Page 24 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2019- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS
Robert Studtmann's
Response TO THE
Family Calling
hen he moved to
Amarillo, Texas, this
Wpast March, Robert H.
Studtmann returned to his roots
in the Panhandle after a lifetime of
work in the Lutheran Church. Bob
was born in Hooker, Oklahoma,
during the Dust Bowl days. His
father, Max Studtmann, was the
minister of St. John's Lutheran
Church in Hooker. His grandfather,
Henry Studtmann, was also a
Lutheran pastor and administrator
in the Lutheran Church in Texas.
"Almost from the day I was born,
my father determined that I should
be a Lutheran pastor," remarked
Bob. At the age of five, his parents,
older sister and younger brother,
moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma, to a
new congregation, and when he was
12, they moved to Giddings, Texas,
for his father to serve at Immanuel
Lutheran Church.
The following year, Bob left home
to begin a classical education at
Concordia Academy in Austin,
Texas, where his grandfather,
Dr. Henry Studtmann, served as
College President. Bob mastered
the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish
and German languages, along with
normal studies like history, English
and math. He missed his family
24 Amarillo Senior Link
by Elizabeth Steele
while studying away from home, to Giddings, Texas and taught
but he enjoyed spending time with elementary school instead. He
his grandfather. "My grandfather had already met Barbara Teinert,
always took time to talk to me and a congregation member, and their
encourage me," said Bob. He went relationship became serious. On
on to Concordia College, Concordia, August 31, 1952, with one year
Missouri, followed by his first two of seminary left to go, they were
years at Concordia Seminary, St. married. They returned to St. Louis
Louis, Missouri. where Bob completed his final year
of study and graduated in May
Bob was also 1953. "My wife Barbara has
part of a musical been a wonderful companion,
family. His dad and she deserves a lot of the
sang bass, his credit for my success in life,"
mother sang alto said Bob.
and Bob sang
tenor. He played Following his graduation from
clarinet, and his seminary, Pastor Bob served
mother taught with his father at the church in
him to play the Giddings. Other congregations
piano. In college led by Pastor Bob included
and seminary, Trinity in Dimebox, Texas,
he sang with the Ebenezer Lutheran in
school chorus, and Greensboro, North Carolina,
in the early 1950s, he toured New Peace Lutheran in Galena Park,
York City and the east coast with the Texas, St. Paul's in San Antonio,
Lutheran Hour Chorus. This choral Texas and Trinity Lutheran in Great
group was featured on the Sunday Bend, Kansas. In addition to serving
morning "Lutheran Hour" radio as pastor to growing congregations,
program. he supervised the year-long
internships of eleven seminary
Most seminary students spend a students.
year of internship at a congregation
prior to graduation. However, in Disagreements within the Missouri
post-war days, there was a shortage Synod Lutheran Church body led to
of teachers, so Bob returned congregations leaving that church