Story originally printed in the Westby Times or online at www.westbytimes.com
Published - Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Quam accepts new calling after 36 years
Pastor Lindell Quam and his wife LaVonne are busy trying to pack 36 years of memories into cardboard boxes after he accepted a pastoral position at Elin Lutheran Church in Osakis, MN.
The Quams moved to Westby in 1972 after he accepted a calling to Bethesda Lutheran Church on West Park Street. Fresh out of seminary Pastor Quam was as green as the spring grass and had underestimated the broad spectrum of responsibilities a small town parish pastor is responsible for. Given time he adjusted to the challenge, but admits that the responsibilities were overwhelming early on.
A country couple at heart, Lindell and LaVonne were raised on farms in Minnesota. After high school Lindell attended college in Texas and planned for a career as an aeronautical engineer. Those plans changed after he was drafted by the Army during the Vietnam War. Raised with a strong religious background, Pastor Quam felt the need to spread God’s word after the war. He entered seminary school and was soon introduced to his future wife, LaVonne, when she was attending Bible school.
“My sister and her sister were roommates. LaVonne said “Hi” and the rest is history,” Pastor Quam said.
After moving to Westby the Lindell’s raised three children of their own, Rochelle (Steven) Swenson, Paul (Kara) Quam and Marle (Mike) Olstad. They also have seven grandchildren, Kaleb, Christian, Kendra, Joel, Evan, Elizabeth, Katelyn and the eighth one on the way.
The Quams, like their children, have mixed feelings about leaving Westby, which will forever be home. Having just turned 62 last week, Lindell could have stayed in Westby, continued to spread the word of God and retired when the time was right, but the Quams felt the time had come to make a change and take their message and experience to a new destination.
Through the years Pastor Quam has had numerous opportunities, from the West Coast to the East Coast, to relocate. He even had a calling to his new destination, Osakis, MN in 1980, but felt his work wasn’t complete in Westby at that time and together the Quams decided that raising their children in a family-oriented community like Westby took precedence over any offer to move.
“We never felt stuck in Westby. It’s where we wanted to be and we’ll miss it more than you know,” Lindell said.
Through the years the Quams have seen many religious leaders move in, move out and move on, while they stayed. They played an important part in the church expansion and redesign in 1978. A “jack-of-all-trades”, Pastor Quam admits to logging more time in blue jeans than any other pastor in the hemisphere. Between his love for woodworking, cutting and stacking wood, part-time farming and totally remodeling the parish house, he doesn’t have extensive free time.
“I’ve found being a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ keeps me in touch with people and is a good way to minister to them somewhere other than inside the walls of the church,” Pastor Quam said.
Pastor Quam loves his job and the message he sends to parishioners every week, but has learned that age does take a toll and that you can’t burn the candle at both ends forever. He spends hours preparing for Sunday sermons and working with children and the elderly during the week. The Quams know they’ll miss the people they refer to as family, the friendships they’ve developed through the years, the relationships they’ve built and the scenic area which people take for granted when they live there everyday. The one thing Pastor Quam will miss the most though is the connections you learn after years of living in a small town whenever you need a project done.
“With preparation being the most time consuming part of any project, it’s just nice to know the right connections to get things done faster,” Pastor Quam said.
Parishioners and the Quams have shed many tears already and their boxes aren’t even all packed. They promise to keep in touch and have plenty of reasons to come back. They also hope that people from Westby will make Osakis a destination point when they are passing through.
Pastor Quam wants to get beyond the sadness and focus on the fact that what really matters hasn’t changed.
“The Gospel is the same whether I preach it or someone else does. Life has taught me that ministers are human and I’m just grateful that I was given the opportunity to spread the word of God in a wonderful community like Westby. I believe the church needs a new gift mix and that’s it’s time for me to accept the new calling,” Pastor Quam said holding back his emotions.
The Quams are currently searching for a house to call home. Having resided in the parish house for 36 years they will be purchasing their first home.
“Most people buy a home at 30, I waited until I was 62. Off course now I’ll have to live to be 100 just to build equity in it,” Pastor Quam said.
Lavonne will also miss Westby and all the wonderful relationships they’ve developed through the years. A registered nurse by profession, LaVonne became a stay-at-home mom for 16 of the 36 years the Quams lived in Westby and has been employed at Vernon Memorial Healthcare in Viroqua as a surgical nurse for almost 20 years.
“I hope people come to visit us and we’ll return whenever we can to visit. We’re looking forward to spending more time with our families, but in our hearts Westby will be home,” LaVonne said.
Pastor Quam will hold his final sermon at Bethesda on Sunday, June 8, followed by a parish dinner and public open house at the Westby Community Center.
All stories copyright 2006 Westby Times and other attributed sources.