History of St. Luke’s Lutheran School
In 1944, Pastor Tuhy began a nursery school for ages 3-5. He began by collecting the preschoolers and instructing them in Bible studies, music and the Slovak language.
In 1947 the congregation called its first teacher, Miss Dorothy Daniel, and School officially began with 12 students in a one room school house added to the old church. She taught grades 1,2,3 and 5. By the second year enrollment at the school known as St. Luke’s Christian Day School almost doubled. Miss Daniel continued her work in that one room with all grades.
In 1949 a new two winged school building with an auditorium was built at a cost of $40,000. Miss Marcella Rubis and Miss Ruth Froamming taught all 8 grades. By the third year of operation the school program expanded to cover 34 students and two teachers. Each teacher was teaching several grades in one room.
In 1950, Kindergarten through grade 6 were taught by Miss Elinor Junas and Miss Marian Stanko. Enrollment climbed to 37 students.
In 1951, school enrollment was fifty pupils. Classes were taught by Miss Junas (pr: younas) and Miss Betty (Duda), a student teacher from Chicago.
The school kept growing by leaps and bounds. Our first principal and male teacher, Mr. Elmer Bellhorn, came in 1952 and Mrs. Emmeline Best joined the faculty that year. Our school produced its first operetta, “In the Land of Dreams Come True”. The whole community and surrounding areas attended with 208 people attending and the whole school body of 54 students performing.
The first graduation ceremony was held in the church in 1953. Members of the class were Ferdinand Duda, Raymond Mikler, Luther Duda, Elena Tuhy and Irene Hvizdak. Miss Vera Fabry joined the staff and the school chorus began recording songs that year that were broadcast on the radio.
St. Luke’s Christian Day School enrollment continued to increase so in 1954, another wing was added to accommodate the growing enrollment. Mr. Steven Sidlik was added to our faculty. Miss Judy DeCoste (Duda) was called in 1958.
In 1961, after 15 years in operation we had 150 students, 8 grades and a kindergarten, two called teachers and three lay teachers. By 1967, Pastor Tuhy saw the church grow to a membership of 500 and the school’s enrollment increase to more than 350 students in Kindergarten through 9th grade.
St. Luke’s school enrollment climbed rapidly during this same period, requiring many new staff positions and the construction of additional classrooms. Elmer Bellhorn had guided the school through tremendous growth since his arrival as its first principa. Miss Peggy (Lukas) was called in 1971.
In 1974, the east “Jr High” building was added with 5 classrooms and bathrooms. In 1976, the school welcomed Robert Flesch as its new principal, while Mr. Bellhorn continued to enjoy teaching until his final retirement.
In 1979, a new gymnasium and athletic track were constructed. Founders Hall, built at a cost of $500,000 and dedicated to the early settlers who founded the church, offered space for new school curriculum and congregational activities. The school continued to expand and began using classrooms in the church sanctuary that was constructed in 1993.
Within a few years, it became apparent that a new school building was needed. A year after the groundbreaking ceremony in the spring of 2000, the two-story school building was ready for occupancy. St. Luke’s teachers welcomed students to their beautiful new classrooms in August, 2001. This new Preschool – 8th grade building was finished and held 665 students at a cost of just over $8 million. It was exciting for the school to have classrooms specifically dedicated for science, art and technology.
The Preschool program, started in 2001, grew TEN-FOLD…from 20 students to more than 200… within a decade, bringing total school enrollment to over 700 students in 2012. The Preschool program began as a single classroom in the new school building in 2001 then moved to the old school after the first couple of years and expanded. The Lutheran Haven day care program was merged into our preschool in 2007 and moved completely to our campus in 2012. The entire original school building was eventually filled with preschool classrooms. It is now affectionately called “Slavia Square”.
Rev. Stephen Tuhy
Dorothy Daniel Bruning
Ruth Froamming
Marcella Rubis
Elinor Junas
Marian Stanko
Betty Belencak Duda
Elmer Bellhorn
Shealy Emmeline Best
Vera Fabry
Steven Sidlik
Judy DeCoste Duda
Nancy Jones
E. Virginia Bellhorn
Mary Ann Tesinsky Weisenbarger McNamara
Mrs Manning
Joe Battle
Ruth Vorpagle
Miss Blank
Mrs Fiedler
Rev. John Kucharik
Mrs Retzlaff
Miss Stanko
Joan Battle
Caroline (Carrie) Foust Jakubcin
Mrs. Kudera
Miss Kark
Miss Market
Peggy (Margaret) Baisch Lukas
Irene Muirbrook
Debbie Wren
Diane Mayer
Pam Chapin
Steve Gehrke
Nancy Gehrke
Ron Going
Linda Duda Beasley Nichols
Rev. William von Spreckleson
Sandra Duda
Robert Flesch
Mary Lou Linck
Marie Hamrick
Lillian Hinds
Irva McDougald
Arthur Purnell
Mark Robinson
Thomas Rummel
Frank Troy
Gladys Wendt
Ruth Wiedenmann
Judy Delsanter
Jane Jones
Jeanne Pyle Wacker
Lynn Stuhr
Ruth Stuhr
Scott Baumer
Debbie Dekner
Helen Fischer
Becky Schoolcraft
Charyl Tabscott
Ruth Ermeling
Kim Harthun
Linda Prahlow
Chris Reinisch
Sheryl Reinisch
Rev. Ed Rossow
Allison Greve
Margie Morgan
Roger Whitney
Nancy Whitney
Karen Grimm
Sandra Benke
Don Eichholtz
Cindy Lemke
Pam O’Toole
Charmane Baumer
Carmen Benitez
Dana Narring
Rick Schneider
Leanne Clarke
Gloria Naruta
Leah Petty
Paul Baerwolf
Cathy Baerwolf
Beverly DeLemos
Linda Grams
Karen Hartman West
Janean Furdock
Dawn Mueller
Kim Tenney
Kim Bortz
Jason Hyliesdet
Jennifer Slaby
Sarah Brown
Louis Duke
Julie Gaudette
Robert Henry
Todd Bequette
Laura Calbert
Ron Rempfer
Dr. Janet Smith
Sarah Nowicki
Rev. Wally Arp
Gina Clarke
Ann Kirby
Dina Roby
Wendy Clark
Jenny Wudtke
Karen Blank
Becky Lehenbauer
Steve Lehenbauer
Rev. Brian Roberts
Rev. Gary Schuschke
Ileana Barbari
Lenore Berlinski
Shirley Schultz
Sandra Herzog
Jennifer Follett
Steve Hoffschneider
Rev. Scott Abel
Jennifer Cruz
Patrick Leupold
Lynette Tegtmeier
Sandra Fernandez
Allison Schulman
Blanca Sliva Delgado
Laura Stutts
Anita Glanzer
John Glanzer
Suzanne Hakimipour
Sarah Wilbanks
Millie Brinson
Laura Hall
Priscilla Pietz
Erica Barbari Rojas
Kate Matson
Nikki Peters
Pam Bailey
Susan Ophardt
Matthew Bergholt
Keisha Reynolds
Steve Lindauer
Ben Skelton
Katie Corrao
Cheryl Griffith
Lisa Jackson
Greg Register
Rod Jackson
Shireem Rich
Janene Urichko
Tiffany Walker
Melisa Portnoy
Lynn Seehafer
Rachel Benson
Rev. Tige Culbertson
Karen Jackson
Jennifer Capozza
Crystal Jones
Michelle Ray
Tiana Richmond
Emily Carbo
Esther Dunlop
Clare Griffin
Sara Pfenning
Susan Hanas
Tessa Compton
Megan Albers
Nicole Amill
Jessica Arnold
Tanya Barfield
Anne Marie Bartek
Lori Benkoski
Cindy Bradley
Connie Butterfield
Sharon Coe
Jim Coe
Laura Denninger
Jaime Durand
Sandra Escabi
Carla Ford
Colleen Grillo
Jennifer Haddad
Gail Hanson
Megan Henning
Amy Hidajat
Carolyn Humphrey
Carrie Jakubcin
Sarah Jensen
Gretchen Knoblauch
Francesca Knutson
Barbara Lacich
Linda Larson
Cindy Lowney
Matt Maki
Kim Mason
June Matthews
Emily McLoughlin
Vivian Mikler
Pam Mobley
Christina Moore Nugent
Jami Nichols-Kisner
Mary Ann Nickle
Mairim Nieves-Rivera
Greta Olson
Pamela Register
Lisa Riegle
Jennifer Rishell
Christine Roberts
Rick Ruedlinger
Julie Rusnak
Leah Schmidt
Blanca Silva
Kim Smith
Diane Stapleton
Tiffany Staral
Ronda Strong
Miryah Stubenbort
Jessica Thompson
Rev. Lawton Thompson
Gretchen Travieso
Kelly Weeks
Lauren Willover
