CHURCH HISTORIES Terrebonne Parish, LA LUTHERAN - GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Submitted by: Cynthia Daigle Source: The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press, Houma, LA. Last modified: 11 MARCH 2008 ================================================== NOTE: Most histories were submitted by the church to the Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press as part of the newspapers Sesquicentennial Edition. Not all churches submitted histories. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ================================================== LUTHERAN - GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Location in 2007 - 422 Valhi Blvd., Houma, LA The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press Houma, LA, Oct. 8, 1972, Sunday, Section E GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH LIBRARY MEETING TAKES ROOT (picture of church in paper) By Miss Clara Haupt Lutherans living in Houma before 1956 found regular church attendance an almost impossible feat, since the nearest church of that denomination was in the city of New Orleans. In September of 1956, therefore, a small group of Lutherans met in the Terrebonne Parish Library with Rev. O.H. Reinboth, then Executive Secretary of the Southern District, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and Rev. F. Weisenborn of Lafayette, Louisiana, and requested the Southern District to supply the Houma area with the services of a pastor. As a result, the board of Directors of the Southern District, acting upon the recommendation of the Executive Secretary, requested the Rev. Julius Bush of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in New Orleans, to begin worship services in Houma. The first worship service was held at the Shady Oak Recreation Center on Verret Street on October 21, 1956 at 7 p.m. Pastor Bush conducted the service with twenty-six persons present. With the help of Pastor Bush, other Lutherans in the area were contacted, and on November 5, 1956 a business meeting was held to formally organize the group. At this meeting the first officers were elected to serve until a constitution and by-laws could be written and adopted. These temporary officers were: J.V. Hawkins, Chairman; F.N. Wyatt, Secretary; Mrs. J.V. Hawkins, Treasurer; and H.S. Weigmann, Financial Secretary. Those present at this first meeting signed a "Scroll" to commemorate the event. Those signing were: Mr. Olden Dupre, Mrs. Olden Dupre, Mrs. J.V. Hawkins and Peggy, Mrs. Thornton Cofield, Sr., Mrs. Hildegarde Gartreaux, Mr. Harry S. Weigmann, Mrs. Robert Schenkelberg, Mrs. Robert Schnkelberg and Loren, Mrs. H.S. Weigmann, Mrs. Oliver H. Crain Jr., S.E. Normington, Miss Clara S. Haupt, Mr. J.V. Hawkins Jr., and Mr. F.N. Wyatt. A Constitution was adopted on March 11, 1957, and the congregation chose the name GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH. Seeing the need and enthusiasm of the group in Houma, together with the need of those Lutherans living in the Morgan City area, the Southern District extended a call for a full-time pastor to serve the Houma and Morgan City congregations as a dual parish. A telegram was received on June 18, 1957 from Candidate Richard E. Kuehnert accepting the call to become the first resident pastor of the Houma congregation. He was installed as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church on August 25, 1957. Two months later, on October 29, 1957 Grace Lutheran Church was officially received into the membership of the Southern District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. On November 10 the first officers were installed. They were: President, J.V. Hawkins; Vice-President, O.H. Crain; Secretary, David Counts; and Treasurer, S.E. Normington. Those designated to serve on the various boards in the congregation were: Board of Elders, Harry Weigmann and F.N. Wyatt; Board of Trustees, Olden Dupre, Robert Duhon and Robert Schenkelberg; Board of Education, O.H. Crain, A.A. Warnken and Mrs. Gladys Dupre; Board of Finance, S.E. Normington, Harry Weigmann and J.V. Hawkins; Board of Stewardship, O.H. Crain, Mrs. J.V. Hawkins, and Mrs. Harry Wigmann. Services were held at first in the Shady Oaks Recreation Center and later in the Music Room of Terrebonne High School. The group, however, felt the need for a church building, and after much consideration, purchased property on Hollywood Road and began work on the first unit of a building program. A ground breaking ceremony was held on February 7, 1960, and construction was begun on a Parish Hall-Chapel. A parsonage was purchased at 403 Mire Street and was dedicated on March 20, 1960. On August 14, 1960 two hundred and twenty persons were present for the dedication service of the newly completed $58,000 building on Hollywood Road which was to serve the congregation as a church and education building. Pastor R.E. Kuehnert continued to serve both Grace congregation in Morgan City until the Morgan City congregation received a pastor. The Rev. Leon Hodges was installed at Morgan City on June 17, 1962. In October, Pastor Kuehnert accepted a call to become the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church at Jackson, Mississippi, and preached his farewell sermon to the congregation on October 9, 1962. Grace Lutheran, which had now grown to a congregation of 65 communicant members, immediately began a search for a new pastor. On January 27, 1963 the Reverend J.C. Henning was installed as their second pastor. Under the leadership of Pastor Henning the congregation continued to grow and when he left to become pastor of another Lutheran congregation in Texas, Grace Lutheran Church had grown to a membership of 92 communicant members. On December 12, 1965 Grace Congregation installed its third pastor, The Reverend Roger H. Grummer. Under Pastor Grummer's guidance the church continued to grow and added Sunday morning services at the Larose-Cut Off High School for persons living in the lower Lafourche area. In 1959 Grace Lutheran held its first Easter Sunrise Service in Terrebonne Parish and has continued these services annually. The church has also conducted a Vacation Bible School every summer since 1960. Grace Lutheran Mission Guild, the oldest organization within the church, is a women's group devoted to serving the local church and also holds membership in the Lutheran Women's Missionary League which assists mission churches throughout the world. Mrs. Bonnie Reid is currently the president. The Mary-Martha Society, another women's group organized in 1964, meets every two weeks for daytime Bible study. Mrs. Mary Lou Johnston is president. A Walther League was organized by the young people of the congregation during the first year of the church's existence. It is now known as the Lutheran Youth Organization and is very active in serving the congregation in many ways. Miss Sandra Jackson is president. From a very small beginning in 1956 has grown the present congregation of 153 adult communicant members. Regular worship services in an attractive, though small, church building are now provided to all Lutherans in the Houma area. The Rev. Roger H. Grummer (picture of Grummer in paper) is the pastor of the congregation and currently the President of the Terrebonne Association of Ministers. Dr. Robert Jackson is presently serving as the president of Grace congregation.