Our History

It was early in 1953 or late 1952 when a number of Missouri Synod Lutherans living in the Wheat Ridge vicinity decided there was a need for a congregation to be located in that area. A meeting for those interested was held in the auditorium of the Wheat Ridge Lutheran Sanitarium and the mission church was formed.

The property at 38^th and Dudley was bought by the church, with the help of the Mission Board of the Colorado District. Sunday School was started in July and Vacation Bible School was held in August of 1953, in the chicken coop that was on the property along with a big white frame house, two rental units and some other outbuildings. The land and buildings north of the irrigation ditch were purchased for $18,000 from an elderly couple named Reifschneider who wanted to sell the property in order to move to California. Prior to their ownership, part of the property belonged to the Wheat Ridge Water District and housed the water system for the City of Wheat Ridge, including the well that was vandalized a number of years later. When the church obtained the land the massive old concrete foundations for the water system were still in the property and were encountered again when the new well was drilled in 1982. The land south of the ditch was purchased from the Wheat Ridge Foundation at about the same time for $14,100. The irrigation ditch ran through the middle of the property, so it was re-routed to its present location. Dudley street did not go through between 32^nd and 38^th, but only came in from 38^th to about the ditch, where there was a dilapidated old wooden bridge.

The chicken coop was remodeled and strengthened by the addition of an “I beam” so it would pass inspection to allow services to be held in the building, but that didn’t keep it from being cold and drafty. A pump organ, that had also been used at Faith Lutheran Church, was loaned by Ralph Besel for use in the services. It was powered by a vacuum cleaner motor (for which the organist must have been thankful), and those who attended that early church say every so often someone would accidentally kick the extension cord and the music would stop until the cord could be plugged in again!

Charles E. Wedig was installed as Pastor of the Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church at a special service at 3:30 PM on January 3, 1954 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The liturgist for the service was Rev. Arnold F. Meyer, Dr. E. J. Friedrich gave the sermon, and the installation was conducted by Rev. Henry G. Hartner. The Denver Lutheran A Capella Choir added to the service by offering Sing Unto The Lord and Carillon Song.

The white frame house on the property served as the parsonage. Pastor Wedig’s first sermons were surely a firm foundation for the fledgling church: on January 10, The First Church, A Pattern in Steadfastness and on January 17, The First Church, A Pattern in Prayer.

The following paragraph, quoted from the 1956 Year Book, gives an interesting perspective: “By the Grace of Almighty God, three years ago on January 10, 1954 the first official service of Wheat Ridge Lutheran Congregation was held in our own small Chapel. There were 49 children and adults in Sunday School and 57 people in Church. Those were small and humble beginnings. But there was a warmth and a glow in the hearts of all present. There was in evidence a desire and an eagerness to go forward.”

Walt and Velma Nelson were the first members officially transferred to the new congregation (from Good Samaritan, the Lutheran Sanitarium chapel and congregation) and their son, Byron, born on January 11, was the first baptism on February 7, 1954. Other members also transferred to Wheat Ridge from Good Samaritan, as well as from Faith, Bethlehem and Emmaus. Howard F. Lawonn acted as Sunday school superintendent in the first few months, but retained his membership at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

“Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church” was chosen as the official name of the congregation by vote on January 24, 1954. It was felt that this name would help to identify the location of the church because of its proximity to the well-known Wheat Ridge Lutheran Sanitarium.

In the Voters’ Assembly in February of 1954, it was resolved to place the janitor service with the members on a month-to-month basis, with each family taking its turn, or two families may have worked together.

The ladies of the congregation were invited to attend a meeting to discuss the formation of a ladies’ group, and the Guild, which is affiliated with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, was formally organized on Wednesday, February 10, 1954. Ruth Forsberg was elected the first president of the Guild. The members of this organization contributed in many ways, including an annual authentic smorgasbord served under the able supervision of Warren Forsberg’s mother, a native of Sweden. A bulletin from 1959 quotes a price of $1.50 for an adult — no wonder the smorgasbord was so popular! The attendance by the community and other churches swelled until it became too great an undertaking and had to be discontinued in 1961. In addition, the Guild took care of the altar until the Altar Guild was formed in 1964, and served refreshments and dinners and planned and hosted countless receptions, banquets and other events. They have collected offerings for missions, conducted many successful fund raisers, and have given aid to others, such as Roadrunners for Christ, Good Shepherd Homes, Jeffco Action Center, Newborns in Need, Lutheran Refugee Services, and seminary student Brian and Renata Ketelsen, to name just a few. At the same time the members share fellowship, friendship and loving support with one another. Their faithful service to our congregation and to other individuals shows that LWML is truly a service organization, and our congregation is blessed and thankful to the members of this group.

The first Holy Communion was celebrated in the service on the 7th of March, 1954.

The papers were signed to purchase the parsonage at 3700 Independence for approximately $15,750 on April 20, 1954, making the white frame house temporarily available for Sunday school rooms and church offices. Pastor Wedig and family moved into their new home during the last week of April and invited all to an Open House on Sunday afternoon, the first of August.

