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Entering the Golden years: St. Mark's to celebrate 50th anniversary throughout 2009
  
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By Kassia Micek
Entering its golden years, St. Mark Lutheran Church shows no signs of slowing down.
With a growing church population, a strong youth membership, a school, a thrift store and an active community spirit, St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 2100 Tickner in Conroe, will celebrate its 50th anniversary throughout 2009. The theme for the year is “God’s Golden Promises; Our Golden Memories.”
“It’s important because in a day when some ventures fail, this one has survived the test of time and has provided help and assistance for the citizens of the community,” said the Rev. Herbert Graf, who served as pastor from 1977-94 and is in charge of the anniversary celebration.
Members will kick off the celebrations at 11 a.m. Saturday with lunch at McKenzie’s Barbecue, located at 1501 N. Frazier in Conroe, with former pastor the Rev. Alvin Lange. At 10 a.m. Sunday, Lange will preach at the first special service commemorating the church’s anniversary. An 11:15 a.m. potluck dinner will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
The first 500 people to attend Sunday will receive a ballpoint pen advertising the 50th anniversary.
What started with 24 charter members has grown to nearly 650 members today, Graf said.
“We had a number of Lutheran people here and no other Lutheran church,” Graf said about the church’s beginning.
Charter member Lucille Lehmann remembers when her family moved to Conroe in 1951, she and her daughter would have to drive to the closest Lutheran church in Tomball for Sunday services.
“It’s real exciting because when we started we met in several places,” she said. “We would go door to door handing out flyers that we were coming out. We just ventured into it. … It has really come to life.”
On Jan. 12, 1959, eight Lutheran families, the Rev. Ronald Reinhardt and Missions Director A. O. Rast meet in Conroe City Hall. The first worship service was Jan. 25, 1959 at Jay-Cee’s Hut in Candy Cane Park, where the congregation met until it purchased in July 1959 five acres at the current site, which included a three-bedroom house. Services were held in the garage of the house.
By Nov. 1, 1959, the congregation officially organized with its charter members: Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Blase, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Davison, Mr. O. B. Hilbig, Mr. Robert Hueske, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hurley, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lehmann, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Long, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Molk and Mrs. S. R. Pool.
The first church building, dedicated July 1, 1962, is now the Fellowship Hall. The Education Unit was dedicated June 5, 1966.
By Oct. 23, 1977, the present church building was dedicated and on Oct. 28, 1984 the church’s 25th anniversary was celebrated.
“I felt it would continue on,” Graf said. “I had confidence there was enough interest in the hearts of the people the church would progress.”
St. Mark’s now offers a food pantry, quilts for world relief, a thrift store and a school that serves grades pre-kindergarten through fourth, and plans to build a multi-purpose building on one acre the church purchased nearly 10 years ago, said Don Beutow, current church president and a church member since 1981.
“You always have good thoughts that it will continue,” he said about the church’s growth. “The good Lord has blessed us. … This is a real milestone.”
Celebrations for the 50th anniversary will continue throughout 2009 on the following dates: Sunday, April 26, July 12 and Nov. 1.
To learn more about St. Mark’s, call (936) 756-6335 or visit stmarkconroe.org.
What’s next
St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 2100 Tickner in Conroe, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with events throughout 2009.
• Saturday, 11 a.m.: lunch with the Rev. Alvin Lange at McKenzie’s Barbecue, located at 1501 N. Frazier in Conroe
• Sunday, 10 a.m.: service commemorating the first church service
• April 26: service commemorating joining the Missouri Synod
• July 12: service commemorating the construction of the first church building
• Nov. 1: service commemorating the dedication of the current church building
For more information, call (936) 756-6335 or visit stmarkconroe.org.
More info
St. Mark Lutheran Church pastor timeline
1959-61: the Rev. Ronald Reinhardt
1961-62: the Rev. Donald Heiderich
1963-67: the Rev. Alvin Lange
1967-77: the Rev. William Luecke
1977-94: the Rev. Herbert Graf
1994-present: the Rev. David Quail
2000-present: the Rev. George Borghardt (associate pastor)
Timeline
• Jan. 12, 1959: eight Lutheran families, pastor, missions director meet at City Hall
• Jan. 25, 1959: first worship service
• July 1959: purchased five-acre church site
• July 19, 1959: services moved to garage of current thrift store
• Sept. 6, 1959: congregation named St. Mark
• Nov. 1, 1959: officially organized with charter members
• July 1, 1962: dedication of first church, now the Fellowship Hall
• June 5, 1966: education unit dedicated
• Jan. 9, 1977: ground broken for present church construction
• Oct. 23, 1977: present church dedicated
• Oct. 28, 1984: 25th anniversary celebration
Charter members
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Blase, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Davison, Mr. O. B. Hilbig, Mr. Robert Hueske, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hurley, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lehmann, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Long, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Molk, Mrs. S. R. Pool
With a growing church population, a strong youth membership, a school, a thrift store and an active community spirit, St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 2100 Tickner in Conroe, will celebrate its 50th anniversary throughout 2009. The theme for the year is “God’s Golden Promises; Our Golden Memories.”
