Our School Staff

Mr. Johnson is excited to be the principal at Trinity Merrill! In this role, he supports a team of students, staff, and parents providing for all aspects of academic, faith, social/emotional, and physical growth. As a big believer in Lutheran schools, Mr. Johnson has been in ministry for over 29 years.
Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Concordia University - St. Paul and holds both a BA and MA in Education. On a personal level, Mr. Johnson is happily married to Lisa and together they have three children. Naomi is our adult daughter who lives in Minnesota and works at Mayo Hospital. Lukas is our son who was stillborn and is in Heaven. Jayden is our sophomore at MAPS who loves to play basketball. Lisa loves art and Mr. Johnson hopes to reacquaint himself with grouse hunting.

Mrs. Severt grew up in Merrill, Wisconsin, where she attended Trinity School and Merrill High School.  After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a degree in education, she spent five fun years teaching middle school English and Spanish.  At that time her parents, who already owned The Guy’s Shop in Merrill, purchased Thelma’s and offered her the chance to work in the family business.  She worked alongside her family for six years, then spent the next two years as a stay-at-home mom.  At that point, she began working as the Administrative Assistant at Trinity School.  She feels like she’s right at home at Trinity, and loves being part of the school where the love of Jesus is shared daily. It’s a special bonus for her to be able to work at the school where her three daughters attend(ed).  Mrs. Severt is married to Jess, who also grew up in Merrill.  In her spare time, she enjoys attending her daughters’ many activities, traveling, working in the yard and garden, and spending time with her family.

We’re thrilled to welcome Mrs. Amanda Goeden to Trinity’s teaching staff as our new 3rd grade teacher! A proud Merrill native and Trinity alum, Mrs. Goeden attended Trinity from preschool through 8th grade. After earning her teaching degree, she spent two years teaching 4th grade in Siren, WI, before returning to Merrill, where she’s spent the past several years teaching in public schools. With 11 years of experience, she has taught Kindergarten through 5th grade and is excited to return to her roots.
This year, Mrs. Goeden will be teaching 3rd grade and teaming up with 4th grade for science, social studies, art, and religion. She’s especially excited to openly share her faith in the classroom and partner with families to support student growth—and she’s looking forward to teaching art!
Mrs. Goeden has always felt called to work with kids, and her journey into teaching reflects her belief that God places people and opportunities in our lives for a purpose. One of her goals this year is to become more familiar with science of reading strategies, and she’s also preparing for the unique adventure of having her own daughter in her class!
Outside of school, she enjoys crafting of all kinds—wood burning, resin work, stained glass, and drawing—along with going on fun little adventures with her husband and two daughters.
Fun fact: Mrs. Goeden shares her birthday with both her grandpa and Mickey Mouse!

Prior to graduating from Concordia University River Forest (CUC) with a bachelor's degree in secondary education, Mrs. Gustafson (Mrs. G) grew up in Milwaukee, WI where she participated in many sports within her community.  She was inspired by her high school coaches to become a teacher.   (Mrs. G's Dad grew up in Merrill until he joined the Army after high school.)  Pastor and Mrs. G met at college and are ecstatic about sharing Christ with whomever they encounter.  Mrs. G shares the love of God with her students at Trinity every day.  Pastor G and Mrs. G have five children - David, Caleb, Josh, Sarah, and Rachel.   In her spare time, you can find Mrs. Gustafson officiating volleyball and softball, kayaking,  walking, biking, and relaxing with friends and family. 

Trinity is excited to welcome our new 8th grade homeroom teacher Mrs. Jennifer Radtke! Originally from Port Washington, WI, she brings over a decade of teaching experience, including the past 12 years with MAPS, most recently in 5th grade Social Studies.
Mrs. Radtke’s journey into teaching began after spending several years at home raising her three daughters and volunteering in their classrooms. That time revealed a new calling: to serve in education as a way to support both students and fellow teachers. She views the classroom as a mission field where every child should feel seen and valued.
Mrs. Radtke is especially excited to bring faith into the classroom at Trinity and to continue growing her passion for Social Studies—an often-overlooked subject she believes is vital to helping students understand and care for the world around them.
Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters, crafting, reading, and finding fun adventures. She’s also been a youth leader at CHAOS, a local multi-denominational youth group, for the past nine years.

Prior to graduating from Concordia University Nebraska with a bachelor's degree in middle level education, Mrs. Hartwig grew up in the small town of Hershey, Nebraska where she always dreamed of becoming the teacher she is today. Faith remains Mrs. Hartwig's sole focus in her life and she loves that she is able to proclaim the Gospel to her students at Trinity everyday. Mrs. Hartwig is married to Joshua and together they have two sons, two dogs, and one cat. In her spare time, you can find her cooking, reading novels, and spending time with her friends, family, and pets.

Prior to teaching at Trinity, Mrs. Johnson graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin with her degree in Lutheran Early Childhood Education with a minor in Adaptive Education. She has been very blessed by Lutheran schools - she attended Redeemer Lutheran School and N.E.W. Lutheran High School in Green Bay, WI. She has enjoyed her years teaching at Trinity in 2nd Grade, Kindergarten, and as the adaptive education teacher. Mrs. Johnson and her family live in Wausau and she enjoys spending time with her husband, Mr. Johnson, and her children, James, Eleanor, and Philip. She also enjoys baking, cooking, and spending time with friends. 

