Scherbring family is 2019 Knights of Columbus Family of the Year
The Madonna and Donald Scherbring family were recently selected as the 2019 Iowa Knights of Columbus Family of the Year during the Knights of Columbus State Convention held in Des Moines on May 4. Front from left are grandson Alex White, daughter Cindy Koehn, daughter Crystal and Brendan Seipp, granddaughters Grace, Paige, and Morgan Koehn, Donald and Madonna Scherbring, daughter Mary, Natalia and Hector Rivera; back row, Michael Koehn, State Deputy Antonio Banuelos, Kristi and son Chad Scherbring holding grandson Austin Scherbring, Malorie Klosterman, son Adam Scherbring, son Mark Scherbring, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Not present were daughter-in-law Becky Scherbring, son and daughter-in-law Nick and Heather Scherbring. (Photo submitted)
By Caroline Rosacker
"Our families are our strength and the most basic foundation for the society, for catechesis and for building God's Kingdom. Strong families bring strong communities." – Knights of Columbus Supreme Council.
Donald and Madonna Scherbring of Guttenberg and their extended family were recently honored at the Knights of Columbus State Convention held in Des Moines.
The Scherbring family was selected as the 2019 Iowa Knights of Columbus Family of the Year during the May 4 banquet. Supreme Knight Carl Andersen was a surprise guest at the event.
The Scherbring family includes Brother Knight Don and Madonna, and their children Cindy, Chad, Mark, Nicholas, Mary Crystal, and Adam.
The couple raised their large family on a busy dairy farm in rural Clayton County south of Millville. The family has since retired from dairy farming but remains on the farm, raising corn and hay crops.
Donald is currently employed part-time at Kann Manufacturing and Madonna works outside the home part-time with Services Unlimited.
Don has an illustrious 21-year history with the Knights of Columbus. He is a member of Council 4148 and has served as the program director, retention chairman, deputy Grand Knight and Grand Knight. He has volunteered with the Knights of Columbus during their Campaign for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (CPID) drive, more publicly known as the Tootsie Roll drive, and other fund-raisers sponsored by the council.
Don has made membership and involvement with the Knights of Columbus "the family business." His two sons, as well as his two sons-in-law, are all brother Knights. His son, Adam, currently serves as the Knights of Columbus District Deputy. Adam told The Press, "I was honored to attend the Supreme Convention in Baltimore this year. It was a real eye-opener to see what the Knights do world-wide."
The Scherbring children were educated at St. Mary's School in Guttenberg. The family continues to remain engaged with St. Mary's Church, serving as altar servers, chairs for the parish festival and the ministry renewal retreat.
Assisting with and caring for military veterans is another passion for the family. Don, an Army veteran, and Madonna have three children who have or are currently serving in the armed forces, representing each branch of service. The family gives generously to the veteran's memorial fund and has sponsored a veterans float in the annual Stars and Stripes Parade.
The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882. Its first principle is charity. The group is comprised of Catholic men of faith and charitable action.
The group's charitable activities encompass a large variety of local, national, and international projects. Their unique charities include The Christian Refugee Relief Fund; Disaster Relief; Ultrasound Initiative and Coats for Kids. They also partner with international charities which include Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair Mission and Habitat for Humanity.
The Knights and their families have many opportunities to participate in a variety of activities that deepen their faith, and strengthen their local parishes.
