I was born in New Ulm, MN but my family moved to St. Peter and then Bloomington, Minnesota, when I was still in grade school. I feel very blessed to have been able to attend a Lutheran grade school and high school. I graduated from St. Croix Lutheran High School in 1974 and attended Dr. Martin Luther College, (now called Martin Luther College, a college that trains future pastors and teachers in our synod). While there, I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and also met my husband, Robert Pagel, and following our graduation in 1978, we were married. Our first teaching job was in Bellevue, Washington, just outside of Seattle. I taught grades K-3 for three years, until God blessed us with our daughter, Stephanie. When Stephanie was two and a half years old, we were doubly blessed with twin sons, Martin and Benjamin.
After our move to the Quad Cities in 1987, I spent the first year as a stay-at-home mom and then jumped back into teaching in October of 1988, teaching grades 1-3 at St. Paul’s. The next year, I started teaching Kindergarten and Preschool, and having been teaching Preschool ever since then. For the past 10 years or so, I have also provided the childcare offered by St. Paul’s, with the help of others from our church.
All three of our children attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School and loved their years spent here. Following their graduation from St. Paul’s, they attending Luther Preparatory School, in Watertown, WI and then went on to Martin Luther College, where all three graduated with teaching degrees.
In my spare time I love to read, enjoy a bowl of popcorn while I watch a good movie, and talk to my family on the phone. I look forward to news of my little grandson, now living in Nicaragua with his mom and dad, and pray I will soon have more grandchildren to hug!
I love teaching at St. Paul’s and attending church here as well. St. Paul’s has always felt like family. We are small enough that we share a closeness, like family, carrying each others burdens and sharing in the joys of life too. I thank God for the opportunity to teach these children about their Savior, who died for us, rose again, and won eternal life in heaven for us all. I pray they continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.