MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)
Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 82 – In Book, Page 197
Tim Preaches at St. Mark’s, Watertown, Wisconsin, Jenny Celebrates Her 29th Birthday, Julia and Tom’s Baby To Be Born In August, Our Sons On Busch Garden’s Roller Coasters, Our Daughters Together in Nashville, Tennessee, Tre Ore Worship at St. John’s, Watertown, Wisconsin, Celebrating Easter at St. Mark’s, Watertown, Wisconsin, Lakeside Lutheran High School’s 50th Anniversary, Tim and Timmy Help Clean Up Out Lot at Pioneer Park, Spring – 2009, Four ROC Teens Attend Their First Worship Service
MARCH 21, 2009 – FROM WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES – MUELLER TO PREACH AT ST. MARK’S CHURCH
“The Rev. Tim Mueller, pastor/director of the Watertown Recreation and Outreach Center, will be the guest speaker at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church this weekend. The sermon for the fourth Sunday in Lent is based on Luke 13:31-35, “Strong Willed Sinners Need the Stronger Willed Savior”. How true that is! We attended the Sunday worship service, and again heard an excellent sermon by our son, Tim. Pastor James Werner was the Liturgist.
MARCH 21, 2009 – JENNY CELEBRATES HER 29TH BIRTHDAY
Happy 29th birthday, Jenny! Again, all of us are gathered around Sue and Tim’s family balloon tablecloth, and everyone is smiling and happy. There is pretty Jenny in a beautiful dark rose blouse beaming over another delicious birthday cake. How fast the years go by! It doesn’t seem long ago when she was born.
MARCH 25, 2009 – IS JULIE AND TOM’S BABY TO BE BORN IN AUGUST A GIRL OR BOY?
Monday, March 23rd, was the day on which Julie and Tom would find out whether their baby would be a girl or boy. No one called us, so I called Julie’s Mom, Sue, and asked her. She thought the news should come from Julie, but I said, “It’s a girl, isn’t it?” Sue couldn’t contain herself, and said, “Yes, it’s a girl!” She was bubbling over and was so excited, and so were we. How blessed our family is, and how thankful we are for all of those blessings.
APRIL 4, 2009 – OUR THREE SONS RIDE THE BUSCH GARDENS ROLLER COASTER
Dick, Tim, and Steve are roller coaster crazy, so all three of them made plans to go to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, to “enjoy” the chills and thrills of those wild ups, downs, flips, and dips. Was it like being in an ejector seat? From the pictures which they put on the internet, it sure looks that way, but they sure are enjoying the ride from the exhilarating looks on their faces. I used to ride all the carnival rides at Riverside Park when I was a kid, but I’m not quite sure I am that “crazy” to go on one of those kind of roller coasters; anyway, not at my age.
APRIL, 2009 – OUR THREE DAUGHTERS HAVE FUN TOGETHER IN NASHVILLE, TN.
Not to be outdone by their brothers, Debbie, Susie, and Stephanie went to Nashville, Tennessee. Every year Stephanie goes to an Injury Prevention convention, and her two sisters join her. There are beautiful pictures of them taken then. They loved the hotel they were in. They did enter the Grand Old Opry House, and said it was fabulous. They didn’t see the show because it was very expensive. That is the same reason why we did not see the show when we were in Nashville. (We did go to see the Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson’s home, which is about 12 miles from Nashville.) The best part of the girls’ trip was just being together.
APRIL 10, 2009 – TRE ORE SERVICE – ST. JOHN’S EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH
We attended the Tre Ore Service at St. John’s. There were four preachers, one of whom was Tim. Pastor Rodney Warnecke’s sermon was on Genesis 1:26, 27, 31 – “Look What Man Had”. Pastor Tim Mueller’s sermon was on Genesis 3:11 – “Look What Man Lost” – Pastor Matt Crass’s sermon was on Genesis 3:15 – Look What Man Was Promised” – and Pastor John Chworowsky’s sermon was on Isaiah 1:2-4, 15 – “Look How Man Lived And God Yet Kept His Promise”. Kevin Poston, Sue and Tim’s son-in-law, directed the St. John’s Kinderchor and the Senior Choir.
APRIL 12, 2009 – EASTER – CELEBRATING THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
Pastor Karl Walther preached the sermon on – “Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?” – 1. It seems like the answer is “everywhere” – 2. For us – through Jesus Christ, the answer is “nowhere” – 3. And from now on, we’re going to live like it. Pastor Michael Jensen was the Liturgist. It was a very uplifting service, enhanced by the talented choir members and instrumentalists.
