Wednesday, December 10, 2025
— A look at Lynden Christian’s volunteers — The (fisher)man behind Squatchy Lures
— A love story for the holidays — Meet the pastor of Lynden’s United Methodist Church A supplement of
Volunteers propel local high schools forward
The giving spirit at LC reflects the crucial role of community support in all local education
By Zen Hill Sports Reporter
LYNDEN — Local high schools have a quiet energy that often goes unnoticed in the stands or around the hallways.
It’s an energy fueled not by tuition or payroll, but by hundreds of dedicated, unpaid hours given freely by community members.
Whether it’s moving the chains on a muddy Friday night, sorting donations at a bustling thrift store, or mentoring the next generation of agricultural leaders, volunteers are the heart that sustains a school’s mission.
For a core group of men, this commitment takes place every Friday night under the stadium lights. Darryl Lankhaar (51), Curt Lenssen (79), Ben VanderVeen (75) and Mark Van Mersbergen (69) are Lynden Christian’s chain gang, and their collective experience of nearly 100 years of combined service managing the firstdown markers spans generations.
“There were people that were volunteering to support the school when we were in school,” Van Mersbergen said. “You give back what you received, and hopefully that momentum continues into the future.”
The crew recently earned the District One Meritorious Service Award — the Dave DuVall Award — which recognizes individuals who have made a lasting impact through their service to high school athletics.
“The whole school is full of people just like us that give time and energy,” Van Mersbergen said. “We’re just the lucky ones that get to be at the football games for free.”
That same impact from volunteers extends far beyond the football field. Just down the road, the Second Chance Thrift Store serves as a major fundraising arm for LC, but its functionality relies heavily on the generosity of its workforce.
“We’re a business and ministry that’s heavily dependent on volunteer help,” said Rachel Hernes, the store’s volunteer coordinator. She estimates that the 130 to
See Volunteers on 10
Curt Lenssen, top, changes the down marker during LC’s playoff football game against Naches Valley at Blaine High School. The LC chain gang has nearly 100 years of combined service. (Dennis Cairns for the Tribune) At left, the Second Chance Thrift store is a local secondhand store in Lynden where proceeds benefit the Lynden Christian Schools. Donations are accepted and volunteers give their time to make the store run efficiently. (Zen Hill/Lynden Tribune)
HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND FISHING
Ferndale man starts fishing lure business called Squatchy Lures
By Racquel Muncy Staff Reporter
FERNDALE — Some people sit back and relax to relieve stress. Others exercise. Calvin Macy goes fishing and makes his own fishing lures. He’s been making his own lures for about 15 years, so he figured he may as well sell them as well. So he started a side business — Squatchy Lures.
Many years ago, before fishing with a friend on Lake Cavanaugh, Macy thought he could make a better product than he could find on the shelves, so he built four and using those he and his friend caught their limit.
“Then I went and ordered everything I needed,” he said.
From there he made his own business, then Beads & Blades, which has since transformed into Squatchy Lures. At one point, he sold to seven different stores while he maintained a full-time job. Back in the day, Macy worked at Intalco. These days he is a truck driver for Swire Coca-Cola.
He ran Beads & Blades for about 15 years, but stopped it in favor for Squatchy Lures because he said he felt it was a better product.
While fishing has always been a favorite hobby for Macy, it was made even more important after a heart attack in 2023. He was on a trip around Arizona when he had a heart attack, only he didn’t know it was a heart attack. It seemed at first like really bad indigestion. He said according to his surgeon he started getting sick about five years prior.
“I wasn’t taking care of myself,” he said, living off Twinkies and energy drinks.
After the heart attack Macy found himself anxious and needed an activity to offset the anxiety. He found when he was out fishing, the anxiety subsided.
“Mentally, it’s doing a lot for me,” he said. “I’m doing something for me and maybe that’s the reason I’m still here.”
Macy said there were four separate times he should have died due to the heart attacks, but this has showed him that there is always something in this world to be doing, to be making a difference. The fishing scene is where Macy is making his difference.
“I think there’s a lot of people that can relate to that,” he said.
To keep up with his fishing habit he needed lures, which he said were often missing from store shelves during the busier seasons.
He spent this last winter and spring making lures out of his kitchen.
“My wife started to get tired of that,” he laughed.
Anything he didn’t already know, he learned on YouTube, including making his own fluid beds.
“Nobody is doing (lures) this way,” he said.
