The Clergy and Staff of St. Thomas of the Valley

STAFF
 

 

 

 

 Priest:  Position currently filled by supply clergy
Verger: John Schaefer - John  helps to plan our services, conducts most of our non-Eucharistic liturgies, and assists at the altar.  He is involved in the maintenance of our worship space and serves as "web master."  Besides his duties of Verger, John also serves as a chalice bearer, lay reader, and Eucharistic minister, and homilist, and is certified as an EFM (Education for Ministry) "mentor." He recently retired as a chaplain at Verde Valley Medical Center where he served as the Volunteer Chaplain Coordinator for 3 years.  John also serves as a member of our Education, Pastoral Care, and Worship Councils, and is the author of the book, The Customs and Traditions of the Episcopal Church.  
Music & Choir Director: Joy Simons - A graduate of the music school at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, Joy began her musical career in 1981 as a public school teacher.   After a few years, she felt called to serve as full-time Director of Music at First United Methodist Church in Hampton where she directed 4 choirs, 2 handbell choirs, a chamber orchestra, and several musical productions with other churches in the area. Joy moved to the Verde Valley in 1988, where she continues her musical interests.  She was instrumental in the creation of the Verde Valley Voices and served as their conductor from 1996 – 2001.  She was the Choir Director at Mingus Union High School for 3 ½  years, culminating in both first and second place wins at the Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim, CA.    She earned her Masters in Music from NAU in 2001 and recorded her first CD in 2003.
 

 

 

 

 Organist: Position currently open.

 
Parish Administrative Assistant:  Helen Lusher  Helen, who has worked as a secretary for the past 20 years joined the St. Thomas staff in October of 2001.  Helen also works with our Pastoral Care Committee insuring that the pastoral needs of our congregation are met in a timely fashion.  She and her husband are long time residents of Clarkdale and they have raised three children who have all gotten their Master's degrees. In Helen's spare time her family enjoys  many activities include hiking, mountain climbing, and(!) motorcycle riding.

 

VESTRY - 2009
Senior Warden: Rita O'Connor  Bio pending

 
Junior Warden: Reid Kramer - Reed  arrived in the Verde Valley in 1960, attending Brewer Road School in Sedona, Cottonwood Jr High, and graduating from Mingus Union High School when it was still on the hill in Jerome. He earned his degree in Firefighting from Yavapai College. Reed's mother, Ree Kramer, was a teacher and Principal at Oak Creek School in Cornville until she retired 20 years ago. After many years in the construction field, 21 years as a volunteer Clarkdale Firefighter and EMT, and 5 years as Clarkdale Fire Chief, Reed is currently an inspector for the City of Sedona. For relaxation, Reed enjoys riding his Harley on the many scenic roads in northern Arizona. He and his wife, Stacy, along with their children, Ben, Brad, and Chloe, have been active members of St Thomas for 14 years, serving on the Vestry, as acolytes, ushers, and Chalice bearers. They have lived 1 block from the church in beautiful Clarkdale since 1981.
Treasurer: Pete Gardner -  Pete was born in Holbrook, Arizona and his father worked for the US Forest Service and was transferred often.  From Holbrook they moved to Springerville, Arizona , then to Bakersfield, California and then to Williams, Arizona where he lived for 14 years before moving to Phoenix.  Pete attended California Institute of Technology for a couple of quarters, then finished his undergraduate work in general biology at Arizona State.  He then attended Rice University for one year of graduate work.  He took a job at the Veterans Hospital in West Los Angeles but was drafted a couple of months after taking that job.  After serving 2 years in the Army, he returned to the VA in West LA, where he continued to work for the VA until his retirement in 1994.  He then returned to Arizona and to the Verde Valley.  He has two children, Paul and Clare.  Both of them still live in California, After moving to the Verde Valley he was impressed by St. Thomas’ Choir and began attending St. Thomas and singing with the choir.
Clerk of the Vestry:  Susan Mitchell  - Susan was born in Washington, Iowa, but lived there only a short time before her family moved to the Valley of the Sun in 1950.  She went to high school in Phoenix and attended college at Arizona State University.  Her husband, Ed,  taught college before he retired.  She had a brief career as a mechanical draftsman before she went back to school and trained to be a court reporter, a skill which she has practiced  for 20 years, first working for other agencies and the courts, then finally as a freelance reporter. She and her husband escaped from Phoenix to the Verde Valley 10 years ago and have attended St. Thomas since then.   She is a member of the altar guild and the choir, and enjoys  being outdoors – fishing, camping, cooking – sewing and handcraft work, calligraphy, history, and she is voracious reader.

