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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the congregation of Eden
4United Church of Christ in Jefferson Park on the occasion of
5the church's 100th anniversary; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In the spring of 1914, a number of pastors of the
7Evangelical Synod were aware of the religious needs of the
8Volga Germans in the northwestern part of Chicago; 34 members
9of area families attended a meeting held in an abandoned
10carpenter shop held on the corner of Gunnison and La Vergne
11Avenues on the present site of the United Brethren Church
12(formerly Calvary Methodist Church); and
 
13    WHEREAS, On May 9, 1914, the Deutsche Evangelish
14Lutherischen Eden Gemeinde was organized following the customs
15of their Russian homeland; on May 10, 1914, Eden Church applied
16for membership in the German Evangelical Synod of North
17America; the membership then unanimously requested that Rev. H.
18A. Schmidt be assigned to Eden Church as its first pastor; and
 
19    WHEREAS, After finding their pastor, the Deutsche
20Evangelish Lutherischen Eden Gemeinde congregation's next
21pressing need was a suitable place of worship, eventually
22finding and purchasing 4 lots on the corner of Gunnison Street

 

 

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1and Le Claire Avenue; on May 24, 1914, the cornerstone for
2Eden's first church was laid; the church's first building was a
3portable chapel purchased near the Chicago River for $1000,
4which was later taken apart and re-erected at the present site;
5the cornerstone of the current church building was laid on
6September 9, 1928 and the parsonage was ready by November of
71928; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 1965, Deutsche Evangelish Lutherischen Eden
9Gemeinde's name was changed to Eden United Church of Christ; in
101985, the name was changed to Eden Evangelical Lutheran Church -
11 A United Church of Christ; in 2007, the name was once again
12changed to Eden United Church of Christ, which it has remained
13ever since; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In the 100 years since its inception, Eden United
15Church of Christ has served as a strong and active congregation
16in the Jefferson Park community; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19we congratulate the congregation of Eden United Church of
20Christ in Jefferson Park on the occasion of the church's 100th
21anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in
22the future; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the congregation of Eden United Church of Christ
3as a symbol of our esteem and respect.