Alumni Class Notes for September 2017

Mark and Ashley Thorne (’07) welcomed a son, John Mark Thorne, on May 21, 2017.

Ernstfried “Ernie” Lang (’55) passed away at his home in Bartonville, Ill. on June 10, 2017. Surviving are his wife, Viola (Haner) Lang of Bartonville, four sons, six grandchildren, one sister, and three brothers. In 1958, Ernie became a minister with Evangelical United Brethren Denomination, which in 1968 merged to become the United Methodist Church Denomination. Having served in Bloomington, Monmouth, Deland, Melvin, and Macon United Methodist churches, Ernie retired in 1996 from Hanna City and Trivoli United Methodist churches. After retirement, Ernie attended the Morton United Methodist Church and was a member of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. Ernie was actively involved in many church youth camps, and enjoyed photography, kayaking, and working with HO trains. Memorials may be made to Morton United Methodist Church building fund or to the Preacher Aid Society in Springfield, Ill. To view Ernie’s video tribute or to leave an online condolence for the family, visit www.knappjohnson.com.

On August 5, 2017, Alex and Sallie (Edwards) Turoczi (’67) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Alex writes, “I was ordained in September 1967, and became Pastor of Brigantine Baptist Church in Brigantine, N.J. in October 1967. Sallie and I became missionaries with Trans World Radio, and in May 1969 we arrived in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where we produced programs for Hungary, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Sallie edited English programs, taught English to wives of our co-workers, and spent most of her time with our children Lori & Michael. After 42 years with Trans World Radio, we retired in 2011 and now live in New Holland, Pa.”

In August, Christopher White (PPE ’09) was named the national correspondent at Crux, the most-read Catholic news site in the English-speaking world. Based in New York but also spending time in Washington, D.C., Chris is Crux’s lead writer on the interplay between faith and public policy in the United States. Before being invited on full-time, Chris was an opinion contributor at Crux for over a year. Chris says, “The work of journalism is more important than ever, both in our country and in the church, so it’s an exciting time to be in this role.” He tweets his writing @cwwhite212.

Hosanna Lynn Peterson, the first child of Josiah (PPE ’12) and Rachelle (DeJong) Peterson (PPE ’13), was born on September 14, 2017, at 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and 19.25 inches.

Chris Goppert (NBC ’70) recently released Drawing Strength from the Right Sources (West Bow Press). Written to encourage Christians undergoing suffering, Goppert’s book is available to order online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and West Bow Press. An e-book version for Kindle is also available on Amazon.

Edith (Koehler) Williams (’67) writes, “My husband and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage this fall with our three children and eight grandchildren at our Windsor Park retirement community near Wheaton. We moved to a house in the Estates area last year.”