B)  Sarah Andrews, Walter Krause, Hazel Bauerfeind, Adolph Klosterman, Martha Black, Reuben Raddant, Mildred Brenner, Ralph Tourtillotte, Blanche Gale, Harold Weed, Erna Dengel, King Weeman, Ethel Chaimson, Victor Werner, Cecile Marohl, Wayne Wilbur, Margaret Marohl, William Damerow, George Bauerfeind, Irvin Dengel, Ernest Brehmer, Arthur Ramlow, Emil Heller, Emil Shank, Harold Howe, Walter Elbert

B)  King Weeman, President; Blanche Gale, Vice President; Victor Werner, Secretary; Martha Black, Treasurer.

Wm. Reichel, Sophie Hoffmann, Herman Gehrke, Linda Steffin, Clara Mundinger, Mabel Regling, A. J. Felten, Oscar Druckery, Otto Moede, Robert Rose, Olga Breitemfeldt, Irma Jaeckel, Selma Ramlow, Nanny Destinon, Gerturde Ramlow, Amanda Schoenick, 

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And, click here to see the LARGEST scan -- I've added numbers so you can just identify # child if you know their names.  Thanks, Paul!

and here is an even LARGER one than the above link -- this might take til next summer to open, depending on your modem, but if you think from the above link that this might be your family, this pic is VERY DETAILED.  Thanks Paul (& Henry!)

Click on the photo for a LARGE SCAN and if you want the LARGEST, click here.

Click on the photo for a LARGE SCAN and if you want the LARGEST, click here.

Click on the photo for a LARGE SCAN and if you want the LARGEST, click here.

Click on the photo for a LARGE SCAN and if you want the LARGEST, click here.

Click on the photo for a LARGE SCAN and if you want the LARGEST, click here.

Click on the photo for a LARGE SCAN and if you want the LARGEST, click here.

Click on the photo for LARGER original scan

And, thanks to the meticulous documentation on the back of this photo, we know most of the names -- if you know our missing folks, send me an email with their names so I can update the page.

Front Row: Richard Meyer, Delores Brackob, Marvin Rusch, Opal Krueger, Carl Raddant, Shirley Hablewitz, _____, Dorothy Lemke (deceased), Curtis Kleeman, Lorraine Balke, Walter Weinig, Fern Alft;

Second Row:  Helen Tisch, Doug Goers, Angeline Rosenberg, _______. Charlotte Papendorf, Merlyn Rosenow, Shirley Ludolph, Alfred Meisner, _____, Walter Beltz, Laverna Schutt, James Hertzfeldt, Lou Ella Scheider, Elmer Schuman;

Third Row:  Roger Druckrey, Bill Nehls, Lois Arndt, Wilbur Thomas, Barbara Weber, Bob Gleffe, Donna Werbelow, Rev. Schroth, _____, Lester Elst, Delores Beversdorf, Bob Tonn, Carol Reichel, Marv Schultz, Ethel Runge

Fourth Row:  _____. David Zaje, Marjorie Lang, Leon Heike, Delores Bluemke, Carl Bartz, Gladys Huebner, Louis Hesse, Elaine Marohl, Otis Mehlberg, Betty Montour, _____, Betty Kuhn;

Top Back Row:   Adeline Raasch, Frank Krueger, Lyle Wieck, Douglas Dobratz, Norman Rindt, Lester Ebelt, Harley Fink, Herbert Kleman, Roger Koepsell, Eugene Salzman, Lorraine Olson;

Click on the picture for a larger image.

"School under construction" -- This picture shows the St. James School while it was under construction in 1907.  Among the workers in the picture are John Horn, second from the left and Anton Hartman, third from the left and William Horn, Extreme right.  Many thanks to Paul for sending this in and to his source, Mrs. R. W. (Emma Horn) Krueger. -- click on the pic for the larger view from the newspaper.

Wollangk stresses faith, creativity in 40-year career  By Nathan Falk, Leader Reporter

Many changes have happened in education over the past 40 years, but St. James Lutheran School teacher Paul Wollangk has continued to bring enthusiasm and a caring Christian attitude each day to his students and colleagues.

Wollangk is retiring this week from the school, where he began his teaching career in the fall of 1968. Sharing his faith has been the most important part of his career.

“Being a minister of religion enables me to share my faith in Jesus with my students who then share their faith with others,” Wollangk said.

Wollangk has taught two generations of children in grades 3 through 8, amounting to 948 students. He’s also served the congregation as a youth worker, adult Bible class teacher, and school librarian.

