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Carol (Pyle) von Soosten '82 serves LWML, grateful for time at Concordia Nebraska

Seward, NE (06/16/2025) — Carol (Pyle) von Soosten '82 found her way to Concordia University, Nebraska through her sister and brother-in-law, Paula (Pyle) and Gary Schwartz, who graduated from Concordia in 1976.

"I considered attending initially because my mom was pushing for it since Paula and Gary had both gone there. Finally, I decided to attend after multiple conversations with Dick Jostes," she said. "Dick, who opened our dialogue at a college fair in Denver, Colorado, when I attended Denver Lutheran High School, followed up with me numerous times until I finally decided to head to Seward."

Von Soosten has a bachelor of arts degree in communications with an English minor from the university. Since 2019, she has served as a gift planning counselor with the LCMS Foundation, specifically working for Lutheran Women in Mission in their Gifts of Love ministry for gift planning. She is speaking at this year's LWML convention in Omaha in June.

"I will be speaking during a mission impact luncheon on Friday," she explained. "Then I will be speaking from the podium on Friday afternoon. I'll be working in our booth during exhibit times and will be hosting a reception for Legacy Circle members - those who have remembered LWML with planned gifts - on Saturday night after the entertainment."

Von Soosten said she has wonderful memories of her time at Concordia Nebraska, citing her time in the university's A Cappella Choir.

"Aside from the entire choir experience and the tours I was blessed to participate in, I also found lifelong friendships with other people in the choir," she said. "Both A Cappella director Edmund "Dad" Martens and communications professor Alan Winegarden were excellent examples and role models of a life spent in service to our Lord. Being in A Cappella strengthened my faith mainly because so many of the anthems had direct quotes from scripture. Various verses have come back - often in song - to comfort and lift me during challenging times."

Throughout her career, von Soosten has worked in a variety of non-profit or academic settings. From Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, in their office of development to Topeka Lutheran School Foundation as development officer, to classroom aide at several Lutheran schools, serving as office manager in several Lutheran church offices and working in public relations and development for a children's non-profit for abused and neglected children in Albuquerque, to her current position as gift planning counselor with the LCMS Foundation, God has used her talents and gifts in service to Him. "I'm proud to serve as one of twenty gift planning counselors around the country, helping people and taking care of families and ministries," she explained. "I talk with people who want assistance with planning how to bless their families and impact the ministries they care about before they go home to heaven. I'm also able to help ministries talk and work through their investment needs to better ensure their work and God's work carries far into the future. She said being of service to Lutheran families, especially to Lutheran women and widows, has become relevant in a whole new way since her husband's death last year.

"It is fulfilling knowing I can be of service to others as they make plans before God calls them home to heaven," she said. "I now have seen how easy it is to derail even the most well thought out plan when dealing with grief and widow brain." Carol married Mark von Soosten in December 1981 and moved with him to Topeka, Kansas, where he was teaching. She completed the last few credit hours needed to complete her coursework for graduation at Washburn University and transferred them back to Concordia in 1982. The von Soostens have one son, Paul, who is married and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Throughout his career, Mark served as teacher, principal, coach, athletic director, AV director and doing whatever else was needed at the various schools he served in his 39 years of ministry. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023 and died in March 2024.

"Concordia increased my knowledge, confidence and ability to see how a lay person can serve the church at large. It helped lay the groundwork and foundation for the rest of my adult life," she said.

When she's not working with LWML, you'll find Carol reading, walking, hiking in the mountains, sightseeing, singing and spending time with family and friends.

Carol's sister and brother-in-law, Gary and Paula (Pyle) Schwartz '76 and their son and daughter-in-law, Richard '07 and wife Jennifer (Davis) Schwartz '06 and their family all live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

"Concordia Nebraska has had a large part to play in my family's history, and I have good memories of wonderful experiences from my time there," she said. "I encourage any young person who mentions they are looking for a Christian college to consider Concordia Nebraska for their personal and faith growth, while also receiving a wonderful education. My time and experiences there prepared me for a life of service as a lay person in our church body. As "Dad" Martens always said, 'Soli Deo Gloria'!"

About Concordia University, Nebraska

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod located in Seward, Nebraska, which currently serves more than 1,700 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

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