“I am a retired Lutheran pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and am living in retirement in North Mankato, MN.  The cards were designed and produced by my youngest daughter – Liz Nitardy – who now lives at rural Fort Atkinson, WI.  Learning and singing good Lutheran hymns has always been a part of our family’s devotional life. Liz also attended parochial schools at Cottage Grove, WI (ELS) and Nicollet, MN (WELS).  Her high school years were spent at Minnesota Valley Lutheran HS (WELS) near New Ulm, MN.  Her first two years of college were spent at Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN  So throughout most of her formal education years she attended conservative Lutheran schools.  She has always loved hymns, and being somewhat artistic, she decided in the early years of her marraige to design and produce these cards.  She had always advertised them on a limited basis, and had built up a small clientele.  It is not very likely that the cards will ever  become extremely popular, since one has to be a lover of good Lutheran hymns to be drawn to them.

“Three years ago Liz and her husband, who are now members of a small WELS church in Cambridge, WI, adopted four Russian brothers from Kazakstan.  At the time of adoptin the boys were 13, 11, 9 & 5.  After these additions to the family, Liz was unable to keep up with the production and sale of the cards.  So for a couple of years the operation lay dormant.  After my retirement in 2001, I spent several years filling in at vacant parishes.  A little over a year ago I became fully retired, and at that time Liz said to me one day, “Dad, now that you are fully retired, why don’t you take over the production and sale of my cards?”  I said, “Send me the master copies, and I will have a go at it!”  So, in brief that is how the cards came into existence, and are on sale still today.  Just a few days ago a friend of mine in our church who is computer-wise helped me  set up a website for the cards.  And it appears that this will be a helpful tool in advertising them.”