Wollangk said he’s witnessed many changes during those years.

“It’s amazing how many historical events I’ve spent in the classroom,” Wollangk said, reflecting on the space shuttle Challenger exploding in 1986 and on Sept. 11, 2001, when his students saw the second plane hit the twin towers in New York live on television.

“There are so many things we’ve seen and talked about and I try to bring the kids through,” he said. “It’s given me a chance to use my Christian faith to bring these kids into dealing with a world that didn’t always make sense. I’ve helped show them how God can help guide them through their lives.”

Student Katie Zook enjoys how Wollangk teaches.

“I think he’s a wonderful teacher. He understands kids very well,” she said. “I’ll miss him being patient with all of us and caring for all of us.”

Alec Wendland echoed those sentiments.

“He’s a good teacher. There are a lot of things you learn in fourth grade, and he teaches you in fun ways,” Wendland said.

Principal Susan Longmire said he’s been a tremendous asset to the success of St. James.

“Mr. Wollangk is a great role model for the children because he lives his faith daily in everything that he does — his teaching, the way he interacts with parents and students,” she said. “He’s a kind and gentle man and he’ll be missed. You don’t find teachers like him every day, and our school has been blessed to have him for 40 years teaching.”

Wollangk moved to Shawano from San Francisco, Calif., where he was born and raised. He began his duties Aug. 15, 1968 at St. James.

“Coming here and seeing snow and cold, I don’t think I went outside the first winter,” Wollangk said. “It was one of the coldest winters we ever had, it was 20 below, and would get up to 10 below for about a week straight — that was my introduction to winters in Wisconsin,” he said.

Wollangk got his bachelor of science in education from Concordia University in Nebraska, where he was active in theater. He toured with productions throughout Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado, did technical theater work in many productions and acted in plays on campus.

His background in theater for children and his passion to teach children about Jesus Christ led to his teaching creative dramatics and the art of puppetry. He has written, produced, and directed puppet plays performed in chapel services at St. James Lutheran School and designed and built sets and stages used in many places in Shawano including the former Shawano High School building and the Mielke Theater.

Wollangk’s been president of the Shawano County Arts Council and was involved with the Arts Fair and the Shawano Folk Music Festival for many years. He also acted in and directed plays at the Mielke.

Teaching, he says, has brought him many joys that no other job could have.

“The people in Shawano are wonderful people, and have given me an opportunity to work with their kids, their most precious possession, and let me live with them longer than they do — six hours a day for nine months of the year,” he said. “I’ve gotten to know the families here in a way that I would never had been able to do if I had a job in any other industry. That’s a very wonderful trust people give to you.”

He also has has seen changes in teaching tools in the classroom. In the mid 1980s, Wollangk brought the first computer to St. James, and developed a curriculum to teach programs to students.

“I’ve had to learn how to do that to teach them and stay ahead of them. That’s been a challenge,” he said.

Wollangk said he supported students’ creative spirit.

“Creativity with kids is wonderful. I encourage them to try, because even if they fail, they’re still trying stuff. At least they see it’s OK to do the best they can with what they have,” he said. “Kids relate to what they’re learning, remember it, and it makes it fun. I hope that the fun they have they take into their adult years and teach their children.”

Wil Kleinschmidt, St. James principal from 1966 to 1990, said Wollangk always brought new ideas to the classroom.

“His style of teaching was just different than traditional teachers at that time, and he had a different style about him,” said Kleinschmidt. “Some people wondered if it would work, but it’s based on communication with the kids and establishing a rapport. It worked out fine.”

Wollangk developed the archive at St. James for over 20 years, and recently researched and wrote the histories of the church and school for the Shawano County Historical Society.

“He is a veritable walking history book of the history of St. James Church,” said fellow teacher Ralph Mueller. “Having read much about the church he is well acquainted with the early movers in St. James” history.”

In the last few years Wollangk has written a section in the church’s newsletter called The Voice, where he covers important aspects of St. James history.

“He always closed with — and perhaps it is fitting also to close his ministry with — the words “to God be the glory,’” Mueller said.

Wollangk and his wife, Anne, who also taught in the St. James Pre-School program for 10 years, plan to maintain their residence in Shawano and spend time pursuing varied interests and being with their grandchildren.

“I’ll miss the daily interaction with the kids, but I hope to be able to spend more time with my grandkids, because they’re about this age too,” Wollangk said. “I plan to follow all the interests that I’ve followed the last 40 years.”