Helen Flatau
President
ZioN, Mt. Olive
flatauhelen@gmail.com
I am a lifelong Lutheran, first in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and then Bethel of University City, Missouri. I was Sunday School teacher and superintendent, loved choir, and was involved in local ministries. Our current church is Zion, Mt. Olive.
Our three daughters are grown and we have five grandchildren, ages 13 to 19, two of them adopted.
My background includes a B.S. in chemistry from St. Louis University and various clinical and research lab work for over 30 years, including as director of student health labs at Washington University.
I am the ELCA “Green Church” Laison as my church has pollinator gardens on their grounds. I am one of three assisting ministers at church. We live in Prarietown, Ill., in the woods and I am an avid gardener with 27 acres dedicated to restoring God’s creation, a certified Nature Habitat.
Elaine Frerichs
Secretary
Trinity, Litchfield
sefrerichs@outlook.com
Elaine is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Litchfield, Illinois. She helps coordinate the weekly services and prints the bulletin. She is active in their Trinity women of the ELCA unit where she has served as past President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and will be serving as President for the 2022 year. She also has served as a Sunday School teacher and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
She is employed at M&M Service Company, an agriculture supply dealer, as Precision Technology Manager. She has had two hip replacements and praises and thanks God for the new pain free life she has been given! She has 2 grown children, a daughter graduating college in December, and a son who just received his welding certification. She and her husband Scott will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in December.
She is a life-long Lutheran, enjoys creative projects and looks to each day as a day to grow in Christ!
Nancy Schmidt
Treasurer
Zion, Gillespie
dumez57@yahoo.com
Nancy was born in Litchfield, Illinois, and raised in Wilsonville, about five miles south of Gillespie, where she now lives. She was baptized Lutheran at her mother’s home church in Granite City.
Her father was killed on Mother’s Day 1968 when I was 10. Close friends of the family, who belonged to Zion Lutheran Church in Gillespie, suggested her mom send the three older kids to Vacation Bible School at Zion to take their minds off losing their dad and keep them occupied. That’s when they joined the congregation.
It was a life altering experience after the shock of losing a parent. Terrified someone else in her family would die, Nancy found that she still had a heavenly Father who would never leave and always take care of her. That innocence and naïveté of faith has never wavered as she was steadfast in her belief of that heavenly being continually watching over her. It was the only thing that kept ger grounded and feeling safe growing up after that and throughout her life.
Nancy met her husband, Larry, and married in August 1976 a week before moving to Washington, D.C., to take jobs with the FBI. They returned to Gillespie when Larry was invited to join the Illinois Secretary of State Police, and Nancy joined transferred to the FBI office in Springfield.
Zion is a big part of their lives. Nancy and Larry have both been Sunday School teachers, and Nancy has taught and directed VBS for many years. Larry and their son have both served as council presidents, and their youngest daughter has been on church council; their oldest daughter started playing the piano in church when she was 10 and has been the pianist since she was 17 and now also plays the organ.
Nancy retired in 2023 after 25 years working as a paralegal for a local attorney. All three of their children were baptized, confirmed, and married at Zion, and they now enjoy eight grandchildren; all but one have been baptized at Zion. Nancy has been the treasurer at Zion for 13 years — Larry lovingly says it is a life sentence!
Nancy pledges to do her best as treasurer for the C/SIS WELCA and looks forward to meeting new friends in faith.
Pat Caley
mission chair
St. John’s Springfield
pattycaley7@gmail.com
Pat is a rostered Deacon in the ELCA. Though technically retired, she continues to work and volunteer and is currently preaching on a regular basis at Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive. She volunteers at her home church, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield; the Grace food pantry; and Blackhawk School Library. Her passion is hosting Fair Trade Fairs wherever she’s invited, to share her wares and the story of Fair Trade. She loves playing games with her grandchildren, solving puzzles and cuddling with her three cats. She’s previously served the Central/Southern Illinois Synod Women of the ELCA as Vice-President and President and was chaplain for the churchwide Women of the ELCA “Pivot, Don’t Panic” leadership training. She’s happy to be back on the board and serving the women of our synod.