New Members’ Introductions
December 2008
Barbara Barrett comes to us as a transfer from the St. Helena UMC and I understand may be joining our talented knitters group.
Greg & Linda Bickell come to us as transfers from the 1st UMC of Turlock. Linda is District Sales Manager for the Napa-Santa Rosa region of GlaxoSmith-Kline and she and Greg have two daughters: Taylor (15) and Lauren (12).
April Dawson just had a birthday last week! She’s 28 years old. She’s transferring her membership from St. John's in Rohnert Park. April said that she was attracted to this church initially because it’s close to her home; but she’s staying here for its inclusiveness and friendly attitude. April works for Disability Services and Legal Center as an advocate for people with disabilities. She’s become involved in the new UMW Sarah Crosby Circle. She hopes to be involved as a lector, or scripture reader, and would also like to start a special needs ministry here. She likes to read, watch movies, and spend time with her family and with her friends.
Elizabeth Dreyer is probably a familiar face to most of you. In addition to participating in liturgical dramas and our Cathedral Choir, she’s the “diva drummer” for God's House Band. Some of her favorite moments here have been playing that “prodigal daughter,” learning liturgical dance from Shirley Rae, the outpouring of support that she’s received from the Cathedral Choir, and gaining another close-knit family in her friends in God's House Band.
Elizabeth grew up attending St. Leo’s Roman Catholic Church in Sonoma – that’s where she got her love for rich liturgy and great music. She’s very close to her family and even has managed to bring her parents over from Sonoma once a month to participate in and listen to the band. She’s currently working at a local winery fulfillment center as a winery support representative and plans one day to go back to school to finish her degree in Music Education. She lives in a studio apartment with her cat, Violet. In addition to the gift that she’s already been to us all in this church, she’s also active in local theatre and music groups. She says “that she's found a home here in FUMC” and hopes “to be here for many years to come.”
David & Sarah Van Mantgem David is married to Sarah and they will celebrate their 10th anniversary next summer. While his official title is Itinerant Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Teacher of the Visually Impaired might be an easier way to remember what he does.
He and Sarah found us on the internet and immediately felt that our mission was in line with theirs; they felt like we were a good match for them because they both felt at home here. Dave might become one of our van drivers or offer his help to the HOPE Center.
Sarah is originally from Michigan but has lived in the Bay Area off and on for the last eighteen years. She and David moved to Napa in April and they just bought a home here this week! She enjoys hiking, going to the beach, cycle touring, making music, doing online environmental and animal welfare activism, and just “hanging out” with their cat named “Kitty.” Her degree is in Environmental Science and she works as an Energy Efficiency Consultant. So, not surprisingly, Sarah would like to help do an energy audit for us and to help us work toward strengthening our commitment to environmental stewardship – step up our efforts to “green” the church. She and Dave had been hoping for some time that they’d find a church home, and they feel blessed to have found us. Her reason for joining is her love of our “open hearts, open minds, open doors” philosophy. “Seeing that you actually walk the talk,” she said, “is what made me want to stay.”
Michael & Karen Ritter both grew up in Michigan but met in
Washington State and were married there in 1999. They have two children, Natalie (almost 8) and Rachel (6). They moved to California in 2001 because of a job transfer. In 2005 Michael completed his MBA at UC Berkeley and is now working for PG&E in San Francisco.
Karen has been a stay-at-home mom up until last May. She’s now working part-time at a winery and is starting up her own business: Valley Wine Events. Their family has numerous pets which include cats, dogs, snakes, fish and a 3-toed box turtle. They enjoy the outdoors and entertaining. Michael grew up attending St. John’s Lutheran Church in Saginaw, MI.
Karen has never attended or belonged to a church and for the first time is very enthusiastic about the mission and philosophy of our church. They were initially drawn to us, she relates, by our “positive energy, welcoming atmosphere, excellent music and progressive approach to developing a relationship with God and are looking forward to becoming a part of the UMC family.”
