by Linda Riegle as shared to Ella Reff

I was born in Sturgis, MI and soon after my parents moved to nearby Bronson, MI where this journey began. My parents attended the First Congregational Church there and at age 4, I was baptized in that church. I attended Sunday school services and summer Bible School until age 14.

My father passed away when I was age 8, leaving my mother to raise me. Church was part of our life, especially since she was on the leadership council at the Congregational Church until we moved to Clare, MI where I graduated from high school. We then moved to Kalamazoo, MI where I began what turned out to be a 40+ year career with Blue Cross Blue Shield of MI. During much of this time I had left the church as the company transferred me to many offices across MI including Mt. Pleasant, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, South Lyon and eventually the Southfield office near Detroit. 

In 1980, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer requiring surgery followed by 14 months of chemotherapy. My experiences with this challenge made me realize that not only is God with us always, but even more so in times of trial, even though we don’t fully recognize it at the time. There is a whole other story that accompanies this recognition that is too long for this article. But there have been other times as well where I experienced His presence, especially during the passing of my niece, Lori.

I returned to the church in 1996, when I moved to Brighton, MI and began attending the United Methodist Church there with several of my neighbors. And, during many of my holiday visits with my brother’s family here in Yorktown, I attended service at Yorktown Methodist Church. 

I have attended Sunday services regularly since my move to Yorktown in January of 2013, and have served in many different capacities: such as helping cook for the community dinners, Covenant Partner dinners, various luncheons and other events. I am in the Bell Choir. I am our church representative on the Covenant Partners church board; and I currently serve on our church Leadership Council. 

Other volunteer activities include many in MI representing my employer at Alzheimer’s fund raising walks, activities at the Detroit Art Museum, the Detroit African American Museum, and MI State Fair. Locally, I have helped at the REACH and Christian Ministries food banks and for 4 1/2 years prior to Covid, I volunteered at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in the Outpatient Cancer Center. The hospital volunteer activity was especially important to me as a way of paying forward what many had done for me during my cancer treatment. 

My favorite hymns are "He Touched Me" and "Mary, Did You Know?" My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 121.