Pastor Martin Halom
I began this call at St. John's in October of 2012. My wife Melinda also serves a congregation in New Auburn - Bethel Lutheran. Our three amazing boys (Nicholas, Jaden, and Dylan) all attend the Bloomer public schools.
Now in my third call, I have served congregations in Rantoul, IL (American Lutheran) and at Michigan State University (University Lutheran) as an associate pastor. This is my first call as a solo pastor and St. John's has been a perfect place to do so as I serve people with open minds for positive change and renewed energy! I am thrilled to be back in my home state of WI, having grown up near Madison, in Fond du Lac, and finally Racine. I'm thankful that I will no longer receive dirty looks while cheering for the Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Brewers!
I am also involved in community affairs as the umpire coordinator for Bloomer Youth Baseball as well as serving on the Mayo Clinic hospital board. And on occasion you might even see this old man playing the trumpet with the high school pep band!
Email: pastormartin@bloomer.net
I began this call at St. John's in October of 2012. My wife Melinda also serves a congregation in New Auburn - Bethel Lutheran. Our three amazing boys (Nicholas, Jaden, and Dylan) all attend the Bloomer public schools.
Now in my third call, I have served congregations in Rantoul, IL (American Lutheran) and at Michigan State University (University Lutheran) as an associate pastor. This is my first call as a solo pastor and St. John's has been a perfect place to do so as I serve people with open minds for positive change and renewed energy! I am thrilled to be back in my home state of WI, having grown up near Madison, in Fond du Lac, and finally Racine. I'm thankful that I will no longer receive dirty looks while cheering for the Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Brewers!
I am also involved in community affairs as the umpire coordinator for Bloomer Youth Baseball as well as serving on the Mayo Clinic hospital board. And on occasion you might even see this old man playing the trumpet with the high school pep band!
Email: pastormartin@bloomer.net
Katie O'Connell - Youth and Family Ministry Director
Hello everybody! My name is Katie O’Connell and I am so excited to be a part of St.
John’s as the new Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Director! Pastor Martin has
asked me to share a bit about me, so here we go!
I was born in Sparta, WI. When I was 5, my parents moved me and my three brothers
to Boyceville, WI. When I was 15, we moved to River Falls, WI, which is where I’ve called
home since!
Email: stjohnsl-katie@bloomer.net
Hello everybody! My name is Katie O’Connell and I am so excited to be a part of St.
John’s as the new Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Director! Pastor Martin has
asked me to share a bit about me, so here we go!
I was born in Sparta, WI. When I was 5, my parents moved me and my three brothers
to Boyceville, WI. When I was 15, we moved to River Falls, WI, which is where I’ve called
home since!
- As mentioned, I have three brothers. Dallas (28), James (26), myself (almost 25), and
- Maclain (23). Maclain is engaged to be married this summer, so I will soon have a sister-
- in-law (and I am SO EXCITED!!!!).
- I have a pet snake. His name is Whisper. He’s a ball python. He is very, very sweet.
- I love music. I play mainly the clarinet, guitar, and ukulele though I am also teaching myself mandolin and working on my piano skills.
- I was a camper at Luther Park Bible Camp from 2009-2012. I started working there when I graduated from high school in 2013. Since then, I’ve spent 6 or 7 summers working there.
- From the time I was a senior in high school throughout my college career, I was told by many pastors that I should go to seminary. I told them I would never go because ministry was a summer camp thing and was not the career for me.
- I did a marketing and communications internship at a camp for children and adults with disabilities in Minnesota in 2018.
- It was this internship that made me realize even though I LOVE the population I was working with, I didn’t truly enjoy working solely in marketing and communications…... So, I applied to Luther Seminary.
- I graduated from UW-Stout with a B.S. Professional Communication and Emerging Media degree in the Spring of 2019.
- In the Fall of 2019, I started at Luther Seminary and am working my way toward a M.A. Children, Youth, and Family Ministry degree. I can say with a lot of confidence that I love it and am glad that I decided to FINALLY listen to the call to long-term ministry.
Email: stjohnsl-katie@bloomer.net
Victoria Prince-Silvas - Office Manager/Financial Secretary
Having been born and raised in Bloomer, I was anxious to explore the world when I graduated from Bloomer High. I joined the Army National Guard soon after beginning my college education at UW-EC, partly to pay for my education, but also due to a drive to challenge myself beyond which I thought myself capable. Just before graduation in 1990, I was deployed to Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf War, where I served as a combat medic in a field hospital just south of the Iraqi border. Fortunately, this first war was relatively short, and I was able to return six months later and complete my BBA degree with an emphasis in Business Management. I graduated Cum Laude and with many club memberships under my belt.