The congregation began planning a church and educational building in February of 1954 and ground was broken on June 6, 1954, Pentecost Sunday. The white frame house was sold to Edgar Besel and moved to Golden and the stable and other outbuildings (but not the original chapel) were torn down. Ted Schreiber recalls the Saturday they burned the debris from these buildings — he tried to control the flames with water from the hose, but said it seemed the water made it burn even better! He lost a ballpeen hammer while tearing down the buildings and then found it while loading the rubble to haul away.

At a meeting on the 4^th of May, 1954 the original constitution was adopted and a schedule for regular Voters’ Meetings established. In addition, the guidelines for charter membership were set.

The first confirmation service was June 20, 1954, and the members of the class, William Henderson, Edward Schreiber, Theodore Schreiber and Jacquelyn Wolfe, were included as charter members of the church.

The first Sunday school and church picnic was held on the 27th of June, 1954, at Bergen Park.

A special service to lay the cornerstone of polished rose granite for the new building was held at 4:00 p.m. on July 25, 1954, with Rev. E. F. Loessel as guest speaker. Special music was provided by the Sunday school children.

The congregation officially became a member of the Missouri Synod at the signing of the Synod’s Constitution by Ralph Besel, our delegate to the Colorado District Convention, during the week of August 23, 1954.

Construction of the church was under the direction of Ralph Besel and the other members of the building committee, Ted Schreiber and Al Hahn, who took three weeks off from his job at Coors to work on the church building. There were many other dedicated people helping with the building: Gus Koeltzow and sons, Warren Forsberg, Walt Nelson, Jim Cluck, Ed Besel, Marvin Skaggs, Louis Goos, Harold Tegeler, Ed Schreiber, Ted Eaker, Jack Wolfe, Adolph Orlowski, Linda Timan, Chuck Welton, Owen Bartels, and probably others whose names don’t come to mind. There were sub-contractors for each phase of the building, but much of the work was done by the members who came in the evenings and on weekends and unselfishly gave their time.

Velma Nelson says that Walt was self-employed at this time and some nights when he came home from work he was so tired that he looked like he could hardly get up from the dinner table, so she would try to convince him to stay home and get some rest, but Walt would say “Velma, your nagging tires me a lot more than going to the church and working does!” (Walt’s comment in 1994: “Still true!”)

Bob Ervin used to drive by on 38^th and watch the church being built, he says, and was careful to wait until it was finished before joining.

Lydia Schreiber tells about going to church on Sunday morning, then home for a bite to eat and then Ted would put his work clothes on and go back to church. They were beginning to remodel their basement before the church building started, but had to hire someone else to finish that job.

Al Hahn made the chancel furniture and he and Walt Nelson did the finish work. We’re told that Ralph Besel was a master at economizing – for example, the curbing was “homemade” – he had a form to pour one section at a time and when the concrete was set they would move the form so that the next section could be poured. The Building Committee wanted to buy manufactured upright beams for the sides (like the ceiling beams, which were commercially made), but in order to save money they bought 2 X 8’s from the lumber yard and “laminated” the wood themselves. At this time Mr. Besel must have been very busy for, in addition to building the Wheat Ridge church, he was finishing the parsonage at Faith, working on his own house, and also held a full time job.

In that first year, the members of this church were tested and tried, but with God’s help they were united in faith and filled with the drive and enthusiasm to make this new church a success. Though the membership was small, most took part in social events as well as church services. They had pot-luck suppers on Sunday nights about once a month which offered food and fellowship and closed with a vesper service at 8 PM. These were well attended, as were the many other fellowship gatherings.

It is interesting that in that small congregation there were twelve families with adopted children.

Early in construction the November 21, 1954 dedication date was set and everyone really outdid themselves to meet that deadline. The night before the church was dedicated the tile was still being put down, the heaters were being painted, and paint was being brushed on the outside with frozen bristles, until about 2 o’clock in the morning! But the church was dedicated on the 21st of November.

In the morning service Pastor Wedig offered the invocation, accepted the building on behalf of the congregation, and opened the church doors. The dedication sermon was by Rev. Arnold Meyer and titled The Lord Loveth the Gates of Zion, based on Psalm 87, verses 1-6. Miss Hilda Wilke was the organist and the choral anthem was rendered by the Emmaus Lutheran Choir with Wilbur Shelton directing. The choir also sang the dedicatory anthem, Built On A Rock.

The sermon in the 3 p.m. festival service was by Rev. Ray Beins. The organist was Ben Bunjes and the Bethlehem Lutheran Choir, Howard Lawonn directing, offered the choral anthems, Praise Ye the Lord and Rejoice and Give Thanks. The total attendance for the celebratory services was 589.

A clipping from a Denver newspaper, with a picture of the new church, said “The church which has seating for 250 and two educational units was constructed at a cost of $45,000.00 . . . was organized in January and now has 150 members.”

