Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park

We recently welcomed five new members into Augustana’s fellowship and rejoice in these sisters and brothers in Christ. Their photos and a brief statement written by each follow below. If you haven’t met them, make sure to introduce yourself!

Shirley Wilson-Sigler and Regi Sigler

We were both born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Attended Lindblom High School. Both are only children. Regi attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. Shirley attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL. We were married in 1983 at Augustana.

Regi retired as a Systems Analyst from Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is a movie buff, likes to read, grocery shop and cook.

Shirley is a retired Registered Dietitian. Our daughter Courtney Sigler works at Northwestern Hospital in the ER and lives in South Shore.

Bill Host

Born in Philly, raised in Glenside, a suburb of Philly in Montgomery County, PA. Graduated with a BA in Humanities (concentration in Art History, and minors in Afrian-American Studies and Speech and Theater. Upon graduation in 1974 I was hired by Lutheran Campus Ministry as a field staff for Lutheran Student Movement (LSM). That job brought me to Chicago in the fall of 1975 where I continued in the position for another year and then worked for Lutheran Council in the USA and the Division for Campus Ministry until 1979. Planning to go to LSTC,I soon realized that that was not a good idea, and discovered my career as a meeting and event manager where I worked for a national trade association, eventually becoming their Director of Conventions and Meetings.

After fourteen years I got burned out and in 1993 founded HOST Meetings and Events managing programs for a client base of primarily professional associations. In 1993 Roosevelt University asked me to teach a part-time course in meeting and event management. In 1999 I received a Masters in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Roosevelt and in 2001 was hired onto a full-time tenured track as assistant professor eventually gaining tenure as associate professor in 2007. I retired from Roosevelt in December of 2020.

Greatest personal accomplishments: Hitch-hiked from Allentown PA to San Jose California in 1971 for a camp job with Easter Seal Society; The job for LSM (1974-1976) required that I visit local campus ministry agencies in 2/3 of the USA via Greyhound Bus. In 1977 I was selected as a delegate from the Lutheran Church in America to the Lutheran World Federation Assembly in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania prior to which I was on a solo goodwill tour to five other African countries visiting the offices of various Student Christian Movements. Served as Administrative Assistant, Secretary, and Co-Chair of Lutheran Concerned North America (now, Reconciling Works) from 1980 to 1990. In 2010 the convention management industry awarded me with the national educator of the year award. I was a founding board member of the South Loop Campus Ministry from 2010 to 2019. My biggest accomplishment has been living with my husband Denis for close to 42 years.

Kornelius and Miriam Koeppel

With the words “Grüß Gott” which is a German word, what we use to say “hello” and which means “God be with you on your way” we want to introduce ourselves. “We” this is Kornelius and Miriam. We were born and raised in Bavaria-Germany. Kornelius grew up as a pastors child and I was also raised Lutheran. We met each other on the dance floor because we both love ballroom dancing. But this is not all we have in common. We also love rollercoasters.

But this was not the reason to move. Seven years ago I had internships in Frisco (German Congregation) and New Orleans (German and Episcopal Congregations). Since this time, I wanted to come back and wanted to become a pastor in the U.S. Last year we got the chance. In September we moved from Nuremberg to Chicago. I am doing a Master of Divinity Program at LSTC and Kornelius is also doing a Master of Ministry / working with the Youth Group.

As you may know our hobby is dancing and we also love to teach dancing classes in ballroom and Latin-dances. We hope to offer that Fridays at Gorders Hall. We are thankful to be a part of the Augustana HPC with lots of international and families with kids. We are looking forward to get in touch with you all.