Family Rituals
Author's Biography
Family Rituals Author's Biography |
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| This web site is the creation of Harold Keith Landers of Madison, Wisconsin. It will be continuously under construction. I covet any contributions which can be loaded into the web site of any kind of family rituals -- religious, non-religious, from all kinds of backgrounds. | What follows is a brief autobiography of the life story of Harold Keith Landers. |
Harold Keith Landers was the first child of Harold Edward Landers and Dorothy Marie Lusty. He was born in May 1937 at Milwaukee County General Hospital. His father was a laborer who had worked in the CCC Camps during the depression. He later worked at AOSmith Corporation and Schlitz Brewery on the assembly lines. His mother worked on the assembly lines at Globe Union Corporation manufacturing roller skates. To the right is a wedding picture of Harold and Dorothy Landers, seated witht he couple that stood up for them standing. |
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The picture at the left is one of the only ones of Keith and his mother, Dorothy, after birth. Photography was a rarity in those days. Although named Harold Keith Landers, his parents called him "Keith" so as not to confuse him with his father when addressed in the family situation. Except for legal documentation, he has always used the name Keith to this day. He was baptized in a Methodist Church. His parents gave birth to a second child, Norma Jean Landers in 1938.
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| Keith, Norma and his parents lived in Milwaukee Wisconsin all of his growing years. At the right is a picture of the family outside the state capital in Madison, Wisconsin. Keith attended Pleasant View Grade School, Peckham Junior High and Washington Senior High School. His favorite school subjects were English, history, and mathematics. His favorite activities were group sports--softball and basketball. The only pet of the family was a cat for about one year. |  |
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On the left is a photo of Norma and Keith outside of one of many rental homes his family resided in. On the right is the confirmation picture of Keith at St. Peter's Lutheran Church which was on 39th and Capital Drive. The pastor of the church was Christian T. Breest, who had 7 of his confirmands enter the Lutheran ministry. Pastor Breest was a dynamic preacher who stressed faith in Christ and living a moral and dedicated life. Keith sang in the church choir and determined to enter the ministry of the Lutheran Church when he was in his early teens. Among his many jobs worked throughout high school, college, and seminary were: asphalt worker, packer at Kohl's food store, pinsetter in a bowling alley, bus boy, line worker at American Can Company, line worker at a box factory, and school bus driver. He graduated from Washington High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June of 1955. There is a class website at: |
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Keith attended the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee and graduated from there in 3 1/2 years, majoring in history and English, and minoring in philosophy. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from UW-M. In his second year at UW-M, he met Janet Evelyn Ahrens of Mukwonago, Wisconsin on a blind date. They continued to date and were married in the Congregational Church in Mukwonago, Wisconsin (of which Jan and her family were members). The photo shows Keith and Jan, the best man, Robert Kruger, the Maid of Honor, Helga Guequierre, and the clergy of their two congreations, Rev. Day and Christian Breest. They were married while Jan was finishing her studies at UW-M and Keith was attending Northwestern Lutheran Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. |
| The photo at the right was taken on the day that Keith and Jan prepared to go on their honeymoon to the Smokey Mountains. Two of the destructive habits which Keith picked up while in college were smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic beverages to excess. Keith and Jan took along a pup tent to sleep in while camping in the Smoky Mountains, but they were flooded out and spent the rest of their honeymoon at Mrs. Macaulay's Guest House in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Jan received her degree in elementary education and taught for one semester at Tess Corners School. |  |
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At the left is Keith's seminary graduating class at Northwestern Theological Seminary of the UCLA in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Keith majored in Church History and Theology. He was a member of two classes as he began in the third quarter of the school year. For two of the three years he sang in the choir which went on tour between the second and third quarters. |
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| Jan and Keith gave birth to four children. At the right is Keith holding their first child, Jeffrey Keith Landers. Photo was taken in the parsonage in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Jan was busy raising their four children and was also active in the church as a Sunday School teacher, Vacation Church School teacher, organist, choir director and member of the Lutheran Church Women. |  |
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At the left is a photo of the Landers family: (1st row) -- Laura Michele, Kurt Steven, Sheri Elizabeth, Janet Evelyn, Jeffrey Keith, and Keith Landers taken when they were in their second congregation in DeForest, Wisconsin. Photo: 1969. | |
Keith and Jan are the proud grandparents of 7 grandchildren. At the right is Rachel Sime, the daughter of Laura and Donald Sime.
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At the left is a family picture of the Landers family taken at their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Row #1: Norma Bruss (nee Landers), Laura Sime (nee Landers), Janet Landers (nee Ahrens), Joshua Landers, Jeremy Landers, Sarah Landers (nee Pagel), Rose Charlotte Parker, Michael Kurtis Lander . Row #2: Steven Parker, Sheri Elizabeth (nee Landers), holding Matthew Alexander Parker, Keith Landers, Dorothy Landers(nee Lusty), Jessica Jane Landers, Kurt Steven Landers, Jeffrey Keith Landers, Donald Sime holding Rachel Jean Sime. |
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| At the right is a photo of the Landers men, father Kurt Steven Landers, with his three sons -- Jeremy Daniel, Joshua Robert, and Michael Kurtis. The photo was taken at the wedding of their cousin, Kym Ahrens to Christopher Williams in the summer of 2003 in Iowa City, Iowa. |  |
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| The picture at the right was taken in 2006 at the trip to celebrate the wedding of Scott Ahrens & Greta Knievel in Boulder, Colorado. Scott is the son of Jan's brother Dick and his wife, Janice Ahrens. Keith & Jan rode the Cog Railroad to the top of Pike's Peak with Sheri, Steven, Rose and Matthew Parker. |  |
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| At the right is a group photo of the Landers and Ahrens clan taken at a bruncy following the Scott Ahrens and Greta Knievel in 2006. Front row: Tom Williams holding Sydney, Nicole Ahrens, Beth Ahrens hugging son, Teagan, Rose Parker, rachel Sime, Michael Landers, Matthew Parker, Joshua Landers, Jeremey Landers (on crutches), Jessica Landers, & Keith Landers. 2nd row: Greta Knievel, Scott Ahrens, Kym Williams, Chris Williams holding son Quinn, Steven Parker, Sheri Parker, Janic Ahrens, Dick Ahrens, Sarah Landers, Janet Landers & Laura Sime. Back row: Kurt Landers, Jeff Landers & Donal Sime. |  |