To quote from the 1956 Year Book: “This Forward Look was to carry the Congregation onward at tremendous paces. Many hours of prayer and discussion were spent in setting up this Forward movement. The problems that faced our young Voters’ Assembly were the need of a more permanent building with more adequate space; how to finance such a program; what type of building would be most adequate. With hearts full of faith the problems were attacked. With the Lord’s help astounding progress was made. By February plans for our Chapel-Education building were on the draft board. In the early spring we began to clear the multiple units which were on the property. The house which was occupied as the parsonage was vacated so that this space could be utilized for Sunday school, office, and meeting space. A new parsonage was purchased at 3700 Independence. On June 6, Pentecost, all was in readiness for the ground breaking ceremonies. Then work really began. Many hours and much toil and sweat were put into the operations on hand by the members. On July 25 the Cornerstone was laid in a special service. With great anticipation we watched each brick laid and each board nailed in place. Then came the joyous day of Dedication on November 21, 1954.”

A sewing group started to meet in the fall of 1954. At first this function was part of the Ladies’ Guild, and in the early years a good deal of sewing was done for the Institutional Chaplains Auxiliary and for the Good Shepherd Home in Terra Bella, California, as well as welfare agencies in the Denver area. Through the years a number of our members have been actively involved in the Good Shepherd Home Auxiliary. The ladies have also done sewing for many organizations, including Mile-High Nursing Home, Fitzsimmons Hospital, Wheat Ridge Manor, Lutheran Family Services, and Jeffco Action Center. The projects they have undertaken are many and varied, for example: making new garments for patients, repairing blankets and comforters and making new ones, and other kinds of crafts and needlework. Many quilts have been completed, as well as smaller items for household use and baby care. Some of the lovely finished products are given to appropriate charities and others may be sold to raise funds. The group meets once a month, except in summer, and some of the ladies do sewing projects at home. In the summer they joined the group at Redeemer Lutheran Church to work on sewing. A useful and pleasant way to share time and talent.

Velma Nelson tells about the time Pastor Wedig told the Guild Executive Board meeting that he had discovered the recently hired janitor hosing down the chapel floor! She said he didn’t have the job very long after that.

The bulletin for February 6, 1955 states: “An order has been placed for a Kilgen Pipe Organ. The organ is so designed that it may later be placed into a larger church as one unit of a larger organ. The cost to us will be $4,505.00.” The pipe organ was first used for services on Easter, April 10, 1955, and was dedicated on April 24. Rev. E. J. Friedrich was speaker and Ben Bunjes was organist for the service and for a concert following the dedication.

In May of 1955 twenty pews were received from Redeemer Lutheran Church. They were refinished and each family in the congregation was asked to give $6 to cover this expense.

The Men’s Club was formed on February 10, 1956 and met for about six years. It was revived in 1966, but only continued for a short time. A number of years later a few prayer breakfast meetings were held.

The education of the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord was a deep concern and prayerful consideration was given to the need for a school. This concern was met when the Wheat Ridge Lutheran Christian Day School was opened on September 4, 1956 with Harold Ehlers as principal that first year. Donald Schmidt was called to be principal of our school in spring of 1957 and installed on the 16^th of June that year and a welcome reception was given in his honor. Grade 7 was added in 1964 and 8 in 1965, but this change was of short duration. A student teacher, John Johnson, decided one lovely fall day to go out to the irrigation ditch and pick some colorful leaves for classroom decorations, and it wasn’t long before his skin was as red as the poison ivy leaves he’d picked!

The teacherage at 8705 West 35^th Avenue was also built by members of the congregation. Building materials and supplies were purchased by Ralph Besel — officers of the congregation signed a note payable to him in the amount of $3,321 which was paid in full in April of 1960.  A balance sheet for 1960 shows the total cost of this house at $16,572.35. The Schmidts moved in in October 1957 and held an open house for the congregation on December 29, 1957.

A Parent-Teacher League was organized in 1956 to assist in the maintenance and promotion of the education program. Projects undertaken were: starting a school library, including records, purchasing a record player and the “Jitney” supper. This became an annual fund-raising event to help the school purchase educational aids and playground equipment and to supplement the bus fund. Over the years there were other projects to raise funds for the school.

In 1956 the Voters’ Assembly proposed a church paper, naming it The Herald. The first issue was in August, 1956, and it was published into 1965. Beginning in January of 1994 the church newsletter is once again called The Herald.

Two Sunday morning services were held for the first time on June 23, 1957. However, the voters decided in 1958 “to initiate permanent double Sunday morning services at such a time as our average attendance over a period of three months is 260 persons”, so the change in 1957 may have been temporary. It appears that two Sunday morning services continued until the summer months of 1992 and 1993, when only one service, at 9:30 AM, was held each Sunday, and two services during the winter months. This now seems to be the usual schedule, though it is given consideration again each year.

Eileen Skaggs’ death in 1958 was the first for a member of the congregation. She was 22 years old when she died, and the chimes fund was started as her memorial.

Saturday School began in January of 1963 for 5^th and 6^th graders who did not attend our Christian Day School and probably continued for only a few years before the afternoon or evening confirmation and instruction classes were instituted.

