Joseph “Joe” Baumann is a charter members of Council 6478 and continues to serve the Knights and the parish of St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church well after we celebrated our 50th anniversary as a Council in 2023. In recognition of Joe’s many years of service to the Knights of Columbus, St. John Nepomuk parish and the community, Council 6478 has chosen to create this award in his honor. At the Council’s 50th anniversary banquet in 2023 Joe was the first recipient of this award. Council 6478 has chosen to continue recognizing members of the parish who have dedicated themselves to the Catholic faith and the church.
In 2023 Joe was recognized for his 50 years of dedicated service to Council 6478. Joe is a charter member of Council 6478, and has been a member since its inception in 1973. In the photo Grand Knight Nick Bambick presented Joe with a plaque recognizing him for his 50 years of service to the Council.
Joe traveled the country with friends John and Charlie finding odd jobs to get by. Charlie had been working in Kansas prior to this doing ranching. He knew people in Okarche who needed help harvesting crops. While in Okarche they stayed in the basement of a local family’s house. Little did Joe know that he would fall in love with their daughter and later marry Rita in 1963 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Okarche. Joe and Rita were blessed with six children.
During his many years with the Knights of Columbus Joe served on the degree team with Council 3029 in Clare, Michigan. Joe was also a charter member of Council 5280 in Gladwin, Michigan. During his many years with Council 6478 Joe served as Financial Secretary for approximately 16 years. He is well known as he served as Chancellor for the degree team at Council 6478 because he recited his lines during the degree from memory. Joe is also a member of the 4th Degree Assembly 2044 where he served as Inner Sentinel.
After Vatican II Joe, Brother Knight, E. J. “Blackie” Depperschmidt and Paul Podelec, were the first lay ministers at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church in Yukon. They filled the positions of Lector and Communion Minister.
Joe has been a leader of Boy Scout Pack 390 since the early 1970’s including bringing his sons up in scouting. This quickly became Troop 390 which is still in existence today. In December, 2023 Joe was recognized by Oklahoma’s News 9 and Quail Creek Bank as a Hometown Hero for his volunteer work with the Boy Scouts.
Previous Recipients
2024 Recipient – Deacon John Teague
Deacon Teague has been a member of St. John Nepomuk parish since 1978, and was here when our present church building was dedicated. He has volunteered in every possible role at the parish including serving as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector for several years. He was a founding leader of the Stephen Ministry program and Parish Council member.
While not a criteria for selection, he has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1987 and has served as Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight, Treasurer, Trustee, Chaplain and Lecturer at Council 6478 as well as District Deputy.
He gives “behind the scene” tours of the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine which includes many more interesting facts about Father Rother and his family. He is able to do this because he grew up in Okarche and has been a close friend of the Rother family for many years.
Deacon Teague currently handles parish wakes, funerals and graveside services along with participating in funerals at other parishes. His caring heart and gentle personality help him deal with the grieving families of deceased parishoners while he handles it with poise and dignity while being respectful of the family.
Deacon Teague has served as a hospital Chaplain at Mercy Hospital and frequently visits the sick of our parish family delivering the Holy Eucharist to the homebound and ill.
Our Deacons fulfill their duties in our parish as a volunteer. We have been blessed to have this man serving as a deacon of our parish since 2002.
2024 Recipient, Deacon John Teague presented with the award by Grand Knight, Darryl Goodman and Joe and Rita Baumann.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this award, any person nominated must:
- Be a practicing Catholic
- Demonstrate a life of active volunteer participation in the Church by
- Longstanding, consistent and distinguished service as a lector, communion minister, usher, sacristan, choir member, etc. AND/OR
- Longstanding, consistent and distinguished service to a ministry of the St. John Nepomuk parish (Examples: Knights of Columbus, Alter Society, Saint Vincent DePaul, St. John School, Ladies Auxiliary). AND/OR
- Longstanding, consistent and distinguished service to a ministry or organization outside the church where participation itself advances principles and ideals that are consistent with Church teachings. Said organization/project may not contribute to actively contradicting or undermining church teaching (Examples: food pantry, American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Folds of Honor, American Legion).
Nomination
Knights of Columbus Council 6478 will open a nomination process each calendar year with the intent to provide enough time for the selection process. The nomination must include a detailed description of the nominee’s meeting the criteria for eligibility, and their service to the parish.
The selection process will be overseen by the Grand Knight, and will include input from the Pastor, the Baumann family and a vote of the Council for approval. The award will be presented to the winner during the annual Blessed McGivney Feast Day event held by Council 6478 in August of each year.