Ron was born on June 9, 1947, and spent his early years on a dairy farm near East Troy, Wisconsin, attending Adam’s one-room country school for his elementary education. He attended Northwestern Prep and Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin, focusing on becoming a Lutheran pastor. Graduating from college in 1969, he went on to the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI, graduating in 1973.

On August 1, 1970, Ron married Karen Kasten from Newburg, Wisconsin. They have four children and nine grandchildren:

Brenda (Henning) living with husband Matt in Puyallup, WA. They have three boys.

Amy (Kuether) is living in New Berlin, WI, with husband Mark and they have been blessed with four children.

Matthew lives with wife Sara (Wagenknecht) and their two girls in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Joshua is in his third year at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN.

All of the children attended Evergreen Lutheran High School in Des Moines, WA.

Ron has served as Pastor at Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in New Berlin, WI, and was instrumental in starting the Christian day school there; King of Kings Lutheran in Kennewick, WA., where a Christian day school was also started; Mission Coordinator in Puerto Rico for seven years; Mission Coordinator in the Dominican Republic for seven years, and presently is director of Spanish publications at Multi-Language Publications in El Paso, TX.  In January Ron and Karen will move to Atil, Mexico, where Ron will serve as missionary to Sonora, and work with WELS Mission to the Children. Pastor Baerbock served as Circuit Pastor while in Washington State and also was a member of the district Youth Council. Ron and Karen spent the first two years alone in the Dominican Republic breaking ground for our mission work in that country.

     Ron served as alderman on the Horizon City Council in Texas for two years and is interested in organic gardening, woodworking and fixing things; while wife Karen has interests in stamping, quilting and cooking.