New Members

April 20, 2008

RECEIVED INTO MEMBERSHIP TODAY are Benjamin, Sondra, Josiah & Gideon Brakenhoff, Michelle Dunk, Joseph, Kimberly, Madison, & Brodie Filla, Florence Goebel, Eula Harbers, Erin Meier, Amy Newman, Charlene Stelzig, Karl & Amy Streit, and James Throckmorton.  Ben is a new program assistant at Camp Lone Star, Sondra is a homemaker, and mother to their children Josiah (3) and Gideon (1).  They come to us by transfer from St. John’s Lutheran in Lincolnville , Kansas .  Michelle is the wife of our member Michael Dunk, and comes to us by transfer from Holy Cross Lutheran in Warda.  Joey is the owner of Precision Foundation, Kim is employed by Botts Title, Madison (9) is a student at Hermes Elementary, and Brodie (5) goes to our member Tami Pietsch’s in-home day care.  They come to us by baptism and adult confirmation.  Flo, as most everyone calls her, is Brenda Rainosek’s mother, and Evelyn Imken’s sister, and comes to us by transfer from St. Michael’s Lutheran in Winchester .  Eula is a sister to our member Lynn Schott, lives at Jefferson Place , is not able to be with us this morning, and comes to us by profession of faith.  Erin is again a program assistant at Camp Lone Star, where she also served before, and comes to us by transfer from University Lutheran in College Station .  Amy Newman is married to our member David Newman, and comes to us by transfer from Holy Cross Lutheran in Warda.  Charlene is a daughter of our member Johanna Pietsch and a sister to our member Margie Buscha, works part-time at St. Mark’s Medical Center in the cafeteria, and comes to us by profession of faith.  Karl, better known to most as “Tiny”, is the Director of Operations at Camp Lone Star, Amy is an English teacher at La Grange Middle School , and they come to us by transfer from Shepherd Of The Hills Lutheran in San Antonio .  James comes to us by transfer from CrossPoint Lutheran in El Paso .  We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.  Please say hello to them today during our Fellowship Time after worship.

May 2007

Mt. Calvary has been blessed with new members!  Received into membership on May 20th were Les Hentschel, Todd, Tammy, Marshall, & Bowen Kelm, and Glen & Helen Whitley.  Les is a brother of James Hentschel & Ruby Fehrle, who works for the City of Smithville and Hentschel Aircraft Service, and joins us by profession of faith. Todd Kelm has joined Camp Lone Star as a Maintenance Assistant; Tammy also helps out at the Camp and is a homemaker.  They have transferred their membership from St. John Lutheran in Wausau, WI.  Glen & Helen Whitley join us by transfer form Grace Lutheran in Smithville.

Front row, from left to right, Helen & Glen Whitley, Les Hentschel, Bowen, Tammy, Marshall & Todd Kelm.
Back row, Pastor Bragdon.

November 2006

Received into membership on Sunday, November 26, 2006:

Carol Ahlschlager, who has moved to La Grange from Wichita Falls and is joining by profession of faith.  Carol is a personal caretaker, working for Lela Grayson.  Milton Bamsch, who has transferred his membership from Holy Cross Lutheran in Warda.  Milton works for the Hanover Company as a welder, and is engaged to our own Lynsey Pietsch.  Victor & Martha Clevenger have moved to La Grange from Virginia , and are joining by transfer of membership from Living Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool.  Both Vic and Martha are retired.  Mandi Rainosek, rejoins Mt. Calvary by transfer from Bethany Lutheran Church in Austin .  Mandi lives in Brenham, and is working in her parents’ theatre business.  We welcome each of them into our Christian fellowship.

Pictured, from left to right, are: Milton Bamsch, Pastor Bragdon, Carol Ahlschlager, Mandi Rainosek, Martha Clevenger and Vic Clevenger.

March 2006

Received into membership on Sunday, March 12, 2006:

Stanley & Jo Ann Correll and Doris Koerth.  Stanley & Jo Ann Correll live outside Schulenburg, and have a farm that sells registered Boer goats.  They come to us by transfer from our sister congregation, Zion Lutheran, in Schulenburg.  Doris Koerth lives here in La Grange, and comes to us by profession of faith.  Doris is a former member of St. Paul Lutheran in La Grange.  We welcome them into our Christian fellowship .

