Oberts and Korabs have been members since 1961!
Shared Memories
Bud and Barb Obert
Marv and Ilene Korab
The Oberts and the Korabs had visited the new mission church called St. Andrew in 1961 and attended services there. Pastor Richard Englund then made a home visit to each of them. This made an impression on both couples, and they joined shortly after.
At the time, St. Andrew had a membership of 64 families, most of whom were young. “Sunday School was full of children everywhere.” There was one church service at 10:00, and Sunday School was held at 9:00. Some classes were held in the small church. Others were taught in the parsonage basement, and others met at John and Ethel Erickson’s home on Newland Street.
Communion was only offered on the first Sunday of each month. Both Barb and Ilene recall that the ladies wore hats and gloves. An item in the bulletin one week state, “We do ask that the ladies receive the elements in the ungloved hand.”
In 1961, the congregation parked along 66th Avenue. There was not a center aisle when entering the Sanctuary, but members came from both sides. The choir loft was centered in the back of the Sanctuary. Bathrooms were located where the Sacristy and Parament rooms are. The kitchen was located in the northwest corner of the building, and Altar Guild and coffee fellowship hour share the space.
As the congregation continued to grow, Bud worked with John Erickson to remove the walls that had enclosed the area for Sunday School classes. After that, the altar was removed, and the free-standing altar that we have now was built. Brothers Buck and Virg Rust did the brick work with Glen Lilja moving the mud and bricks to do the job.
Other major projects followed: building the Education Wing; moving the Pastor’s and secretary’s offices; building a choir loft; replacing the roof on the Sanctuary which involved Marv; working with J.C. Pippin on various projects; remodeling Obert Hall; and drilling the outside well. Remember the red “Well Fund” envelopes?
Special memories includes: Dan Klingens and the family camping group, Mike Pelkey and the blood drives, the Teen Center after school in the 1970s, the Gleaning Project in the early 1990s, and working the Rockies games from 1995 to 2005.
St. Andrew has been the home church for both the Oberts and the Korabs since they joined. It is the center of their religious and spiritual life. “There are a lot of caring people here, and our hope is that the church will thrive in the future.’
By Julie Cunningham
Photo by Joe Cunningham