Meet Carol Apple and LaVerne Reber
 

If you have not met these two wonderful folks yet, you are missing two of the most delightful people at LOUCC! Carol, and her mother, LaVerne, have been attending here for a couple years, and joined the church about a year ago.

Carol has lived in Portland for 25 years, having been born and raised an only child in Pennsylvania. She attended Penn State and the University of Minnesota, studying forestry, the area in which she worked in various capacities, and from which she retired. Carol met her husband, Rich, in Grad School, where he was studying in the same field. She and Rich had two daughters, Amanda, a middle-school teacher in the Tigard-Tualatin Schools, and Sarah, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah. Rich died from cancer in 2002.

Before moving to Oregon, LaVerne was a life-long Pennsylvanian, graduating third in her high school class! Over the years she worked in a sewing factory, for Josten’s jewelers, and as a church organist and pianist. Her husband played trombone in the Army Band and was a train engineer for many years.  He and LaVerne were married for 48 years before he passed away. Their lives were filled with music, church, and camping.

Now, if you think these two sit around eating bon-bons, think again! You might find them at yoga or tai chi, taking long walks, working on crafts, cooking, doing the Relay For Life every year, tackling projects at their home in Sherwood, attending various LOUCC functions, or even at a Barry Manilow concert! In addition, they are both very active members here at the church. Carol teaches church school, has spoken during worship, ushers, and is on the Generosity Team, just a few of her “official” jobs. She and LaVerne are both active in Sojourners, and you will find them every Sunday about half-way back in the pews (on the right side) on Sunday mornings.

So if you have not had a chance to get to know these two, look for them and introduce yourself.  Your life will be brighter, and you will immediately have two new friends! We are so glad to have Carol and LaVerne, and the many gifts they bring to us, here at LOUCC!

Two fun facts:  Elaine Smilko and Carol and Laverne lived in the same tiny Pennsylvanian town for a while…and LaVerne and Carol are life-long Congregationalists!

-Bill Davis
 

Meet Bob Miller

Bob Miller is one of those people who you may recognize by sight but not know by name. That is, unless you are one of the lucky folk who have come to know him through the many ways he has engaged with the church in the past several years.

Bob grew up in southern Connecticut, not far from New York City, where he would live as a young man. After graduating from Vassar, he went on to earn his Ph.D. at Columbia - and years later would return to Connecticut to do postdoctoral work at Yale.

Professor Emeritus of English at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, Bob remains professionally active as a writer and editor. One of the reasons why he enjoys attending Bible Study at LOUCC is that he gets to read texts closely. He likes how there is never any pressure to come up with an interpretation of Scripture that is “the right answer” as he finds that considering multiple possibilities is a path for growth. And because he sees value in more than one spiritual tradition, he loves a message that can be found in the room where the group meets: “God is too big to fit into one religion.”

Gardeners may remember how Bob helped organize a plant exchange at the church in 2014. Currently, he is serving on the Arts and Adult Education Team. In April, he will facilitate a discussion of Christian Wiman’s My Bright Abyss. And his recipe for deviled eggs can be found in the church cookbook.

Bob moved to Lake Oswego in 2009 - his parents having retired here long ago - and, since his father’s death, helps his mother to remain in the house where she feels safe. He is always glad when she is able to accompany him to church, and he thanks those church members who have been kind to her.

When discussing why he was drawn to LOUCC, Bob says he was attracted by the “Honoring Diversity” sign out front. It prompted him to study our web site and to schedule a meeting with Jennie. He joined the church in September 2014, after attending for two years, and remembers with pleasure how the congregation stood and pledged to support him during this stage of his spiritual journey. He anticipates growth in this journey and learning from the spiritual paths of others in our congregation. His sense of humor, his intellectual integrity, and his openness to being enriched by the experiences of others will be great gifts to our church.

-Sharon Davis