My Parents

I was born in Saint Louis, MO, USA (80’s baby) to Terry and Cherie Dittmer. I am 1st generation St. Louis which is meaningful because a lot of people born here are born into community - into traditions and friends and a social life.

The reason this is important to who I am today is because when she moved here, my mom did not have community. She forged community through our neighborhood, church community and school. (Where she also taught early childhood education.) My mother is incredibly resourceful. She is the original inspiration behind Frozen Spaghetti, the online diary I started in 2011. She can make something out of nothing. She makes people feel special. She is creative and engaging and really, really sweet. She also was in a coma for three days and impacted many, many lives through her living testimony of healing.

My dad is Dr. Rev. Terry K. Dittmer - an ordained minister whose career was Executive Director of Youth Ministry for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. My dad is known for his enthusiasm, clever ways for putting a person in scripture or excitedly in worship. I call him a God Hype Man. He has impacted thousands of people with his music, writing and leadership. His perspective on God is so vast - he believes being pro life is loving the immigrant, he genuinely wants people to know they are a child of God, he lives by the notion that Jesus’ blood meant something / means something… and - he loves How Great Thou Art… especially with a dueling piano and organ. :)

More on family ancestry, mom’s coma, my spiritual conversations with my dad and why I take the time out of your emotional spiritual investigation to share my background in the future! Glad you’re here.