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Faces of Fraternalism: Gin Wilgenbusch, St. Francis 996, Rickardsville, Iowa

Gin Wilgenbusch has been a Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) member for 51 years. As the wife of former Vice High Chief Ranger Eldon Wilgenbusch, she has stayed close to the organization, often involving herself in highway cleanups, past Join Hands Day events, and environmental clean-ups at her parish. In 2017, she helped organize a […]

Faces of Fraternalism: David Etter, St. Mary 996, Remsen, Iowa

It was a simple act of benevolence. When news spread in the small town of Remsen, Iowa, that a child’s dresser was stolen from his home, St. Mary 996 member David Etter, determined to help, delivered a new dresser to the child. James Gengler, a COF Agent who wrote David’s policy, heard about this and […]

Faces of Fraternalism: Michelle Tressel, Marquette 811, Dubuque, Iowa

“Michelle’s time has no boundaries,” said her sister, Sharon Roling, principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in DeWitt, Iowa. “If there is a request or need, Michelle will spend whatever time it takes to make sure the need is fulfilled. Michelle is not about recognition, but to the St. Jude parishioners (and the Cedar Rapids […]

Faces of Fraternalism: Barry Pavlat, Holy Trinity 1633

Barry holds three court officer positions with Holy Trinity 1633: Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Youth Director. He has been a member of Catholic Order of Foresters since 1964. Lately, Barry has been involved with Holy Trinity Parish’s fall grounds clean-up and a Matching Funds event to benefit the parish’s Heating and Cooling Fund. This […]

Agents in Action: Brian Marketon

General Agent Brian Marketon leads Catholic Order of Foresters’ (COF) Minnesota Agency. He has been with COF since 2007. How did you get started with Catholic Order of Foresters? I was looking for a career where I could serve others while working for myself and have flexibility with my schedule. A local agent was a […]

Agents in Action: Stephen Hill

Agent Stephen Hill joined Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) this past January after being recruited by General Agent Peter Nelson of COF’s Southeastern Agency. Stephen decided to take an independent route to serve his clients and his local Catholic community. The two things Stephen thinks are unique to COF are the Fraternal Legacy Rider (FLR) […]

Faces of Fraternalism: Jessica Tucker, Illinois Jurisdiction Court 7264

Member Jessica Tucker of Cleveland, Illinois, is remarkable, and her story will amaze you. Jessica did not plan on becoming a teacher, as she believed she didn’t possess the classroom management skills and temperament necessary to fulfill this career. She explored different jobs, but ultimately listened to God’s call for her to pursue a career […]

Spirituality Tap-in: Listening to God’s Call

God’s calling. It’s time to answer. A seminarian walks into a brewery and … speaks at a Spirituality Tap-in! Agent Scott Croskey’s Spirituality Tap-in event in February featured guest speaker seminarian Eric Kaufman of the Diocese of Toledo, who spoke about becoming a seminarian and the importance of listening to God’s call. In fact, the […]

Faces of Fraternalism: Larry Malsom, St. Anthony 1972

Longtime COF member Larry Malsom has served St. Anthony 1972 in Linton, North Dakota, as its Chief Ranger for 25 years. He has been a Catholic Order of Foresters member for nearly 60 years. Over the years, Larry has served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, served on St. Anthony Catholic Church’s council, and […]