Kerrie Rutherford is married to Ken and they have 2 children: Emily and Parker. Kerrie is a stay-at-home mom and also takes care of a little girl 4 days a week. She also works in the nursery here at the church. Being here every week, as well as being part of the Faith Partners group has led Kerrie to want, as she says, “to get closer to God.” She feels “at home here at FUMC,” she said. She went on to say, “Telling my story to the church on Recovery Sunday, and letting you all know that I am an addict/alcoholic in Recovery was such a spiritual awakening for me and through that process I realized that I wanted to be a member of FUMC, and take truly believing that I am a child of God to the next level.”
Mary Lee Shepard is married to Harold Shepard and they moved here from San Diego in '97. She started attending this church because her daughter, Stefanie La Marca, was attending here along with her two grandchildren, Olivia and Aiden. Mary Lee is an artist who paints in both watercolors and oils. She’s currently exhibiting at Accents Napa Valley. She’s always felt that this church is one of the most beautiful she’s ever seen. Also, she says, the members are friendly!
Neil & Claudia Tiebout both grew up on Long Island, NY. Neil went to College at Bradley University in Peoria, IL and received a BS in Psychology and an MS from Chapman University in Orange, CA. He spent 20 years in the Air Force as a Navigator and flew C-130s for 2 years in Vietnam for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Returning to California he taught navigation for 5 years at Mather AFB in Sacramento and spent the next ten years flying C-5s out of Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA. He went to work for AT&T in 1982 and spent the next 24 years in marketing, sales and management, retiring in 2001 as Director of sales operations for the State of California account.
He was married to his first wife for 43 years before she died after suffering with MS for 23 years. They have 2 wonderful children: Cory who lives in Napa and Candi who lives in Danville. They each are married and they each have 2 children.
Neil was raised a Roman Catholic and participated in the church for almost 15 years. He was a member of the Newman Catholic Community in Sacramento and it was not the traditional church, he says, “where everything is ‘black or white’ but more of an open caring organization.” When he moved to Napa he said, “I was looking for that kind of Church – one that was open and friendly. And I found that in [the 1st] United Methodist [Church] of Napa.”
He’s now married to the woman who was his high school girlfriend from almost 48 years ago, Claudia Tiebout! Claudia was born in Brooklyn, NY, and also grew up on Long Island; she’s most recently from Sacramento and has two grown children with her late husband Richard Wainwright. Their daughter, Alison, is married with two daughters (2 & 4 yrs old.) and lives in Baltimore, MD. Their son, Jonathan, is single and works for Morgan Stanley in Budapest, Hungary. But now she has two wonderful step-children and their families have given her 4 grandsons – all between the ages of 2 and 6! Two of the boys live right here in Napa: CJ and Cameron Tiebout.
On December 13th she and Neil will celebrate their one year anniversary of marriage – as Claudia put it, “my high school sweetheart – a true blessing in my life!”
Claudia is now retired after working for over 20 years in Managed Health Care performing outreach and member advocacy for Medicaid and Healthy Family Program members.
She’s been singing continuously in church choirs since she was 12 years old and also played violin for 12 years; she’s also sung in community choirs as well as the Baltimore Symphony Chorus. Although christened Norwegian Lutheran, Claudia grew up in a non- denominational Community Church. While in college she became a Presbyterian and attended Presbyterian Churches ever since then – she’s transferred her membership here from the Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento.
Prior to making this decision she did a lot of “church shopping” here in Napa, she says, and was excited to find our church. “I am looking forward to becoming a member of this warm, loving and open minded church,” she said, “open minded being the operative phrase. I look forward to becoming a part of this wonderful church family and giving of my talents.”
Debbie Tinloy has lived in Napa since 1990. She grew up in the Bay Area and now lives out by Lake Berryessa. She’s been married to Bruce for 21 years and they have 1 son, 16-year-old Curtis.
Debbie’s been a teacher for 22 years, and currently teaches first grade at Vichy School here in Napa. Her hobbies include snow skiing and water skiing, running, reading, watching her son, Curtis’, water polo games and swim meets…and shopping!
Although she attended church regularly as a child and in college, Debbie says, “I still consider myself only at the beginning of my spiritual journey and look forward to being a part of FUMC.”