Granton Church celebrates 125 years

By Peter Spicer

Granton’s Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church will hold its 125th anniversary celebration Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22, at the church. 

Traveling Lutheran preachers came to the Granton area in the 1860s to spread their faith.  Their visits helped grow the Lutheran faith; several Lutheran churches were founded in Granton, including Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1883.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, a Missouri Synod congregation, started with 14 families. Despite its humble beginnings the church now has a congregation of 393 baptized members and 336 confirmed members.

The church’s first building was located on Granton’s Meridian Avenue. The church is now in its third building, located on Granton Road.

The anniversary celebration will give congregants a chance to reminisce with past pastors and congregants about church memories from years past.

Congregant Carol Hubing, who has been a church member for over 50 years, recalls winter confirmation classes where she would carpool with others to get to the classes.  Once there, the pastor would build a fire to heat the building.

Hubing and other current members admit they may not have been committed church members had it not been for former pastor Arthur Oswald, who pastured the congregation from 1949 to 1959.

“Pastor Oswald had a lasting impression on young people,” said Hubing.

Oswald’s passion for teaching youth about Christ left a lasting legacy at the church; a scholarship in his name is given to young people training for the ministry.

Church member Lavon Bartsch remembers traveling to Chicago as a youth with her father, who was traveling there as a delegate at the Lutheran Layman’s League Convention.  “If we don’t tell people about Jesus who’s going to tell them, about His Love and forgiveness?”  Bartsch’s father, Frederick G. Garbisch, asked his young daughter.

Lavon Bartsch never forgot that conversation and has helped the church in any way she can for over 70 years, along with her husband, Don.

As others before him have, the church’s current pastor, The Reverend John I. Trewyn, is trying to make a positive difference in the community.  Trewyn has pastored at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and Chili’s Christ Lutheran Church for eight years and enjoys the tight-knit Granton church and community.

Trewyn reaches out to the community’s young people by watching them show animals at both the Clark County and Marshfield fairs each summer.

Trewyn appreciates the youth that attend his church and said they make the church a special place at which to pastor.

“The kids are definitely a highlight,” said Trewyn.

Hosting rummage sales and helping organizations are only a couple of the many ministry activities the church’s women are involved with, said Trewyn.

“The ladies here just amaze me with the things they do,” explained Trewyn.  “They work together so well.”

Despite all the fun and fellowship longtime congregants will have at the anniversary celebration, much work went into planning the event.

The church’s Anniversary Committee first formed two years ago with 10 members, including 70-year member Lila Schmitz, Don and Lavon Bartsch, Hubing, Caroline Helm, Ladonna Nickel, John Garbisch, Lorraine Nowak, Charlotte Johnson and Debbie Moeller.

The committee helped put together a heritage cookbook, featuring 932 recipes from congregants’ grandparents.  Over 500 of the 550 printed copies were sold.

“With everybody’s help, it was possible,” said Bartsch.

“A changeless Christ in a changing world” is the anniversary celebration’s theme, based on Hebrews 13:8, which states “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Festivities will begin Saturday, June 21, at 2 p.m. with games at the church.  A pig roast dinner will be served from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Barbeque pork sandwiches, salads and desserts will be served at the picnic tables and tents.  The church encourages attendees to bring their own chairs and blankets.

The congregation looks forward to hosting live music at the church from the southern gospel group, Calvary Men’s Quartet at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.  Contemporary artist Jim Vilandre will sing at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. and bluegrass gospel group True North will perform at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Pastor Richard Thur will hold a Bible study Sunday, June 22, at 8:30 a.m. for anyone wanting to attend.  The study’s title is “Why does God permit suffering in our lives?”

A formal church service will be held at 10 a.m.  The Reverend Dr. Mark Hannemann will speak.  The 1959 to 1962 girls’ choir will reunite to perform at the service under the direction of their former director, 93-year-old Bertha Schreiber.

The Ladies Aid will provide ham sandwiches at a potluck lunch following the service.  The congregation is asked to bring a dish to pass; congregants with last names beginning with A through H will provide a casserole or vegetable dish; I through R, salads; and S through Z, dessert.

A service of thanksgiving and remembrance will be held at 2 p.m.  Former pastors and congregants who are currently involved in church service or education will share memories and experiences at Zion.

The anniversary committee is welcoming any former congregants to the celebration festivities and looks forward to seeing many familiar faces.

With all the fellowship and excitement during the weekend, Bartsch and other congregants don’t want to forget the church’s message.

Christ died on the cross and rose again on the third day after His death to pay the penalty for everyone’s sins, so all who believe in Christ’s name will be forgiven and can have a relationship with Christ, explained Bartsch.

(Above, from left) Granton’s Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church’s pastor, The Reverend John I Trewyn, and Anniversary Committee members and congregants Lila Schmitz, Don and Lavon Bartsch and Carol Hubing pose outside the building (pictured below.)  

The church will celebrate 125 years Saturday, June 21 andSunday, June 22, at an anniversary celebration.

 

 

From the Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

June 11, 2008, Page 3

Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon, June 17, 2008

Web page by James W. Sternitzky PhD, June 17, 2008

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