This summer he jumped into community events where he could sell his wares. He started at the Ferndale Community Garage Sale, the Ferndale Block Party and Jam on the River. He was also found at SeaFeast in Bellingham and a myriad of other vendor fairs and events. The lures make the perfect stocking stuffer
Calvin Macy, above and on opposite page, goes fishing and makes his own fishing lures. He’s made his own lures for about 15 years, so he figured he may as well sell them as well.
he started a side business — Squatchy Lures. (Photos courtesy Squatchy Lures)
for everyone’s favorite fishermen.
“I like giving back and this is kind of a way of doing that,” Macy said.
Macy said he has no plans on growing the business overnight, after all it started all from the love of fishing. The best part is the satisfaction of seeing the business successful with something he made with his hands.
“The business part, that’s nothing to me,” he said. “Right now, I’m just going to take it slow.”
During one show the mind behind Wicked Lures custom fishing lures, approached Macy and gave him that same advice – take things slow.
Macy said people get hooked when they find his product. Once they try it out they’re looking to get more and find out where he will be at next.
He said he is always listening to customer feedback on what works and doesn’t, what colors are bringing in fish.
“I’m just going with the flow of it, going the way of the river,” he said. Squatchy Lures can be found on Facebook.
-- Contact Racquel Muncy at racquel@ lyndentribune.com
By Jaymie Lint
For the Tribune
Pete and Helen Plagerman: 66 years together and counting
LYNDEN — Pete and Helen Plagerman’s paths first crossed right here in downtown Lynden in the summer of 1953. Pete, a dapper young man of 21 at the time, was home on furlough from the Army.
He had been drafted during truce time of the Korean War and was serving as an MP in El Paso, Texas. Not much time passed before the couple found themselves on their first date.
After a few more dates, Pete was discharged from the Army just three days before it was time for Helen to head to Calvin College in Michigan. So a long-distance relationship began.
Helen’s studies at the Blodgett Hospital School Of Nursing were year-round so it was sometimes hard to connect. However, they wrote letters — because phone calls were very expensive — and dated during the Christmas holidays when she returned to Washington.
While Helen continued her studies back at Calvin, Pete was busy finding his way at home. He worked for Lynden Glass and a few local farmers, but eventually headed south to take a job at Everett Plywood.
While living in Snohomish County he ended up spending a good amount of time in Seattle and enrolled in evening art classes at Everett Community College. Pete caught the art bug when he was very young and thought it would do him good to learn more.
Helen returned from school in fall 1958 and even though Pete said she didn’t have “marriage on the mind,” he won her hand and the two tied the knot on March 20, 1959.
Married life was busy for the Plagermans. Pete worked for Mt. Baker Plywood and Helen at St. Luke’s Hospital. Pete moved on to work for Columbia Valley Lumber Co. in Bellingham and then became a general contractor who specialized in home remodels and additions. He earned a living that way for nearly 40 years.
Helen continued nursing for the next five decades, specializing in surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Bellingham Surgery Center and Parkway Surgery Center before she retired.
The Plagermans definitely had some adventures along the way. The couple lived off Sunset Drive in Bellingham for 37 years. In 2001, when Squalicum High School was being built, the City of Bellingham needed to widen the road to meet fire code. The Plagermans’ garage fell just inches over the newly-drawn line and that meant they had to sell.
The truth was, they were ready to go as the area had become
Pete and Helen Plagerman’s paths first crossed right here in downtown Lynden in the summer of 1953. Pete, a dapper young man of 21 at the time, was home on furlough from the Army.
(Jaymie Lint/Lynden Tribune)
too busy for their liking. After getting a fair price from the city, the pair began house hunting and found a home a few miles north where they’ve lived ever since. They eventually found their way to Lynden United Reformed Church and have been members since 2007.
A really rewarding part of their life to-
gether was their many mission trips. When they were attending Bellingham CRC, the Plagermans went to Guatemala for two months.
After the big earthquake, Pete helped remodel apartments for married students at a seminary there, while Helen helped set up a medical clinic that’s still in use today.
They volunteered in Brazil for a month with Hardhats For Christ where they helped build a chapel on a Christian campground. Their final trip was to Nigeria. They were supposed to go for a few months to help out, but ended up staying for more than a year.
Pete built a duplex there while Helen helped take care of the many children who lived on the compound. She gave them medical care and baked cakes and cookies with whatever ingredients available to them. They said that time was such a blessing and she and Pete still like to say “the Lord gave (us) 20 children for a year.”
It was on those trips that Pete started to notice the beautiful wood that grew native to each area. He collected special types of wood during his construction career and continued the practice abroad as he collected unique pieces and shipping them home.
In 2019, Pete resumed his art work. Even though it’d been decades since those art classes in Everett, it was like no time had passed. Pete started painting and carving.
Pete prefers oil on canvas for his many paintings and some of those wood pieces from mission trips have been transformed into shiny, slick pieces of art and smooth, curved walking canes.
