The History of Grace’s First 100 Years

The Lutheran Church has been in Texas for many years, though it is not known when the first members arrived. Lutheranism was introduced into Texas as a result of immigration and missionary efforts of several northern European groups. In 1838 some Swedish and Norwegian colonizers brought over relatives, friends, and other followers who were Lutheran, and between 1842 and 1847 Henri Castro brought twenty-seven shiploads of immigrants from Alsace, Switzerland, and Germany. Most of these people were Lutheran. In addition, many Germans brought to Central Texas by the Adelsverein (Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas - the society represented a significant effort to establish a new Germany on Texas soil by means of an organized mass emigration). were Lutheran. These early immigrants established colonies in which are found the oldest organized Lutheran congregations in the state.

In 1850 pastors Theobald Kleis and Adam Sager came from Switzerland to Texas. Also in 1850 G. Huebner from South Carolina, C. Braun from Pennsylvania, and H. Brashler from Switzerland arrived in Galveston and Houston. Six more pastors came in 1851. On November 10, 1851, eight pastors met at the First Presbyterian Church in Houston to organize the First Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas. After this meeting they went to establish churches in Galveston, Houston, Spring Creek, San Antonio, Castroville, Victoria, and La Grange. Language barriers and European backgrounds kept the various groups separated for many years.

The first Swedish Lutheran congregations in Texas were organized in 1870 at Austin and Brushy, now Round Rock. The mother church in Sweden to the Augustana Synod of North America referred the request of the Swedish Lutherans in Texas for the services of permanently stationed ministers. The vitality of Swedish Lutheranism in Texas expressed itself in the founding in 1906 of Trinity Lutheran College, which eventually merged with Texas Lutheran College at Sequin. Fifteen congregations and 3,022 baptized members indicated the numerical strength of the Texas Conference, the Augustana Synod, in 1945.

Efforts for establishing a Swedish Lutheran Church in Fort Worth, Texas began in 1883 but the Swedish community was small in numbers and unable to maintain a pastor. Regular worship for German speaking Lutherans began about 1890 when Johann Christian Schulenburg (1840-1922) was sent by the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod as missionary to the Fort Worth district. Apparently the community’s Swedish speaking Lutherans attended regularly. Eventually the German-American Lutherans in Fort Worth developed a congregation known today as St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Swedish-American Lutherans developed a congregation known as Grace Lutheran Church today.

The first to feel the need for a Swedish Lutheran congregation at Fort Worth were a group of women, who was the Dorcas Sewing Circle formed in 1904. The Women’s Missionary Society, the Luther League and the Sunday school all were organized in 1904 before the church was officially established. In May of 1904, the women turned to the Kansas Conference mission board requesting a preacher. The board called on David Nordling, a Divinity student, to perform missionary work at Fort Worth for three months. At Christmas that year another Divinity student, G. A. Johnson, preached to his countrymen at Fort Worth. In the beginning of October 1905, Reverend Theodore Seashore started his activities, and on November 6 that year the congregation was founded. The church organized at the Wells Mission Hall (located on Texas Street near Henderson Street) conducting services in Swedish and paying $6.00 a month for rent.

The bylaws that were approved on November 19, 1905, were entitled“Konstitution for Den Svenska Evangeliskt Lutherska Gustav Adolfs Forsamlingen.” The church was known as Gustavus Adolphus Evangelical Lutheran Church. Twenty communicants were the charter members. They were Mr. & Mrs. J. Anderson, Mr. & Mrs. J. Burgeson, Mrs. Johanna Jylfe, Mr. & Mrs. John Larson, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Pearson, Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Anderson, Mr. & Mrs. Sven Forsell, Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Krantz, Mr. & Mrs. N. Osterman, Mr. & Mrs. P. Westman, and Dr. & Mrs. Theodore Seashore, Pastor. The annual meeting of 1906 appointed a committee with the task of finding a suitable site for a church and initiating the collection of funds for such a building site.

At an extra parish meeting in March of 1906 the members decided to purchase a site at the corner of Jennings Avenue & Broadway for the sum of $4,000. At that time, the subscription committee had collected enough to pay a third of that sum. In March of 1907 the congregation sold this property for $7,000 and instead purchased a site for $4,500 at Hemphill & Broadway. The congregation decided to build the church at this location.

