1940 Through 1949

(These accounts of Unity's past come from the parish archives and have been assembled by Carolyn Altepeter.)

Unity was about to enter a growth spurt. What began as a mission, grew in membership numbers as the Village of Bel-Nor grew. By January 1940 Unity's Sunday school attendance had grown to 130. With much prayerful optimism a Building Committee and Building Fund were established to consider plans for a future, larger church building.

Opportunities for fellowship activities increased. The first of Mother/Daughter Banquets was held in April 1940; Father/Daughter Banquets began in March 1941. The first of many church picnics was held May 26, 1940 on the church grounds. There were games, contests and prizes for Sunday school children, with free drinks, and each child received three tickets, each worth 5 cents, for the various booths. The ladies served a cafeteria supper at the end of the day.

With so many children in Sunday school, Pastor Delventhal felt confident that he could organize a successful junior choir. Fifteen boys and girls attended the first Thursday afternoon rehearsal in April 1940.

In August of 1940 Unity mourned the loss of its first communicant through death -- Doris Schorr. Since Ms. Schorr was one of Unity's first worship service pianist, it was decided to establish the Doris Schorr Memorial Organ Fund.

The apple butter cooking tradition began in September 1940. The ladies would peel apples all day on Thursday, with cooking in big kettles on the church lawn on Friday. There was an appeal for as many ladies as possible to help. The ladies charged $1.25 for a gallon of apple butter. There is no record of how many gallons were sold this first year, but in 1943 they sold 198 gallons for a profit of $216.98. Such a sale in 1943 is amazing considering these were war years and sugar was rationed.

On December 9, 1941 Unity's board meeting was recessed at 9:00 p.m. to allow the board members to go home to hear President Roosevelt's speech to the nation following Pearl Harbor. Now that the nation was at war, Unity's Sunday bulletins listed Unity's young men who were headed for various war fronts. The ladies waiting at home organized to do their share to help the young soldiers. Cookies were baked for the soldiers visiting the Lutheran Service Center in St. Louis; there was an appeal for sewing machines for the Red Cross sewing unit at Unity; there was an organized letter writing to military members, with names exchanged every two weeks. And finally special Thanksgiving services with gratefulness to God for the end of the war with V-E Day and V-J Day services.

Printed in the December 6, 1942 worship bulletin, the following was referred to as "God's Wondrous Ways":

"Roy Rickmann, while on the high seas, had the 'misfortune' of becoming ill, and sent to a hospital. He was operated on for appendicitis, and while recuperating, he learned that two days after he was taken off the ship, the ship was torpedoed and sunk with only a few men saved. Remember our men in your prayers regularly."

Back at Bel-Nor, Unity purchased its first parsonage for Pastor Delventhal's family at 8218 Natural Bridge Road in March 1942; the Lutheran Association for Higher Education was organized in February 1945; in April Unity congregation decided to allow the pastor a $10 a month car allowance and a $15 a month increase in salary; in July a sketch of the proposed new church was displayed.

In 1946, with the end of the war, there were appeals to send food and clothing to the stricken people in Europe and the adoption of a war orphan. As usual, Unity responded to these appeals with great support.

The dedication for the first Lutheran High School in St. Louis was held August 25, 1946 with classes starting in September 1946 in the property formerly known as Mary Institute, at Lake and Waterman Avenues.

At Unity a new church building committee was organized in February 1947; adult bible classes met for the first time in February 1947; at the June Voters' Meeting it was decided to buy a power mower by private subscription; in December the American Legion members began collecting funds at the door to bring Christmas cheer to veterans in hospitals.

Fund-raisers were held in 1948 for the new church building fund -- teas, fashion shows, organ recitals and luncheons. Members couldn't decide whether to built the new sanctuary of brick or stone. Brick won at the first meeting on March 16, 1948 but the vote was deemed invalid because of a bylaw stating, "All matters must be passed by a majority vote of those present." At the second meeting on March 30, stone won.

In the planning for a new structure, various organs were considered for purchase. A Wurlitzer organ was demonstrated on Palm Sunday and Good Friday services in 1948, and a Baldwin Electric was used on Easter Sunday. The Wurlitzer was purchased and dedicated as the Doris Schorr Memorial Organ on May 9, in readiness for its soon-to-be new home.

The bulletin dated August 22, 1948 states that Pastor Delventhal received a call from Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sweet Springs, Missouri. He was granted a peaceful release after seventeen years at Unity. On Sunday, September 5, at 10:30 a.m., with Pastor Delventhal officiating, ground was broken for the new church. In the middle of intricate planning for the new church, Unity now had to organize a call committee. Rev. Alvin C. Mack, from Mt. Calvary in Minneapolis, accepted our call and was installed as Unity's second pastor on February 6, 1949. Pastor Mack was no stranger to Unity having served Unity in 1938 as a Concordia Seminary student.

The real estate office had served faithfully as our worship space until October 30, 1949, when Unity held its last worship service in the little wooden building. The new stone sanctuary and office wing were dedicated November 6, 1949 among great celebration with two services (3:30 and 8:30 p.m.) with dinner served between services in the church auditorium.

This series continues next month.