In 1963, three choirs were active: Senior Choir comprised of adults high school age and older; Junior Choir with 7^th and 8^th graders; and the Chancel Choir which was made up of 3rd through 6th grade students of the school.

The youth of the congregation first met to organize the Walther League on Sunday, April 4, 1954. In 1963 there were two categories of the League at Wheat Ridge, “Senior” and “Junior.” The name of the group was officially changed to Wheat Ridge Lutheran Youth Fellowship in 1970, and more recently has been referred to simply as Youth and Young Adults.

Ladies of the congregation who were interested in forming an organization for the care of the altar first met on the 29th of September 1964. This was the beginning of the Altar Guild functioning separately from the Ladies Guild. The group may have used the name “Dorcas Circle” in those early years, as a March 1966 bulletin announces a Dorcas Circle meeting and encourages “all ladies who would like to help care for the altar and chancel” to come.

In January of 1965 Pastor Wedig received a call from Grace Lutheran Church at Pittsburg, California, which he accepted.

Later that year our congregation was blessed when John D. Rolf accepted our call and was installed as our Pastor on the 15^th of August. The installation service was conducted by Pastor Frederich Worthmann, Rev. Warren Wille delivered the sermon and Prof. Theo. Lams was the organist. The Senior Choir sang A Faithful Shepherd Is My Lord. A “get-acquainted” fellowship was held following the service, with a pantry shower for Pastor Rolf and his family.

The sign at 38^th Avenue was originally erected by Al Andreen in 1966 with Gus Koeltzow assisting in laying the bricks. Mr. Andreen donated the blocks and mortar and Lakewood Brick Company donated the bricks. In 1997 the sign was replaced and improved lighting installed for better visibility. The old sign was then moved by the driveway to the south parking lot on Dudley.

A vesper service was held in the evening on June 5, 1966 to celebrate the completion of the first ten years of the Christian Day School and to make presentation of awards and diplomas to eighth grade graduates. The speaker was Mr. Gus Wesch. All were invited to a reception following the service.

Trinity Lutheran Church held a special service of thanksgiving on the 31^st of July, 1966 to celebrate Rev. Frederich Worthmann’s 50 years in the holy ministry. Pastor Worthmann was Vacancy Pastor in our Wheat Ridge church from February 1965 until Pastor Rolf was installed on the 15^th of August of that year.

In April of 1969 the Voters decided to build on to the south end of the educational wing in order to add a large classroom, a smaller office and some additional space for the kitchen. Members of the building committee were Ralph Besel, L. Lesser, Walt Nelson and Dean Wolzen. The addition measured approximately 26′ by 36′ and a report to the Voters in October stated “$2,249.00 received, $4,000.00 needed to complete.”

The semi-annual congregational meeting in October of 1971 was held on the evening of the 16^th at Bernard’s Restaurant in Arvada in order to celebrate the retirement of our church debt to the Colorado District. The minutes show that a roast beef dinner was served for $3.75 per person, followed by the regular order of business and concluded with singing by the Witnesses Quartet (Bob Ervin, Hayden Ireland and Don and Louise Schmidt).

At the Voters’ Assembly meeting on January 12, 1975 the difficult decision was made to discontinue the Christian Day School at the end of the 1974-1975 school year. In its nineteen years the school enjoyed many dedicated teachers: Donald E. Schmidt (18 years), Harold Ehlers, Margaret Besel, Becky Rule, Myrtle Lingle, Maxine Fuerniss, Erna Zoch, Rosalyn Dunklau, Mrs. Miskimen, Elna Hoeneman, Muriel Nees, Karen Schroeder, Mrs. Robert Junge (speech specialist for one year), Mrs. Gifford, Miss Schnakenberg, Mrs. Robinson, Sandra Fink, Jeannine Mauch, Kay Reder, Jean (Harrington) Kirby, Kay Moeller, Willene Esa, Marie Martin, Margaret Nelson, Anita Baresel, and Donita Hughes. (Substitute teachers and student teachers are not included in this list and we hope no others have been omitted.) The final closing service of Wheat Ridge Lutheran School was held on June 3, 1975. Mr. Schmidt accepted a call as principal and teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School, Harlingen, Texas.

In 1976 we sponsored our first refugees, Paj Houa, Chee and Kay Yang. Later we sponsored Chee’s parents and his sister, Ying, and their two cousins, Lue and Choua Pao Vang and their families.

A great deal of study and work went into the writing of a new constitution which was adopted on March 30, 1980, and at that time the official name of the church became Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church. This constitution states that the administration of congregational affairs is solely by its voting membership, which delegates the daily administration of affairs to the Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, Treasurer, Directors of the Administrative Boards and the Pastor, all of whom comprise the Parish Planning Council. The Administrative Boards at that time were: Lay Ministry, Evangelism, Christian Education, Young People’s Work, Stewardship, Church Properties, Parish Fellowship and Public Relations. The most recent listing of official boards amends the name “Young People’s Work” to “Youth and Young Adult Ministry”, and adds “Social Ministry” and “Endowment Fund”.

