Meet the Recipient of
Distinguished Service to her Alma Mater

Susi Jones

For Multiple areas of service to her Alma Mater

Presented by: Michael Mortensen and Bill Gerig

Susi (Laymon) Jones g71 is a very special loyal alumna, who was recognized for her distinguished service to her alma mater during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, September 23, 2017. Susi is multi-talented. She has served multiple times on the Alumni Council, been interviewed for multiple promotional videos, and has even been known to bake and serve multiple alumni meals. Susi has served as our Council president (more than once), and continues as our secretary, even as a non-Council member. She just retired from teaching after giving 45 years of service at Hoagland Elementary School/Heritage Elementary School, yet she has always made time for her alma mater and her church, First Missionary Church. Today, she volunteers at the Alumni Center, and we always appreciate seeing her and her long braids drive up into our parking area.

Meet the Recipient of
Distinguished Alumna for Professional Service

Amy Warren

For Outstanding professional service

Presented by: Michael Mortensen and Bill Gerig

Amy (Level) Warren g92 was presented our Distinguished Alumna for Professional Achievement during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, September 23, 2017.

Amy is now in her 28^th year with Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS). She started at Fairfield Elementary, where she went to middle school, and after finishing college, she taught there as a substitute teacher. Amy got her first “permanent position” at South Wayne Elementary School just blocks from her alma mater, where she taught 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grades. Today, Amy serves at LaVon Scott Elementary School, also here on the south side, where she teaches 4^th and 5^th grades.

With her experience, she also is CPI certified, and she is the lead teacher when the principal is out of the building. Recently, Amy was nominated for Teacher of the Year for FWCS and finished in the top five. During the summer, she serves as a teacher with Taylor University’s Clubhouse program helping inner-city youth.

This 1992 graduate’s favorite teacher was Etta Miller, who helped Amy to learn to love the kids. Even as a “young alumna,” she has earned every gray hair while teaching in Fort Wayne’s toughest schools. Her motto is, “We can’t fix them, but we can love them.”

Meet the Recipient of
Distinguished Alumna for Professional Achievement

Flossie Epley

For Outstanding achievement in education

Presented by: Michael Mortensen and Bill Gerig

Flossie (Johnson) Epley g77

Coming the farthest from campus, Flossie (Johnson) Epley g77 was awarded the Distinguished Alumna for Professional Achievement during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, September 23, 2017. While she began her teaching career at Fort Wayne Christian school, Flossie has been a missionary with TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission), teaching for over 30 years in the Christian Academy in Japan. She has served as Educational Advisor for TEAM missionaries in Japan for many years and received the honor of “Master Consultant with the Professional Association of Cross-cultural Consultants in Education.”

Flossie tells us that she will never forget the first day that Dr. Ted Nickel h95 came to evaluate her while she was student teaching. Being from what she explains was “a sheltered life as a missionary kid,” the inner-city classroom was quite a shock. In front of Dr. Nickel, she struggled to even get the kids to listen. Flossie went back to her dorm questioning whether she had really understood what God was calling her to do. A phone call from Dr. Ted that evening reassured her as he said, “I just want to tell you that what happened today in your classroom was just difficult circumstances. You are going to be a great teacher.” Flossie received from that phone call the ability to persevere and become the incredible teacher she is today.

Meet the Recipient of
Distinguished Alumnus for Professional Achievement

Gary Wilber

For Outstanding professional service in education

Presented by: Michael Mortensen and Bill Gerig

Dr. Gary Wilber g73 was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus for Professional Achievement during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, September 23, 2017. Gary began his career with Van Wert Youth for Christ, followed by three years in the family business at Empire Family Restaurants. In 1980, he founded Troy Christian Schools as a ministry of First Baptist Church in Troy, OH with 37 students in grades K-3. He began as principal and after 10 years, Troy Christian became independent and an old church and 28 acres was purchased to expand the school.

Troy Christian Schools has seen tremendous growth under Gary’s leadership with an Early Childhood building which houses 203 children, a building for K-6 which houses 287 students and two gymnasiums. A separate building now serves 342 students in grades 7-12 also with a gymnasium. Located adjacent to this building is a fieldhouse and a stadium for soccer, football, and track. Dr. Wilber now serves as superintendent of Troy Christian Schools which employs 142 staff members. In 2005, he was awarded “Leader of the Year” by The School of Urban Studies and in 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Toccoa Falls College for his years of service in Christian education and missions.

Meet the Recipient of
The FW Alumni Heritage Association 2013 Alumna Award

Arlene Motter g67

For Distinguished Service

Presented by: Michael Mortensen

At the October 6, 2013 Sunday Sing, Arlene Motter g67 was presented with the Fort Wayne Alumni Heritage Association 2013 Alumna Award for Distinguished Service to the Association. This award, presented on behalf of the Alumni Council, is awarded to those who have given exemplary service.

Arlene has served regularly at the Fort Wayne Alumni and Friends Resource Center as a researcher and scanner of slides and photographs, scanning well over 2000 slides and counting. Often the subjects in the photo are not identified so Arlene switches tasks and through research identifies a person(s), place, event and date. Her work is painstaking and difficult but so necessary to accurately identify people, events and dates for those interested in finding information regarding past happenings on campus. She is an archivist’s dream due to her skills, diligence and passion for the work.