He and Helen go to art shows whenever
they can, which helps stimulate his creative mind.
Most who know the Plagermans would agree they are resilient, made of that stuff that fuels a person over the long haul and a marriage for just over six decades.
When asked about their sustained faith and marriage over the passage of time, Pete said his first priority has to be to his faith, church attendance and total commitment to it.
“If that priority is right,” he said, “then the marriage will be right.”
Pete and Helen’s hand painted wedding photo, left, from 1959. At right, the Plagermans with Pete's art. (Photos courtesy Plagerman family)
Reconciled with God and one another
Jeannette Conver serves her congregation at Lynden's United Methodist Church
By Bill Helm Editor
LYNDEN — Jeannette and Lynne Conver have either lived in or visited China, France, Greece, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Laos, Nepal, and the Philippines. Their twin daughters have made Thailand their home.
These days, the Convers live in Lynden. For Jeannette, however, Thai food is her comfort food. For her, the best breakfast is mango, coconut milk and sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf.
A child of missionary parents who served indigenous people of East Asia, Conver lived in Thailand as a child. Known as the “Land of Smiles,” in Thailand she watched elephants walk down main street and saw the king parade through town.
“As an adult I’ve visited numerous times — with and without family,” she said. “Our family has traveled in Thailand for work and vacation.”
Jeannette and Lynne also have a son who lives in Utah and a son and daughterin-law and two grandchildren in Burien.
With family somewhat near, somewhat far away and rather far away, it’s amazing they have time for work.
But leading a church is work, and it’s a job Jeannette Conver is most happy to do.
Since July, Conver has been pastor of Lynden United Methodist Church. She replaced Cynthia Roberts, who retired in June after two years. According to Wendie Hansen, Lynden United Methodist Church’s treasurer, Conver preaches sermons that relate scripture to everyday situations.
“She often uses examples from her own life which makes the lesson very meaningful,” Hansen said.
Conver grew up wanting to become a medical missionary. After she completed her degree in nursing, working as a nurse, then spending time with a team of nurses in Guatemala, she decided that medical
missions “would not be a good fit.” However, she met her husband on a college mission trip.
“We both had a calling to serve God cross-culturally,” Conver said. “However, I guess you could say we had some growing up to do as we worked as campus pastors and served in local churches on opposite sides of the country after college.”
Eventually, the Convers found work with Wycliffe Bible Translators where they served indigenous groups “who wanted a Bible translated into their own heart language.”
“Just as we were readying to start our language project for a group from Southeast Asia, I was diagnosed with cancer
and given 40% chance of survival,” Conver said. “At this point we had two grade school sons and preschool-aged twin daughters. Our daughters had health issues that kept us stateside. Needless to say, we were consigned to work in the U.S. with a Southeast Asian refugee group who wanted a Bible in their own language.”
Earlier this year, Conver was again diagnosed with cancer. Recently, she completed her final chemotherapy session.
In January, Conver is scheduled for tumor removal and reconstruction surgery. She explained that this recent cancer bout has "hastened intimacy and empathy with my congregation."
"For the Advent season, the theme is
facing fear with resilient/gritty hope," she said. "The church family, including me, needs this word."
Local ministry
As her husband dove head-first into language learning, Conver “realized that God was shifting my calling toward local church ministry.” She then was invited into her local church’s leadership and encouraged to pursue a minister’s license.
“Although I still felt a passion for crosscultural ministry, the deeper I delved into parish ministry, the more it felt like this was what God had made me to be,” she said. Lynne is still involved with Wycliffe. Conver eventually finished her Master
Jeannette Conver, pictured above and on the opposite page, is the pastor at Lynden United Methodist Church. She has served the church since July. (Bill Helm/Lynden Tribune)
of Divinity, then completed a certificate in cross-cultural ministry.
In the United Methodist Church, pastors are appointed to local congregations by the Pacific Northwest Conference
bishop and cabinet. That’s how Conver was named pastor of the church’s Lynden congregation.
Cedrick Bridgeforth serves as the bishop for the Pacific Northwest Conference which includes Washington and northern Idaho. Bridgeforth and his cabinet consider the wishes of the local congregations when making appointments, the Lynden church stated. “In this case the congregation requested a pastor to lead in meaningful worship, actively care for members, to continue engaging with the community in mission, while looking for more opportunities to partner in outreach work.”
As her ordination is held by the Covenant Church, Conver said she is “officially on loan” to the United Methodist Church.
“This UMC Lynden church has a heart for community engagement, hospitality, and care for those who might be overlooked,” Conver said. “I love their courage and hope for the future. I could be myself among them with their outreach perspective. Once the UMC bishop appointed me and the church leadership agreed to call me, the fun began. I love these folks.”
