Rev. Siegfried Kunz retired on May 31, 2016. As we celebrate Pastor Kunz’s retirement from 53 years of ministry (48 of which were at Immanuel in Bossier City, LA) we also remember his personal experience living through some of the most notable times in history. Pastor Kunz, of German descent, was born in 1937 in the Russian occupied portion of Ukraine during the turmoil of WWI. When he was only two years of age their family endured 18 months of refugee camps only to be separated in 1944 during the height of WWII. They did what they could to survive and eventually were re-united as a family in 1947. In search of the “American Dream” the family came to United States in 1952 where they lived in Chicago. In 1953 while attending Lutheran High School, Pastor Kunz met his future wife Diane. They were married in 1960 and have four children. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, IL and began a long standing career in ministry which eventually lead him to return to his birthplace. In 1989, Pastor Kunz began making mission trips with members of Immanuel back to his homeland in the Ukraine. What an amazing journey! Thank you, Pastor Kunz, for blessing the congregation of Immanuel for the last 48 years – you will be missed. God’s blessings to you and your entire family.