The Fates of 144 Faculty Lane and 115 Hillcrest

Tobin Beck sent me some reports and photographs two years ago, in June 2014, and I am posting them belatedly now. Sorry for my long delay, Toby !!!

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Here’s an update on what’s happening with Faculty Lane. Yesterday [June 7, 2014] it was sad to see the end of 144 Faculty Lane. Jenny Mueller-Roebke’s old house, which was destroyed in a practice fire by the Seward, Garland and Tamora Fire Departments. 

The destruction of the home at 144 Faculty Lane
in Seward, Nebraska, on June 7, 2014.
Before the fire. 

The destruction of the home at 144 Faculty Lane
in Seward, Nebraska, on June 7, 2014.
During the fire.

The destruction of the home at 144 Faculty Lane
in Seward, Nebraska, on June 7, 2014.
After the fire.

I found some history of 144 Faculty Lane in the Blue Valley Blade. The house was built in 1924 by Concordia as a home for Prof. H.L. Hardt and his family. The newspaper said the house cost $10,000 to build and it was the first time brick veneer construction had been used for a house in Seward. 

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Here’s an update on what’s happening with Faculty Lane. The below three pictures taken today [June 24, 2014] show workers in the process of moving the house at 115 Hillcrest (southeast corner of Hillcrest and Columbia) to make way for the Heartfelt Memorial for families who have lost children. The roof over the breezeway and garage was taken off to facilitate the move. 

115 Hillcrest was built around 1958-1959 as a Concordia house for Walter and Margaret Hellwege (and I remember a bunch of us kids playing on the dirt pile when the house was under construction). 

The removal of the home (the white building, back side)
at 115 Hilcrest Avenue
in Seward, Nebraska.

The removal of the home (covered by a blue tarp, side view)
at 115 Hilcrest Avenue
in Seward, Nebraska.

The removal of the home (front side)
at 115 Hilcrest Avenue
in Seward, Nebraska.

Below is a photo of 115 Hillcrest being moved today [June 27, 2014] in the rain. The photo looks south down Columbia, with the house at the intersection of Columbia and Hillcrest just east of St. John’s. 

The transport of the home
from 115 Hilcrest Avenue
in Seward, Nebraska.

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The space cleared by removal of the two houses will be used for a memorial for families who have lost children.

Still remaining on the block are:

* the house just east of St. John’s -- 920 Columbia, which is a Concordia guest house and was built in 1919, before the current Faculty Lane became a street in 1924; 

* 158 Faculty Lane, which also has been used as a guest house; 

* 200 Faculty Lane, the former president’s house that now is the Global Opportunities Center, which includes a classroom and office space. 


-- Tobin Beck

Faculty Lane as a Dirt Road

Marvin Bergman, who now occupies the old Sylwester house (Faculty Lane House 1) on North Columbia Avenue, kindly arranged for some old photographs in his possession to be scanned for this blog. One of the photographs was taken when Faculty Lane still was a dirt road.

The image is uploaded to this Flickr webpage. Click ALL SIZES to see the image in larger sizes.

The house in the far background behind the four white houses is the Heinicke house on East Hillcrest, where Koe (Kathie) Heinicke (Steve Sylwester's wife) grew up.

The photograph was taken after 1924, when the four white houses were moved from Faculty Row to Faculty Lane. Can anyone provide any other clues to the photograph's date?

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Tobin Beck wrote:

I remember when Faculty Lane, Hillcrest, the college half moon and Columbia in front of St. John’s were paved in the spring or summer of 1957. There were a lot of graders and other equipment going up and down the blocks so we couldn’t play outside as much as usual. I remember at one point running through the back yard and through the pine trees at the edge of our lot to take a look, and running right into the path of an earth mover coming toward me about 20 yards away. That was a little scary.

Faculty Lane Kid Jenny Mueller is Provost

The Spring 2008 issue of the Broadcaster includes an article about Jenny Mueller Roebke, who grew up in Faculty Lane House 7 and who now is Concordia College's Provost. The article includes several photographs. The complete article and all the photographs are below:

Growing up just across the street from Concordia ...

... campus life was the backdrop for Jenny Mueller-Roebke’s childhood. By the time she was a teenager, however, she had convinced herself she really didn’t want to stay in Seward, Nebraska.

It might be seen as evidence of God’s sense of humor that she has now spent most of her life in the town. What’s more, Provost Jenny Mueller-Roebke is now sitting in an office under the tower she used to look at from her childhood home. [The picture below shows young Jenny's brother Michael Mueller using his bicyle to pull her on a sled in front of Weller Hall.]

And, to top things off, her new role as chief academic officer is her dad’s old job. “Hah and double-hah,” saith the Lord. [The picture below shows Walter Mueller and his young daughter Jenny sitting in their front yard on Faculty Lane.]