General Vestry Members - 2009
Larry Blum - Larry was born in Portland, Oregon, where he met and married Ruth.  Larry worked for 20 years for Uniroyal Tire Company and was eventually transferred to Phoenix, AZ, in 1965.  He left Uniroyal to work for the mine division of Cobre Tire and finally retired in 1995.  Larry and Ruth happily moved to Cottonwood in 1998.  The have two grown children, son Rick who lives in Flagstaff and a daughter Pam in Phoenix.  In his spare time Larry likes to shoot and hunt.
Sheila Boyle - Bio pending
Martha Childers - Martha was Baptized, Confirmed and Married in Trinity Episcopal Church Columbus Ohio. Came to Arizona in 1956 and moved to Cottonwood in 1989. She has three sons and nine Grandchildren all living in Arizona. She and her sister Connie share a home in Cornville. Martha found St. Thomas Church in 1989 and immediately joined the choir She served a one year term on the vestry. As well as a three year term on the State ECW Board, was ECW president here at St Thomas for two years. Back to the vestry for a 3 year term. Went off the vestry for one year then was asked to fill out a two year term. Not one to sit around she took on training and scheduling the acolytes many years ago, serves as lector, still sings in the choir and sees that there are fresh flowers on the altar every Sunday.
Barbara Evans - Barbara has been at St Thomas for almost 2 years. Before that she lived in Cotopaxi, Colorado and attended St, Lukes Episcopal Church, forty miles away in Westcliff, Colorado. There she was on the Bishops Committee (it was a very small church, approximately 45 members and that many only in the summer months). Prior to there she lived in Houston, Texas for 22 years and attended the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany very large church, over 700 communicants. While at Epiphany she served on many committees, was a Vestry member for three years, ECW president for three terms and on the building committee for the new parish hall. Barbara also taught Sunday School a few years and helped with Vacation Bible School several years.  Barbara grew up in Arizona, became a nurse, married and had three children. She continued her nursing career, mostly operating room, for 27 years, then went into Medical sales for 13 years, and then for fun,  went into retail sales, managing a women's casual clothing store. She is now retired and has been since 1997. Barbara is widowed, and lost her husband in 2003 and her oldest son in 2005. She now volunteers at the Clemenceau Museum, travels a lot, and enjoys reading, walking her dog, crossword puzzles, her family, and "being involved."
Mary Johnson -  Mary was born and raised in Jerome and returned to the Verde Valley 12 years ago. In 1977 she discovered St. Thomas and has been happily attending and serving in the choir ever since. She was instrumental in starting the Verde Valley Voices, serving on the Board of Directors for 5 years. This choir has continued to grow and now boasts over 150 members.  In her spare time Mary like Music, playing Bridge, and traveling.  Known around St. Thomas for her great sense of humor she keeps the vestry from taking itself too seriously.
MaryAnn Powell - MaryAnn has attended St. Thomas for16 years and has bee chairman of the Altar Guild for 15 years. She has also been a vestry member and Senior Warden and active in the ECW.  She was born in Chicago,  She attended Colorado College and worked in Chicago until she married.. Then she lived in Ohio and in Pennsylvania. She moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona in 1983 to run her own business which was a print shop.  Se has been retired since 1991 and enjoys traveling with her sister and reading
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2009-12-31