Pastor Theodore Seashore, first pastor, and confirmation class

In October of 1907, Reverend Seashore resigned.  For four months the congregation was served by Divinity student Tillman, and after that Reverend Seashore made occasional visits until Reverend E. V. Isaacson took office in February of 1909.  During his time the basement floor of the church was finished and the parsonage was built.  In May of 1910 Reverend Isaacson resigned, and Dr. M. Noyd was called to replace him.  During his five years of service the church was completed, so that the congregation for the first time could worship in the completed sanctuary on Christmas morning 1912.  This festive morning was welcomed by the congregation with grateful hearts for what the Lord had granted both earthly and spiritually.  The property, as it then stood, cost the congregation $16,000.00.  A debt of $2,800 lay on it.  Collections had been made in the Austin district for $1983.95 and in Kansas for $356.  The women’s association of the congregation had contributed with $1994.00, the youth association with $1075.00, and the members of the congregation had also individually donated rather large amounts.

Grace Lutheran Church at 400 Hemphill The architect was Conrad Hoeffler and the contractor was R.C. Sweeney. It was described as a compactly massed structure with a gabled nave flanked by a square front tower and shed-roofed and hipped dependencies. The veneer of fine brown brick exhibits superb detailing. Many of the arched windows have stained glass panes of a high quality.

Included in the bills for the year of 1914:  John Utter was paid $75 for the pulpit, Ballard Ice and Fuel Company $7 for a ton of coal.  The members decided to buy a piano rather than rent one so they made payments of $104 in installments.  A $50 note to Eric Forsell was met each month.  To raise money they had ice-cream socials, box suppers and auctions.  They sold cake and bread and Thanksgiving Day dinners on the sidewalk in front of the church.  Pastor Noyd was paid a salary of $321.

Sunday School, circa 1914 or 1915

Sunday School children, prior to 1922.

Shepherds in Christmas play about 1915. At far left is Hildur Larson Segerstrom and in the center front is Johanna Forsell Koenig.

Children playing shepherds about 1915

In November of 1915 Dr. Noyd tended his resignation.  Divinity student Hugo B. Haterius was now called to, upon his ordination, become the teacher of the congregation.  During the vacancy that arose, the congregation was served by Divinity student Ragnar Byrenius for three months and Divinity student Bengtson for another three months.  Reverend Hugo Haterius arrived in the fall of 1916 and delivered his first sermon on August 27.  In 1917 Pastor Haterius’ salary was $350. 

 

Christmas Dinner in the basement of Grace Lutheran Church for the soldiers stationed at Camp Bowie in 1917.

In 1918 he accepted the offer from the Lutheran National Commission to work as chaplain at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth.  However, he still tended to the congregation.  At the beginning of 1918 the congregation counted seventy members, of which 48 were communicants.  New pews with room for 180 had been fitted and the interior of the church has been painted.  On October 9, 1918 the church paid $479.64 for chairs in the auditorium and $8.75 for a pulpit chair.

On July 10, 1918 a motion was made and seconded to use only English in the church services for the duration of the war.  It was announced in the two daily papers. 

Soldiers in Lutheran Brotherhood Hall at 5th & Houston, downtown Fort Worth.

By the middle of 1919 the yearly salary for the pastor was $480 and a free parsonage.

On August 20, 1919, by a vote of nineteen to nine the church agreed to conduct services thereafter in English rather than Swedish.  Elvira Edburg was the last baby baptized in Swedish.  Though the language of the church was officially English, it was still called the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Gustavus Adolphus Synod. 

In 1919 the church board announced that 59 paying members and 23 children belonged to the congregation.  On April 14, 1920, the members petitioned Theodore Seashore at the Trinity College in Kansas.  He came to Fort Worth and the members paid half of his moving expenses. 

The painting, “Christ Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane” by the German painter, Heinrich Hofmann, was a project of the Luther League.  Ours is a very fine copy painted by August or Arnold Ness (father and son) Klagstad circa 1922. In 1923 the Lutheran Brotherhood was organized, and the church established an affiliation with it. 

On February 13, 1924 it was decided to have a new name for the church and to put the constitution in the “American” language. When it united with the Texas Conference of the Augustana Synod in 1928, the name was officially changed to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.

 

Inside of church showing painting of “Christ Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane” and theatre seating about 1930.

