In the beginning

From 1902 to 1927 the Camrose area was served by a number of pastors. The area was sparsely populated and many of the pastors were students from seminary and preached in outlying areas during the summer months. Among the earlier pastors were Rev. V. Gruber, Rev. George Meyer, Rev. H. Tietjen, Rev. H. Boettger and Rev. H. Kuring.

Mrs. Minnie Kubbernuss
at 87 years Mother's Day 1957

Services were held in the Kubbernuss home in Camrose as early as 1902 under Pastor Victor Gruber of Ponoka. Pastor George J. Meyer followed him in 1905. He also resided at Ponoka. Mrs. Kubbernuss' daughter, Esther, married Rev. Henry J. Boettcher, circuit pastor from 1918 to 1921. The parish included Bittern Lake, Ferintosh, Bawlf, Holden, Daysland, Resenroll and Camrose.

John Lucht, vicar at Camrose 1911-1912.

This organ was purchased while at Camrose and took it with him in his "buggy" to the different places he was serving. This picture was taken in 1970 when he was eighty-two years old.

Pastor and Mrs. Lucht play a tune.

Rev. and Mrs. H. Tietjen in their ox-drawn carriage served the Camrose area from 1915 - 1918

I must confess, I am amazed at the dedication and spirit of the early pastors of the church. Imagine travelling for weeks, perhaps months, driving across the prairies in an open wagon, in the hot sun, the wind, the rain, and the snow, every kind of weather imaginable... all the while looking at the south end of a north-bound ox. And here am I, thinking what a hardship it is, to get out of bed on a Sunday morning.

Excerpts from a letter...

I notice you addressed the letter to Rev. Henry Tietjen. Yes. He was my immediate predecessor. For two years, I think. The folks used to talk about his playing the ukulele, and singing. They also talked about his fast horses. I remember him also from Seminary days in St. Louis.

...These were the days when the CPR was anxious to bring in more immigrants. Mostly German Lutheran.

...The Spanish Flu was very bad that first fall. I volunteered to serve as male nurse. In the coal mines up north, numerous people suffered and died. One in child-birth. It was terrible. A Norwegian Lutheran pastor ran such a fever that he went out of his mind. George, later my brother-in-law, and I tried to stay with him and hold him down. But, he died.

...The William Rutz family sent me a letter of sympathy when my wife Esther was taken to her heavenly home. I am enclosing two pictures of my mother in law, Minnie Kubbernuss. She and her family were important individuals in the early history of Grace. She was born, baptized and confirmed in Buffalo, N.Y. Her father attended meetings of Dr. Walther with Rev. Grabau. Grabau was much less democratic in his church Government. He organized the Buffalo Synod. Minnie married John Kubbernuss, a recent arrival from Berlin Germany.

This couple migrated to a homestead at Detroit Lakes Minnesota. Partly because of his large family of boys, they moved to within a mile north of Camrose. John the husband was good to his wife, worked hard building up a dairy delivery system. He got into a bad habit which is best left unmentioned. He treated his customers at the bar. Thus he imbibed too freely, often. I never saw him really drunk. He was very helpful to the young pastors who served Camrose. He built a cottage for the pastor to sleep and where he instructed confirmation class.

Sincerely,
Henry J. Boettcher
May 1972

Confirmation Class of 1924

John Kaser, Albertina Fetzner, Missie Kaser, John Fetzner Pastor H. Kuring (seated)

The Fetzner and Kaser families at the Fetzner homestead Sunday, April 23, 1924

This is the earliest confirmation class picture from Grace Lutheran Church in Camrose. It actually pre-dates the purchase of the church building by 3 years. The Fetzner and Kaser families were instrumental in the founding of Grace Lutheran Church