The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-07-28

next years were gained for the
church.
With his return 10 the Semin-
airy in September, the services
had to be switched back to Sun
day evenings to enable the Mia
mi Beach pastor to conduct them
But from this summer on, servi-
ces were conducted every week
except for a fe witness when the
pastor missed his plane at the
Miami airport, or when a hurri-
cane made all travel between the
two cities impossible. One night
the service, usually held at 7:30
p. m. did not begin until 900 o.
clock because the plane was de-
layed by bad weather; but not
one of the waiting worshipers
went home till the service had
ben held.
During these months of even
ing SERVICES, Mrs. Joseph War
mock conducted Sunday school in
her home on Duval street for the
few children who could be per
suaded TO come. In l947 the sum-
mer field worker was Walter NJ
Gauger of Poplar Grove, Illinois,
who again held morning services
/ and SUNDAY school.
A noteworthy incident in the
! congregations history was the
| presentation on March /, l948, of
a Lutheran Hour rally with the
internationally famous DR.. Walt
err A. Maier personally present.
He addressed lie people gathered
in St Paul's Episcopal parish
hall that Monday evening. At the
request of high school teacher
resent that evening, Dr. Maier
spoke the next morning to an en-
thusiastic student assembly at
| Key West High school.
The next resident worker was
the Rev. M. K c. Vetter of Addi-
son, Illinois, a retired pastor who
served Grace Church from No
vember l948 through April l949.
In the fall of l949 Pastor Fucker
took charge of an additional mis-
sion in the Miami area; hence
I, five Miami pastors alternated in
preaching in Key West They
were Pastors w, A, Kimberley,
Lawson F. knight, George Schus-
ter, f. r. and F. H. Fucker.
On Monday after Christmas in
l949 Grace Lutheran Mission So
ciety was organized to bind the
group more closely together. to
take over the management OF the
congregations affairs. and to
provide more fellowship for the
members, The first officers of the
Society were Mr.. Robert 7. Fob,
president; 1t. Philip Koehler,
vice-president; Mrs. c, n. Blah.
Il mix secretAEy. and Mr., Cfpis Ia
] ESemip, treaSurans -. ~ sN,s u
In. April 1850 the Rev. Martin
he Guebert, a retired pastor nv.
ing in St Petersburg, Florida
moved TO Key West to serve
Grace congregation for two
months. He was followed in June
by the third summer field work
er from Concordia Seminary
; Robert H. Wuerdemann of indie
pendence, Kansas.
Mr.. Wuerdemanns OUTSTANDING
service to the congregation wa,
highlighted by a vacation Bible
school conducted in the poincian;
. community building for tw,
! weeks in August 1850.
{ His industrious canvasine a
e the entire Poinciana housing are;
g was diviuely rewarded with an
+. enrolment of 1873 children for tn,
s school and an attendance of PSI
e people at the closing exercises
G Assisting MIR. Wuerdemann will
i the teaching were Mesdames Pet
oil er Bacle, Carl Illsley. Orvis Kemp
Philip Koehler, Otis Morgan. All
bert Schneider. Arthur staholt
Nathan Thompson. Joseph War
4 Fnoek, Orville Ziegelmann, ant
. Miss Lorraine Warnock. This va
cation Bible school gave a bic inn
petuS 10 the Sunday school, which
I had been reactivated with an en-
rollment of in September 1874,
under the very capable Leadership
= of 1t Philip Koehier of Milwau
= kee, who had switched to the Ma
w as o career after several year
L of study for the Lutheran minis
Isl try,
81 In spite OF the frequent change
/ in workers tSeven different me-
nj preached from one TO ten time
1t az Grace Church during the firs
l. eight months of l950) the men,
lr bership of the congregation NOR
d than doubled in this one yea
ie On January there had been z
IL bRptiged souls and % s,ofafr,unl