Howard L. and Kathryn Lehman Albrecht

Howard and Kathryn Albrecht met when they were students at Goshen College.  Both were there for two years, 1935-1937.  After these two years, Howard returned to Morton, Illinois, where he worked on the family farm, and Kathryn returned to her home in Columbiana, Ohio where she took a teaching position.  In the spring of 1940, they were married and settled in Morton where Howard continued on the family farm and in addition, started an earth-moving business.  Since married women at that time were not allowed to teach, Kathryn worked at a dry cleaners and was a homemaker.  Howard and Kathryn had two daughters, Alice and Shirley.

Times were tough in Howard’s business in the early 50”s.  They found it necessary for Kathryn to return to work when their youngest daughter started first grade.  By that time it was more acceptable for married women to teach, but later it required a four-year degree, not just the two-year certificate that Kathryn held.  She took correspondence and extension courses from her home but when she found out that her Bible classes from Goshen College would not transfer to a local college, she decided to return to Goshen College.  She taught in Illinois during the school year and then took a small apartment in Goshen during two summers to complete her degree.  She graduated in 1962.

Howard and Kathryn held a high regard for education, and encouraged their daughters to do well in school.  Both Alice and Shirley graduated from Goshen College, Alice in 1968 with a degree in Biology and Shirley in 1971 with a degree in Elementary Education.  The importance of a good Christian college education led Howard and Kathryn to start a fund to help other deserving students.