On July 27, 1980 the congregation joined with Pastor and Mrs. Rolf in a joyful celebration of their 25^th wedding anniversary, his 25 years in the ministry and 15 years with the Wheat Ridge Church. Pastor Ralph Phipps, President of the Colorado District, spoke at the morning services and a reception to honor Pastor Rolf was held in the afternoon.

In the services on September 7, 1980, a special prayer was offered in behalf of Pastor Karl Evers who was celebrating the 50th Anniversary of his Ordination on September 8, 1930. He and his wife, Aletha, were members of our church at that time.

In the Voters Meeting of February 15, 1981 it was resolved to authorize our corporate officers to sell lots 18, 19 and 20 and the undeveloped tract to the east of these lots to the Lutheran Medical Center. This would leave only lot 17 remaining south of the irrigation ditch, which is the present south “overflow” parking area.

The officers also were authorized to negotiate a loan in the amount of $l00,000.00, and “to enter into a contract for the construction of the improvements . . . for a total contract price of $360,000.00.”

The amount realized from the sale of land was $186,250.00 which, together with a savings account of approximately $130,000.00, the $100,000.00 loan and pledges and contributions made to the building fund, was sufficient to cover the $435,000.00 approximate total cost of the new building, including fixtures, pews, carpet, storage shed and remodeling needed to modify the existing plant to blend with the new addition. When the Voters met in April, 1982, they learned that $28,000.00 of the loan had not been used and voted to apply it toward drilling a new well (the old well having been vandalized) and paving the south parking lot.

Ground was broken for the new sanctuary on March 8, 1981. The architect was Kenneth C. Maetzold and the contractor J. G. Tamminga Construction Company. The construction was under the direction of our Executive Director, Louis Broscheit, while the Board of Church Properties, Bruce Walters, Chairman, Richard Castleman and Don Schmidt, acted as the Building Committee.

As the project began, the original chapel, which had once been a chicken coop, was torn down. Construction of the new addition was slowed due to a carpenters’ strike, but nevertheless, the building was ready for the first service on Thanksgiving Day, 1981.

The congregation met in the old chapel and moved into the new sanctuary while singing the processional hymn.

The new sanctuary was dedicated on January 3, 1982, with Pastor Rolf speaking at the first service and Pastor Ralph Phipps speaking at the second service. The Wheat Ridge church choir and the Witnesses quartet sang for both services. In the afternoon the congregation hosted an open house with an informal organ concert. It was an inspiring day as we all offered our thanks to God for our glorious new church!

By the first of December 1981, donations had been received to purchase 150 of the new Lutheran Worship hymnals. The books arrived at the church in January 1982 and in each service time was allotted for studying and practicing Divine Service II, First Setting. The new liturgy was first used on Palm Sunday that year.

Ruth C. Nieweg died on the 6th of March in 1982, leaving a considerable legacy to the Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church, not only a financial benefit, but a challenge to be worthy stewards. At the meeting on April 25, 1982, Pastor Rolf reminded the voters of the opportunity presented to our congregation to practice Christian Stewardship in our management of the resources entrusted to us.

After much careful and prayerful study, a plan was presented to the Voters at the November, 1982 meeting and resolutions were adopted as follows:

• That the Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church borrow up to $100,000.00 from the Nieweg Trust Fund and pay off the full amount of the loan held with Aid Association for Lutherans; the Trust Fund loan to be repaid in monthly installments. 
• That the Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church Endowment Fund be established, and that the proceeds received to that date from the Ruth C. Nieweg Will be transferred to the Fund. The Endowment Fund to be administered by three elected Trustees in addition to the Pastor and a representative from the Board of Christian Stewardship.

Late in 1982 the old purple choir robes were donated to Peace With Christ Lutheran Church, a mission church in Aurora, Colorado. In September of that year the members of the choir staged a dinner/melodrama to raise funds so they could purchase new robes which would complement the decor of the new sanctuary.

A renovation of the Kilgen pipe organ, including the addition of some new pipes and other up-dating and repair, was undertaken in 1983. The work was done by the Ivan P. Morel Company at a cost of $22,855.00, which was covered by the Organ Fund and the Nieweg Trust Fund. The work was completed in May of 1984. An organ rededication and 30th anniversary service was held on Sunday, June 17, 1984, with one service at 10:30 AM.

A special service of praise and thanksgiving was held on the 16^th of June 1985 in honor of Pastor Rolf’s 30 years in the ministry and 20 years serving Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church. The liturgist was Patrick Ferry and Rev. Ralph Phipps, President of the Rocky Mountain District, delivered the sermon. A potluck meal was part of the celebration and the members of the congregation offered their thanks to Pastor Rolf by presenting a monetary gift to be used for a trip to Germany, which was something he had expressed a hope to do someday. It was in the fall of 1987 that he made the trip, traveling with Rev. Robert Biel.

