HR0797 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0797 LRB095 14174 GRL 40038 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Decatur on the occasion of the church's 125th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Decatur was organized on October 24, 1882 in order to meet the community's need for an English-speaking Lutheran congregation; the church's charter was signed by Mr. and Mrs. Frederic A. Korsmeyer, Martin L. Deck and his wife Eleanor Casner Deck, Jacob A. Harry and his daughter Amelia K. Harry, and Albert G. Webber; the Reverend R. E. McDaniel was also in attendance as the pastor pro temp; shortly after the organizational meeting, the second floor of a building at 503 N. Main Street in Decatur was rented as a place of worship; and

WHEREAS, In the spring of 1883, a lot at 303 N. Main Street in Decatur was purchased by the Deck family and donated to the First Evangelical Lutheran Church as the site for a new church building; the congregation's first pastor was the Reverend A. W. Walter, who served from June 2, 1883 until April 15, 1885; on June 11, 1883, a Sunday School was organized with Miss Amelia Harry named as its superintendent; and

WHEREAS, Construction of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church's first building was begun on May 17, 1886; the building's cornerstone was laid on May 30, 1886 by the church's second pastor, the Reverend John D. Roth; by the autumn of 1886, the construction was completed to the point that both the congregation and Sunday School held services in the church's basement; the church's nave was completed on July 5, 1891; after Reverend Roth's departure from the church on June 21, 1888, he was replaced by Martin L. Wagner, who served from 1888 until 1895, Frank C. Oberly, who served from 1895 until 1898; Herman A. W. Yung, who served from 1898 until 1900; and by the Reverend Hiram Peters, who served from 1900 until 1907; the church's seventh pastor, the Reverend Roy G. Catlin, assumed the pastorate while a student at the Chicago Theological Seminary on May 15, 1908, and served the congregation until 1931; and

WHEREAS, In 1929, the First Evangelical Lutheran Church's building was to be sold to Sears Roebuck, Inc. as the sight of a new department store downtown in downtown Decatur; the congregation vacated the building and began meeting in the Women's Club building on West Main Street in Decatur; after the planned sale fell through, the congregation negotiated with Sears Roebuck to pay for the restoration of the building; after the restoration was complete, the congregation moved back to the original building; and

WHEREAS, In 1941, the First Evangelical Lutheran Church congregation decided to purchase the old Federal Post Office building on North Main and Eldorado Street in Decatur; after the old church was sold, the congregation worked for over eighteen months remodeling the Post Office into a beautiful church building; the work was finally completed in 1943 under the pastorate of the Reverend Roland Reichmann; and

WHEREAS, On September 1, 1954, the Reverend Alfred H. Stone began service as pastor of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church; Reverend Stone served the church until 1960, when the Reverend Paul E. Erickson was called to be Senior Pastor; and

WHEREAS, On February 3, 1964, the First Evangelical Lutheran Church purchased a site at 250 West Decatur Street, where the church remains to this day; on July 19, 1964, a ground-breaking began for the construction of the church's newest building; the building was dedicated on November 28, 1965; and

WHEREAS, In 1972, Albert W. Weidlich was called to serve as Senior Pastor of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church; Pastor Weidlich served the church until 1980, when the Reverend Roger L. Dahlin was called as Pastor; the Reverend Robert E. Van de Ven joined him as Co-Pastor in 1981; and

WHEREAS, On April 20, 1986, ground was broken for the renovation and construction of an addition to the First Evangelical Lutheran Church's building; the construction was dedicated on May 15, 1988; and

WHEREAS, In 1989 and 1990, the Reverend Steven D. Barnes and the Reverend Charles R. Strietelmeier were called to serve as Co-Pastors of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church; in 1994, the Reverend Kathleen Burkheimer became the church's first woman pastor, where she served until 1999; and

WHEREAS, In 1998, the Reverend Richard J. Wolf was called as Senior Pastor; in 1999, Reverend Wolf's spouse, Rachel K. Wolf, was called as an Associate in Ministry to be the church's Visitation and Outreach Minster; on September 30, 2007, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf left for Houston, Texas to pursue other interests; and

WHEREAS, The First Evangelical Lutheran Church's rich history and dedicated service to the City of Decatur are treasures to be cherished by the people of the City of Decatur and the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the congregation of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Decatur on the occasion of the church's 125th anniversary and wish the members continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to a representative of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Decatur as a symbol of our esteem and respect.