The first time the Convers moved to Washington State was in 1990. Soon thereafter, Jeannette was invited to serve
QUALITY HOME CARE SERVICES FOR SENIORS
in lay ministry leadership at Kent Covenant Church, which is where she received her calling as a pastor
“It was a gradual falling in love with the relational aspects of ministry and my background in scripture immersion,” Conver said. “I learned on the job as I oriented to preaching, teaching, worship leadership and working with volunteer teams.”
After she completed her seminary degree and ordination, Conver was called to pastor Covenant Community Church in Essex Junction, Vermont.
“I was surprised at the cross-cultural aspects of Northern New England, but grew to love the people and place,” Conver said. “However, I missed my family on the West Coast and resigned after fiveand-one-half years, accepting a call to the PNW.”
In the short time Conver has led Lynden United Methodist Church, she and Lynne have been able to acquaint and reacquaint themselves with the natural beauty of the North Cascades and North Sound areas, as well as the San Juan Islands.
Although she has “much to learn about Whatcom County and Lynden.”
“We have long time friends in Bellingham and have visited there often over the years,” Conver said. “However we don’t know Lynden that well. I think what makes this particular community a good fit is the sense that Lynden UMC fills a niche. There are those who need a place to feel welcome and belong and this church offers them just that.”
Janice Larson, Lynden United Methodist Church’s Administrative Council chair, said Conver’s sermons “are always helpful in understanding the Bible readings for the day.”
“She does a masterful job of taking something from the Bible and explaining it with examples from today,” Larson said. “Sometimes the examples are from her own life, or her kids or friends. But these examples are relevant to the topic at hand.”
As the church’s Outreach Committee chair, Paula Hardman said Conver has a style that “engages the congregation in understanding scripture and how to live that understanding.”
“Her welcoming spirit is obvious as she seeks to greet each of the people who attend church and other events,” Hardman said.
Volunteers: Propel local high schools forward
assuming her current position.
140 volunteers provide the equivalent of 260 hours or 6.5 full-time staff positions weekly.
These volunteers handle everything from managing the cash register up front to sorting through the continuous stream of generous donations. It’s a massive logistical operation, and Hernes emphasizes the importance of commitment, asking volunteers for a consistent time investment, not just a casual drop-in.
“This community is extremely generous with their time,” Hernes said. “When you’re giving to something that you know is blessing not only yourself, but the community, it gives you a recharge.”
Hernes volunteered at the store before
The most powerful volunteering often involves uplifting the youth. Debi Gavette (63) is a long-time fixture in the Lynden community’s agricultural sphere as a volunteer with local high schools’ Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs.
Gavette, whose family runs Stony Ridge Farm, has worked with youth since she was 21 years old. Now, she focuses on teaching practical, real-world skills to local students.
“Every team has somebody in the community helping,” Gavette said. “It’s fantastic, because you see all these community people who are experts in their field and FFA uses agriculture as their foundation to teach leadership skills.”
Lynden Christian’s FFA program relies
heavily on volunteer service for many of its programs. Students can learn a number of hands-on skills through FFA, but can also learn to be educated speakers and leaders.
“They’re our future leaders,” Gavette said. “We want these kids to be on our boards. We want these kids to understand Robert’s Rules of Order.”
Gavette highlights the critical role experienced adults play in preparing students for life after high school. She’s eager to give her time to these kids because she finds her compensation in service, not dollars.
“If I have the opportunity to teach kids how to do something, absolutely I’m going to help them,” Gavette said. “Anytime a kid is successful and does something well or gets confidence, I got paid.”
These volunteers form an intricate sup-
port network at Lynden Christian High School. Their dedication is what makes LC feel less like an institution and more like a community garden rooted in a shared mission to give back.
This phenomenon is far from unique to LC. It’s visible in every corner of Whatcom County and beyond, where local high schools rely on parents, grandparents, and dedicated community members to run concession stands, mentor robotics teams, manage booster clubs and more.
Across every school district, these volunteers are the foundational force proving that the greatest lessons come from handson support by the community.
-- Contact Zen Hill at sports@lyndentribune.com
Coni Hoolsema places some pots on display at the Second Chance Thrift Store in Lynden. The store relies heavily on its volunteers and benefits Lynden Christian Schools as the volunteers handle everything from managing the cash register up front to sorting through the continuous stream of generous donations. It’s a massive logistical operation. Rachel Hernes, the store’s volunteer coordinator, emphasizes the importance of commitment, asking volunteers for a consistent time investment, not just a casual drop-in. (Zen Hill/ Lynden Tribune)