On January 16, 1928, approval to have Mr. Tarpley install and wire the chandelier in the church was given and also to have the secretary sign a petition for street lights on Hemphill Street.

In 1929, under the guidance of Rev. Amos T. Lundquist, it was decided to purchase a pipe organ for Grace Church.  Grace was then located at 400 Hemphill Street.  An organ committee was appointed consisting of Mr. Harry Kelley, Mrs. Eric Forsell and Mrs. Amos Lundquist.  Ten organ manufacturers submitted proposals.  The list was narrowed to three:  Reuter’s Organ Company, Hillgren-Lane, and Henry Pilcher’s Sons.  Upon recommendation of the organ committee, the Church Board, on September 17, 1929, voted 8 to 1 to purchase the Pilcher organ for $3900.00.  The Board members at that meeting were B.C. Voight, Eric Forsell, Gust Forsell, Sven Forsell, Tage Larson, Pete Pearson, Edward Carlson, Carl Malmberg, and Carl Ulrickson.

Installation of the organ was completed by December 20, 1929.  Professor Carl Neissmann gave the dedication recital on December 27, 1929.  Mrs. Lundquist was appointed by the board to be our first organist.  In 1955, the organ was moved by Robert Geisler from the Hemphill location to Grace’s location on the South Freeway.  It was restored in 1985.  The organ is not currently installed at the present location.

On December 17, 1930 due to the widening of Hemphill, the City Condemnation Board awarded property damage to Grace in the amount of $1890.  C. Milo Thelin, an architect and church secretary at the time, was awarded the contract for remodeling the church front.  His fee was $50 and he donated $25 of that to the church. 

Christmas at the Hemphill Church – date unknown but probably 1930s or later

In 1937 C.O. Newman of the Fort Worth Art Glass Company and a church member designed the art glass windows for the center arch. The design was a reproduction of a stature of Christ by Thorvalson.  Reverend Amos Lundquist resigned effective December 1937. At that time there was no indebtedness on the church property and the six-room brick parsonage was all modern.  His salary had been $150 a month with a congregation of 120 members.

On March 26, 1938, Reverend M. Arthur Johnson of Essex, Iowa accepted the post at Grace Lutheran.  In his letter of acceptance he wrote that a strange feeling crept over him thinking about moving to a country he had never seen.  In August of that year, it was reported that the light fixture on the front porch of the church, which lighted up the art glass windows at night, had not been turned on at night.  The board suggested that the Pastor would look after this and turn the light on each night.

Vacation Bible School (1940s)

The first and only member of Grace to become a Deaconess was Hazel Minor in 1936.  In 1941, the first Vacation Bible School at Grace was held.

Grace Lutheran was active in the Texas Conference of the Augustana Synod.  The May 1942, annual meeting was held at Grace Lutheran Church, Fort Worth.

Texas Conference of the Augustana Synod Annual Meeting May 7-10, 1942, Grace Lutheran, Fort Worth

 

1943 – Dedication of Service Honor Roll Flag – In Honor of our Men in Service during WWII.

Board of Administration 1948 or 1949:
 Paul Larson, C.H. Linton, Charles Malmborg, Pastor Roger Carlson, Charlie Witt, Adolph Jahren, Marvel Domer, Clarence Collier. Clyde Becker, Bill Malone, Mr. McClellan, Bob Koenig, Stewart Larson, Eric Forsell & Iner Frankel.

Sunday School Staff, about 1949
 Betty Edburg, Helen Edburg, Stella Witt, Mrs. Peterson, Inga Thurman, Helga Jahren, Mrs. Stringer, Elvera Edburg & Evelyn Thurman. Adolph Jahren, Paul Larsen, Charles Malmberg, Marvel Dormer, Isabelle Becker, C.H. Linton, Mrs. Eric Forsell, Clarence Collins and Pastor Roger Carlson.


In 1950 a new parsonage at 2306 South Adams was built and dedicated.

Grace Lutheran Church 50th Anniversary, November 12, 1955
Dr. Haterius, Mrs. Lundquist, Reverend Lundquist, Mrs. Carlson, Sonja Carlson, Reverend Carlson

The Fiftieth Anniversary of Grace was celebrated in 1955 and property was purchased at the cost of $34,260 for relocation on the South Freeway.  The Grace Lutheran Church trustees at the time were Eugene A. Heike, William Bertelson, John P. Reesing, Robert M. Segerstrom, Millard L. Smith, Edgar W. Prescher, Ray R. Barto, Ernest Schurmann, and Carl Johnson.

