Katie grew up in a Lutheran church in central Wisconsin, also called Zion Lutheran, and attended a Lutheran school from age 3 through 8th grade.
My grandparents, Grandma Helen and Grandpa Clarence, both impacted my faith growing up. We lived next door to my grandparents and I was very close to them. I have so many fond memories of time with them. One of my favorite memories was getting to eat dinner with them because I knew that we would have devotions after we ate. My grandparents let me or one of my sisters read the Bible verse that went with the devotion. I witnessed their faith through how involved they were with all the groups and activities of our church. I was even lucky enough to join my grandparents for many of them.
The Deneen family moved to Buffalo 17 years ago.
We continued attending St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN, until Abby was a 6th grader. We wanted her to go to confirmation classes at a church in the same town we lived, with people she knew. Our family started attending Zion during the summer of 2008. It was a really good fit for our family. There were many opportunities for families to become involved.
Katie taught Sunday school, volunteered for VBS, served as a confirmation guide, and volunteered for various events with the high school youth group, Blessing Closet, and SERVE Weekend.
Working with children has always been a passion of mine. I have been a Sunday school teacher and VBS volunteer since I was in middle school. Being part of a child’s faith journey and watching them grow stronger in their relationship with God is one of my greatest joys.
The greatest challenge to Katie’s faith has been her family’s journey through her husband’s cancer diagnosis and death in 2018.
Her favorite bible verse is Psalm 46:10:
“Be still and know that I am God!”
It reminds me to stop, listen to God, and know that He will walk with me through every part of my life. He has held me up and helped me move forward when it seemed impossible.
Katie has been an educator for the last 25 years, and currently teaches kindergarten at Northwinds Elementary. She has two children, Abby (23), a Registered Nurse at U of M Medical Center, and Peter (20), a sophomore at Michigan Technological University.