“It’s important because in a day when some ventures fail, this one has survived the test of time and has provided help and assistance for the citizens of the community,” said the Rev. Herbert Graf, who served as pastor from 1977-94 and is in charge of the anniversary celebration.
Members will kick off the celebrations at 11 a.m. Saturday with lunch at McKenzie’s Barbecue, located at 1501 N. Frazier in Conroe, with former pastor the Rev. Alvin Lange. At 10 a.m. Sunday, Lange will preach at the first special service commemorating the church’s anniversary. An 11:15 a.m. potluck dinner will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
The first 500 people to attend Sunday will receive a ballpoint pen advertising the 50th anniversary.
What started with 24 charter members has grown to nearly 650 members today, Graf said.
“We had a number of Lutheran people here and no other Lutheran church,” Graf said about the church’s beginning.
Charter member Lucille Lehmann remembers when her family moved to Conroe in 1951, she and her daughter would have to drive to the closest Lutheran church in Tomball for Sunday services.
“It’s real exciting because when we started we met in several places,” she said. “We would go door to door handing out flyers that we were coming out. We just ventured into it. … It has really come to life.”
On Jan. 12, 1959, eight Lutheran families, the Rev. Ronald Reinhardt and Missions Director A. O. Rast meet in Conroe City Hall. The first worship service was Jan. 25, 1959 at Jay-Cee’s Hut in Candy Cane Park, where the congregation met until it purchased in July 1959 five acres at the current site, which included a three-bedroom house. Services were held in the garage of the house.
By Nov. 1, 1959, the congregation officially organized with its charter members: Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Blase, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Davison, Mr. O. B. Hilbig, Mr. Robert Hueske, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hurley, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lehmann, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Long, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Molk and Mrs. S. R. Pool.
The first church building, dedicated July 1, 1962, is now the Fellowship Hall. The Education Unit was dedicated June 5, 1966.
By Oct. 23, 1977, the present church building was dedicated and on Oct. 28, 1984 the church’s 25th anniversary was celebrated.
“I felt it would continue on,” Graf said. “I had confidence there was enough interest in the hearts of the people the church would progress.”
St. Mark’s now offers a food pantry, quilts for world relief, a thrift store and a school that serves grades pre-kindergarten through fourth, and plans to build a multi-purpose building on one acre the church purchased nearly 10 years ago, said Don Beutow, current church president and a church member since 1981.
“You always have good thoughts that it will continue,” he said about the church’s growth. “The good Lord has blessed us. … This is a real milestone.”
Celebrations for the 50th anniversary will continue throughout 2009 on the following dates: Sunday, April 26, July 12 and Nov. 1.
To learn more about St. Mark’s, call (936) 756-6335 or visit stmarkconroe.org.
What’s next
St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 2100 Tickner in Conroe, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with events throughout 2009.
• Saturday, 11 a.m.: lunch with the Rev. Alvin Lange at McKenzie’s Barbecue, located at 1501 N. Frazier in Conroe
• Sunday, 10 a.m.: service commemorating the first church service
• April 26: service commemorating joining the Missouri Synod
• July 12: service commemorating the construction of the first church building
• Nov. 1: service commemorating the dedication of the current church building
For more information, call (936) 756-6335 or visit stmarkconroe.org.
More info
St. Mark Lutheran Church pastor timeline
1959-61: the Rev. Ronald Reinhardt
1961-62: the Rev. Donald Heiderich
1963-67: the Rev. Alvin Lange
1967-77: the Rev. William Luecke
1977-94: the Rev. Herbert Graf
1994-present: the Rev. David Quail
2000-present: the Rev. George Borghardt (associate pastor)
Timeline
• Jan. 12, 1959: eight Lutheran families, pastor, missions director meet at City Hall
• Jan. 25, 1959: first worship service
• July 1959: purchased five-acre church site
• July 19, 1959: services moved to garage of current thrift store
• Sept. 6, 1959: congregation named St. Mark
• Nov. 1, 1959: officially organized with charter members
• July 1, 1962: dedication of first church, now the Fellowship Hall
• June 5, 1966: education unit dedicated
• Jan. 9, 1977: ground broken for present church construction
• Oct. 23, 1977: present church dedicated
• Oct. 28, 1984: 25th anniversary celebration
Charter members
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Benignus, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Blase, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Davison, Mr. O. B. Hilbig, Mr. Robert Hueske, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hurley, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lehmann, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Long, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Molk, Mrs. S. R. Pool
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