Rev. Dixie L. Laube

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I grew up on a dairy farm near Clarksville, Iowa, which is about 20 miles south of Charles City.  After graduating from Clarksville High School, I attended the University of Iowa.  Yes, I am a Hawkeye and I enjoy watching the Football and Basketball games of my alma mater.  After graduating from Iowa, I worked for Scheels All Sports in the Coral Ridge Mall.  After Scheels, I worked as an Administrative Assistant at Copyworks.  I lived in the Iowa City/Coralville area for 11 years and thoroughly enjoyed my time there.  However, God was calling me to do something different in life. 

 

In 2005, I finally listened to God and went to United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, in New Brighton, MN.  I graduated from UTS in 2009 with my Master of Divinity.  From there, I did a chaplain residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, from the fall of 2009 to the fall of 2010.  In May 2011, I was called to be the pastor at Trinity UCC of La Crosse.  With unforeseen circumstances and financial troubles of the congregation, it was with deep regret I resigned in 2013.  After a brief time off, I was called to St. Paul UCC, Kahoka, MO and served as their pastor for 7 years. 

 

I thoroughly enjoy my time as a pastor and love being with the people, getting to know them, and walking with them during the good and bad times of life.  The reason I left Kahoka was the fact it was time for me to take my leave.  I was feeling nudged in a new direction and I thought it was going to be with St. Croix Hospice of Charles City as their Hospice Chaplain.  Well, with Covid-19, that did not pan out as I would have thought, and that is okay because God has greater plans...and He is leading me in the direction of possibly becoming your pastor.  This is an exciting time for the churches across the board and having your two congregations sharing and thinking outside the box is possibly the new way church will be seen in the future.

 

Overall, I have been a devout member of the United Church of Christ.  For more than 25 years, I have volunteered my time in the Outdoor Ministry program at Pilgrim Heights (Montour, IA) and 5 years with UCCi in the WI Conference.  I have learned from many children, youth, pastors, and other volunteers along the way.  I honestly believe we are never too old to learn something new or different...even if it may not always work, at least we tried it.  With all that said, I am quite excited to be called in a new direction.  God truly has a plan for every one of us.  For me, right now, God continues to surprise me and lead me in a direction of excitement, new learnings, and new possibilities. 

In the Fall of 2018, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  I had a full thyroidectomy and a radioactive iodine treatment before that year ended.  In the Spring of 2019, Theodore, my dog, was diagnosed as being diabetic...so he is to have 2 insulin shots a day after he eats, which is not always his thing to do in the morning.  With the responsibilities of that, the church, and trying hard to take care of myself, those were other reasons I felt the need to take leave and move closer to home.  Little did I know, this opportunity at Osage and Rudd, would be the possibility.  I am still doctoring with my cancer and thyroid medication on a 6-month check-up; however, I am on the mend and feeling better each day--Praise God.

 

Theodore, and I are always up for an adventure.  I am single and love to be outdoors (with the right cocktail of bug spray).  Theo and I do take walks.  He loves car rides and his treats.  I love to bake--pretty much anything because I love to experiment in the kitchen.  I also enjoy watching the Food Network, HGTV, and other informative shows like that.  In the winter, which is coming sooner than we want, I love Hallmark Christmas movies.  I also enjoy a good cup of coffee, which must be decaf these days, but nonetheless, it is warm and delicious with the right type of creamer.  And, I love all 4 seasons that the MidWest offers...even though the winters can be long, I still enjoy the quietness the snow brings and the amazing art that God creates with the frost and ice.