Trinity-St. John Faculty and Staff
Mrs. Dawn Mueller
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Dawn grew up in Michigan. She and Pastor met at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI, and were married there. They moved to New Minden, where Pastor Mueller serves at St. John’s Lutheran Church. She enjoyed life as a stay-at-home mom with four sons filling the parsonage. Jacob, Paul, Daniel, and Lukas were blessed to attend T-SJ. When the boys were in school, Dawn taught preschool at Trinity, Hoyleton. Later she served in a ministry which provided funding and training for Lutheran schools in 20 countries around the world. She has also been able to edit and write children’s Bible story books which are used internationally. Dawn loves teaching language arts to improve the reading and writing skills of the fourth graders.
Her delight with her own grand-treasures, (Sophia, Hannah, Xavier, Zachariah, Gabriel, and Abigail) has made the role of PreK teacher even more exciting. Seeing the little ones grow in their faith is a special blessing. Dawn’s favorite Bible verse is Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” |
Mrs. Courtney Sprehe
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Courtney is originally from Okawville, where she grew up with her parents, her sister, Amber, and her brother, Shane. After graduating from Okawville High School she attended SIU Carbondale where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. After graduation she was the Assistant Director at Immanuel Lutheran Wee Care in Okawville for one year before she began teaching at Immanuel Lutheran School. While at Immanuel Lutheran School she taught preschool for nine years. Courtney is excited to start her second year as the Kindergarten teacher at Trinity-St. John.
Courtney is married to Tyler and they live in New Minden with their daughters, Meredith(8), Kendall(6), Tessa(2). She is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Minden. Her favorite bible verse is Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. |
Miss Alexa Zacheis
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Alexa Zacheis is the first grade teacher at T-SJ. She was born and grew up in Oakdale, IL. After graduating Oakdale Grade School in 2005, she continued her education at Nashville Community High School, graduating in 2009 . She moved on to Kaskaskia College and received her BS in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 2015. In August 2017, she began teaching second grade at St. Mark’s Lutheran School in Steeleville, IL. In August 2023, she accepted the first grade at T-SJ. The 2025-2026 school year marks the beginning of her 9th year of teaching and the 3rd year at T-SJ.
During her free time she loves spending time with her dog, Cash and watching sporting events. Alexa's favorite Bible verse comes from 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” |
Mrs. Katherine Lange
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Katherine is originally from Carlyle, where she grew up with her parents and her brother, T.J. After graduating from Christ Our Rock High School, she attended Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and received a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education. She is currently working to obtain her colloquy through CUEnet. She began teaching at Trinity Centralia, where she taught Kindergarten for 2 years. She started teaching ¾ grade at T-SJ in 2022-2023 and moved to 2nd grade in 2023-2024 and loves it!
Katherine is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Nashville. She has been married to her husband, Brian for 15 years. They live in Nashville with their four kids, Ella (12), Grayson (9), Sawyer (8), and Nora (5.) They all currently attend T-SJ. Katherine's favorite Bible verse is Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to hills from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth”. |
Mrs. Valerie Bauza
3rd Grade vbauza@tsjlutheran.org
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Information Coming Soon!
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Mrs. Andrea Harre
4th Grade |
Andrea is originally from Addieville, where she grew up with her parents and her sister, Mallory. After graduating from SIU-Carbondale, she began her teaching career at Immanuel Lutheran School in Okawville where she taught middle school math and language arts for 6 years. After that, she was a 7th grade math teacher at Franklin Park Middle School in Salem, IL for 7 years. Andrea will begin her third year teaching 4th grade at TSJ.
Andrea is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Nashville and serves as church council secretary and member of Mission and Outreach. She has been married to her husband, Nick for 7 years. They live in Nashville with their two boys, Declan (6) and Lane (3). Andrea's favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." |
Mrs. Tabatha Wesseln
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Tabatha (Frederking) Wesseln is the fifth and sixth grade homeroom teacher at T-SJ. She was born and grew up in Nashville attending Trinity Church and Trinity-St. John school. After marrying her husband, John, in 1998, she moved to Pinckneyville and currently resides there with her family. She has a daughter, Mackenna, and a son, Dayton. Tabatha’s education to become a teacher began right here at T-SJ. After graduating from T-SJ in 1989, she continued her education at Nashville Community High School. She moved on to Kaskaskia College and received her BS in Elementary Education from SIU-C. She also received endorsements to teach middle school classes at that time. In August 1998, she began her teaching career at T-SJ. She is currently the fifth and sixth grade homeroom teacher, and teaches grades five through eight science and math. The 2025-2026 school year marks the beginning of the twenty-eighth year of her teaching career and the twenty-eighth year at T-SJ.
During her free time she loves spending time with her family. Their favorite activity to do together is enjoying nature. Tabatha's favorite Bible verse comes from Matthew 19:14 where Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” It reminds her daily of what the Lord has called her to do at T-SJ. |
Mrs. Brianne Steinkamp
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Brianne grew up in Nashville and graduated from Nashville Community High School. After high school, she attended John A. Logan College and University of Illinois at Springfield on a softball scholarship and graduated with a degree in English and minor in Secondary Education. She began her teaching career at Teutopolis High School teaching freshman English and Speech. She also taught middle school English at Mascoutah Middle School for three years and Carlyle Junior High School for seven years before becoming the District Media Specialist at Carlyle School District for two years. She is excited to begin her second year of teaching middle school at T-SJ.
Brianne is a member of St. Cecilia Church in Bartelso. She has been married to her husband, Jon for 11 years. They live in Nashville with their children Garrett (10), Emmett (8), and Ellie (4). One of Brianne’s favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” |
Mrs. Sandy Martin 4-8 Social Studies & Technology |
It is fantastic to be teaching Technology and Social Studies at T-SJ Lutheran School! I have been teaching for a very long time and I must admit that this teaching position is one of my favorites.
