Name: Emma Nurrenbern

Parish: Member of St. James Church, Haubstadt

Married, number of children: Widow of Oscar Nurrenbern, who died after 49 years of marriage: six children, 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Tell us three things about yourself: I can’t get around very well since I had a stroke. I still like to go to church. Now that Father Bilskie is here at River Pointe, I can get to church and Mass every day. I love my children and grandchildren, and I like to spend time with them.

One of your earliest childhood memories: I grew up in St. Wendel. I was a farm girl, and I still love farming. My mother and dad worked hard … they never did sit down! In all, I had six brothers, but two died at birth. I was the only girl. I like to do things with my brothers, like fishing and playing ball.

What is an early memory of going to church at St. Wendel? After Mass, we would visit my grandparents. I remember singing in the children’s choir.

What do you remember about World War II? Two of my brothers were in the war, and we went to church often to pray for them. They both fought on the front lines and were in the Battle of the Bulge. I think the prayers got them home OK. I remember one Christmas morning, when my husband went to church with us (he was my boyfriend at the time). There were several Masses being said because of the war, and Mom and Dad made us stay for five different Masses. When one Mass would end, Oscar would get up to leave, and then when he saw that we weren’t moving, he would sit down again! We sat there through five different Masses! My mother and father were very strict Catholics!

How did you meet your husband? We met at a dance at Hornville. He was from St. Agnes.

What was your first job and what did it pay? I cleaned a lady’s house, when I was in high school. I cleaned the whole house and got paid 50 cents. After that, I worked at a packing company, wrapping meat. When I got tired of that, I got a job at a furniture factory, making slipcovers for couches and later draperies, etc.

Who influenced you growing up? Who did you consider to be a hero? The nuns who taught us at school and the priests. I really admired them.

What do you value in a friend? Loyalty and honesty.

What have you been involved with at your parish? I belong to the St. Bernadette Auxiliary at Haubstadt, and I was in the Altar Society. Before my stroke, I helped out with the social and cleaned church.

Do you have any hobbies? How do you stay active? Here at River Pointe, we play bingo, exercise, and I participate in all the social activities. I also have family functions for all occasions.

What do you miss about the old ways of the church and what do you like about the new? I like the Mass in English, but I still have good memories of the Latin Mass. I still enjoy the original Latin Masses on EWTN. My parents always went to the High Masses, and I miss that.

Have you encountered a miracle or God’s intervention in your life? I think it is a miracle that I made it through the stroke. I was really bad … I couldn’t talk or swallow, and then I got seizures. I was in bad shape. Praying has helped me get through it.

What do you like most about being Catholic? I just feel like God helps me all the time, and I just feel belonging to Christ’s original apostolic church is a good fit for me.

What is your favorite religious item? I collect angels, and I also like my rosary, statues and crucifix.

What have you learned?  How are you different than 50 years ago? Fifty years ago, I was 30. I have learned that overall, God provides, and things work out. Things that seemed important then, have diminished. Now I know that just getting up in the morning to a new day is a blessing from God.

Tell us about a favorite saint. When I was in the second grade, I had to go to the hospital. Someone brought me a book about St. Theresa of the Little Flower, and I have admired her ever since. She was just a wonderful person.

What makes a success? Using your head and having common sense. Also working and trying to get along with other people.

What’s the best advice you could give? I used to tell my kids to communicate with me and let me know if anything was bothering them.