Mrs. Kerin Erickson was installed as an Intern Director of Christian Education on July 28 1985, and a reception and food shower were given in her honor. She began work on the first of August and was with us for nearly a year.

In 1985 a new plan of Vacation Bible School was instituted, called, appropriately, “Wednesday Nights in August”. The format was a light supper at 6:00 p.m. each Wednesday in August, followed by Bible Study and classes for all age levels, with all coming together in the Sanctuary for a brief closing service. The meal was prepared and provided by various groups within the Church and their members. This plan was well received and continued through 1993.

On the 10th of August in 1986, the class confirmed in 1966 held a reunion potluck dinner after the second service. The gathering was well attended and enjoyed by all.

In 1986 a “Young Adult” group (40 and under) began to meet in addition to the Youth Fellowship (WRLYF). Both of these groups functioned under the auspices of the Board of Young People’s Work.

Patrick Ferry joined our congregation in June 1987 as a part-time staff assistant and a welcome reception was given to honor him and his wife on the 14^th of June. In November of that year the Voters’ Assembly extended a divine call to him to serve as our part-time Assistant Pastor, which he accepted. On March 20, 1988 an ordination and installation service was held at 3:00 PM with a reception following. He served our congregation until the summer of 1989, when he accepted a call as Campus Pastor at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

In the summer of 1987 some remodeling of the west side of the original church/educational building was undertaken, including the installation of hand carved walnut doors which were designed by Del Klaustermeier and executed by Rev. Darold Boettcher, an instructor at Lutheran High School, Denver. On the 10th of January, 1988, the doors were dedicated to the memory of Helen Rolf who was called Home in June 1986. A few years later Pastor Rolf made a gift to the church of a beautifully appointed large creche, which was made in Italy, as a memorial to Helen.

A computer system was purchased and installed in the secretary’s office in 1987, and an additional terminal was installed in the pastor’s office in May, 1990. The Voters Assembly on April 26 of that year authorized use of funds received from the Endowment Fund for this purpose. Additional upgrades and new equipment have been added as the technology expands.

In January 1989 a donation was received to be used to assist people who come to the church in need of assistance for necessities such as food, lodging and so forth. A fund was set up for this purpose, called the “Matthew 25 Fund,” to be administered by the Pastor. Through the years other donations have been added and funds designated for this purpose, and many people have been helped.

An electronic piano was purchased and installed in the choir loft area in the spring of 1990.

Pastor James Groerich, who had been pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church for a number of years, first began to serve as a part-time Ministry Assistant at Wheat Ridge on June 3, 1990, filling in as needed by preaching, assisting, teaching classes and so on. A 1995 report states that he was preaching about once a month, assisting once a month, teaching Life Light classes, attending conferences and making homebound communion visits. His help has been a blessing to our Church.

On April 29, 1990, the Voters’ Assembly approved an extensive remodeling of the kitchen area, including new cabinets and appliances. The kitchen was enlarged by including the adjoining hallway on the west side and a new corridor was added on the east side of the building to allow access to the kitchen and bathrooms, greatly improving these areas. The records show a total disbursement of $31,565.85 for this project. Work was begun in June and was essentially complete by fall of 1990.

Pastor Rolf married Teressa Palizzi in the spring of 1992 and retired as Pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church at the end of May that year. His last service and farewell were on May 31.

A service of praise and thanksgiving to God was held on the 7th of June, 1992, to honor and thank Pastor Rolf for his 27 years — a faithful shepherd and a Pastor beloved by the entire congregation. The Rev. Dr. Ralph Phipps delivered the sermon, with Rev. James Groerich, Rev. Patrick Ferry and Rev. Warren Graff participating in the service. The organist was Valetha Steinberg and the choir offered A Faithful Shepherd Is My Lord. A congregational dinner and “roast” were held that evening in his honor at a restaurant nearby. A number of Pastor Rolf’s fellow clergymen spoke (with tongue in check) of his talents and accomplishments; the admiration and affection, however, were very sincere. The Witnesses (now with Hal Gloystein singing bass) sang four notes of his favorite hymn, Isaiah, Mighty Seer, which led into a light-hearted song of farewell and they closed the evening with God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again.

Pastor Groerich became our Vacancy Pastor, serving us for nearly a year before a call was accepted. We joined him in rejoicing when Rev. James D. Knapp sent his acceptance. A Service of Installation was held on April 18, 1993, the Second Sunday of Easter, at 3 PM, led by Pastor Groerich with special guests, Rev. Roger Krause, President of the Rocky Mountain District LCMS, and Rev. John Koczman, Circuit Counselor. It was a very impressive event, with many ministers from the area in attendance. Following the service a reception was held to honor and welcome the Knapp family.

In 1994 extensive roof repair was undertaken, along with painting of the interior and exterior of the church for a total estimated cost of $74,005.

