Church Worker, Congregation, and School Anniversaries
2026 Church Worker Anniversaries
It is both a custom and a privilege for the Nebraska District to recognize the anniversaries of our professional church workers—active and retired Ministers of Religion–Ordained and Ministers of Religion–Commissioned. According to our records, the church workers currently listed below will be celebrating anniversaries in 2026. Congregations are encouraged to have some kind of recognition of these important events as one way to express love, care, and appreciation for the church workers.
Ministers of Religion–Ordained
70 Years
Orville Jank (StL’56)
55 Years
Stephen Bartelt (StL’71)
Eugene Gierke (Spg’71)
Michael Volk (StL’71)
50 Years
Richard Kothe (Spg’76)
45 Years
James Carretto (FtW’81)
James Dahlke (FtW’81)
Norman Friedmeyer (FtW’81)
Robert Lindau (FtW’80-Cqy)
Glenn Meyer (FtW’81)
Mark Zehnder (StL’81)
40 Years
Charles Adams (StL’86)
Daniel Barbey (StL’86)
Richard Bringewatt (StL’86)
Douglas Gaunt (FtW’86)
Roger Henning (StL’86-Cqy)
Darrel Kois (StL’86)
Ronald Kuehner (StL’86)
David Muench (StL’86)
John H. Schmidt (FtW’86)
Brion Tolzman (StL’86)
35 Years
Steven Felton (FtW’91)
Paul Holtorf (StL’91)
Bernhard Huesmann (FtW’91)
Brent Kuhlman (StL’90)
Scott Porath (FtW’91)
Donald Schulz (FtW’91)
30 Years
David Dobbertien (FtW’96)
Jose Flores (StL’96-Cqy)
John Gierke (StL’96)
John Kunze (StL’96)
Roger Leavitt (FtW’96)
Paul Warneke (FtW’96)
25 Years
Ronald Benson (FtW’01-AR)
Bryan Drebes (StL’01)
Paul Dunbar (StL’01)
David List (StL’01)
Brent Smith (StL’01)
Greg Stuckwisch (StL’01)
20 Years
Kurtis Busskohl (StL’06)
David Feddern (StL’06-AR)
Daniel Wing (StL’06)
15 Years
Mark Anderson (StL’11)
Justin Bell (StL’11)
Brian Bucklew (FtW’11)
David Coe (StL’06)
Ryan Eden (FtW’10)
Seth Flick (StL’11)
Don Pobanz (FtW’11)
Jonathan Rusnak (StL’10)
10 Years
Paul Albers (StL’16)
Adam Archer (StL’16)
Kevin Foley (FtW’16)
Brent Horne (FtW’16)
Ryan Janke (FtW’16)
Lucas Miller (FtW’16)
Nathan Scheck (StL’16)
Timothy Wells (StL’16)
Brian Wright (StL’16-AR)
5 Years
Justin Bangert (StL’21-AR)
Alexander Blanken (FtW’21)
Eric Gradberg (StL’21-AR)
Martin Hill (FtW’21)
Ryan Maser (StL’21)
Ministers of Religion–Commissioned
(Anniversaries for commissioned workers mark years of service, and do not include years on candidate or non-candidate status.)
70 years
Victor Peter (S’56)
65 years
Virginia Kohtz (S’61)
Jerrald Pfabe (RF’60)
60 years
Gary Drefke (S’66)
Eunice Goldgrabe (S’66)
Courtney Meyer (S’65)
John Roeber (S’66)
Thomas Ruppert (S’67)
55 years
Caroline Heidorn (S’74)
Neal Kurtz (S’70)
Marcheta Long (S’63)
Betty Meyer (S’66)
Don Sylwester (S’71)
50 years
Russell Moulds (S’76)
Catherine Niemeyer (S-Cqy’87)
45 years
Eunice McCarty (S’78)
Jenny Mueller-Roebke (S’73)
Elizabeth Obermueller (S’64)
David Ricke (S’77)
Kenneth Sankey (S’80)
Clee Wolske (S’73)
Monique Wolske (S’73)
Robert Ziegler (S’81)
40 years
Marcia Bliss (S’78)
Rob Cooksey (S’84)
Laura Deardoff (SJW’85)
Karen Einspahr (S’79)
Annie Rumsey (S-Cqy’01)
Lori Uden (S’85)
35 years
Laura Asplin (S’91)
Denise Bitter (S’71)
Rebekah Blanco (WI-Cqy’02)
Chris Deeter (S’86)
Lavonne Fleer (S’77)
Ann Gardels (S’91)
Gretchen Gebhardt (S’75)
Mark Meehl (S’79)
Edward Reinke (S’85)
Pamela Simpson (S’90)
Thaddeus Warren (S’91)
30 years
Ann Anderson (S’96)
Mark Anschutz (S’77)
Jonathan Baumgartel (S’96)