Now, I was ready to tackle the world, because as I saw it, if I could handle war, the rest of life should be a piece of cake, right? Well, as we all know, life is full of many types of challenges, all of which will test our resolve and our faith, and I have had my share.
After working a short while in Stevens Point and Wausau after graduation, I experienced through my military service, a three week training exercise near Santiago, Panama. This experience, having been in the dead of a bitter Wisconsin winter, lead me to decide to move to a more warm and tropical climate. I moved to sunny South Texas, Corpus Christi, which is on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This move did serve me well for what it was. I became a successful Real Estate agent, then Broker while obtaining a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Texas A & M - Corpus Christi, where I also graduated with honors.
Then, a major shift occurred; I met my husband Richard, started a family at the age of 39, and within 4 years, knew a move back to Wisconsin was going to happen, sooner rather than later. Both my husband and I knew that Bloomer was a much better place to raise our two children than where we were. So, here we are. We arrived in Bloomer at the end of 2016 where he works in construction and I am now here, at St. John’s as your office manager and financial secretary, grateful for the opportunity to serve this community of believers in any way I can.
stjohnsl-secretarty@bloomer.net
Having been born and raised in Bloomer, I was anxious to explore the world when I graduated from Bloomer High. I joined the Army National Guard soon after beginning my college education at UW-EC, partly to pay for my education, but also due to a drive to challenge myself beyond which I thought myself capable. Just before graduation in 1990, I was deployed to Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf War, where I served as a combat medic in a field hospital just south of the Iraqi border. Fortunately, this first war was relatively short, and I was able to return six months later and complete my BBA degree with an emphasis in Business Management. I graduated Cum Laude and with many club memberships under my belt.
Now, I was ready to tackle the world, because as I saw it, if I could handle war, the rest of life should be a piece of cake, right? Well, as we all know, life is full of many types of challenges, all of which will test our resolve and our faith, and I have had my share.
After working a short while in Stevens Point and Wausau after graduation, I experienced through my military service, a three week training exercise near Santiago, Panama. This experience, having been in the dead of a bitter Wisconsin winter, lead me to decide to move to a more warm and tropical climate. I moved to sunny South Texas, Corpus Christi, which is on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This move did serve me well for what it was. I became a successful Real Estate agent, then Broker while obtaining a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Texas A & M - Corpus Christi, where I also graduated with honors.
Then, a major shift occurred; I met my husband Richard, started a family at the age of 39, and within 4 years, knew a move back to Wisconsin was going to happen, sooner rather than later. Both my husband and I knew that Bloomer was a much better place to raise our two children than where we were. So, here we are. We arrived in Bloomer at the end of 2016 where he works in construction and I am now here, at St. John’s as your office manager and financial secretary, grateful for the opportunity to serve this community of believers in any way I can.
stjohnsl-secretarty@bloomer.net
Christina Simon - Preschool Admin/Director/Lead Teacher
Hello everybody my name is Christina Simon I’m so excited to join the St. John’s team as the Administrator/Director/Teacher of the preschool. I’m originally from the Bloomer/Tilden area, my dad and uncles have Simon Brothers’ farmers in the area. I’m the youngest of 5 children and my parents and other family are still in the area so I’m still involved in the community and it will always be home. I graduated from Chi-Hi in 2005 and worked in childcare for many years. In 2018 I decided to start subbing in school districts around the area and went back to school myself. I graduated this May from CVTC with an associate degree in Foundations of Teaching and I’m going back to school this fall at CVTC for my generals and then transferring to Stout to continue my education with a major in Early childhood education with a Special need add on. I want to continue my education because I love learning and teaching and feel you can never have too much knowledge, the more I know the more I can teach your children. I’m so happy to be able to call St. Johns my home and can’t wait to work with and get to know all of you. I’m big on communication so if you have any comments/questions/concerns feel free to come to me and talk.
Hello everybody my name is Christina Simon I’m so excited to join the St. John’s team as the Administrator/Director/Teacher of the preschool. I’m originally from the Bloomer/Tilden area, my dad and uncles have Simon Brothers’ farmers in the area. I’m the youngest of 5 children and my parents and other family are still in the area so I’m still involved in the community and it will always be home. I graduated from Chi-Hi in 2005 and worked in childcare for many years. In 2018 I decided to start subbing in school districts around the area and went back to school myself. I graduated this May from CVTC with an associate degree in Foundations of Teaching and I’m going back to school this fall at CVTC for my generals and then transferring to Stout to continue my education with a major in Early childhood education with a Special need add on. I want to continue my education because I love learning and teaching and feel you can never have too much knowledge, the more I know the more I can teach your children. I’m so happy to be able to call St. Johns my home and can’t wait to work with and get to know all of you. I’m big on communication so if you have any comments/questions/concerns feel free to come to me and talk.