1994 – our 40th Anniversary Year! Festivities were planned under the chairmanship of Valetha Steinberg. Invitations, designed by Debbie Knapp, were hand painted to depict a white dove (Shirley Cleveland instructed the members who did the actual painting) and were mailed to charter members and current members of the church, and to speakers and special guests. A catered barbecue picnic was planned for Saturday, July 16, at 4 PM. There were two services on Sunday, the 17^th – at the 10:30 service communion was celebrated. After the noon luncheon Rev. Wally Schultz spoke at the 2:00 service, with a reception following.

In February of 1995 an “Open House” was planned by the church for the purpose of community outreach. It was held on the evenings of February 12 (Sunday) through 15. The speakers were: Sunday – Pastor Petersen, Monday – Dr. Krauss, Tuesday – Pastor VanDerworth, Wednesday – Dr. Dean Saleska. It was later reported that the four meetings averaged attendance of 80 per night, of which 25 were guests.

In 1995 we lost a valuable asset. Judy Kugler, who became our church secretary in September 1980, retired at the end of June, and a reception in her honor was held in May. At the Voters’ Assembly on April 30, 1995 it was decided to offer Karen Knapp the church secretary position, and she graciously accepted.

In the summer of 1996 seventeen members of our congregation participated in the Habitat for Humanity building project in Thornton. The site was rain soaked, but the workers were not deterred. Some of the volunteers devoted their time to provide lunch for all. Unfortunately, the work day ended after lunch due to the rain.

In the fall of 1996 we received a wooden cupboard, designed to be used to dispense congregational mail, from Mount Olive Lutheran Church. It was placed on the west wall of the narthex. Each household has been assigned a section for their mail and it seems to be working efficiently.

In the Parish Planning Council meeting on October 7, 1996 the idea of opening a day care facility, using the Church’s school rooms, was first broached. There was a Voters’ Assembly on February 16, 1997 to “discuss and approve the opening of a day care/preschool at Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church”. The proposal was to offer childcare, preschool or nursery services for children between 2 ½ and 5 years of age. Estimates of income and expenses were given, including the Endowment Fund’s designated $15,000 for Early Childhood startup and staffing, and an estimated $23,600 in renovation costs to bring the building up to code. The proposal was unanimously approved. In May of that year the committee reported that they had chosen the name “Kids of the Kingdom”.

A 21 passenger bus was purchased in December 1996 for an initial cost of $4,714.95. The church’s name on the sides offers identification, and it has proved useful many times, as anticipated.

The 150^th Anniversary of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod in 1997 was observed with a display in our Church of the Rocky Mountain District. The display was then shown at the Rocky Mountain District Convention.

In the Voters Assembly on April 20, 1997, a proposal by the Board of Lay Ministry was adopted “that the Early Childhood Committee formally operate under the care and guidance of the Board of Lay Ministry”. Nancy Lovercheck was called to be the Childcare Director, with her installation on June 1, followed by a congregational brunch reception. Dedication of the “Kids of the Kingdom” was on August 17, 1997, with opening day August 25. A starting enrollment of 13 was reported, and an enrollment of 30 at year end.

A newsletter in early 1997 reports a total baptized membership of 398, with average Sunday attendance of 140, and 38 Bible class students each week.

The choir had brightly colored and beautifully trimmed new robes to wear for the Easter Service in April 1999. A number of donations, gifts and fund raisers made the new robes possible.

In 1999, our Childcare Director, Nancy Lovercheck took a job elsewhere, and a farewell reception was held for her on June 27. A call was extended to Daria Mann to be our Early Childhood Director — she accepted the call to begin July 12, 1999 and an installation reception and welcome was held on the 18^th of July. The Kids of the Kingdom have been fortunate to obtain dedicated teachers beginning with Nancy Lovercheck, and then Christa Wehling Doyle, Daria Mann, Terri Hessner and Carol Walters.

Herbert and Helgard Sepper donated a property in El Paso, Texas to the church in 1999. Their hope was that the property might be useful to the Ysleta Mission. For a number of years our Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church has given strong support to the Ysleta Mission in El Paso, both through financial assistance from the Endowment Fund, and various donations of clothing and food items.

A Special Voters Meeting was called for February 6, 2000 regarding the Kids of the Kingdom Preschool and Daycare. A proposal was approved as follows:

• The Board of Kids of the Kingdom requests voter approval to change the operation of the program from a childcare and preschool education format to a preschool only educational format.

At about this time a “21st Century Committee” was formed to recognize the start of the new century and plan for the future, setting goals for the Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church to strive for within the next ten years.

On the 3rd of June, 2001 an Open House reception was held to honor Pastor Groerich and celebrate the 50^th anniversary of his Ordination into the Ministry of the Lord. Rev. Roger Krause was guest preacher at the morning service.

In November of 2001 Pastor and Karen Knapp hosted Open House nights at their home to encourage members to meet and become better acquainted with their elder from the Board of Lay Ministry. All who attended were treated to a very pleasant evening and delicious refreshments.

Late in 2002 the room nearest the main entrance became the new library. Book shelves were installed, a beautiful new table was donated by Robert and Mable Sprengel, boardroom chairs were given by Janis Brunken, and a number of other donations made the room not only complete, but very attractive. A great deal of work and organization was supplied by Cathy Bell.