Jeremy Geidel (S’96)
Jeff Rickords (S’95)
Amy Stradtmann (S’91)
Sheila Wallingford (S’96)
25 years
Phillip Carlson (S’01)
Juanita Ebert (CH-Cqy’04)
Charles Gebhardt (S’91)
Amy Hubach (S’01)
Jennifer Janousek (S-Cqy’25)
Candace Jurchen (S’01)
Paula Kapels (S’84)
Shannon Meyer (CH’01)
Karen Prelerson (S’87)
Lauren Sommerer (S’93)
Todd Voss (S’92)
Darcy Willers (S-Cqy’05)
Matt Wiltse (S’00)
20 years
Amy Harms (S’04)
Nicolai Love (S’06)
Natasha Onnen (S’06)
Nicholas Onnen (S’06)
Shanna Opfer (S’99)
Amy Schmidt (S’06)
Vanessa Seifert (S’03)
15 years
David Borcherding (S’89)
Rebekah Freed (S’11)
Natalie Heidtbrink (IV-Cqy’15)
Ann Henny (S’10)
Rebecca Jeseritz (MQ’04)
Caroline Kober (S’97)
Katherine Krause (S’11)
Andrew Rathe (S’10)
10 years
Katelyn Cody (S’13)
Rachel Jank (S’09)
Zachary Kollbaum (S’16)
Christina Long (S-Cqy’22)
Jeremiah Majorins (S’12)
Wendy McCarty (S’77)
Kelly Shaver (S’12)
Keaton Sturm (S’12)
Chase Winter (S-Cqy’19)
5 years
Kaitlyn Bolin (S’19)
Jenny Carlson (S’09)
Bethany Gebers (SP’21)
Camille Hamer (S’21)
Callie Hammes (S’21)
Julia Holle (S’21)
Evan Johnson (S’20)
Angela Kollbaum (IV’21)
Chelsey Liess (S’07)
Sarah Love (S’06)
Toria Richardson (S’18)
2026 Congregation and School Annivesaries
According to our records, the congregations and schools currently listed below will be celebrating anniversaries in 2026.
Nebraska District Congregations
155th Anniversary
Christ, Columbus
St. Peter, Elk Creek
Immanuel, Louisville
Christ, Norfolk
St. John, Pierce
St. Paul, West Point
150th Anniversary
Immanuel, Hooper
First, Papillion
145th Anniversary
St. Paul, Falls City
Trinity, Lincoln
Zion, Scotia
First Trinity (Altona), Wayne
St. John, Wilcox
140th Anniversary
Zion, Garland
St. John, Ogallala
Trinity, Ogallala
Zion, Omaha
135th Anniversary
Immanuel, Daykin
St. Paul, Winside
130th Anniversary
Golgotha, Wausa
125th Anniversary
Christ, Falls City
Zion (Harbine), Jansen
St. John, Palmer
120th Anniversary
St. Paul, Chambers
100th Anniversary
St. John, Burwell
Grace, Franklin
Our Redeemer, North Platte
Our Savior, Odell
St. Paul, Ogallala
Mt. Calvary, Omaha
95th Anniversary
St. Paul, Cambridge
Mt. Olive, Norfolk
90th Anniversary
Trinity, Walthill
St. Peter, Wymore
85th Anniversary
Christ, O’Neill
Grace, Platte Center
80th Anniversary
Hope, Omaha
Christ, St. Paul
70th Anniversary
Grace, Grand Island
Faith, Hastings
St. Mark, Omaha
65th Anniversary
Peace, Columbus
50th Anniversary
Peace, Grand Island
45th Anniversary
Lord of Life, Elkhorn
10th Anniversary
GraceHill, Omaha
Nebraska District Schools
155th Anniversary
Christ Lutheran School, Columbus
Christ Lutheran School, Norfolk
150th Anniversary
St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Arlington
140th Anniversary
Immanuel Lutheran School, Polk
120th Anniversary
Trinity Lutheran School, Madison
Immanuel Lutheran Preschool, Osmond
110th Anniversary
St. Paul Lutheran School, Beatrice
60th Anniversary
Our Redeemer Lutheran School, Staplehurst
45th Anniversary
Trinity Lutheran Preschool, Auburn
Holy Cross Lutheran Preschool, Kearney
35th Anniversary
Lambs of Christ Lutheran Preschool (Bethlehem), Crete
30th Anniversary
Noah’s Ark Christian Preschool (St. John), Burwell
Lutheran High Northeast, Norfolk
St. John Lutheran Preschool, Tecumseh
25th Anniversary
Concordia Lutheran Schools, Omaha
15th Anniversary
Little Lambs Christian Preschool (Christ), St. Paul