Noel
My “career” (“ministry”) began with a call from the Lord when I (Noel) was attending a high school Bible Camp in Central Nebraska. It was always in the back of my mind, even though I also considered Medical School through the first two years of college. By my Junior year, I knew God had called me to be a pastor. So from then on, I kept my focus to prepare to enter Seminary. After two years at the Seminary, we had a year of internship. I put down that I wanted to be in the Midwest. When the assignment came out, mine said, “to be assigned later by Luther Seminary.” Two weeks later, I found out that I was assigned to a two-point parish in Montana – Choteau, and Dutton. We lived in Dutton, while my Intern pastor lived in Choteau.
We both had a good year on internship. Basically, it was like serving my own church. I did everything. Mom was able to be involved in a lot of church activities as well as giving piano lessons.
After December 28, 1962, she became a mother to our first son David.
After our year of internship, we returned back to Seminary to complete our final year. From there, I received a call to serve a two-point parish, Froid and Homestead, Montana. These two small towns were in the very northeast corner of the state. While there, two more boys, Shawn and Brian, were added to the family.
After four years, we moved to Chester, Montana, where I served Chester and St. Olaf near Ledger. Those were good years. It was here that we grew spiritually. We were introduced to the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” and saw some amazing things God did when we were serious about our prayer life as well as our total dependence on Him. With the help of two other pastors from along the Highline (Highway 2), I started a youth retreat called AGAPE. God did amazing things with our youth. To see their lives changed with some going into ministry/mission work was good to see. It was an incredible seven years. One more son, Darin, was added to our family.
From there, we moved to Stover, Missouri, where we served seven years. Our ministry there was also a great experience. We were accepted as part of the family. We saw many members grow spiritually. Many became good friends. We shared good memories in their homes, cabins by the lake of the Ozarks, working with the Boy Scouts, and many other great opportunities to be together. When the call came to go to Omaha, it was hard to leave Stover. Many had touched our lives, and we trust that we touched many of them.
In Omaha, opportunities to grow spiritually were many. Wonderful people to work with. The church also became family to us. We went through some hard times, especially when it was decided that we needed to leave the ELCA and go through the process it takes to leave. Not easy. But the congregation stood with us. I never thought we would remain at Calvary Lutheran for 32 years as a full-time pastor and now with seven more years as part-time. Good years, good growth for us, and many great opportunities to see God at work. Mom and her good friend, Lynn, were in charge of worship, planned many great and wonderful musicals, Christmas Eve services, Easter services, etc.
What a great asset to the church, and great memories.
That is a quick summary of my career (Ministry).
Speaking of my first job, it took place right after my fifth year in school. My father served two country churches at Ruskin and Abdel, Nebraska. Towards the spring of that year, a neighbor farmer named Jens Houtwed came by and asked me to do the farming for him. His son went into the military, and he needed someone to do the fieldwork. So from then on, that was my job. He kept me busy every day, but Sunday. I did everything from getting soil ready for the seed, planting the seed, cultivating the corn, and harvesting the wheat and oats and later the corn. Wonderful years. Like someone once said, “you can’t take the farm out of a boy (man),” and that is true. I am so thankful to Jens for giving me that opportunity and for those wonderful years.
In college, I spent one summer in various cities and towns. Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Kenmare, North Dakota; Northfield, Minnesota, where four of us from Dana College traveled to various churches to do community surveys and invite people to those churches we were working for. Great memories.
Also, the summer after my Sophomore year, I worked at an airbase north of Minot, North Dakota. That was a great summer, working many hours. Since Korshoj from Blair owned the construction company, we became known as the Korshoj boys and were given extra hours to make more for college. The project foreman was the father of Jerry Petersen, one of our future parishioners from Omaha.
Another summer, I worked for a Cement Contractor in Madison, Wisconsin. It was great in that I could live with my parents in Oregon, Wisconsin. It was hard work but good money.
The summer after I graduated, I had gotten engaged to Ruby and went to live with her parents and worked at a Humbolt Creamery driving a milk truck. It was great to have that summer with Ruby and get to know her parents and family better. We had great times and great memories. But the best was getting to eat all the ice cream we wanted after we did our milk pick-ups.
Then came Seminary.
That last question, did you have a job that you did not enjoy? I enjoyed everything. It was work, and I wanted to work and was thankful for every job that I had. They gave me many wonderful opportunities to learn many different skills. So, yes, I enjoyed them all.
(Ruby’s addition) My best job has been training my wife to do what I want her to do! Think I’ve done a great job after 60+ years! God sure has blessed me with the BEST! (I really think it is the other way around).
Ruby
Well, where do I (Ruby) start but as a young girl on the farm? My first job, per se, was helping mom and dad do chores inside, helping mother with the household tasks as needed, and then the tasks that I could do outside for our dad. I fed the cows hay and put molasses on the hay as needed. I cleaned the barn when the cows were let out and wheeled the manure outside in a pile. I helped feed chickens and clean eggs, bottle-fed the lambs, and mowed the lawn with a hand mower. When I was about eight years old, I got to drive the John Deere tractor for the hired men as they loaded the hay onto the wagon….it was a tricky job, and sometimes I would play tricks on them to make it more fun for me but frustrating for them. They got mad at me, and I got in trouble. These farm responsibilities helped me prepare for greater responsibilities as I grew older.
I never did have a paying job while in High School because of all the extra-curricular activities I was involved in. I took piano lessons from the age of eight years old and practiced very hard. I was then blessed to take organ lessons and began playing the organ for our Sunday services at church when I was in the seventh grade. This all took time to practice and gave me good discipline in my life. I also studied hard in High School so I could prepare for college. I did not have a job while in college either but continued my musical career and other studies. I had to manage my time well.
I had taken several different secretarial classes while in High
School and College. This prepared me for my first “real” job when Noel was in Seminary. I worked as a secretary for a professor who was writing a Christian Encyclopedia. I had also worked as a secretary in a large company in Dubuque, Iowa, while Noel was in Seminary. I also worked as a paraprofessional with Special Needs children. They were such a blessing. Because of my musical training, I have given piano lessons all of our married life and played for church, weddings, funerals, and soloists… It’s all been a variety of jobs, but I’ve loved them all. There was never a job that I did not enjoy. My jobs were all short-term, and I’m thankful I got the Blessing to be a wife and mother all my life, which I enjoyed the most. Being a Pastor’s wife has been a challenge and blessing at the same time. I pray that God has used me when and where he has wanted to use me. I have loved to be in partnership with my wonderful husband, Noel, for sixty-plus years. God has blessed us, and I thank Him for this calling on my life.