The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-12-22
German Lutheran Church Dedication

German Lutheran Church Dedication.
Sunday for the fourth time in two years
the citizens of this, the most enterprisng
city in Michigan were invited to participate
i'm the dedication of house of worship.
The German Evangelical Lutheran society,
stOrted i'm 1862 with twelve members
commenced to hold service in the little
wooden building that for nearly forty years
stood on the corner of Washington and VIII
liams streets, used at first by the town as q
school house, then by an English Methodist
society and not until three years ago did
they think of erecting so magnificent strue-
ture as now graces that we'll known corner
The society was organized i'm 1864 with "a
members and in 1865 was incorporated.
The exercises held Sunday commenced at
10 O'clock in the morning and over 60e
people were present to give thanks to God
for the blessings showered upon the society
i'm the past and to hear the songs of praise
and the sermon and other exercises. The
choir led by August Marowsky, consisting
of G.. Luckerman, Il. Schlag, IL. Nagle,
Herman Bartz. A. Rein Ike and the La
Haeine brothers with Miss Kate Frieseke as
Organist sang an opening hymn and tho
dedication prayer was made by Pastor XII
onka. After hymn by the choir and con-
gregation, Rev. q. A. Lederer, president of
the E. Lutheran synod preached the dedica-
tory sermon the theme being ''The Praise
of Zion" These services were proceeded
| by praise service at the old church now
located on east Mason street. The after
noon service began at 3 O'Clock in the new
church and consisted of singing and an i'm
pressive sermon in English by Rev. j.
Klingman, of Ann Arbor. The evening
service consisted of singing and short SER
mon by the pastor.
The church is model one and far ahead
of the expectations of the members, when
i'm March of this year they voted to erect it.
The building committee consisting of j. M.
Buck, l.. Struber, j. Frieseke. A. Reinecks
and G. Reinsburg, let the contract on May
Goth, to John KOhler, of Steiner, Michigan,
the price being $4,000. In the basement
is large Sunday school room that viii
probably be used for day school, the old
church being now used for that purpose.
In the rear of the basemt Mt are two largo
furnaces. The auditorium is SSx46 feet
with main isle So feet wide, the side isles
lbeing three feet i'm width. The pews which
are of finished red oak are unusually COM
Portable and seat easily twelve people. The
altar made of ash is handsomely carved and
furnished in the most beautiful style, while
the pulpit is about six feet from the floor
and is model one of the kind. The pas
tors study Is about ten feet square leading
directly to the parsonage. The gallery is
twenty feet long and fOrty-six feet wide
with seating capacity for about forty beside
the choir. The organ will be placed in the
center on an elevated platform and with the
!, height of the structure will make fine
place for chorus singing. The building rs
lighted by electricity and gas, two beautiful
/ chandeliers hanging from the ceiling which
Is frescoed i'm six large panels of different
shades, that over the altar being an extreme
ly real likeness of clouds The only special
window is that donated by l.. Struber in
scribed ''In Memory of Mrs. Dorothy Stru-
Der; died, March 20, 1890, l.. Struber," on
which is the picture OF the Christ.
The spire is of the German style being
147 feet Eigh and towering above any other
building or spire in the city and contain
ing 1,500 ID. bell made in st. Louis, Mo.
The total cost of the structure complete,
was S12, 600.