By Sherrie Benes
Whitewater Banner Volunteer Staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Acknowledgement: “I would dedicate my story and blessings to my mother, Anna Carolina Fredericka.”
Introduction: When setting up the interview with this delightful lady, my thoughts always went to the same question that I was so eager to ask!
“Were you ever nervous about becoming the Pastor’s wife?” With a laugh she responded, “someone gave me a book, and it scared me to death!!” After reading her story (and I’m sure you’ll agree), no ‘instruction’ book was ever needed … enjoy!
Born on February 17, 1935 in Michigan City, Indiana, Nancy was the youngest of three siblings born to Anna Carolina Fredericka (Hagenow) Schnick and Paul William Schnick. She had two older brothers at the time of her birth, but unfortunately, she lost her oldest brother David, at the age of 16, when she was only three. The other brother, Ronald, was 10 years old when the little “Schnickelfritz” entered this world. (Nancy said she was always kidded as a Schnickelfritz, so of course I had to look up this German originating word!)
NOUN: “A child, especially a mischievous, noisy child; especially as a nickname or term of endearment”
Her father was a self employed carpenter by trade and also helped out on various farms, doing odd jobs. But when the Pullman Company came into Michigan City, Indiana and bought numerous city blocks in order to construct a plant to build their railroad cars, her father was able to purchase 50 of the homes ($1.00 each) that were located on those city blocks. He then relocated them, and built cement block basements for each of his newly purchased houses. Her mother, who was a homemaker, did the renting of these homes and also did all the upkeep on them. Nancy remembers helping her mother wallpaper many of these homes, which included wallpapering the ceilings!
She spent her elementary school years in Michigan City and then when she was in 7th grade, the family moved to a farm near Marshall, Michigan, 120 miles away, where her dad got a job managing a farm. She remembers the farmhouse having no heat, but it had a stove in the middle of the living room for warmth and she remembers the house having no hot water.
The school was different from what she was used to in the city also, where she found herself now in a one room schoolhouse for her seventh and eighth grade, (although she references it as a very nice experience!)
After a couple of years, they moved off of the Lyon Lake Farm into a home two miles away, where she was still living when she graduated from Marshall High School in 1953.
After graduation, she got a job at an insurance company in Battle Creek, Michigan where she worked until 1955. What she remembers about this part of her life was how her dad would let her take their 1949 red Studebaker to work, while he took the bus to Michigan City to work for the week! In 1955 the family moved back to Michigan City, Indiana and Nancy found herself working for Western Electric in Chicago, where her brother was working. Her transportation to work was by the South Shore electric train, which was an hour in and an hour back, every day. This is where she learned to play bridge, where they held Christmas parties, and she remembers singing every morning on the way into work with her fellow commuters! They always had a good time on that long train ride!
On January 5, 1957, two years after they had moved back to Michigan City, her father suffered a heart attack and passed away. After her father’s passing, Nancy decided to work closer to home to help her mother, so she took a job at the Enyert Chevrolet Dealership. Since Nancy didn’t go on for further schooling after high school, this was when her mother said she should go to Patricia Stevens Modeling School in Chicago, with her friend Margaret. After completing her courses at Patricia Stevens, she got a job at the LaSalle National Bank in Chicago, in the payroll department, where they employed over 500 people.
Then one Sunday in September of 1960, while attending a service at St. Paul Lutheran Church, she met the new intern pastor…
At St. Paul Lutheran Church, they had a group called YACS (Young Adult Christian Society), where young adults would meet and socialize on Sunday evenings, which were quite often held at Nancy and her mother’s home. The new intern would also attend these gatherings, where they would socialize along the beach of Lake Michigan, or play cards at Nancy’s house, where you would always find food on the table for the gathering!
On March 17, 1961, the intern pastor and Nancy had their first date, and in August of 1961, Jerry Wendt and Nancy Schnick became engaged.
But during their engagement, Jerry had to go back to the seminary in Columbus, Ohio, where he had two more years of school left.
On June 16, 1962, almost one year after their engagement, Jerry and Nancy were married in Michigan City, Indiana. Nancy soon found herself in Columbus, Ohio at the Trinity Seminary apartments, where the seminary families lived. She enjoyed her time in Columbus and found herself working for the Federal Savings and Loan and was secretary to the president. This also gave her the opportunity to associate with other pastors’ wives and it was during this time that she was offered ‘the book!’
In 1963, after Jerry’s graduation, they received a call from First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater, Wisconsin offering him the associate pastor and campus pastor position. Nancy remembers getting out the map to find Whitewater, because she had never heard of it! But then she remembered visiting Lutherdale when Jerry had brought kids up there one summer. She came along with him, and remembers almost being arrested …. (I gasped too, but the story goes that it got dark out when they were canoeing and they had no lights!)
They moved into the downstairs of the Little John House (429 W. Main St.) soon after receiving the call. This is where they welcomed their first child Gretchen, on May 19, 1964. Nancy remembers how her daughter learned her colors, by looking out her bedroom window at the Birge Fountain when the lights used to change colors! They had another addition to their family while living there, and some may remember this icon: Randy the Rooster! He would cross Main Street every evening to roost in the pine tree and would come back every morning to eat! (You can look up Randolph the Rooster’s story in Life Magazine-May 1965.)