Krissie Jacobsen - Preschool Teacher's Assistant
Hello my name is Kristina Jacobsen born and raised in Bloomer, I am the daughter of
Mark and Wendy Bitney. I am a proud wife to my wonderful husband Matthew, and we have 5 amazing children together; Emma, Evalynn, Lillian, Lucille, and Jack. We embrace the chaotic life that 5 children bring to our household. We also own a small beef farm in New Auburn WI, when we are not home we are trail riding on our side by sides with our friends and their families. And wait even more I have owned my own photography business for 6 years and have been able to capture many milestones and have interacted with many families and their loved ones. I love getting to know new families and spend time getting to know all whom I have been fortunate enough to meet. I have been blessed to have been a stay-at-home mother for many years with the support of my husband, now that they are all growing up and in school for most of the year, I needed more and couldn’t bare being home alone…so when many wonderful members reached out for employment, I was excited to jump aboard. Growing up I didn’t have a clue what life outside school held for me until I had my first daughter. Watching her grow and then her siblings to follow held a special place in my heart. I knew then I loved being around children and needed to form my life helping, teaching and caring for children as they grow. I have volunteered for St John’s Luthern Preschool for the past 2 1/2 years and to form words to describe that wonderful venture is impossible and I can not wait to continue now working for the Preschool. Myself and my siblings went to Preschool within the church, my children have also; I am excited to make memories now working within the Preschool.
Hello my name is Kristina Jacobsen born and raised in Bloomer, I am the daughter of
Mark and Wendy Bitney. I am a proud wife to my wonderful husband Matthew, and we have 5 amazing children together; Emma, Evalynn, Lillian, Lucille, and Jack. We embrace the chaotic life that 5 children bring to our household. We also own a small beef farm in New Auburn WI, when we are not home we are trail riding on our side by sides with our friends and their families. And wait even more I have owned my own photography business for 6 years and have been able to capture many milestones and have interacted with many families and their loved ones. I love getting to know new families and spend time getting to know all whom I have been fortunate enough to meet. I have been blessed to have been a stay-at-home mother for many years with the support of my husband, now that they are all growing up and in school for most of the year, I needed more and couldn’t bare being home alone…so when many wonderful members reached out for employment, I was excited to jump aboard. Growing up I didn’t have a clue what life outside school held for me until I had my first daughter. Watching her grow and then her siblings to follow held a special place in my heart. I knew then I loved being around children and needed to form my life helping, teaching and caring for children as they grow. I have volunteered for St John’s Luthern Preschool for the past 2 1/2 years and to form words to describe that wonderful venture is impossible and I can not wait to continue now working for the Preschool. Myself and my siblings went to Preschool within the church, my children have also; I am excited to make memories now working within the Preschool.
Stephanie Kohls - Custodian
Recently I moved to Bloomer in August of last year with my 2 beautiful
daughters Kaylee, age 10 and Avery, age 4. The Bloomer community has
been exactly what we are looking for and enjoy living here! We have so
many fun adventures and there is always something Bloomer has to offer!
I’m excited to be on this journey and I look forward to seeing and meeting
everyone!
Recently I moved to Bloomer in August of last year with my 2 beautiful
daughters Kaylee, age 10 and Avery, age 4. The Bloomer community has
been exactly what we are looking for and enjoy living here! We have so
many fun adventures and there is always something Bloomer has to offer!
I’m excited to be on this journey and I look forward to seeing and meeting
everyone!
Rose Marie Powell - Wednesday Meal Coordinator
I began my work at the church in January of 2015 cooking for the youth.
My husband Tom and I have lived in rural New Auburn for many years. We have five grown children, eleven grand-children, and their partners and eleven great grand-children. All that are very special and make us proud.
I have truly enjoyed cooking for the youth and the senior citizens. Cooking has always been very enjoyable to me. Hopefully the people I serve are pleased with my meals.
In my free time I help at the food pantry. I also do several crafts and enjoy visits from the family. If all else fails I can sit and watch all our kittens playing in the yard. What a beautiful area we live in.
I began my work at the church in January of 2015 cooking for the youth.
My husband Tom and I have lived in rural New Auburn for many years. We have five grown children, eleven grand-children, and their partners and eleven great grand-children. All that are very special and make us proud.
I have truly enjoyed cooking for the youth and the senior citizens. Cooking has always been very enjoyable to me. Hopefully the people I serve are pleased with my meals.
In my free time I help at the food pantry. I also do several crafts and enjoy visits from the family. If all else fails I can sit and watch all our kittens playing in the yard. What a beautiful area we live in.