Those of us who work at the FW Resource Center enjoy what we do because of the people we work with and for the common bond in Christ that we have. We are deeply grateful to Arlene for being a part of this team and for her tireless efforts in continuing to establish the record of “God’s Own Planting”.

Each year the Fort Wayne Campus Alumni & Friends Heritage Association identifies, selects and honors three to five alumni and friends for either personal or professional achievement or for service to the Resource Center or to the Association. It is an honor to be able to have the opportunity to recognize such individuals.

Meet the Recipient of
The Distinguished Alumnus Award

Dr. David Biberstein g66

For Service

Presented by: Michael Mortensen

Dr. David Biberstein is no stranger to the Fort Wayne campus, as he taught here for 26 years.  In addition to being a professor, he has been and is a pastor, friend, missionary, discipler, and mentor.  He graduated from Fort Wayne Bible College in 1966, where he majored in Bible and Theology.  As a student, among other things, he traveled with Dr. Jay Platte, Dave Brown and Phil Logan as a member of the Ambassadors (their CD is now available online at the Fort Wayne Store).

After graduation, Dave went to Israel and then to Kenya before returning to marry Joleen (Herman) in 1967.  The newlyweds went to Trinity in Deerfield, where he received his Master of Divinity.  The Bibersteins were called to Kingston, Jamaica where David pastored and taught at the Jamaica Theological Seminary.  Pastor Biberstein then pastored in York, PA and Celina, OH, before returning to his alma mater, the place where his grandma was one of the first graduates in the early 1900s.  He received his Doctorate of Ministry from Trinity in 1990, while teaching at Fort Wayne.

As a beloved professor, he was remembered in this way recently on Facebook:

Recent grad wrote:  “That there is a difference between someone who preaches and someone with a pastors’ heart. Love that Guy!”  He and Joleen created the Pastors’ Heart Award.
According to another former student, “Dr. B also known as ‘Beebs,’ said, ‘Bloom where you are planted,’ and ‘the fact of ministry is more important than the place of ministry’.  As circumstances over time moved me out of places I thought I was called to those words came back reminding me I am called to touch lives for Him wherever I am and the location is less than important. His warm love for all who knew him stays with me!"
Often while carrying a full-load of teaching, he also served as the Preaching Pastor of congregations at Aboite Missionary, First Missionary in Berne, his home town, just to name a few.  Now, “in retirement” he is the Seniors Pastor and Director of Congregational Care at Pathway Community Church here in Fort Wayne, where he serves on a pastoral staff that includes several of his former students.

Pastor Dave has two boys and one granddaughter and continues to live on his farm outside of Columbia City, often a hot spot for non-traditional students each fall to congregate for an annual hayride and cookout.

With all of these connections and areas of service, it should surprise no one that Dr. David Biberstein is being recognized by the Fort Wayne Alumni & Friends Heritage Association today and is named the “Distinguished Alumnus for Service to His Alma Mater."

Meet the Recipient of
The Distinguished Alumnus Award

Dr. Timothy Erdel g73

For Service

Presented by: Michael Mortensen

It was in the late summer of 2004, that this man and I sat at Prairie Camp, where he proposed an idea for a virtual Fort Wayne Athletic Hall of Fame.  While I thought it was a great idea, I was not sure how we were going to pull it off, but he persisted and gave sacrificially of his time, talent and treasure to see what we now call the Fort Wayne Campus Athletic Hall of Fame come to life in 2008.

Shortly after that first induction, the announcement was made that the TUFW campus would be closed in May of 2009.  Alumni questioned if this inaugural class would be the last – would it be “one and done?”  But, with this man’s help and a few others, we were able to induct our second class in 2009, and on April 1, 2011 we inducted our third class.

In addition to his writing, he has made scores of phone calls and has written numerous emails to interview, encourage and support the Hall of Fame and its members.  This is on top of an overload teaching schedule, work as an archivist and historian.  This year he had to have eye surgery, which added to his load, but he persisted.

On behalf of the Fort Wayne Alumni & Friends Heritage Association who unanimously approved, it is my honor to bestow the Distinguished Alumnus for Service to the Fort Wayne Alumni & Friends Resource Center to Dr. Timothy Erdel g73, for his years of Christian service, humble spirit and generous heart.

Meet the Recipient of
The FW Alumni Heritage Association 2014 Alumna Award

Susan (Boklaga) Perira g87

For Personal Achievement

Presented by: Michael Mortensen

On Sunday afternoon, October 26, 2014, Susan Pereira g87 was presented the Fort Wayne Alumni & Friends Heritage Association 2014 Alumna Award for Personal Achievement by Michael Mortensen who made the presentation on behalf of the Alumni Council. Notable among Susan's many accomplishments was her advocacy for children with the courts and social agencies, her academic achievement and her numerous professional accomplishments. The presentation was witnessed by many of her classmates and spouses, Dick and Ruth Baxter, Bill Gerig and Jay Platte. A reception was given in honor of this occasion.