The Old Church, the New Church, and the Organ

My memory of the old church in Gowrie is rather vague. Externally it resembled a little the usual picture of a New England church structure with a high pointed spire over the front entrance to the building. The altar end of the church was at the far end from the entrance. There was a rather elaborate carved wooden decorative structure at the altar end of the sanctuary. It featured a statue of Christ, sort of as the good shepherd.

When the church was razed before the construction of the new church this was one of the parts that was preserved — I believe it was donated to some other Swedish Lutheran church that had a use for it. The pews from the old church were also kept and used in the balcony of the new church.

Structurally the old church was in rather poor condition. I recall hearing the comment of someone who participated in tearing down the balcony that the supporting structure for the balcony would not have lasted much longer. Maybe the new church prevented a collapse of the balcony with people occupying it.

As a family we typically would sit in the balcony of the old church for Sunday morning services — perhaps it was that my parents, with their brood of young children, found it easier to care for them there. In the new church the family came to use a pew on the left side of the sanctuary, fairly near the back. Mostly habit I think. Generally people would sit in the same general area Sunday after Sunday. I can still see my uncle Carl in his invariable location on the right side of the church, next to the side aisle, close to the front of the church with my grandmother and aunt Esther in the same pew but sitting toward the center of the church. Here as at meals he always kept his gaze averted. Maybe to him it was an attitude of reverence.

I have an indelible memory of Sunday morning services that consists of a warm, sunny somewhat somnolent day in the summertime. The openings at the bottom of the windows along the sides of the sanctuary would be open for circulation and the noises of summertime would come into the church. During the lulling cadence of the preacher giving the sermon, the assembled farmers, resting from a week of vigorous physical activity, would slowly nod and not a few would catch a few winks. A peaceful scene, untouched by many of the present day concerns and government and the world scene that seem so troubling. A simpler time in which the relationship between people and the elemental aspects of providing food directly for themselves and coping with the vagaries of nature was more evident and personal.

I recall the day that the cornerstone for the new church was laid. It was a Sunday, a warm pleasant summer day and the service was held (I suppose) on the newly complete rough flooring for the sanctuary. About the only thing I remember of the proceedings was that an offering toward the cost of the new edifice was received. Doubtless only a small increment toward the cost which at the time was $75,000.

When the church was completed there was still a substantial indebtedness — the figure of $20,000 sticks in my mind. This was paid off with difficulty in the ensuing Depression years. As their contribution to the new building the Ladies Aid took on the cost of the new organ some $10,000. They had paid this off considerably before the debt for the church structure was finally retired. My mother used to comment that the ladies of the church did what they had agreed to do before the men did. The organ was really a superb instrument. I recall at the dedication the individual who supervised the installation played Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in [D]? minor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXoyr_FyFw I’d never heard it before and it attracted me at the time as much as it has on later occasions.

While I am on the subject of the church organ I must note an incident that occurred in the old church. At some Sunday morning service the power went off so the organ wouldn’t operate. Apparently there was an alternate method for operating the bellows — a manual one. My uncle Carl went up to the front of the church, opened and went through a small door to the left side of the organ (the keyboard side faced the congregation) and operated the bellows by hand, permitting the organ music and the service to proceed as scheduled. How he happened to know about this I don’t know. Since my Ruth was the organist he may have been aware of it because of that. Although he never had any position as deacon or trustee in later years, he may have had duties as a trustee at some earlier time and could have know about it from that time.

I’m sure that there are memories about church doing that I have not mentioned. Maybe as I reread what I’ve written they will surface and I’ll write about them.