October 22, 2010
‘Catholic build’ Habitat home dedicated in Evansville
Daughter Olivia looks on as her brother John and her mother Debra Schnakenburg examine a plaque presented during dedication ceremonies of their new Habitat home in Evansville. Sam holds a sampler, another of the items presented at the dedication Oct. 16. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
“You can be sure that this house is well, well built,” said Ginny Cook, representing Catholics for Habitat. She spoke at the dedication of the new home of Debra Schnakenburg in the Shadewood Place development.
Members of 16 Catholic parishes collaborated on the Habitat Home. It is one on a block of homes near the new Glenwood Leadership Academy in Evansville.
The dedication ceremonies included prayers by Father Claude Burns of Holy Spirit Church in Evansville; the presentation of a Bible, a Habitat Sampler and a ceremonial key; a house blessing, a ribbon cutting — and a surprise presentation from men who served on the same submarine that Debra Schnakenburg’s late husband had served on.
John Schnakenburg passed away just a month before his wife chose the lot for the home they and their family expected to have together. Their two children, John and Olivia, along with Debra’s older son, Sam, were present for the ceremony.
John Schnakenburg served on the USS Sand Lance SSN 660. Two men who served as members of the commissioning crew for the Sand Lance, Philip Brunson and Bernard O’Neill, were among the people with military service connections who came as a surprise to the new Habitat family. They presented the family with a photograph of the Sand Lance and a custom made model of the submarine turned and carved from hardwood.
Debra Schnakenburg did not know about the naval presentation until shortly before the ceremony. She and her family were invited to an all-crew reunion of the Sand Lance next year.
“She will have more family,” said Cook, referring to the military connection, the Habitat family, and the Schnakenburg family’s new neighbors on Shadewood Avenue.
Debra Schnakenburg spoke of the love she and her family felt, and promised to continue working with Habitat, where she said she feels “the love at every single job site.”
Debra Schnakenburg has a degree in psychology and works at the Evansville Children Psy-chiatric Center as a recovery attendant. Her new home is not quite complete, but completion is anticipated within the next several weeks.
Rock Reed and Ray Lambert headed the construction crew of the Catholic Build. Participants in the ceremonies include Don Gillies of Evansville; William Jent, a retired B-52 navigator, and Paul Rupprecht, retired from the U.S. Navy; Monica Stinchfield, a Habitat Board Member, and Benedictine Sister Jane Michele McClure, development director for Habitat of Evansville.
Participating parishes in the Catholic build were St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville; St. John the Evangelist in Daylight; the Evansville parishes of Christ the King, Corpus Christi, Good Shepherd, Holy Rosary, St. Agnes, St. Mary, St. Theresa, St. Boniface, St. Philip, Sacred Heart, Nativity and Holy Spirit; St. Wendel in St. Wendel and St. Joseph Church, Vanderburg County.