October 2005

Received into membership on October 23rd, 2005 are:

Amber Bartek, Junell Ladewig, and Sandra & Joshua Rials.  Amber Bartek joins us today by adult confirmation, and is married to John Bartek.  Junell Ladewig joins us by transfer from Epiphany Lutheran Church in Jersey Village, and is a sister to Matt Buscha.  Sandra Rials joins us by transfer from Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring, is retired from the Texas Department of Transportation, and works as a commercial real estate appraiser.  Her grandson Joshua Rials is a student at La Grange High School.  We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

Pictured, from left to right, are Sandy Rials, Joshua Rials, Junell Ladewig, and Rev. Dennis Bragdon.

Received into membership on Sunday, October 30 were Amber Bartek, Erin Herbrich, and Byron & Pam Terral.  Amber Bartek joined us by adult confirmation, and is married to John Bartek.  Erin Herbrich joined us by profession of faith, is married to David Herbrich, and is currently a graduate student at the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, pursuing a Master's degree in Health Policy and Management.  Byron & Pam Terral live n Weimar , and joined us by transfer from Zion Lutheran Church in Schulenburg.  He works for Dow Chemical in Freeport , and she works for the USPS in Weimar .   We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

Pictured, from left to right, are Byron Terral, Pam Terral, Rev. Dennis Bragdon, and Erin Herbrich.

September 2004

Received into membership on September 12th, 2004 are:

Pictured from left to right, Colten and Elayna Burrow, mom Jennifer and baby Jacquelyn, Pastor Bragdon, Elizabeth and David Bubela, and mom Michelle. Also pictured, far right, are Chris and Kristen Bubela.

May 2004

Received into membership on May 9th, 2004 are Joanne Gillette, Laura Gillette and her son Miles, and Lorra Prause and her children Jessica and Daniel. Joanne is the mother of our organist Laura Gillette, lives in Fayetteville, is self-employed in raising and showing cutting horses, and has already joined our choir. Laura is well known to us as our organist/choir and instrumental accompanist. She lives in Brenham, and enjoys horses, dogs and cats, and reading (when she has the time). Her son Miles is now two years old, and will be coming to our Preschool this fall. They all join us today by profession of faith, and are former members of St. Paul Lutheran (ELCA) here in La Grange. Lorra works at Wal-Mart, is a single parent of Jessica and Daniel, and also joins us by profession of faith. She is a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Frelsburg/New Ulm, outside of Columbus. We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

Pictured above are Lorra, Daniel & Jessica Prause.	Pictured above are Miles, Joanne, and Laura (Miles' mother) Gillette.

April 2004

Received into membership today, April 11th, 2004, are Tiffany Baxley, Sean Cramer, and Sheldon Hughes.   Tiffany is the sister of Samantha Baxley, works for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Austin, and joins us by adult confirmation. Sean is well-known to us as our now former DCE Intern, now working full time at Camp Lone Star, and joins us by transfer from St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rockton, Illinois. Sheldon also works full time at Camp Lone Star, and joins us by adult confirmation. We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

From left:  Sheldon Hughes, Sean Cramer, Pastor Bragdon, Tiffany Baxley.

August 2003

Received into membership today, August 31st, 2003,  are several new members: Rose Bernstein, sister of Gladys Teinert, is received by transfer from St. Mark, Houston.  Carol Carpenter is received by transfer from Holy Cross, and has already joined our Wednesday Bible Class.   Chester Henk, a former member of our church, returns to us by profession of faith. Delta Mae McKinley and her sons Glenn McKinley and Wayne McKinley are joining us by profession of faith. Some of our members may remember Alma Karisch, Delta’s mother, who was a long time member of our church. Gary Mitschke also joins us by profession of faith, and is the husband of our member Jo Ann (Fehrle) Mitschke. Lillian Pesick is joining us by profession of faith, and was formerly a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Prairie Valley, before moving from Plum to Frisch Auf.   Tiffany Proske, wife of our member Michael Proske, joins us by adult confirmation.  Emilie Ritter joins us by profession of faith.  Ryan Smith and daughter Miyah are also joining us by profession of faith, while Jeaton Smith, their wife/mother, is joining by adult confirmation. We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

Front row:  Emilie Ritter, Lillian Pesick, Rose Bernstein.  
Middle row: Wayne McKinley, Glenn McKinley, Delta Mae McKinley, Gary Mitschke, Tiffany Proske.
Back row:   Rev. Dennis Bragdon, Jeaton Smith, Miyah Smith, and Ryan Smith .  (Not pictured: Carol Carpenter and Chester Henk.)

