I grew up in Canada, mostly in B.C., and moved to the U.S. as an adult in 1999. I first lived in Portland, Oregon, then moved to Renton, Washington in 2012 for a new role at my organization. While I’m new to St. Mark, I’ve been part of various church communities since the 1980s. I’m…
Mary and Rick became new members of St. Mark in October of 2025. Mary grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and Rick grew up in Portland, Oregon. They have attended multiple churches during their lives. Most recently, they attended LCMS Lutheran churches in the San Francisco Bay area in California. Both Mary and Rick are…
In October 2025, Debora was welcomed into St. Mark as a new member. Debora was raised in a variety of locations as her father was serving in the military. Her early years were spent in Germany, Texas, and Washington, her adolescent years in Hawaii and Washington again. Both of her parents were from Tacoma, so…
Peter has been attending St. Mark for quite some time, and last fall, he decided to become a member. Peter submitted the following notes, so the congregation can get to know more about him and his family. “I was born in Pasadena, California but grew up in Michigan. I was raised in the Lutheran…
I was born and raised in Blackfoot, Idaho on a dairy farm. I am the oldest and have 3 younger sisters who live in three different states. I married in 1967. I had two kids, a daughter and a son. My daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons and their wives live in Lacey, WA. My son lives…
Dena was born in New Jersey and lived in Hackettstown until she was eleven. She shared that Hackettstown is where M&Ms are made!! Then, she and her Mom, Dad and 5 siblings moved to Glendale, Arizona. While Dena lived in Petersburg, Alaska, she attended Petersburg Lutheran Church for 15 years. She was a member of…
Mike and Vanessa Olson recently became new member of St. Mark and have offered this information as a way to get to know them a bit better. Vanessa was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, England & moved to Seattle at 15 as her dad was contracted to work for Boeing. They were only going to stay…
“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the Glory of God.” (Romans 15:7) For those of you who been visiting our church on Sunday mornings, we’re delighted that you have chosen to worship at St. Mark! We truly hope you’ve felt welcomed and have been encouraged to grow in God’s love as…
Roanne and Russ were both raised in small towns in central Connecticut, an area south of Hartford. Roanne was born in Connecticut and Russ was born in New York City. They have lived in Connecticut, Alaska, California and Washington. Roanne is one of nine children who live in various states. Russ has a brother and…
Dawn grew up in Fargo and Tracy in Hettinger North Dakota. They married and moved to Minneapolis, then Chicago and back to North Dakota when their kids started school. Tracy and Dawn have always been Lutheran. The last church they attended was St. John Lutheran Church in Dickinson, North Dakota, where they were members for…