Pastor Benson and members at ground breaking for church at 5001 South Freeway.

March 16, 1958 Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church authorized trustees to sell the Hemphill property for $35,000 to the Gospel Assembly Church of Fort Worth, Texas.

The trustees were William Bertelson, Vernon K. Anderson, S.L. Malone, John Reesing, Edgar Prescher, J.T. Sladovnick, Millard Smith, Eugene A. Heike, and Ray R. Barto.

The first phase of the new Church included the sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, nursery, and two Sunday School rooms.  Groundbreaking for the church occurred on February 17, 1957.  According to church records services were held in the new church on November 3, 1957 and the dedication was on November 24, 1957. 

The altar railing was made from the wrought iron fence that was located around the churchyard at the 400 Hemphill church. The pulpit and lectern also had the wrought iron used on their sides.  A cross from the 400 Hemphill church was made into a processional cross that is still being used in 2005.  Iner Frankel was in charge of these projects.  Pastor Goldberg asked Ray Barto to enclose the pulpit.  Ray made wooden panels with hand carved crosses on each piece that were placed on the wrought iron around the pulpit.  As you enter the narthex at the 7900 McCart location, one of the wooden panels is hanging on the wall.

Grace Lutheran Church, 5001 S. Freeway, Fort Worth

According to church records, Pastor Benson wanted a church office in the area of the Church.  The Church Women’s Service Committee used some of their money for this purpose.  The money was earned from a project patterned after that of the women of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, who had begun working as waitresses at the Texas Hotel to gain money for their church.  The women of Grace Lutheran Church on Hemphill worked as waitresses even after their move to the South Freeway location.  They worked at the

Texas Hotel for a total of 30 years until the hotel was sold.  They donated their tips and hourly pay receiving only a meal for themselves.  This service committee, numbering from two to fifteen, worked the special events in the hotel ballroom.  Isabelle King was

one of the first to service, Gladys Reesing called the volunteers, and Ruby Ulrickson was the treasurer.  Through their efforts, the Church benefited with carpet in the sanctuary, kitchen cabinets, a stove, two pianos, pads in the pews, paving for the parking lot and for nursery equipment and supplies. 

The second phase of the church included additional Sunday School rooms, library, offices, pastor’s study and lounge area.  Iner Frankel was the building chairman and the cost of the building was $60,000.  This phase was dedicated in 1964. The first Kindergarten Day School started with Mrs. Eugene Nelson as teacher.   Artis Ball also served as a teacher.  The kindergarten was closed when public school kindergarten was started. 

In 1960 the American Lutheran Church (German), United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Norwegian) merged to form The American Lutheran Church (ALC). The Lutheran Free Church (Norwegian), which had dropped out of merger negotiations, came into the ALC in 1963.  In 1962 the ULCA (German, Slovak and Icelandic) joined with the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (Swedish), Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church and American Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) to form the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).  Grace became a member of the Lutheran Church in America in 1962.

Between the years 1964 and 1969 Grace Lutheran published a weekly newspaper.  It was an edition of the Fort Worth Tribune and was published by the All Church Press, Inc. that was located at 1200 West Berry Street.

Adult Choir - 1963

Ronald Peterson and John Jahran, members of Grace, were ordained in June 1963 and Kenneth Hovland was ordained in August 1979.  A former member, Dale Peterson, also was ordained in 1979.

The parsonage at 2306 South Adams was sold in 1969 and the parsonage at 3729 Kelvin was purchased and dedicated on June 8, 1969.

On May 30, 1976 the cornerstone from the church on Hemphill was unveiled at the church at 5001 S. Freeway. 

The seventy-fifth anniversary of Grace Lutheran was celebrated on November 1, 1980 with a confirmands fellowship dinner.  On November 2, there was a special afternoon anniversary service   Former Pastors in attendance were Pastors Carlson, Anderson, Goldberg, and Benson.   Also attending were Mrs. Hugo B. Haterius and Mrs. Amos T. Lunquist.

