Yes, it finally appeared… my obituary! Rather than having someone else write my obituary, I decided to be different (what's new?) and write my own.
Way back on September 20, 1937, I was born to Loring and Marion Ziebarth at the Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was their first child and remained the only child until twin boys Philip and Paul were born into our home on May 28, 1945. For the first seven years of my life we lived in Osseo, Minnesota, where I was surrounded by several cousins and we never missed a service at the Maple Grove Nazarene Church.
When I was about seven years old, we moved to Robbinsdale, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. My twin brothers were born shortly after this move, and since I was the “big” sister, I spent many hours helping care for them. My childhood and teenage years were wonderful. About the age of 10, I began taking piano lessons for the next three years and started playing it church when I was about 12… and have never quit. I accepted Christ as my Personal Savior at the age of 12 during Vacation Bible School. These were wonderful years: Sundays at Grandma’s, church every Sunday, summer camp, summer vacations at White Fish Lake in northern Minnesota, piano lessons, great friends with whom I still keep in touch, good youth groups… what more could one ask for? My mother and I sang duets for many years… our favorite being “Day by Day.” After she passed away at the age of 59, and Cindy was old enough, we began singing together.
Upon graduation from high school in 1955, it was time to make a decision about my future. I decided to attend Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, over a thousand miles from Minnesota. That first year was difficult and I wanted to go home many times, but I always remember what my dad said when he dropped me off at BJ… “Remember, you finish what you start!”
Well, around October of my freshman year, as I was leaving the post office, a young, blonde man from Estherville, Iowa, whose brother I had met in Minneapolis, introduced himself to me and asked if I would be willing to attend the Thanksgiving festivities with him. Every girl wanted a date for Thanksgiving, so how could I decline… besides that, he was a handsome Norwegian from Iowa, and a preacher boy. My Grandpa Ziebarth, a preacher in northern Minnesota, had said to me for several years, “I hope you marry a preacher!” That first date led to many more, and Ole Refsell and I were married on August 29, 1959, at the Fourth Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after I graduated from Bob Jones with a BA degree in 1959.
Since I was a radio/tv major at Bob Jones, I was fortunate to land a job at WCCO Radio in Minneapolis while my husband attended Central Seminary. Our first child, Cynthia Jean, was born August 12, 1962. Shortly thereafter we began pastoring the West Dallas Baptist Church in West Dallas, Wisconsin. 1963 took us to Bethel Baptist Church in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, where we led the people in a building program to enable further growth. During our ministry in Camp Douglas, our son, Mark, was born, September 15, 1966. Shortly after the building was completed, we received a call to a new ministry in Indianapolis, Indiana, Joy Baptist Church. Since they were meeting in a rented facility and the work was growing, once again we went through a building program. Our third child, Paula, was born during this time, May 19, 1969. So… we had three kids, each born in a different state. I used to joke that I didn't want to move again! Following two years as an assistant pastor at Colonial Hills Baptist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, we were called to the Normandale Baptist Church, Bloomington, Minnesota. This was especially exciting since we would have family and grandparents around for our kids.
Things were really progressing at Normandale, but after less than a year there, the Lord chose to take my husband, Ole, my children’s father, and the pastor of this wonderful church, to live with him. On the night of July 27, 1973, we left the house about 6 p.m. I had planned to take the teenage girls on a bowling activity and then spend the night at the church. Well, it never happened. My husband was driving the church bus, which was hit by a car, he fell out the front door and was crushed to death immediately. He was 36 years old. By 9 p.m. that evening I was a 36-year-old widow and my kids were fatherless.
Obviously, the last 40+ years have been very challenging. I became a widow, a single parent, the sole breadwinner and everything else in between. At the time of Ole’s death, Cindy was 11, Mark 6, and Paula 4. Needless to say, it was a very traumatic event in the lives of each one of us. One year after Ole died, my mother passed away from cancer. After Paula started school, Dr. Clearwaters, of Fourth Baptist Church called one day and asked if I would be willing to come and work at the church, and later at Central Seminary as the secretary to Dr. George W. Dollar. I accepted his invitation. While working at Central Seminary, I was privileged to write, produce, and host a daily radio program, Children’s Storytime, on WCTS-FM. In 1980, Cindy graduated from Fourth Baptist Christian Day School, Mark was going into 8th grade, and Paula was still in elementary school. Dr. Joseph A. Rammel, President of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, Owatonna, Minnesota, called and asked if we would consider moving to Owatonna because he was in need of a secretary. He said if I would come, he would see that my children, if they so desired, would be eligible for a free college education! How could I say no? Cindy was ready for college and Pillsbury was just the place for her. We sold our house in Minneapolis and moved to Owatonna, where we lived until 1987. Cindy graduated from Pillsbury in 1984 and began teaching school in Findlay, Ohio. Mark graduated from Owatonna High School and joined the army, and Paula graduated from Owatonna High School as well. We all loved those years in Owatonna… it was a “Normal Rockwell” type of town back then.
In 1987, the leadership of Pillsbury College was changing, all the kids were out of high school, so once again it was time for a change. Dr. Greg Mutsch, Dr. Rammel’s assistant at Pillsbury, was called to pastor the Beth Eden Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado. He asked if I would consider moving to Denver to become his office manager at Beth Eden. I accepted, sight unseen, and made plans to move. Cindy was in Ohio, Mark in the army, and Paula was the only one still living at home, so she moved with me.
Dr. Mutsch was much respected and admired by the Beth Eden congregation, and I enjoyed my responsibilities at the church; however, in 1990, he was offered a position as Assistant to the President at Pensacola Christian College, in Pensacola, Florida. You guessed it… “Janice, would you like to work at PCC?” So… I moved to Pensacola where I worked as Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for five years. Since I was not a “hot weather” person, I decided to move back to Denver where Cindy and Mark were now living; Paula was back in Minnesota making wedding plans. My father died in the early 90’s and I really missed him since he was my “rock” following Ole’s death. Dr. Rammel, now the administrator of the day school at Beth Eden, hired me to come back and teach K-4. I did that for a couple of years and then moved back to the church office to work with Dr. James Efaw. In 2005 at the age of 68, I figured it was time to retire. Since that time, I have worked in the school lunch program at Brighton schools, done substitute teaching, and worked for pastor VanDenBos at the Community Baptist Church in Brighton, Colorado.
It certainly has been a most challenging life. There was really nothing I ever wanted to be but a good preacher's wife and mother. That desire was fulfilled, with many extras added on. I always loved a challenge.
Janice Refsell, age 84, passed away of Covid 19 complications Thursday, January 13, 2022, in North Platte, Nebraska. She is preceded in death by her parents, Loring and Marion Ziebarth; brother, Philip Ziebarth; and husband, Ole Refsell. She is survived by her brother, Paul Ziebarth; daughter, Cindy Lamgo; son, Mark Refsell; and daughter, Paula Smalley; seven grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.