Stephanie (Steph) Chapa is overjoyed to be joining and serving with the Trinity family in the Church, School and Early Learning Center!   She is very familiar with the Midwest, having lived as a Pastor’s kid in Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and most recently, Glencoe, MN. Steph graduated in 2021 from the Director of Christian Education program at Concordia University Nebraska with majors in Christian Educational Leadership and Psychology. She and Pastor Jon met at Camp Omega in Waterville, MN where they were Lutheran summer camp counselors in 2017 and 2018. In May of 2021, they got married after Steph finished her DCE internship at Peace in Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN and Pastor Jon finished his student teaching.  As Pastor Jon went to the Seminary, Steph served as an Early Childhood Assistant Teacher and part-time DCE at Glendale Lutheran Church.  During Pastor Jon’s year-long vicarage, she was the Youth Relations Director at a neighboring congregation in West Fargo, ND. Needless to say, she loves to share and show Christ with His children of all ages! Her favorite Bible verse is 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory forever and ever!  In her spare time you can find Steph drinking coffee, growing plants, reading, being active outdoors in God’s creation, and enjoying time with her family; especially, her nieces and nephews. 

Music has always played an important role in Mrs. Heisinger’s life.  Growing up in Cottage Grove, WI, Mrs. Heisinger began to play the violin in 4th grade, and she added the bassoon to her repertoire in 6th grade.  While in high school, Mrs. Heisinger continued to play in both Orchestra and Band; in addition, she learned a few more instruments including the viola, the alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bari saxophone, and some auxiliary percussion instruments.  All four years of her high school career, Mrs. Heisinger played her bassoon in the Madison-based group - Wisconsin Youth Syphony Orchetstras (WYSO).  Her music-filled life inspired her to study music at Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY) where she earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education.  Teaching music  has been a very rewarding career for Mrs. Heisinger, and sharing her faith with her students only makes teaching that more special. Outside of teaching, Mrs. Heisinger continues to perform regularly in community groups such as the Wausau Symphonic Band and Orchestra and Wausau Community Theater Pit Orchestra.  She also directs the adult choir at her church and enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with her family and their pets.

Mrs. McKeen grew up in Chilton, WI as the daughter of a father who loved the Lord with all his heart and made his Gospel mission to share the Lord with youth - a legacy which she is happily carrying on. She married her middle school sweetheart and together they have 3 children and 2 cats. The McKeens are transplants to the area resulting from Mr. McKeen's Active Duty Army career, but she believes that the Lord has placed them in Merrill to serve Him. Mrs. McKeen says her favorite book of the Bible is Jeremiah because no matter what she's going through, she can always find strength in those verses. Mrs. McKeen is a Teaching Assistant at school, and also works as the School Care Director. She is the assistant soccer coach beside Head Coach Tony Roche. Her hobbies include reading in her hammock, going to movies with her husband, and taking her kids to extracurricular activities including swim, soccer and karate. 

Mr. Carl Howard works diligently every day to ensure the safety and functionality of our school.

Mrs. Bahlow grew up in a small northern Wisconsin town. She moved to Merrill in 2009 and attended North-Central Technical College where she became a Registered Dental Hygienist. Her favorite color is pink and her favorite dinosaur is the Dilophosaurus. She felt the Lord's call in 2021 to serve as the Head Cook at Trinity Lutheran School and enjoys connecting with the students over food. She is one of the school's volleyball coaches and loves seeing her players grow in spirit and skill. Mrs. Bahlow spends her summer days by the water either fishing, swimming or reading, and watching her 3 kids grow up right before her eyes. She loves LEGO, singing in the car, and spontaneous adventures. 

Mr. Keith Harmon works along side Mrs. Bahlow to prepare healthy, delicious lunches for our students every day.

Mrs. Duwe grew up on the block of Trinity Church and School and has lived there her whole life. Four generations of Mrs. Duwe's family have attended and graduated from Trinity Lutheran School. Trinity is like one big family, and she feels truly blessed to be a part of that. Mrs. Duwe is married to Brent Duwe. They love gardening, traveling and discovering Wisconsin, and most of all following the three grandchildren and their activities. 

Mrs. Webb grew up in Lake Mills, WI. She earned her associates degree at UW-Whitewater. Her husband's military service allowed them to live in several places around the country. Following Mr. Webb's Military retirement, they were blessed to find a home near Gleason, WI. Mrs. Webb has four children: Morgan, Merlin, Magnus, and Minerva. Mrs. Webb has three outside cats and 30 chickens. In Mrs. Webb's spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, baking, canning, and splitting firewood. Mrs. Webb loves watching kids grow and learn about Jesus!

Mrs. Hintz has lived in Merrill all her life.  She  married my husband, Brian, 24 years ago and they have four children - Kolby,  Emily, Anna, and Claire. Mrs. Hintz started working at Trinity school in 2014 and she really enjoys working with the students. Her and her family has a small hobby farm with beef cattle and sheep.  They love camping, four-wheeling, fishing, and spending time with friends and family.  Mrs. Hintz enjoys reading and helping the children in K-4th grade.  She  has also taught 2nd grade CCD classes at St. Francis for 13 years.  Mrs. Hintz is looking forward to another great school year! 

No stranger to the community, Mrs. Laabs has lived in Merrill her entire life. Prior to joining the staff at Trinity, she was a certified child care provider at her own family child care center.  Mrs. Laabs is also a life-long member of Trinity. In her spare time, Mrs. Laabs enjoys gardening, reading, baking, and spending time with her 5 children and many pets.