BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH Lebanon, Oregon 1911-2001
The seed for what was to become Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Lebanon, Oregon, was sown with the arrival of Mathias and Barbara Gogl and their family.
In May of 1909, the Gogl’s arrived in Portland from Wisconsin. The family’s second night in Oregon was spent with a Lutheran pastor, Reverend Flatmann , at Aurora, Oregon.
From there, they proceeded to Lebanon and a home east of town. Mrs. Gogl, being a Christian mother wishing her family to be members of our Lord’s family as well, persuaded Pastor Flatmann to come to Lebanon to conduct services. These early Lutheran gatherings were held at the Salt Lake School on Lacomb Road.
After some months, the local banker and other businessmen, hearing that Mr. Gogl was a skilled shoemaker, persuaded him to move his family into town and opened a shoe repair shop which was to flourish for many years. The Gogl family continued to be a vital and faithful part of the Bethlehem congregation for many years. A grandson, Reverend (Lt. Colonel) G. Leon Gogl, (now retired) served in the U. S. Army Chaplain Corps through the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). Mrs. Katherine (Gogl) Richmond, remembered that her music lessons were given on the condition she play the old pump organ at church for Sunday services. In fact, the Sunday hymns were her lessons each week.
The place of worship for the early Lutherans at Lebanon moved from the schoolhouse to the home of Hermann Jaekel on Grove Street and Reverend C. J. Beyerlein, of the already established Immanuel Lutheran of Albany, began to conduct services for the group.
On May 11, 1911 the formal organization of the congregation was accomplished when a constitution was drawn up and signed by: Carl Unke, Sr., Siegfried Wunderlin, Leopold Stolz, John Middlestadt, Charlie (Carl) L. Unke, Jr., Hermann Jaekel, Arnold Jakel (Jaekel) , Wilhelm Hecht, Jacob Miller, and Louis F. Wilfert.
Mr. Glen Wilfert, (now deceased) son of Louis Wilfert, lived in Albany and remembered that, after holding morning services in Albany, Reverend Beyerlein would drive his horse and buggy to the Wilfert house near Spicer Road, stable his horse and come the rest of the way to Lebanon with their family thus saving his horse eight miles of travel.
The first baptism recorded was Dora Marie Wunderlin, daughter of Siegfried and Emma (nee Jakusal) Wunderlin, on December 4, 1910. The first recorded wedding was that of Herman Middlestadt and Emma Spoo, November 4, 1912 (performed at Albany). On April 3, 1912, the first funeral was held for Carl Ludwig Herman Jaekel. The officiating minister of all of these was Reverend C. J. Beyerlein.
At the quarterly meeting in July 1911, the purchase of a suitable house of worship was discussed. Since the old Presbyterian Church on Second Street was available, a committee was appointed to meet with officials of the Presbyterian congregation for possible purchase of that building. With the necessary money loaned by members of Bethlehem congregation, the building was purchased at a cost of $1,400. The Articles of Incorporation for the Evangelical Lutheran Bethlehem Congregation of Lebanon, Oregon were recorded “the 22nd day of January A.D. 1912.”
The Reverend Charles J. Beyerlein, who had served Immanuel Congregation of Albany since 1904, continued to serve Bethlehem at Lebanon as well until 1913. In 1913, aid from the District Mission Board made possible the extension of a call for Lebanon’s own pastor. On April 6, 1913 the Reverend Carl F. W. Schulenberg from the Hood River/Kent OR and Goldendale, W A parishes was installed by Reverend Beyerlein.
The next pastor to serve at Bethlehem congregation was Reverend Oscar A. Schedler of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a 1928 graduate of St. Louis Seminary. He was ordained and installed at Lebanon by Reverend W. F. Georg on September 2, 1928. Pastor Schedler ministered to Bethlehem until accepting a call to Vancouver, B. C. Canada in 1932.
During Pastor Schedler’s ministry, he designed an altar which was built by Mr. Arnold Jaekel in 1930. Pastor Schedler also carved the decorations for the altar. During these times, the young people of the congregation continued to join groups from Albany and Corvallis for activities.
These congregations shared annual outdoor mission festivals with Lebanon’s first Mission Festival being held on August 1914. A December 1930 edition of the Lutheran Witness describes” one of the largest religious gatherings ever held in Lebanon, Oregon (with 500 in attendance), met in the Lebanon Armory on Sunday, November 9, when the congregations of Albany, Corvallis, and Lebanon celebrated their annual Luther Day. ..” The speakers for the two services were Reverend J. Rimbach of Portland and Reverend J . McDavid, missionary of Los Angeles, CA. Reverend O. Schedler conducted the altar servlce.
More to come…