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Concordia, Mueller-Roebke taught in Milwaukee before returning to Seward to teach at the junior high school. She joined the faculty of Concordia in 1980, teaching English and then, eventually, freshman seminar and general studies courses as well.

Mueller-Roebke earned a master’s degree from Concordia in 1982 and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1990. By the mid-90s she was serving as chair of the Department of English, Communication and Theatre Arts.

“Some might say ‘what a narrow perspective you have since you have been in one place for provost so long, but being able to live the academic life in this place has been a wonderful experience for me,” said Mueller-Roebke. “I have been so blessed by the opportunities here.”

As she takes on the responsibilities of provost, Mueller-Roebke can look to her parents as role models. Her mother, Laura Mueller, was the first dean of women at the school, and it was her employment that brought the family to Seward. Her father, Dr. Walter E. Mueller, taught English in some of the same classrooms Jenny taught in recently. He also served as the academic dean, the position which is now titled "provost."

There are some things that are very, very different from when my father was sitting in this chair,” Mueller-Roebke said. “But one thing he did that I will strive to accomplish is to nurture people and enable them to do their jobs to the best of their ability. There was also a period where he did quite a bit of hiring of faculty as the university grew; those faculty members have been a part of educating students for 30-plus years now. As we face many retirements, I am aware of how the hiring of each professor shapes the future of an institution.”

Mueller-Roebke expects to rely on her experience as a faculty member to guide her decisions. “I can’t imagine attempting to be provost unless you had experienced the classroom and the nature of what faculty do. If there is anything that I can do to further opportunities for my colleagues here, I think it’s my time to give back.”

[Jenny Mueller Roebke's childhood memories are in a previous post in this blog. And here is a YouTube video of Provost Mueller Roebke giving a speech about how to be a college student.]

Family Mueller

Walter, born in [year?]. Taught English and managed the college's theater program.

[Father's name?], born in [year?].

.

Mike, born in [year?].

Jenny, born in [year?].

.

They lived in Faculty Lane House 7 from [year?] to [year?].

Family Stelmachowicz

Michael Stelmachowicz, born in 1927, died in 2009. Taught religion and secondary education.

Excerpts from his obituary:

Michael Joseph Stelmachowicz, born September 18, 1927, in St. Louis, Missouri, was called home to heaven on December 30, 2009. He was the son of Michael J. and Esther Stelmachowicz (nee Boylan). ... He is survived by ... his children and 16 grandchildren. ....

Michael was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO. He is a graduate of St. John's College, Winfield, Kansas, and Concordia Teacher's College, Seward, Nebraska. Rev. Stelmachowicz earned a Masters in Education, Counseling from St. Louis University and a Masters of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary (LCMS) St. Louis, MO. He earned a Ph.D in Education Administration from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Michael married Betty A. Rivers on June 14, 1949, in Port Arthur, Texas. The couple was blessed with five children, Candyce Kaye Seider and husband Bryan, Cheryl Wawrzyniak and husband Roland, Cary Stelmachowicz and wife Carla, Crystal Welter and husband Michael, and Corrie Klatt and husband Daniel and 17 grandchildren.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Stelmachowicz served as a Lutheran Teacher, Lutheran High School principal at Lutheran High South in St. Louis, Missouri; Professor and Dean of Students at Concordia Teacher's College, Seward, Nebraska; Superintendent of the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Detroit, Michigan; President of St. John's College, Winfield, Kansas; President of Concordia Teacher's College, Seward, Nebraska; Executive Director of the Board for Higher Education of the LCMS; CEO of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Interim President of Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin.

In retirement he served as Assistant Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas, and was appointed by ULBRA (Lutheran University of Brazil) as Ambassador to North America.

Dr. Michael J. Stelmachowicz was instrumental in starting Concordia Academy (Lutheran High School) in Austin, Texas, and established the CA High Five Club.

Betty (Rivers) Stelmachowicz, born in [year?], died in [year?].

.

Candy (Stelmachowicz) Seider, born in [year?].

Cheryl (Stelmachowicz) Wawrzyniak, born in [year?].

Cary Stelmachowicz, born in [year?].

Crystal (Stelmachowicz) Welter, born in [year?].

Corrie (Stelmachowicz) Klatt, born in [year?].

.

They lived in Faculty Lane House 3 and in Faculty Lane House 7.

.

Mike lives in Austin, Texas. Betty died in [year?]. The kids live in [cities?].

Faculty Lane House 7

This house was occupied by the family of Walter Mueller from [year?] to [year?].

Toby Beck says the picture below shows some unknown kids on a swingset "behind Jenny Mueller’s house (looking toward Hellwege’s)." Can anyone recognize any of the kids?

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The house was occupied by the family of Michael Stelmachowicz from [year?] to [year?].

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Then the house was occupied by the family of Bill Heinicke from [year?] to [year?].