Grace Lutheran Church  -75th Anniversary
November 2, 1980
(Left to Right) Pastor and Mrs. Roger Carlson, Pastor and Mrs. Marbury Anderson, Pastor and Mrs. Wymore Goldberg and Pastor and Mrs. Harry Benson

The Reverends William and Beverly Allert became our first clergy couple in 1981.  In 1974, following a change of rules in the church, Beverly Allert became the first ordained woman minister of the Lutheran Church in the United States. Grace became the site of an official Texas Historical Society Marker in 1984.  Remodeling of staff offices and conference room was completed in 1985, and after a fire in 1987, there was a major remodeling of the fellowship hall.

In 1982 Pastor William Allert urged Iner Frankel and Millard Smith to form a group for retirees, semi-retired or anyone with leisure time.  The concept being a relaxing time with fellowship. Iner and Smitty met with a group of members in October of 1982 who decided to meet the first and third Tuesday at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall.  Iner Frankel volunteered to serve as leader.  During their formation they were affectionately dubbed “Senior Saints” but soon changed the name to “The Leisure Group” which had been suggested by Dorothy Prescher.

Pastor Beverly Allert worked with the ladies of the church and encouraged the formation of a quilting group that made quilts for the Lutheran World Relief, Aids babies, and others as the need arose.  In addition, every baptized baby and graduating high school senior received a quilt.  The quilters are still active and every baptized baby and high school graduate continue to receive quilts.

Leisure Group Kitchen Band - 1983 Lorena Jordan was the director and Isabelle Becker accompanied on the piano. First performance was at Shrove Tuesday talent show.

Handbell Choir started in 1986 by Lorena Jordan.  Handbells were donated in memory of Rosalie Crabtree and Vernon Anderson.

Grace Lutheran Church  -Burning of the mortgage 1984

(Left to Right) Pastor Allert, (Rear) Charles Rudolph, and Ken Hovland

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was born at its constituting convention in Columbus, Ohio, April 30-May 3, 1987.  The church bodies merging were the

American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Luth eran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America.  Grace then became a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The “Nineties” saw the focus of ministry turn to children, with the first summer Day Camp held in 1993 and the dedication of the playground in memory of Helga Jahren in 1994.  

In 1994 a Vision and Planning Committee was organized and relocation of the church was studied.  In 1995 the congregation approved relocating Grace Lutheran.  Property at 7900 McCart Avenue was purchased.  The closing worship service at 5001 S. Freeway was on  August 24, 1997.

Congregation at 5001 S. Freeway on day of last service in this location, August 24, 1997.


Groundbreaking at 7900 McCart on March 1, 1998

Grace Lutheran held services at the McCart YMCA while the new church was being built.  Groundbreaking was held on March 1, 1998.  The vision for the new church was “Opening New Doors for Christ.”

Construction has begun.


June 1998 Construction Picture

The first service in the new church was Thanksgiving Eve Worship service on November 25, 1998.  The first Sunday service was On November 29, 1998.  The dedication of the new building was on January 24, 1999. 

 Grace Lutheran Church

Bob Painter getting ready to cook a big batch of pancakes for breakfast on September 11, 2005.

Bible Breakfast group – September 11, 2005

Bible Breakfast was started in 1999 and it remains a very popular part of Grace.   Bob Painter has been the primary person cooking breakfast for all who come to Sunday School since 1999.  He does have able substitutes when he is away.  An adult Bible Study is conducted in conjunction with the breakfast.  Children’s choir Christmas musicals have been a special addition to the Christmas season.  Music remains a very important part of our worship experience with congregational hymn singing, adult choir and children’s choir presentations, bell choir specials as well as other special music.

An outdoor Prayer Garden has been established near the Sanctuary.  Bricks are placed there in memory or honor of individuals.  In 2002, Grace Garden Club was formed and in 2004 a Fall Festival for the community with a Health Fair, entertainment, food and games was held.  Two services, a Traditional service and a Celebration service, have been offered each Sunday since 2004.

That brings us to 2005 where we are remembering and celebrating our history and the last 100 years and looking forward to the next 100 years. 

 This is the cornerstone that has been located at all three churches.  It is presently in the Narthex in the garden area below the picture of “Christ Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane” that has also been in all three church locations.  Our roots and history have moved with us.

REFERENCES

GRACE’S ORGANISTS  (1929-PRESENT)

 Assistant Organists: