BETSY BEDIENT (alto)
Betsy was a military brat growing up– born in Kansas and spent time working on a farm, Fort Riley, Near Elgin) and is now a retired immigration attorney who still consults and babysits her four grandchildren. She has two adult children– both are married and have two children of their own– and is married to her second husband whom she has known since college. Betsy loves chocolate, the color red, singing, reading, crossword puzzles, and walking. She would like to learn more about printmaking and geology. She likes to visit Freemont County, WY, Ojo Caliente, Santa Fe, and San Luis Valley, and if she could have a superpower, it would be transportation. Her favorite season is the fall because of the light, the smells, the quiet, the shortening days and the cooling weather. Betsy likes being in Laudamus for the variety and complexity of the music, Laura’s conducting, great singers, friendly people, and the chamber choir size.
DEBORAH EISENHAUER (alto)
Debbie is a “very retired” vocal music teacher from Green Bay, Wisconsin (go Packers!). She likes genealogy and learned she is related to Moses! She would like to learn more about her father’s family. Debbie has a daughter who works for the government, and a song who has a degree in tuba performance but is a web designer. She likes visiting England and Canada and her favorite season is fall in Minnesota because it is beautiful. Debbie likes the color yellow and pizza. She likes being in Laudamus because “it pays well.”
ARLENE HOFFMAN (alto)
Arlene is originally from York, Pennsylvania, and is a tutor for homebound middle and high school students. She likes vegan food, Scandinavian folk dancing, hiking, playing the cello, and reading. She would like to learn more about history, linguistics, mathematics, sciences, and jazz, as well as much more! She and her husband Henry have two sons: Kai and Bjorn. Arlene likes visiting the mountains, western Washington (where her son goes to school), and Zion and Arches National Parks. Her favorite season used to be spring, but allergies keep her inside so now she thinks winter is more fun. Arlene’s favorite color is blue-green and would choose apparition as a superpower if possible. She likes being in Laudamus because it is small enough that each singer is really important to the beauty we create together. “I love when our voices blend and it feels like all voices are coming from your own throat! I love that we take care of each other, and what we learn from Laura!”
JUDY LEATHERMAN (alto)
Judy loves the color green, spring as it is the best for gardening, and Indian food. She is a professor at UNC in biology, in the area of genetics and developmental biology. Judy and her husband, Mark, have two teenagers, Lucas and Katrina, who are both in high school at LHS. Her hobbies include gardening, singing, hiking, skiing, reading, and playing board games. Judy is from Coatesville, Pennsylvania. She says, “now that my kdis are teenagers, I have more time for myself. [Laudamus] is what I choose! So far I’m loving it!”
ANN LUNDEEN (alto)
Ann Lundeen grew up in South Bend, Indiana. She taught elementary school and now teaches yoga, mostly to children. Ann is married to Steve Lundeen and has one daughter named Loring who is married to a man named Gil and has two daughters: Cleo and Bess. She enjoys hiking, reading, and music. Her favorite places to visit are San Francisco, Sheridan Wyoming, and National Parks. Her favorite food is cheese and if she could have a superpower it would be teleportation. Ann’s favorite season is spring because she loves the new life of plants, animals, birds, etc. Ann would like to learn more about yoga, cooking, playing the tiple, and singing. She enjoys her membership in Laudamus because she likes learning more about singing and she loves choral singing.
GINGER MARTIN (alto)
Ginger is an Italian food lover from Princeton, Kentucky. She was a vocal music instructor and choral director, and currently works as a nurse OB/GYN, and lactation/childbirth counselor/educator, and doula. Her hobbies include singing (of course!), hiking, cooking, gardening, bird watching, and reading. She also loves visiting with family and friends. She would love to learn more about other people, how to play a new instrument—especially the recorder—and church history, including music of the early church. Ginger and her husband, Jim, and have five grown children and five wonderful grandbabies. Although Ginger loves the color green, her favorite season is fall because of the colors, crisp, cool air, and the color of the days when the sun is lower in the sky. She also loves fall food, such as apple crisp, chili, popcorn, and butternut squash, to name a few. She likes visiting New York, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Fe, and her own backyard. If she could have a superpower, it would be to wave a wand and have peace everywhere. Ginger likes singing in Laudamus because of her love for great choral music, singing with others, and singing under a great director.
JEANNIE MERKEL (alto)
Jeannie Merkel grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. She is married and has two daughters who are both currently in elementary school. Jeannie likes visiting libraries, coffee shops, parks, and Virginia, where she has family, friends, and the ocean! She enjoys reading, gardening, fiber arts, yoga, and is taking organ lessons, as well as teaches private piano lessons. Her favorite foods are good dark chocolate and vino, and her favorite color is green. Jeannie would like to learn more about furniture refinishing, but if she could have a superpower it would be to fly. Her favorite season is summer because the pool is open. Jeannie likes being in Laudamus because she enjoys collaborating with others who appreciate music, and she thinks it is great to learn more about new composers, pieces, techniques, etc.
KELLEY PICHEL (alto)
CHERRY SOKOLOSKI (alto)
Cherry is a retired newspaper reporter from Osage, Iowa. She likes hiking, music, reading, and photography, and would have endless energy as a superpower! She has five children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren! Cherry’s favorite season is the fall because of the beautiful colors and crisp air; her favorite color is red. She would like to learn more about the harmonica. She likes to visit the Northwest, especially the Oregon coast, and Eastern Europe; her favorite kind of food is Italian. She likes being in Laudamus because of the challenging, beautiful music and friendly people.
RUTH WICK (alto)
Ruth is a registered nurse and director of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center. If she could have a superpower, it would be to be a medical wizard with healing powers. She likes running, skiing, hiking, reading, traveling, and of course, singing! She likes traveling to the mountains, ocean, and Europe, was born in WaKeeney, Kansas, lives in Windsor, and commutes to Fort Collins to sing in Laudamus. Ruth likes Laudamus because of the challenge of singing beautiful choral music and expanding her musical knowledge. She would like to learn conversational Spanish. Ruth has a husband named Robin (lawyer), son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Megan (Megan also sings in Laudamus!), daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, Allison, Mike and Stewart, and son and girlfriend-in-law, Grant and Christine Nyquist (Christine also sings in Laudamus!). Ruth likes eating potatoes and popcorn, the color teal, and summertime because she loves heat and being outside to enjoy nature.