The January 2003 Herald reports that our church has “entered the cyber age with our own fully functional web site – www.wrlutheran.org.” We pray that this will prove to be an opportunity to enhance our service to God and glorify Him.

A special service was held at 10 AM on Sunday May 18, 2003 to celebrate Pastor Knapp’s ten years as shepherd of our congregation and to show our appreciation for his faithful service. The guest preacher for the service was Rev. John Larson, Counselor of the Northwest Circuit; Rev. Groerich was the liturgist, and members of the Board of Lay Ministry, Mark Beazley, Joel Broscheit, Bill Hayward and Bruce Walters, read the scripture lessons. Valetha Steinberg was the organist and choir director, Marilyn Cheterbok sang Lord of the Church, We Humbly Pray and the choir offered Our God. A celebration luncheon was served by the members of the LWML, with entertainment following by the Matthew Sisters and the children’s bell choir. Gifts were presented to Pastor Knapp to complete an appropriate tribute to a well-loved Pastor.

Over the years we have benefited from the guidance and wisdom of guest speakers and ministers who filled in for one or more services when our regular pastor was not available. Among these were: Vicar Carl Reiter, Vicar Herbert Graf, Dr. Friedrich, Vicar Carl Anton, Rev. Bruce Rippe, Rev. Al Schuetz, Rev. Robert Biel, Rev. Leland Hoyer, Rev. Arnold Griesse, Rev. G. P. Huebner, Rev. Edwin Borchert, Rev. Wm. Naatz, Vicar Mike Hiller, Vicar Steve Dreher, Rev. Arnold Ahlman, Rev. G. W. Pollack, Rev. Karl Evers, Rev. Ronald Schutt, Rev. Douglas Escue, Rev. Edwin Blumenkamp, Rev. Lance Steike, Rev. Reed Lessing, Rev. Lloyd Warneke, Rev. James Hallmann, Rev. Clausson, Rev. Louis Santana, Rev. Dennis Bauer, Rev. Roger Krause, Rev. Charles Keogh and Rev. Karl Heimer.

Many opportunities for Bible Study have been offered to us through the years, including these special series courses: Bethel Series, CrossWays!, Divine Drama and LifeLight.

To find the names of all of the officers of the congregation through the years might be an impossible task, however the following names may be a complete list of all of the Presidents and Executive Directors:

In the 1950s:

Ralph Besel, William Hinz and Theodore Eaker

In the 1960s:

Dick Binder, Al Diedrichs, Ralph Besel, Harold Rust and Al Hahn

In the 1970s:

Robert Ervin, Al Hahn, Ed Prenzlow and Dale Roberts

In the 1980s:

Louis Broscheit, John Lindeman, Robert Ervin and Marvin Polzin

In the 1990s:

Marvin Polzin, Bruce Walters, Brent Nelson and Joe Broscheit

In the first decade of the 21st Century:

Brian DeLaet

We have offered songs of worship and praise accompanied by a number of dedicated organists: Margaret Besel, Clara Kirk, Maxine Fuerniss, Erna Zoch, Valetha Steinberg, Hal Gloystein and Kaye Cairns; also Barbara Morthole, Shirley Schreiner, Lucille Fredericksen and Carol Walters have at times filled in or accompanied singers. Prof. Lamms played for a special observance of Bach’s 300th birthday in March of 1985. Singing by the choir has often enhanced the services, led by a number of able directors: Clifford Hast, Verona Bock, Jerry Dancer, Erna Zoch, Margaret Johnson, Donita Hughes, Doris Wilaby, Clara Kirk, Gerry Prenzlow (ladies group), Ruth Marquardt, Ava Ireland, Valetha Steinberg, Kim Malwitz, Karen Johnston, Kaye Cairns, and currently under the direction of Val Steinberg once again. In recent years we have enjoyed music by soloists, duets and various groups, such as the Matthew Sisters, comprised of various combinations of the following singers: Eady Broscheit, Nancy Lovercheck, Amy Weaver, Carol Ulrich, Norma Rodney, Pamela Priem, Maki DeLaet, Lora Davidek and Daria Mann. A number of these have also offered solos in our services, as has Marilyn Cheterbok, Sue Hinz, Jack Schreiner, Jackie Paulson and others.

In reading through minutes, reports, statements and newsletters to update this history, I see so many instances of unselfish giving by members of our Church — giving not only of funds, but also time, property and talent — our Church is truly blessed! Again we pray with the 1956 Year Book author: “Thank you, Lord, for using us. Continue to keep us faithful and use us even more.” Amen.

Members of the 50th Anniversary Committee
Brian DeLaet (chair)
Pastor James Knapp
Judy Kugler
Kaye Cairns
Ralph Besel
Margaret Besel
Walt Nelson
Velma Nelson
Valetha Steinberg
Juliene Hendricks
Martha Broscheit
Ava Patton
Louise Schmidt
Ruth Kersell

50^th Anniversary Logo
designed by Maki DeLaet