After the service a delicious Easter breakfast was served in St. Mark’s School Commons by the Boy Pioneers. There were even colored Easter eggs. We were invited by Joanne and Jerry Brandt for lunch in their home. A lot of wonderful food was served. After lunch Jenny hid Easter eggs in the back yard for Joshua, Jonah, and Conner to find.
Julie and Tom Pasch told us on April 12th that their baby girl’s name is “Adalynn Susan Pasch”, and Jenny and Kevin Poston told us on April 13th that their baby boy’s name is “Tyler Matthew Poston”. Isn’t it amazing? They know if their baby will be a boy or girl BEFORE HE OR SHE IS BORN!!!! – something unheard of when I was pregnant with our babies.
APRIL 19, 2009 – LAKESIDE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Pastor Lloyd Huebner, the first Principal of Lakeside Lutheran High School, preached the sermonette on “Built on a Firm Foundation” – Ephesians 2:19-20: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.” One of the reasons we attended the anniversary was because Dick’s father, Pastor Richard William Mueller, Sr., was very instrumental in the beginnings of Lakeside Lutheran High School. In the LAKESIDE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE BOOKLET on Page 7 it says: “Early Planning for a New Lutheran High School” – Lakeside really had its beginning in the hearts and minds of dedicated Christians several years before its historic opening in the Fall of 1958. In 1951 the Rev. Richard Mueller, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, and President of the Western Wisconsin District of the WELS, presented a paper at a pastoral conference, emphasizing the importance and need for Christian education not only on the elementary level, but also on the high school level.”
Another reason we attended the anniversary was because Dick, Jr., taught at Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills, Wisconsin, after we returned from Africa. In the LAKESIDE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE BOOKLET on Page 10 he is listed as teaching there from 1972-74.. He taught Religion and U. S. Government. He received a Call to Lord And Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church, Crystal Lake, Illinois, which he accepted, and where we lived and worked for 11 blessed years.
We have a medallion which we acquired at the Anniversary. On one side it says,“LAKESIDE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL – 1958-2008”. On the other side it says,“OUR HERITAGE AND FUTURE”.
APRIL, 2009 – TIM AND SON, TIMMY, TO THE RESCUE
Tim and son, Timmy, are standing next to a mountain of leaves which they have blown with a leaf blower to the road in front of our lot at Pioneer Park. Wow, look at all those leaves from our trees. Tim blew them onto a huge plastic sheet and then dragged the sheet to the road where the Pioneer Park vacuum machine sucks them up and carries them away. I shudder when I think of all the leaves Dick and I raked up for many years, and put them in plastic bags, as the Park required. Not anymore – the old bodies rebel!
Thank you so very much, Tim and Timmy!
APRIL 13, 2009 – IT’S SPRING!
One day we stopped at Sue and Tim’s, and there were Tim, Matt, Chris, Timmy, and Tom in the hot tub! Dick and I were wearing jackets, not winter, but spring! At our home daffodils and tulips are blooming. We celebrated Tim’s 51st birthday (April 24, 1958) and my 79th birthday (April 17, 1930) at Sue and Tim’s home with a delicious meal, birthday cake, and gifts. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Sue, Tim, and family for remembering my birthday. Also a big thank you to other members of our family who remembered it with lovely cards, flowers, and gifts. I am so blessed!!!!!.
MAY, 2009 – PEBBLES FROM THE ROC
“Recently four unchurched teens attended a worship service with Pastor Mueller as he preached at one of our WELS churches. Three out of the four teens had never attended a church service before. As Pastor Mueller knew that they would be unfamiliar and, therefore, uncomfortable, he prepared them for the worship service by explaining how the hymnal is set up with the liturgy in the front and the hymns in the back. Pastor Mueller also explained to the teens how to respect the worship that occurs before the actual starting of the worship service. The teens responded as they remained quiet and also joined in solemn and sincere worship preparation and etiquette. Earlier the teens had quietly toured the church and facility and found their seats in the balcony. A humorous moment happened in the worship service as all four teens, during the service, moved from their seats and hung over the balcony rail so that they could see the pulpit while listening. The teens had no thought that this was out of the ordinary. They just wanted to hear and see. Later the teens expressed their thanks and asked questions about God’s Word and the Gospel they had heard.”