John Christian Lobbes (1889-1973) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

John Christian Lobbes was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on December 31, 1889. Along with his family, Lobbes immigrated to the United States at the age of three. They initially settled in Le Mars, Iowa but later moved to Chicago, Illinois. Lobbes became interested in pursuing a teaching career. He received a Cook County Teaching Certificate and began teaching at the schools of Roseland, Chicago (1911-1913). He went on to serve the schools of Ebenezer, Chicago (1913-1919); Pella, Iowa (1919-1926), South Holland, Illinois (1926-1927); Edgerton, Minnesota (1927-1946); Rock Valley, Iowa (1946-1954) and Edgerton, Minnesota (1954-1965).

In the Banner Lobbes was described as, “A dedicated and competent teacher, he constantly sought to raise the standards of education and improve the physical facilities of the schools he served. But his greatest concern was to mold young lives for Christian service.”

Lobbes also pursued furthering his own education by graduating from the University of Chicago in 1933 with a Bachelor of Philosophy in Education. He also went on to receive his M.A. from the University of South Dakota. By 1942, not only was he being sought after for his teaching qualifications, but also his preaching services. He received licensure to preform religious services for the Classis Minnesota South as well as other classes of that area. Lobbes also took some theology courses from Calvin Seminary. He served as a lay minister for twenty years. John Christian Lobbes passed away on June 4, 1973. His wife, Alice, 4 daughters, and 3 sons, survived him.