany, but living in Gladstone, it didn’t stick as a forever church home for their young family. Then life happened, and some upsetting events locally and socially made Lisa realize they needed a church home, a place to be grounded in sacred community. The Thomas family tried out First Lutheran because they already had some friends in attendance.

The first person to meet them on their first Sunday was Nora Smith. Her gentle welcome and personal touch sealed the deal. They immediately felt comfortable. Lisa said, “This is it. This is family.” She jumped in with both feet, teaching Sunday School and working with the Bulletin Boards. Today, Lisa serves on our Altar Guild and Audit Committee. The Thomas kids were confirmed here and have grown to be wonderful adults living away, but not too far that grandma and grandpa can’t see their family regularly! 

The Thomas’ continue to bless us. Now that she is retired having Lisa’s light and joy in our midweek Bible Study has been an extra delight. Lisa may have been the teacher for years, but her zeal for learning is contagious in that group. We are thankful for Lisa and her presence in this place. Amen 

Ushering In Faith

 

Harvey Setter grew up in Redford, Michigan, near Detroit. After he was grown, Harvey enlisted in the United States Air Force. He met his wife, Betty, in Chicago. Quickly, they married and had two girls, Heidi and Robin. The Setters also lived in Florida, Germany, and Spain, with Harvey serving in Hawaii before he met Betty. Harvey attended school while serving in the Air Force and eventually received his degree from NMU while working full-time. He joked that it took him 23 years to graduate! 

After those 23 years of service, he retired as an E9 from KI Sawyer, but he didn’t stay retired. Harvey then went to work for Freedom Airlines, quickly transitioning to the Delta County Airport Manager, eventually taking on the parks. Harvey still consulted for airports for many years after he retired from that job. He would fly himself all over to do this work. 

Delta County was a homecoming for Harvey’s wife, Betty, as she was raised in the Rapid River area and confirmed at Calvary Lutheran Church. The Setter’s were married there as well. When they built their house in Gladstone, First Lutheran seemed like a good protestant choice for church.  Harvey connected with Pastor Ron Swanson, who didn’t hesitate to stop by to look for a cup of coffee. 

When the Setters found a comfortable community at First Lutheran, they jumped in to support and care for the church. Harvey served on the council, helping First Lutheran to walk through some difficult times, and he was a regular usher. Once in a while, he will still pinch hit, but he has mostly retired from that kind of service.

From starting their marriage living in a chicken coop to traveling all over the world, the Setters have some stories they can share, and they may even be able to speak them in several languages, too! In almost 60 years, they have done so much together. They are still snowbirds in the winter and have just headed south. 

We are thankful for their time with us at First Lutheran. Even though we only see them when it’s warm, we are glad that Harvey and Betty Setter find community with us. Harvey’s wisdom and kindness have helped us as a church over the years, and his service to our country is commendable.