November 2003

Received into membership today are several new members: Glenda Midgett is received by profession of faith. She is the mother of Rebecca Weikel, and works at the new La Marina Restaurant (former Cottonwood) and at Weikel’s Store and Bakery. Her favorite hobbies are her grandchildren, and raising mules, bees, and honey. Kevin Ordiway is received by adult confirmation. He graduated from La Grange High School last year, works at McDonald’s, and is a friend of April Trump. April Trump is also received by adult confirmation. She is a step-daughter of our members Gary & Jo Ann Mitschke, is a junior at La Grange High School, and works at Pizza Hut. Rebecca Weikel is also received by adult confirmation. She is married to Philip Weikel, and is a 2^nd grade teacher at Hermes Elementary. Their daughter Mara was baptized here back in 1999. Frank, Leah, and Trey Wolf are received by transfer from Immanuel Lutheran in Giddings. Frank works at Fayette Memorial Hospital as the Network Administrator, and Leah works there also, as the Clinic Coordinator for the Public Health Clinic over at the Meadows Building. Trey is a 1^st grader at Hermes Elementary. We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

Pictured above are April Trump, Kevin Ordiway (front row), and Rev. Dennis Bragdon and Rev. James Linderman, President of the Texas District - LCMS.

August 2002

Received into membership in August, 2002 were:  Gary & Carol Nelson and Nita Behrens on August 10th, Ruby Fehrle, Mary Holiday, Kevin Seifert, and Clayton, Emily, and Hannah Wolf on August 25th. 

Ruby & Mary probably need no great introduction to us, as they are daughters of our now sainted members John & Julia Hentschel, and sisters to James Hentschel. They have both settled down now here in La Grange, and live with James, in what used to be John & Julia’s house. Ruby joins our church by transfer from Salem Lutheran in Tomball, and Mary joins us by profession of faith. 

Kevin also probably needs no great introduction, as he was baptized and raised here at Mt. Calvary, and becomes a communicant member of our church today by confirmation, after participating in the same Adult Membership Bible Study Class as Nita Behrens, whom we received here just two weeks ago. 

Clayton has recently moved to our area, as a result of a transfer in his job with Texas Parks & Wildlife, and bought a home in Fayetteville. His daughter Emily has just started the 6th grade in Fayetteville, and loves to dance, swim, and read. His daughter Hannah has just started the 3rd grade, also in Fayetteville, and loves to do all sorts of things, like gymnastics, soccer, and swimming. They come to us by transfer from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jasper. Clayton’s wife, Ashley, by the way, is a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Fayetteville, and you will also see her here sometimes with her family. We welcome all these folks into our Christian fellowship.

Front row: Hannah and Emily Wolf.  Middle row: Nita Behrens, Kevin Seifert, Clayton Wolf, Gary Nelson, and Carol Nelson.  Back row: Rev. Dennis Bragdon.  (Not pictured: Ruby Fehrle and Mary Holiday.)

March 2002

Received into membership at the Sunday service on March 10th, 2002 were Charles & Barbara Hofmann, Robert & Genelda Pavlik, and Linda Poncik.  

Charles & Barbara have returned to La Grange in retirement, and are transferring their membership from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lexington Park, Maryland.  Robert & Genelda have moved to La Grange from Houston (Genelda is originally from Warda) and are transferring their membership from Epiphany Lutheran Church in Pearland.   

Linda Poncik joins us by profession of faith.  Her husband Joseph is a frequent visitor to our church.  We welcome them into our Christian fellowship.

Pictured, from left to right, are Linda Poncik, Robert Pavlik, Genelda Pavlik, Rev. Dennis Bragdon, Barbara Hofmann and Charles Hofmann.