First Presbyterian Church of Glidden April 2021 NOTE FROM PASTOR ANNA Friends in Christ: I hope all of you have a wonderfully celebratory Easter. Last year was an Easter like none of us have ever experienced. Not only could we not worship in person, but so many of us could not be with our families at large. This year will be a joyous one as together we celebrate that Christ is Risen indeed in person and online through the church’s Facebook page at Glidden Presbyterian Church. With more and more vaccinations available families are able to meet, hug and celebrate Easter together. How wonderful is that? I know I am excited that I can finally receive my first vaccination on April 1st. No fooling. We will also celebrate the unique love that Christ offers us in our Maundy Thursday service where we will celebrate communion. Please join us for worship to celebrate Easter on April 4th at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School for children will take place at 9:30 a.m. I look forward to visiting with you in person as opportunities to be vaccinated become more readily available. If you want to contact me, please call me at 503/847-1938 or email me at [email protected]. I hope all of you have a great Easter. Jesus the Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed. Blessings, Pastor Anna Small Thank you for your generous gift . Thank you! Your gift of $250 was deposited in the Project Share account created by the Thank you for the cards, text, City of Glidden electric utility to assist needy Glidden households in paying and good wishes for our their wintertime energy bills and monthly meals. Those qualifying for help anniversary. Where did 60 are carefully identified by a local community action agency. All Project years go? Share contributions are available only to Glidden residents until funds are depleted. Thank you. Thank you again for your generous gift. Ron and Jane Burdine City of Glidden Where are they now? Ames. The three lived in an apartment while Kris and her mother finished their degrees in education. During those This month’s focus is on Kristie Junker Mohning, years, Kris said her mother became her best friend. daughter of Paul and Marian Junker . She was born in St Anthony Hospital in Carroll, Iowa and grew up in a house Upon graduation, Kris was seeking a teaching job th across the street from the Glidden Park. She had four when Principal Galen Franz called her. He had a difficult 6 siblings – Julie, Jerry, Sharon, and Jill. Throughout her grade class opening. He told Kris he didn’t usually hire young life, the family moved to Kentucky, Minnesota, and graduates but he was trying to find someone who wouldn’t finally resettled in Glidden with Paul and Marian running be shocked by the naughty things this class was guilty of the Busy Bee Café and adding the Frosty Mug Drive Inn. and he immediately thought of her. She was not shocked After Paul died the two businesses were sold, and Marian and enjoyed these little challenges very much. She th had to lead the family as the only parent and she did. continued to teach 6 grade math in Glidden for the next several years. One memory from these early years was when Paul came home with a Volkswagen Van, In 1972, Kris married Randy Peters in the First quite the vehicle in the early 60’s. Presbyterian Church in Glidden with Marian was not pleased. When the Rev. Bosman as officiate. The vehicle broke down in the hills of Presbyterian Church had been Kris’s Kentucky, it caused a stir as all the religious home growing up where she people came to gawk, never having taught Sunday school and was seen a vehicle like that one. confirmed. Throughout this marriage the couple celebrated the addition of Kris admits that school was two daughters, Mollie and Kate. easy for her but, also, admits she was a mischievous student causing grief to The couple left Glidden, and th some of her teachers. She played Kris accepted a job teaching 8 grade clarinet in the band under the in Alton, Iowa. Following this, she direction of Hugh Eiche. At the advice moved to Mount Ayr and taught for of her band teacher, she faked playing one year. Next, she was hired to th in concerts which she points out teach 8 grade in LeMars, Iowa. She pretty much describes her musical ability. There were no taught in LeMars until her retirement. Kris taught middle sports for girls at this time, so she became a cheerleader. school for over 40 years. Her brother Jerry said that she looked like a giraffe, but at In 1991, Kris married Steve Mohning in the least she had a loud voice. As a junior, girls’ track was Lutheran Church in LeMars. Steve had custody of his four added to the high school where Coach and Principal Dale children (twin boys Alex and Adam, older brother Matt, Johnson pitted her against Jerry at every practice. She and older sister Nichole). The twin boys and Mollie were remembers the time she finally beat him. Dale had the the same age, so everyone referred to them as the triplets. right idea because Kris ended up leading her relay to the Neighbors referred to the family as the “Brady Bunch” with state track meet. To the chagrin of her home ec teacher three girls and three boys. With all the children being and the laughter of her peers, she remembers winning the athletes, much of their time was spent in gyms. Kris Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow Award. Theater remembers one week they had over 20 basketball games. under Merle McCrea and writing with Ruth Robb are both Today, this blended family has expanded to include highlights from these years. thirteen grandchildren. The year was 1968, Kristie’s years at GR were For thirty years now, Kris has been a professional complete. She attended college at Wayne State in story teller. She got started after taking a graduate class Nebraska for one year and then transferred to Iowa State. on story telling taught by June Wishman. Kris began telling Her mother Marian decided she wanted to further her stories in coffee houses and joined the Story Tellers of education and along with 6th grader Jill, they moved to Sioux City. When she was ready to produce her first brochure, she needed a story telling name. She was telling When I asked Kris if she had received any awards, stories in Glidden to raise money for the new library. One she told me that her greatest award is when she meets story she told was the “The Wide Mouth Frog”. Later in adults and children to stop her to tell her about a story the day, she was sitting on her sister Julie’s front step they remember. Life passes very fast and so Kris’s advice is when a little boy rode by on his bicycle. He stopped and to enjoy every day, look at the glass half full, and never said, “Hey, aren’t you the frog woman? You sure are a forget to laugh. After losing her mother last fall, Kris points great frog!” Kris thought a minute and then excitedly out that it is the laughter that you will remember. replied, “Yes. Yes I am.” And the Frog Woman was born. Kris and Steve’s story is longer than normal, but we Kris continues to share the story of how she got her name with young children. Kris has told stories at festivals, should expect this from a great story teller. It was a churches, schools, clubs, and many other venues. Mother tremendous joy to spend ninety minutes with a lady who Marian became interested in storytelling, and their first grew up in Glidden and has done so well in life. telling together was at a Christmas party for the First National Bank in Glidden. Kris was glad to have had the opportunity to share stories at mother Marian’s assisted Kudo’s Korner living center. Another special moment with her mom was when both of them told stories for daughter Kate’s 3rd To the Scouts who led grade class. When Marian passed away last fall, Kate worship on Sunday, February 28th shared how special it was to be able to introduce both her mother and her grandmother to tell stories to her class. It and to their leader, Jeremy was a memory the three of them cherished. Douglas. Scouting is a great Even after retiring, Kris is still telling stories in her service for our community and First daughter Kate’s 3rd grade classroom. Now, there is a bulletin board in Kate’s room with a large world map. At Presbyterian was honored to host the top of the map is the title “Stories from Around the them. World with the Frog Woman”. Each Friday Kris selects a country, researches the country, dresses in her Frog To God for delivering his Son Woman clothes, takes her frog stickers, and heads to Kate’s room. She first tells the students some interesting facts as a sacrifice for our sins. Blessed about the country they are going to visit. Next, she puts a Easter to all. frog sticker on that country. Then she shares several stories from the country she has chosen. She is anxious for Covid to end so she can see the faces of the children as they share her stories once again.