I enjoy so many things, it is hard to list them all. I am so blessed to have my husband, Allen and my two kids, Jacob and Jamilyn. They are great to have around because their personalities and humor brightens my day. I hope I have the chance to introduce them to you. I have a German Shepherd, Lotte, who is a great walking companion. God has surrounded me with so many beautiful things in this world that I have to capture their beauty with my camera ~ especially plants and animals. My classroom pets are Arlo and Reggie. They are both ball pythons and very friendly, quiet, and do not stink. They are the best pets in the world ~ at least in my opinion. My goal is to make my classroom very welcoming and a great place to be. I invite you to come and visit me in my classroom. I am sure I will have a great story to share with you about my students. |
Mrs. Diane Backs
Music Education Mrs. Janice Lange
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Information Coming Soon!
Cheryl has lived in Nashville and been a member of Trinity all her life. She grew up in a family of 3 sisters and one brother. She has one son and daughter-in-law, Kenny and Taryn Zapp, and two grandchildren, Eli and Lylie Harris. She earned an Associate Degree from Kaskaskia College and all of her work experience has been in clerical environments. She is a member of Trinity's Handbell choir. Some of her favorite pastimes are reading and being a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. She truly loves watching and cheering on her grandchildren in their academic and sporting events, along with the local sport teams- Nashville Hornet and Hornettes, T-SJ Warriors, Raiders and Titans as well as watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Miss Cheryl’s favorite hymn is “Just as I Am” and her favorite Bible verse is Matthew 11:28, “Come unto Me all you who are weak and heavy-ladened and I will give you rest.” |
Mrs. Melanie Cooper
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Melanie graduated from T-SJ in 2007 and has been blessed with the opportunity to return to the T-SJ family as Principal and Athletic Director. She finished her education at Webster University-St. Louis in 2015 with a BA in Education. St. Louis Premier Charter School was her first teaching home where she focused on Middle School Science and enjoyed city livin' for 6 years. Then she moved back to Nashville with her husband to be closer to family. Leaving the public sector and entering Lutheran education has been an amazing move. In 2022 she joined T-SJ as the 8th Homeroom teacher and took on Math, Social Studies, PE, and Computers.
Melanie is a member of St. John's New Minden and lives near family outside of Nashville with her husband Hunter, son Brigham, and their dog Gerty. Cooking and baking are her favorite hobbies and she loves to try new things in the kitchen. Melanie's confirmation Bible verse is Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?" Pastor Benning was born in a suburb outside of Chicago, IL the youngest of three brothers. In the late 1980’s his father took a call to teach at a Lutheran School in Springfield, IL. This is where he grew up going to the grade school where his dad taught and Lutheran High for high school. From there, he went on to Blackburn College where he met his wife before going off to study at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO. His family loves to camp and they take their 3 kids and sometimes the goldfish camping in their travel trailer exploring all that God has created.
Jesus claimed Pastor Benning as a baby when he was baptized at just 1 month old. He continued to shape him as child of God through the commitment of his parents and the blessings of Lutheran education. But it wasn’t until he went off to study abroad in Wales during college that God would call him to be a pastor. While he was in Wales God put him into daily conversations with people about the faith He has given him. This has led him to continue those conversations with anyone who will listen so that he might have the opportunity to share Jesus with them. In 2010 he graduated from Concordia Seminary and took his first call to Immanuel in Brookfield, WI. Eventually the Lord called him in 2014 to serve at St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Berlin, IL. While it was a blessing to come back so close to home the opportunity God gave him to pastor His people in a changing community was what brought us to Central Illinois. With their children growing older the Lord once again saw fit to change their lives by bringing them to Trinity Nashville where we pray they be able to continue His work in this new Family of Faith. As we encourage others to have conversations with the people in their life that lead to conversations about Jesus. Always being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have. But doing so with gentleness and respect. (Paraphrase 1Peter 3:15 NIV) |
Pastor Tim Mueller
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Timothy Paul Mueller was born in Hankinson, North Dakota, near Lidgerwood, where his father served as pastor. He is number six out of seven children. When he was two years old his father took a call to Bay City, Michigan, where Tim attended grade school and high school. He graduated from Concordia College (now University), Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1983 with a major in Biblical Languages (Greek and Hebrew). On his first day on campus as a freshman he met Dawn Miehlke, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and they were married in Concordia’s Chapel of the Holy Trinity on May 6, 1983, the day before they both graduated.
They moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Tim enrolled at Concordia Seminary. His vicarage (internship) was served in Le Mars, Iowa. He received his Master of Divinity in May, 1987, and continued on for two more terms with courses in Biblical studies toward another master’s degree. In January, 1988, he was ordained into the holy ministry and installed as pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, New Minden, and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Covington. As the pastor of St. John’s, he has been blessed to be involved at TSJ ever since. He and Dawn have been blessed with four sons: Pastor Jacob and his wife Julia, serving at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, MO, with their children Hannah, Zachariah, and Abigail; Paul and his wife Jessie, who with their children Sophia, Xavier, and Gabriel live in Kings, IL, near Rochelle, where Jessie works as a lab tech for Rochelle Municipal Utilities and Paul teaches part-time at St. Paul Lutheran school; Daniel, a computer engineer in Madison Heights, MI and Lukas, who lives in Denver, CO, and works in sales. In his spare time Pastor Tim enjoys reading, yard work, woodworking, and especially doing things with his grandkids. |
Stacy Vogt
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Mindy Lamczyk
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Jean Kuhlengel
Librarian |