Edith E. Albrecht

EDITH ELIZABETH ALBRECHT OBITUARY Edith Albrecht was born on February 1, 1938 in the Bronx, New York. Her parents, Hans Konrad Spillner and Katherine Elisabeth ne Becker, were immigrants from Germany. Edith was baptized as an infant at St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Tremont, and later became a Sunday School teacher there and then a youth counselor. Five years after Edith's birth, her only sibling was born. Christened John, he became Edith's lifelong best friend, and in her final years her daily confidant. During Edith's time as youth worker, Ardon Albrecht was called to her congregation as a vicar (pastor-in-training). He and Edith sparked, grew deeper and deeper in love, and were married on August 21, 1960 at the end of his vicarage. Ardon then received a call to a second vicarage. It was to True Light Lutheran Church in Chinatown, New York. Edith set up housekeeping on the second floor of the church in a tiny one-room apartment. There Edith and Ardon fell in love with the Chinese people. By day Edith worked on Wall Street, rising to the position of Executive Secretary at the American Re. company. On May 17, Edith gave birth to Kim in the same Bronx hospital where she had been born. After the vicarage at True Light, Edith and Ardon moved to St. Louis, Missouri where Ardon finished his final year at Concordia Seminary. They rented an apartment off campus, and Edith devoted her time to infant daughter Kim. One day, the head of Missions at the seminary called Ardon in and said: "We are thinking about sending you abroad as a missionary. Talk to your wife about it, pray about it, and let me know if you would accept the call if it were offered." As Edith and Ardon deliberated, they said to each other: "If God wants us to do this, who are we to say no." That expression – "If God wants us to who are we to say no" became the mantra of their life. The call came to Taiwan, assisting the infant China Evangelical Lutheran Church. Edith now set up housekeeping in a one story three bedroom house in Taipei. Edith gave birth to two of her daughters in Taipei hospitals, Rebekah and Suzanne. Son Matthew was born in Syracuse, N.Y., as Ardon was working on his Masters in Radio and TV during a year furlough from Taiwan. After the return to Taipei and moving back into their previous house, Edith now spent her energies as a mother to four growing children. In early 1970, a call came for Ardon to assume a leading position in the States with our church-body's weekly TV drama program "This Is The Life." As Edith and Ardon prayed about it, the old mantra held sway: "If God wants us to who are we to say no." It was during the taping of a "This Is The Life" episode that Edith would give birth at West Hills Hospital to Marc, our bonus baby. In the late 1980s, Ardon received a call to become a parish pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Santa Monica, CA. Edith had an image of what was expected of a pastor's wife, and she didn't think that she fit it. But it turned out that the congregation loved her, in no small part for her unorthodox style. And she found that her time there was probably the happiest she had ever been. Upon Ardon's retirement in 2001, Edith devoted her loving attention to her growing family of grandchildren and eventually greatgrandchildren. Edith's spirit left her body on April 27, 2025, and went on to eternal life with Jesus her Savior. She is survived by her husband, Ardon, her brother, John, her daughters Kim Vieker, Rebekah Albrecht, and Suzanne van der Meulen, her sons Matthew and Marc along with their wives Tiffany and Jaime, sons-in-law Jon Vieker, Charles Mahan, and Jerry van der Meulen, and with eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They were all the love of her life. A private burial is scheduled at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, CA. A public memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on May 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Simi Valley. Contributions in Edith's name are welcome at Good Shepherd Lutheran School at 2949 Alamo Street, Simi Valley, CA 93063