In 1966 they were called to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedarburg, Wisconsin for Jerry to take over as senior pastor. This is where they found themselves moving into a converted horse barn in Mequon, and where their second child Nathan was born on October 16, 1967. (My thought was ‘wow, a horse barn, a baby, a manger?’ … different story, different ‘book!’)
Two years later, they moved the family into Cedarburg, Wisconsin where Charles was born on December 10, 1970. This is also where they grew their family even more …
In 1972, the then president of Uganda announced his plan to drive the Asian community out of the country. This mass exodus brought waves of refugees searching for a new home. It was with this news that Pastor Wendt got together with other pastors in Milwaukee to accept these families. He called it similar to watching a slave auction, where pastors would raise their hand on which families they would take. At the end, after Pastor Wendt hadn’t raised his hand, he said “we will take the family of 11.” To accommodate this large family, some of the older kids went to live with other pastors’ families in the community of Cedarburg, while Nancy and Jerry took the parents, along with their three younger children.
Nancy described Friday, December 8, 1972 as unbelievable. She remembers her kitchen table being stacked to the ceiling with clothes before their guests’ arrival, because when they met this family at the airport, they came off the plane in midwinter with only what they were wearing when leaving, and the women wrapped only in their saris. Nancy remembers how they had a local restaurant offer to give them all a meal on their journey back from the airport. She also recalls spending the day before at the local library, researching what she could feed them according to their religious beliefs. One thing she vividly remembers about mealtimes with their new family members, was how they always had to have hot sauce on the table! (I’m sure this was their tradition, and not their hosts’ cooking!?)
By Monday, the kids were already in school and Jerry had jobs lined up for the older kids, where all the money they earned went to their father to help out. While the kids were at school, Nancy found herself at home with her young son Charles and the mother, who was the only one in the family who couldn’t speak English. Their communication was exchanged by sign language or simple gestures. One time Nancy remembers was when she was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor, when the mother moved Nancy aside and started scrubbing it for her. I should add, although this family came to the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they had left behind a very different life. They were a very prosperous family, owning three Pepsi Cola trucks, a business which they had to leave behind, and they also employed maids. This mother may not have had to work, but when she came to Nancy’s house, she was always helping with chores. I’m sure she loved helping her, out of pure gratitude and love for the Wendt family! After all, this was the family who opened their heart and home to her large refugee family, and who made certain that they were all placed in the same community!
Then one day, the janitor of their church offered to loan the family $5000 to put as a down payment on a home. Within two months after they had stepped off of an airplane in a strange country, this family was able to move into their own house!
This was just the beginning of their new life in the United States …
This year marks 50 years when this exiled family (along with thousands of other Uganda refugees) arrived in their new country. They are still very grateful to Jerry and Nancy Wendt, and they continue to keep in regular contact! I would also like to add that all of their children attended college and have grown up to be very successful adults, with one being a Captain in the Army, and two of them doctors!
In August of 1973, the Wendts moved to Columbus, Wisconsin for Jerry to be the pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, where Nancy started working at Farmers and Merchants Union Bank as a teller. During this time in Columbus, they also took in a foreign exchange student from Belgium. Joëlle lived with them from 1981-1982 and became good friends with their daughter Gretchen, sharing their senior year together. The family still keeps in contact with Joëlle and has even visited her in Belgium!
Then in 1984, Jerry got a call from the First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater, Wisconsin. They moved their family into the parsonage, until the assistant pastor arrived. This was when they were offered to stay at the parsonage, or purchase their own home. In December of 1984, they purchased their first home at 622 W. Main Street, Whitewater. While Jerry was busy as senior pastor at FELC, Nancy kept busy with her job at First Financial working as a teller. Then one day in 1990, they received a telephone call from a local realtor. A lady had stopped into this realtor’s office, asking if they would contact whoever lived at 622 W. Main Street to see if they would consider selling. She said she had driven by their house 12 times, and it was the house that she wanted to make into a bed and breakfast. Of course Jerry said “sure, for the right price!” To their surprise, she accepted the high price without hesitation.
After much thought and deliberation, they ultimately decided not to sell, but this whole experience had sparked an idea. ‘Why couldn’t Nancy start her own bed and breakfast?’
In June of 1990, the doors to this beautiful 1895 Queen Anne Revival home opened and welcomed guests to her Victoria on Main Bed and Breakfast! (www.victoriaonmainbb.com)
As busy as this lady is, she still finds time to meet every Tuesday at First English Lutheran Church to assemble quilts for Lutheran World Relief. In 2022 these ladies from FELC completed 307 quilts to ship to other countries in need. Nancy has been involved with these quilting groups at all of the congregations Jerry has pastored, so I can’t even imagine how many quilts she has assisted in making as the preacher’s wife!
She also finds time for gardening and playing bridge, trying to become a Life Master.
As for that book someone had offered her a long time ago at the seminary …
After hearing and writing her story, I believe this little ‘Schnickelfritz’ WROTE THE BOOK!
My thanks go out to Nancy Wendt for sharing her story for our feature ‘Chapter Story’!
If you know of anyone that would like to share their story, or your own, please contact me at: sherbenes@gmail.com Subject line: Chapter Story
I would love to meet you!
Our thanks also, to the sponsor of our Chapter Story:
