New Members Summer 2009

Ruth Hust was born and raised in Hudson, Massachusetts in a large family: she has 5 brothers and 7 sisters! Their parents were Methodists so her spiritual journey started in Sunday School and attending Summer Vacation Bible School. Her family moved to Huntington Park, California after she had graduated from high school because the factory where her father had been working closed. She became a supervisor for the microfilm department of an engineering construction company in Irvine, California by the time that she was 21, then met and married John Hust when she was just 22. She and John had three daughters and having a family led her back to church. Their youngest moved to Napa and she and her husband would often visit up here; they liked it so much they moved here in 1993. Sadly her husband became ill and died in March of last year. Her love of singing, coming into our choir, and the continuation of her spiritual journey all coalesced this past year. She says, "What I am looking for in my spiritual journey is to become a stronger, more confident person as God has led me to go back to my heritage where my spiritual journey began at First Methodist Church."

Alizabeth (Beth) Krumenacker moved to Napa as a teenager and returned after college. After getting her teaching credential, she moved to Fairfield where she taught elementary school for 10 years. She graduated from law school in 2006 and now practices in both Fairfield and Davis. Growing up, Beth says, Sundays were family days, with church in the morning and a good German family meal in the afternoon. Sundays continue to be family time, as she drives in to Napa to attend church with her mother and then spend the afternoon visiting. Beth began attending FUMC in April 2008, being drawn by the sense of community and our church's commitment to open hearts and open minds. The church will be the site of her upcoming wedding to Daniel Santellan on September 26th!

Joan Krumenacker has lived in Napa since 1984. She started attending this church with her daughter earlier this year, and quickly felt a connection with the church. In addition to her daughter, she also has a son who lives in Woodland with his family. Joan comes from a Lutheran background, but hasn't been a member of that church for 20 years. She grew up in Sacramento, where her father and siblings still live. After spending many years working in art galleries in the valley, she semi-retired a few years ago. She now works two days a week in a gift shop in Yountville. Each week, she drives to Sacramento to visit family and friends, stopping in Woodland to visit her two grandsons, Erich and Liam. In addition to family and friends, Joan enjoys reading and watching movies - mysteries are a favorite.

Bob McIntire was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 19, 1945 and moved to Napa in 1955 when he was 10 years old.  He graduated from Napa High School in 1962 and served 3 years in the U.S. Navy.  He first got married in 1968 and had 2 children. His two daughters live in Idaho, Jana Marie Fleming and Julie Lynn Schumacher - both attend church regularly with their husbands and children. After a divorce Bob married Carlleta Sexton in 1975 and they were married for 33 years before she passed away in 2008. Bob is retired from Intermatic Inc. after working for 27 years as their customer service representative for the western United States. Bob is a member of our Cathedral Choir and says, "I was a lucky man when I met Ruth Jenkins in early 2009 and we were married on July 18, 2009.  Ruth and I just got back on Friday, August 28 from an 1800 mile motorhome trip to see my two daughters and five grandchildren in Idaho."

Mimi Meinhardt notes that both she and her husband Bob were raised in the Methodist Church in Mapleton, Iowa.  They both attended Morningside, a Methodist College in Sioux City, Iowa.  Following their graduation they both taught school in Iowa. Over the years they both went on to get their Master's degrees and moved to Medford, Oregon, where they both were involved in educational media. They transferred their membership there, taught Sunday school, helped with MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) and served on various committees for over 40 years. Sadly, after 52 years of a wonderful marriage, Mimi's husband passed away in 2006. Just a year ago (2008) she I moved to the Meadows to be closer to her daughters.  She says, "I have met wonderful Methodists here and at the Meadows (as you know we all sit in the same pew!)  I find this church to be warm, caring, and spiritually uplifting."

Ken Rutherford was born in Martinez, CA and has one sister, Pamela. Ken was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. "I even went to catechism," he says. His mother died when he was just 10 years old. Ken makes a very instructive comment about what not to say to someone in the face of such a tragedy. He says, "Everyone told me she went to heaven to be an Angel. What I heard was...God took your Mom! It really hurt... So, I [carried] this resentment [against God] around with me until I [was] 32 years old! At the end of 9th grade I discovered alcohol and drugs. It was a very good way to hide the pain of the loss of my Mother."

Ken dates his sobriety as April 11th 1996 and has been on what he calls his "spiritual path" for the last thirteen years. Talk to him if you'd like to hear more of this story. He also said, "I am blessed with a wonderful wife Kerrie, 2 children Emily and Parker. I have a loving family on my side and Kerrie's as well. I have true friends today, friends that care and we help each other."

Some of Ken"s final comments to us all are worth hearing, too; he says, "I have been to a few churches since being in recovery and I heard them talking about other religions as if the others were wrong. I haven't seen or heard that at [this] church. I am looking to grow more and more spiritually. I have witnessed my wife and daughter become members recently. I believe that by joining the church I will have the opportunity to...become closer to God, increase my faith and grow more and more spiritually...and I feel that joining the church will help me in doing this... I...look forward to walking in this journey of life with you and the fellowship of the church and God by my side."