E-edition PLUS unlimited articles & videos
Personalized news alerts with our mobile app
*FREE access to newspapers.com archives
Hundreds of games, puzzles & comics online
*Refers to the latest 2 years of agupdate.com stories. Cancel anytime.
Steven Bethke, 1980-2023, poses in about 2000 with his parents, Joan and Carl Bethke.
Steven Bethke reacts with joy March 26, 2023, upon hearing he was going to church for the first time since the beginning of COVID. Steve, who was born blind, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before his first birthday. Doctors said he would never walk or talk. His father, Carl Bethke, says, ‘But people close to Steve could tell whether he said yes or no. When he met friends he would greet them with his special brand of kisses and smile and laugh to show how happy it made him.’
Steven Bethke begins in November 2017 to live at Pine Valley Community Village near Richland Center, Wisconsin. He was deeply loved by staff and residents.
A red admiral butterfly follows Carl and Joan Bethke in a way that convinces them it was a holy visitation.
Steven Bethke lives on the 250-acre Bethke Family Farm with his parents for the first 37 years of his life. His parents say he loved to visit the barn where his dad milked registered Holsteins. The farm is located on the ridge in Eagle Township, 7 miles south of Richland Center, Wisconsin.
The caller, Carl Bethke, said, “I have a visitation story to share with you.”
John Sumwalt
John Sumwalt is a retired pastor and the son of dairy farmers. He is the author of “Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives.” Email johnsumwalt@gmail.com or call 414-339-0676 to reach him, or write to W172 N7735, #932, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The 2026 Commodity Classic in San Antonio was full of information regarding weather, agricultural markets, crop diseases,…
All winter long we may yearn for the warmth of summer, but not me. I do love a good sweat but I don’t miss the bugs.
Armed and fortified with a cup of coffee, I set about the bothersome task of changing the time on the various timepieces scattered around the house.
As we prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Easter, we would do well to remember the witness of the German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. H…
March showers wake up things, said Doug Williams at DW Sports Center in Portage, Wisconsin. Early blooming begins. Robins are able to find ear…
Steven Bethke reacts with joy March 26, 2023, upon hearing he was going to church for the first time since the beginning of COVID. Steve, who was born blind, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before his first birthday. Doctors said he would never walk or talk. His father, Carl Bethke, says, ‘But people close to Steve could tell whether he said yes or no. When he met friends he would greet them with his special brand of kisses and smile and laugh to show how happy it made him.’
Steven Bethke lives on the 250-acre Bethke Family Farm with his parents for the first 37 years of his life. His parents say he loved to visit the barn where his dad milked registered Holsteins. The farm is located on the ridge in Eagle Township, 7 miles south of Richland Center, Wisconsin.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
